A Sister's Secret

Reeves Sisters #1

by Cydney Rax

Savvy and decisive, Burgundy Reeves feels blessed with a good husband and a successful career. She is the sister everyone envies. Since her beloved mother's death, she's given troubled youngest sister, Elyse, a stable home when she needs it most. And she's taken it on herself to keep her contentious siblings together. Under her guidance, they all meet bi-monthly on "Sister Day," a time when they get together to bond, to receive a challenging "assignment," and to cope with a range of things--including their many differences . . .

Among the sisters' most challenging assignments: tell the truth. But truthfulness leads to an unveiling of secrets that may destroy lives. Burgundy is struggling to show Coco the real deal about her unreliable baby daddy. If she and level-headed Drucilla can also convince hard-headed eldest sister Alita to give Coco more love than tough talk, that might heal a longtime rift. But it's teenage Elyse's truth that will shatter Burgundy's perfect world beyond repair. And putting the pieces back together could make the sisters stronger together than ever--or pull them apart for good.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Adult Fiction

309 pages, Paperback

First published February 27, 2018

About the author

Basically I became interested in becoming a writer after reading Terry McMillan’s novel Disappearing Acts. In 2004 my author dreams were realized via the release of my controversial debut novel My Daughter’s Boyfriend, the story of a 34-year old single mother that becomes attracted to her teenage daughter’s boyfriend.

I love writing about marriage, infidelity, juicy love triangles, family, romance, women's issues, and male/female relationships. It never gets boring to write about what human beings go through.

My novels make you think and feel! If it doesn't do that, I haven't done my job.

My novels/interviews have been featured in USA Today, Black Beat Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Jewel Magazine, Today's Black Woman, Vibe Vixen, Quarterly Black Review, Booking Matters Magazine, Essence magazine, Ebony magazine, Black Expressions Book Club, among others.

Learn more via http://www.cydneyrax.com or follow me on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCydney...

Reviews

[Jay G · Rating 1 out of 5]

Want to see more bookish things from me? check out my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfer...

I was sent this copy by goodreads in exchange for my honest review*

1.5 Stars

Every month after the death of their mother, the Reeves sisters come together to share their secrets and "keep it real" with each other. But secrets can ruin lives and each sister must decide what to share in order to keep the peace.

I must be the unpopular opinion with this because I seem to be the only one who hated this book... I could tell from the first chapter that I wasn't going to enjoy this book, but many people rated it well on goodreads so I assumed it would get better... it didn't. The writing style was ridiculous and the characters were so annoying. The way the dialogue was written made me roll my eyes the entire time. The story was extremely predictable, I was able to guess everything that was going to happen long before it happened. There was so much unnecessary cussing and use of slang that it quickly became annoying.

Personally, I think the story HAD potential but it was VERY POORLY executed... I would not recommend it.

[ShayBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Sister’s Secret

By Cydney Rax is a new series about the Reeves Sisters, Alita Burgundy, Coco, Dru and Elyse, these sisters are something else. In this story we find out that all that looks good from the outside is not good in the inside. Each one of these sisters are going through they’re own problems but they are trying hard to hide it from each other to keep the family together.

The story started off a little slow but it picks up and keeps you interested and wanting to know what is going on, a few of the sisters secrets are revealed but once the are revealed to each other how is things going to turn out? Looking forward to finding out in the sequel.

[T.A. Beasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Sister’s Secret is about five siblings who agree to have regular meetings called “Sister Day” to keep a connection with each other per their mother and to keep it real with each other. This is easier said than done.

My Thoughts

Book Cover
This book cover is eye catching, displays one of the sisters and drew me to the back cover for the synopsis.

Plot
The plot of the story is what kept me turning the pages. The transitions from chapter to chapter are consistent and kept the storyline flowing. It had the right amount of twists and turns along with some suspense. The best part of the book was the characters.

Characters
Burgundy is the sister with the good life. She has money, a loving husband, and wonderful home. She is the one trying to keep her sisters making it to Sister Day. Alita is the sister with the blunt personality. She says what’s on her mind, is overprotective of her son and makes it hard for anyone to get past her cold heart. Drucilla is the level-headed sister that keeps her life on the right path. Coco is the sister that can’t help being over the top when it comes to her children’s father. She is stubborn and doesn’t like to take advice from anyone. Elyse is the sister who took their mother’s death the hardest and ends up living with Burgundy. She doesn’t socialize and normally stays hidden. After reading the book, I can understand why.

These characters as well as the secondary characters were well-developed. They brought out emotions within me that made me want to invest in them.

Theme/Message
This book allowed me to see families are not perfect. It also showed an inner struggle with one of the characters that no one noticed. I won’t spoil it, you must read the book to understand my point. A person never knows what is going on behind closed doors and it’s evident in A Sister’s Secret.

Recommendations
I recommend this book to others because it is a perfect blind of family, drama, secrets, and betrayal. Once the secret is revealed you will want to pick up the next book in this series.

*This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes only.

5 Stars=Non-Stop Page Turner

[LoLo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. I enjoyed Alita the most in this book. There was times where she annoyed me and times where she made me laugh and even more times where she had me shouting "that's right!". The book was slow and then eventually picked up but not as fast as I thought it would. It was like a slow sprint. Still a good read, I am interested to see what happens next with each character. I would love to know more about Dru, the parents of the sisters (their background), Elyse and how she was in the beginning compared to now, Coco and her background, and so much more I want to know. I am ready to read the sequel!

[Shaunna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book.It kinda rambled, but I liked it... Ready for part 2!

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

These sisters really got on my nerves, but I cant wait for book 2

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading the first chapter, I had the feeling I wasn't going to like this book. I don't like to give up on a book and I told myself I would read 20% and if I wasn't feeling it I would stop. The book is about a family full of sisters. Ms. Rax did a good job of developing the characters although we got to know some much more than others. Some sisters were hardly talked about. Because of this I wondered if this book were the 2nd in a series but in looking through the author's previous titles it doesn't appear to be the case. By 20% I was caught up in the story and wanted to know what happens. Even though the title implies some scandalous secret, it's more like the parts of their lives they don't share with each other. By the end of was looking forward to some closure on some of the storylines but alas, Ms. Rax doesn't give much closure but hints it will continue in an upcoming book. While I liked it more than I thought I would, I'm not sure I'll read a continuation. But the characters and their stories will remain with me.

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alita, Burgundy, Coco, Dru, and Elyse Reeves are of all different shapes, shades and economic sectors. When the five Reeves sisters lost their beloved mother, they vowed to love and support each other; but this story (first in a new series) is all about abuse and drama. I didn't realize "Love and Revenge" was a literary genre but that's how author Cydney Rax refers to her work. I would call this Chick Lit or Escapism, neither of which is a favorite of mine, but I'm always curious and this was recommended for me based on my preference for Multicultural reads. Between all the gospel church vernacular and urban slang I learned quite a lot of foreign phrases and terms. While that juxtaposition amuses, I am put off by the foul language and unkindness.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. This is the way to start a series. This book is fire!!!! I read it in one sitting. After the passing of their mother, who told them to take care of each other, we are introduced to 4 sisters. Burgundy who is married and a business woman, who takes in younger sister Elyse. Elyse is very withdrawn. Why? Coco has children annd a baby daddy who has issues with one of the children. Could it be because he may not be the father? And if this is the case, who is the father? Dru, the level headed one of the sisters, or is she? And, last but not least, there is Alita, the very outspoken sister. She has a 17 year old son and issues with her her ex husband which has hardened her heart, or has it? Read this book now. You will be doing yourself an injustice by letting this one slip by. Order a pizza for your family and get your favorite beverage and strap up for this awesome ride with these sisters. Thanks to NetGalley, the author, the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest reveiw

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Sister's Secret by author Cydney Rax is about a family of sisters with a lot of drama. Of course, any family with several girls will know all about the conflicts and confusions of sisters. Burgundy, Alita, Coco, Drusilla, and Elyse care deeply about each other but have their own personal ways of expressing their concerns. I loved the scheduled Sister Days they have together and they always have a challenge, to be truthful. If they have a problem with someone they should confront that person with kindness and truthfulness. The girls have been taught to live good lives by their mother, but sometimes they have not made the very best of choices.
I could not help but laugh out loud in places, cringe in others, and feel the hurt feelings in other scenes. As I read the book I was reminded of the hours of watching The Braxtons with my sisters!
I liked the book, but can not give a higher star rating because of the language. I don't normally continue to read a book with a lot of unnecessary explicit language, but because I was interested in the sisters, I wanted to finish the book. I'm not a prude, but hey, some of that was so over the top :)

[Aitza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me by NetGalley for review purposes and I pleasantly enjoyed it. It was a quick read that gave me break from the harsh realities in Dream Hoarders. It was a true pager turner as you follow the lives of these five sisters who vowed to sick together after the death of their mother. From baby daddies to broken-hearts to ex-husbands to parenthood troubles to high powered jobs, you see it all with these sisters live very different yet realistic lives. That said, I want all of these sisters to go to therapy. With all of the drama, secret, and betrayal they deal with someone outside of the family needs to help them. Don’t be discouraged by the heavy stuff, there are definitely light moments that offer laughter. A second book will be coming out later this year, I’m looking forward to learning more about the sisters then.

[Kenya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This group of sisters had me shaking my head and raising my eyebrows through out the story. It was very interesting to see how the four sisters interacted with each other while trying to remain connected after the death of their mother. At first, I thought it would be one big secret that one of the sisters was hiding but it turned into several sisters hiding secrets. I think most of the characters were well developed, but I would love to read more about Dru. She was very mysterious about her relationship and I would like to know why lol . There were lots of emotional moments in the story and I am eager to know if these situations will ever be resolved. I enjoyed this story and I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
*I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review*

Kenya E
Soul Sistahs Book Club

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a LOT of drama here. These sisters- Burgundy, Elise, Coco, Dru, and Alita- all have secrets, many many secrets. Some of those secrets could hurt other sisters but some of them hurt only themselves. I wondered when these would have come out if their mom hadn't died (of course but likely not so quickly.). This is a quick read about women who have committed to each other. You'll probably like one of the sisters more than the others but all of them have positives. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Hyacinth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uhm, this book didn't quite do it for me. I like Cydney Rax as a writer. I've read a couple of her other books. For an experienced writer, I was surprised to see the number of errors that I saw. Some of it was predictable. I was mad throughout the book, lol. I hollered at some of the characters. That was good though because I was into the story. I hated Nate. I think my dislike was the abuse. I hate any type of abuse and the fact that no one saw it. I will read the sequel though. I need to know what happened to Elyse.

[Erica (The Literary Apothecary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

At times the story is light and funny. Other times, it is like an intense expressionist painting depicting the pain and emotional distress of the women and their hidden secrets. In crafting such vivid tale, Rax soars above the genre for which she is best known.
Read more on my blog

[Michelle Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

This was a great book about the bond of sisters whether good or bad and the secrets that go on right in front of your eyes when you choose to be oblivious. I cannot wait for the next installment of the Reeves sisters and what happens to that perv Nate.

[Misty’s Reading Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jaw dropping!!! These five sisters made this novel the ultimate page turner. Relationship woes, baby daddy issues and secrets you wouldn’t believe, made this read exceptional. I can’t wait for the sequel!

[Sonia Lowery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book from beginning to the end! Let’s just say the plot thickens 😜

[Nichole Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read. I have enjoyed several of Cydney Rax's books and this one here is yet another one. I don't know if I can wait until the end of the year to read about these Reeves Sisters. Novermeber 2018 is so far away.

[TR]

So emotional...

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burgundy, Elise, Coco, Dru, and Alita are sisters that promise to look out for one another after their mother's death. This is complicated by the secrets each sister is hiding. As the first book of a new series, I thought the author did an amazing job of drawing me in and making me look forward to the second book. This was also a super quick read and very enjoyable!

[Big Black Chapters · Rating 1 out of 5]

A Sister's Secret is the story of five sisters living in Houston, Tx. They have a standing date to meet up due to a promise they made to their mother on her deathbed. I have read previous books by Cydney Rax and have really enjoyed them. I just could not connect or get into this book. The plot and story were just too garbled and outlandish at times.

As a resident of Houston myself, I just did not vibe with these characters. They did not relate to me or anyone I know from Houston.

The story had the potential to go a lot of places and a lot of plot twists were thrown out that I feel like never got used or tied up in the end. The ending made me so mad I wanted to throw the book. It was not believable in the slightest.

I will chop this book up to a "something to tide her fans over" book for Ms. Rax, because as I've said I have read better from her. #bigblackchapters #stayreading

[Margo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked on this book from the first page. What a great read, real life situations , keeps you reading, 5 sisters and the story of their lives great book

[Ian Wooder]

I can honestly say that I didn't finish A Sister's Secret by Cydney Rax.

I truly am sorry Ms. Rax. I am sure that it is a good read however, as hard as I tried to get into this book I couldn't due to the culture revealed in A Sister's secret. I just couldn't relate to the situations or the cultures discussed.

This book is about a family of 5 African-American Sisters, from what seems a lower middle class, dealing with issues regarding marriages and parenting, at least that was being discussed up to the point where I got in the book.

Being a middle class caucasian, I just found it extremely difficult to relate to it.

To be fair to Ms. Rax, I believe that you should at least pick up this book and give it an honest attempt. Many of you will enjoy it but it just wasn't my cup of tea.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished A Sister’s Secret and all I can say is, Wow! After the death of their mother, the five sisters have all agreed to meet regularly. In their meetings they receive various assignments that are meant to encourage support for one another and to keep it “100” with each other. The sisters all have varied outcomes in their lives that at times cause some major issues, but really shows how the paths they chose ultimately defined their lives. The title implies there is a secret with one sister, but technically, they all have secrets they are dealing with. And it is here that I saw how the family dynamics with the Reeves sisters could be in any family. Ms. Rax brought to the forefront in these five characters a lot of the issues women deal with in many relationship settings and how being oblivious to them is like a fire left unattended. At times the drama was over the top, but it was raw and deep. Now I am ready for that sequel.

[Willie Gatewood · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t believe this is actually a series

This book seem very immature to me , the Arthur never really had an interesting plot like at all the one interesting plot that included elyse was dragged out until 70% of the book then was dragged out even more until like 90% of the book , Alita was completely unrelatable no woman in their right mind would ever admit to being that bitter and jealous her characteristics were over kill !!! I don’t care how realistic you thought you were making this book by having black women , siblings at that say the type of derogatory things they said to each other you never once mentioned in the book that they had broken childhoods so their hate for each other seemed forced , and as a black woman I found it disheartening to be completely honest you definitely could have used something other than saying “dark skin “ like where was your black women empowerment writing this book , I hated it simple as that

[Brandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series and also the first book I have read from this author. At first, I was a little overwhelmed by so many sisters (5) but after making some quick notes, it was pretty easy to keep up with everyone. I did enjoy the fact that the sisters were so relatable and could envision each and everyone of them. I did tend to get confused on some of the writing and found myself reading some pages several times before obtaining some kind of understanding. I will say that the scenes and interactions between the sisters could have been written better (smoother). Alita, in particular, was a hot head and her scenes sometimes seemed unrealistic. Her dialogue would go from her raging mad, ready to fight, then understanding in calm in the next sentence. All in all, I was left hanging and am interested in beginning the second book to get some understanding.

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five sisters with unique challenges made a promise to their mother to remain in contact with each other. The book started off as a slow read but quickly picked up full speed and zoomed toward a climactic, heart pounding first book suspensive cliff hanger. The sisters’ personalities ranged from the appearance of a well educated and financially successful sister to one who was an insecure, unemployed and overbearing divorced parent of an upcoming basketball athlete. One sister was mentioned but basically her character was missing in action. Hopefully all sisters will
be developed in the sequel. Can’t wait for the part two sequel because this family drama is real and filled with love, betrayal, abuse, infidelity, deceit and much more.

[Shanier Souffrant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grabbed this book because I too am in a family of all sisters. I thought it would be nice to read about how other sister pods cope or don’t. I got just that. There was a lot said (especially from Akita) and then not much at all (from Elyse). Her story seemed to be the only plot driving the story for me. There were hints that something wasn’t right with Dru and her man, and I would have loved to get closure with Coco’s drama. I guess I have to wait for book 2.

There were some parts in the beginning that seemed redundant with Burgundy’s dialogue. At first it was a bit annoying but throughout the story I took it as her way of constantly having to convince herself of the lie she was living.
Great job Cydney

[Shi'Asia · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the most infuriating books I've read in awhile complete with the goofiest case of characters. Five sisters who attack each other at every encounter are meant to lead this story. Only the only two get major book time and one doesn't get any at all. The themes that run within: slut shaming,victim blaming, fatphobia, colorism, horrible parenting,like what year are we in?? There also continuity errors, spelling, and they have a bad habit of saying a characters entire government name although they have already been established. Ideeply regret picking this book up. If it wasn't a book club choice I would have quit when the 1st 30%.