"A great look at today's families."
Reviewed by Sandra Wurman
Posted May 27, 2019
Women's Fiction Contemporary | Romance
Picture something you consider absolutely delightful. Then
go out and get THE LEMON SISTERS by Jill Shalvis and be
delighted. Full of fun and of course the requisite angst
after all it is -- as the title suggests -- about sisters.
Jill Shalvis has fashioned two amazing characters that
immediately capture your heart and hang on for the duration. Mindy and Brooke Lemon are characters, and I mean that in
the nicest of ways. Both have shticks that make them so
human, adorable, frustrating and at times even infuriating
-- but loveable none the less. Brooke is recovering from a nearly tragic accident at work
that has left her shaken and unable to return to
photographing unique shots of places from decidedly
unconventional positions. She is rather coerced by sister
Mindy into taking care of her niece and nephews while Mindy
gets her own act together. Neither one is fully cognizant of
the turmoil of the others life. But that's okay, sisters
help sisters. One of my favorite lines -- and there are many -- is Brookes
description of what her life has been after returning to her
hometown. When asked by her boyfriend what's going on --
Brooke says her brain has too many tabs open. Which totally
describes Brooke's daily responsibilities in Mindy's
overflowing shoes. Bet we can all identify with that.
Multitasking. Brooke is looking closely at her own regretful choices in
life, in particular, her callous habit of leaving things
unfinished like her relationship with lifelong friend
Garrett. Garrett had been much more than just a good friend.
But when life got messy Brooke put Garrett on the same shelf
with her sister and parents. The one that was doomed to
collect dust along with all neglected items in her life. Brooke's life was too messy and painful and rather than ask
for support she decided long ago to go it alone. Not that
she didn't love these people but in her mind she was
shielding them from hurt and pain. Returning to Wildstone
just could be an important step in Brooke moving on with her
life and making peace with her past decisions. Also laughing out moment -- conversation about needing a man
because without one you'd go through life without someone
to open jars -- only use Brooke's mom could share at the
moment. Gave you great insight into the world of the Lemon
women. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Mindy's fabulous
children. They are not delegated to sitting in the shadows
in THE LEMON SISTERS in fact just the opposite. The three
kids are front and center in most scenes just as they would
be in real life. They are part of some of the best scenes
and dialog. Jill Shalvis handed many of today's life issues with aplomb
instead of shirting them or lecturing on. They are just
there and okay so live with it. Personally, I applaud her
attitude and handling of these life problems with laughter
and humor. Each character in THE LEMON SISTERS is rather
unique. Love is the tie that binds them all together. And it
is that love that helps them get out of their own head and
see the bigger picture. Life with family and friends is
necessary. Family and friends excuse mistakes and missteps.
You can go back home. THE LEMON SISTERS is Jill Shalvis
contribution to the must-read list of books and earns a top
space for summer reading.
SUMMARY
The New York Times bestselling author of Rainy
Day Friends and Lost and Found Sisters returns
to Wildstone, California, where two completely opposite
sisters—who are still nursing wounds from the past—realize
they need each other more than they think. When Brooke’s older sister, Mindy, shows up at her door with
her three kids in tow, she barely recognizes her sibling who
looks like she’s on the verge of a total breakdown. While
adventurous, wanderlust Brooke was always the problem child,
eager to slip free of Wildstone and its small-town
constraints, Mindy was the golden child, who never had a
hair out of place or a GPA below 4.0. The Mindy that arrives
at Brooke’s apartment however, is a far cry from the
ever-perfect doctor’s wife. Brooke’s further stunned when Mindy asks to trade places
with her for a few days so she can pick up her pieces and
put herself back together. What Mindy doesn’t realize is
that Brooke is just as broken. Her sister needs her though,
so Brooke takes the kids and returns to Wildstone. But how does one go home after seven years away and what
feels like a lifetime of secrets? It doesn’t take long for
Brooke to come face-to-face with her past, in the form of
one tall, dark, sexy mistake. But Garrett’s no longer
interested, or so he says. Only his words don’t match his
actions, leaving Brooke feeling things she long ago shoved deep. The sisters begin to wonder if the childhood taunts were
true, are they lemons in life? In love? True or not, they
know one thing -- you can’t run far enough to outpace your
demons. And when long-dead secrets surface, they’ll have to
overcome their differences and learn that sometimes the one
person who can help you the most is the one you never
thought to ask.
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