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Bittersweet
Sabrina Falks is the golden girl; a beautiful, successful actress who is engaged to the too-good-to-be-true Edward. Her life is glamorous and seemingly perfect – apart from her recurring desire to run away.Her younger sister, Mimi, is funny and bright but also hopelessly lost, with no career prospects, no money, no love life and a string of disastrous mistakes in her past.Estranged since a fight over their dark family history, Sabrina and Mimi enter into a reluctant alliance when Sabrina hires Mimi to be her bridesmaid. The sisters then do battle with intrusive paparazzi, out-of-control dress designers and, increasingly, each other.As the wedding day approaches, long-buried family secrets emerge, and Sabrina and Mimi find themselves facing some unforeseen home truths ...Marriage, celebrity culture and the bittersweet bonds of family take centre stage in this warm, funny novel that sparkles with wit and wisdom.Visit Melanie online melanielabrooy.comAnd read her blog melanielabrooy.com/blog
456 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
96 people want to read
About the author
Melanie La'Brooy
13 books73 followersMelanie La’Brooy is the author of five novels: Love Struck, The Wish List, Serendipity, The Babymoon and Bittersweet. For several years, Melanie worked for the art auction house Christie’s, in both Sydney and Melbourne, where she trained as a specialist in Australian paintings. Following the success of her debut novel she gave up her career in the art world to become a full-time writer. Melanie is very happily married and has two young sons. She usually lives in Melbourne but is currently residing in South Africa, where she is hoping to fulfill a long-term dream by finally having a genuine reason to wear a safari suit and pith helmet.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 8, 2016
This book was beautifully written but it lacked the La'Brooy humour and joy of her previous publications. When I finished the book & saw in her acknowledgements that her publisher asked her to write on a serious topic and that she went home and cried I too wanted to cry. It is a rare author that can deliver wonderful humour and love in what would seem an effortless (yet we all know it is hard) way. I hope Melanie La'Brooy returns to writing her special brand of fun relationships and resists her publisher's need to clone Marian Keyes.
March 30, 2025
4.5 stars for a wonderful read set in Sydney
I love Melanie La’Brooy and this is one of my favourites. A tale of 2 sisters, vastly different, navigating 1 wedding. I found this a wonderful read, light but with lots of emotions. It was also a great lesson in not really knowing others and what they are going through.
I love Melanie La’Brooy and this is one of my favourites. A tale of 2 sisters, vastly different, navigating 1 wedding. I found this a wonderful read, light but with lots of emotions. It was also a great lesson in not really knowing others and what they are going through.
February 6, 2012
Bittersweet is the most recent published work by Australia Chick-Lit Author, Melaine La'Brooy and the only one yet unread by me come 2012. This had been sitting on my bookshelf, untouched, since I picked it up when the Borders closest to me was having its closing down sale. I had read La'Brooys other works a couple of years ago and had found them quite enjoyable and was pleased to see her latest work sitting abandoned on the bookstore shelf, ready to come home with me. The only hesitation I felt had to do with the less than appealing cover art.
La'Brooys previous work had come accompanied by sweet whimsical illustrated cover art. Cover art that inspired me to delve into her work in the first place. Bittersweet; however, has a uninspiring photograph of two womens laps while they hold seemingly empty tea cups, at the same time gesturing as if they are engaged in conversation.
Obviously one should not judge a book by it's cover but if I had I honestly don't think I would have ever gotten around to reading it.
Luckily for me I was already familiar with La'Brooys writing and was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
I am not the biggest fan of chick-lit in general. For me to enjoy it the writing has to appeal to me and the characters have to be intelligent and relatable.
To me, La'Brooy is pretty much the Australian equivalent of Meg Cabot. And what I really love about her books is the way she writes Australian locations and characters. The Majority of home grown fiction, film and television just works to re-enforce all the hideous stereo types about this country that drive me mad. Such as all Australians either live in the bush and have pet Kangaroos or spend their days by the beach drinking. La'Brooy writes universal stories and characters that just happen to take place in major Australian cities. Her characters are multicultural and her backdrops modern and believable. Absolutely brilliant!
Enough background, on to the actual novel. Bittersweet follows the tale of two sisters. The eldest being Sabrina, a beautiful, glamorous, together actor who is engaged to marry her prince charming. The youngest being, Mimi, an unfit, unorganised, unemployed layabout who only just returned home after backpacking around Europe for three years. As the story progresses we learn there is much more then meets the eye when it comes to both girls and their relationship with each other.
Every time I thought I had this seemingly simple piece of fluff story figured out it went and surprised me. Making me see that it wasn't as fluffy as I had originally anticipated. Sabrina and Mimi have their demons as do most of the supporting characters. The world of Bittersweet altered and grew time and again making it difficult to put down. Always pushing the reader to the next big plot point.
I finished this novel over a 24 hour period and found myself almost relieved at coming to its end, finally knowing all the twists and turns, finally being able to breathe and let the characters to rest in my mind. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a follow-up to Bittersweet waiting in the wings. The sisters stories, while mostly resolved, don't feel exactly finished. I can easily see another novel following Mimi and the relationship and new career she begins at Bittersweets end as well as maybe a further look at where Sabrina's much altered life may take her.
Overall I found Bittersweet an enjoyable distraction and one I am glad to have spent time with. Certainly not my favourite of La'Brooys works but one with merit none the less.
La'Brooys previous work had come accompanied by sweet whimsical illustrated cover art. Cover art that inspired me to delve into her work in the first place. Bittersweet; however, has a uninspiring photograph of two womens laps while they hold seemingly empty tea cups, at the same time gesturing as if they are engaged in conversation.
Obviously one should not judge a book by it's cover but if I had I honestly don't think I would have ever gotten around to reading it.
Luckily for me I was already familiar with La'Brooys writing and was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.
I am not the biggest fan of chick-lit in general. For me to enjoy it the writing has to appeal to me and the characters have to be intelligent and relatable.
To me, La'Brooy is pretty much the Australian equivalent of Meg Cabot. And what I really love about her books is the way she writes Australian locations and characters. The Majority of home grown fiction, film and television just works to re-enforce all the hideous stereo types about this country that drive me mad. Such as all Australians either live in the bush and have pet Kangaroos or spend their days by the beach drinking. La'Brooy writes universal stories and characters that just happen to take place in major Australian cities. Her characters are multicultural and her backdrops modern and believable. Absolutely brilliant!
Enough background, on to the actual novel. Bittersweet follows the tale of two sisters. The eldest being Sabrina, a beautiful, glamorous, together actor who is engaged to marry her prince charming. The youngest being, Mimi, an unfit, unorganised, unemployed layabout who only just returned home after backpacking around Europe for three years. As the story progresses we learn there is much more then meets the eye when it comes to both girls and their relationship with each other.
Every time I thought I had this seemingly simple piece of fluff story figured out it went and surprised me. Making me see that it wasn't as fluffy as I had originally anticipated. Sabrina and Mimi have their demons as do most of the supporting characters. The world of Bittersweet altered and grew time and again making it difficult to put down. Always pushing the reader to the next big plot point.
I finished this novel over a 24 hour period and found myself almost relieved at coming to its end, finally knowing all the twists and turns, finally being able to breathe and let the characters to rest in my mind. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a follow-up to Bittersweet waiting in the wings. The sisters stories, while mostly resolved, don't feel exactly finished. I can easily see another novel following Mimi and the relationship and new career she begins at Bittersweets end as well as maybe a further look at where Sabrina's much altered life may take her.
Overall I found Bittersweet an enjoyable distraction and one I am glad to have spent time with. Certainly not my favourite of La'Brooys works but one with merit none the less.
May 15, 2017
I have always loved her novels. She was the Australian version of Sophie Kinsella, except funnier. Lots funnier. I was so happy when coming across this book in a 2nd hand book shops. This book didn't disappoint. The characters were lovable and realistic. It was so easy to emphatise with these imperfect characters who were trying to be the better version of themselves. The storyline was interesting and it was wonderfully written.
November 29, 2018
Didn’t expect much but pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I guess I identified a little with Sabrina’s character who developed through the need to protect her family, to be the reliable one, the strong one. So much so that people see it as she doesn’t need people, she is ice princess. When the turmoil and anguish she feels just perenially gets pushed down. In effect she acts not just on screen but also off screen. We all do that in some ways.
April 13, 2011
Sisters Sabrina and Miriam Faulks couldn’t be more different. Sabrina is thin, beautiful and the darling of the Australian soap star scene. She’s the elder sister, the responsible one who does sensible things. Miriam, aka Mimi on the other hand, is shorter, a fraction overweight and has never held a job in her life. When the two girls inherit quite a substantial amount of money from their grandparents, despite her well paying, steady job, Sabrina invests her. Mimi chooses to spend three years backpacking overseas, travelling from country to country just enjoying herself.
When Mimi returns home because her money has run out, she discovers just how hard it is to get a job when your CV doesn’t actually have anything on it. The two sisters haven’t spoken in some time due to a feud but Sabrina ‘hires’ Mimi to be her bridesmaid for her upcoming wedding. Sabrina is far too busy for the day to day preparations that are involved with planning an event that will be one of Australia’s most watched on the social scene so she delegates a lot of the organisation to Mimi, paying her for her time. Mimi’s first task is to contact the seemingly invisible celebrity wedding planner who did ‘Nicole & Keith’s’ wedding and get them to agree to plan Sabrina’s.
Even though Sabrina and Mimi are now supposedly working together to make sure that Sabrina’s wedding comes together perfectly, the two can’t help bickering over insults and memories that are, in some cases, twenty years old. They both have set views of the other in their minds and can’t seem to get past those old childish fights that keep bubbling up. Things are further complicated by Mimi’s attraction to Edward, Sabrina’s perfect fiance and her fantasies that he’d be much more suited to being with her rather than her uptight and humourless sister.
As the wedding draws closer the two sisters will be unable to stop family secrets and old bitter feelings from spilling out, threatening everything.
I’ve always enjoyed reading bits and pieces of ‘chick-lit’ although to be honest, I’ve never much cared for the term. I generally like it to be with some subtle depths and undertones and this novel actually fits that bill perfectly. For a start, our main character is mostly Mimi, although we are treated to the points of view of several others through the novel. Predominantly though, we’re with Mimi and she’s refreshingly honest and also, a fraction different from a lot of other characters I’ve come across in the genre. She’s up front about not being the attractive sister, and although she doesn’t realise how much weight she has put on from take away and beer during her travels, she does realise when she tries on her bridesmaid dress. We’re never told her size, but we know that she is unhappy with herself and seeks to change it. She’s unwilling to do the physical exercise but she does, and not just because of the wedding. She’s acerbic, judgemental and presents us with one idea of her sister Sabrina that the reader eventually comes to realise is very skewed. She wants to feel sorry for herself and for a while you feel sorry for her as you go along for the ride until Mimi is forced to look at a few home truths.
While Mimi has come home to Australia with her tail between her legs, fleeing after a betrayal that came straight off the bat of several stupid decisions, she falls for Sabrina’s fiance Edward, the handsome, rich type who seems to her, perfect. She can’t see why he is with Sabrina and although she fantasises about him, she doesn’t attempt anything untoward. Her feelings, or believed feelings for Edward do blind her to the other options that are out there for her that clearly make more sense. But Mimi needs to learn a few things before she will ever be able to look further than her blinkered view of the ‘perfect’ Edward.
Bittersweet also deals with some darker issues such as suburban domestic violence and alcoholism, eating disorders, fertility and binge drinking. Somehow despite that, this book doesn’t seem over cluttered with issues as it’s quite easy to see how most of them all stem from one issue that had a far-reaching effect on both Sabrina and Mimi. It also gives us an insight how families can become so fractured when trying to process and deal with these issues, particularly when those involved are young children. And how hard it can be to swallow pride and perceptions and work to mend the breaks.
If you like your chick lit to deal with painful issues and highlight the difficult relationships of family in a realistic way then you might enjoy this one. Bittersweet isn’t really about romance or finding that perfect guy at all – in fact that part of if makes up less than probably 5% of the 450-page novel. It’s about two sisters learning to find some common ground so they can put aside their differences and work their way back to how they used to be. It wasn’t quite the lighthearted, fun read I was expecting but I definitely enjoyed it and will seek out other work from this author.
When Mimi returns home because her money has run out, she discovers just how hard it is to get a job when your CV doesn’t actually have anything on it. The two sisters haven’t spoken in some time due to a feud but Sabrina ‘hires’ Mimi to be her bridesmaid for her upcoming wedding. Sabrina is far too busy for the day to day preparations that are involved with planning an event that will be one of Australia’s most watched on the social scene so she delegates a lot of the organisation to Mimi, paying her for her time. Mimi’s first task is to contact the seemingly invisible celebrity wedding planner who did ‘Nicole & Keith’s’ wedding and get them to agree to plan Sabrina’s.
Even though Sabrina and Mimi are now supposedly working together to make sure that Sabrina’s wedding comes together perfectly, the two can’t help bickering over insults and memories that are, in some cases, twenty years old. They both have set views of the other in their minds and can’t seem to get past those old childish fights that keep bubbling up. Things are further complicated by Mimi’s attraction to Edward, Sabrina’s perfect fiance and her fantasies that he’d be much more suited to being with her rather than her uptight and humourless sister.
As the wedding draws closer the two sisters will be unable to stop family secrets and old bitter feelings from spilling out, threatening everything.
I’ve always enjoyed reading bits and pieces of ‘chick-lit’ although to be honest, I’ve never much cared for the term. I generally like it to be with some subtle depths and undertones and this novel actually fits that bill perfectly. For a start, our main character is mostly Mimi, although we are treated to the points of view of several others through the novel. Predominantly though, we’re with Mimi and she’s refreshingly honest and also, a fraction different from a lot of other characters I’ve come across in the genre. She’s up front about not being the attractive sister, and although she doesn’t realise how much weight she has put on from take away and beer during her travels, she does realise when she tries on her bridesmaid dress. We’re never told her size, but we know that she is unhappy with herself and seeks to change it. She’s unwilling to do the physical exercise but she does, and not just because of the wedding. She’s acerbic, judgemental and presents us with one idea of her sister Sabrina that the reader eventually comes to realise is very skewed. She wants to feel sorry for herself and for a while you feel sorry for her as you go along for the ride until Mimi is forced to look at a few home truths.
While Mimi has come home to Australia with her tail between her legs, fleeing after a betrayal that came straight off the bat of several stupid decisions, she falls for Sabrina’s fiance Edward, the handsome, rich type who seems to her, perfect. She can’t see why he is with Sabrina and although she fantasises about him, she doesn’t attempt anything untoward. Her feelings, or believed feelings for Edward do blind her to the other options that are out there for her that clearly make more sense. But Mimi needs to learn a few things before she will ever be able to look further than her blinkered view of the ‘perfect’ Edward.
Bittersweet also deals with some darker issues such as suburban domestic violence and alcoholism, eating disorders, fertility and binge drinking. Somehow despite that, this book doesn’t seem over cluttered with issues as it’s quite easy to see how most of them all stem from one issue that had a far-reaching effect on both Sabrina and Mimi. It also gives us an insight how families can become so fractured when trying to process and deal with these issues, particularly when those involved are young children. And how hard it can be to swallow pride and perceptions and work to mend the breaks.
If you like your chick lit to deal with painful issues and highlight the difficult relationships of family in a realistic way then you might enjoy this one. Bittersweet isn’t really about romance or finding that perfect guy at all – in fact that part of if makes up less than probably 5% of the 450-page novel. It’s about two sisters learning to find some common ground so they can put aside their differences and work their way back to how they used to be. It wasn’t quite the lighthearted, fun read I was expecting but I definitely enjoyed it and will seek out other work from this author.
August 14, 2011
Sabrina Falks is the golden girl; a beautiful, successful actress who is engaged to the too-good-to-be-true Edward. Her life is glamorous and seemingly perfect – apart from her recurring desire to run away.
Her younger sister, Mimi, is funny and bright but also hopelessly lost, with no career prospects, no money, no love life and a string of disastrous mistakes in her past.
Estranged since a fight over their dark family history, Sabrina and Mimi enter into a reluctant alliance when Sabrina hires Mimi to be her bridesmaid. The sisters then do battle with intrusive paparazzi, out-of-control dress designers and, increasingly, each other.
As the wedding day approaches, long-buried family secrets emerge, and Sabrina and Mimi find themselves facing some unforeseen home truths ...
Marriage, celebrity culture and the bittersweet bonds of family take centre stage in this warm, funny novel that sparkles with wit and wisdom.
Her younger sister, Mimi, is funny and bright but also hopelessly lost, with no career prospects, no money, no love life and a string of disastrous mistakes in her past.
Estranged since a fight over their dark family history, Sabrina and Mimi enter into a reluctant alliance when Sabrina hires Mimi to be her bridesmaid. The sisters then do battle with intrusive paparazzi, out-of-control dress designers and, increasingly, each other.
As the wedding day approaches, long-buried family secrets emerge, and Sabrina and Mimi find themselves facing some unforeseen home truths ...
Marriage, celebrity culture and the bittersweet bonds of family take centre stage in this warm, funny novel that sparkles with wit and wisdom.
September 9, 2013
Chick lit at its best. I really enjoyed this story about two sisters who have drifted apart. I could have done without Sabrina's "dark secret" (Christ, does that always have to be the issue in a chick lit for a woman who is married or getting married?). But it's a small gripe and I did like the ending despite myself.
The sisters are so well written and their lives felt very real to me - even the surreal life of a beautiful soapie star. I liked that everyone had flaws, it wasn't all happy families here. I also liked Aunt Bron. Very relatable older woman.
Read this over a few days and its a thick book. A great story you can really get your teeth into.
The sisters are so well written and their lives felt very real to me - even the surreal life of a beautiful soapie star. I liked that everyone had flaws, it wasn't all happy families here. I also liked Aunt Bron. Very relatable older woman.
Read this over a few days and its a thick book. A great story you can really get your teeth into.
February 7, 2011
Two sisters who have had a difficult time in recent years, are brought back together as the famous sister hires her sibling to be her bridesmaid and to organize the wedding.
This is quite a sad story at times but does have many funny moments. I think the real thing about this book is that people will be able to relate to it. The exact circumstances may change but we have all felt like the characters at one time or another and so can empathize with their situation.
This is quite a sad story at times but does have many funny moments. I think the real thing about this book is that people will be able to relate to it. The exact circumstances may change but we have all felt like the characters at one time or another and so can empathize with their situation.
March 11, 2011
Some thoughts while reading….
There are so many factors influencing families and sisters and their relationship. While reading this novel, I reminisced on my own relationship with my sister. There were many times throughout the book that I could actually see similarities between the fictional characters and my own life.
See the complete review... http://t.co/JO9a6gA
There are so many factors influencing families and sisters and their relationship. While reading this novel, I reminisced on my own relationship with my sister. There were many times throughout the book that I could actually see similarities between the fictional characters and my own life.
See the complete review... http://t.co/JO9a6gA
September 20, 2012
This book lacked the distinctive quirks that come with all Melanie La'Brooy's books. Without them and the dash of humour so unique to her works, this book is reduced to just another chick-lit.
April 2, 2015
Bittersweet indeed - not the joyful rom com I was expecting but enjoyable nonetheless.
September 20, 2015
it was great story about sisterhood.
November 29, 2015
A nice easy summer read. No real depth though, nothing that really grabs your attention to say 'I can't wait to read the next chapter!'
July 3, 2012
Not her best work
March 24, 2013
I really like Melanie La'Brooy's books
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews