Sophia's Reviews > The Sometimes Sisters

A laid-back resort by the lake welcomes back three half-sisters when their grandmother dies. Grandma Annie's last wish is to see these three Sometimes Sisters work past whatever made them all go their separate ways as teens and become a family again. With the help of the resort, old Uncle Zed, memories of Annie, chances at new and old love, the Clancy sisters return to the lake.

I enjoyed this touching story that focuses on the lives of three estranged sisters who have all hit rock bottom and need a do over on life and a new chance at being family. The death of their grandmother and the summons from beyond the grave for them to all return to the lake resort where they used to spend their summers is the catalyst that is needed. Dana, Harper, and Tawny, along with Dana's precocious teenage daughter must now run the resort together per Annie's wishes.

It starts out really rocky with these three and I was ready to hose the lot of them down. They each come burdened down with secrets and baggage and poor Zed has his hands full fulfilling his deceased love's last wishes and his own before he is gone, too. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it through the acrimonious snipping the sisters did, but the author found a good balance there and started having them begin to heal and change just at the right moment. It was gradual and just the right pace to be believable for the type of past hurts and pains these three were suffering.

The author's usual wry country humor, engaging characters, and charming nostalgic setting was all there, but it was pared with touching family issues of these three women and young woman who have all had the bitter pain of disappointing parents to deal with and Annie, the grandmother, being the one who held them all together for a while and the one they could count on. Now, they are slowly learning to count on themselves and each other even as their healing brings the chance for old romance and new romance opportunities.

The romances were sweet, but I was definitely more attracted to the sisterly relationships and the coming back together as family. Old, darling Zed was my favorite character. I enjoyed those bittersweet moments where he 'talked' and 'listened' to Annie while he tried to corral those younger women and know just how to handle them all particularly in the beginning when they were so hostile.

Brittany Pressley did a fab job of telling this poignant story and all the sisters and cast.

All in all, this was a gently-paced story that tugged at my heart, made me chuckle a little, and tear up once or twice. It had lighter qualities, but it was a little bittersweet, too. This will match up for those who enjoy stories of family healing and a side of sweet romance.