If We're Being Honest

If We're Being Honest

By Cat Shook
Narrated by: Kathleen McInerney
Listening length: 11 hours, 8 minutes
Release date: April 18, 2023
My review: 3.5 out of 5 stars

For fans of We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange and All Adults Here by Emma Straub, Cat Shook’s debut novel If We’re Being Honest is the snappy, smart, heartwarming story of the Williams family, and the sweltering summer that rewrote their history.

When Gerry, the beloved Williams patriarch, dies suddenly, his grandchildren flock from across the country to the family home in Eulalia, Georgia. But when Gerry’s best friend steps up to the microphone to deliver his eulogy, the funeral turns out unlike anyone expected. The cousins, left reeling and confused, cope with their fresh grief and various private dramas. Delia, recently heartbroken, refuses to shut up about her ex. Her sister Alice, usually confident, flusters when she spots her high school sweetheart, hiding a secret that will change both of their lives. Outspoken, affable Grant is preening in the afterglow of his recent appearance on The Bachelorette and looking to reignite an old flame with the least available person in town. Meanwhile, his younger brother Red, unsure of himself and easily embarrassed, desperately searches for a place in the boisterous family.

The cousins’ eccentric parents are in tow, too, and equally lost—in love and in life. Watching over them all is Ellen, Gerry’s sweet and proper widow, who does her best to keep her composure in front of the leering small town.

Clever and completely original, If We’re Being Honest reminds you that while no one can break your heart like your family can, there’s really no one better to put you back together.

Although I received a copy of this ebook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own. Thank you Netgalley and Macmillian audio for the opportunity to listen to this book.

I really enjoyed this story of love and loss. It is about a family that comes together after the sudden loss of their patriarch. When a secret comes out about his life (during his funeral no less) it rocks everyone in the family. Told from almost every viewpoint in the family, this book gives a broad sense of how everyone handles grief and secrets differently. I love how real this felt. There were a few parts that felt a little too "happily ever after" but I guess that does sometimes happen. It was a fun listen and i would probably pick up another of Shook's books to listen to.