Blog Tour, Review & Guest Post: Three Sisters by Susan Mallery

Three Sisters by Susan Mallery

Harlequin MIRA

March 2013

Format: ARC, Paperback, 352 pages

First line: Being left at the alter is not for sissies.

From the back cover: After Andi Gordon is
jilted at the altar, she makes the most impetuous decision of her life –
buying one of the famed Three Sisters Queen Anne houses on Blackberry
Island. Now the proud-ish owner of the ugly duckling of the trio, she
plans to open her own pediatric office on the first floor, just as soon
as her hunky contractor completes the work. Andi’s new future may be
coming together, but the truth is she’s just as badly in need of a major
renovation as her house.

When Deanna Phillips confronts her
husband about a suspected affair, she opens up a Pandora’s Box of
unhappiness. And he claims that she is the problem. The terrible thing
is, he’s right. In her quest to be the perfect woman, she’s lost
herself, and she’s in danger of losing her entire family if things don’t
change.

Next door, artist Boston King thought she and her
college sweetheart would be married forever. Their passion for one other
has always seemed indestructible. But after tragedy tears them apart,
she’s not so sure. Now it’s time for them to move forward, with or
without one another.

Thrown together by fate and geography, and
bound by the strongest of friendships, these three women will discover
what they’re really made of: laughter, tears, love and all.

My thoughts: This is the second book in Susan Mallery’s Blackberry Island series and I really enjoyed it. I’ve read a lot of Susan Mallery’s other books and always know I am in for a treat when I pick up her books. She seems to write from the heart and always manages to tug at my heartstrings. This is a story of love,
loss and the ability to heal,forgive and move on. Each of the women learn to
lean on the others and while they are not sisters by blood, they
certainly begin to feel that they are sisters of the heart. I ended up reading this book in two sittings, reading the last 250 pages late into the night because I just couldn’t put the book down!

Three Sisters follows three women who are all dealing with some pretty heavy issues. Andi has just been left at the alter after spending ten years with the guy and decides to pick up and move to Blackberry Island, buying a house that she plans to use for her pediatric practice. Boston, an artist, is still trying to move on from the death of her six month old son. Deanna, the stay-at-home mom, is struggling with not letting her past take over and control her future.

These women’s lives come together solely due to the fact that they are neighbors, living in what the town refers to as the Three Sisters Queen Ann homes. It’s very easy to think that each of the women are happy by outward appearances, but like the saying goes – ‘don’t judge a book by it’s cover,’ they soon find out that not all is as it seems. I love how Susan Mallery creates such real, life-like characters with problems that you can easily relate to. When we first meet Deanna, I have to say I didn’t like her at all, but once we got more of her story, I found myself changing my opinion of her. 

As I mentioned above, this is the second in the Blackberry Island series and what I liked is that we are introduced to a whole new set of characters this time around. While there are mentions of the two main characters from the first book, Barefoot Island, they do not play a major role in this story. I kind of like that – it’s not what I’ve typically come across in series and am curious to see how the rest of the series plays out.

 

I received a complimentary copy of Three Sisters by Susan Mallery from Alissa at Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc.

Q&A with Susan Mallery

With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, New York
Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who
feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often
funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. Susan’s books have
made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT
Book Reviews says, “When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is
in a class by herself.” With her popular, ongoing Fool’s Gold series, Susan has
reached new heights on the bestsellers lists and has won the hearts of countless
new fans.

Susan grew up in southern California, moved so many times
that her friends stopped writing her address in pen, and now has settled in
Seattle with her husband and the most delightfully spoiled little dog who ever
lived. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com
and www.facebook.com/susanmallery.

1)     
What
are some writing quirks or rituals that you have in order to keep you focused?

I’m not sure I’d call it a quirk or a ritual, but looking at
my mortgage statement helps me focus. Writing is a joy – I love it – but it’s
also my job, and I have a lot of people depending on me to meet my deadlines. A
good work ethic is something I admire in others, and it’s something I require
of myself.

2)     
What does your writing space look
like?

I work at a big wooden desk in my home office. One of the
biggest luxuries of working at home is that my dog Nikki comes with me to the
office every day. She snoozes while I write, but still, she’s good company.
When the characters make me laugh, Nikki will run over to join the fun. She’s
very wiggly when she’s excited. 

By the time I reach the end of a book, the desk surface is
littered with sticky notes, reminding me of something that needs to happen.
Then I clear it all away and start the next book.

3)     
The
Three Sisters Queen Anne houses and Andi Gordon’s home restoration play a large
role in your new book. How are architecture and home renovation a part of your
real life?

I’ve moved so many times that my friends stopped writing my
address in pen. (Not as much of an issue now as it was before we saved all our
addresses digitally.) Which means I’ve spent many a happy hour staring at paint
swatches, trying to decide between shades of taupe. I never had a contractor as
sexy as Wade, though, I’m sorry to say.

I’m addicted to HGTV. My new favorite show is the Property
Brothers. You can’t go wrong with two cute brothers. I’m especially fond of the
one who knows his way around power tools.

However, I’m not sure I’d have the patience to take on a
renovation project as extensive as Andi’s. She was in a bad state when she
bought the house on Blackberry Island. She had just been left at the altar by a
man she’d dated for ten years. He wasn’t ready, he said. After ten years. So
when she saw this beautiful old Queen Anne house in need of love, it called to
her.

4)     
What
do you love about writing romance novels?

I love the happy endings. As a reader, I get angry when I’ve
invested my emotions into a book and then it ends badly for the characters. I
have been known to throw a book against the wall. I don’t think an unhappy
resolution makes a book deeper or more realistic. When readers pick up my
books, they can relax into the experience because they’ll know that no matter
what pain the characters might feel, they will find their way to a happy
ending. I can’t even imagine writing a book that doesn’t end happily. The
characters would haunt me for the rest of my life!

5)     
If
you could choose one romantic character from literature to jump off the pages
and become real, who would you pick?

Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy – oh wait, he did come to life. He
goes by Colin Firth now.

 

Thank you Susan for putting this together…and be sure to check out the other blogs participating in the Three Sisters blog tour.