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Blackberry Island #2
Three Sisters
Publisher's Weekly calls New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery's prose "gritty and magical" and "luscious and provocative." Now she returns to Blackberry Island, the tight-knit community introduced in Barefoot Season, with the story of three women whose friendship will change their lives forever.
After Andi Gordon is jilted at the altar, she makes the most impetuous decision of her life--buying one of the famed Three Sisters Queen Anne houses on Blackberry Island. Now the proud-ish owner of the ugly duckling of the trio, she plans to open her own pediatric office on the first floor, just as soon as her hunky contractor completes the work. Andi's new future may be coming together, but the truth is she's just as badly in need of a major renovation as her house.
When Deanna Phillips confronts her husband about a suspected affair, she opens up a Pandora's box of unhappiness. And he claims that she is the problem. The terrible thing is, he's right. In her quest to be the perfect woman, she's lost herself, and she's in danger of losing her entire family if things don't change.
Next door, artist Boston King thought she and her college sweetheart would be married forever. Their passion for one another has always seemed indestructible. But after tragedy tears them apart, she's not so sure. Now it's time for them to move forward, with or without one another.
Thrown together by fate and geography, and bound by the strongest of friendships, these three women will discover what they're really made laughter, tears, love and all.
After Andi Gordon is jilted at the altar, she makes the most impetuous decision of her life--buying one of the famed Three Sisters Queen Anne houses on Blackberry Island. Now the proud-ish owner of the ugly duckling of the trio, she plans to open her own pediatric office on the first floor, just as soon as her hunky contractor completes the work. Andi's new future may be coming together, but the truth is she's just as badly in need of a major renovation as her house.
When Deanna Phillips confronts her husband about a suspected affair, she opens up a Pandora's box of unhappiness. And he claims that she is the problem. The terrible thing is, he's right. In her quest to be the perfect woman, she's lost herself, and she's in danger of losing her entire family if things don't change.
Next door, artist Boston King thought she and her college sweetheart would be married forever. Their passion for one another has always seemed indestructible. But after tragedy tears them apart, she's not so sure. Now it's time for them to move forward, with or without one another.
Thrown together by fate and geography, and bound by the strongest of friendships, these three women will discover what they're really made laughter, tears, love and all.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2013
2954 people are currently reading
7478 people want to read
About the author
Susan Mallery
865 books15.5k followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,228 reviews
March 6, 2013
After just finishing Barefoot Season, I was quite skeptical and even a little upset when I found out that this book was only continuing about Blackberry Island and didn't include Michelle and Carly, the main characters of the first book in this series. I was also a little aloof reading the description wondering what could possibly be so great about a book about three houses called the Three Sisters. Let me be the first to say that I was sorely WRONG about everything!
Immediately upon beginning the story, I found myself excited to learn about Andi, Boston, and Deanna. I think that Susan Mallery has such a wonderful gift when it comes to opening up a story and just being able to draw the reading in from the first few words!
I have read some complaints about the layout of the story, but I am actually quite fond and think I would almost rather read a book in the layout such as the one Mallery chose for this book. I find that it keeps my interest peaked more so than just reading one whole book about one or two characters. For those of you that may not know what I mean, Mallery chose to break this story down into three sets of relationships/couples. There seems to be a bit about each set of characters in each chapter, and I loved that! I thought that this writing technique kept the book flowing smoothly.
I found that the characters were so real and in depth, with true life problems and situations that many readers may identify with, and I truly admired that about this book. That is mostly what kept me reading, was the fact that even though it was a story, I felt like it could be a real story. Of course everybody wants a fairytale life, but the reality is, that most of the time, such a life doesn't exist, and I truly believe that Mallery depicts that with her writing. I felt myself being able to identify and empathize with the characters, all the while each of them growing on me more and more with each page that I turned.
Once I had forgotten about the characters of the first book and began becoming entralled with the characters of this book, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mallery nonchalently reintroduces the first books characters and provides a quick little update on the progress of their lives. I look forward to see what's going to happen next on Blackberry Island and also look forward to continuing to get a glimpse in the lives of each character that Mallery has built in Blackberry Island.
This book did deal with real-life intense issues and I felt that Mallery wrote about them beautifully. I like the fact that even though she provides you with romance, it is real and heartfelt, not something cheesy that you could never dream of happening! I have certainly found a new favorite author of mine.
I have to give Ms. Mallery and her publishing team the greatest thanks for allowing me to be a part of her Review Crew and providing me with an advance copy of this amazingly spectacular book in return for my honest and unbiased review!
Bring on some more Blackberry Island!!
Immediately upon beginning the story, I found myself excited to learn about Andi, Boston, and Deanna. I think that Susan Mallery has such a wonderful gift when it comes to opening up a story and just being able to draw the reading in from the first few words!
I have read some complaints about the layout of the story, but I am actually quite fond and think I would almost rather read a book in the layout such as the one Mallery chose for this book. I find that it keeps my interest peaked more so than just reading one whole book about one or two characters. For those of you that may not know what I mean, Mallery chose to break this story down into three sets of relationships/couples. There seems to be a bit about each set of characters in each chapter, and I loved that! I thought that this writing technique kept the book flowing smoothly.
I found that the characters were so real and in depth, with true life problems and situations that many readers may identify with, and I truly admired that about this book. That is mostly what kept me reading, was the fact that even though it was a story, I felt like it could be a real story. Of course everybody wants a fairytale life, but the reality is, that most of the time, such a life doesn't exist, and I truly believe that Mallery depicts that with her writing. I felt myself being able to identify and empathize with the characters, all the while each of them growing on me more and more with each page that I turned.
Once I had forgotten about the characters of the first book and began becoming entralled with the characters of this book, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Mallery nonchalently reintroduces the first books characters and provides a quick little update on the progress of their lives. I look forward to see what's going to happen next on Blackberry Island and also look forward to continuing to get a glimpse in the lives of each character that Mallery has built in Blackberry Island.
This book did deal with real-life intense issues and I felt that Mallery wrote about them beautifully. I like the fact that even though she provides you with romance, it is real and heartfelt, not something cheesy that you could never dream of happening! I have certainly found a new favorite author of mine.
I have to give Ms. Mallery and her publishing team the greatest thanks for allowing me to be a part of her Review Crew and providing me with an advance copy of this amazingly spectacular book in return for my honest and unbiased review!
Bring on some more Blackberry Island!!
September 28, 2017
Mein erstes Buch von Susan Mallery und ich bin restlos begeistert <3 Wunderschön!
January 17, 2013
Three Sisters by Susan Mallery is women's fiction/romance novel. This book is scheduled for release in early February and is published by Harlequin Mira.
Three Sisters - the beautiful, Queen Anne style Victorian homes on Blackberry Island house, three completely different women and families at various stages in their lives. As the story opens all three residents are going through very rough periods of their lives.
Andi had her life all mapped out. She lived in Seattle, had her career as a doctor and was about to marry Matt, the man she had spent the last decade with. Then Matt jilts her at the alter in front of 300 friends and family, and leaves her to deal with the aftermath. Andi also has to deal with her over achieving family when she suddenly leaves Seattle and buys a two hundred year old Victorian home that will have be completely renovated. But, Andi needs a fresh start. She wants to be a pediatrician and the island is in desperate need of one. So, Andi is determined to put men, sex, and romance out of her life forever and focus on helping kids. But, her sexy contractor,Wade, keeps distracting her from her "no more men" policy.
The home on Andi's right was beautifully restored, with a perfect garden and landscape. Deanna and Colin live here with their five daughters. On the outside it looks like the perfect home and the perfect family. But, looks can be deceiving. Deanna believes her husband has been having an affair. When she confronts him, Colin takes the opportunity to let loose on Deanna about how unhappy he is with their marriage and how miserable she makes their children. How dare he? Deanna works hard to be the perfect mother. No regular TV- PBS only, no sugar, no seconds at dinner, etc. Her rules are strangling her marriage and her children. Suddenly, Deanna feels like the outsider in her own home. Not to mention the fact that she has put off most of people on the island and has no friends or family to turn to for a shoulder to cry on.
The house on on the left is also restored. Zeke and Boston have lived on the island all their lives. It was love at first sight for Zeke and Boston. They had been in love and very happy until a horribly sad tragedy upended their lives. Now the once strong and happy home is crumbling rapidly and it looks like it may implode permanently unless they can both find a way to cope with, then accept what has happened and move forward with their lives.
This is an emotional story of how three women are coping with difficult and overwhelming situations. It is also a story of how these women forge a friendship despite their differences and first impressions. Some of the women bonded from the start, but other got off to a very rocky start. As they began to confide in each other, they learned to lean on each other and support each other through the good moments and the bad.
The subject matter was hard to deal with at times, especially with one of the stories being so very, very sad. In each of the stories the men were often a bit too selfish or not supportive enough. One obviously could have helped more by addressing the need for medical intervention, but these men were also suffering as well and were doing what they could to cope, even if it wasn't always the right way to cope. None of these characters were without their flaws, which is of course what makes the story real and believable.
The only weak story line, for me personally, was with Andi's guy, Wade. Wade had some reason to feel like he did, but I thought he took it way too far and wouldn't listen to Andi when I thought she was being quite honest about everything. He was too cautious and too sensitive about their differences.
Even though the situations these women faced were monumental, in the end we are filled with hope and encouragement. We feel the power of love and friendship and community and come away with the knowledge that these three couples are on their way to the next chapter of their lives with the worst behind them and bright future in the front of them.
Adult subject matter, sexual situations/content, mild language. Overall this one gets an A.
I got this book from Edelweiss for an honest review.
Three Sisters - the beautiful, Queen Anne style Victorian homes on Blackberry Island house, three completely different women and families at various stages in their lives. As the story opens all three residents are going through very rough periods of their lives.
Andi had her life all mapped out. She lived in Seattle, had her career as a doctor and was about to marry Matt, the man she had spent the last decade with. Then Matt jilts her at the alter in front of 300 friends and family, and leaves her to deal with the aftermath. Andi also has to deal with her over achieving family when she suddenly leaves Seattle and buys a two hundred year old Victorian home that will have be completely renovated. But, Andi needs a fresh start. She wants to be a pediatrician and the island is in desperate need of one. So, Andi is determined to put men, sex, and romance out of her life forever and focus on helping kids. But, her sexy contractor,Wade, keeps distracting her from her "no more men" policy.
The home on Andi's right was beautifully restored, with a perfect garden and landscape. Deanna and Colin live here with their five daughters. On the outside it looks like the perfect home and the perfect family. But, looks can be deceiving. Deanna believes her husband has been having an affair. When she confronts him, Colin takes the opportunity to let loose on Deanna about how unhappy he is with their marriage and how miserable she makes their children. How dare he? Deanna works hard to be the perfect mother. No regular TV- PBS only, no sugar, no seconds at dinner, etc. Her rules are strangling her marriage and her children. Suddenly, Deanna feels like the outsider in her own home. Not to mention the fact that she has put off most of people on the island and has no friends or family to turn to for a shoulder to cry on.
The house on on the left is also restored. Zeke and Boston have lived on the island all their lives. It was love at first sight for Zeke and Boston. They had been in love and very happy until a horribly sad tragedy upended their lives. Now the once strong and happy home is crumbling rapidly and it looks like it may implode permanently unless they can both find a way to cope with, then accept what has happened and move forward with their lives.
This is an emotional story of how three women are coping with difficult and overwhelming situations. It is also a story of how these women forge a friendship despite their differences and first impressions. Some of the women bonded from the start, but other got off to a very rocky start. As they began to confide in each other, they learned to lean on each other and support each other through the good moments and the bad.
The subject matter was hard to deal with at times, especially with one of the stories being so very, very sad. In each of the stories the men were often a bit too selfish or not supportive enough. One obviously could have helped more by addressing the need for medical intervention, but these men were also suffering as well and were doing what they could to cope, even if it wasn't always the right way to cope. None of these characters were without their flaws, which is of course what makes the story real and believable.
The only weak story line, for me personally, was with Andi's guy, Wade. Wade had some reason to feel like he did, but I thought he took it way too far and wouldn't listen to Andi when I thought she was being quite honest about everything. He was too cautious and too sensitive about their differences.
Even though the situations these women faced were monumental, in the end we are filled with hope and encouragement. We feel the power of love and friendship and community and come away with the knowledge that these three couples are on their way to the next chapter of their lives with the worst behind them and bright future in the front of them.
Adult subject matter, sexual situations/content, mild language. Overall this one gets an A.
I got this book from Edelweiss for an honest review.
March 19, 2016
When you stay up late to finish a book becasue you can't put it down, it is a pretty good indication that you liked the book. The three sisters are three houses, but the three women who live in them are the story. Their lives were each very different, but they all had their own problems. As each women reaches a crisis in her life, they find that family isn't necessarily those we are related to, but who is there for you. Believable situations and characters, with a nice balance of humor and romance to balance the bittersweet. I have not read any other books in the Blackberry Island series, but it did not make any difference to my enjoyment of the book.
January 2, 2023
Susan Mallery is one of my favorite authors but I did not realize that this was the second book in the Blackberry Island series. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to read the first book in the series in order to understand the story.
I enjoyed this quick and easy read that was both humorous and sad.
I enjoyed this quick and easy read that was both humorous and sad.
August 28, 2013
Andi, a pediatric doctor, makes a rash decision after being left at the altar by her boyfriend of ten years and buys a worn down house on Blackberry Island. Renovating the house into both her new practice and her new home should provide just the distraction she needs to get over her broken heart.
Next door neighbor Deanna has what looks to be the perfect life. An amazing husband and five beautiful daughters, she does everything right. Only problem is she is so wrapped up in appearances and rules that she fails to see that her husband is ready to bolt and her kids alternate between hating her and being scared of her.
On the other side of Andi is Boston, who married her high school sweetheart and had the perfect marriage until the day they lost their 6-month old son and they both fell apart.
Brought together by fate, the three soon become fast friends as they each try to find their way to their personal happily ever after.
Sigh. There is nothing wrong with this book. There are well-developed characters and the life affirming themes of love conquers all and friendship gets you through everything is splattered everywhere. There were parts that were very repetitive. The author wanted the reader to know, over and over again, how things went down. The exact details of being left at the altar or Boston sketching her son to find a connection to him beyond death were important but after the fifth time of it, it grew thin. To me, this book has been written several times over by a group of regular writers for their fans. The names and places change, but the theme remains the same. Debbie Macomber fans will enjoy.
Next door neighbor Deanna has what looks to be the perfect life. An amazing husband and five beautiful daughters, she does everything right. Only problem is she is so wrapped up in appearances and rules that she fails to see that her husband is ready to bolt and her kids alternate between hating her and being scared of her.
On the other side of Andi is Boston, who married her high school sweetheart and had the perfect marriage until the day they lost their 6-month old son and they both fell apart.
Brought together by fate, the three soon become fast friends as they each try to find their way to their personal happily ever after.
Sigh. There is nothing wrong with this book. There are well-developed characters and the life affirming themes of love conquers all and friendship gets you through everything is splattered everywhere. There were parts that were very repetitive. The author wanted the reader to know, over and over again, how things went down. The exact details of being left at the altar or Boston sketching her son to find a connection to him beyond death were important but after the fifth time of it, it grew thin. To me, this book has been written several times over by a group of regular writers for their fans. The names and places change, but the theme remains the same. Debbie Macomber fans will enjoy.
February 7, 2014
4.5 stars
I laughed, I cried, I loved it! After enjoying Barefoot Season I was surprised to be drawn so quickly to new characters but Three Sisters is an emotional story I immediately connected with. Really shouldn't have come as a surprise, Mallery's poignant writing - real women with heartaches, insecurities, strengths and flaws and I identified in some way with each of them.
Andi - seeking a fresh start on Blackberry Island but toting baggage. She buys the run-down middle house of the well known Three Sisters Queen Anne houses.
Deanna - brittle, controlling, bitchy but when she cracks and reveals her vulnerabilities I just wanted to give her a hug.
Boston - drowning in the pain of her baby son's death, Boston's story brought me to tears more than once, close to home and my own heart.
The strength and security that true friendship brings is a beautiful thing, I loved the interaction between Andi, Boston and Deanna and their honesty.
"Don't take this wrong, but I really didn't like you much when I first met you."
"Don't worry about it, no one does."
"But you're really nice and funny."
"Maybe you could write a letter of recommendation to my family."
Andi drew back and Boston took her place. Her touch was less sure, but no less comforting. "I'm here too," her neighbour said. "For you and for Andi. It's really okay you're a bitch. You're a good bitch."
I kind of wish I lived next door, I'd fit right in, we would have been friends.
And just in case you're wondering, Three Sisters is book 2 in the Blackberry Island series but it can definitely be read as a stand-a-lone. The connection is only loose but late in the novel there's a little update on Michelle and Carly and the Blackberry Island Inn from Barefoot Season and of course more recipes.
Recommend: Without hesitation
I laughed, I cried, I loved it! After enjoying Barefoot Season I was surprised to be drawn so quickly to new characters but Three Sisters is an emotional story I immediately connected with. Really shouldn't have come as a surprise, Mallery's poignant writing - real women with heartaches, insecurities, strengths and flaws and I identified in some way with each of them.
Andi - seeking a fresh start on Blackberry Island but toting baggage. She buys the run-down middle house of the well known Three Sisters Queen Anne houses.
Deanna - brittle, controlling, bitchy but when she cracks and reveals her vulnerabilities I just wanted to give her a hug.
Boston - drowning in the pain of her baby son's death, Boston's story brought me to tears more than once, close to home and my own heart.
The strength and security that true friendship brings is a beautiful thing, I loved the interaction between Andi, Boston and Deanna and their honesty.
"Don't take this wrong, but I really didn't like you much when I first met you."
"Don't worry about it, no one does."
"But you're really nice and funny."
"Maybe you could write a letter of recommendation to my family."
Andi drew back and Boston took her place. Her touch was less sure, but no less comforting. "I'm here too," her neighbour said. "For you and for Andi. It's really okay you're a bitch. You're a good bitch."
I kind of wish I lived next door, I'd fit right in, we would have been friends.
And just in case you're wondering, Three Sisters is book 2 in the Blackberry Island series but it can definitely be read as a stand-a-lone. The connection is only loose but late in the novel there's a little update on Michelle and Carly and the Blackberry Island Inn from Barefoot Season and of course more recipes.
Recommend: Without hesitation
February 25, 2015
Looking at the cover of this book and the title you might think the novel is about three sisters. The three sisters are in fact old neighbouring houses on Blackberry Island. The story concerns Andi, who after being jilted at the altar, buys one of the houses planning to open her paediatric surgery and also live in the house. After her disastrous ten years spent with Matt, Andi has sworn off men. Will the hunky contractor working on her house change her mind?
Deanna, a neighbour, is one who strives to have the perfect home and family. But the reality is very different. Then there is Boston, an artist whose baby died in her arms. Now all she does is paint and sketch baby Liam.
When I picked this book up I thought it would be a light chick lit type novel but it also covers issues about parenting, obsessive compulsive disorder, different ways of handling grief, expectations of others, believing in yourself and friendship. There are some gentle words of wisdom like, ’by hanging on too tight, she was losing the very thing she sought to keep.’
What annoyed me in this novel was the reference to ‘girl parts,’ which is used several times when it came to sexual responses and reactions. It sounded coy and false. I could also have done with just letting the readier imagine the sex scenes. We know how it’s done, without the detailed description. I also thought the three women fell into the friendship too easily and that the ending was rather rushed. Those quibbles aside, I mostly enjoyed the story and was engaged in the characters and their problems.
Deanna, a neighbour, is one who strives to have the perfect home and family. But the reality is very different. Then there is Boston, an artist whose baby died in her arms. Now all she does is paint and sketch baby Liam.
When I picked this book up I thought it would be a light chick lit type novel but it also covers issues about parenting, obsessive compulsive disorder, different ways of handling grief, expectations of others, believing in yourself and friendship. There are some gentle words of wisdom like, ’by hanging on too tight, she was losing the very thing she sought to keep.’
What annoyed me in this novel was the reference to ‘girl parts,’ which is used several times when it came to sexual responses and reactions. It sounded coy and false. I could also have done with just letting the readier imagine the sex scenes. We know how it’s done, without the detailed description. I also thought the three women fell into the friendship too easily and that the ending was rather rushed. Those quibbles aside, I mostly enjoyed the story and was engaged in the characters and their problems.
April 7, 2016
This was my first Susan Mallery novel, and overall, I enjoyed it. Following three women at different stages in their lives ensures the story moves forward while giving readers the chance to see the characters from different points of view.
My few quibbles mainly concern Andi's storyline. She was left at the altar by her boyfriend of 10 years, something we hear about again and again and again as she oh-so-slowly gains perspective on that relationship. She has, rather predictably, sworn off men. Enter Wade King who makes her "girly bits" tingle. (Yes, it's a phrase we read often -- and in my case, at least, with less amusement each time.) Andi's a pediatrician, though, and Wade's a contractor so misunderstandings ensue because apparently there's some kind of class structure on Blackberry Island that prevents them from having their happily-ever-after without the prerequisite conflict, drama and tension.
Deanna and Boston's stories had more depth and tension. Both characters grew through the course of the book. I wouldn't have minded Andi's quite so much if it hadn't been the primary focus of the three. While Andi buying the house was the catalyst for the book, there was nothing fresh about her story.
I'll read more Susan Mallery in the future. Her writing is fluid, and it's easy to get lost in the characters and the setting. I wish I'd seen a little more of Blackberry Island, but I look forward to my next visit.
My few quibbles mainly concern Andi's storyline. She was left at the altar by her boyfriend of 10 years, something we hear about again and again and again as she oh-so-slowly gains perspective on that relationship. She has, rather predictably, sworn off men. Enter Wade King who makes her "girly bits" tingle. (Yes, it's a phrase we read often -- and in my case, at least, with less amusement each time.) Andi's a pediatrician, though, and Wade's a contractor so misunderstandings ensue because apparently there's some kind of class structure on Blackberry Island that prevents them from having their happily-ever-after without the prerequisite conflict, drama and tension.
Deanna and Boston's stories had more depth and tension. Both characters grew through the course of the book. I wouldn't have minded Andi's quite so much if it hadn't been the primary focus of the three. While Andi buying the house was the catalyst for the book, there was nothing fresh about her story.
I'll read more Susan Mallery in the future. Her writing is fluid, and it's easy to get lost in the characters and the setting. I wish I'd seen a little more of Blackberry Island, but I look forward to my next visit.
February 25, 2016
I've been a fan of Susan for years now after reading several of her Buchanan family books. I've continued to read her old Silhouette Special Editions and her wonderful Fool's Gold books over the years because her romances are like Mac n' Cheese to me. I know when I open one I'm going to meet a friend. I'm going to laugh a little. I'm going to cry a little. And I'm going to close the book at the end feeling warm and fuzzy and probably smiling like a loon.
With Three Sisters I got all of that and more.
What shined most for me had to be the 3 women. Andi, Deanna and Boston are as real to me as my best friend. Hands down these women are some of the best characters Susan has ever created. She has an uncanny ability to write that one character who is a total witch no one (including yourself) can stand through a good portion of the book and turn them around in a way we readers cheer them on by the end. Oh yes, she certainly did that here. Totally made me want to drive my happy butt to Blackberry Island and give Deanna a hug!
I'm really looking forward to reading more in the Blackberry Island series and I hope Susan continues on with them for a long time.
With Three Sisters I got all of that and more.
What shined most for me had to be the 3 women. Andi, Deanna and Boston are as real to me as my best friend. Hands down these women are some of the best characters Susan has ever created. She has an uncanny ability to write that one character who is a total witch no one (including yourself) can stand through a good portion of the book and turn them around in a way we readers cheer them on by the end. Oh yes, she certainly did that here. Totally made me want to drive my happy butt to Blackberry Island and give Deanna a hug!
I'm really looking forward to reading more in the Blackberry Island series and I hope Susan continues on with them for a long time.
January 24, 2020
Wow! Such an amazing love story! I didn't expect to LOVE this gorgeous story this much. Andi, Boston, and Deanna the owners of the famed Three Sisters, Queen Anne houses, on Blackberry Island, became true sisters. How they helped each other through messy lives and though heartaches read almost like a fairy tale. The real life princes also helped just a little, but mostly? they were/caused the heartaches.
It was an emotional story that would definitely speak to any readers who ever suffered unbearable heartaches in real life and who were able to overcome it all through unexpected support of newly found friends as well as through a professional help, too.
Totally loved my kind of THREE happy endings💖 Sharing one of my favorite scenes:
It was an emotional story that would definitely speak to any readers who ever suffered unbearable heartaches in real life and who were able to overcome it all through unexpected support of newly found friends as well as through a professional help, too.
Totally loved my kind of THREE happy endings💖 Sharing one of my favorite scenes:
"I'm smart, funny, caring and successful. We have a sexual chemistry that tis illegal in several states, and you know what? You're beyond stupid if you let me walk out of your life. . . I don't want you to be different. I want you exactly as your are. . . Well, I want you to be less of an idiot about us, but that's it." . . .
Wade put his clipboard on the reception counter. "You know I have a kid." . . .
"I've met Carrie, yes."
"You're going to want more."
Andi's mouth fell open. . . She'd been talking about them dating, and he was . . . Well, she had no idea where he'd landed. . .
"You're a doctor."
That pissed her off . . . "I am and you know what? I'm not going to apologize for it. I studied a lot and worked my butt off. . . So what?" . . .
He cupped her jaw. ". . . I'm terrified you're going to suck me in, get me to fall in love with you, then run off with some stockbroker . . . When I'm in, I'm all in, Andi. Are you ready for that?" . . .
She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled up at him. "I'm all in, too, Wade.
February 28, 2013
Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner
Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Remember how I decided to quit the Fool’s Gold books? That decision stands, but Ms. Mallery’s Women’s Fiction novels are a different story altogether. I really enjoyed the previous two and I had high hopes for this one, and although things were a bit touch and go there for a second, overall I enjoyed it a lot.
Three Sisters is the nickname of three neighboring houses. You can probably guess that three houses means that we get three main characters, each quite different from the other and with a unique set of problems to solve.
The first house is in shambles and was recently acquired by Andi, whose fiancé left her at the altar. Brokenhearted and humiliated, she decided to take all her money, move to the island, buy the practice from the local pediatrician and restore the dilapidated house. But unlike what the blurb says, Andi has her act together and only needs a bit of courage to rebuild her life, her new home and maybe her love life.
Next we have the house that belongs to Deanna. She is perfect and wants everyone to know and notice it: her house is gorgeous, her daughters beautiful and her husband is having an affair. Well, that’s not entirely true, but Deanna’s perfection doesn’t reflect the reality that’s her life, her relationship with her family and her own mental health.
Finally we have Boston’s house. This one is all quirky just like its owner. Boston married the love of her life, but tragedy brought a tremendous grief that they don’t know how to deal with and is destroying their relationship.
It doesn’t get more Women’s Fiction than that.
Andi’s part of the story is mostly a Romance. Someone breaks her heart which causes her to realize she isn’t happy with her life, so she leaves the big city for the small town and finds love in the arms of the hunky contractor remodeling her new house. This means that she’s also the character in charge of being the voice of reason and bringing the group together. It was the least interesting heroine of the bunch, but considering how angsty and convoluted the other two stories were, I was glad to get a respite with Andi.
Boston’s story was the saddest, mostly because of the circumstances, and I liked that she and her husband had to work at getting better, both as individuals and as a couple. They were very sympathetic, likeable characters, and even though I can’t say that I enjoyed their story, I was very glad to see them overcome the obstacles.
I'm leaving Deanna’s story for last, because this was both the most interesting and the most infuriating of the three.
Deanna is all about looking perfect -- her house, her family and her life all must appear golden. She’s so obsessed with perfection that she’s almost unrecognizable from the woman her husband marries. Her daughters hate and are afraid of her, and her husband has become distant. Everything that comes out of her mouth is criticisms. And when the book starts, she confronts her husband with what she thinks is proof of his infidelity, but when he tells her that no, he’s not cheating, but that he’s thinking of leaving her because he can’t stand her, she breaks.
Sounds like an awful woman, right? She isn’t. And it broke my heart to read her story and to see her portrayed as the one and only culprit of what was going on with her family and marriage.
This is a woman who clearly has psychological issues that go as far back as her childhood (something we learn later in the story when we get a glimpse into her past) and that now have been exacerbated and transformed into what looks like OCD. And she’s completely and utterly alone.
Now, I’m not saying that she’s without fault, but the story makes it look as if she’s the only one to blame. The husband gives her an ultimatum and that’s it. She has to work at it alone. And she does it; she goes to therapy and finds friendship in the two other women of the story. But I thought it was a twisted message to send. This woman almost crumbles under the pressure produced by trauma, social conventions and expectations, but because she turns into an unbearable bitch, she doesn’t get any type of compassion --or even the benefit of the doubt-- from anyone, but especially from the man who’s been enjoying the life she’s helped create. I liked that she finds friendship and the inner strength to get help, but I hated seeing her portrayed as the villain. It felt judgmental and wrong.
The best part of the book is that it revolves around the friendship that slowly develops between the three women, and that their friendship is what gives them the strength to move forward and heal. It’s also readable, melodramatic, sappy and very entertaining.
Before I wrap this up, Three Sister is the second book in the Blackberry Island series (I reviewed the first book here) but they stand alone perfectly well.
Source: a review copy was provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Remember how I decided to quit the Fool’s Gold books? That decision stands, but Ms. Mallery’s Women’s Fiction novels are a different story altogether. I really enjoyed the previous two and I had high hopes for this one, and although things were a bit touch and go there for a second, overall I enjoyed it a lot.
Three Sisters is the nickname of three neighboring houses. You can probably guess that three houses means that we get three main characters, each quite different from the other and with a unique set of problems to solve.
The first house is in shambles and was recently acquired by Andi, whose fiancé left her at the altar. Brokenhearted and humiliated, she decided to take all her money, move to the island, buy the practice from the local pediatrician and restore the dilapidated house. But unlike what the blurb says, Andi has her act together and only needs a bit of courage to rebuild her life, her new home and maybe her love life.
Next we have the house that belongs to Deanna. She is perfect and wants everyone to know and notice it: her house is gorgeous, her daughters beautiful and her husband is having an affair. Well, that’s not entirely true, but Deanna’s perfection doesn’t reflect the reality that’s her life, her relationship with her family and her own mental health.
Finally we have Boston’s house. This one is all quirky just like its owner. Boston married the love of her life, but tragedy brought a tremendous grief that they don’t know how to deal with and is destroying their relationship.
It doesn’t get more Women’s Fiction than that.
Andi’s part of the story is mostly a Romance. Someone breaks her heart which causes her to realize she isn’t happy with her life, so she leaves the big city for the small town and finds love in the arms of the hunky contractor remodeling her new house. This means that she’s also the character in charge of being the voice of reason and bringing the group together. It was the least interesting heroine of the bunch, but considering how angsty and convoluted the other two stories were, I was glad to get a respite with Andi.
Boston’s story was the saddest, mostly because of the circumstances, and I liked that she and her husband had to work at getting better, both as individuals and as a couple. They were very sympathetic, likeable characters, and even though I can’t say that I enjoyed their story, I was very glad to see them overcome the obstacles.
I'm leaving Deanna’s story for last, because this was both the most interesting and the most infuriating of the three.
Deanna is all about looking perfect -- her house, her family and her life all must appear golden. She’s so obsessed with perfection that she’s almost unrecognizable from the woman her husband marries. Her daughters hate and are afraid of her, and her husband has become distant. Everything that comes out of her mouth is criticisms. And when the book starts, she confronts her husband with what she thinks is proof of his infidelity, but when he tells her that no, he’s not cheating, but that he’s thinking of leaving her because he can’t stand her, she breaks.
Sounds like an awful woman, right? She isn’t. And it broke my heart to read her story and to see her portrayed as the one and only culprit of what was going on with her family and marriage.
This is a woman who clearly has psychological issues that go as far back as her childhood (something we learn later in the story when we get a glimpse into her past) and that now have been exacerbated and transformed into what looks like OCD. And she’s completely and utterly alone.
Now, I’m not saying that she’s without fault, but the story makes it look as if she’s the only one to blame. The husband gives her an ultimatum and that’s it. She has to work at it alone. And she does it; she goes to therapy and finds friendship in the two other women of the story. But I thought it was a twisted message to send. This woman almost crumbles under the pressure produced by trauma, social conventions and expectations, but because she turns into an unbearable bitch, she doesn’t get any type of compassion --or even the benefit of the doubt-- from anyone, but especially from the man who’s been enjoying the life she’s helped create. I liked that she finds friendship and the inner strength to get help, but I hated seeing her portrayed as the villain. It felt judgmental and wrong.
The best part of the book is that it revolves around the friendship that slowly develops between the three women, and that their friendship is what gives them the strength to move forward and heal. It’s also readable, melodramatic, sappy and very entertaining.
Before I wrap this up, Three Sister is the second book in the Blackberry Island series (I reviewed the first book here) but they stand alone perfectly well.
February 21, 2013
Three Sisters by Susan Mallery
Please forgive me for starting this review in this manner but I need to be clear ----> this is NOT a romance novel. The Blackberry Island books are more Fiction or Women’s Fiction with one of the characters finding her male Happily Ever After!
SPOILERISH----And this book is even different yet again since each woman finds a HEA, but two of them do it with the men they have already been married to.
END OF SPOILER------
Briefly - You have a book about three different neighbors - one a single woman, a pediatrician who was left at the altar and is going to redo a crumbling Victorian house. The second woman has lost her infant son and has not grieved. She is showing some very irrational behavior, but keeps it well hidden. The third woman is the most complicated. She is sort of being accused of being a poor mother and wife by her husband. She is strict and seeks perfection in everything and from everyone.
As usual, Ms Mallery has written intricate and very believable characters. Characters that are easy for us to put ourselves inside of to walk a mile in their shoes. Her descriptions are vividly drawn, the secondary characters are as fully fleshed as her main characters, even the tertiary characters have been well thought out and portrayed.
The story is rich and rewarding. I had hoped this story would never end. I just wanted to keep reading to see how their lives are working out. However, unfortunately for me, the book did end. So I guess I’ll just have to wait for the next Blackberry Island novel.
*ARC supplied by publisher*
Please forgive me for starting this review in this manner but I need to be clear ----> this is NOT a romance novel. The Blackberry Island books are more Fiction or Women’s Fiction with one of the characters finding her male Happily Ever After!
SPOILERISH----And this book is even different yet again since each woman finds a HEA, but two of them do it with the men they have already been married to.
END OF SPOILER------
Briefly - You have a book about three different neighbors - one a single woman, a pediatrician who was left at the altar and is going to redo a crumbling Victorian house. The second woman has lost her infant son and has not grieved. She is showing some very irrational behavior, but keeps it well hidden. The third woman is the most complicated. She is sort of being accused of being a poor mother and wife by her husband. She is strict and seeks perfection in everything and from everyone.
As usual, Ms Mallery has written intricate and very believable characters. Characters that are easy for us to put ourselves inside of to walk a mile in their shoes. Her descriptions are vividly drawn, the secondary characters are as fully fleshed as her main characters, even the tertiary characters have been well thought out and portrayed.
The story is rich and rewarding. I had hoped this story would never end. I just wanted to keep reading to see how their lives are working out. However, unfortunately for me, the book did end. So I guess I’ll just have to wait for the next Blackberry Island novel.
*ARC supplied by publisher*
January 11, 2013
Reviewed at HarlequinJunkie.com
Susan Mallery is a master story teller! She writes about family dynamics with deft precision. I was pulled in from the very first word of the story and was captivated until the very end! The characters are flawed but are very easy to relate to. The romance is tender and sweet. I found myself cheering on each of the couples as they worked toward their happily ever after. I highly recommend this highly engrossing read to those who are looking for a book about love and friendship, grief and loss, family ties, and small town life! Read More
Susan Mallery is a master story teller! She writes about family dynamics with deft precision. I was pulled in from the very first word of the story and was captivated until the very end! The characters are flawed but are very easy to relate to. The romance is tender and sweet. I found myself cheering on each of the couples as they worked toward their happily ever after. I highly recommend this highly engrossing read to those who are looking for a book about love and friendship, grief and loss, family ties, and small town life! Read More
April 14, 2013
3.5 stars. Well written and engaging. I really enjoyed the different issues each woman faced. I was most fascinated by Deanna. She was prickly and disliked by everyone but the reader got to know her well. Wonderful nuanced depiction of how someone can be misjudged. I also enjoyed how the friendship of the three women evolved.
The relationship with the three men in their lives felt peripheral. Strangely, the romance parts felt quite un-sexy. I found no romantic chemistry with any of the couples. But that is ok because I was really enjoying the story as it unfolded for each of the women.
The relationship with the three men in their lives felt peripheral. Strangely, the romance parts felt quite un-sexy. I found no romantic chemistry with any of the couples. But that is ok because I was really enjoying the story as it unfolded for each of the women.
April 4, 2013
A great character study about three women who are stuck in sad places until they meet each other and become friends. That friendship shakes them out of their complacency and gets them to take action, to move toward happiness. Loved this book! An easy, emotional read. Didn't want it to end.
July 13, 2022
Three sisters are 3 horses built on a hill on Blackberry Island. 3 woman, two married come together in the book. 1 is an artist, 1 a mother of 5 daughters, and 1 just moved in after getting jilted at the altar. The artist lost a baby at 6 months old, the mother of 5 has control and OCD problems from her childhood. All 3 finally open up with each other and find friendship.
March 26, 2013
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.
Quick & Dirty: A cute contemporary romance about friendships between three women walking different paths of life.
Opening Sentence: Being left at the altar is not for sissies.
The Review:
There are certain authors that I know will write strong women with realistic scenarios. This case, my go-to author was Susan Mallery. In the second book of the Blackberry Island series, Three Sisters captures the essence and differences of three women, while celebrating strength through their femininity. It isn’t about “girl power” by any means, but instead Mallery tells the story about the different stages in someone’s life. Mallery has always shown me the positive and negative sides of a women, and does it in a way that is enjoyable.
Three Sisters is about three women who each have their own problems and hidden secrets. Andi was left jilted at the altar and moves to a town to start anew. In renovating a house into her new practice and her home, she has met Wade, who may be trouble for her heart. Boston has suffered a tragic loss, one a mother never should have to endure. She has not been able to move on, and for that her marriage is suffering. Deanna is misunderstood. Where she thinks life should be about perfection and assurance, her family thinks is cold and unloving. Her tragic past has caused an OCD that is unhealthy and may cause her to lose her family.
Three different women, three different lives, but each one gravitates towards each other. Together, the help heal each other. Together, they laugh and love.
Andi is the first character you meet, and is the strongest out of the bunch. She becomes the backbone of the story, in my opinion. She is easy to relate to; not only her life story, but mostly her newly found independence while slowly craving a companion. There’s a shift in her life that happens when she meets Boston, allowing her to open herself up for love and friendship.
Boston’s story is the saddest. Being a new mother, I found the loss of her son to be devastating. Boston’s outlet for coping is to recapture her son’s face on an art canvas, over and over again. There’s a stalemate that she can’t get beyond, and it causes friction in her otherwise perfect marriage. There’s a vivaciousness in Boston that is subdued by cloud grey’s, and it’s truly heartbreaking. To see her open up to anything else was tear-jerking.
Deanna’s story was the one that I didn’t fully relate to. She grew up in a very unprivileged way, never having enough to eat or never having a clean place to sleep. She was removed from that situation, but with emotional scars. As she became an adult, she became OCD to many things, all habits from her adolescent life. Her family and herself do not understand each other, nor do they understand her as a person. Deanna hides her fears, always wanting to have the perfect picture family. I just couldn’t connect to her, and I found myself skimming over her scenes.
Mallery always tells a fluid story. I lose all sense of time when I read any of her stories, and I think that’s genius. I was able to get lost in the details of the characters, the plot, and everything in between. Mallery makes connections to her readers, always knowing what we want to read. She adds moments of sadness, enough so to make me cry. But on the other side, she’ll know when to balance that with happiness, giving you moments of relief through laughter.
Mallery’s Three Sisters is a perfect weekend read. With the warmer weather coming along, this is the perfect read to take with you on your weekend getaway. Love is a huge theme for Three Sisters, and I think you will feel the same way about it, too.
Notable Scene:
Deanna stood in the doorway, invisible and unwanted, as memories of previous Sunday mornings crowded her vision. It was always like this, she thought, shocked by the realization. The silence when she walked into the room. The obvious signs that she simply could go away. That she didn’t belong.
Tears burned. She blinked them away, turned on her heel and walked out. In the hallway, she paused, not sure where she should go. Her chest tightened and she hurried up the stairs. Once in her bedroom, she carefully closed and locked the door, then retreated to the bathroom, where she turned on the hot water and reached for the soap.
FTC Advisory: Harlequin MIRA provided me with a copy of Three Sisters. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A cute contemporary romance about friendships between three women walking different paths of life.
Opening Sentence: Being left at the altar is not for sissies.
The Review:
There are certain authors that I know will write strong women with realistic scenarios. This case, my go-to author was Susan Mallery. In the second book of the Blackberry Island series, Three Sisters captures the essence and differences of three women, while celebrating strength through their femininity. It isn’t about “girl power” by any means, but instead Mallery tells the story about the different stages in someone’s life. Mallery has always shown me the positive and negative sides of a women, and does it in a way that is enjoyable.
Three Sisters is about three women who each have their own problems and hidden secrets. Andi was left jilted at the altar and moves to a town to start anew. In renovating a house into her new practice and her home, she has met Wade, who may be trouble for her heart. Boston has suffered a tragic loss, one a mother never should have to endure. She has not been able to move on, and for that her marriage is suffering. Deanna is misunderstood. Where she thinks life should be about perfection and assurance, her family thinks is cold and unloving. Her tragic past has caused an OCD that is unhealthy and may cause her to lose her family.
Three different women, three different lives, but each one gravitates towards each other. Together, the help heal each other. Together, they laugh and love.
Andi is the first character you meet, and is the strongest out of the bunch. She becomes the backbone of the story, in my opinion. She is easy to relate to; not only her life story, but mostly her newly found independence while slowly craving a companion. There’s a shift in her life that happens when she meets Boston, allowing her to open herself up for love and friendship.
Boston’s story is the saddest. Being a new mother, I found the loss of her son to be devastating. Boston’s outlet for coping is to recapture her son’s face on an art canvas, over and over again. There’s a stalemate that she can’t get beyond, and it causes friction in her otherwise perfect marriage. There’s a vivaciousness in Boston that is subdued by cloud grey’s, and it’s truly heartbreaking. To see her open up to anything else was tear-jerking.
Deanna’s story was the one that I didn’t fully relate to. She grew up in a very unprivileged way, never having enough to eat or never having a clean place to sleep. She was removed from that situation, but with emotional scars. As she became an adult, she became OCD to many things, all habits from her adolescent life. Her family and herself do not understand each other, nor do they understand her as a person. Deanna hides her fears, always wanting to have the perfect picture family. I just couldn’t connect to her, and I found myself skimming over her scenes.
Mallery always tells a fluid story. I lose all sense of time when I read any of her stories, and I think that’s genius. I was able to get lost in the details of the characters, the plot, and everything in between. Mallery makes connections to her readers, always knowing what we want to read. She adds moments of sadness, enough so to make me cry. But on the other side, she’ll know when to balance that with happiness, giving you moments of relief through laughter.
Mallery’s Three Sisters is a perfect weekend read. With the warmer weather coming along, this is the perfect read to take with you on your weekend getaway. Love is a huge theme for Three Sisters, and I think you will feel the same way about it, too.
Notable Scene:
Deanna stood in the doorway, invisible and unwanted, as memories of previous Sunday mornings crowded her vision. It was always like this, she thought, shocked by the realization. The silence when she walked into the room. The obvious signs that she simply could go away. That she didn’t belong.
Tears burned. She blinked them away, turned on her heel and walked out. In the hallway, she paused, not sure where she should go. Her chest tightened and she hurried up the stairs. Once in her bedroom, she carefully closed and locked the door, then retreated to the bathroom, where she turned on the hot water and reached for the soap.
FTC Advisory: Harlequin MIRA provided me with a copy of Three Sisters. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
April 9, 2013
Incredibly emotional book. Andi has come to Blackberry Island for a new start. She has purchased the middle of three houses and it's in bad shape. She has hired a contractor to fix it up and get it ready for her to open her pediatric office and live in. She has sworn off men and plans to concentrate on her house and her practice, feeling that as she fixes the house she can fix herself. I loved the way that she is happy with her job in spite of the pressure from her parents to specialize in something more prestigious than "fixing scrapes and giving vaccinations". As she settles in on the island she finds herself attracted to her contractor, but not wanting to make the same mistakes she made with her ex-fiance. As they start a relationship she has to deal with her trust issues, plus Wade's problems with feeling inferior to her thanks to issues from his own past. She also starts to make friends, including her two neighbors.
Boston is her neighbor on one side. She is a free spirited artist, married to her high school sweetheart. Everything was going well for them until the death of their infant son. She hasn't been able to actually grieve for her son and spends her time making drawing after drawing of her son, shutting her husband out. He too is having trouble but it seems to be pushing them further apart rather than bringing them together. Boston's art has stalled as she can't get past the darkness of her grief. I ached for her loss and her inability to connect with her husband over their shared tragedy.
Deanna is Andi's other neighbor. At first she comes across as a really snobby bitch. Her house is a showplace but her kids have so many rules that they are terribly stifled. She thinks her husband is having an affair but when she confronts him she finds out that he isn't but feels that she is causing so much stress in their home that no one wants to be around her. As we see more of her and her life it becomes obvious that her past has caused her to have some serious control issues that she has to learn to deal with. As she gets to know Andi and Boston she starts to feel some hope for the future.
I loved the way that the three women came together, cautiously at first but with an increasingly important bond. They learn to open up with each other about their feelings and their problems and find that their friendship is able to support without judging. Boston's offer to paint murals in Andi's new office helps her begin to heal, while Andi and Deanna are there to support her as she tries to deal with her grief and repair her relationship with her husband. Deanna is able to go to Andi and Boston as she recognizes her need for help with her OCD and her control issues. Their support enables her to start making the changes that are needed. And finally Andi has female friends that support her choices without judging her or trying to change her. They are able to support her with her budding romance with Wade while helping her to see that she can still be herself.
The men in the story also had their own issues to deal with that helped create the stresses that the women were under. Zeke felt the increasing distance between himself and Boston and didn't know what to do about it. His attempts to push her into moving on only made things worse. Colin loved Deanna but felt shut out of her life and that of his children because of her need to control everything. I felt that he should have seen at least some of the signs of her problem and helped her rather than distancing himself the way he did. Thanks to the problems he had had with his late wife's attitude toward his work Wade had some self worth issues to deal with. He had a hard time believing that Andi would actually want him for himself and not try to make him into something he wasn't. He also wanted to protect his daughter from getting attached then losing Andi if things didn't work out, which added another layer of stress. Although each of these guys could be pretty clueless at times, they all came through when it really mattered.
Boston is her neighbor on one side. She is a free spirited artist, married to her high school sweetheart. Everything was going well for them until the death of their infant son. She hasn't been able to actually grieve for her son and spends her time making drawing after drawing of her son, shutting her husband out. He too is having trouble but it seems to be pushing them further apart rather than bringing them together. Boston's art has stalled as she can't get past the darkness of her grief. I ached for her loss and her inability to connect with her husband over their shared tragedy.
Deanna is Andi's other neighbor. At first she comes across as a really snobby bitch. Her house is a showplace but her kids have so many rules that they are terribly stifled. She thinks her husband is having an affair but when she confronts him she finds out that he isn't but feels that she is causing so much stress in their home that no one wants to be around her. As we see more of her and her life it becomes obvious that her past has caused her to have some serious control issues that she has to learn to deal with. As she gets to know Andi and Boston she starts to feel some hope for the future.
I loved the way that the three women came together, cautiously at first but with an increasingly important bond. They learn to open up with each other about their feelings and their problems and find that their friendship is able to support without judging. Boston's offer to paint murals in Andi's new office helps her begin to heal, while Andi and Deanna are there to support her as she tries to deal with her grief and repair her relationship with her husband. Deanna is able to go to Andi and Boston as she recognizes her need for help with her OCD and her control issues. Their support enables her to start making the changes that are needed. And finally Andi has female friends that support her choices without judging her or trying to change her. They are able to support her with her budding romance with Wade while helping her to see that she can still be herself.
The men in the story also had their own issues to deal with that helped create the stresses that the women were under. Zeke felt the increasing distance between himself and Boston and didn't know what to do about it. His attempts to push her into moving on only made things worse. Colin loved Deanna but felt shut out of her life and that of his children because of her need to control everything. I felt that he should have seen at least some of the signs of her problem and helped her rather than distancing himself the way he did. Thanks to the problems he had had with his late wife's attitude toward his work Wade had some self worth issues to deal with. He had a hard time believing that Andi would actually want him for himself and not try to make him into something he wasn't. He also wanted to protect his daughter from getting attached then losing Andi if things didn't work out, which added another layer of stress. Although each of these guys could be pretty clueless at times, they all came through when it really mattered.
February 26, 2013
I’m a newcomer to Susan Mallery’s books but that just gives me more of her backlist to look forward to reading.
Andi Gordon was jilted at the altar and in response she did the first impulsive thing in her life: she picked up stakes and moved to Blackberry Island off the coast of Seattle. She buys a worn down house on a cul-de-sac. Her house sits between two others. A perfectly restored home and one with more whimsy.
Artist Boston King thought she and her high school sweetheart husband were going to be together forever. They probably would be, except for the heartbreak that has torn them apart. Each is so wounded they may never find their way through the grief, much less back to each other.
Deanna Phillips confronts her husband about an assumed affair. She discovers that her marriage is in much more trouble than she ever suspected. And it has nothing to do with another woman. Deanna has worked hard to have the perfect family, the perfect marriage, and the perfect home. How will she survive if anyone finds out her life is a sham?
Each of the three women on the street needs a new beginning. Along the way they find each other and the life they are meant to live.
I really enjoyed Three Sisters. It was more women’s fiction that romance, although there’s plenty of that too. In fact, I need to caution my blog readers, there was a bit more sex than in the books I usually recommend, just FYI. Not a lot, but it was there and fairly graphic, although nowhere near pornographic. Okay? Okay.
Anyway, there was humor, heart, and real life. I believed these women could be living on an island, making margaritas, and encouraging each other. None of them pretend to have all the answers. Or any answers. But that’s what made them likeable and made me root for them.
I loved this one. My mountain of To Be Read books is so massive, I’ll likely never see the bottom of it, but I’ll definitely seek out another Blackberry Island novel by Susan Mallery. Anyone who enjoys Kristan Higgins, Jill Shalvis, or Susan Wigg’s Lakeshore Chronicles series will love this one.
Andi Gordon was jilted at the altar and in response she did the first impulsive thing in her life: she picked up stakes and moved to Blackberry Island off the coast of Seattle. She buys a worn down house on a cul-de-sac. Her house sits between two others. A perfectly restored home and one with more whimsy.
Artist Boston King thought she and her high school sweetheart husband were going to be together forever. They probably would be, except for the heartbreak that has torn them apart. Each is so wounded they may never find their way through the grief, much less back to each other.
Deanna Phillips confronts her husband about an assumed affair. She discovers that her marriage is in much more trouble than she ever suspected. And it has nothing to do with another woman. Deanna has worked hard to have the perfect family, the perfect marriage, and the perfect home. How will she survive if anyone finds out her life is a sham?
Each of the three women on the street needs a new beginning. Along the way they find each other and the life they are meant to live.
I really enjoyed Three Sisters. It was more women’s fiction that romance, although there’s plenty of that too. In fact, I need to caution my blog readers, there was a bit more sex than in the books I usually recommend, just FYI. Not a lot, but it was there and fairly graphic, although nowhere near pornographic. Okay? Okay.
Anyway, there was humor, heart, and real life. I believed these women could be living on an island, making margaritas, and encouraging each other. None of them pretend to have all the answers. Or any answers. But that’s what made them likeable and made me root for them.
I loved this one. My mountain of To Be Read books is so massive, I’ll likely never see the bottom of it, but I’ll definitely seek out another Blackberry Island novel by Susan Mallery. Anyone who enjoys Kristan Higgins, Jill Shalvis, or Susan Wigg’s Lakeshore Chronicles series will love this one.
January 6, 2016
This is the first book that I read by Susan Mallery that takes place on "Blackberry Island" and now want to go back and purchase Barefoot Season (Blackberry Island) which I understand is the first novel to take place in this setting.
This novel has three main characters and deals with a whole host of issues.
First, Andi Gordon, leaves Seattle to move to Blackberry Island after being left at the altar. Andi decides that she needs to get away from her family and bad memories and open up her own pediatrician practice.
Second, Deanna Phillips, due to a horrible childhood strives to always be the perfect wife and mother. The problem is that Deanna's family finds her suffocating and she realizes that something has to give before she loses everything.
Third, Boston King, though she has perfect marriage is still dealing with a horrible loss that is slowly affecting her and her husband. The "three sisters" in the book title refer to three Queen Anne homes that are next to each other on Blackberry Island that Andi, Deanna, and Boston all live in.
I have to say that I really did love this novel. However, I think when novels like this have so many interesting characters and plots you always end up liking other characters more. For me, I was less interested in Andi's story as much as I was interested in Deanna and Boston's personal stories. Deanna and Boston to me had serious issues that they needed to work through and though I did like Andi I found myself rushing through the novel anytime it shifted the focus back to her.
I really do wish that Ms. Mallery had broken the novel into a trilogy that focused on one woman at a time in order for the reader to become completely immersed in each character. Due to the heavy issues that this novel dealt with I guess I don't know how realistic it is that Deanna and Boston's could have been fixed as fast as the timeline in the novel shows. I do want to say though that I am definitely looking forward to the next novel in this series!
This novel has three main characters and deals with a whole host of issues.
First, Andi Gordon, leaves Seattle to move to Blackberry Island after being left at the altar. Andi decides that she needs to get away from her family and bad memories and open up her own pediatrician practice.
Second, Deanna Phillips, due to a horrible childhood strives to always be the perfect wife and mother. The problem is that Deanna's family finds her suffocating and she realizes that something has to give before she loses everything.
Third, Boston King, though she has perfect marriage is still dealing with a horrible loss that is slowly affecting her and her husband. The "three sisters" in the book title refer to three Queen Anne homes that are next to each other on Blackberry Island that Andi, Deanna, and Boston all live in.
I have to say that I really did love this novel. However, I think when novels like this have so many interesting characters and plots you always end up liking other characters more. For me, I was less interested in Andi's story as much as I was interested in Deanna and Boston's personal stories. Deanna and Boston to me had serious issues that they needed to work through and though I did like Andi I found myself rushing through the novel anytime it shifted the focus back to her.
I really do wish that Ms. Mallery had broken the novel into a trilogy that focused on one woman at a time in order for the reader to become completely immersed in each character. Due to the heavy issues that this novel dealt with I guess I don't know how realistic it is that Deanna and Boston's could have been fixed as fast as the timeline in the novel shows. I do want to say though that I am definitely looking forward to the next novel in this series!
March 21, 2013
I just finished Three Sisters, I loved it! I like it so much I took my time to read it and it was still over too soon.
The characters are outstanding, well developed. Each with unique traits, and each strives to conquer the negative and shine with the positive.
The three sisters are Victorian Homes that are on a hill by themselves, two are beautiful and one has been empty for some time and is in need of some love. And love it shall receive when Andee buys it to get away from the city and a relationship gone bad and parents who fill she has not fulfilled her professional ability.
The three owners are women, each very different, each with their own uniqueness and each has heart breaking events in their past they must overcome.
Boston has lived on the Island her entire life and married her childhood sweetheart, her soul mate. She has a beauty that shines and appreciated wisdom for those who surround her, she also has a very special gift of being able to make a canvas come to life and is able to put colors together that bring that life to any given surface. She is a very artsy person and her life and home exemplify this gift. I should add she has a hunky hubby and equally hunky brother-in-law and an adorable niece.
Deanna is, well perfect. She is the kind of person that always has the perfect outfit on, every hair in place does the right things goes to the right places, has the perfect house, the handsome hubby and five yep, five children. Deanna has rules strict rules, she expects everyone and I do mean everyone to be perfect.
It's wonderful to see how these owners bring perfection, artistic appreciation and professional expertise together. It also shows how each personality can contribute to a friendship if only given a chance.
I have enjoyed Susan Mallery books, I love the Blackberry Island Novels. Susan Mallery definitely has a gift to write and must say each time I read one of her books I like her more!
The characters are outstanding, well developed. Each with unique traits, and each strives to conquer the negative and shine with the positive.
The three sisters are Victorian Homes that are on a hill by themselves, two are beautiful and one has been empty for some time and is in need of some love. And love it shall receive when Andee buys it to get away from the city and a relationship gone bad and parents who fill she has not fulfilled her professional ability.
The three owners are women, each very different, each with their own uniqueness and each has heart breaking events in their past they must overcome.
Boston has lived on the Island her entire life and married her childhood sweetheart, her soul mate. She has a beauty that shines and appreciated wisdom for those who surround her, she also has a very special gift of being able to make a canvas come to life and is able to put colors together that bring that life to any given surface. She is a very artsy person and her life and home exemplify this gift. I should add she has a hunky hubby and equally hunky brother-in-law and an adorable niece.
Deanna is, well perfect. She is the kind of person that always has the perfect outfit on, every hair in place does the right things goes to the right places, has the perfect house, the handsome hubby and five yep, five children. Deanna has rules strict rules, she expects everyone and I do mean everyone to be perfect.
It's wonderful to see how these owners bring perfection, artistic appreciation and professional expertise together. It also shows how each personality can contribute to a friendship if only given a chance.
I have enjoyed Susan Mallery books, I love the Blackberry Island Novels. Susan Mallery definitely has a gift to write and must say each time I read one of her books I like her more!
February 17, 2013
This is the 2nd book in the Blackberry island series. There is a whole webpage for the series on Susan Mallery's website for you to check out. It has all kinds of interesting stuff like recipe's and info about the Island. I read book one and struggled with it in parts but i think that was because the characters are more intense than i like. I think it takes a certain mood to read some books. It was the same with Three Sisters. This isn't a fun romance book. It's about finding your way through life. Connecting with people. Everyone has problems. Looking around you might think so and so has a perfect life but i can almost bet you they don't. Some people are just better at hiding it. This about 3 women who are not sisters but by the end of the book feel life sisters. Trust me it doesn't start out this way. Each one has their own conflict to deal with. It felt slow to me til the halfway point but i think when telling 3 separate but still connected stories it's hard to keep a momentum going because you have to keep switching to each one. If you follow me on goodreads or twitter i think i mentioned i was having trouble with this one. I don't like to read the really conflicted type books where there is a lot of pain for the characters. I do but i don't particularly like it. I like how the 3 women start slowly getting to know each other and slowly start trusting each other. Deanna especially has a hard time since she comes across as a real bitch at the beginning. It's worked out slowly but surely when you are really just want to yell advice to them to speed it up. lol Of course the book has a happy ending but it's a hard fought happy ending. I was sincerely on the fence about this book for the first half but had hoped that it would turn around for me and it did. 4 out of 5 stars for Three Sisters by Susan Mallery.
May 24, 2013
I am sort of surprised that I liked this one as much as I did. From the start I liked Andi, thought she got a rotten deal and loved how she was going to get a fresh start. I thought Boston was a snob and didn't look forward to things with her. Deeana...well, she was a bitch and I hated her. But as things went on I realized that things with Boston and Deeana weren't as they seemed.
This book was so much about friendships and what I really liked about it was that it showed the good and bad. The bad being that often we women judge each other without getting to know the actual person, that we have a hard time seeing nothing but our own faults and judge ourselves against the window dressing of others because we haven't taken the time to get to know the person. That is what all of these women did. Each was screwed up, each was jealous of the others for what they thought was lacking in their own lives. It was only once they could open up and talk about what was really wrong with themselves could they become a good friend.
I loved that as the women did that, they created a safe place for themselves, one where they could talk openly and get advice and not be judged. I also loved that after a time they sensed when one of them needed a friend and would swoop in.
All in all everything was pretty predictable in the book, but I still enjoyed the journey. It made me grateful for my own friends.
This book was so much about friendships and what I really liked about it was that it showed the good and bad. The bad being that often we women judge each other without getting to know the actual person, that we have a hard time seeing nothing but our own faults and judge ourselves against the window dressing of others because we haven't taken the time to get to know the person. That is what all of these women did. Each was screwed up, each was jealous of the others for what they thought was lacking in their own lives. It was only once they could open up and talk about what was really wrong with themselves could they become a good friend.
I loved that as the women did that, they created a safe place for themselves, one where they could talk openly and get advice and not be judged. I also loved that after a time they sensed when one of them needed a friend and would swoop in.
All in all everything was pretty predictable in the book, but I still enjoyed the journey. It made me grateful for my own friends.
November 18, 2024
I loved this book once I was immersed in it. While the three houses are the Three Sisters, the unrelated women in the story bond and become as close, if not closer than any real sisters. They each have their life issues to face and soon find themselves bonding and supporting each other. All three are dealing with issues that could go either way. They might wallow in self pity and depression, or sink under a compulsive disorder. Or....
Andi is the doctor, as the reader I might think she has it all together and that she might be superior to Deanna and Boston. But no, she owns her own issues and is on a level footing with the others as they struggle with theirs.
Does all end happily? Well yes. However it is through the courageous facing of issues that the ending is a happy one. It could have gone the other way.
I love a book like this. It makes me question my own values and issues and see that we are all human and in this life the compassionate companionship of others has a very important role to play.
Please write more like this Susan.
Andi is the doctor, as the reader I might think she has it all together and that she might be superior to Deanna and Boston. But no, she owns her own issues and is on a level footing with the others as they struggle with theirs.
Does all end happily? Well yes. However it is through the courageous facing of issues that the ending is a happy one. It could have gone the other way.
I love a book like this. It makes me question my own values and issues and see that we are all human and in this life the compassionate companionship of others has a very important role to play.
Please write more like this Susan.
July 15, 2020
Two-haiku review:
Doctor buys old house
Two neighbors, both with problems
They bond in friendship
Depth of character
Must face, overcome background
Support each other
Doctor buys old house
Two neighbors, both with problems
They bond in friendship
Depth of character
Must face, overcome background
Support each other
September 15, 2024
I enjoy Mallery's writing and I like "series" that are related to world therein...i.e. Blackberry Island hasn't changed but this book is a different group of people than the first one. The three main ladies were in deeeeeep need of therapy from their various life struggles and traumas but it seemed only one would delve into it. The broken relationships felt painfully awkward to me because my biggest pet peeve is couples who refuse to talk through conflict. The walking away is BIZARRE to me and gives me anxiety. Overall I enjoyed how she wrapped things up but it was a little struggle in the middle for me.
April 17, 2020
Good book about three women who live in adjacent houses on Puget Sound, who are nothing alike but, eventually, help each other through hard times and become as close as sisters. (The title refers to their houses, which are known as the three sisters.)
Although very different—a pediatrician, an artist, and a mother of five who works part-time in a craft store—all three are going through difficult times. They help each other as much as anyone can help another person deal with life’s difficulties and, in the process, they become stronger and better able to deal with the vicissitudes of life.
Although very different—a pediatrician, an artist, and a mother of five who works part-time in a craft store—all three are going through difficult times. They help each other as much as anyone can help another person deal with life’s difficulties and, in the process, they become stronger and better able to deal with the vicissitudes of life.
May 22, 2024
My least favorite of the series, but still an enjoyable read. There were a few overly dramatic and slightly cringy elements in this one, including a couple of weird lesbian jokes that I can’t quite get over. (Mallery kind of made up for this by including a lovely lesbian couple in the next book in the series.) In my opinion, Deanna’s and Boston’s husbands both suck. Wade is the only guy I wanted to see stick around. Even though romances are supposed to have happy endings, I would have liked to see Zeke and what’s his name (Colin?) both kicked to the curb.
March 26, 2020
3.5 Stars - I think I would call this the PG-13 version of Debbie Macomber style books. It is a good story of women each with their own individual issues and challenges. I love that the women in this stories find strength through friendship. They gradually improve their relationship with family, spouses, romantic interests, and mend their personal troubles. This would be a great book for a car ride, a plane trip, or a COVID quarantine. A light fun read.
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