Publisher: Harlequin Audio / MIRA
Published: May 25, 2021
Source: Audio via library / Print via TLC BookTours
Summary:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery pens a love story of a different sort…a heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters.
Once upon a time, when her dad married Sage’s mom, Daisy was thrilled to get a bright and shiny new sister. But Sage was beautiful and popular, everything Daisy was not, and she made sure Daisy knew it.
Sage didn’t have Daisy’s smarts—she had to go back a grade to enroll in the fancy rich-kid school. So she used her popularity as a weapon, putting Daisy down to elevate herself. After the divorce, the stepsisters’ rivalry continued until the final, improbable straw: Daisy married Sage’s first love, and Sage fled California.
Eighteen years, two kids and one troubled marriage later, Daisy never expects—or wants—to see Sage again. But when the little sister they have in common needs them both, they put aside their differences to care for Cassidy. As long-buried truths are revealed, no one is more surprised than they when friendship blossoms.
Their fragile truce is threatened by one careless act that could have devastating consequences. They could turn their backs on each other again…or they could learn to forgive once and for all and finally become true sisters of the heart.
My thoughts:
I’ve been reading Susan Mallery’s books for years, having read most of her series and just loved them. This is now the second stand-alone I’ve read and they are just as enjoyable as her other books.
One thing I absolutely love about Susan Mallery is her ability to write genuine, relatable characters. In this book, she really shows just how complicated families can be. I am always drawn to books about sisters, having two myself. We see just how messy things can be, but when push comes to shove, it is also one of the strongest bonds there is.
This book really focuses on the sisters. Yes, there is some romance involved, but the main focus is on the relationships between the sisters and why there is such a disconnect between them. Secrets that they each believed about the others led to rifts that have long been in place. Some were due to plain old sibling rivalry and some came at the hands of one of the mothers, who is quite the character herself.
This book has such a great balance of some heavy issues with lightheartedness thrown in. It’s perfect to add to your summer reading list – one that you will breeze through with it’s entertaining storyline and engaging characters. I definitely recommend it!
Audio thoughts:
When I saw that Tanya Eby was narrating this one, I just had to listen to it. She is such a great narrator and I know she’s narrated quite a few of Susan Mallery’s other books. She really gets her characters nuances and has such a way of bringing them to life, giving them their own distinct voices and personalities. This was a fun book to listen to and Tanya Eby really gave a great performance!
