Little Free Library Drop – If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook

Last week I got to participate in another huge Little Free Library Drop with Celadon Books! I’ve been able to help with a few others (THE ANGEL MAKER, WE ARE THE BRENNANS, and LOCUST LANE, to name a few) and it’s always fun being able to drop a book into a local LFL. If we weren’t on a highway, I would 100% have one outside our house. This one is in the LFL on Main street in Onamia.

IF WE’RE BEING HONEST – Cat Shook (Released April 18th, 2023)

My Quick Thoughts: 3.5/5 stars – This was a slower read, and I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the mood for that, but it made getting through some chapters harder. There is a large cast of characters and things had their confusing moments, BUT the ending really made up for those little hiccups. It is very well written, and I think a solid debut from Shook. I just think it was more of the right book at the wrong time – if that makes sense? I’ll possibly give this another look one day when I’m in the right mood, and see if I can appreciate the story more. Overall, I would still highly recommend this if you enjoyed WE ARE THE BRENNANS.

Here’s the synopsis:

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.