Title: Daughters of the Bride
Author: Susan Mallery
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Published: July 2016, Harlequin Audio / HQN Books
Length: 12 hours 10 minutes / 416 pages
Source: Audio – Borrowed via Library / Print – Hardcover via Publisher
Summary:
With Joy, Love and a
Little Trepidation, Courtney, Sienna and Rachel Invite You to the Most
Emotional Wedding of the Year… Their Mother’s
Courtney
~ The Misfit ~
As
the awkward one, Courtney Watson may not be as together as her sisters,
but she excels at one thing—keeping secrets, including her white-hot
affair with a sexy music producer. Planning Mom’s wedding exposes her
startling hidden life, changing her family’s view of her—and how she
views herself—forever.
Sienna
~ The Free Spirit ~
When
Sienna’s boyfriend proposes—in front of her mom and sisters, for crying
out loud—he takes her by surprise. She already has two broken
engagements under her belt. Should she say “I do” even if she’s not sure
she does?
Rachel
~ The Cynic ~
Rachel
thought love would last forever…right up until her divorce. As Mom’s
wedding day draws near and her ex begs for a second chance, she’s forced
to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about why her marriage failed,
and decide if she’ll let pride stand in the way of her own
happily-ever-after.
My thoughts: When I pick up a book by Susan Mallery – whether it a book from one of her series or a stand-alone book – I know I am in for some good, fun reading. And that’s just what I got with this book.
This story is all about family and how all families are certainly not cookie cutter molds. The family dynamics and the relationships between the sisters are so relatable that this just pulled me into the story even more. I think having two sisters, and four brothers, any time I read a story about sibling relationships I find myself drawn to them. I felt the emotions and tensions between the mother and daughters to be real and drawn in reality.
This story is a roller-coaster of emotions. It will make you laugh-out-loud at times, but it has it’s poignant moments as well. And there are some cringe-worthy moments, too. That’s the beauty of this story – it will take you over as you delve into the dynamics of these sisters’ relationships as they help their mother plan her wedding. It was fun getting to know them and seeing them come into themselves as they finally shed the past and overcame some of the insecurities that had been tripping them up.
The characters, as is usual in all Susan Mallerys’ books, are well-developed and complex. They are relatable and easy to cheer on. You might not always like a character in the beginning, but by the end they just might end up surprising you. Don’t you just love characters like that?
Audio thoughts: I am a big fan of Tanya Eby and so I was so excited to see she was narrating this book. She does such a great job with the voices, even for the men’s voices, giving everyone a distinct and unique voice so that you never have to wonder who is speaking. Her tone and pacing are spot on and she infuses just the right amount of emotion into her voice as necessary. This was a great book to listen to on audio.
