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The Maxwell Sisters
‘ You are cordially invited to the wedding of Phoebe and Christopher . . .’
All families have their problems. No more so than the Maxwells of Tawny Brooks Winery. Situated in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, this world-renowned winery was the childhood home to three sisters, Natasha, Eve and Phoebe.
Today all three women are enmeshed in their city lives and eager to forget their past – and their fractured sibling relationships. Until Phoebe decides to get married at home. . .
Now the sisters must all return to face a host of family obligations, vintage in full swing and interfering in-laws who just can’t take a hint. As one romance blossoms and others fall apart, it seems they are all in need of some sisterly advice.
But old wounds cut deep. Somehow, the Maxwell sisters must find a way back to one another – or risk losing each other forever.
The Maxwell Sisters is a heartwarming romantic comedy about three extraordinary women on a journey to find love and rediscover family.
All families have their problems. No more so than the Maxwells of Tawny Brooks Winery. Situated in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, this world-renowned winery was the childhood home to three sisters, Natasha, Eve and Phoebe.
Today all three women are enmeshed in their city lives and eager to forget their past – and their fractured sibling relationships. Until Phoebe decides to get married at home. . .
Now the sisters must all return to face a host of family obligations, vintage in full swing and interfering in-laws who just can’t take a hint. As one romance blossoms and others fall apart, it seems they are all in need of some sisterly advice.
But old wounds cut deep. Somehow, the Maxwell sisters must find a way back to one another – or risk losing each other forever.
The Maxwell Sisters is a heartwarming romantic comedy about three extraordinary women on a journey to find love and rediscover family.
392 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 2, 2015
8 people are currently reading
457 people want to read
About the author
Loretta Hill
22 books173 followersFor her bestselling novels The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots, The Girl in the Hard Hat and The Girl in the Yellow Vest, Loretta Hill drew upon her own outback engineering experiences of larrikins, red dust and steel-capped boots. She is also the author of The Maxwell Sisters, The Grass is Greener and The Secret Vineyard, and the ebook novellas Operation Valentine and One Little White Lie, which was a no.1 bestseller on iTunes.
Loretta always wanted to be a writer. As a kid she filled pages of exercise books with stories to amuse her friends. Her father, who never wasted his time on fiction, didn't see much worth in this past time and pushed her to pursue a 'sensible' career. Fortunately, she had inherited some of his talent for numbers and decided to give it a go. She graduated from the University of Western Australia as structural engineer and took her first job with a major West Australian engineering company.
Despite her career in engineering and her journey into motherhood, Loretta continued to write. Not because she had a lot of time but because it was an addiction she couldn't ignore.
Loretta always wanted to be a writer. As a kid she filled pages of exercise books with stories to amuse her friends. Her father, who never wasted his time on fiction, didn't see much worth in this past time and pushed her to pursue a 'sensible' career. Fortunately, she had inherited some of his talent for numbers and decided to give it a go. She graduated from the University of Western Australia as structural engineer and took her first job with a major West Australian engineering company.
Despite her career in engineering and her journey into motherhood, Loretta continued to write. Not because she had a lot of time but because it was an addiction she couldn't ignore.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
June 30, 2017
When Natasha Maxwell receives a wedding invitation from her younger sister Phoebe, she should be happy, but she's not. Natasha and her sisters, Phoebe and Eve were once really close to one another, but not anymore and the sisters haven't seen each other in quite a while.
The wedding was to take place at the family winery at Tawny Winery, which is located in Margaret River. Things hadn't been going so well lately for Natasha and she didn't want her family to know, so for this reason she was dreading seeing them all again. But it seems Natasha isn't the only one in the family with secrets. Now is the time the family should come together and be there for one another, but is it too late for this family?
I've read a few books now by Aussie author Loretta Hill and I've loved all of them including this one. She certainly knows how to keep the reader turning the pages. A great read about family and friendship which I have no hesitation in recommending.
The wedding was to take place at the family winery at Tawny Winery, which is located in Margaret River. Things hadn't been going so well lately for Natasha and she didn't want her family to know, so for this reason she was dreading seeing them all again. But it seems Natasha isn't the only one in the family with secrets. Now is the time the family should come together and be there for one another, but is it too late for this family?
I've read a few books now by Aussie author Loretta Hill and I've loved all of them including this one. She certainly knows how to keep the reader turning the pages. A great read about family and friendship which I have no hesitation in recommending.
December 27, 2014
4.5★s
Natasha Maxwell along with her sisters Eve and Phoebe had been close once – best friends and confidantes; their motto had always been Club Members only. But twelve months before the wedding invitation arrived there had been a massive falling out between Tash and Eve – so much so that they hadn’t spoken to each other in that time. Tash was living in Sydney while her siblings still lived in Western Australia. But the wedding invitation to Phoebe and Spider’s forthcoming nuptials showed that the huge event would be held at the family winery; Tawny Brooks Winery, which was one of the Margaret River wine region’s largest; known worldwide for its delectable wines.
With Tash having secrets that she had kept from her family, she had no idea how she would avoid the confrontation. And it seemed that Eve had secrets as well; the return to their family home was fraught with danger – how would they face one another? How would they face their mother and father? The phone call from Phoebe which asked them all to arrive one month before the wedding date to help with preparations created an even bigger issue though – reluctantly and with shattered nerves, the sisters arrived at Tawny Brooks Winery; Tash from Sydney and Eve from Perth. And so did everyone else!
As the extended family members began settling in, the hostilities were immediately apparent. Spider’s parents wanted the wedding to be run their way, or at least his mother did – but Phoebe’s mother wanted it her way. The strain between bride and bridegroom was beginning to show. But that wasn’t the only problem that needed sorting – what would happen in the month leading up to the wedding? Would there even be a wedding?
I thoroughly enjoyed The Maxwell Sisters by Aussie author Loretta Hill. A slight departure from her previous books, this was nonetheless a brilliantly executed novel. The characters were fun and enjoyable – the plot unique. The Maxwell Sisters is a mixture of mystery, romance and suspense with the inclusion of an area in WA which I would love to visit one day. I have no hesitation in recommending this one highly, and eagerly await the author’s next release.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
Natasha Maxwell along with her sisters Eve and Phoebe had been close once – best friends and confidantes; their motto had always been Club Members only. But twelve months before the wedding invitation arrived there had been a massive falling out between Tash and Eve – so much so that they hadn’t spoken to each other in that time. Tash was living in Sydney while her siblings still lived in Western Australia. But the wedding invitation to Phoebe and Spider’s forthcoming nuptials showed that the huge event would be held at the family winery; Tawny Brooks Winery, which was one of the Margaret River wine region’s largest; known worldwide for its delectable wines.
With Tash having secrets that she had kept from her family, she had no idea how she would avoid the confrontation. And it seemed that Eve had secrets as well; the return to their family home was fraught with danger – how would they face one another? How would they face their mother and father? The phone call from Phoebe which asked them all to arrive one month before the wedding date to help with preparations created an even bigger issue though – reluctantly and with shattered nerves, the sisters arrived at Tawny Brooks Winery; Tash from Sydney and Eve from Perth. And so did everyone else!
As the extended family members began settling in, the hostilities were immediately apparent. Spider’s parents wanted the wedding to be run their way, or at least his mother did – but Phoebe’s mother wanted it her way. The strain between bride and bridegroom was beginning to show. But that wasn’t the only problem that needed sorting – what would happen in the month leading up to the wedding? Would there even be a wedding?
I thoroughly enjoyed The Maxwell Sisters by Aussie author Loretta Hill. A slight departure from her previous books, this was nonetheless a brilliantly executed novel. The characters were fun and enjoyable – the plot unique. The Maxwell Sisters is a mixture of mystery, romance and suspense with the inclusion of an area in WA which I would love to visit one day. I have no hesitation in recommending this one highly, and eagerly await the author’s next release.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
April 20, 2017
The Maxwell Sisters is about three sisters Natasha, Phoebe and Eve who are keeping secret from their family. When Phoebe decided to have her wedding to Spider at her family winery, it starts the sisters on a quest to find love and rediscover sisters unity again.
However, love did not run smoothly for the Maxwell Sisters, and the readers will follow the up and downs of their relationships. Readers of The Maxwell Sisters will be surprised and sadden with the conclusion of this book.
I love the way Loretta Hill intertwine her characters and looking over everyone is the sister's father, Johnathan Maxwell. I love the way Loretta Hill portrayed her characters especially Johnathan Maxwell who makes me love with some of his one-liners. The Maxwell Sisters highlights the importance of not keeping secrets from family members.
I recommend this book.
However, love did not run smoothly for the Maxwell Sisters, and the readers will follow the up and downs of their relationships. Readers of The Maxwell Sisters will be surprised and sadden with the conclusion of this book.
I love the way Loretta Hill intertwine her characters and looking over everyone is the sister's father, Johnathan Maxwell. I love the way Loretta Hill portrayed her characters especially Johnathan Maxwell who makes me love with some of his one-liners. The Maxwell Sisters highlights the importance of not keeping secrets from family members.
I recommend this book.
June 9, 2016
On her web page, author Loretta Hill writes “…I write stories favouring strong, capable women and the men who love them in rich Australian settings. I love a good laugh so also be prepared to find plenty of Aussie humour in my novels…” and that would sum up all her books precisely.
In THE MAXWELL SISTERS everyone seems to have secrets, the trouble is, keeping those secrets is causing heartache and misinterpretations amongst the other family members. On the bright side though readers’ gets to know enough of the secrets to be able to follow the different plot lines – but not all, so there can be some misunderstandings of our own. Each sister has her own story. Phoebe (Phee) is marrying Spider, a celebrity TV chef and her sister Eve’s former restaurant partner; the restaurant, located at the winery, burned down and was abandoned. Phee, the peacemaking sister, has decided that her wedding will be just the event to pull her family back together again and she requests family members to gather a month before the wedding to repair the burnt restaurant so it can be the venue for her reception. Eve, the shy and non-confrontational sister, is suffering from the loss of her business, unrequited love, and a current work place that is sapping her happiness. Finally there is Tasha, the perfect sister, who has been hiding from her family just how imperfect she actually is. One of her secrets is that she and her husband Heath have been living in separate States for a few months after a devastating event (also a secret), so imagine her surprise when she arrives and finds Heath there ready to lend a hand to prepare for the wedding. Tasha and Heath have to act like everything is wonderful as she is not ready to share with her family. Tasha also has issues with Eve as they had a huge fight just after the restaurant burned down and have not spoken to each other since. Everyone arrives, including Spider’s mum and dad, and the scene is set. My favourite thread was that of the mother of the bride and mother of the groom being locked in a battle to try and outdo each other from the very start. Beginning with whose name appears first on the invitation, through the flowers, finger food and onto the actual celebrant – these two ladies don’t let up for a minute. I loved them. I have found that Loretta Hill is very good at relationships – especially angst ridden ones – and there is a lot of angst and hurt within the family. Before we get to the wedding there is a mystery to solve (which I cottoned on to about 3/4s of the way through); growing current, past and new loves to be sorted; false acquisitions honestly discussed and lessons learned. THE MAXWELL SISTERS was a wonderful read and I quickly found myself wishing I could be a friend and join in their world. Even their leading men were great and I am sure my husband would fit in nicely – especially at a Margaret River Winery!
With thanks to Random House and the author via Netgalley for my copy to read and review
January 13, 2015
Phoebe Maxwell is getting married and she is determined that the occasion will be the catalyst which mends the rift between her two older sisters, Eve and Tash. To that end, she insists on having her wedding at the family home and winery, Tawny Brooks, necessitating all hands on deck to repair the restaurant her fiance and Eve once ran on the grounds. Eve and Tash are both reluctant to return home, but for reasons that have little to do with their feud. The Maxwell sisters are keeping secrets... and they aren't the only ones.
With warmth and humour Hill introduces a family bound by love but divided by secrets. Everyone wants Phoebe to have the wedding of her dreams so they are willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen but putting aside their own problems is more difficult than they expect. As the story unfolds we learn of Eve's guilty conscience, Tash's heartbreaking tragedy and that Phoebe is keeping secrets of her own.
Hill's characters are easy like and relate to, Phoebe is the optimist, Eve the pessimist and Tash the perfectionist. The Maxwell patriarch is considered to be a little crazy and the girls Greek mother is all about family and food. The men in the sister's lives, Heath, Spider and Adonis..uh Adam, are all quite different but prove to be more than capable of holding their own against the Maxwell clan.
The relationships between the family, the sisters and their various lovers are well drawn, though I did think one couple declared true love a little too early to be sensible. It's perhaps the only off note that mars the plot which includes a touch of suspense, a healthy dose of romance, and lust, and plenty of drama.
Hill has left behind the dry and dusty Pilbara and set this novel in the fertile southern region of the state. I spent many of my school holidays in and around the area of Margaret River, so I particularly enjoyed being able to visit towns familiar to me.
The Maxwell Sisters, Loretta Hill's fifth novel, is an engaging story about love, relationships, loyalty and family. Enjoy it with a glass of Western Australian wine.
May 29, 2015
The Maxwell Sisters is set in the South-West region of Western Australia in a town called Yallingup, with the romantic backdrop of the fictitious Tawny Brooks Estate a highly successful winery owned by John and Anita Maxwell. Their three daughters were returning home to prepare for the wedding of their youngest, Phoebe. Natasha and Eve hadn’t spoken since harsh words were exchanged twelve months ago. Can they put their differences aside to make Phoebe’s wedding a day to be remembered?
The Maxwells could be any family, your friends, your relatives, even your own family. That’s how easy it was to relate to them and their problems. As in any family there are people you love and connect with and people you don’t particularly understand. I loved Eve, the middle daughter, she was so unsure of herself but always ready to support everyone else. Maybe it’s because I’m a middle sister myself and saw a bit of myself in Eve’s character. However, I couldn’t really connect with Natasha. She seemed to overreact to everything and not know, or not care, that she was always hurting other people.
I loved that all the men were caring, loving, understanding and supportive. They all had a sense of humour. What good role models they were.
This story is a reminder to all of us that secrets and non communication can only cause heartache and misunderstanding. Keeping problems to yourself does not necessarily stop someone else from feeling pain.
I enjoyed the authors teasing with the different secrets. I kept guessing and thinking I knew what they were, only to find out I was wrong each time. Clever!
I would recommend this enjoyable read filled with romance, humour, love and mystery.
Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC to read and review.
December 31, 2018
Look even though it was about unrelatable rich people having the sort of first world problems that are a result of being neurotic from never having had a real problem I was going to go easy on it because it is set in an Australian winery which is an awesome setting for a novel. Even though wine-making was glamorised to the point where it is nothing like actual work and contains no real risk or challenge, once again as a romance novel I was going to try to accept that.
But the gender roles were so toxic. The female characters are constantly blaming themselves for not being more understanding of the narcissistic males who are constantly invading their personal space and acting really rapey (to the point where I was triggered by several scenes in the book). I can cope with people writing about such rapey behaviour, because I think it is dangerous to pretend it doesn't happen, but to make it a necessary ingredient of courting behaviour, with the attendant fear and humiliation the female characters feel somehow turned into "romance" I think is just so, so, so far over the line that I can't look beyond it- even if what was beyond it was anything better than the parents and their gender=specific neuroses.
I think the way the sisters treated each other was pretty problematic and I think a lot of really toxic behaviours were glossed over (does no one in the book have any sense of boundaries?). Without giving any spoilers away there is a major event toward the end which I think is problematically written and really just a blow-up of the micro-aggressions of some of the other male characters (who are forgiven on the basis that they are hot and women can't control their hormones around them- oh please).
People sometimes act like romance is harmless and innocent. At times I can sort of run with that...but what was here was far from relaxing to someone who has actually survived being pursued against their will.
But the gender roles were so toxic. The female characters are constantly blaming themselves for not being more understanding of the narcissistic males who are constantly invading their personal space and acting really rapey (to the point where I was triggered by several scenes in the book). I can cope with people writing about such rapey behaviour, because I think it is dangerous to pretend it doesn't happen, but to make it a necessary ingredient of courting behaviour, with the attendant fear and humiliation the female characters feel somehow turned into "romance" I think is just so, so, so far over the line that I can't look beyond it- even if what was beyond it was anything better than the parents and their gender=specific neuroses.
I think the way the sisters treated each other was pretty problematic and I think a lot of really toxic behaviours were glossed over (does no one in the book have any sense of boundaries?). Without giving any spoilers away there is a major event toward the end which I think is problematically written and really just a blow-up of the micro-aggressions of some of the other male characters (who are forgiven on the basis that they are hot and women can't control their hormones around them- oh please).
People sometimes act like romance is harmless and innocent. At times I can sort of run with that...but what was here was far from relaxing to someone who has actually survived being pursued against their will.
January 7, 2015
From the first page of this book I was hooked. Loretta effortlessly weaves us into her story with descriptions that flow and characters that captivate. Intrigue springs from every page, and love and loss, betrayal and courage, and wisdom and laughter are the simmer sauce that binds it all together.
Without providing any spoilers - a love letter, written long ago, makes an appearance and leads the characters on a merry dance. An overbearingly loving mother wades into wedding-battle with the mother of the groom. A hunky wine maker makes a play for one of the daughters and while all this is happening the girls themselves are having relationship problems of their own. All of this occurs under the watchful eye of the madcapped father, who bestows wine-linked wisdom on his daughters.
Now what I didn't see coming (and I pride myself on being able to spot these things), was the delicious twist at the end. The final straw to break the back of the sisters' rivalry and bring them together again was so cleverly woven through the story that I never even suspected it was there.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between the wine maker (Adonis) and Eve, one of the daughters. The dialogue between these two was fun and witty and danced off the page. A negative for me was that the eldest daughter Tash's problems started to annoy me after a while. She realised early on that her husband had been suffering as much as she, and that he had a different way of dealing with grief than she did, but then kept holding firm to her belief that their relationship was flawed. The development between the two of them was perhaps a little off, the timing not quite right to make it flow smoothly throughout the book. I did, however, love the dad. His ability to rise above the petty fighting of others and view the proceedings through rose-coloured glasses didn't cease to amuse me. Especially when he started keeping score on the battles between the mothers of the bride and groom.
All-in-all The Maxwell Sisters was a heart-warming and endearing tale that managed to put a fresh spin on a well-used plot. I gave it Four Stars.
Without providing any spoilers - a love letter, written long ago, makes an appearance and leads the characters on a merry dance. An overbearingly loving mother wades into wedding-battle with the mother of the groom. A hunky wine maker makes a play for one of the daughters and while all this is happening the girls themselves are having relationship problems of their own. All of this occurs under the watchful eye of the madcapped father, who bestows wine-linked wisdom on his daughters.
Now what I didn't see coming (and I pride myself on being able to spot these things), was the delicious twist at the end. The final straw to break the back of the sisters' rivalry and bring them together again was so cleverly woven through the story that I never even suspected it was there.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between the wine maker (Adonis) and Eve, one of the daughters. The dialogue between these two was fun and witty and danced off the page. A negative for me was that the eldest daughter Tash's problems started to annoy me after a while. She realised early on that her husband had been suffering as much as she, and that he had a different way of dealing with grief than she did, but then kept holding firm to her belief that their relationship was flawed. The development between the two of them was perhaps a little off, the timing not quite right to make it flow smoothly throughout the book. I did, however, love the dad. His ability to rise above the petty fighting of others and view the proceedings through rose-coloured glasses didn't cease to amuse me. Especially when he started keeping score on the battles between the mothers of the bride and groom.
All-in-all The Maxwell Sisters was a heart-warming and endearing tale that managed to put a fresh spin on a well-used plot. I gave it Four Stars.
January 7, 2015
It’s the invitation that Natasha Maxwell has been dreading. Even though she’s happy that her younger sister Phoebe is getting married, it means she’ll have to go home. Have to face telling her family that not only did she lose her job months ago and hasn’t been able to find another one but that she and her husband have also split up.
For youngest sister Eve, the idea of Phoebe’s wedding is just as painful. She’s been in love with the groom (known as ‘Spider’) since they met years ago but he has no idea. In his mind they’re best friends and former business partners, having worked together in a failed restaurant attempt that still plays heavily on Eve’s mind. Now she learns that Phoebe wants to fix up the restaurant Eve ran with Spider and have the wedding there. It’s the absolute last thing Eve wants…..and she’ll also have to face her older sister Natasha, who told her in no uncertain terms what she thought of her after the restaurant failed.
Phoebe just wants her wedding to be a happy occasion that brings everyone back together. She wants to mend the rifts in the family and thinks the wedding is the perfect way to do it. She’ll fix the problems between her sisters and she’ll get Eve interested in the restaurant again. But it seems that in all her attempts to make things right, she’s creating a rift between herself and her groom, who is losing patience with not being privy to decisions. There’s also the possibility that Spider is not anywhere as trustworthy as he seems. And then there’s the secret Phoebe is keeping…
Loretta Hill leaves the mines, construction sites and FIFO lifestyle behind in her latest novel which is set in the Margaret River region in Western Australia. It’s an area I’ve never visited (I’ve never been to the west) but it’s an area well known for its food and wine. The Maxwell family are winemakers, growing grapes and producing their own wines. And Eve is a chef, who once operated a restaurant on the vineyard property with Spider who is now Phoebe’s fiance. Twelve months ago the family was torn apart when the restaurant caught fire. Eve and Spider went their separate ways business-wise and Natasha and Eve had words and haven’t spoken since. Phoebe is the sister caught in the middle and she wants to fix things between her sisters, make them as close as they were as kids.
Loretta Hill writes amazing relationships. Not just romantic ones but family and friendship ones as well. There are some intricate and complicated relationships in this book and she handles them all with brilliance. There’s nothing like the bringing together of two families to create tension and the mother of the bride and mother of the groom are locked in a battle to outdo each other from the very moment everyone arrives at the Maxwell family home. Add in Natasha and Eve’s tension, Eve and her unresolved feelings over the failure of the restaurant and the awkwardness with Spider plus her discomfort around her parent’s new employee plus the fact that Natasha’s estranged husband has been invited by a well-meaning Phoebe who doesn’t know they’ve split up. And he’s made it perfect clear to Natasha that he doesn’t want to go ahead with the separation anymore, he wants them to get back together.
So there’s a lot going on. But it really does work, there’s a real sense of authenticity whenever the characters are interacting. One of my favourite types of story to read is actually the torn apart lovers reconnected so I was really interested in Natasha’s story and what had happened with her husband. It’s slowly teased out and their interactions at the Maxwell family property are still full of chemistry as well as heartache. I think out of all of the various threads, I was engrossed in that one the most – but a close second was the truth behind the fire that destroyed the restaurant. Who really set it and why?
There are several incidences in this book where people jump to conclusions pretty quickly, usually the wrong ones but the story was so good that I could go with it. People are often rash to judge, especially when it involves their families and people they care about. I feel as though Loretta Hill created a whole family unit here and even the characters which don’t get as much time are still interesting and contribute to the whole picture. Although I have to admit that at times the character of Adam, the winemaker the Maxwell’s had hired after the family patriarch retired, got on my nerves I was glad to see Eve, the youngest sister, get a chance to find happiness after so long wanting a man she couldn’t have. Eve has seriously lacked confidence since the demise of the restaurant, working in a job she dislikes for people who take her for granted. She’s the quintessential “can’t say no” type of person, always doing things she doesn’t want to do because she can’t bear to refuse. Adam, however obnoxious he occasionally was, actually saw Eve in a way that others didn’t seem to. He got her right away, saw the things she wanted, the things she needed, the person that she was and he pushed her to fulfill her potential. Often his methods were a bit maddening but there was plenty of humour in them as well.
Overall I really enjoyed this – I feel as though Loretta Hill has become one of those authors who can basically do no wrong for me, every release is charming and contains characters I love who stay with me. I still think about Lena and Dan from her first book, The Girl In Steel-Capped Boots. And I’m happy to learn from Danielle’s review here that there are going to be more books from Loretta set among the wine-making families of the Margaret River.
For youngest sister Eve, the idea of Phoebe’s wedding is just as painful. She’s been in love with the groom (known as ‘Spider’) since they met years ago but he has no idea. In his mind they’re best friends and former business partners, having worked together in a failed restaurant attempt that still plays heavily on Eve’s mind. Now she learns that Phoebe wants to fix up the restaurant Eve ran with Spider and have the wedding there. It’s the absolute last thing Eve wants…..and she’ll also have to face her older sister Natasha, who told her in no uncertain terms what she thought of her after the restaurant failed.
Phoebe just wants her wedding to be a happy occasion that brings everyone back together. She wants to mend the rifts in the family and thinks the wedding is the perfect way to do it. She’ll fix the problems between her sisters and she’ll get Eve interested in the restaurant again. But it seems that in all her attempts to make things right, she’s creating a rift between herself and her groom, who is losing patience with not being privy to decisions. There’s also the possibility that Spider is not anywhere as trustworthy as he seems. And then there’s the secret Phoebe is keeping…
Loretta Hill leaves the mines, construction sites and FIFO lifestyle behind in her latest novel which is set in the Margaret River region in Western Australia. It’s an area I’ve never visited (I’ve never been to the west) but it’s an area well known for its food and wine. The Maxwell family are winemakers, growing grapes and producing their own wines. And Eve is a chef, who once operated a restaurant on the vineyard property with Spider who is now Phoebe’s fiance. Twelve months ago the family was torn apart when the restaurant caught fire. Eve and Spider went their separate ways business-wise and Natasha and Eve had words and haven’t spoken since. Phoebe is the sister caught in the middle and she wants to fix things between her sisters, make them as close as they were as kids.
Loretta Hill writes amazing relationships. Not just romantic ones but family and friendship ones as well. There are some intricate and complicated relationships in this book and she handles them all with brilliance. There’s nothing like the bringing together of two families to create tension and the mother of the bride and mother of the groom are locked in a battle to outdo each other from the very moment everyone arrives at the Maxwell family home. Add in Natasha and Eve’s tension, Eve and her unresolved feelings over the failure of the restaurant and the awkwardness with Spider plus her discomfort around her parent’s new employee plus the fact that Natasha’s estranged husband has been invited by a well-meaning Phoebe who doesn’t know they’ve split up. And he’s made it perfect clear to Natasha that he doesn’t want to go ahead with the separation anymore, he wants them to get back together.
So there’s a lot going on. But it really does work, there’s a real sense of authenticity whenever the characters are interacting. One of my favourite types of story to read is actually the torn apart lovers reconnected so I was really interested in Natasha’s story and what had happened with her husband. It’s slowly teased out and their interactions at the Maxwell family property are still full of chemistry as well as heartache. I think out of all of the various threads, I was engrossed in that one the most – but a close second was the truth behind the fire that destroyed the restaurant. Who really set it and why?
There are several incidences in this book where people jump to conclusions pretty quickly, usually the wrong ones but the story was so good that I could go with it. People are often rash to judge, especially when it involves their families and people they care about. I feel as though Loretta Hill created a whole family unit here and even the characters which don’t get as much time are still interesting and contribute to the whole picture. Although I have to admit that at times the character of Adam, the winemaker the Maxwell’s had hired after the family patriarch retired, got on my nerves I was glad to see Eve, the youngest sister, get a chance to find happiness after so long wanting a man she couldn’t have. Eve has seriously lacked confidence since the demise of the restaurant, working in a job she dislikes for people who take her for granted. She’s the quintessential “can’t say no” type of person, always doing things she doesn’t want to do because she can’t bear to refuse. Adam, however obnoxious he occasionally was, actually saw Eve in a way that others didn’t seem to. He got her right away, saw the things she wanted, the things she needed, the person that she was and he pushed her to fulfill her potential. Often his methods were a bit maddening but there was plenty of humour in them as well.
Overall I really enjoyed this – I feel as though Loretta Hill has become one of those authors who can basically do no wrong for me, every release is charming and contains characters I love who stay with me. I still think about Lena and Dan from her first book, The Girl In Steel-Capped Boots. And I’m happy to learn from Danielle’s review here that there are going to be more books from Loretta set among the wine-making families of the Margaret River.
February 1, 2015
The Maxwell Sisters was quite a surprise to me. Not that I didn't expect to enjoy it, but it had so many elements I wasn't expecting.
The story is based on three sisters meeting up after a few years of not really seeing each other or being in each other's lives.
We find out they they all have secrets and when they meet up for one of the sister's wedding in their hometown, their lives start to unravel, truth starts to reveal itself.
What they have tried to hide isn't working when the other sisters start to nose about.
The story says so much about family, the closeness of sisters and the quirkiness of family.
This story makes you laugh, especially when Eve starts calling her love interest a different name. Priceless.
December 30, 2014
What could be better? A great book (about a family winery) and a glass of wine. I LOVED this latest offering by Loretta Hill. Totally hooked from the first page, the author has balanced out perfectly a mix of humor and drama. This beautiful and very real portrayal of sisterly love had me wanting a happy ending for them all. Not too predictable, which is really refreshing.
January 10, 2015
Read this and more reviews on my blog http://agirlwho.com/review-the-maxwel...
Tawny Brooks Winery, situated in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, was the childhood home to three sisters, Natasha, Eve and Phoebe. Today all three women are enmeshed in their own, separate lives. That is until Phoebe decides to get married at home. Now the sisters must all return to face their ghosts. As one romance blossoms and others fall apart, it seems they are all in need of some sisterly advice.
Families are hard. Families coming together for a wedding can be harder. We love them but they do all come with their own baggage and agenda. This story is no different to real life, just a bit more dramatic (I am eternally grateful that my sisters and I have not fought the way these sisters have). Even though their stories are more dramatic than my reality I could totally understand how you might get to that place, and I had tears in my eyes as I watched them try to sort themselves out and get back to the way they once were.
I love visiting wine country; I grew up just near the Hunter Valley and have been to the Barossa Valley a few times. In fact the above photo was taken in at Audrey Wilkinson vineyard where I was reading it. I haven’t been to the Margaret River but I absolutely want to after reading this book. I always that is a good sign, when the book works as a travel brochure in fact it’s worth reading for the sumptuous world Hill creates. The calm rolling hills, the beautiful countryside, the great food and wine it’s all there and as perfect as I imagined.
The Maxwell Sisters is classic chick lit at its very best, I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy – either online or wherever good books are sold. I’ve never read anything by Hill before, but I have added them to the 2015 reading list after this one.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For your parents
My Mum would really enjoy this book – for the drama and the gorgeous setting. My Dad not so much, he has the same number of women in his life and I wonder if he wouldn’t find the drama all too real.
For the young
If you were looking for a book for a teenager to show them about families and love this actually is a pretty good choice. The relationships are definitely adult but they are written with such warmth and love that you cannot help but think it would be a good example for a teenage girl – significantly better than something like Twilight
For the ladies
This would be a great one to give as a gift to your own sisters/friends, it’s a great reminder of the special friendships that women have which would seem super random to men but make so much sense to us.
For book club
This one depends on the book club but I would say in most cases no, it’s not something I would recommend. I generally don’t think books about people’s problems work for book club, it gets too personal.
For gentlemen
Not something I would suggest generally for men, there are some well written men in here but I am not sure how much they would resonate with the story.
For yourself
I spent a lovely afternoon curled up with the cat and a cuppa, a pleasant read that makes you think about the relationships you have with the people closest to you and appreciate them in a way I didn’t expect when I started reading.
Tawny Brooks Winery, situated in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, was the childhood home to three sisters, Natasha, Eve and Phoebe. Today all three women are enmeshed in their own, separate lives. That is until Phoebe decides to get married at home. Now the sisters must all return to face their ghosts. As one romance blossoms and others fall apart, it seems they are all in need of some sisterly advice.
Families are hard. Families coming together for a wedding can be harder. We love them but they do all come with their own baggage and agenda. This story is no different to real life, just a bit more dramatic (I am eternally grateful that my sisters and I have not fought the way these sisters have). Even though their stories are more dramatic than my reality I could totally understand how you might get to that place, and I had tears in my eyes as I watched them try to sort themselves out and get back to the way they once were.
I love visiting wine country; I grew up just near the Hunter Valley and have been to the Barossa Valley a few times. In fact the above photo was taken in at Audrey Wilkinson vineyard where I was reading it. I haven’t been to the Margaret River but I absolutely want to after reading this book. I always that is a good sign, when the book works as a travel brochure in fact it’s worth reading for the sumptuous world Hill creates. The calm rolling hills, the beautiful countryside, the great food and wine it’s all there and as perfect as I imagined.
The Maxwell Sisters is classic chick lit at its very best, I highly recommend you grab yourself a copy – either online or wherever good books are sold. I’ve never read anything by Hill before, but I have added them to the 2015 reading list after this one.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For your parents
My Mum would really enjoy this book – for the drama and the gorgeous setting. My Dad not so much, he has the same number of women in his life and I wonder if he wouldn’t find the drama all too real.
For the young
If you were looking for a book for a teenager to show them about families and love this actually is a pretty good choice. The relationships are definitely adult but they are written with such warmth and love that you cannot help but think it would be a good example for a teenage girl – significantly better than something like Twilight
For the ladies
This would be a great one to give as a gift to your own sisters/friends, it’s a great reminder of the special friendships that women have which would seem super random to men but make so much sense to us.
For book club
This one depends on the book club but I would say in most cases no, it’s not something I would recommend. I generally don’t think books about people’s problems work for book club, it gets too personal.
For gentlemen
Not something I would suggest generally for men, there are some well written men in here but I am not sure how much they would resonate with the story.
For yourself
I spent a lovely afternoon curled up with the cat and a cuppa, a pleasant read that makes you think about the relationships you have with the people closest to you and appreciate them in a way I didn’t expect when I started reading.
August 6, 2015
I was somewhat stunned when I realised that this book had already been published during January this year (where has the time gone?) and that I had only recently got it to the top of my TBR. That being said, although much time has elapsed and many great reviews have already been written, I’ve decided to add my own because I enjoyed the story so much and think it should still be promoted.
Those of us who have ever planned a wedding know how much strain it can place on the most organised of shoulders but throw into the mix three sisters who were once close but now, due to the pace of life, distance and secrets, have grown apart with no idea how to re-connect; two sets of parents hell-bent on giving their children the wedding of their dreams with a bit of meddling; and an estranged husband, former best friend and local Adonis.
In the form of the Maxwell sisters (Natasha, Phoebe and Eve), their parents, Heath, “Spider” (and his parents) and Adam, Loretta Hill brings us this light but heart-warming story about sisterhood, old rivalries, loyalty, plenty of secrets but ultimately what it means to be a family.
Set over the month leading up to the wedding, the story begins to unfold when super organised Phoebe, adamant to have things her way, decides that their childhood home, Tawny Brooks Winery, is the perfect place to have her wedding, using it as an excuse to bring everyone back together after a fire that destroyed both the restaurant on the property and her sister Eve’s dreams.
Unbeknownst to her though, each of her sisters is facing some type of turning point in their life with Natasha pining after a tragedy and the breakdown of her marriage to Heath and Eve, still trying to come to terms with the fact that while she fell in love with her best friend as a girl, he is now a man on the brink of getting married.
What does it mean to have a sister? For me I think this quote by Erica E Goode from "The Secret World of Siblings" sums it up perfectly:
"Sibling relationships ... outlast marriages, survive the death of parents, resurface after quarrels that would sink any friendship. They flourish in a thousand incarnations of closeness and distance, warmth, loyalty and distrust."
I’m always intrigued by stories about sibling dynamics and Loretta Hill has given us a lovely glimpse into the Maxwell girls and theirs. All strong and independent women, she textures them by making them deal with real life in the midst of what should be a time for celebration, writing with an ease that flows from page to page.
Through their different viewpoints she invites you into their lives by sharing their trials, tribulations, laughter and tears, affording us a sense of realism that makes them fully come to life combined with comedy that is not forced but rather flows naturally from their interactions and dialogue.
Engaging characters, an inviting location with a true sense of place and a story about the enduring bonds of sisterhood and family make this an enticing read that is ideal to settle down with next to a warm fire while you enjoy a delicate Pinot Noir which, like sisters, becomes more complex with age.
Those of us who have ever planned a wedding know how much strain it can place on the most organised of shoulders but throw into the mix three sisters who were once close but now, due to the pace of life, distance and secrets, have grown apart with no idea how to re-connect; two sets of parents hell-bent on giving their children the wedding of their dreams with a bit of meddling; and an estranged husband, former best friend and local Adonis.
In the form of the Maxwell sisters (Natasha, Phoebe and Eve), their parents, Heath, “Spider” (and his parents) and Adam, Loretta Hill brings us this light but heart-warming story about sisterhood, old rivalries, loyalty, plenty of secrets but ultimately what it means to be a family.
Set over the month leading up to the wedding, the story begins to unfold when super organised Phoebe, adamant to have things her way, decides that their childhood home, Tawny Brooks Winery, is the perfect place to have her wedding, using it as an excuse to bring everyone back together after a fire that destroyed both the restaurant on the property and her sister Eve’s dreams.
Unbeknownst to her though, each of her sisters is facing some type of turning point in their life with Natasha pining after a tragedy and the breakdown of her marriage to Heath and Eve, still trying to come to terms with the fact that while she fell in love with her best friend as a girl, he is now a man on the brink of getting married.
What does it mean to have a sister? For me I think this quote by Erica E Goode from "The Secret World of Siblings" sums it up perfectly:
"Sibling relationships ... outlast marriages, survive the death of parents, resurface after quarrels that would sink any friendship. They flourish in a thousand incarnations of closeness and distance, warmth, loyalty and distrust."
I’m always intrigued by stories about sibling dynamics and Loretta Hill has given us a lovely glimpse into the Maxwell girls and theirs. All strong and independent women, she textures them by making them deal with real life in the midst of what should be a time for celebration, writing with an ease that flows from page to page.
Through their different viewpoints she invites you into their lives by sharing their trials, tribulations, laughter and tears, affording us a sense of realism that makes them fully come to life combined with comedy that is not forced but rather flows naturally from their interactions and dialogue.
Engaging characters, an inviting location with a true sense of place and a story about the enduring bonds of sisterhood and family make this an enticing read that is ideal to settle down with next to a warm fire while you enjoy a delicate Pinot Noir which, like sisters, becomes more complex with age.
March 9, 2015
I must say that romance is not my favourite genre, I usually want to take the people to a small windowless room and leave them there to sort it out, to actually talk to each other and get things working again. This book was no exception to that reaction, but it was quite a good read for its type. The Maxwell sisters come from a winery in the Margaret River region of Western Australia but have grown apart over the last few years. This is the story of their coming together again.
August 16, 2016
This was a good Aussie lighthearted read. I enjoyed the information on wine harvest and production. I gave it three stars as I'm not a huge fan of the romance genre. I particularly enjoyed the scene with the nightgown towards the end of the novel, it was hilarious, I read that part twice!
October 14, 2017
(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)
All families have their problems. No more so than the Maxwells of Tawny Brooks Winery. Situated in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, this world-renowned winery was the childhood home to three sisters, Natasha, Eve and Phoebe.Today all three women are enmeshed in their city lives and eager to forget their past - and their fractured sibling relationships. Until Phoebe decides to get married at home . . .
Now the sisters must all return to face a host of family obligations, vintage in full swing and interfering in-laws who just can't take a hint. As one romance blossoms and others fall apart, it seems they are all in need of some sisterly advice.
But old wounds cut deep. Somehow, the Maxwell sisters must find a way back to one another - or risk losing each other forever.
I am no longer surprised by the quality of Loretta Hill's writing. And this book just adds to her growing list of brilliant Australian family stories.
Fundamentally a story about family, this book also touches on the heartbreak of relationships, the bond between sisters and life in a rural region of Australia. The added bonus, for me, was that romance only played a moderate part of this tale. It was written very well and the reader just connects with these characters very easily. The drama at play between various arms of the family plays out very well and I think we all can identify with someone in the Maxwell family - and that is what endears Hill's writing to me. That connection.
No problem at all recommending this book - or any of her others!
Paul
ARH
All families have their problems. No more so than the Maxwells of Tawny Brooks Winery. Situated in the heart of the Margaret River wine region, this world-renowned winery was the childhood home to three sisters, Natasha, Eve and Phoebe.Today all three women are enmeshed in their city lives and eager to forget their past - and their fractured sibling relationships. Until Phoebe decides to get married at home . . .
Now the sisters must all return to face a host of family obligations, vintage in full swing and interfering in-laws who just can't take a hint. As one romance blossoms and others fall apart, it seems they are all in need of some sisterly advice.
But old wounds cut deep. Somehow, the Maxwell sisters must find a way back to one another - or risk losing each other forever.
I am no longer surprised by the quality of Loretta Hill's writing. And this book just adds to her growing list of brilliant Australian family stories.
Fundamentally a story about family, this book also touches on the heartbreak of relationships, the bond between sisters and life in a rural region of Australia. The added bonus, for me, was that romance only played a moderate part of this tale. It was written very well and the reader just connects with these characters very easily. The drama at play between various arms of the family plays out very well and I think we all can identify with someone in the Maxwell family - and that is what endears Hill's writing to me. That connection.
No problem at all recommending this book - or any of her others!
Paul
ARH
December 21, 2014
‘The Maxwell Sisters’ is the new contemporary fiction novel from Australia author Loretta Hill, who so impressed me with her Pilbara-set romance books: 'The Girl in the Hard Hat' and 'The Girl in Steel-Capped Boots' among them. ‘Maxwell Sisters’ is the first book, and I’m told (by the author herself, via Twitter) that at least two more books are planned in the same Margaret River wine region.
I had a bit of a sinking feeling as I started reading this, only because it had elements of a Monica McInerney novel I read last year, a novel I happened to hate. ‘The Alphabet Sisters’ was about three sisters reuniting at their family home after years of silence following an explosive feud – namely around the youngest sister stealing the middle sister’s fiancée. When they reunited the middle and youngest sister had to have it out (but never really did) over the betrayal, and oldest sister (long thought to be perfect) had to slowly reveal how her marriage was collapsing.
Loretta Hill's had similar elements to McInerney’s novel … or what I thought were similar elements at first. ‘The Maxwell Sisters’ sees youngest sister Phoebe getting married, and calling her feuding middle and older sisters home a month early under the guise of wedding arrangements, but really to mend fences.
Phoebe is marrying Spider, celebrity TV chef and her sister Eve’s former restaurant partner, and best friend … but unbeknownst to her, he’s also the man Eve has unrequitedly loved for years now, and she’s still struggling to come to terms with what could have been.
Meanwhile, eldest “perfect” sister Natasha is returning home with some bad news … her marriage is over, and she and her husband Heath have been living in separate states for the last month. But when she arrives at her parents infamous winery, she is surprised to discover Heath there too – adamant that they still have a marriage worth saving, and banking on Tash not wanting to lose face with her family by pre-emptively telling them about her marriage breakdown.
The stage being set, and the sister’s initially being at odds with one another, Hill’s and McInerney’s books become vastly different in their plots and execution – where ‘The Alphabet Sisters’ fell flat in pretty much every single way for me, I read Hill’s ‘The Maxwell Sisters’ as being a phenomenal contemporary romance cross between King Lear and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ … as the sister’s enjoy spending a month together under the stealthy influence of their beloved patriarch, a famous wine man who has often been called “mad” for his belief in celestial tides affecting the grapes. The Maxwell sisters must grapple with their misconceptions and assumptions about one another’s lives and feelings – having so lost touch with one other over the last few years, the novel becomes about how these three reconnect and fit back into each other’s lives.
Along the way there is romance to be had – for Eve it’s the new manager her father has employed, the delicious Adam “Adonis” (as she calls him) who is running from his own problems. Natasha must decide if she’s really ready to turn her back on her husband and their previously blissful marriage, and Phoebe becomes increasingly suspicious of Spider in the lead-up to their wedding … Hill’s romances for the three are excellent, especially for being so nuanced and proportionate to the bigger issues going on in the sister’s lives and familial relationships. Just as her Pilbara books were more about the female characters surviving in tough, male-dominated work places (that, for their remote locations, became living quarters too), ‘The Maxwell Sisters’ is likewise more about the sister’s realigning with each other than it is solely a vehicle for their love lives to get back in order. I think that’s where Hill really excels in her contemporary fiction – she never forgets the real heart of the story, the meatier characterisation and bonds are not playing second-fiddle to the lovey-dovey stuff.
That being said – and although Hill did a remarkable job of making me root for all the sisters (even the Mary Sue-esque character of Phoebe), I especially loved Eve’s story with Adam/Adonis, which starts off snarky and then progresses to sparky. I especially loved Eve’s story because she is the more underdog sister –unmarried, lusting after her sister’s fiancée (and has been for years) a failed business owner and the shorter/curvier one, compared to her willowy sisters.
By the time she got back to the couch, Phoebe and Natasha were already seated there on either side of her father. They had both seized the opportunity to get his attention while she had rushed off to get stuff organised. How familiar the scene was. As a young girl, she had often thought of herself as the Cinderella of the family. Only the analogy was definitely flawed – neither of her sisters were ugly and her life was still a pumpkin.
‘Here, Dad, drink this.’ She held out the glass of water to her father and sat down on the edge of the coffee table.
He took it rather absentmindedly as he gazed at each of his daughters in turn. ‘Look at you all.’ He sipped his water. ‘All of you in the same room. My beautiful girls. My life is literally flashing before my eyes.’
As I was reading this (and I did so in one sitting – staying up until 1AM) I found myself hoping, finger-crossing that Loretta Hill would be turning this into a series … and as I discovered on Twitter, she is! I’m especially keen because there are two other wineries mentioned, and the breadcrumbs laid for the stories around those family-run wineries are intriguing … there’s mention of a Jack Franklin, “the region’s most notorious womaniser,” and member of a rival family; “the Franklins and the Maxwells had been mortal enemies from day one, especially when it came to wine.” Seriously, I cannot wait!
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this e-book via NetGalley, and I did find it funny that after reading it on December 18, it became the first book to make my ‘Favourite Books of 2015’ list, and so soon after mentioning ‘The Maxwell Sisters’ in my ‘Most Anticipated Books of 2015’ list too! It really was a wonderful read, and I can’t wait to return to the region and meet the Franklin family next. Loretta Hill is such a wonderful voice in Australian contemporary fiction; beautifully balancing romance and family tales that tug at the heart.
I had a bit of a sinking feeling as I started reading this, only because it had elements of a Monica McInerney novel I read last year, a novel I happened to hate. ‘The Alphabet Sisters’ was about three sisters reuniting at their family home after years of silence following an explosive feud – namely around the youngest sister stealing the middle sister’s fiancée. When they reunited the middle and youngest sister had to have it out (but never really did) over the betrayal, and oldest sister (long thought to be perfect) had to slowly reveal how her marriage was collapsing.
Loretta Hill's had similar elements to McInerney’s novel … or what I thought were similar elements at first. ‘The Maxwell Sisters’ sees youngest sister Phoebe getting married, and calling her feuding middle and older sisters home a month early under the guise of wedding arrangements, but really to mend fences.
Phoebe is marrying Spider, celebrity TV chef and her sister Eve’s former restaurant partner, and best friend … but unbeknownst to her, he’s also the man Eve has unrequitedly loved for years now, and she’s still struggling to come to terms with what could have been.
Meanwhile, eldest “perfect” sister Natasha is returning home with some bad news … her marriage is over, and she and her husband Heath have been living in separate states for the last month. But when she arrives at her parents infamous winery, she is surprised to discover Heath there too – adamant that they still have a marriage worth saving, and banking on Tash not wanting to lose face with her family by pre-emptively telling them about her marriage breakdown.
The stage being set, and the sister’s initially being at odds with one another, Hill’s and McInerney’s books become vastly different in their plots and execution – where ‘The Alphabet Sisters’ fell flat in pretty much every single way for me, I read Hill’s ‘The Maxwell Sisters’ as being a phenomenal contemporary romance cross between King Lear and ‘Pride and Prejudice’ … as the sister’s enjoy spending a month together under the stealthy influence of their beloved patriarch, a famous wine man who has often been called “mad” for his belief in celestial tides affecting the grapes. The Maxwell sisters must grapple with their misconceptions and assumptions about one another’s lives and feelings – having so lost touch with one other over the last few years, the novel becomes about how these three reconnect and fit back into each other’s lives.
Along the way there is romance to be had – for Eve it’s the new manager her father has employed, the delicious Adam “Adonis” (as she calls him) who is running from his own problems. Natasha must decide if she’s really ready to turn her back on her husband and their previously blissful marriage, and Phoebe becomes increasingly suspicious of Spider in the lead-up to their wedding … Hill’s romances for the three are excellent, especially for being so nuanced and proportionate to the bigger issues going on in the sister’s lives and familial relationships. Just as her Pilbara books were more about the female characters surviving in tough, male-dominated work places (that, for their remote locations, became living quarters too), ‘The Maxwell Sisters’ is likewise more about the sister’s realigning with each other than it is solely a vehicle for their love lives to get back in order. I think that’s where Hill really excels in her contemporary fiction – she never forgets the real heart of the story, the meatier characterisation and bonds are not playing second-fiddle to the lovey-dovey stuff.
That being said – and although Hill did a remarkable job of making me root for all the sisters (even the Mary Sue-esque character of Phoebe), I especially loved Eve’s story with Adam/Adonis, which starts off snarky and then progresses to sparky. I especially loved Eve’s story because she is the more underdog sister –unmarried, lusting after her sister’s fiancée (and has been for years) a failed business owner and the shorter/curvier one, compared to her willowy sisters.
By the time she got back to the couch, Phoebe and Natasha were already seated there on either side of her father. They had both seized the opportunity to get his attention while she had rushed off to get stuff organised. How familiar the scene was. As a young girl, she had often thought of herself as the Cinderella of the family. Only the analogy was definitely flawed – neither of her sisters were ugly and her life was still a pumpkin.
‘Here, Dad, drink this.’ She held out the glass of water to her father and sat down on the edge of the coffee table.
He took it rather absentmindedly as he gazed at each of his daughters in turn. ‘Look at you all.’ He sipped his water. ‘All of you in the same room. My beautiful girls. My life is literally flashing before my eyes.’
As I was reading this (and I did so in one sitting – staying up until 1AM) I found myself hoping, finger-crossing that Loretta Hill would be turning this into a series … and as I discovered on Twitter, she is! I’m especially keen because there are two other wineries mentioned, and the breadcrumbs laid for the stories around those family-run wineries are intriguing … there’s mention of a Jack Franklin, “the region’s most notorious womaniser,” and member of a rival family; “the Franklins and the Maxwells had been mortal enemies from day one, especially when it came to wine.” Seriously, I cannot wait!
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this e-book via NetGalley, and I did find it funny that after reading it on December 18, it became the first book to make my ‘Favourite Books of 2015’ list, and so soon after mentioning ‘The Maxwell Sisters’ in my ‘Most Anticipated Books of 2015’ list too! It really was a wonderful read, and I can’t wait to return to the region and meet the Franklin family next. Loretta Hill is such a wonderful voice in Australian contemporary fiction; beautifully balancing romance and family tales that tug at the heart.
October 23, 2022
I really enjoyed reading Loretta Hill's The Maxwell Sisters.
I would rate it as the better read of any of hers I have read to date and as usual are cursing there isn't the ability to rate books on here with a 1/2 star. This would definitely be a 4 1/2 star read.
I think what surprised me most in this story, was the continued layering of story line and characters. I was expecting more of a light hearted read, instead I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the lives of the Maxwells.
The location, one of my favourite Aussie places, was in the Margaret river and focused around wine :)
Hill's writing technique was spot on, engaging, entertaining and formative.
A good read and story line.
I would rate it as the better read of any of hers I have read to date and as usual are cursing there isn't the ability to rate books on here with a 1/2 star. This would definitely be a 4 1/2 star read.
I think what surprised me most in this story, was the continued layering of story line and characters. I was expecting more of a light hearted read, instead I found myself thoroughly engrossed in the lives of the Maxwells.
The location, one of my favourite Aussie places, was in the Margaret river and focused around wine :)
Hill's writing technique was spot on, engaging, entertaining and formative.
A good read and story line.
February 22, 2018
I almost stopped reading this book two or three times... Although the plot for the story was strong, it was poorly executed with shallow, flaky characters who were hard to get to know. Half way through, I found myself wondering what could happen next (and not in a good way), but unfortunately the last "twist" (if you could call it that) was cliched and flawed. This made it seem as though the story was quickly tied up and everything was all "happy endings". I read two other books in the time it took to finish it because it got boring throughout. Unfortunately it won't be one of those books that you remember, but if you are after a very light read, this is for you.
August 24, 2018
I liked s this book it amplifies the security and importance of family. It showed how the love of a family even after some time apart can bring all emotions to a high and solve pre existing issues without trying.
It highlights how through hard and sometimes emotional times you know you can always trust and tun to family for support despite water under the bridge of years gone by.
It highlights how through hard and sometimes emotional times you know you can always trust and tun to family for support despite water under the bridge of years gone by.
December 4, 2024
Gosh! How we hide our real selves? Well done Loretta Hill for writing such an emotive tale.
Wonderfully written and set in a beautiful part of the world, a roller coaster of emotions bought me to tears as I became invested in these wonderful girls....a little bit of all of us can be discovered here.
An engaging enjoyable read.
Wonderfully written and set in a beautiful part of the world, a roller coaster of emotions bought me to tears as I became invested in these wonderful girls....a little bit of all of us can be discovered here.
An engaging enjoyable read.
June 24, 2018
I loved the main theme of a fractured family and all the highs and lows along the way. The mad Maxwells never had a boring moment and it was great to see all the different personalities within the family. A fantastic read!
July 5, 2020
Excellent
Loved this book especially the location. I visit my brother regularly from the UK so know Busselton, Dusborough and Margaret River well. Would love more books with this location. A great read.
Loved this book especially the location. I visit my brother regularly from the UK so know Busselton, Dusborough and Margaret River well. Would love more books with this location. A great read.
August 10, 2017
Good, easy read. Enjoyed reading about the South West of my home state, I could identify with the towns and surrounds. Fairly predictable, interesting twists and turns. Good holiday read
September 20, 2017
Enjoyed the characters. Best of the ones I have read .
September 24, 2018
This was a lovely light read. Engaging characters that meant I read it quickly and was held captive the whole book. Great book to pack for a holiday!
January 27, 2019
Heartfelt
Misunderstandings
Life lessons
Love and connections
Misunderstandings
Life lessons
Love and connections
July 31, 2021
This was a lovely story full of twists and turns. A great family relationship story and how wrong we can be. I enjoyed it a lot and it was a quick easy read
October 9, 2021
Really enjoyed this story, especially as it's set in a gorgeous part of Australia I've had the pleasure of living in.
December 19, 2021
It took to page 120 to get interesting but eventually it was a very good story.
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