Johnny Be Good

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Pub Date 30 Jul 2019 | Archive Date 20 Sep 2019

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Description

SOMETIMES A WOMAN DOES WHAT SHE HAS TO DO TO PROTECT HER FAMILY.

Peggy Lynch has too many children and too much to do. Unlike the pampered wives in her affluent Long Island suburb, Peggy’s not married to a doctor or a lawyer. She’s married to an uneducated Irish immigrant twelve years her junior, and has to work two jobs to help make ends meet. In between the carpools, the laundry, and the food shopping, she also has to make sure her youngest son takes his ADHD medicine so he doesn’t flunk out of high school. Maybe if her lazy husband would get off his ass and help around the house, she’d have time to connect with her children and be the type of mother they deserve. But Peggy lacks that luxury because if it wasn’t for her, the whole family would fall to pieces.

Years have passed since Peggy ruled the house and Veronica is no longer her mother’s obedient little girl. Moving into her childhood home with her husband and infant twins, she’s starting a new life and should finally be happy. Right? Wrong.

While cleaning out her old bedroom, Veronica finds a letter from her deceased mother. If Veronica were smart she’d burn it and leave her family secrets buried with the dead. But as her mother so often said, Veronica’s never been that smart.

She rips open the envelope and proves her mother right...

SOMETIMES A WOMAN DOES WHAT SHE HAS TO DO TO PROTECT HER FAMILY.

Peggy Lynch has too many children and too much to do. Unlike the pampered wives in her affluent Long Island suburb, Peggy’s not married...


Available Editions

ISBN 9781086474909
PRICE US$2.99 (USD)

Average rating from 13 members


Featured Reviews

Excellent reading material,like the way the book is divided into character section,one for veronica and the other for Peggy.Each character contributes to the story which centers around just two of the children,the ones that in some way have been damaged by Peggy drinking.
An awsome storyline dealing with binge drinking and the spiral effects on family.

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Johnny Be Good is a great book. I enjoyed the plot and the well developed characters. The author is new to me and I enjoyed her writing and will read more of her books. I received an arc from the publisher and this is my unbiased review.

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This is a story about a family and how they managed to hurt each other even when we did not mean too. Peg is a 31 year old woman who is attracted to a immigrant man 12 yrs her junior Sean. One thing leads to another and Peg is pregnant and Sean does the right thing and marries her. Peg and Sean’s life together is complicated and they have 5 children together. Veronica is the youngest of the five and she seems to be her brother Johnny is always picking on her. Veronica’s life is a struggle with Johnny’s bullying and her moms constant protection of Johnny. By Veronica’s dad is her only champion and supports her dancing.
When Peg leaves a note for Veronica will she open it and read it? Will Veronica ever understand why her mom was so hard on her? Deciding not to go to college what will happen to Veronica?

I enjoyed this story. I was grateful for a chance to read this advanced copy read.

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An enjoyable story with much emotional detail and very good characterization.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I enjoyed the book. It was different from my normal read. A touching story.
Thanks, NetGalley for the advance copy to review.

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My first book written by Bernadette Walsh. I love when I find an author that I am interested in checking into the other books she has written. Definitely the case with this. She writes a brutally honest story based on a mother/daughter relationship. A story of love and loss. Thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

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Wow! You know that feeling- when you are walking out of a movie and you are still lost in the story and it’s hard to snap back to real life? That’s what this women’s fiction did to me. Call it all the usual adjectives- brutal, searing, honest, painful- you will never forget Peggy, Sean, Veronica or Rose.

Author Bernadette Walsh describes her books, “While I've hopped around genres from humorous romance to serious women's fiction, all of my books to date have a common theme: strong women handling what life throws at them the best way they can.” Peggy is the Irish-American mother in this story who married visiting Irishman Sean Lynch when she became pregnant. After their first child, they had twins and settled in to their life on Rose Hill Road on Long Island and had the usual ups and downs.

But when life becomes even bumpier, Peggy copes with alcohol and the family, which now includes Johnny and Veronica, begins to fracture. This story is told in the first person, mainly by Peggy and Veronica. The author shines as a storyteller- the characters are vivid and real. Veronica’s passion for Irish dancing is a rich part of the story. Neighbor Rose adds a kind touch to the troubled lives of the Lynch family.

I wish I could say that this story gave me hope or that it had a happy ending. It does have the best ending it could have, but this is a troubling and bleak story and could be triggering for some. There are frequent typos, but this story is so overwhelming, they are not a problem. If you like strong characters and honest and real stories, I recommend this book. Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for a digital review copy. This is my honest review.

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This was a beautifully written story with realistic characters It is a story of family and the effects of love and loss.
Many thanks to BooksGoSocial and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Johnny Be Good is a wonderful novel, dealing with the effects of binge drinking and how it can spiral and destroy a whole family if it's allowed to. Bernadette Walsh takes a sensitive approach to this story of a mother who drinks too much...and upon finding a letter from her deceased mother, she reads it in spite of the fact that she knows she will regret it. A good novel portraying a very difficult subject...I found it both informational and touching.

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Peggy and Veronica...two women from different generations, tied by blood. A warning, this story will rip out your heart and stomp all over it. Grab a box of tissues and keep it nearby. Walsh does an excellent job of bringing the story to life, and evoking strong emotions in the reader. The characters feel more like real people than imaginary inhabitants of a book. This book will draw you in before you know what's happening, and moves along smoothly from start to finish. An emotional read that is sure to stick with you even after you've closed the book.

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4 stars!

This is definitely a well written book and not at all what I expected!

It's a family drama type book... A serious one, with a theme that I did not guess.

“From the moment he’d been born, Johnny was my burden to bear. My cross. (...) But he was also my heart and his lopsided smile was a joy to me.”

Johnny is Peggy's 4th child. He has behavioral issues; has trouble concentrating and loses his temper easily.

Jonhny frequently terrorizes his little sister, Verónica.

“Everyone always thought Johnny was a little odd, but harmless. Unpredictable, sure, but sweet. I was one of the few people who saw this side of him. The side that could always find my weak spot. His cruel side.”

The book is told in a double POV. We see, mainly, Veronica's POV and her mother, Peggy's, perspective, here.

I really sympathized with Peggy. I felt for her, through all her struggles. And I really (really) understand Veronica's side too.

“Your mother is a good woman. But sometimes even good women make selfish choices. And good daughters often pay the price.”


The theme here was somewhat different. It left me interested in looking more into it; to actually do some research of my own. I don't think this is something that is very present in other books.

This book is important. It brings awareness. It's subtle; a bit mysterious at times, but slowly the plot intensifies and things are revealed.

Human relationships are complex and hard... As you will see in this book.

“It’s easy to get sucked into the vortex of your family.”

People are unperfect; and each have their own feelings, wills, wishes, issues and traumas... Dealing with it all, is sometimes very difficult.

“You know, when you live with this everyday, it seems normal.”

This was a book I can't say I enjoyed a lot reading (as it's not exactly a light or fun book), but it definitely made me reflect and think about many things.

This is definitely a book for book club or to buddy read, as you'll want to discuss it with someone.

I think this book makes for an entertaining read and you'll definitely become attached to some of the characters.

I really liked Rose Murphy's character. She was so sweet and the best neighbor and friend one could have.

I am curious about Rose's story - The Girls on Rose Hill: Three Generations of Love, Betrayal and Secrets - but I have a feeling her book is going to break my heart to pieces. So, I won't be reading it just right now.

Lastly, I have to say that I, weirdly, really liked the ending of this book. It was profound and somewhat sweet. It had a big impact on me... I was stuck still, awed, processing it for awhile.

“I may have been a lot of things in this life. (...) But to the end I was a mother. An imperfect mother, to be sure, but a loving mother nonetheless.”

“I was a mother who loved her children more than anything.”

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