Tag: Family Drama

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The Sunshine Girls-Fader-Fiction-Available Now

Some books defy classification. They have aspects of different genres, making them difficult to pigeonhole. The Sunshine Girls by Molly Fader is one of those. If pressed, I would have to say it is women’s fiction. Although there is some historical fiction to it as well. And mystery.

See what I mean?

Clara and Abbie are mourning the death of their mom, Betty Kay when famous movie star Kitty shows up at the funeral. Clara and Abbie had no idea their mom knew Kitty, and they come to realize that Betty Kay had several secrets. As does Kitty.

I don’t want to give anything away – because discovering the backstory and history of the characters is part of the charm of this book – but suffice it to say that Kitty and Betty Kay go waaaay back.

(To be honest, the blurb gives that part away – but I didn’t want to).

At any rate, Clara and Abbie realize they didn’t really know their mom as well as they thought. It’s actually thought-provoking because by the time we realize our parents had lives before us, it’s sometimes too late to ask them about it.

In our minds, as kids and even as adults, our parents are fully formed when we appear. There’s rarely a thought to events that may have shaped them. I felt that deeply from this book.

Time is nebulous in this book. The chapters switch back and forth between the past – how Betty Kay’s and Kitty’s friendship developed over time – and the present, as the girls try to determine the truth of some family secrets. Does Kitty hold the key to those secrets?

You’ll have to read The Sunshine Girls to find out.

The book moves at a good pace and stays on an even keel. It seamlessly switches back and forth between past and present; it’s never abrupt. And both timelines are equally fascinating (although the historical one is just a little more so).

The author also takes the rose-colored glasses off about social issues and addresses them with sensitivity and care. They serve as reminders that we didn’t start the fire, and some problems have plagued society for decades.

Most of all, the message from the book is that life events shape us but never have to define us. We have the power to reinvent ourselves at any point – we just need the strength and support system to help us make ourselves the best people we can be.

Molly Fader has a real winner in The Sunshine Girls. It’s women’s fiction that shouldn’t be missed.

The Sunshine Girls author Molly Fader
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The Summer Getaway-Mallery-Review-Fiction-Available Now

The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery is a clever and honest family drama/fiction novel. It focuses on second chances and standing up for oneself.

I know, that makes it sound like it is a heavy read but it isn’t. It is more like watching your favorite tv show or a chick flick. You know, where you just jump in and go for the ride?

Robyn is everything to everybody. But four years after her divorce, she feels stagnant, which is hardly surprising. Why?

First off, her ex’s choice for a girlfriend has a disturbing connection to the family. Then her daughter is a bridezilla. In all, there are too many demands on Robyn.

As to the first one there, I don’t want to give that away, but it was a legit laugh-out-loud moment for me. It really set the tone for Robyn’s attitude the rest of the book.

I think any woman of a certain age will relate to Robyn wanting to do more for herself. Having to put others first for so long can make one go a little mad and want to toss it all away.

This was the aspect of the story that I enjoyed the most. As a result of the pressures, Robyn tries to get away from it all.

I especially liked how Robyn sees great-aunt Lillian as a free spirit to mimic. But this can also be a case of “be careful what you wish for.” Really, can one be too “free?”

And what happens when the rest of the family realizes they can’t do without Robyn, bringing their drama to rain down on her blissful dreamlike existence with Lillian?

Haven’t we all been there? Where we just want to be alone, but family intrudes?

Buy links below author information.

Honestly, I’m not sure what else I can say about The Summer Getaway without giving anything away (see what I did there?)

There are times the family drama seems almost too contrived. None of the male characters are as developed as they could be. Unfortunately, they seem very cookie-cutter compared to other characters.

The Summer Getaway is a book that doesn’t require a lot of thought. Just go for the ride and be entertained by Susan Mallery’s writing talents.

If you are looking for more from this author, try these as well: The Vineyard at Painted Moon; The Friendship List; The Stepsisters.

Twitter: @susanmallery
Facebook: @susanmallery
Instagram: @susanmallery

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The Liz Taylor Ring-Review-Fiction-Available Now

With a clever title like The Liz Taylor Ring, it would be hard to go wrong. Fortunately, most of the book gets things very right.

Just like a past novel from this author (The Grace Kelly Dress), the author chooses a style icon from the past as the touchstone for the characters.

In the case of the Liz Taylor ring, the reference is to the whopper of a ring that Richard Burton gave Liz Taylor during one of their reconciliations. This parallels two of the characters (Lizzie and Ritchie) and their on-again/off-again romance.

It is safe to say that Lizzie and Ritchie have very little in common with Liz and Richard, but it is not for lack of trying. I don’t want to say more, because it would give away plot points.

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The ring in question, and at the center of the entire plot, is an heirloom that each of Lizzie and Ritchie’s three kids (Addy, Nathan, and Courtney) knows about. But in clever plotting, each knows a different version of the story and what happened to the ring.

One unfortunate aspect of the book is that none of the three of them are particularly likable for a majority of the book. Addy is a controlling martyr, Nathan is a paranoid borderline narcissist, and Courtney…well, Courtney is the typical “youngest child total screw up.”

There is a lot of family history between these three. Unfortunately, the relationships between all of them are shaky. Because, you know, reasons.

All in all, there are times when it is a bit much. In a nutshell, Addy is too mean, Nathan is too “sidekick” and Courtney is too much of a mess.

Fortunately, there is a point where all three take a breath and the sibling relationships start to grow. I am just glad that I stuck with them because there are some truly beautiful family moments. Before we get to them, though, there’s just a lot of nastiness.

Now, I will give the author props for a few special details. For example, Ritchie is an addiction-level gambler. His two oldest kids, Addy and Nathan, are named for characters from “Guys and Dolls.”

Obviously, if you know the show, you know the connection. But if you don’t, the story centers around a gambling ring. Very clever.

Ultimately, The Liz Taylor Ring does focus on the importance of family ties and forgiveness. Not bad lessons to take to heart.

The Liz Taylor Ring author headshot
Social Links:
Twitter: @BrendaJanowitzr
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Instagram: @brendajanowitzwriter

Author Bio: 

Brenda attended Cornell University and Hofstra Law School, where she was a member of the Law Review. Upon graduation from Hofstra, worked for the law firm Kaye Scholer, LLP, and did a federal clerkship with the Honorable Marilyn Dolan Go, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of New York.

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Why She Left-Family Drama-Available Now

Family drama doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of Why She Left. Family dysfunction is more like it.

Regardless of the label, it is a compelling read that touches on some important nuances in families.

When is it okay to bulldoze a family member’s dreams? Is being stubborn helpful or detrimental to personal growth? Is anything worth sacrificing a family member’s trust?

All these and more are addressed thoughtfully (and often cleverly) in Why She Left.

You can get an idea of the plot from the blurb (as usual). If it doesn’t sound odd to say, I enjoyed Isobel’s dilemma. In some ways, it is unique – especially given her mother’s position.

Isobel is more like her mother than she wants to admit. They both bury their heads in the sand to preserve their pride – and their egos.

Isobel’s stubbornness makes her blind to a lot of things, mostly personal, which results in incidents that could have been prevented. She is the very definition of a train wreck.

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Which also begs the question: does an incident that happened decades prior control a person’s life forever? Or is there a way to fight and overcome it? Isobel addresses this subconsciously at first, and then full-on later in the story.

I guessed one of the twists in the story fairly early on, but it took a long time for the motivation of the character to become clear. This definitely kept me reading.

There is also a bit of a mystery element as Isobel and her mother, Ruth, try to figure out who is behind some unfortunate (and dangerous) incidents. The culprit was not who I thought it would be.

I did get the feeling that the author didn’t know exactly what to do with Cecily. She is on the periphery of the story for most of the novel. I guess in a way that mirrors her position within the family as well. (No spoilers).

I will also say that there are examples of gross abuse of power from a couple of characters. Again, not to give anything away, but I want to note it in case any readers have issues with that.

Ultimately, Isobel finds the strength she needs to move forward for both her and her son, Isaac. The journey for the two of them is the stuff that makes a family drama, realistic. This also means Why She Left is a good read.

Also, try another family drama by this author: A Mother’s Lie

About Leah Mercer

Leah Mercer was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada. Her first ambition was to be a journalist, but after completing a master’s in journalism, she soon realised she preferred anything other than reporting the news. After trying her hand at public relations, teaching and recruitment in various countries around the world, she finally settled in London and returned to writing… fiction, this time. Her first two novels, Who We Were Before and The Man I Thought You Were, were shortlisted at the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association Awards. Leah loves books, running and visiting historic houses with her husband and their son.

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Family Drama-Her Silent Husband-Available Now

The blurbs for this fiction/family drama novel state that it is “emotional.” It is an emotional read. But I am not sure that it is the emotion they were going for.

The best parts of this novel are the lessons learned by the characters. In fact, as I am reviewing my notes for this book, I am seeing more and more. Here are just a few that I noticed:

Family: What is the meaning of family? What are the responsibilities of family members? What makes a family…well, a family?

Beth asks herself all of these questions over the course of the book. The position she finds herself in causes some serious introspection. In her case, it is much needed.

Assumptions: Don’t make them. Foundations are not built on them. Nothing good comes from them.

Both Beth and Gemma are guilty of seeing the other through assumptions instead of getting to know each other properly. Obviously, this causes much discord, which adds to the tragedy.

Respect: It is a vital component in any relationship. Beth does not show a lot to Drew and neither does Gemma. This is a direct cause of the event that opens the book.

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Buy Link:
Amazon: https://bit.ly/301fmgq

Honestly, I spent a lot of this book despising Beth. She came across as spoiled, shallow, and single-focused on her kids. Not that the latter is a bad thing, but it certainly skewed her perspective.

But, as Gemma comes to terms with Beth’s demeanor, I did too. Beth’s interactions with her family are also informative and shine light on why Beth is the way she is.

Interestingly, Gemma and Beth are more similar than either one realizes. They both let their pasts dictate their present instead of embracing the present for what it is.

And then this brings us to Drew.

I felt for him the most in this entire family drama because he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Who wouldn’t fold in that situation?

A couple of subplots did not do a lot for me. For example, the reason for Tristan’s surliness (although that was a nice little twist towards the end) seems contrived.

And the number of kids in the family appeared more for convenience of the plot rather than depth (two of them didn’t have a lot to do with the story at all).

But as I said at the beginning of this review, the power of this family drama is in the messages and lessons it teaches. And frankly, the strongest one is at the very end.

One bit of kindness can open a whole new world of understanding between people. That is certainly something to remember, especially in the times we are living in.

If you are interested, you can find other family drama novels here and here.

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Facebook: SamVickeryWrites/

Author Bio:
Sam Vickery is an English author who loves gritty, emotional stories that can make you sob. As a child, she was forever getting in trouble for being caught with her nose in a book, and these days are no different. She lives on the south coast of England with her husband, two children and a cat that thinks it’s a dog.

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A Letter From Nana Rose by Kristin Harper-Book Review-Available Now

It’s really strange how I manage to read a book with a similar theme to another one right after the other. I don’t just mean the genre, because I obviously have favorites that I will repeatedly return to. I’m talking about major plot points that are eerily similar even though the genres are completely different.

This is the case with this book and another recent read (The Guilty Sister). Two totally different approaches with the same twist. It is just illustrative of how unique a book can be, I guess. The other is a firm psych thriller, while this one is clearly family drama.

Three sisters arrive at their grandmother’s house for one last “vacation” and to decide what to do with the house now that their grandmother has passed away. It’s a plot point that has been done before, but this time, there is an added twist.

Well, a deeply hidden family secret isn’t exactly a twist, but the way it is revealed is unique. I loved the letter-writing re-telling because (as Nana Rose says) it’s like narrating a story. It allowed her voice to be heard loud and clear, which I think was more effective than actual flashbacks.

I’m not going to say why that was important, but it was. Flashbacks would have lessened the impact of the secret. That’s all I’m going to say.

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In addition to those revelations, however, there is also the storyline of the three sisters and how they both love and misunderstand each other. It is refreshing that they aren’t all at odds in the beginning (usually these “forced residence” requirements aim for reconciliation).

They weren’t all perfect either. Each of the sisters had something that they were hiding from the other two. And they argued. A lot. It’s what families do, so it made them totally realistic.

The perspective is primarily from Jill, but not written in the first person. She’s just the focal point. I think that is one reason that I related to her the most. But I think it was also because she was a freelancer, so I understood her point of view on a lot of things.

Rachel and Brooke were more difficult to get a handle on, and I am not sure if that was by design or not. Because of that, I felt that the reveals for their secrets were a little awkward. But that was minor in the bigger picture.

Ultimately, this is a story of the importance of keeping family together at any cost, relying on those who love you the most, and doing what you think is right even though it may seem wrong at the time. I loved the images of the family traditions at Sea Breeze Lane, they sounded like fun.

I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Other book reviews for this author:

Book Author headshot
Twitter: KHarperAuthor

Author Bio:
Ever since she was a young girl, there were few things Kristin liked more than creative writing and spending time on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with her family. Eventually (after a succession of jobs that bored her to tears), she found a way to combine those two passions by becoming a women’s fiction author whose stories occur in oceanside settings. While Kristin doesn’t live on the Cape year-round, she escapes to the beach whenever she can.

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Other People’s Marriages-BoT-Family Drama-Available Now

“Gripping and emotional family drama” is not always my favorite genre. I often feel that there is enough family drama in real life that I don’t need to read about other people’s problems.
However, every once in a while, a book comes along that strikes a chord and makes me realize that all families have their own issues.
This is that book.
Now, I realize that it’s fiction, but this author has a gift for writing approachable stories with realistic characters who have plausible reactions. That’s a fancy way of saying this book is totally relatable and I imagine just about anyone could find something or someone familiar in its pages.
I liked how the author made Steph, Evie, and Teresa distinct individuals. They were clear cut and well-defined.
However, each of them also had a bit of each of the others in them, which only became apparent as later events transpired.
For example, Evie was the “go along to get along” type – until she wasn’t. We didn’t get the realization in actual time (due to the way the plot transpired), but it was an event that was obviously a long time coming. And when it happened, she became more like how she perceived Steph to be.
At the same time, Steph was the Alpha personality who thought she had everything under control, until she realized that she was actually making excuse after excuse to maintain a status quo that made her unhappy.
Teresa seemed to be the floater, not a strong or weak personality, just stable. But she was put in awkward positions multiple times.

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I thought the author’s perspective on friendships and marriages was extremely interesting and well represented. One can never know what is going on in someone else’s life, and making assumptions serves no purpose.
That being said, the book really centers around secrets. Should a person keep a secret from a best friend? Does the severity of the secret determine whether or not it should be shared? Is it ever too late to tell the truth about something? Is a lifelong friendship and automatic allowance to sharing everything, even if something happened decades before?
The author wisely addresses all of these questions through the interactions of Teresa, Steph, and Evie. At the same time, the reader is challenged to evaluate those questions for themselves.
As to plot details, well…look elsewhere. I was more taken by how the author managed to explore friendships and marriages in an entertaining but provocative manner.
This is indeed an emotional page turner with lots of family drama. You’ll be challenged to do some deep-thinking (if you so choose) but you’ll also be captivated by how obviously simple some of the realizations are (once the characters come to them, that is).
Ultimately, it’s an excellent book that is heartfelt and realistic with relatable characters and a plot that will keep you turning pages.

Author Bio:
Kerry Fisher is a million-copy bestselling author. She writes women’s contemporary fiction, is a USA Today bestseller and her books have been translated into twelve languages. She was born in Peterborough, studied French and Italian at the University of Bath and spent several years living in Spain, Italy and Corsica. After returning to England to work as a journalist, she eventually abandoned real life stories for the secrets of fictional families. She lives in Surrey with her husband, and a naughty Lab/Schnauzer called Poppy, who joins in the huge dances of joy when her young adult children come home.

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The Stepsisters (Mallery)-Blog Tour-Women’s Fiction-Available Now

This is 100% family drama from beginning to end, and I couldn’t put it down.

Right from the beginning, I knew that the story would have many tense situations. I’m not exactly sure how I knew that based on a child throwing up (opening scene). But it certainly seemed to set the tone.

The author did a good job of making each of the stepsisters (Daisy, Sage, and Cassidy) individuals with their own sets of issues. None of them were a stereotype, and all three seemed like real people with real problems.

They each had very different lives from each other and from anything that I’ve known. I also couldn’t relate to them personality-wise too much. But I still liked them.

Sometimes a character is so different from what a reader personally knows or is familiar with it makes it hard to understand their motivations. That wasn’t the case here. The author succeeded in making the sisters understandable, if not exactly relatable.

That sounds weird, I know. I think it was more that I could read from a detached point of view instead of being swayed by one sister’s story over another’s.

Buy Links can be found underneath “About the Author”

It goes without saying that all three ladies experience tremendous personal growth over the course of the story. What I found interesting was that not only did they share a dad, but they could all pretty much trace their problems with each other to Joanne (Cassidy and Sage’s mother).

She was a real piece of work. And it was also interesting that she continued to be a thorn in Daisy’s side even late in the book, as I see her as directly responsible for knowing how to manipulate Sage.

(No spoilers, you’ll have to read it to understand what I mean).

I found myself wondering whether Joanne was bitter toward Daisy for perceived wrongs in the past and was actively still trying to hurt her emotionally. I think maybe that’s accurate.

Sage was an interesting character as well. She obviously had the brunt of Joanne’s dysfunction and carried it into her adult life. I had an aunt like that (not the same dysfunction as the book but being exposed to a situation for longer and carrying it into adulthood).

I also liked Esmerelda. She was no-nonsense and loyal to Daisy. It seemed as if she served as Daisy’s conscience at times, or maybe her alter ego, being tough when Daisy couldn’t be.

As far as the plot, there’s too much to recount. But the stepsisters journey together to a place of new understanding as each of them recognizes their perspectives and how they were shaped by events they didn’t have full understanding of in the past.

I know that was convoluted. But as I said, it’s a family drama, and those are never straightforward. If you’re looking for a more dramatic beach read, I would definitely recommend this book.

Website: https://susanmallery.com/ 
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About the Author:

#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives―family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.

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The Bookstore on the Beach-Blog Tour (Review)-Fiction-Available Now

A lot of books in this genre center on a family secret that is revealed once said family is all together in the same place and can hash everything out.

This book has that, but on steroids. Seriously, pretty much every character in this book has at least one secret they’re hiding from the rest of the family.

These range from run-of-the-mill teen problems to troubled pasts to international espionage.

Seriously, there’s A LOT going on in this book.

In spite of this, I think the author did an admirable job of weaving everything together into a coherent plot.

Buy links can be found underneath “About the Author”

I was most interested in the grandmother’s story because I thought that had the most depth to it. It also went the furthest to explaining her present-day actions. Although, to some it might be farfetched.

To this, I think the reason that Autumn returned to beach was more of a reach. But that’s a personal opinion (obviously). It’s not that there was anything wrong with that storyline, but it didn’t work for me. Especially the way it all plays out in the end.

I also thought the same with Taylor’s storyline. While it was engaging and contemporary, it seemed a little bit forced and a lot for her (as a character) to deal with. Just one of the issues she was facing would have been fine.

In re-reading this, it appears as if I didn’t like the book, but that’s wrong. I did. I was engaged in the family drama and definitely interested in how everything was going to work out.

I just felt a little tired by it all because there was so much going on for each of the characters.

And I really thought that the bookstore would play more of a part in the whole thing, given that it’s in the title. As it was (again, to me) it was merely the setting and had very little further function.

I may have missed it due to the details of the characters’ lives, but I wanted more about how special the bookstore was. I would recommend this book for the detailed family drama and interesting plot threads.

TWITTER: @Brenda_Novak
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About the Author: 

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels. She is a five-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Bookbuyer’s Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.

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The Path to Sunshine Cove-Blog Tour (Review)-Women’s Fiction-Available Now

I enjoyed the first book about Cape Sanctuary by this author (see my review of The Sea Glass Cottage), so I was looking forward to this one. I wasn’t disappointed.

Aside from being a place I would love to visit Cape Sanctuary reminds me of the towns that my parents and I used to visit on weekend drives. Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area, there were no shortage of such towns.

To me, a setting that invokes good personal memories is almost as important as the plot or the characters. It certainly can help to put the reader in a positive frame of mind for reading.

I liked the way the author shaped this story.

First off, I thought the job that the job Jess had was fascinating. It was indicative of her true nature and in direct conflict with the prickly outer shell she exhibited – especially the one her sister thinks she has to break through.

I actually found myself wishing that Jess existed and would be available to help me and my mom clean out her house. There are 50 years of memories waiting to be sorted, and it will not be easy. Do people with jobs like Jess exist in real life?

I digress.

I appreciate how this isn’t a typical romance book, although there is romance involved. I thought the point/counterpoint of Jess figuring out what Nate meant to her and Rachel trying to juggle her homelife and realizing what Cody actually did for the family was interesting.

One thing that stood out to me in the previous book and is again present here is how well the author captures teenage girls. Sophie is a real person, not a caricature of a teenager. Her moodiness is perfectly accurate for her age, as is the way she capitulates (in relief) when someone offers her an alternative.

A potential surfing disaster headed off with the offer to build sandcastles is an excellent case in point.

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I also thought that Rachel was a perfect example of today’s social media conscious society. She obsesses over everything being perfect for Instagram or her blog even as her home life is messy and complicated.

What she didn’t initially realize was that her desire for everything to be perfect kept her from spending quality time with the family – which would have ultimately made her life easier.

While Jess and Rachel were at odds with each other initially, I liked how they came together and realized each other’s strengths. The same could be said about Nate and Sophie as he juggles learning how to parent a teenager. It’s all about family.

Ultimately, I found that to be the strongest message. When we stop to actually listen to each other, we can learn so much more than hanging on to assumptions and past interactions.

Words to live by.

I hope we get to visit Cape Sanctuary again. I’ve become fond of it.

Twitter: @raeannethayne
Facebook: @AuthorRaeAnneThayne
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Author Bio: New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne finds inspiration in the beautiful northern Utah mountains where she lives with her family. Her books have won numerous honors, including six RITA Award nominations from Romance Writers of America and Career Achievement and Romance Pioneer awards from RT Book Reviews. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com.

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