The Sometimes Sister by Carolyn Brown is a delightful book about three sisters. Dana, Harper, and Tawny who use to spend their summers at their Granny Annie rustic lakeside resort, located in Texas. When Granny dies the three girls are brought together to help run the resort. All three girls are caring secrets that the others don't know about. Can their grandmother’s death bring them together or tear them more apart? I really like this book, and felt very invested in all three girls stories. I strongly recommended this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

It’s been a while since I got excited to read and review a new book-- probably since Ms. Carolyn’s last women’s fic- The Lilac Bouquet. I actually got an ARC a few weeks ago, but found myself waiting to do this write-up until I could share it with others. I loved it so much, I couldn’t help but want to discuss Sometimes Sisters. What’s a girl to do? I bought it for my mom and refused to speak to her until she told me she finished it (she gives it five stars, too).
Welcome to another amazing drama, with impressive intergenerational characters and plenty of family history. From the first page, it’s easy to get hooked by this realistic soap opera. I laughed; I cried; I fell in love. I begged and pleaded, and walked away satisfied having taken on a second family- wishing I could drive south and visit this newfound kin.

Five stars all the way. Yes, Sometimes Sisters will more than likely find its way into Easter baskets and birthday gifts for family and friends. Heck, I’ve already bought a copy!

I received a copy of Sometimes Sisters by Carolyn Brown via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A laid-back resort by the lake welcomes back three half-sisters when their grandmother dies. Grandma Annie’s last wish is to see these three Sometimes Sisters work past whatever made them all go their separate ways as teens and become a family again. With the help of the resort, old Uncle Zed, memories of Annie, chances at new and old love, the Clancy sisters return to the lake.
Review

I enjoyed this touching story that focuses on the lives of three estranged sisters who have all hit rock bottom and need a do over on life and a new chance at being family. The death of their grandmother and the summons from beyond the grave for them to all return to the lake resort where they used to spend their summers is the catalyst that is needed. Dana, Harper, and Tawny, along with Dana’s precocious teenage daughter must now run the resort together per Annie’s wishes.

It starts out really rocky with these three and I was ready to hose the lot of them down. They each come burdened down with secrets and baggage and poor Zed has his hands full fulfilling his deceased love’s last wishes and his own before he is gone, too. I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it through the acrimonious snipping the sisters did, but the author found a good balance there and started having them begin to heal and change just at the right moment. It was gradual and just the right pace to be believable for the type of past hurts and pains these three were suffering.

The author’s usual wry country humor, engaging characters, and charming nostalgic setting was all there, but it was pared with touching family issues of these three women and young woman who have all had the bitter pain of disappointing parents to deal with and Annie, the grandmother, being the one who held them all together for a while and the one they could count on. Now, they are slowly learning to count on themselves and each other even as their healing brings the chance for old romance and new romance opportunities.

The romances were sweet, but I was definitely more attracted to the sisterly relationships and the coming back together as family. Old, darling Zed was my favorite character. I enjoyed those bittersweet moments where he ‘talked’ and ‘listened’ to Annie while he tried to corral those younger women and know just how to handle them all particularly in the beginning when they were so hostile.

All in all, this was a gently-paced story that tugged at my heart, made me chuckle a little, and tear up once or twice. It had lighter qualities, but it was a little bittersweet, too. This will match up for those who enjoy stories of family healing and a side of sweet romance.

I rec’d this book from Net Galley to read in exchange of an honest review.

"The Sometimes Sisters" is the story of three sisters who have grown part over the years. When their father's mother dies, they all come to gather. They find she's left them her property, divided up amongst the three of them but they will have to work together. Her hope is they will rediscover and rebuild their familial bonds.

All three women, Dana, Harper, and Tawny, are having hard times and their grief over their grandmother's death at first pushes them further apart. They sniped at each other and harassed each other and kept secrets from each other. To be honest, they were initially unlikable. Slowly, they start to open up, and to become more tolerable for the reader and to each other. Small town living, hard work, and homilies from their uncle Zed all help them find their way back. Along the way, they all find romance and learn a secret about their Grandma Annie. The romances could have been developed more, or even left out all together. They were sweet and tender romances, which I liked, but I would have preferred to see the women form their bonds and deal with their individual problems before getting romantically involved. One of the romances felt shoehorned in as if Brown realized she'd given romances to everyone and forgotten one sister. There were some quotes I seriously disagreed with and a factual error about a current show on TV, and the emphasis on the beauties of small town life got to be a bit much. Like many authors, Brown has a tendency to put small town life on a pedestal. I've lived in small towns most of my life so I know full well the downsides to them.

"The Sometimes Sisters" was a slow-moving, sweet story that had its share of tragedy and bitterness but ultimately it was hopeful and and had a happy ending. Although the story frustrated me at times, I did get pulled in and rooted for the sisters to make peace with each other. If you want a character driven, sweet story that's a mix of family drama and romance, then pick up "The Sometimes Sisters".

More of a women's fiction than a romance, this story followed three sisters (Dana, the illegitimate child, Harper, and Tawny) who were, despite all their differences, grieving the loss of their grandmother, Granny Annie, who had given each of them unconditional love throughout their lives.

The premise of this story was beautiful; I looked forward to watching these sisters come together, through the wise and often funny words of their grandmother, and heal in an idyllic lake resort. The story started off strong, with Granny's death and what she asks "Uncle Zed" to do. It was sweet and poignant and lovely, and the emotion was deep.

But that's where the good ended for me. I didn't like Dana; she came off as snobby and holier-than-thou with her attitude toward her sisters (she thought they were spoiled). Tawny is kicked out of college due to drugs, and Harper's dealing with issues stemming from leaving home at 16. Each story seemed like it held promise, but the writing simply didn't hold my attention. I found myself putting the book down often and picking it up reluctantly. At 30%, I realized I just couldn't do it. The pacing was all over the place - fast, then so so slow, then quicker, then slower. I didn't relate to any of the characters, and the hope I felt in the first scene quickly fizzled out into disappointment.

DNF.

reviewed by Nancy

This book was great it reminds me of those movies that you need a box of kleenex beside you to watch so be forewarned that it will probably make you cry a few times but then it lifts you up and makes you laugh as well. This book shows what mixed-up family dynamics can become if someone is only willing to work at it. It left me feeling hopeful and happy.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

This is such a beautiful journey and Zed takes your heart from the beginning. From his moments with Annie to how he is with Harper, Dana, Brook and Tawny he captures you and has you smile. He shows us how timeless love is. He also shows us what patience, understanding, kindness and family is.

when Annie dies, Zed brings the sisters back to the cabin to run them. they are not exactly a loving group of sisters and he is on a mission to have them find their way to one another once more. Each one has a burden on them that they are ashamed of and feel guilty for and it eats at them in different ways. Harper has her drink. Dana has her feel the others are princesses and don’t know hard work and Tawny is gruff. when the first get together you doubt they will ever find their way.

Harper has so much pain and guilt inside you wonder if she will drown from it. It is Zed that helps her see that their is light in the darkness. Him and Wyatt. Wyatt who was her childhood love and such a understanding and caring man. He holds her and is there for her when she is feeling the weakest. He loves her and supports her and gives her the time and space to find her way to him. Once she releases her anger and secret she feels at peace and can move on in life, love and with her family. She is a strong character.

Tawny is the one everyone thought was perfect. Little did they know she had crosses to bear as well. she is the last to release her anger and guilt but she is the first to come to her sister’s side and defend them. She is a spitfire and watching her find her way was the toughest because she was the most stubborn with her pain and guilt.

Dana was stubborn and kind. A great mom who felt shame from her situation that led her to the cabins. Only she had a daughter to raise and a secret there as well. She thought that Tawny and harper had the perfect family-little did she know how wrong she was. As she got to know her sisters she finds this out. Watching them come to be there for their niece had her see them differently. So did Zed. It was to keep him from being sad that these three began to come together. Slowly as they released their secrets to him and he watched them become sisters did he feel at peace and so did they.

Each one finds romance and peace within but also find their way to being sisters and a family. Zed’s and Annie’s love is epic but Wyatt and Harper’s love captures your heart as well.

this is a tender sweet and intimate story about family, friends, forgiveness and finding your way to forgive yourself and let love in. It is beautifully written and just makes you feel good at the end as you watch these sisters journey to becoming a family and letting go of their anger, guilt and shame and becoming sisters that support and love one another. They also find love with others and peace within.

The Sometimes Sister is a book about family. Tawny, Harper, and their half sister, Dana were never close. They were all caught up in their own lives and keeping their own secrets. When their grandmother, Annie dies, they inheirit her lakeside resort in Texas. They come together and discover things about themselves and each other that may bring them closer with a little help from their "Uncle Zed" who may be keeping some secrets of his own. This is a moving book full of strong female characters. If you like a book in which the characters show tremendous growth throughout the course of the story, you will enjoy this touching family saga.

The Sometimes Sisters, by Carolyn Brown was an excellent story about three sisters that have drifted apart. It was very well written, and the main characters were well developed. I fell into this story and enjoyed it from beginning until it ended! The sisters have not seen each other for 10 years and come together with the death of their grandma. They all have secrets, trust issues and a whole lot of baggage that happened during their time apart. They work their way towards trust, forgiveness and end up stronger than ever as a family again. It was an interesting and emotional story, but I felt was so realistic in the process. Carolyn Brown added all the elements from humor to tears that makes a story great. Good job!

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest review.

I loved this book so much. It's about three estranged sisters who reunite to claim their inheritance. I won't lie I teared up a few times while reading this one. It's packed with heart and the feels. I really enjoyed that along with the three sisters finding their footing back together at the lake each sister also has their own story going on as well. I thought the epilogue was beautiful and the perfect way to end this one. I can't recommend this book enough. I had a book hangover last night because I couldn't put this book down.

I really enjoyed my first book by Carolyn Brown. I love reading books about sisters and this was no exception. It’s about forgiveness ad love and loss, highly recommend,,

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary Jo – ☆☆☆☆☆
This book was as emotional as you can get. You share the tears of grief as Zed watches his beloved Annie breathe her last. You see the resilience that Zed has to make sure that Annie's last wishes are carried out and to bring her girls home.

Dana, Harper, and Tawny each have a lot of baggage that they have carried by themselves for years. Having been betrayed by the people who were supposed to have loved them unconditionally, they are wary of trusting anyone, including their "sometimes sisters."

Annie somehow knew that her granddaughters needed a home to come to and she not only provided that home, but also the family that they had been missing for a long time.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆☆
This is a beautiful book, which has many layers, and is deeply emotional – i.e., expect to need tissues. Even though the reason is clearly signposted, it makes it no easier to bear and big ugly tears were inevitable – for me at least!

It was a really clever way of giving us many stories in one and especially that of Annie and Zed. There were lovely little hints, such as the lack of a perfume smell in the room Dana takes over. Such attention to detail without being too flowery is a feature of Ms Brown's writing, and it is highly effective.

There was also a wonderful message of how easy it is to assume that everyone's reaction will be negative, given the feedback we get from those who are supposed to love unconditionally. That level of judgment which caused sadness 50 years ago, still persists in other forms right now. The setting, the behaviours of the sisters and their parents, all combined to give a truly meaningful and special story for us to enjoy. Thank you, Ms. Brown, for sharing it with us.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Sometimes Sisters. Sisters, Tawny, Dana and Harper use to get together every summer with their Grandma Annie and Uncle Zed at the cabins. All of a sudden it stopped ten years ago. Now that Annie has died, her last wish was for the girls to return to the cabins. She has left the cabins to the girls in her will.

Many family issues, secrets and trust issues will come out in the story that it will keep you turning the pages. Each thought they had it better than the other. Now they are all working together and finding romance. They soon learn how important family is. I think we all need an Uncle Zed in our lives.

Heartwarming, homespun, quirky, emotional and entertaining adventure for three sisters with a lot of real life regrets and secrets keeping them apart.

Dana, Harper, and Tawny are the “Sometimes Sisters” each with a different yet sad history and only one summer together at their Granny Annie’s lakeside resort (their dad's mom). When Granny Annie passes it is her dying wish they come together to run the resort and make a go of it as a family. Uncle Zed is on hand to help them become the sisters they are meant to be. (Granny's best friend) I just adored him so much. This story made me cry, laugh and sigh almost at the same time. Just loved it!

Four stars: A touching story that reminds us of the importance of family.

Dana, Harper and Tawny are sometimes sisters. They have never gotten along, and they have never seen eye to eye. Dana has trouble relating to her two half sisters, not only because they are younger, but also because she thinks they are spoiled. Harper has not seen her sisters in a long time, ever since she left home at sixteen, she has been lost. Bouncing from job to job, trying to find her way. Tawny, the youngest, is reeling after she was recently kicked out of college for a drug infraction. All three sisters are looking for employment and a place to call home. When they receive the tragic news that their beloved Granny Annie has died, the trio head to the one place they used called home to pick up the pieces, claim their inheritance and hopefully find a home. Will they ever be more than sometimes sisters?

What I Liked:
*Carolyn Brown is best known for her sweet cowboy romances, but every now and then, Ms. Brown delivers a touching, contemporary story. This book is about three sisters who lost their way. They come home after their sweet grandma passes away. They work to claim their inheritance, and over time, they recognize the importance of familial bonds. This is a moving story that will tug at your heart strings. Don’t miss it.
*I liked that all three of the sisters take time to grow on you. As the story opens, all three of the women are struggling with their professional and personal lives. In fact, they are all train wrecks. When they reunite, they are quick to find fault with one another and to speak harshly. As the story moves on, the reader learns the secret burden that each girl is carrying. Once the girls open up and let go, beautiful things happen. I loved watching each sister grow and evolve. By the end, they will win you over.
Zed and Brook round out the cast, and they are the show stealers. Zed is an old African American who was the best friend to their beloved Granny Annie. Zed loved Annie from the time he was a little boy, despite the fact that Annie was blonde and white. Love does not see color. After Annie passes away, it is up to Zed to see that Annie’s dying wishes to reunite her granddaughters is met. Zed is steadfast, kind, patient and devoted. How I loved this kindly, old man. Brook is Dana’s teenage daughter. She is more grown up than her mom and aunts a lot of the time. I loved how she often talked sense into the feuding girls. She is a sweetheart, but don’t think she is a pushover, she can throw a punch and hold her own.
*At the heart of the story is the message of the importance of family, whether it be your blood relatives or the family you make with your heart as in the case of Zed. I loved seeing all the characters grow closer and closer. Even when they were feuding, the girls were quick to defend one another to outsiders. By the end, the girls are always sisters.
*For all of you who love romance, there is romance in this one. I liked though the the romances were not the central focus of the story, they are fun side stories.
*This is a heartfelt book. I loved exploring all the relationships, especially the one between Zed and Granny Annie. There are so many heartfelt moments. I dare you to read this and not get teary eyed.
*The ending is sweet and satisfying. I loved that there was an Epilogue a year down the road that caught the reader up on everything that had transpired for the sisters. It was wonderful to see them content and happy.
And The Not So Much:
*One of the aspects that intrigued me the most was the relationship between Granny Annie and Zed. I was desperate to know more. Finally at the end, there was a revelation to the girls about the true nature of the relationship between Annie and Zed. I still wanted more. In fact, I would love a whole book with Granny Annie and Zed.
*Granny Annie even though she was dead throughout the book, still was one of the most fascinating characters. She is ever present in all the characters’ thoughts. I loved her witty sayings and her advice. I wanted so much more from Granny Annie. I found myself wishing that she could have been alive. I needed more of her!

The Sometimes Sisters is delightful and touching story that explores the bonds of family. I loved the characters, the story lines, and the focus on the importance of familial bonds, whether they be blood relations or those you choose with your heart. If you want a sweet story with memorable characters and one that will make you shed a few tears, grab this one.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.

Clear your calendar, grab the tissues and get comfortable, because once you start this emotional journey you won’t want to put this book down until you reach the end. In true Carolyn Brown fashion, The Sometimes Sisters cuts straight to the heart with a story told in a flowing, heartfelt, down to earth manner that effortlessly draws the reader in. The characters are genuine, complicated and endearingly flawed and in no time at all, we're fully invested in their story.

Three sisters who share the same father and spent only one month each summer together are reunited after their Grandma Annie's death and their shared inheritance of her quaint lakeside resort, Annie's Place. With years, secrets, walls and hard feelings between them these sisters learn about grief, loss, family and forgiveness. In the poignant, emotional telling of Dana, Harper and Tawny’s story, Ms. Brown gives us glimpses of what the world could be where the heart sees with love and the measure of one's wealth isn’t in the material things they leave behind but by the lives they touched. This is a beautiful, heartwarming, uplifting book by a truly gifted storyteller.

*I received a copy of this book from Net Galley and reviewed it freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

Well written story of 3 estranged sisters who seemingly don't get along. Grannie Annie passes away and leaves behind a resort that needs to be maintained.
A second chance of coming together and being a family.
Emotional. Heartfelt

Favorite Quotes:

Granny used to say that the person who stirs the shit pile has to lick the spoon.

He made it in eight minutes and would have arrived there sooner if he hadn’t gotten behind a pokey old woman who didn’t have any place to go and a year to get there.

Did you think it was all rainbows and unicorn farts after you left? The only thing that changed was that I got all the bitchin’ instead of sharin’ it with you.

You can do better… He’s not for you, Aunt Tawny. He’s got a cat and he lives with his mama.

She’d worn a white robe and the preacher said that she was leaving all her sins in the water and would be a new creature when she arose from it. At ten years old, she’d often wondered how the water felt holding the sins of so many people and where it went when the preacher pulled the plug and let it all go. Did it wash into the rivers, where the sin jumped on people as they swam?

She loved the sound of his soft drawl. Maybe she could take him home. He could sit beside her bed and read the phone book to her until she fell asleep.


My Review:

I enjoyed this cleverly paced small-town family drama that was packed with quirky characters, heart-squeezing histories, irreverent homespun wisdom, and amusing observations. Three grieving and desperate women arrived at a small-town Texas lake resort with each hoping for a chance at a fresh start in life. They had previously called themselves sometimes sisters, although they were actually three half-sisters who were only together one month each summer while staying at the rustic lake resort of with their much-loved grandmother, “Granny Annie.” Each was envious of the others but had never looked too deeply as nothing was as it had seemed.

But Granny Annie has just passed away, and the three women must return to run the resort together or get nothing at all, which posed quite the challenge, as they had not been successful in spending more than a few minutes together without an argument breaking out. Each arrived at the resort out of options, out of money, and weighted down with shameful secrets, regrets, and old resentments. Little did they know that Granny Annie had been keeping the biggest secret of them all. My favorite character was not one of the sisters but the elderly cook who had been known to them all their lives as Uncle Zed, I adored him, even if he was the cause of the first ugly cry I’ve sobbed out in years.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion of the book. The book started out a little slow until all the sisters were introduced. Dana, Harper, Tawny, come back home when their grandmother passed away and help take care of the family business. Every sister has lies they have been telling others and themselves for so long they take them for truth. The sisters need to deal with their demons to move forward with their lives and as a family. Zed has his own issues with the past and a long-time secret for their grandmother. During the novel, Zed keeps the women in line with their grandmother wishes. He helps them deal with the loss, petty issues, lies, and start the healing process to become a real family. I will be recommending this book to everyone!! What a great read!