Sisters with a Side of Greens

by Michelle Stimpson

Two strong-willed sisters fight their way to forgiveness in this feel-good Southern fiction, for fans of Terry McMillan and KJ Dell'Antonia's The Chicken Sisters.

Sisters Rose Tillman and Marvina Nash haven't spoken in decades—not since Rose sent Marvina $40 to register their business and Marvina spent it on something else. Rose begins a long career at the post office and Marvina spends her weekends cooking chicken dinners for the church fundraiser. Marvina never leaves the canister of their mama's special spice mix in the church kitchen, and she shares the recipe with no one.

Rose never forgave Marvina for that $40 betrayal, but when she retires, she's still dreaming of opening a restaurant with her sister, using mama's secret spice mix to make their fortune in fried chicken and Southern comfort food. To her horror, Rose realizes she's forgotten the spice mix recipe. There's nothing to do but get in her car to drive the two hours to Marvina's house back in Fork City, Texas. Marvina's determined never to speak to Rose again, but figures she'll meet her on the doorstep to hear what she has to say, before closing the door in her face.

Of course, that's not what happens next, as the sisters find a way to turn their mama's legacy into a bright new future for their whole community.

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Audiobook, Contemporary, Family, Womens Fiction, Adult

367 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 5, 2024

About the author

Hello, Goodreads community! I'm Michelle Stimpson, and storytelling is my heartbeat. I've found my calling in penning heartwarming women's fiction that offers a seat at the table of family, humor, and hope. As an author, my greatest joy comes from crafting narratives that resonate with anyone seeking to find laughter and light in the pages of a good book. My tagline, 'Read. Love. Repeat.', is a promise of the emotional journey I aim to provide—engaging stories you’ll love and yearn to revisit.

Happy Reading

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Reviews

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rose Tillman has just retired from her job and she worked for The United States Postal Service for over three decades, Rose has always dreamed about opening a restaurant and Rose realizes she's forgotten the ingredients for mother's secret and delicious spice mix recipe.

The only other person who knows the exact measurements is her sister Marvina Nash, despite been close as young girls, they've had their differences as adults, and Rose bites the bullet, drives two hours to her sister’s house in Fork City, Texas.

Marvina is shocked to see Rose, she lets her in the house and that’s a good start. Marvina is struggling with changes in her own life and at the New Harvest Church where she’s attended since a child, her sister has great timing and she's not sure if she wants to go over what drove a wedge between them all those years ago.

When they discover Kerresha Smith, a pregnant teen staying in Marvina’s pool house, is gives Rose the excuse to stay longer and help both the mother to be and her sister. Marvina is a born cook, she loves to feed people, and her fried chicken made with her mother’s secret recipe is delicious and make angels sing soul. Nothing is more Southern than sweet tea, corn bread and fried chicken.

As Rose and Marvina confront the memories of the past, they laugh, cry and start to look at their fall out from a different perspective and both haven’t been completely honest with each and how they feel.

I received a digital copy of Sisters with a Side of Green’s by Michelle Stimpson from Sourcebooks and Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. A funny and heartfelt narrative about two sisters and their connection, faith, family, community and helping others, relationships, how food can bring people together and definitely feeds the soul. Five stars from me, made me laugh and cry in a good way and I highly recommend this book.

[Wobilba · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

I have a feeling I’m going to absolutely love this one 🤞🏾and love I did!

Whew! What a rollercoaster of emotions 🥹 I was hooked from the get go. I enjoyed the complexity of these two sisters, Rose and Marvina’s journey from rehashing painful past to forgiveness and healing.

The story was well written and the characters were amazing and easy to connect with…..from Rose’s sarcasm to Kerresha’s realness and Marvina’s stubbornness. Loved them all. David was a real delight too. Their bantering and bickering was top notch. I wish we had more of Marvina and Warren Jnr connecting though.

Overall, this was an emotional story about family, love, forgiveness, healing and some excellent food. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read 2/3 of the book and it was due back to library before I could finish it. It was on hold by someone else and I could not renew it. It was a cute story, but I kept wanting to find out if Rose accomplished what she wanted to do so I skimmed to the back to get my answer.

[Lyasha Chante · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had high hopes for Sisters with a Side of Greens, and while the book has its strengths, I initially DNF’d at 65%. However, I went back to finish it and am glad I did—the ending had a great payoff.

What worked exceptionally well in this story was the found family aspect. I thoroughly enjoyed how Rose and Marvina took Kerresha under their wings. The sisters’ love for Kerresha not only helped her but also began to mend the rifts in their own relationship, healing the love they have for each other and themselves. Kerresha, being a young and honest Gen Z, brings a fresh perspective to the baby boomer sisters, challenging their views on right and wrong, the politics of respectability, and sexuality. Her presence is the catalyst for their transformation, and I found this dynamic heartwarming and believable.

The dialogue was another highlight. It was specific to the culture, area, and age group, making it feel authentic and familiar. While reading, I often smiled because it felt like I was listening to my mother and her friends talking—there was a comforting sense of nostalgia in those exchanges.

However, the pacing of the story was a significant issue for me. The author spends too much time on insignificant details that don’t add anything to the plot or character development. While the characters did have likable traits, the pacing was so sluggish that I found myself struggling to push through. We would get two pivotal chapters followed by eight filled with unnecessary fluff. I don’t need a story to start with all the action and drama, and I can appreciate a slow burn, but by chapter 20, when only three chapters had any substantial payoff, it became clear that the story was dragging its feet. At several points, I realized I was reading just to check it off my list, rather than for enjoyment.

Despite these issues, the ending brought everything together in a satisfying way. For that reason, I give this book 3 stars.

[Ellowyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a little slow at times. The author did a great job with connecting you with the characters and I enjoyed the plot. It was great how she used two generations to encourage, uplift and show forgiveness. This book will have you experiencing different emotions because of the family drama, friendships, relationships and love. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

[Emaleigh Nichelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

You know these women. You’ve been these women. You are these women. Two sisters. A lifetime apart. Petty, messiness, untold truths, found family, secrets, and antiquated holiness thinking that all works together to bring a great story. A story of women. A story of love. A story of faith. A story of the womb. A story of forgiveness. Read this story.

[Lulu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit slow and repetitive, but it wasn’t too bad.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in all, I don't think this book was meant for me. The sassy humor was the best part for me, but I was hoping for more cooking content; and the faith elements came across as confused and misleading. It's hard to explain without giving spoilers, but whenever God was mentioned, it seemed more like a tag line then a genuine heart posture of the characters. The writing style was entertaining, but the character building seemed choppy as well. I think I just wasn't the audience this story was intended for.

[Bridget Kondryszyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light-hearted while still having a substantive plot dealing with reconciliation between sisters. The characters were witty and charming and sucked me right into their southern, small-town world. This was the perfect post-partum read!

[Jenn]

DNF. I don't do religious fiction and I didn't realize before I started this one. So, not for me.

[Stacy Pugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the book overall. Hated the title - Considering collard greens were hardly mentioned, Sisters with a side of collard greens was an interesting title choice.

[Fay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for my #gifted copy of Sisters with a Side of Greens!

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐒𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟓, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒

𝟰.𝟱★

I hugged this one when I finished! I loved this book about sisterhood and forgiveness! I went into this one completely blind and I was so pleasantly surprised! What a lovely book and I cannot recommend it enough!

After retiring from the USPS, Rose decides she wants to open a restaurant. It’s always been her dream. The only problem is, her ex-husband has reminded her that she does not have the correct secret spice recipe. The only other person in the world who know the recipe is her estranged sister, Marvina, who lives about two hours away. Determined to get the recipe, Rose drives the two hours to try to get the recipe. From there, the two are forced to unpack their complicated past and are forced to work together when a young mother to be is in need of their help. Can Rose and Marvina move forward and have a second chance at sisterhood?

🎧I alternated between the physical book, and the audiobook, narrated by Susan Spain. This was my first book narrated by Spain and I thought she was so perfect for this role. i just loved how she so beautifully told the story of Rose and Marvina and just could not get enough of her as the narrator. She was flawless!

🥬Family Drama
🥬Food and Cooking
🥬Sisterhood
🥬Forgiveness
🥬Found Family
🥬Set in Texas

[Kaitlyn Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a cute, easy, wholesome read with a lot of heart. The humor was actually genuinely funny and relatable without being too far fetched or bizarre like some comedies. It might not be a book that sticks with me forever, but I definitely recommend!

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read from this author. I really enjoyed the book. Characters were well-developed and relatable.

[Leisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

✨This was the book I didn’t know I needed in my life! Set in East Texas (I’m a Southeast Texas girl myself) with women of a certain age (also me), I found myself relating to the characters and narrative on many levels.

✨Of particular interest to me was the different ways the main character sisters related to their churchgoing upbringing. One leaned into the church and her faith while the other struggled with, not God, but the spiritual abuse she’d endured at the hands of her mother and the church. The author handled both responsibly and with sensitivity. This was an accurate portrayal on both sides in my opinion, and I don’t often see that in fiction.

✨I loved the way food and a family heirloom recipe figured into the plot – and if @stimpson.michelle would kindly share the recipe for Momma’s seasoning, I’d appreciate it! Or at least tell us where we can buy some! 😂

✨Lots of emotion here with themes of aging, found family, sisterhood, forgiveness, redemption and healing that really worked well for me.

🌿Read if you like:
✨ Southern fiction
✨ Own voices fiction
✨ Found family
✨ Family drama
✨ Sibling rivalry
✨ Themes of food and cooking
✨ Texas settings

I definitely recommend this one. Thank you for sending it my way @bookmarked! Available now.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sisters with a Side of Greens was all about a family legacy, not land nor $$$$$$$ but Mama's spice mix. The story was very complex with interesting characters especially the two sisters who had hung onto a grudge for many, many years. Very sad because this is so prevalent in real-life families. And now in this story the sisters are in fresh conflict over Mama's spice mix! (Frankly I wanted to buy a packet and try it but of course--that was all in my mind!) :-)I was interested in the church leadership portrayed in the book since it was so different from my church leadership. And it was very funny that the decisions the leadership made turned out to be the wrong ones. The sisters could've told them that. I also enjoyed the young single mom and was relieved when the baby's father turned up and turned out to be different than I expected. All in all a very compelling and unpredictable read--a real dive into sisters, families, churches, and life today. Well done, Michelle! Highly recommended.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed meeting these characters and learning their stories. I was especially pleased that the youngest character was, in many ways, the voice of wisdom.

[Jennifer Brooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. I have it 3 stars because I felt I sat through the same fight or situation over and over again.

[Angie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review ARC.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. It was truly an interesting read. Rose and Marvina are estranged sisters trying to mend their relationship. Along the way they learn that things in their past aren' how they remember them to be. Rose visits her baby sister in their hometown in hopes of getting the recipe of their mother's spice mixture. Circumstances cause her to stay at her sister's house longer than she anticipated.

Both of th sisters are strongwilled and set in their ways. They have to learn to forgive and accept the choices they made in the past. When a pregnant teen comes in their life unexpectedly, they come together to forge a family.

Rose never gave up her dream of opening a restaurant with her sister. Though illness and disagreement derail that dream, the makeshift family finds a way to make other dreams come true.

This was a good read and I enjoyed it. It was touching but also lighthearted and funny at times.

[Saycee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave it a 3.5 out of five stars. It was not completely my cup of tea, but I did enjoy it. I did not know it was a Christian fiction, but it was nice to get a different kind of fiction that I was not used to in my system. I really enjoyed Kerresha’s character as that light that helped guide the two sisters back together. She was the one that caused them to be together longer, which I thought was a refreshing approach to that kind of story. I hate that their mother was the devil in this story lol she really screwed up both of their feelings toward each other because of misunderstandings through their mother’s eyes. that was a bit frustrating because I was thinking y’all are grown women who are still obsessed over what your mother had to say about how each other runs each other‘s lives. Too bad we did not find out about the seasoning lol but I thought the ending was pretty decent.just having a seasoning was a smarter approach because of their age instead of running a restaurant. Not saying they couldn’t do it, but they knew where their limits was where they wanted to be at that time in their life but still wanting to pursue something different.

[Marti Perronie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book review of my latest book 📖!
Sisters with a Side Green by Michelle Stimpson

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @bookmarked for this early copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was such a cute read and made me super hungry while I read it. It's really a story about two sisters and forgiveness.

Rose has just retired from the post office after 30 years, a job she really hated. She had grand dreams of her own restaurant with her sister, Marvina. Things didn't work out and after Rose marries someone the family didn't approve of, she hasn't been back to her small town of Fork City.
When she cooks something with her mother's special seasoning, and realizes somewhere she got the recipe wrong. The only other person that knows this recipe, her sister.
Off she heads to figure out what she's done wrong with the recipe. She believes she can revive her dream of the restaurant if she just gets it this recipe right!
Marvina, on the other hand can't believe her sister has the nerve to interrupt her simple life without calling first. These two ladies have a lit of emotional stuff to unpack, but it's a witty, cute book that will tug at your heart strings.
This is out March 5, 2024! Grab it.
#crazybooknerd
#bookstagram
#NetGalley
#SistersWithaSideofGreens
#sourcebookslandmark

[(Adri)ana | TenPieceLemonPepper · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

the overall plot and storyline to this book was really cute. i also ADORE the cover. so cute. 🥰

however, definitely had to deduct a star and a half for two main reasons:

1. the audacity of men in this book. between David, the pastor and the “amen corner” deacon, literally every single one of them needed to be slapped at some point. all of them got on my nerves. 😂

2. who and where is the editor?! i just wanna talk. because not only did i find several typos in this book (one of my biggest book pet peeves), there were SEVERAL moments where you can tell the author was trying to relate to a younger audience and it just came across as flat out cringy. specifically with a lot of Kerresha’s dialogue. “cray cray.” “true dat.” “CRUNK”?!??! like no one has used the word “crunk” since 2006. it just came across so inauthentic and weird. like i really wish an editor had scrapped that idea.

overall i still did enjoy the book however. very cute read. but Michelle Stimpson , if you’re reading this, just please get a different editor for your next book. 🖤😂

[ReadnliftwithShar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore stories that have an underlying meaning and message. Brownie point when said messages are impactful towards my personal life. This story was written well, with thought provoking points, life lessons, and healing. It also serves as a reminder that age is not a factor when it comes to learning and growing. I loved this one, who knew a young woman in need would heal the relationship between two sisters. 💕

[Sunshine_SuzyQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this story. It dives into regrets within sister relationships in a sweet way. It has all the elements of sisterhood including grudges and how to navigate the ways we internalize insecurities and misunderstandings. Not often do I get to read about older female main characters. Enjoyed within two sittings.

[Nora Moulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why the storyline is entertaining although predictable, and the characters are precious, I’m giving this three stars because the writing is slow and tedious. I had this on my TBR list for a while, and I read it in less than a day on vacation. However, I found myself finishing it just because I was 2/3 through rather than eagerly turning the pages. It is an easy read.

[HoneyButterfly · Rating 5 out of 5]

The relationship between the sisters was so real. Growing up with a younger sister in a Christian (not as strict) household, this book was so relatable. The dynamics between the Gen X sisters and the Gen Y young lady was so realistic, funny and loving. Definitely loved this book!

[Destiny Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story! This is my second book by this author I love how both books were full of humor. At times, I think the author gave unnecessary details that dragged out the chapter. Other than that, this book was great.

[Kate Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this! Super cute, fun read that flew by! Lots of character development and a happy ending :)

[Jamia Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good book. I enjoyed it 😊

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. The plot and character development are both superb. I felt like Rose and Mirvina were my older sisters. What a beautiful redemption story of family and faith.