I wanted to love this story but it just didnt do it for me. I felt that i couldnt connect to the characters anf the plot was just mediochre.

This book started out really slow for me. There is a lot of time spent on build up… learning about the characters’ childhood and focusing on random side plots that are not pertinent to the outcome of the story. There were several times that I considered just stopping and adding the book to my DNF pile, but because I had received it for review, I really wanted to push through.

It wasn’t until about 40% into the book that the action really started picking up. At that point things went faster for me and I felt more involved in the plot, though there were still some side plots that I really felt weren’t necessary, and a lot of focus was placed on some side characters who didn’t move the story along in the beginning.

All that being said, this wasn’t a bad story and there was a lot good about it. I actually really like the story within the story of The Pirate Lover. In some ways I connected more with Electra than I did with Neave. I loved Annie’s character, and Ruga, and Max.

I was confused about a few things within the story… mostly the side characters and side plots that drew away from the focus of the main plot. But what I really didn’t understand was the dog… at all. I think another character, or just Lilly by herself would have been more effective for me. And I would have liked to see more of Janey, I thought she was a really strong character.

I was expecting a different feel with this book as it was labeled a New Adult Romance. I felt like the romance was buried and not the main plot; this was more about the relationship between Lilly and Neave than about either of their romantic lives. I would have designated this more as Literary Fiction or even Historical Fiction over Romance. And I think that expectation altered my enjoyment because I was looking for more of the romance that just wasn’t there.

This was not quite what I was expecting from the book's description. It is not a light, fluffy romance. It has a bit of everything but I would categorize it as a historical fiction/general fiction. There is romance, coming-of-age, suspense, etc...It was a decent read but I wish that the story had been more cohesive.

I hate giving DNF reviews but this book was so hard to read. I didn't enjoy it enough to keep reading beyond a couple of chapters and had to quit.

I have picked up and put this down several times, but never managed to finish it. This was just not for me.

A heavier read than I was expecting - but what a delightful story! It is a hard book to characterize between historical/romance/coming of age. What a delight!

First, major kudos on the cover.

Second, the back description and the cover may lead to an impression that this is a fun and potentially light/fluffy book, but that's not the case. It's half coming-of-age for a young woman who finds the world of books to be appealing when she gets to read for an elderly woman who has a romantic spirit. Naeve becomes particularly obsessed with a romantic tomb called 'A Pirate Lover', and throughout the book - until the very last chapters - bits of the book are mixed into the storyline. She also speaks of her brothers addiction to comics, so kudos there too.

Above all though it's about a bond of two sisters and how they grow together, go into business together, flourish together, and then must part through a tragedy that is hinted at from the start. There is a weird mixing of life and death that is hard to explain without giving some details away.

The writing style is well-done and colorful; Pywell has a beautiful way with words that makes a reader stand up and take notice. The story-line holds great potential to be fascinating with how adventurous some of it is, yet my interest only stayed afloat at a 3 star line. Sometimes things were a little confusing with the POV shifts, but the story-line also wasn't in order since we had some flashbacks, future tense warning of what's to come, and present tense. There's not a huge amount of difference between the sisters - in other words, the writing style is the same no matter the viewpoint - so I would have to pause depending on which viewpoint I was reading sometimes to check the chapter heading and make sure.

I dug the style of writing, the coming of age feel, but like many books out there the beginning is where the strongest part lies. Her childhood and teenage years was the most fascinating and where I was glued the most. She was fine as an adult but this the story got..strange and I wasn't sure where it was aiming to go. It comes together at the end in a satisfying conclusion.

Wow, a wonderful book. I was not expecting everything in this book romance, mystery, historical setting.

Thanks Flatiron and netgalley for this ARC,

Just couldn't get into this one

This was a book that was equal parts confusing and fascinating. Confusing due to the different points of view as well as being two stories in one. Fascinating because I liked the different points of view and Neave is a woman that I would get along great with especially since she's such a bookworm.
Neave and Lilly are sisters born exactly two years apart in the 30's who are alike in some business matters but completely different in personalities. Neave is more comfortable reading and baking pies than being social until she gets into a business with Lilly called Be Your Best which is a makeup company. Lilly is a social butterfly who knows a lot about makeup, loves men and fashion. They live at home until in their 20s with another sister, brother, father who would rather be at work or in his garden than be around his family and a mother who is a homemaker and worries whether her daughters will marry some day.
Both find love but in completely different ways and Lilly makes a decision to be with a twisted man that will alter her life and the lives of her loved ones forever.
When Lilly goes missing just before a big yearly conference, Neave finds herself at a loss of what to do and no one can seem to locate her. Help will come in the most unlikely of places and Neave will soon see that sometimes life can give you want you need and more.
Also there's another book contained in this story which just happens to be Neave's favorite book.
Full of surprises, mystery, humor, love of family and a very loyal canine, it was a book that I very much enjoyed.
I will warn you though that there some dark parts in this story but nothing too gruesome.
I look forward to seeing what this author has next up her sleeve!

As stated above, I don't rate and review books I do not finish.

I loved the Title, so decided to give it a go, and wasn't disapointed at all. It is different, and combines various genres. Basically a family saga, it concerns two sisters, who grow up between the wars.in America. Lilly, the pretty and charismatic sister, makes unwise choices in love, and Neave. The story is told from both sister points of view, and is engaging, especially as the sisters embark on a succesful cosmetics business.
Neave is a bit of a dreamer, losing herself in stories, in particular a Pirate romance, which she enjoys and reads often througout her life, whilst never really dealing with a real romance, this story colours how she thinks of life.
The book takes a darker turn when Lilly's story unfolds in a shocking way. There is a sub plot involving the afterlife which is rather strange, but when you are reading it doesn't seem odd at all although it makes it rather difficult to describe. However this aside, the book combines romance, murder, sibling rivalry and it is all told in a unique style. The characters are all believable, and overall I think this book is a really good read, and would recommend it as different and engaging.

The perfect book for the non romance reader. Literate, witty, and smart - a love story, thriller and ghost tale wrapped in one. Hard to describe without giving away too much. Read it and be captivated.

World War II has just ended, and Neave and Lilly Terhune find themselves suddenly unemployed as their positions are given to newly returned soldiers. With Lilly's charisma and sales experience and Neave's business sense, the two sisters build their own cosmetics business from the ground up. Just as their business really starts to boom, Lilly disappears and Neave is left to figure out what happened to her. Meanwhile, Neave's life begins to parallel the pirate romance she loved as a young girl, passages of which are included in this book.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! I wasn't really sure what to expect, but the story was wonderful -- unique, beautifully written, and full of mystery and intrigue. We follow Lilly and Neave (as well as their other siblings, Snyder and Jane) from childhood through adulthood and all of the ups and downs along the way. By the end of the book, I felt that I really knew all of the characters, almost as if they were real people.

Pywell does a great job of not only writing this historical fiction novel but also writing the steamy pirate romance that Neave stole from her childhood employer. I was intrigued by the story of Electra and Basil from the start, but as Neave's life began to mirror Electra's more and more, I couldn't wait until the next excerpt! Although nothing too shocking happens throughout the course of either story, it was written in such a way that I wanted to stay up all night to find out what would happen next.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to any romance fan, as well as anybody who likes a good mystery! I've already followed Sharon Pywell on social media, and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

<b>Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC!</b>

What a fantastic novel!! I have to admit that when I initially started reading The Romance Reader's Guide to Life I wasn't connecting with the storyline, but then at about 20% everything starting clicking!! Eventually the opening/prologue starting making sense and once that happened, I could not put down my kindle until I was finished!!! This book literally had it all-- a coming-of-age tale, women's fiction, paranormal, historical fiction, mystery/suspense and romance!! I am blown away by Sharon Pywell's ability to meld all of those genres together so seamlessly!! Not to mention the story within a story, I was honestly equally intrigued to read both stories outcome (I loved how Ms. Pywell tied the stories together). I was first drawn to this novel by it's enchanting cover, but I am so thrilled to report that the contents far exceeded my expectations-- amazing!!! The Romance Reader's Guide to Life is a 5 star book that has something for everyone!! Sharon Pywell is a brilliant author that I will most definitely keep on radar!!!