This tale of two sisters is the latest in the Blackberry
Island series. Nina Wentworth is juggling work as a
paediatric nurse with her mother's random organisation of
an antique shop that leaves Nina mopping up problems. A
rainstorm in the Pacific northwest catches her out and
she's given a lift home by Dylan, a previous boyfriend -
only he got off the island, made it as a doctor and is now
driving a BMW. Not that she still fancies him, but Nina
wishes anyone else had seen the shabby comfort of her home.
Averil, Nina's sister, is married and contributing to a
California girls' magazine. Her husband wants to start a
family, but she's not ready just yet to give up her
freedom. She arranges to take some time off to go home to
the island, saying she's working on a novel. On the way,
she adopts a small stray dog. She doesn't ask Nina, or her
husband, if a dog is okay with them.
Being disorganised seems to run in Nina's family as she
doesn't get to leaky roofs or car repairs, but she does
manage to hire an efficient Korean lady in the store while
her mother's away. With a long-needed cleanup under way,
Nina's able to take stock - of her life. Then another hot,
successful guy walks into her world. Kyle had a crush on
her when he was twelve. Now he's a fighter pilot. Do good
things come in pairs? Or is Kyle too good to be true?
When both Dylan and Kyle ask Nina out for dates, I was
interested to see how she'd sort out this one. Between a
home and shop choked with clutter and having to be
responsible for everyone else, I can well imagine Nina
struggling. She needed her own space, physically and
mentally, in which to grow. Her income was also supporting
the family. Then Averil walked back in, expecting her big
sister to take care of her again, while meddling at will.
No wonder there is friction! The human dynamics are well
written and amusing. However I did start to find the
constant rows tedious.
The girls' mother has a female partner now, while one of
the junk items they bring home has unexpected and fun
consequences. I liked Cindy, the savvy Korean lady, a lot.
There's a lot to like, in fact, in EVENING STARS and Susan
Mallery doesn't hesitate to throw in surprises to her adult
romances. Visit Blackberry Island and see for yourself.
New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery returns to
Blackberry Island with the poignant tale of two sisters on
the verge of claiming their dreams
Small-town nurse Nina Wentworth has made a career out of
being a caretaker. More "Mom" than their mother ever was,
she sacrificed medical school—and her first love—so her
sister could break free. Which is why she isn't exactly
thrilled to see Averil back on Blackberry Island, especially
when Nina's life has suddenly become…complicated.
Nina unexpectedly finds herself juggling two men—her high
school sweetheart and a younger, maverick pilot who also
wants to claim her heart. But as fun as all this romance is,
Nina has real life to deal with. Averil doesn't seem to want
the great guy she's married to or be making headway writing
her first book, their mom is living life just as recklessly
as she always has and Nina's starting to realize that the
control she once had is slipping out of her fingers. Her
hopes of getting off the island seem to be stretching
further away…until her mother makes a discovery that could
change everything forever.
But before Nina and Averil can reach for the stars, they
have to decide what they want. Will Averil stay? Will Nina
leave? And what about the men who claim to love them? Does
love heal, or will finding their happy ending mean giving up
all they've ever wanted?
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