Amy Jo Burns

I loved that this novel revolves around a family of roofers, although their passion for their work was hard to understand until I read that the author grew up in such a family. There is the mystery of the dead body found in a church attic at the beginning of the story, and there is the relationship of Marley to three brothers, and the tension of a tyrannical patriarch and strong-willed (adulterous) matriarch. The author moves around in time to develop the characters and plot. There is much to empathize and situations to identify with in this book, and I hope the author's style becomes more polished in time.… (meer)

This is a family saga for people who are most interested in literary fiction that examines relationships between characters. Most of the characters are 3-dimensional, with things to like and dislike about them. Each person's perspective is understandable - the author is good at showing all the sides of an argument and how easily misunderstandings happen.

Shay's secret and Elise's troubles were both unsurprising. I missed Marley's mom in the second half of the book. I enjoyed Marley's relationship with Jade, though it was a bit sudden.

The writing was good. It took itself a bit too seriously - everything is deep and all the feelings are a little exaggerated. Sensitive readers probably don't have to be told quite so much. A little levity would've been nice.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookish First for an ARC in exchange for a review.… (meer)