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.
NetGalley is so fantastic that I can continue to get Ms Mallery's books prepublication, for the last three years or so. I always try to write an honest review, and twice my reviews have been chosen for LibraryReads.org monthly best book of the month. I am honored.
The description tells the story fairly well. The sisters father died when they were very young and her mother barely held it together after losing their home. She worked and went to school and finally was able to get them back on their feet, but she spent more time making sure they were on their feet than with her children.
Courtney, especially, tries not to resent it. She was held back twice in school and it was a long time before anyone realized she had a learning disability. But it seems as if she is never good enough for her mother. Being "just a maid" at the hotel where they grew up grates on her mother and she is constantly harassing her about changing jobs. What her mother or sisters do not know is that she got her GED, AA degree, and is a year from her Bachelor's degree. She has hidden it from them so she can do an "in your face, I can do it without your help" type of moment. Then she meets Quinn, who she can't seem to stay away from.
Rachel, the oldest, always felt more responsible for her sisters and helped with their care. She helped Courtney with school as much as she could, but she married young and had a young son. Now she is divorced and slightly miserable. When her ex-husband, who is a good man who made a mistake, starts showing interest again, she isn't sure what to do.
Sienna is just as lost as her sisters. She has a fantastic job running a thrift shop that supports a battered women's organization. But when her boyfriend suddenly proposes and she says yes, she isn't quite sure she is doing the right thing.
Everything seems to fall apart as the women prepare for their mother's wedding. Come on, ladies, we know Ms Mallery won't give us a bad ending. Of course its happy ever after!
When her first, what I would call women's fiction, came out I was skeptical. I don't normally read women's fiction. Yes there are love stories inside them, but they are more about the relationship between the characters and watching the characters grow as people. I surprised myself by loving these novels as much as I have loved her contemporary romance. I was devastated that there was only one Fool's Gold book this spring. I, as well as many of her readers, have become accustomed to having three in the spring and possibly one in the fall for Christmas. I am still devastated, but I enjoyed this novel as much as I enjoyed all of her books. I will wait on pins and needles for her next book, which is way too far away!
