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How To Survive Your Sisters
The four MacLeod sisters are no strangers to sisterly rivalry and with one of them about to be married, there are bound to be fireworks. Perfectionist Natalie wants the 'wedding of the year'. Harassed mother, Milly, just wishes her bridesmaid's dress wasn't the size of a tent. Career-obsessed Avril secretly moons over a married man and world traveler, Hazel, the youngest, yearns to be taken seriously. Forced together for the first time in years, and with an unexpected guest stirring up old resentments, squabbles are inevitable. But when tragedy strikes things really fly apart - as some shocking skeletons emerge rattling from the crowded MacLeod closet...
519 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
552 people are currently reading
2996 people want to read
About the author
Ellie Campbell
18 books213 followersEllie Campbell is the author name for two sisters, Lorraine Campbell and Pam Burks, who write together collaborating by phone and email from Surrey, UK and Colorado, USA. They have published six novels, How To Survive Your Sisters, When Good Friends Go Bad, Looking For La La, To Catch a Creeper, Million Dollar Question and Meddling With Murder. They also have published a collection of short stories - Love, Lies and Other Deceptions
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
May 4, 2013
Zabavam ženski roman, čik-lit :)
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October 8, 2019
As someone who never had sisters growing up, I found this book hilarious. Ellie Campbell brings humor to sibling rivalry and the hijinx which ensued make this a pretty good read. There were spots in the plot which dragged a bit but otherwise a great read.
My Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
My Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by: Mrs. N
December 6, 2009
The MacLeod sisters are all incredibly different, and boy don’t they know it. Eldest sister Avril is a successful Hollywood agent, choosing to live life mainly away from her family with the high-flying lead actors and actresses of the film industry. Milly, a mum of 3 is constantly putting on a happy front to her sisters but is desperate to lose weight and get rid of her maternity jogging bottoms for good.
Bride-to-be Natalie is determined to be welcomed into the Potterton-Smythe’s family and that her wedding is going to be absolutely perfect, and baby sister Hazel can’t seem to settle anywhere, instead choosing to backpack around the world although she feels at 30 she should be starting to put down roots.
But the MacLeod’s are about to get a big wake up call, throwing all the sisters closer together than they’ve been in years. But are family squabbles and hidden secrets just going to break the bonds of sisterhood even further?
This is definitely a book that falls into the chick-lit genre but it is a really enjoyable high quality story that really draws the reader in and keeps you engrossed until you turn the final pages! I was a bit concerned that with 4 main characters the story would be too busy and confusing, but the author has been very clever and centred the story around Natalie’s wedding with smaller sub-stories carrying on around this. Being written in the third person, the book makes it easy to follow 4 different people throughout the book and its also easy to identify which of the characters we are following at any said time in the book. Within the first few pages of the book I was hooked, and the twists and turns throughout the whole book kept me up late some nights as I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next to the MacLeod sisters!
You can tell that the book has been written by someone who has experience of being a sister, and this is definitely the case with ‘Ellie Campbell’! In fact, the author is not just one person, it is written by 2 sisters, Pam Burks and Lorraine Campbell, and for a debut novel, this is brilliant. The way the relationships between the sisters is written is so believable that you can tell they have probably drawn on their own experiences with some of the things that happen to the girls in this book! What I really enjoyed is how the dynamics of the relationships changed between all the sisters, for example Milly was very close to Hazel and Avril whereas Natalie was much more stand-offish and seemed to care more about her in-laws-to-be than her blood family. But the immediate change of dynamic around halfway through kept it really interesting, yet it seemed really natural and a good progression for the book.
What I really enjoyed about the book though was definitely the realism throughout. You could definitely believe in all of the scenarios the women found themselves in and although I couldn’t personally relate to them, you can definitely believe in it. Each of the sisters seem to represent an area of society these days, from those women scared to settle down and have children, to those married with a few children yet with a hidden sadness. Possibly the character I liked most was Milly, who is trying to juggle too many balls and you can see one of them is going to drop. She’s a very likeable character, one I warmed to instantly and to be honest I wish she had featured more in the book, as the other 3 sisters were definitely more prominent that her. The others were nice enough but had their dislikeable characteristics too.
This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of the “chick-lit” genre because this is definitely on the upper end of quality without a doubt! It’s a highly enjoyable story with lots of elements that when combined create an atmospheric and realistic book, focussing on sisterly relationships as well as the darker sides to family life as well. Big issues are covered in this book from alcoholism to body image to motherhood and it’ll definitely appeal to anybody. For a debut novel, this is brilliant and I look forward to reading more books by this sisterly duo. Fantastic stuff!
Bride-to-be Natalie is determined to be welcomed into the Potterton-Smythe’s family and that her wedding is going to be absolutely perfect, and baby sister Hazel can’t seem to settle anywhere, instead choosing to backpack around the world although she feels at 30 she should be starting to put down roots.
But the MacLeod’s are about to get a big wake up call, throwing all the sisters closer together than they’ve been in years. But are family squabbles and hidden secrets just going to break the bonds of sisterhood even further?
This is definitely a book that falls into the chick-lit genre but it is a really enjoyable high quality story that really draws the reader in and keeps you engrossed until you turn the final pages! I was a bit concerned that with 4 main characters the story would be too busy and confusing, but the author has been very clever and centred the story around Natalie’s wedding with smaller sub-stories carrying on around this. Being written in the third person, the book makes it easy to follow 4 different people throughout the book and its also easy to identify which of the characters we are following at any said time in the book. Within the first few pages of the book I was hooked, and the twists and turns throughout the whole book kept me up late some nights as I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next to the MacLeod sisters!
You can tell that the book has been written by someone who has experience of being a sister, and this is definitely the case with ‘Ellie Campbell’! In fact, the author is not just one person, it is written by 2 sisters, Pam Burks and Lorraine Campbell, and for a debut novel, this is brilliant. The way the relationships between the sisters is written is so believable that you can tell they have probably drawn on their own experiences with some of the things that happen to the girls in this book! What I really enjoyed is how the dynamics of the relationships changed between all the sisters, for example Milly was very close to Hazel and Avril whereas Natalie was much more stand-offish and seemed to care more about her in-laws-to-be than her blood family. But the immediate change of dynamic around halfway through kept it really interesting, yet it seemed really natural and a good progression for the book.
What I really enjoyed about the book though was definitely the realism throughout. You could definitely believe in all of the scenarios the women found themselves in and although I couldn’t personally relate to them, you can definitely believe in it. Each of the sisters seem to represent an area of society these days, from those women scared to settle down and have children, to those married with a few children yet with a hidden sadness. Possibly the character I liked most was Milly, who is trying to juggle too many balls and you can see one of them is going to drop. She’s a very likeable character, one I warmed to instantly and to be honest I wish she had featured more in the book, as the other 3 sisters were definitely more prominent that her. The others were nice enough but had their dislikeable characteristics too.
This is definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who is a fan of the “chick-lit” genre because this is definitely on the upper end of quality without a doubt! It’s a highly enjoyable story with lots of elements that when combined create an atmospheric and realistic book, focussing on sisterly relationships as well as the darker sides to family life as well. Big issues are covered in this book from alcoholism to body image to motherhood and it’ll definitely appeal to anybody. For a debut novel, this is brilliant and I look forward to reading more books by this sisterly duo. Fantastic stuff!
May 2, 2013
First let me say "refreshing" that is how I will describe this book. I was loving the witty take on weddings. Of course the entire family is supposed to be bowing at Natalie's feet. She wants the perfect wedding and I will compare her to a bridezilla. The fact that another sister Milly just wants to be out of maternity clothing, and Hazel (love the name) want everyone to take her serious. Avril, could be my fave sister!
The premise is Natalie and Jeremy's wedding. It is ideal and the fact that this is the reason why they are thrown together. I sometimes think that if I was to spend a week with my sisters we would be in an odd circumstance. Funny how families are family, but they grow apart. After about six years of being engaged, they set a date! So the sisters unite, not easily or truly wanting to reunite. They all come back to Little Hooking. There is a reveal from a sister who gets there with a guest. Her plus 1 blows everyone out of the water. (I hate holding secrets, but I ain't a plot spoiler)
Milly is the only married one. Her and Ivor (strange name to me) have four kids. They seem to be happy and have a good relationship. While Avril is older and single living in London. So there is a certain event that gets the girls together. There are a few demons, shall I say, that interfere. There are many (I almost think too many) turbulent waves coming to the MacLeod shores.
The conversations between the sisters and Hazel urging her to go to the wedding. Then urging her to get fitted are hilarious. I hope they were meant to be funny, because I laughed!
I totally ate this one up. I know lot's will say it is a great vacation or beach read. There is a lot of humor, which I liked. There is also an equal amount of family squabbles. A great book for anyone with a sister! Heck you don't even have to have a sister to get the humor!
The premise is Natalie and Jeremy's wedding. It is ideal and the fact that this is the reason why they are thrown together. I sometimes think that if I was to spend a week with my sisters we would be in an odd circumstance. Funny how families are family, but they grow apart. After about six years of being engaged, they set a date! So the sisters unite, not easily or truly wanting to reunite. They all come back to Little Hooking. There is a reveal from a sister who gets there with a guest. Her plus 1 blows everyone out of the water. (I hate holding secrets, but I ain't a plot spoiler)
Milly is the only married one. Her and Ivor (strange name to me) have four kids. They seem to be happy and have a good relationship. While Avril is older and single living in London. So there is a certain event that gets the girls together. There are a few demons, shall I say, that interfere. There are many (I almost think too many) turbulent waves coming to the MacLeod shores.
The conversations between the sisters and Hazel urging her to go to the wedding. Then urging her to get fitted are hilarious. I hope they were meant to be funny, because I laughed!
I totally ate this one up. I know lot's will say it is a great vacation or beach read. There is a lot of humor, which I liked. There is also an equal amount of family squabbles. A great book for anyone with a sister! Heck you don't even have to have a sister to get the humor!
April 29, 2011
I didn't expect from it at first, because it's written in Britain English which I'm not really familiar with. I did read few pages one time, then gave it up because it was hard to understand. After few months, I decided to give it another shoot, and this time I made it to the end. It was amazingly good,I like every page of description about characters' characteristics, stories of The MacLeod, stories of the four sisters, their childhood and everything.It's entertaining,and deep at the same time and in some extent. Highly recommend for those who have time and want a book with good content and a happy ending.
March 8, 2013
Funny witty made me laugh out loud. This is a wacky family who love each other but have the trials and tribulations of a family. Romance, enmity, family rivalry and a great bitch of a sister. It is all there. For sisters around the world and a good laugh read this one.
Look out for the new book " Looking for LaLa which has been launched by Amazon an is on special offer. It is a fast paced murder mystery which I loved.Great character descriptions which you can identify with.
Look out for the new book " Looking for LaLa which has been launched by Amazon an is on special offer. It is a fast paced murder mystery which I loved.Great character descriptions which you can identify with.
January 31, 2015
How to Survive Your Sisters is special to us because the mother in it, Peggy, was based on our own wonderfully wacky eccentric mother – Pam and I wanting to preserve the memories of her originality and humour. Both being writers and coming from a family of four sisters, we also wanted to include the ups and downs of sibling rivalry.
Hope you enjoy!
Hope you enjoy!
July 27, 2018
I got 18% into this before I packed it in. Usually, if I've gone past 10% before giving up I'll at least give 2* but since I'm giving up because it's full of mistakes and there are 2 authors, I figured between them that one would have a grip on spelling and punctuation but clearly not. It became too much of a chore for me.
At the beginning I had no idea where we were so when it was full of American spellings I assumed it was set there but then realised (take note) that it's a UK based story. I fell in once Lec Refrigeration was mentioned as I used to live in Bognor so that was a good marker.
It was mentioned that Hazel was coming home to visit her nieces and nephews but she only had one niece that I'd seen mentioned and this sentence needed a comma-"Natalie nodded not thinking to defend Milly's......."
The worst errors for me were basic schoolgirl stuff....using bought and not brought, misplaced apostrophes in parent's and farmer's, prized and not prised (yet spells it properly further in) one minute they write pokey then alter it to poky, Old Peculiar isn't spelt like this and I got to "lightening streaking the sky" and sighed, very loudly and packed it in !!
Natalie was forever opening her big trap and saying something mean....Hazel seemed the nicest of the four along with Milly, I thought. I will dart to the end before deleting it off my Kindle to see if I guessed correctly about one secret among them.....yes, I was right. It's a very chick-litty sort of story but it's not bad. Nothing very strange or startling but the mistakes wore me down and put me right off it altogether.
At the beginning I had no idea where we were so when it was full of American spellings I assumed it was set there but then realised (take note) that it's a UK based story. I fell in once Lec Refrigeration was mentioned as I used to live in Bognor so that was a good marker.
It was mentioned that Hazel was coming home to visit her nieces and nephews but she only had one niece that I'd seen mentioned and this sentence needed a comma-"Natalie nodded not thinking to defend Milly's......."
The worst errors for me were basic schoolgirl stuff....using bought and not brought, misplaced apostrophes in parent's and farmer's, prized and not prised (yet spells it properly further in) one minute they write pokey then alter it to poky, Old Peculiar isn't spelt like this and I got to "lightening streaking the sky" and sighed, very loudly and packed it in !!
Natalie was forever opening her big trap and saying something mean....Hazel seemed the nicest of the four along with Milly, I thought. I will dart to the end before deleting it off my Kindle to see if I guessed correctly about one secret among them.....yes, I was right. It's a very chick-litty sort of story but it's not bad. Nothing very strange or startling but the mistakes wore me down and put me right off it altogether.
June 30, 2014
How is it that sisters can bring you apart and put you back together? They are the pieces of the best and the worst, the history and the future of you; the ones who know your next move, your thoughts, and your deep secrets (sometimes); and they drive you MAD!
The MacLeod sisters are no different. Their parents Peggy - who will talk to anyone and overshare and Callum - despite his drinking problem has a good heart and painful past, has certainly brought together a combination within their girls.
Avril is the eldest, the one with the posh job who has little time for much other than her career and Richard, her unhappily married lover. She holds herself at a distance emotionally and also holds the past as a deep wound never to be spoken about so in that silence she finds solace in drinking and running away.
Milly is the mother, the one who lives close to home, who has the husband, Ivor (the Invisible - since he works so much), has the children, and has the unfortunate home and body of neglect. In Milly's search for perfection, in her comparison to her sisters, she finds herself lacking, begin to take diet pills and neglect her children (especially her teen daughter).
Natalie is the perfectionist, the reason all the sisters have come together is for her perfect wedding to her perfect man, Jeremy, who belongs to the perfect family. But Natalie herself harbors a secret and something inside her has conformed to a life of perfection as deemed by the man she is going to marry rather than being her self. As the date gets closer, the more ashamed she becomes of her family and their behavior, when an emergency occurs it is her actions and those of Jeremy's and his family's that shame her more. Will she answer her heart or keep on the road to the perfection?
Hazel the free spirit that traverses around the world only to show up at a fitting at the last minute with the girls old neighbor and boy next door Matt. Only Hazel could send these kind of ripples, Milly once dated Matt, Natalie appears to hate Matt, but Peggy and Callum see only the son they "adopted". Hazel gives a fig about what others think or want, or at least that's what she wants you to think. When Hazel finds out a deeply hidden family secret, she runs away - but she has to realize that no matter how far she goes, there is no running from who you are and from where you come from.
I laughed and cried, I yelled and got frustrated, found myself shaking my head and clicking my tongue -- anyone with sisters - or even cousins as close as sisters, knows these girls. I really enjoyed my time with the MacLeods it is no surprise that this book is written by two sisters. Great book for the Summer, for the Beach, and to enjoy with your own family (be careful discussing it).
*****This is A First Reads, Thank You Goodreads*****
The MacLeod sisters are no different. Their parents Peggy - who will talk to anyone and overshare and Callum - despite his drinking problem has a good heart and painful past, has certainly brought together a combination within their girls.
Avril is the eldest, the one with the posh job who has little time for much other than her career and Richard, her unhappily married lover. She holds herself at a distance emotionally and also holds the past as a deep wound never to be spoken about so in that silence she finds solace in drinking and running away.
Milly is the mother, the one who lives close to home, who has the husband, Ivor (the Invisible - since he works so much), has the children, and has the unfortunate home and body of neglect. In Milly's search for perfection, in her comparison to her sisters, she finds herself lacking, begin to take diet pills and neglect her children (especially her teen daughter).
Natalie is the perfectionist, the reason all the sisters have come together is for her perfect wedding to her perfect man, Jeremy, who belongs to the perfect family. But Natalie herself harbors a secret and something inside her has conformed to a life of perfection as deemed by the man she is going to marry rather than being her self. As the date gets closer, the more ashamed she becomes of her family and their behavior, when an emergency occurs it is her actions and those of Jeremy's and his family's that shame her more. Will she answer her heart or keep on the road to the perfection?
Hazel the free spirit that traverses around the world only to show up at a fitting at the last minute with the girls old neighbor and boy next door Matt. Only Hazel could send these kind of ripples, Milly once dated Matt, Natalie appears to hate Matt, but Peggy and Callum see only the son they "adopted". Hazel gives a fig about what others think or want, or at least that's what she wants you to think. When Hazel finds out a deeply hidden family secret, she runs away - but she has to realize that no matter how far she goes, there is no running from who you are and from where you come from.
I laughed and cried, I yelled and got frustrated, found myself shaking my head and clicking my tongue -- anyone with sisters - or even cousins as close as sisters, knows these girls. I really enjoyed my time with the MacLeods it is no surprise that this book is written by two sisters. Great book for the Summer, for the Beach, and to enjoy with your own family (be careful discussing it).
*****This is A First Reads, Thank You Goodreads*****
October 15, 2013
By: Ellie Campbell
Published By: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Book Blog For: NOR
Review:
"How To Survive Your Sisters" by Ellie Campbell was of four sisters and one was getting marriage and wanting the 'perfect wedding' in this chick-lit read.
I will say that the characters seemed to be in a world of their own being well portrayed and so colorful with each sister having their own story. This author did a good job at blending the various stories together with its suspense and even the realism of what all was going on in this story. Indeed these sisters did interact just like sisters. We find the MacLeod's sister...the oldest sister Avril was a 'Hollywood a Agent,' Milly was married and a mother of three, Natalie was the 'Bride to be' and last there was the baby sister Hazel. Some of the sisters were likable more than others. I will let you decide which ones you will like. Now, that they would be coming together due to the wedding...having to be closer than they had been in years. Will there be family squabbles and hidden secrets that could probably 'break the bonds of this sisterhood' even further than it already is for these sisters? This author did a wonderful job at keeping the story around the sisters and the wedding. To get the answers to this and more you will have to pick up this wonderful story with many twist and turns that this author has given to the reader to see how this will come out. "How To Survive Your Sisters" is written in third person making it easy to follow and will keep you so engrossed and turning the pages until the end. I also liked how this novel seemed very real throughout the read that could be real. Oh, I almost forgot be ready for some humor that will have you laughing out loud. If you are in for a good read about a family who loves each other however, do will have many 'trials and tribulations'... you have come to the right read for "How To Survive Your Sisters" would be recommended to you.
Published By: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Book Blog For: NOR
Review:
"How To Survive Your Sisters" by Ellie Campbell was of four sisters and one was getting marriage and wanting the 'perfect wedding' in this chick-lit read.
I will say that the characters seemed to be in a world of their own being well portrayed and so colorful with each sister having their own story. This author did a good job at blending the various stories together with its suspense and even the realism of what all was going on in this story. Indeed these sisters did interact just like sisters. We find the MacLeod's sister...the oldest sister Avril was a 'Hollywood a Agent,' Milly was married and a mother of three, Natalie was the 'Bride to be' and last there was the baby sister Hazel. Some of the sisters were likable more than others. I will let you decide which ones you will like. Now, that they would be coming together due to the wedding...having to be closer than they had been in years. Will there be family squabbles and hidden secrets that could probably 'break the bonds of this sisterhood' even further than it already is for these sisters? This author did a wonderful job at keeping the story around the sisters and the wedding. To get the answers to this and more you will have to pick up this wonderful story with many twist and turns that this author has given to the reader to see how this will come out. "How To Survive Your Sisters" is written in third person making it easy to follow and will keep you so engrossed and turning the pages until the end. I also liked how this novel seemed very real throughout the read that could be real. Oh, I almost forgot be ready for some humor that will have you laughing out loud. If you are in for a good read about a family who loves each other however, do will have many 'trials and tribulations'... you have come to the right read for "How To Survive Your Sisters" would be recommended to you.
September 6, 2014
Well, I’m not the most appropriate person to review this book probably, simply because I don’t have any siblings. I grew up as an only child with plenty of cousins and friends, but it is not the same. But that didn’t stop me from being a part of Macleod family and enjoying this everything-but-boring book.
The story is centered around the Macleod family and their four daughters: Natalie, Millie, Avril and Hazel. Natalie is getting married and her wedding is certainly an exciting event for the whole family. She is totally obsessed with her perfect wedding and would do anything just to please her future in-laws. Millie is a mother of two whose life stopped when she decided to be stay-at-home-mum (according to her sisters) and she hides behind her weight. All she wants is not to look like a fat cow in the bridesmaid’s dress. Avril loves her career and is obsessed with it, while little Hazel travels all over the world to help poor people.
What happens when four women that cannot stand each other have to spend couple of days under the same roof? That’s too much estrogen! Let the wars begin!
Well, at first I thought that this would be just a family reunion, but the story evolved in much more than that. What a pleasant surprise! As the story continues, the Macleod sisters share good and bad moments, reveal family secrets and finally reveal their true characters. They share love and joy, share sadness and pain, enjoy fun and laugh together. They might be jealous of each other, but a sister is always there when you need her. They all made me fell like a part of their family. I totally enjoyed being under the same roof with them. So, if you want to spend your time with this everything-but-boring family, then this is a book for you.
The review is originally posted at This Chick Reads Book Blog .
The story is centered around the Macleod family and their four daughters: Natalie, Millie, Avril and Hazel. Natalie is getting married and her wedding is certainly an exciting event for the whole family. She is totally obsessed with her perfect wedding and would do anything just to please her future in-laws. Millie is a mother of two whose life stopped when she decided to be stay-at-home-mum (according to her sisters) and she hides behind her weight. All she wants is not to look like a fat cow in the bridesmaid’s dress. Avril loves her career and is obsessed with it, while little Hazel travels all over the world to help poor people.
What happens when four women that cannot stand each other have to spend couple of days under the same roof? That’s too much estrogen! Let the wars begin!
Well, at first I thought that this would be just a family reunion, but the story evolved in much more than that. What a pleasant surprise! As the story continues, the Macleod sisters share good and bad moments, reveal family secrets and finally reveal their true characters. They share love and joy, share sadness and pain, enjoy fun and laugh together. They might be jealous of each other, but a sister is always there when you need her. They all made me fell like a part of their family. I totally enjoyed being under the same roof with them. So, if you want to spend your time with this everything-but-boring family, then this is a book for you.
The review is originally posted at This Chick Reads Book Blog .
January 25, 2014
How to survive three sisters and how your parents survive four of you?
Natalie is one of four sisters; she is good looking, blonde and fashionable woman. She likes to be the center of attention of all of the family, but everything she does is to let them know that she is smart and valuable. Always when Natalie wants to prove herself makes a lot of mistakes and annoys the other family members.
Milly is great person, mother of four children and she is the saint in family. Milly cares for all, for her husband, who spend most of his time out of home, for her three naughty sons and one teenage daughter, for her sisters and parents, but she doesn’t care for herself. All she wants is to waist a little bit of her weight and not to wear the same maternity trousers.
Avril is the oldest daughter in the family. She is a workaholic; she drowns herself in work order to avoid spare time. She is unfeeling and heedless of other people's pain. Avoiding relationships she just wants to protect herself of pain, but really she wants to find one unmarried man and settled down.
Avril is youngest sister with adventurous spirit. Figuratively she seems to me as lemur-jumping from tree to tree; she roams from country to another with backpack on her back. She wants the others of her family to takes her seriously, but I don’t know how?
A sudden event will put them all together back under the same roof. They will surprise of family secrets that will slowly discover want it or not.
It’s very interesting book that keep me reading till the last page. I was enjoy in every page that I’ve read and laugh lot, I let some tear but immediately returned to the laughter reading something very funny.
Natalie is one of four sisters; she is good looking, blonde and fashionable woman. She likes to be the center of attention of all of the family, but everything she does is to let them know that she is smart and valuable. Always when Natalie wants to prove herself makes a lot of mistakes and annoys the other family members.
Milly is great person, mother of four children and she is the saint in family. Milly cares for all, for her husband, who spend most of his time out of home, for her three naughty sons and one teenage daughter, for her sisters and parents, but she doesn’t care for herself. All she wants is to waist a little bit of her weight and not to wear the same maternity trousers.
Avril is the oldest daughter in the family. She is a workaholic; she drowns herself in work order to avoid spare time. She is unfeeling and heedless of other people's pain. Avoiding relationships she just wants to protect herself of pain, but really she wants to find one unmarried man and settled down.
Avril is youngest sister with adventurous spirit. Figuratively she seems to me as lemur-jumping from tree to tree; she roams from country to another with backpack on her back. She wants the others of her family to takes her seriously, but I don’t know how?
A sudden event will put them all together back under the same roof. They will surprise of family secrets that will slowly discover want it or not.
It’s very interesting book that keep me reading till the last page. I was enjoy in every page that I’ve read and laugh lot, I let some tear but immediately returned to the laughter reading something very funny.
February 15, 2015
How To Survive Your Sisters by Ellie Campbell
The MacLeod sisters gather together after many years for a wedding. Natalie is a perfectionist, she wants the "wedding of the year". Housewife and Mother Milly, wants to lose some weight and look good in her bridesmaid's dress. Career woman Avril, is secretly involved with a married man. And Hazel, the youngest just wants to to be taken seriously.
A tragedy hits the family and things begin to come unglued. Everyone has a secret, shocking as they may be. Will sibling rivalry and deep hidden (family) secrets bring them closer, or pull them apart?
A well written story of sisters, family, sibling rivalry, secrets and unconditional love. Each sister has their strong points and their inner demons that threaten their future happiness. The sibling rivalry, jealously, loyalty and love made it "real"
The story is believable, original, detailed, with many plot twists, turns and secrets. I could not put it down. There were many "didn't-see-that-coming" moments which kept me at the edge of my seat, wanting to know more.
I highly recommend How To Survive Your Sisters to those who love a great dramatic(sisters/family) memorable story.
The MacLeod sisters gather together after many years for a wedding. Natalie is a perfectionist, she wants the "wedding of the year". Housewife and Mother Milly, wants to lose some weight and look good in her bridesmaid's dress. Career woman Avril, is secretly involved with a married man. And Hazel, the youngest just wants to to be taken seriously.
A tragedy hits the family and things begin to come unglued. Everyone has a secret, shocking as they may be. Will sibling rivalry and deep hidden (family) secrets bring them closer, or pull them apart?
A well written story of sisters, family, sibling rivalry, secrets and unconditional love. Each sister has their strong points and their inner demons that threaten their future happiness. The sibling rivalry, jealously, loyalty and love made it "real"
The story is believable, original, detailed, with many plot twists, turns and secrets. I could not put it down. There were many "didn't-see-that-coming" moments which kept me at the edge of my seat, wanting to know more.
I highly recommend How To Survive Your Sisters to those who love a great dramatic(sisters/family) memorable story.
June 26, 2014
4.5 stars
I have two older sisters and know that much of my personality is probably a result of being the youngest of three girls. When I saw this book was about 4 sisters, I had to read it and I was not disappointed. (side note: I think the cover suggests that this book is mainly about Natalie and I would have preferred a cover more "sisterly.")
I will admit that it took me a little while to get into the story. For the first quarter, I couldn't keep the sisters straight. Once I got a solid understanding of Avril, Millie, Natalie, and Hazel's personalities, I couldn't put the book down. None of them were anything like me and my sisters but they were all very distinctive, very interesting, and very amusing! I particularly appreciated the unpredictability of the romance because it took me a long time to finally be certain who Matt (who was adorable and sexy) was going to end up with! Kudos to the author for keeping me guessing. Besides the fact that it took me a little while to get into, the only other comment I have is that I didn't understand how Peg (the mother) was so blind to how incompatible Natalie and Jeremy were, and kept supporting their marriage no matter what else was going on.
Great book and I will definitely read more from this author.
I have two older sisters and know that much of my personality is probably a result of being the youngest of three girls. When I saw this book was about 4 sisters, I had to read it and I was not disappointed. (side note: I think the cover suggests that this book is mainly about Natalie and I would have preferred a cover more "sisterly.")
I will admit that it took me a little while to get into the story. For the first quarter, I couldn't keep the sisters straight. Once I got a solid understanding of Avril, Millie, Natalie, and Hazel's personalities, I couldn't put the book down. None of them were anything like me and my sisters but they were all very distinctive, very interesting, and very amusing! I particularly appreciated the unpredictability of the romance because it took me a long time to finally be certain who Matt (who was adorable and sexy) was going to end up with! Kudos to the author for keeping me guessing. Besides the fact that it took me a little while to get into, the only other comment I have is that I didn't understand how Peg (the mother) was so blind to how incompatible Natalie and Jeremy were, and kept supporting their marriage no matter what else was going on.
Great book and I will definitely read more from this author.
January 28, 2016
I recieved "How To Survive Your Sisters" through First Reads. It is the story of four sisters with contrasting personalities, differing views about childhood memories, old wounds, and dark secrets that come together for the first time in years to celebrate one's wedding. Tragedy strikes and they fight harder before coming together. The MacLeod sisters reminded me of Marian Keyes' Walsh family, but because the novel was about all four sisters rather than focusing on one, it took me awhile to even like any of the characters let alone root for them. By the end, however, I was rooting for them and was happy with the ending. The biggest weakness was the ending for Natalie. Her final scene could have been more drawn out so that we got a feel for the relationship.
January 6, 2014
The MacLeod sisters are four very different individuals who share quite a history. Avril, the oldest, is a dedicated career woman with little time or patience to fall in love and have a relationship. Milly is the overwrought mother of four who is approaching a midlife breakdown. Natalie is the Stepford wife wanna-be who has become an almost intolerable Bridezilla in her attempt to win over her future in-laws. Hazel, the baby of the family, is a vagabond, free-spirited woman-child who gets along with everyone but Natalie. When she comes home for Natalie’s wedding with Matt, an old family friend, the sister’s lives veer drastically off-course.
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May 15, 2014
The opening scene introduces 4 sisters and their conflicts in stark relief. Natalie pities her sister Milly who’s just had her 4th child, Avery condemns Natalie for announcing her wedding plans and stealing the spotlight, and Hazel, who’s not even there, upsets everyone by spreading rumors that the baby was a mistake. As Natalie’s wedding plans progress, all the tensions in this highly dysfunctional family come to light. One boyfriend describes them about halfway through the book, “the entire bloody-minded lot of them, high-strung or not.” But when lives start falling apart, the sisters rush to the others’ aid, even learning to let go of some of their defenses. Ultimately, a realistic and satisfying look at families that makes this much more than a romance.
December 1, 2019
My favourite part in the book was where Jonno talks about tilting the mirror… About imagined life and reality and the importance of thinking not only “why did this happen to me” but also about what happened for your mother, for your sister, for your grandfather... what led to things being as they are now... tilting the mirror to see other perspectives.
Other than that, the book was classic holiday chick-lit :)
Other than that, the book was classic holiday chick-lit :)
August 3, 2013
Part of what makes a book great is the characters, and How TO Survive Your Sister has so many. They are flawed and funny. There was an amazing voice that each sister had and it was interesting following all of them. In addition, it had a great storyline, that flowed well and their was true sense of authenticity in the writing!! 4 stars!
April 1, 2014
A book set in Scotland kind of fun. 4 very different sisters, at first I was mad at all of them and how they acted and treated each other but I had to keep reading because I knew there was more to the story. It was a good read being one of 3 sisters we aren't quite that mean but things are said in the heat of the moment sometimes.
August 11, 2014
Hilarious, true to life. Sisters know everything, from the first kiss to the time you snuck out to go to a concert, and all the in betweens. They have pictures of your ridiculous us perm from 6th grade and aren't afraid to use it. This book captures that spirit in a functionally dysfunctional family and a thoroughly enjoyable read.
September 3, 2013
I won this book thru a Good Reads give-a-way. I loved the characters and found the book to be good read that I finished within a couple of days. The characters are well developed and full of personality and humor. A fun book for summer.
April 11, 2014
This was an enjoyable portrayal of some intense family dynamics. Take four very different sisters, a wedding, sibling rivalry, insecurities, family secrets and lies throw it all together and you have a story that was amusing and believable.
March 30, 2014
Family drama and a half with heart
Family drama and a half with heart
This is an excellent novel about a dysfunctional family in Great Britain. All of the humor, uproar and pathos anyone could wish with lots of romance and dashes of substance abuse.
Family drama and a half with heart
This is an excellent novel about a dysfunctional family in Great Britain. All of the humor, uproar and pathos anyone could wish with lots of romance and dashes of substance abuse.
July 21, 2014
I happened to get this book for free via Amazon, and it was a good read. This book was not at all what I expected. It seemingly was about sisters who constantly bickered and were night and day different, but this family actually had a lot of secrets in the closet. This book will not disappoint.
June 17, 2015
Si fa leggere, ma non è questo granchè. I personaggi sono troppo stereotipati e le vicende inverosimili, compreso il finale.
August 9, 2011
Easy, enjoyable chick-lit read.
February 28, 2013
This is a really fun read. Sibling rivalry, romance, travel, familial love, and much, much more!!
April 15, 2014
This was definitely a cute read about how no matter the differences and arguments your sisters are always right there.
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