Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Sisters Like Us - Contemoporary Romance Review



Description:  Divorce left Harper Szymanski with a name no one can spell, a house she can’t afford and a teenage daughter who’s pulling away. With her fledgeling virtual-assistant business, she’s scrambling to maintain her overbearing mother’s ridiculous Susie Homemaker standards and still pay the bills, thanks to clients like Lucas, the annoying playboy cop who claims he hangs around for Harper’s fresh-baked cookies.

Spending half her life in school hasn’t prepared Dr. Stacey Bloom for her most daunting challenge—motherhood. She didn’t inherit the nurturing gene like Harper and is in deep denial that a baby is coming. Worse, her mother will be horrified to learn that Stacey’s husband plans to be a stay-at-home dad…assuming Stacey can first find the courage to tell Mom she’s already six months pregnant.

Separately they may be a mess, but together Harper and Stacey can survive anything—their indomitable mother, overwhelming maternity stores and ex’s weddings. Sisters Like Us is a delightful look at sisters, mothers and daughters in today’s fast-paced world, told with Susan Mallery’s trademark warmth and humor.

My Thoughts:  If I was having a contest for characters I hated the most Bunny would definitely be in the lead at the moment.  I get that the ridiculous standards she expects her daughters to meet are based on her own issues but that didn't mean I could like her.  What I did love was how all of this affected Harper and Stacey.  I loved that they were friends and hadn't let their difficult mother drive them apart and I loved how they started to resist.   It was interesting to see how different the two sisters were and how they responded to their incredibly overbearing mother.  Harper desperately wanted to live up to her mother's standards whereas Stacey just tended to avoid them.  And in the middle of this is 16 year Becca, desperate to fit in, desperate to be noticed, and desperate to have someone think she's special.  My heart broke for her even when she was at her most self-involved 16 year old self.

I really enjoyed this book. There is some romance but what really stands out is the women themselves.  All 3 are so different and in such different phases of life and I think I connected to each of them in a different way.  This is a light read but not a fluffy one.  There is heart and emotion and the characters came alive as I read.  This was the first book in the Mischief Bay series but it won't be last.  I'm looking forward to reading lots more from Mallery!

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10 comments:

  1. I love that you're in sleep-in family. When the girls were younger, I would put milk from the gallon jug into a smaller container so the oldest could get cereal for her and her sister. I think they'd watch TV too while Mommy and Daddy sleep.
    I really need to read more of Susan Mallery. I like how she presents and deals with real life, family issues.

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  2. Happy to hear you enjoyed this one and yes wasn't Bunny dreadful. I have loved all the books in the series and really though they are stand alones I'd say read the earlier ones in order because the first couple of books take up the story of various characters.

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  3. I've read some of Susan Mallery's books, and in general I've liked them. This seems like it's leaning towards the women's fiction side, which isn't my thing lately, but I am so glad you enjoyed it. Bunny sounds pretty horrific!

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  4. Susan Mallery is one of my favorites. I want to read this one.

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  5. I love the sound of this one, Katherine - it sounds like a really interesting relationship between the women.

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  6. I keep meaning to read Susan Mallery but don't think that I have yet. This does sound like a really interesting family relationship. Glad you enjoyed it!

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  7. I like her stand alone novels so this is one I'll try.

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  8. Oh my on their mama. lol They sound great, though. I do like her books :)

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  9. I am so glad you enjoyed this one. Bunny sounds so awful. I definitely have to give this a try!

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