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Blackberry Island #3
Meeresrauschen und Inselträume
Schon immer war Nina für andere der Fels in der Brandung. Deshalb ist die alleinstehende Arzthelferin auf Blackberry Island gestrandet und arbeitet, wo andere ausspannen - während Mutter und Schwester ihre Träume leben. Nina hat ihrer Familie zuliebe ihre große Liebe und das geplante Medizinstudium aufgegeben. Soll das wirklich alles gewesen sein? Jetzt will Nina endlich Kurs aufs eigene Glück nehmen. Aber sie muss lernen, dass man zuerst loslassen muss, um dem Herzen zu folgen …
404 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2014
2389 people are currently reading
5589 people want to read
About the author
Susan Mallery
862 books15.4k followers#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.
Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 625 reviews
March 3, 2014
I just don't know. Something was missing from this book. I can normally relate to or connect with the characters in Susan's books but not this one. This book started off interesting but quickly lost all interest in it. If this was a show on tv or a movie I would of turned it off. But since I bought it, I finished it. Something was lacking, just not what I have come to expect from a Susan Mallery book. Nothing seemed to really get fix, or come to a conclusion. Everyone in the book just said oh Hey this is my problem, problem solved. Nothing was really worked threw or talked about like you would expect from a book. I would of thought this was an abridge version.
April 2, 2014
As the inaugural poster on the WHY ROMANCE MATTERS web site last year, Susan Mallery stated: "I am a feminist. I read and write romance. Those two statements do not contradict one another." The ending of Mallery's latest, Evening Stars, provides strong evidence that Mallery's claims are not contradictory. But much of what comes before had me wondering.
Nina has spent much of her teen and adult life taking care of her family. Her needy, attention-seeking, flighty mother has always refused to take adult responsibility for either her children or her business (an antique store), and Nina, who had once had aspirations of becoming a doctor, has had to act as the grownup of the family for as long as she can remember. Now a thirty-year-old nurse in a pediatrician's office, Nina only begins to wonder how she's "lost her way" after both her high school sweetheart and the younger boy who once had a major crush on her return to Blackberry Island.
Nina is filled with doubts, particularly about her appearance, and thinks (although rarely openly talk about) how jealous she is of other women's looks, especially those of her younger pampered sister, Averil. When no men were in the picture, Nina didn't much care about her appearance. But now that she has not one but possibly two men interested in her, her feelings are far different: "How just like a man to make her worry about her appearance," she thinks, as if it is the man, rather than her own thoughts about how to make herself attractive to a guy, that are causing her to worry. When she's about to have sex after a long drought, she thinks "Her thighs were flabby, her tummy too fat and her breasts hadn't been perky in at least three years....she wanted to have sex with Kyle.... If only she could use a better body to get there." In an intriguing passage, Nina notes with nostalgia that "I never get asked for ID anymore." Kyle responds: "I don't get the age thing. You are what you are. Who cares about the number?" Nina says "So speaks a man who has never read a fashion magazine." Does the narrative want us to realize that the body norms that so plague Nina have been constructed by the fashion industry, to make women feel insecure so they'll purchase more products? Or are we supposed to agree with Nina, and buy into the norms, and the insecurities and self-denigration to which they inevitably lead? I'd like to believe it's the former, but with Nina's younger sister Averil working for a girls' magazine, I have to wonder...
Both Nina and the narrative itself often casts other women as competition for male attention (for example, when former 12-year-old crush but now-hunky fighter pilot Kyle takes Nina out to dinner and whispers in her ear, "The hostess shot her a death stare"), not the most feminist of moves. Interestingly, though, most of the character arc revolves not around Nina's relationships with men, but her dysfunctional relationships with women: with her childish mother, and with her younger sister, who has never learned to be an adult because Nina has always taken on that role.
And Nina often mouths stereotypes about women and men: "I'm a girl," she says, reaching for the can of diet soda instead of the regular; "you're such a guy," she comments when Kyle brags "bigger is better" (in reference to landing his plane on aircraft carriers), and again when he lowers the roof of his convertible despite it being only 60 degrees out. I'm not one to argue that there are no differences between men and women, but the ones Nina remarks upon seem far more socially than biologically constructed...
On the feminism plus side, Nina does recognize "No, a man wasn't the way out. She had to find her own happiness." Nina wonders what would have happened if she'd been available when her first love returned to the island after college, but then chides herself: "Of course a case could be made she was handing over too much power to Dylan. She could have made her own life-changing decisions if she'd wanted." Yes, and this is the ultimate message of the text: women have the ability to choose.
Nina's feckless mother is a lesbian, which could have been ugly, if her fecklessness was presented as a result of her sexual orientation. But it's not. Nina's mom isn't the most likable character, but it's not because she's a lesbian. Her partner, Bertie, is presented in largely positive ways. A clear step forward, to have a lesbian couple in a mainstream romance, and to depict them in nuanced, rather than essentialized, ways.
And Nina does get to engage in fun, no-strings-tied sex without being punished or slut-shamed (although she does end up feeling guilty when her partner ends up developing feelings for her that she cannot reciprocate).
And, as noted above, the book's ending clearly endorses the idea that women need much more than a good man in order to find fulfillment.
So—definite mixed feelings, here. A character, and a narrative, that wants to be feminist, but that perhaps doesn't realize all the anti-feminist ideas which it takes for granted.
ARC Courtesy of NetGalley
Nina has spent much of her teen and adult life taking care of her family. Her needy, attention-seeking, flighty mother has always refused to take adult responsibility for either her children or her business (an antique store), and Nina, who had once had aspirations of becoming a doctor, has had to act as the grownup of the family for as long as she can remember. Now a thirty-year-old nurse in a pediatrician's office, Nina only begins to wonder how she's "lost her way" after both her high school sweetheart and the younger boy who once had a major crush on her return to Blackberry Island.
Nina is filled with doubts, particularly about her appearance, and thinks (although rarely openly talk about) how jealous she is of other women's looks, especially those of her younger pampered sister, Averil. When no men were in the picture, Nina didn't much care about her appearance. But now that she has not one but possibly two men interested in her, her feelings are far different: "How just like a man to make her worry about her appearance," she thinks, as if it is the man, rather than her own thoughts about how to make herself attractive to a guy, that are causing her to worry. When she's about to have sex after a long drought, she thinks "Her thighs were flabby, her tummy too fat and her breasts hadn't been perky in at least three years....she wanted to have sex with Kyle.... If only she could use a better body to get there." In an intriguing passage, Nina notes with nostalgia that "I never get asked for ID anymore." Kyle responds: "I don't get the age thing. You are what you are. Who cares about the number?" Nina says "So speaks a man who has never read a fashion magazine." Does the narrative want us to realize that the body norms that so plague Nina have been constructed by the fashion industry, to make women feel insecure so they'll purchase more products? Or are we supposed to agree with Nina, and buy into the norms, and the insecurities and self-denigration to which they inevitably lead? I'd like to believe it's the former, but with Nina's younger sister Averil working for a girls' magazine, I have to wonder...
Both Nina and the narrative itself often casts other women as competition for male attention (for example, when former 12-year-old crush but now-hunky fighter pilot Kyle takes Nina out to dinner and whispers in her ear, "The hostess shot her a death stare"), not the most feminist of moves. Interestingly, though, most of the character arc revolves not around Nina's relationships with men, but her dysfunctional relationships with women: with her childish mother, and with her younger sister, who has never learned to be an adult because Nina has always taken on that role.
And Nina often mouths stereotypes about women and men: "I'm a girl," she says, reaching for the can of diet soda instead of the regular; "you're such a guy," she comments when Kyle brags "bigger is better" (in reference to landing his plane on aircraft carriers), and again when he lowers the roof of his convertible despite it being only 60 degrees out. I'm not one to argue that there are no differences between men and women, but the ones Nina remarks upon seem far more socially than biologically constructed...
On the feminism plus side, Nina does recognize "No, a man wasn't the way out. She had to find her own happiness." Nina wonders what would have happened if she'd been available when her first love returned to the island after college, but then chides herself: "Of course a case could be made she was handing over too much power to Dylan. She could have made her own life-changing decisions if she'd wanted." Yes, and this is the ultimate message of the text: women have the ability to choose.
Nina's feckless mother is a lesbian, which could have been ugly, if her fecklessness was presented as a result of her sexual orientation. But it's not. Nina's mom isn't the most likable character, but it's not because she's a lesbian. Her partner, Bertie, is presented in largely positive ways. A clear step forward, to have a lesbian couple in a mainstream romance, and to depict them in nuanced, rather than essentialized, ways.
And Nina does get to engage in fun, no-strings-tied sex without being punished or slut-shamed (although she does end up feeling guilty when her partner ends up developing feelings for her that she cannot reciprocate).
And, as noted above, the book's ending clearly endorses the idea that women need much more than a good man in order to find fulfillment.
So—definite mixed feelings, here. A character, and a narrative, that wants to be feminist, but that perhaps doesn't realize all the anti-feminist ideas which it takes for granted.
ARC Courtesy of NetGalley
January 7, 2014
Review featured on www.books-n-kisses.com
There is just one word for the story. Poignant. Yes there is a romance (or two) in this story but that is not what it is about. This is about family and the dynamics of a family with a mom who will not grow up, a daughter who grew up too fast and another daughter who doesn’t know her role in her life.
I had a bit of a hard time connecting with Nina at first. She seemed so put upon but once I realized why she was like that I could understand her life. She was thrown into a life that she never wanted to have. Then Averil seemed so spoiled but again once you get to know the character and her history it all makes sense. These women needed to realize what they needed from life and this story is their coming of age even though they are already adults.
This is not a Fool’s Gold story filled with love and happy endings. But it is a great story that makes you sad, happy, smile and heartbroken. The characters weave their way into your system and you want to see them bloom.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
There is just one word for the story. Poignant. Yes there is a romance (or two) in this story but that is not what it is about. This is about family and the dynamics of a family with a mom who will not grow up, a daughter who grew up too fast and another daughter who doesn’t know her role in her life.
I had a bit of a hard time connecting with Nina at first. She seemed so put upon but once I realized why she was like that I could understand her life. She was thrown into a life that she never wanted to have. Then Averil seemed so spoiled but again once you get to know the character and her history it all makes sense. These women needed to realize what they needed from life and this story is their coming of age even though they are already adults.
This is not a Fool’s Gold story filled with love and happy endings. But it is a great story that makes you sad, happy, smile and heartbroken. The characters weave their way into your system and you want to see them bloom.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
June 27, 2014
I'm so surprised by how much I didn't enjoy this book. I love Susan Mallery's books and I've really enjoyed the other books in this Blackberry Island series. But this one had nothing I liked. I though the main character was flaky, the extra family story was just boring and the heroes didn't interest me at all.
I would still suggest checking out the other books in this series but don't be surprised if this one doesn't interest you!
I would still suggest checking out the other books in this series but don't be surprised if this one doesn't interest you!
April 20, 2017
DNF. I am so sad. I love Susan's books, but this one just didn't hold my attention....
July 1, 2015
Good story revolving around two women and the changes that come to their lives. Nina is almost thirty years old and has lived on Blackberry Island most of her life. She has spent most of her time, since she was twelve, taking care of her flaky mother and younger sister. Averil is now married and Nina's mom also has someone special in her life, but Nina is still stuck where she is. She isn't happy, but she isn't miserable either. Then some things happen that really shake up her life.
Nina's high school boyfriend comes back to the island to help with his dad's medical practice. It's been ten years since their breakup and she's pretty sure the old feelings are dead. She opens her door one day to find Kyle, the older brother (but still younger than her) of a girl she used to babysit. He had a crush on her then, and is now interested in pursuing a more adult relationship with her. Averil shows up, needing a break from her life, and the chance to actually try writing the book she keeps talking about. And mom is there, avoiding anything she doesn't want to deal with, leaving it all up to Nina to take care of.
The relationships between Nina, Averil and their mother were very complicated. Bonnie (mother) had Nina when she was just a teenager, and Averil a few years later. Bonnie never really took to mothering, leaving the responsibility to her mother, who died when Nina was twelve. Nina took control of making sure things got done, and ended up being more mother than sister to Averil. Nina had her own dreams of going to medical school, but couldn't leave her family, so she gave them up and became a nurse instead. Continuing to take care of everyone, she put Averil through school. When Averil comes home for an extended visit, there's strain between them. Averil whines and complains that Nina is bossy, but Averil doesn't take responsibility for any of her actions. Nina snipes at Averil about how she has left such a perfect life, and what is wrong with her, etc. Bonnie flits through the days, creating problems that Nina then has to fix, but getting mad at Nina for doing it.
The relationships that Nina had with the two men were also complicated. Kyle showed up and his intensity was pretty flattering to Nina. He's a few years younger, very good looking, and she is actually attracted to him. He's not going to be in the area long, and Nina figures that he's looking for a fling to pass the time. They definitely have some chemistry going on, but that really seems to be it. When he's not off flying, he comes to Nina, takes her to dinner and then to bed. There isn't much in the way of conversation, and what there is seems to be mostly centered around his flying. Dylan's reappearance is a bit more stressful at the beginning. Nina remembers what they had together, and how heartbroken she was when they split. Dylan is friendly, and once they get past dealing with their history together, their old friendships resurfaces. Dylan is there for her when she faces a couple family issues, and when she comes down with the flu he really steps up. What she didn't expect from him were some hot kisses that bring her old feelings roaring back to the surface. She isn't sure what her feelings really are for the two of them, but she's going to have to decide.
Nina's sister Averil has her own problems that she's trying to deal with. She's very much in love with her husband, likes her job writing for a magazine, and has the urge to write a book. They are also thinking about starting a family, but that has Averil suddenly starting to panic about her life. An argument with her husband has her headed home, but that has problems of its own. I thought Averil was pretty immature. She never really accepted responsibility for any of her actions. When she first arrived I thought she was pretty selfish, expecting Nina to take care of her. She also had quite an attitude problem with almost anything Nina would say to her. She did start to change pretty quickly. I liked seeing her get involved in the antique store, and how the things she did there started her looking at her life differently.
When an unexpected treasure is found it forces all of the women to look at their lives and the choices they've made in the past. I especially liked seeing Nina take her courage in hand and go after her dreams. I really enjoyed the visitor she got at the end and the result of that visit.
Nina's high school boyfriend comes back to the island to help with his dad's medical practice. It's been ten years since their breakup and she's pretty sure the old feelings are dead. She opens her door one day to find Kyle, the older brother (but still younger than her) of a girl she used to babysit. He had a crush on her then, and is now interested in pursuing a more adult relationship with her. Averil shows up, needing a break from her life, and the chance to actually try writing the book she keeps talking about. And mom is there, avoiding anything she doesn't want to deal with, leaving it all up to Nina to take care of.
The relationships between Nina, Averil and their mother were very complicated. Bonnie (mother) had Nina when she was just a teenager, and Averil a few years later. Bonnie never really took to mothering, leaving the responsibility to her mother, who died when Nina was twelve. Nina took control of making sure things got done, and ended up being more mother than sister to Averil. Nina had her own dreams of going to medical school, but couldn't leave her family, so she gave them up and became a nurse instead. Continuing to take care of everyone, she put Averil through school. When Averil comes home for an extended visit, there's strain between them. Averil whines and complains that Nina is bossy, but Averil doesn't take responsibility for any of her actions. Nina snipes at Averil about how she has left such a perfect life, and what is wrong with her, etc. Bonnie flits through the days, creating problems that Nina then has to fix, but getting mad at Nina for doing it.
The relationships that Nina had with the two men were also complicated. Kyle showed up and his intensity was pretty flattering to Nina. He's a few years younger, very good looking, and she is actually attracted to him. He's not going to be in the area long, and Nina figures that he's looking for a fling to pass the time. They definitely have some chemistry going on, but that really seems to be it. When he's not off flying, he comes to Nina, takes her to dinner and then to bed. There isn't much in the way of conversation, and what there is seems to be mostly centered around his flying. Dylan's reappearance is a bit more stressful at the beginning. Nina remembers what they had together, and how heartbroken she was when they split. Dylan is friendly, and once they get past dealing with their history together, their old friendships resurfaces. Dylan is there for her when she faces a couple family issues, and when she comes down with the flu he really steps up. What she didn't expect from him were some hot kisses that bring her old feelings roaring back to the surface. She isn't sure what her feelings really are for the two of them, but she's going to have to decide.
Nina's sister Averil has her own problems that she's trying to deal with. She's very much in love with her husband, likes her job writing for a magazine, and has the urge to write a book. They are also thinking about starting a family, but that has Averil suddenly starting to panic about her life. An argument with her husband has her headed home, but that has problems of its own. I thought Averil was pretty immature. She never really accepted responsibility for any of her actions. When she first arrived I thought she was pretty selfish, expecting Nina to take care of her. She also had quite an attitude problem with almost anything Nina would say to her. She did start to change pretty quickly. I liked seeing her get involved in the antique store, and how the things she did there started her looking at her life differently.
When an unexpected treasure is found it forces all of the women to look at their lives and the choices they've made in the past. I especially liked seeing Nina take her courage in hand and go after her dreams. I really enjoyed the visitor she got at the end and the result of that visit.
November 29, 2015
Evening Stars by Susan Mallery is the final book of the Blackberry Island trilogy set off the coast of Washington state. Nina is the responsible one in her family - both her mother Bonnie and sister Averil "just want to be princess, don't want to be queen". Neither faces up to the consequences of her actions; just leave problems for Nina to solve. Nina gave up her dreams to leave Blackberry Island for medical school, to put her sister through UCLA. Nina watches the family antiques store accounts, and tries to keep up their home, but money is tight, and she's working full-time as a nurse. She works for pediatrician Andi in the Queen Anne on the hill (Andi's story is in book 2, Three Sisters).
Nina's car quits one evening, leaving her stranded in the pouring rain. Ex-boyfriend Dylan drives up and helps her out (she hasn't seen him since he dumped her a decade ago). As the rain continues, Nina must get on the roof to cover a leak with a tarp (Bonnie ignored the leak and took off on an antiques buying trip with her lover Bertie). Nina falls off the roof, but gorgeous hunk Kyle catches her. He's a Navy pilot who fantasized about her since he was 12, determined to be her boyfriend.
Without notice, Averil drives up from Southern California (leaving her job and husband behind), bringing a stray dog she picked up along the roadside. Averil goes to bed for three days; Nina buys dog supplies and cares for the unexpected pet. Needless to say, there is plenty of cause for Nina to resent everyone else's irresponsibility.
From having no love life at all, Nina suddenly finds herself in a whirlwind fling with Kyle as well as resuming friendship with Dylan. Meanwhile she must deal with a host of unexpected problems due to a painting Bonnie brought home. As you expect from a Mallery novel, love conquers all in the end.
My favorite parts were the stray dog, the competent new employee Cindy, and the plane ride that gives Nina perspective. As she says to Kyle, "You promised to change my life and you did."
Nina's car quits one evening, leaving her stranded in the pouring rain. Ex-boyfriend Dylan drives up and helps her out (she hasn't seen him since he dumped her a decade ago). As the rain continues, Nina must get on the roof to cover a leak with a tarp (Bonnie ignored the leak and took off on an antiques buying trip with her lover Bertie). Nina falls off the roof, but gorgeous hunk Kyle catches her. He's a Navy pilot who fantasized about her since he was 12, determined to be her boyfriend.
Without notice, Averil drives up from Southern California (leaving her job and husband behind), bringing a stray dog she picked up along the roadside. Averil goes to bed for three days; Nina buys dog supplies and cares for the unexpected pet. Needless to say, there is plenty of cause for Nina to resent everyone else's irresponsibility.
From having no love life at all, Nina suddenly finds herself in a whirlwind fling with Kyle as well as resuming friendship with Dylan. Meanwhile she must deal with a host of unexpected problems due to a painting Bonnie brought home. As you expect from a Mallery novel, love conquers all in the end.
My favorite parts were the stray dog, the competent new employee Cindy, and the plane ride that gives Nina perspective. As she says to Kyle, "You promised to change my life and you did."
July 17, 2020
Two-haiku review:
Old boyfriend returns
Plus guy who's loved her for years
From no guys to two
Deeper issues here
She always took care of things
Gave up her own dreams
Old boyfriend returns
Plus guy who's loved her for years
From no guys to two
Deeper issues here
She always took care of things
Gave up her own dreams
February 16, 2015
Evening Stars is the third book in Susan Mallery's Blackberry Island series. This one is about a woman named Nina who grew up on the island and has been unable to escape it, even when she had plenty of opportunities.
Nina grew up being the responsible one ever since she could remember. Having a mother who refused to grow up and a younger sister who needed to be taken care of, Nina took the wheel. For that, there seems to have been a strained relationship between her, her mother and her sister Averil. It has also caused a rift in her relationship with Dylan, a man she had been in love with and was suppose to marry after they both attended medical school. Which Nina did not.
I have to admit, I love Susan Mallery, but I did not think that this was one of her stronger works. In fact, I had a hard time finishing it and almost didn't at 70%
The story was not what I expected and a lot of things left me kind of scratching my head. Like Nina and her relationship with her sister. Averil and her just cannot seem to get along and I just couldn't understand why? Nina grew up taking care of her mother and Averil, making sure that both of them survived because her mother refused to take any form of responsibility so she made Averil's life easier. Yet Averil complains about her evil sister all the time and how bad she is? Really? This is the same sister that gave up her dreams and money to put you through one of the best school in America and this is how you come out thanking her? I didn't enjoy all their bickering and the tense relationship between them. I'm sorry, but this point blank did not sit well with me and her reason for hating her did not make any sense to me.
Second, Nina's own mother resents her.....uh...wait...WHAT? You refuse to take responsibility, act like a mother and when your daughter does, you resent her for that? You say she isn't very fun and constantly bitch about her? I'm sorry, but what kind of a mother are you? She should really evaluate her priorities. Not to mention that she keeps screwing up all throughout the book and Nina is always there picking up the pieces. She should have let her mother fall on her face a long time ago. This honestly would probably make more sense if her mother had some mental instability and I was totally waiting for something like that to come out - alas - she was just a bad mother.
The love triangle did not work for me either and neither did Nina's actions in it. Yes, it was pretty clear from the beginning who she was going to end up with but eh... no...just no... some parts felt like cheating to me. Especially when her and Dylan started with the kissing while she was still seeing the other guy. I understand she was confused, but instead of asking herself internally what was happening, why didn't she ask Dylan? Instead, she continued sleeping with the other guy while Dylan kept coming around and stealing kisses. Good job swift. I especially had a difficult time with this after the second kiss and him asking her away for the weekend. You would think that Nina would step back, ask or re-evaluate what was going on? Nope, she jumps straight into bed with the other guy.
So what did I like about this book then?
I liked the fact that her mother had a lover and partner named Bertie - a woman who seems to be her anchor and takes care of Bonnie (the mother) basically like Nina does. Bertie is a sweetheart and is very patient when it comes to Bonnie and seems to understand the woman's behavior. She tries to lead her in the right direction and manages to success half the time.
Dylan. I did love him, he was amazing. It was terrible that the break-up between him and Nina felt like a lame excuse especially after so many years of being together but also because they were so young - understandable? I guess. He was still awesome, especially when he took care of Nina when she got sick.
In the end, I applauded Nina for getting her life back together and finally on the right track.
I got a copy of this book from the publisher from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
Nina grew up being the responsible one ever since she could remember. Having a mother who refused to grow up and a younger sister who needed to be taken care of, Nina took the wheel. For that, there seems to have been a strained relationship between her, her mother and her sister Averil. It has also caused a rift in her relationship with Dylan, a man she had been in love with and was suppose to marry after they both attended medical school. Which Nina did not.
I have to admit, I love Susan Mallery, but I did not think that this was one of her stronger works. In fact, I had a hard time finishing it and almost didn't at 70%
The story was not what I expected and a lot of things left me kind of scratching my head. Like Nina and her relationship with her sister. Averil and her just cannot seem to get along and I just couldn't understand why? Nina grew up taking care of her mother and Averil, making sure that both of them survived because her mother refused to take any form of responsibility so she made Averil's life easier. Yet Averil complains about her evil sister all the time and how bad she is? Really? This is the same sister that gave up her dreams and money to put you through one of the best school in America and this is how you come out thanking her? I didn't enjoy all their bickering and the tense relationship between them. I'm sorry, but this point blank did not sit well with me and her reason for hating her did not make any sense to me.
Second, Nina's own mother resents her.....uh...wait...WHAT? You refuse to take responsibility, act like a mother and when your daughter does, you resent her for that? You say she isn't very fun and constantly bitch about her? I'm sorry, but what kind of a mother are you? She should really evaluate her priorities. Not to mention that she keeps screwing up all throughout the book and Nina is always there picking up the pieces. She should have let her mother fall on her face a long time ago. This honestly would probably make more sense if her mother had some mental instability and I was totally waiting for something like that to come out - alas - she was just a bad mother.
The love triangle did not work for me either and neither did Nina's actions in it. Yes, it was pretty clear from the beginning who she was going to end up with but eh... no...just no... some parts felt like cheating to me. Especially when her and Dylan started with the kissing while she was still seeing the other guy. I understand she was confused, but instead of asking herself internally what was happening, why didn't she ask Dylan? Instead, she continued sleeping with the other guy while Dylan kept coming around and stealing kisses. Good job swift. I especially had a difficult time with this after the second kiss and him asking her away for the weekend. You would think that Nina would step back, ask or re-evaluate what was going on? Nope, she jumps straight into bed with the other guy.
So what did I like about this book then?
I liked the fact that her mother had a lover and partner named Bertie - a woman who seems to be her anchor and takes care of Bonnie (the mother) basically like Nina does. Bertie is a sweetheart and is very patient when it comes to Bonnie and seems to understand the woman's behavior. She tries to lead her in the right direction and manages to success half the time.
Dylan. I did love him, he was amazing. It was terrible that the break-up between him and Nina felt like a lame excuse especially after so many years of being together but also because they were so young - understandable? I guess. He was still awesome, especially when he took care of Nina when she got sick.
In the end, I applauded Nina for getting her life back together and finally on the right track.
I got a copy of this book from the publisher from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
February 1, 2016
This was ok, but not as good as the first two books. The audiobook narrator was ok but I prefer other narrators.
THE SERIES:
This is book 3 in the Blackberry Island Trilogy. Each book can be read as a stand alone. This author has written many romances which are primarily about relationships between men and women. For a change in this series she is writing about relationships between women as friends or sister-like. And I like the change. And I like that at the end of each book, the main female character also has a happy romantic ending with a guy. The main stories are about women, their friends, and choices in life, but secondary stories include their romantic life.
THIS BOOK:
Nina is the older sister. She was forced to be the responsible one raising her younger sister Averil and her stupid flaky flighty mother Bonnie. Bonnie is like Peter Pan - never growing up. Nina has to go out of her way and spend all kinds of time and energy to fix things when her mother does stupid things. It was like having a toddler as a mother. Toward the end of the book Bonnie did something terribly stupid causing all kinds of grief for Nina and others. I was angry at Bonnie.
Averil annoyed me with her flakiness. She is married to a great guy, but she leaves him to stay with Nina and her mother for a few months. She can’t explain why she is there. She keeps saying she needs time to think. She doesn’t know what she wants to do. She wants to write a novel but has never been able to start. She resents Nina being the responsible mother figure but still loves her. I was tired of Averil’s wishy washiness. She talks to her husband every day on the phone. They love each other. He wants to be with her. But she doesn’t know why she is staying away from him.
This book has more romantic relationship development than the previous two books. Nina and Dylan dated in college but broke up for vague reasons. Now Dylan has moved to the island to work with his father - both Doctors. He and Nina do some things together. Their relationship is “friends.”
Meanwhile Kyle comes to town, a jet fighter pilot in the Navy. He is four years younger than Nina. He was infatuated with her when he was 12 and he still is. Nina hasn’t had sex in ages so she has a fling with Kyle. He’s great at sex and is extremely devoted to her. At one point she describes Kyle as being with a puppy - playful and wanting to play.
For readers hesitant about romantic triangles:
Nina is having a sexual relationship with Kyle and a friend-type relationship with Dylan. I don’t want to give away the ending, but Nina ends up with one of them.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Cristina Panfilio’s voice sometimes irritated me - kind of strident. I prefer a softer tone. She used a weird voice for Kyle. Her tone for Dylan didn’t feel like a guy.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hrs and 33 mins. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 4. Setting: current day island near Seattle, Washington with some California and Massachusetts. Book copyright: 2014. Genre: womens fiction with romance.
THE SERIES:
This is book 3 in the Blackberry Island Trilogy. Each book can be read as a stand alone. This author has written many romances which are primarily about relationships between men and women. For a change in this series she is writing about relationships between women as friends or sister-like. And I like the change. And I like that at the end of each book, the main female character also has a happy romantic ending with a guy. The main stories are about women, their friends, and choices in life, but secondary stories include their romantic life.
THIS BOOK:
Nina is the older sister. She was forced to be the responsible one raising her younger sister Averil and her stupid flaky flighty mother Bonnie. Bonnie is like Peter Pan - never growing up. Nina has to go out of her way and spend all kinds of time and energy to fix things when her mother does stupid things. It was like having a toddler as a mother. Toward the end of the book Bonnie did something terribly stupid causing all kinds of grief for Nina and others. I was angry at Bonnie.
Averil annoyed me with her flakiness. She is married to a great guy, but she leaves him to stay with Nina and her mother for a few months. She can’t explain why she is there. She keeps saying she needs time to think. She doesn’t know what she wants to do. She wants to write a novel but has never been able to start. She resents Nina being the responsible mother figure but still loves her. I was tired of Averil’s wishy washiness. She talks to her husband every day on the phone. They love each other. He wants to be with her. But she doesn’t know why she is staying away from him.
This book has more romantic relationship development than the previous two books. Nina and Dylan dated in college but broke up for vague reasons. Now Dylan has moved to the island to work with his father - both Doctors. He and Nina do some things together. Their relationship is “friends.”
Meanwhile Kyle comes to town, a jet fighter pilot in the Navy. He is four years younger than Nina. He was infatuated with her when he was 12 and he still is. Nina hasn’t had sex in ages so she has a fling with Kyle. He’s great at sex and is extremely devoted to her. At one point she describes Kyle as being with a puppy - playful and wanting to play.
For readers hesitant about romantic triangles:
Nina is having a sexual relationship with Kyle and a friend-type relationship with Dylan. I don’t want to give away the ending, but Nina ends up with one of them.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Cristina Panfilio’s voice sometimes irritated me - kind of strident. I prefer a softer tone. She used a weird voice for Kyle. Her tone for Dylan didn’t feel like a guy.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 10 hrs and 33 mins. Swearing language: none that I recall. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 4. Setting: current day island near Seattle, Washington with some California and Massachusetts. Book copyright: 2014. Genre: womens fiction with romance.
September 24, 2015
Je ne vous cache pas mon amour pour les petites villes américaines où je ne cesse de poser mes valises en contemplant la vie qui passe... Cette fois, direction Blackerry Island chez la famille Wentworth.
Je demande la fille aînée - Nina, 30 ans, infirmière, célibataire, dévouée à ses proches. C'est elle qui a financé les études de sa sœur et qui tient la maison debout, car leur mère refuse toute responsabilité (elle se couvre derrière le syndrome Peter Pan). Nina est loin d'avoir une vie fantastique, mais se croit indispensable.
Tout fout le camp quand débarque la frangine - Averil, en pleine crise existentielle, ainsi que deux charmants prétendants qui vont se chamailler pour elle. (« On n'est pas dans Twilight. Personne ne me force à choisir un homme. ») C'est pourtant le cas. Entre Kyle et Dylan, le beau pilote de chasse et le médecin de retour au bercail, le cœur de Nina balance.
Et j'aurais tant voulu que ça swingue sans retenue, que ça court dans tous les sens, que ça envoie des fleurs, des étoiles, des étincelles. Sauf qu'au final cela reste très raisonnable et doucereux. Du genre, histoire sentimentale, basée sur les relations familiales, avec pour contexte les secondes chances et les rêves à conquérir.
J'aurais pu mordre à l'hameçon, mais je n'ai pas été séduite par les personnages. Les filles Wentworth sont TOUTES exaspérantes, les représentants mâles sont fades, sans intérêt (et on notera assez vite la préférence de l'auteur pour le candidat à élire). Je suis globalement déçue, mais j'ai tout de même lu le bouquin en entier - comme quoi, tout n'est pas à jeter non plus.
Je demande la fille aînée - Nina, 30 ans, infirmière, célibataire, dévouée à ses proches. C'est elle qui a financé les études de sa sœur et qui tient la maison debout, car leur mère refuse toute responsabilité (elle se couvre derrière le syndrome Peter Pan). Nina est loin d'avoir une vie fantastique, mais se croit indispensable.
Tout fout le camp quand débarque la frangine - Averil, en pleine crise existentielle, ainsi que deux charmants prétendants qui vont se chamailler pour elle. (« On n'est pas dans Twilight. Personne ne me force à choisir un homme. ») C'est pourtant le cas. Entre Kyle et Dylan, le beau pilote de chasse et le médecin de retour au bercail, le cœur de Nina balance.
Et j'aurais tant voulu que ça swingue sans retenue, que ça court dans tous les sens, que ça envoie des fleurs, des étoiles, des étincelles. Sauf qu'au final cela reste très raisonnable et doucereux. Du genre, histoire sentimentale, basée sur les relations familiales, avec pour contexte les secondes chances et les rêves à conquérir.
J'aurais pu mordre à l'hameçon, mais je n'ai pas été séduite par les personnages. Les filles Wentworth sont TOUTES exaspérantes, les représentants mâles sont fades, sans intérêt (et on notera assez vite la préférence de l'auteur pour le candidat à élire). Je suis globalement déçue, mais j'ai tout de même lu le bouquin en entier - comme quoi, tout n'est pas à jeter non plus.
April 21, 2015
This is the first book I read by this author. This book is slightly different than your average 2-main leads romance in that it integrates the family relationships a bit more. I liked that, it gave the book a better background and more depth to the characters.
Nina Wentworth is the self-sacrificing caretaker of the family. She has sacrificed her personal happiness for that of her family. Now, she has the attention of two men and a complicated life as her family refuses to take care of themselves.
This was a good book. It was well written and a little engaging. It was real and not too unbelievable. But, something was missing. I was not cheering for the main character, I was not cheesing for the romance leads (just tell me who got the girl!), and I was not rooting for any of the characters. I was just not as involved. Maybe they were too real, maybe they touched a cord. Maybe I wanted the male leas to be more than uni-dimensional card board fill ins. Take your pick. My main issue with the book were the romance fill ins. They were duds. And everyone else behaved like a child in this book, except Cindy and Bertie.
Nina Wentworth is the self-sacrificing caretaker of the family. She has sacrificed her personal happiness for that of her family. Now, she has the attention of two men and a complicated life as her family refuses to take care of themselves.
This was a good book. It was well written and a little engaging. It was real and not too unbelievable. But, something was missing. I was not cheering for the main character, I was not cheesing for the romance leads (just tell me who got the girl!), and I was not rooting for any of the characters. I was just not as involved. Maybe they were too real, maybe they touched a cord. Maybe I wanted the male leas to be more than uni-dimensional card board fill ins. Take your pick. My main issue with the book were the romance fill ins. They were duds. And everyone else behaved like a child in this book, except Cindy and Bertie.
March 8, 2016
I HATE the main couple, couldn't care less about the ridiculous ending and EXTREMELY happy I'm DONE! The little parts and characters that interest me, weren't enough to salvage this one. BUT I FREAKING FINISHED READING IT ALL! *nerdy twerk*
April 30, 2014
Evening Stars...by Susan Mallery ... This was a wonderful story of sisters and their mother. The older sister always looking out for the younger sister and her mother too; since the mother was more like a friend than a mother. After a long dry spell of a love life the older sister had two men of her choosing. There was a wonderful time of change, when the girls grew up. I love a happy ending. The author didn't disappoint us. I won this book through 'Book reporter"
May 5, 2018
This story of two sisters that find their path by introspection and learning why they are who they are is an excellent read. Two sisters battle for control of their lives without realizing they had the control all along. Accepting one’s childhood and loving their mom through it isn’t always easy.
June 10, 2023
3.5/5
In the last book of the Blackberry Island series, we follow two sisters Nina and Averil who have a complicated relationship. They both grew up with a single teenage mom who was irresponsible. As a result, Nina has the a mom figure and raised Averil herself. Nina has a controlling and anxious personality, while Averil is more similar to her mom, drifting around with no sense of responsibilities. They often clash, yet Averil yearns for Nina's constant approval. Averil suddenly shows up back in Blackberry Island, leaving her husband and pausing her career. The two sisters are forced to confront their past and their relationship. Meanwhile, their mom discovered a painting worth millions for their antique shop and Nina has to choose between two men.
I was sad to finish the last book of Blackberry Island! SM portrays complicated relationships in a really realistic way. I empathized with Nicole who had to grow up so quickly, and felt her frustrations. I liked the parts of the story on the sister's relationships, but I felt there were too many other storylines thrown in. For example, Nicole's decision between picking two men - her ex that she never really got over, or the exciting and passionate pilot, the discovery of the antique painting, Cindy the employee at their antique shop, etc. It felt like too much going on and I really did not care about the antique painting part. Their mom was also really annoying. Nicole's two love interests were also enjoyable to read about. I liked both men and agreed with her choice in the end. Overall, I enjoyed the story but her mom and the antique painting storyline dropped my rating a bit.
In the last book of the Blackberry Island series, we follow two sisters Nina and Averil who have a complicated relationship. They both grew up with a single teenage mom who was irresponsible. As a result, Nina has the a mom figure and raised Averil herself. Nina has a controlling and anxious personality, while Averil is more similar to her mom, drifting around with no sense of responsibilities. They often clash, yet Averil yearns for Nina's constant approval. Averil suddenly shows up back in Blackberry Island, leaving her husband and pausing her career. The two sisters are forced to confront their past and their relationship. Meanwhile, their mom discovered a painting worth millions for their antique shop and Nina has to choose between two men.
I was sad to finish the last book of Blackberry Island! SM portrays complicated relationships in a really realistic way. I empathized with Nicole who had to grow up so quickly, and felt her frustrations. I liked the parts of the story on the sister's relationships, but I felt there were too many other storylines thrown in. For example, Nicole's decision between picking two men - her ex that she never really got over, or the exciting and passionate pilot, the discovery of the antique painting, Cindy the employee at their antique shop, etc. It felt like too much going on and I really did not care about the antique painting part. Their mom was also really annoying. Nicole's two love interests were also enjoyable to read about. I liked both men and agreed with her choice in the end. Overall, I enjoyed the story but her mom and the antique painting storyline dropped my rating a bit.
October 6, 2017
SPOILER ALERT!! I loved this series. I wish it wasn't the end. It did end with a happily ever after. I actually thought Nina was going to end up pregnant by Kyle when she was sick. Turns out, it was just the flu. But I didn't think she was going to go back to Dylan. Now we need another book to show their love story and also continue her sisters story. I mean, it ended the book with her sister being 7 weeks pregnant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2020
Kedves kis limonádé az előző részből megismert Nina nővérrel. Semmi extra, egyszeri olvasásnak megfelel.
May 22, 2024
Once again- Terrible parents create drama for their adult children. But also once again- these soap operas are all I can concentrate on.
July 29, 2024
Fun characters. Great story. Wonderful reminder to follow your dreams even if you get sidetracked for awhile.
March 9, 2020
Good story. Too many explicit sex scenes. Had to skip a lot.
July 5, 2019
As always, a solid Susan Mallery read.
February 25, 2014
4.5 stars.
In Evening Stars, the third installment of Susan Mallery's heartwarming Blackberry Island series, complicated family dynamics are almost impossible to overcome when Nina Wentworth and her visiting sister Averil find themselves trapped in the roles that have defined them since childhood. Averil is happily married but the prospect of beginning a family leaves her contemplating exactly what she wants out of life. Nina is still taking care of everyone, including her irresponsible mother Bonnie, and when two men from her past unexpectedly reappear, she is forced to re-examine her past choices and take a good hard look at what she wants for her future.
As a child, Nina was thrust into the parental role for both Averil and Bonnie and years later, nothing has changed in that respect. She let go of her dream of becoming a doctor and in the process she also lost her first love, Dylan Harrington. Now Dylan has returned to Blackberry Island to work in his father's practice and Nina begins to re-evaluate her past. Further complicating her life is the sudden reappearance of Kyle Eastland, a young Navy pilot who has never forgotten his teenage crush on Nina. Now stationed at a nearby base, Kyle is hopeful that he can convince Nina to give him a chance now they are both grown up.
Averil's unexpected visit is the last thing that Nina needs as she tries to deal with the latest evidence of their mother's irresponsibility. Averil and Nina love one another but their interactions are laced with misunderstandings and Bonnie's return just adds more tension to their relationship.
I really liked the contrast in Nina's relationships with Dylan and Kyle. With Kyle, Nina could just let go and live in the moment. Carefree fun with no expectations or demands which really fit in with Kyle's personality. He reminded me of a puppy-playful and enthusiastic but lacking maturity.
On the other hand, Dylan is a painful reminder of all that Nina has lost. Their first encounters are uncomfortable and filled with tension until they finally discuss the elephant in the room: their failed youthful romance. It is through these discussions that Nina gains a new perspective on her role in their break up and provides her the opportunity to revisit childhood dreams.
Evening Stars is a beautiful journey of self-discovery for the Wentworth women. Nina and Averil undergo a great deal of soul searching as they contemplate their pasts and in doing so, they are able fully embrace their futures. A lovely conclusion to Susan Mallery's delightful Blackberry Island series.
In Evening Stars, the third installment of Susan Mallery's heartwarming Blackberry Island series, complicated family dynamics are almost impossible to overcome when Nina Wentworth and her visiting sister Averil find themselves trapped in the roles that have defined them since childhood. Averil is happily married but the prospect of beginning a family leaves her contemplating exactly what she wants out of life. Nina is still taking care of everyone, including her irresponsible mother Bonnie, and when two men from her past unexpectedly reappear, she is forced to re-examine her past choices and take a good hard look at what she wants for her future.
As a child, Nina was thrust into the parental role for both Averil and Bonnie and years later, nothing has changed in that respect. She let go of her dream of becoming a doctor and in the process she also lost her first love, Dylan Harrington. Now Dylan has returned to Blackberry Island to work in his father's practice and Nina begins to re-evaluate her past. Further complicating her life is the sudden reappearance of Kyle Eastland, a young Navy pilot who has never forgotten his teenage crush on Nina. Now stationed at a nearby base, Kyle is hopeful that he can convince Nina to give him a chance now they are both grown up.
Averil's unexpected visit is the last thing that Nina needs as she tries to deal with the latest evidence of their mother's irresponsibility. Averil and Nina love one another but their interactions are laced with misunderstandings and Bonnie's return just adds more tension to their relationship.
I really liked the contrast in Nina's relationships with Dylan and Kyle. With Kyle, Nina could just let go and live in the moment. Carefree fun with no expectations or demands which really fit in with Kyle's personality. He reminded me of a puppy-playful and enthusiastic but lacking maturity.
On the other hand, Dylan is a painful reminder of all that Nina has lost. Their first encounters are uncomfortable and filled with tension until they finally discuss the elephant in the room: their failed youthful romance. It is through these discussions that Nina gains a new perspective on her role in their break up and provides her the opportunity to revisit childhood dreams.
Evening Stars is a beautiful journey of self-discovery for the Wentworth women. Nina and Averil undergo a great deal of soul searching as they contemplate their pasts and in doing so, they are able fully embrace their futures. A lovely conclusion to Susan Mallery's delightful Blackberry Island series.
February 27, 2014
I wouldn’t call the plotline extraordinary or the writing style remarkable, but the well-drawn characters in Evening Stars drive this novel around the bases and into home plate. Susan Mallery’s key to success involves one of the basic principles of fiction writing—creating characters whose strong motivations propel the story forward.
What did I expect from Evening Stars? A novel about familial relationships with a little romance on the side. What I didn’t expect was to get sucked into the lives of these four women. I simply couldn’t put the book down.
Nina’s and Averil’s problems stem from the dysfunction they experienced as children. Their mother, Bonnie, is a free spirit, content to sit back and enjoy herself while the people around her take responsibility for the mundane facets of her life. When her daughters were growing up, Bonnie was too self-absorbed and immature to be a parent, thereby trusting young Nina with the responsibilities of managing the family antique business and taking care of her younger sister while her mother disappeared for weeks at a time. As a result, Nina never had the opportunity to experience the carefree days of childhood, and Averil grew up trusting her older sister as one might trust her mother. Having sacrificed her own desires to become a doctor in order for her sister to go to college, Nina is now trapped in a dead-end life of her own making. Averil, on a self-imposed exile from her husband, is searching for answers, looking for the missing link in her life that is holding her back from starting a family and preventing her from writing the novel she’s always wanted to write. With mother and both daughters and mother’s lesbian life partner living under the same roof, Mallery provides her readers with plenty of drama and suspense, arguing and reconciliation. When you throw in a Picasso-era painting worth ten million dollars, the situation becomes explosive.
Is Evening Stars a romance novel? Not syrupy sweet and cliché, but with plenty of passionate—albeit not overly explicit—sexual encounters to make the plot believable and pique the reader’s interest.
Mallery’s talents impressed me, enough for me to review some of her older works and look forward to her new.
For more of my reviews, visit my website at www.chroniclesofavidreader.com
What did I expect from Evening Stars? A novel about familial relationships with a little romance on the side. What I didn’t expect was to get sucked into the lives of these four women. I simply couldn’t put the book down.
Nina’s and Averil’s problems stem from the dysfunction they experienced as children. Their mother, Bonnie, is a free spirit, content to sit back and enjoy herself while the people around her take responsibility for the mundane facets of her life. When her daughters were growing up, Bonnie was too self-absorbed and immature to be a parent, thereby trusting young Nina with the responsibilities of managing the family antique business and taking care of her younger sister while her mother disappeared for weeks at a time. As a result, Nina never had the opportunity to experience the carefree days of childhood, and Averil grew up trusting her older sister as one might trust her mother. Having sacrificed her own desires to become a doctor in order for her sister to go to college, Nina is now trapped in a dead-end life of her own making. Averil, on a self-imposed exile from her husband, is searching for answers, looking for the missing link in her life that is holding her back from starting a family and preventing her from writing the novel she’s always wanted to write. With mother and both daughters and mother’s lesbian life partner living under the same roof, Mallery provides her readers with plenty of drama and suspense, arguing and reconciliation. When you throw in a Picasso-era painting worth ten million dollars, the situation becomes explosive.
Is Evening Stars a romance novel? Not syrupy sweet and cliché, but with plenty of passionate—albeit not overly explicit—sexual encounters to make the plot believable and pique the reader’s interest.
Mallery’s talents impressed me, enough for me to review some of her older works and look forward to her new.
For more of my reviews, visit my website at www.chroniclesofavidreader.com
February 18, 2014
Evening Stars by Susan Mallery is the newest book in the Blackberry Island series. Susan Mallery can draw characters with all their hopes, fears and dreams. The best part of her books is that they end happily with everyone happy and in love.
This book is the story of Nina. Nina is a woman who was mother to her younger sister when she was a child herself. Her mother wouldn’t take her responsibility and lived at if she were Peter Pan. Nina took on more and more – paying for college for her sister, keeping a roof over everyone’s head and in general being the responsible person. All this took away Nina’s dreams to become a doctor and to move away from her island home. At some point her responsibilities became more of a controlling issue as she felt she had to control everything in her realm. Suddenly there was too much to hold on to. On top of this suddenly she had two men asking her out on date. Nina has some things to work through – including two hot men.
I love how the characters grew and changed. I loved how they were able to focus on how they needed to change in order to heal themselves. Susan Mallery wrote the lead character role so carefully that I was right behind Nina and when she began to see how she was controlling everything, I also shared her epiphany about control.
An interesting side note for this book, I did not like the character of Bonnie. I felt she was incredibly self-centered. I also felt she was manipulative in her self-centeredness pitting her children against the world and each other. However the resolution of the story even had her trying to make better decisions instead of impulsiveness.
A wonderful story with great characters and lots of love to read. Reader’s warning: It does draw you in and you lose track of time... Just saying.
* I was able to read an ARC of this novel as it is released next week.
This book is the story of Nina. Nina is a woman who was mother to her younger sister when she was a child herself. Her mother wouldn’t take her responsibility and lived at if she were Peter Pan. Nina took on more and more – paying for college for her sister, keeping a roof over everyone’s head and in general being the responsible person. All this took away Nina’s dreams to become a doctor and to move away from her island home. At some point her responsibilities became more of a controlling issue as she felt she had to control everything in her realm. Suddenly there was too much to hold on to. On top of this suddenly she had two men asking her out on date. Nina has some things to work through – including two hot men.
I love how the characters grew and changed. I loved how they were able to focus on how they needed to change in order to heal themselves. Susan Mallery wrote the lead character role so carefully that I was right behind Nina and when she began to see how she was controlling everything, I also shared her epiphany about control.
An interesting side note for this book, I did not like the character of Bonnie. I felt she was incredibly self-centered. I also felt she was manipulative in her self-centeredness pitting her children against the world and each other. However the resolution of the story even had her trying to make better decisions instead of impulsiveness.
A wonderful story with great characters and lots of love to read. Reader’s warning: It does draw you in and you lose track of time... Just saying.
* I was able to read an ARC of this novel as it is released next week.
April 28, 2014
I don’t know what it is about these books that scare me. I always find myself putting off reading them like I am NOT going to enjoy them. It must be the heavier than normal subject matters. I was hesitant with the first two, yet ended up loving them, and still hesitated with this one… and loved it.
Nina has been living on Blackberry Island her entire life. Once she had big plans to leave the island, go to medical school and become a doctor, but family obligations kept her home. Now she is a nurse, still living at home with her mother and her mother’s partner. She starts dating one man from her past when her first love comes back.
Averil is the younger sister of Nina and seems to not know how to make up her own mind. Living with a husband who adores her she can’t understand why she feels discontent. She heads home to Blackberry Island to find herself.
Reading the dynamics of this family it was easy to compare my own family here and there. Everyone has a Nina and an Averil in their life. Everyone knows the adult who is perpetually stuck in Teenage Town, choosing to live recklessly without plan. I saw a lot of myself in Nina - the control freak constantly running around trying to prevent disasters where she can, and mop up after the ones that happened anyway.
I am always impressed with the character depth and detail in her books. This was another wonderful read and a great addition to the series. I enjoyed watching the 4 woman live in the same households and figure out there place and positions in the family. They all changed and grew a little bit from the experience and it made for a very enjoyable read.
Cherise Everhard, April 2014
Nina has been living on Blackberry Island her entire life. Once she had big plans to leave the island, go to medical school and become a doctor, but family obligations kept her home. Now she is a nurse, still living at home with her mother and her mother’s partner. She starts dating one man from her past when her first love comes back.
Averil is the younger sister of Nina and seems to not know how to make up her own mind. Living with a husband who adores her she can’t understand why she feels discontent. She heads home to Blackberry Island to find herself.
Reading the dynamics of this family it was easy to compare my own family here and there. Everyone has a Nina and an Averil in their life. Everyone knows the adult who is perpetually stuck in Teenage Town, choosing to live recklessly without plan. I saw a lot of myself in Nina - the control freak constantly running around trying to prevent disasters where she can, and mop up after the ones that happened anyway.
I am always impressed with the character depth and detail in her books. This was another wonderful read and a great addition to the series. I enjoyed watching the 4 woman live in the same households and figure out there place and positions in the family. They all changed and grew a little bit from the experience and it made for a very enjoyable read.
Cherise Everhard, April 2014
May 10, 2014
Small-town nurse Nina Wentworth has made a career out of being a caretaker. More "Mom" than their mother ever was, she sacrificed medical school--and her first love--so her sister could break free. Which is why she isn't exactly thrilled to see Averil back on Blackberry Island, especially when Nina's life has suddenly become...complicated.
Nina unexpectedly finds herself juggling two men--her high school sweetheart and a younger maverick pilot who also wants to claim her heart. But as fun as all this romance is, Nina has real life to deal with. Averil doesn't seem to want the great guy she's married to, and doesn't seem to be making headway writing her first book; their mom is living life just as recklessly as she always has; and Nina's starting to realize that the control she once had is slipping out of her fingers. Her hopes of getting off the island seem to be stretching further away...until her mother makes a discovery that could change everything forever.
But before Nina and Averil can reach for the stars, they have to decide what they want. Will Averil stay? Will Nina leave? And what about the men who claim to love them? Does love heal, or will finding their happy ending mean giving up all they've ever wanted?
Susan Mallery is just plain gifted. Another great story. Loved the plot, loved the
people, loved the twists and turns. I didn't think i was going to like Averil, but ended up loving her too. 5 stars.
Nina unexpectedly finds herself juggling two men--her high school sweetheart and a younger maverick pilot who also wants to claim her heart. But as fun as all this romance is, Nina has real life to deal with. Averil doesn't seem to want the great guy she's married to, and doesn't seem to be making headway writing her first book; their mom is living life just as recklessly as she always has; and Nina's starting to realize that the control she once had is slipping out of her fingers. Her hopes of getting off the island seem to be stretching further away...until her mother makes a discovery that could change everything forever.
But before Nina and Averil can reach for the stars, they have to decide what they want. Will Averil stay? Will Nina leave? And what about the men who claim to love them? Does love heal, or will finding their happy ending mean giving up all they've ever wanted?
Susan Mallery is just plain gifted. Another great story. Loved the plot, loved the
people, loved the twists and turns. I didn't think i was going to like Averil, but ended up loving her too. 5 stars.
February 26, 2014
In this final installment of the Blackberry Island trilogy, Nina and Averil Wentworth are at crossroads in their lives. Will they both find the strength to pursue their dreams and chase their happiness, or will the pull of the known keep them in the rut they're currently drowning in?
Susan Mallery not only shares the story of the Wentworth family, she also fills us in on what has happened since our last visit to Blackberry Island, reacquainting us with the characters from Three Sisters. It was great catching up with characters who feel like old friends and getting a glimpse into Mischief Bay, which is the setting for her upcoming series. This book truly had it all, romance, hope, tears, inspiration and surprises at every turn. I couldn't put it down and am very sad to see this series end. This book was, by far, my favorite book in this series! I can't wait to see what Susan Mallery has in store for us in Mischief Bay!
Susan Mallery not only shares the story of the Wentworth family, she also fills us in on what has happened since our last visit to Blackberry Island, reacquainting us with the characters from Three Sisters. It was great catching up with characters who feel like old friends and getting a glimpse into Mischief Bay, which is the setting for her upcoming series. This book truly had it all, romance, hope, tears, inspiration and surprises at every turn. I couldn't put it down and am very sad to see this series end. This book was, by far, my favorite book in this series! I can't wait to see what Susan Mallery has in store for us in Mischief Bay!
September 8, 2016
Sometimes life is just that way...there are two equally interesting objects competing for your time..in Nina's case, she has two very interesting suitors after years of nothing. Who will she choose....
If I want to read a good romance, I turn to Susan Mallery's books which are consistently well written with an intriguing story. Blackberry Island is the setting for this outing and we are introduced to her next series, Mischief Bay through Nina's younger sister Averil.
This book is more about family dynamics than anything. Nina's relationship with her mother and with her sister Averil are explored in great depth. Nina questions her life: why she has stayed on the island, why she didn't go to medical school and why did she really think she needed to be in control of everything.
Good book, good story and good romance. Susan Mallery's books are always a pleasure to read. Evening Stars is available on February 25th.
If I want to read a good romance, I turn to Susan Mallery's books which are consistently well written with an intriguing story. Blackberry Island is the setting for this outing and we are introduced to her next series, Mischief Bay through Nina's younger sister Averil.
This book is more about family dynamics than anything. Nina's relationship with her mother and with her sister Averil are explored in great depth. Nina questions her life: why she has stayed on the island, why she didn't go to medical school and why did she really think she needed to be in control of everything.
Good book, good story and good romance. Susan Mallery's books are always a pleasure to read. Evening Stars is available on February 25th.
February 11, 2014
I had been eagerly anticipating this book, but have to say I just couldn't find the emotional connection that I need with the characters for a book to really stand out. I liked it but wasn't totally enthused by it. It had an interesting plot and the characters are okay, yet it just didn't 'float my boat'. I am happy to have read it, I loved the first two in this series and would have hated to miss out on this one. While at some point I will want to reread the first two, I doubt that I will come back to this one. I guess that's the way it goes, sometimes you love a book and sometimes you only like it!
However there will be many who love this one and I am happy about that. We all have unique perspectives and there are sure to be many readers that find this book hits the mark perfectly for them.
However there will be many who love this one and I am happy about that. We all have unique perspectives and there are sure to be many readers that find this book hits the mark perfectly for them.
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