Firstly, the topic of sisters lost and found (quite literally at some point) is one of my favourites. Sisters are frenemies usually, one of the closest yet unnerving bonds there are. Nothing like sisters!
So I have quite enjoyed seeing Waverly and Charlie Talbot's interacting with each other - from the point of them drifted apart by years and pains to the ones really, intimately talking to each other.

But, but...while there are many important issues covered here, most of them are covered in a shallow way. The only one exception is the sex trafficking issue, one of the most hurtful and damaging crimes ever. Kudos for covering that, Ms Tabot, and I mean it.
But the other issues are touched only briefly (like rape and its impact on a person) or at the surface level (like the wife-husband lack of communication; the pain of adopting process; finding love again after the hurtful experience - and the growing pains of maturing more and more into oneself!). The characters need more dimensions, really.

Also, and I am going to be personal here - I am a native citizen of one of the post-communist countries. The plot does not happen in my country (which is only mentioned in passing here), but I still can't help myself not to feel offended a bit for one of my most beloved countries in the world, which is Hungary. Because the tone is patronizing (even more for the Balkan countries). The plot supposedly happens in the present time, but the reality as written sounds like from the beginning of the 90's. Then, maybe, it was true. But we have moved very, very quickly and very far from that point. I understand that the authoress had lived in the Hungary, but I can not help but think that she really did not have Hungarian friends (as her character Charlie does not have - the closest to a friend is a waitress from her favourite cafe) and she did not really understand the country - otherwise she would write about the soul of the Hungarian people more. For me, Hungary is both old and dynamic, nostalgic and exciting, serious and colourful and I love it to the bits (and I do not even speak the language, but who wants to see, he/she sees). I strongly feel the authoress did not the country justice.

Also, the crime plot going on Kosovo/Albania is laughable. Like, seriously. They are not idiots there who are so kowtowing into the American culture (and the cooking shows, at that).

But apart from my personal feelings, the novel is not bad.It could be better, but still, are are good points of food for thought.

I loved this book so much! I'm not a twin but I am a sister and even in conflict there is a deep bond like no other. This is a new author to me and I look forward to reading many more books by her.

This book was a quick easy read, but I really enjoyed this story and would love to read more from this author.

I really enjoyed this book! A great story line that kept me hooked and excellent main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

Becoming the Talbot sisters is a story about family, love and purpose. Waverly and Charlotte Talbot are twin sisters who live very different lives. When a death in the family brings them together they both realise that the closeness they once had is no more and in order to rebuild that relationship they must come to terms with all that has happened in their pasts and face the future together. This story highlights the importance of family and encourages one to stand for what they know is right. I appreciate the effort the author put into her research about the different countries although there were some outliers here and there. There were some parts of the story that were expected and some unexpected. All in all it was an interesting book to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas Nelson--Fiction for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was much deeper than I expected. I couldn’t put it down. My only regret was not starting this earlier. Enjoyable read.

This book was unexpectedly full of layers and I appreciated the depth of each character. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought it flowed well, keeping me reading and engaged. However, it had a few unbelievable moments that made the book a like instead of a love.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review!

Waverly and Charlotte "Charlie" Talbot had their lives turned upside down just before their thirteenth birthdays when their parents died in a plane crash on their way to South Africa. These twin sisters went from living a life of affluence on the East coast to a modest life with an aunt in Ohio. Now their beloved aunt has died and it seems their lives are coming apart once again. The sisters have grown apart over the years and made lives for themselves on separate continents. Waverly seems to have it all, a popular cooking show on the Food Network, a loving husband, and a wonderful home. She's been likened to the next Martha Stewart. The only thing Waverly doesn't have is something she can never have, a child. Waverly has just had her sixth miscarriage and has been told she can't try to get pregnant again. Charlie travels to central Europe for an NGO teaching sex education. She had left the US with the thought of returning after only a few weeks but found her calling in South Africa. She was even determined to set up a clinic for women there only to have that dream stolen when all of her monies were embezzled by her business manager and then she was attacked and brutally raped. She's not sure what she wants from life, but she is sure that she can help her sister achieve her dream and offers to be a surrogate. Little do either Waverly or Charlie realize that this offer will send their lives spiraling down paths neither one saw coming. Will they be able to survive the future alone or finally come together as sisters once again?

I found Becoming the Talbot Sisters to be a fast-paced read and one that offered a little bit of everything, family drama, hints of romance, international intrigue, and more. Both Waverly and Charlie do a lot of soul searching and find out what they want from themselves and each other. It was interesting reading about them redeveloping their relationship as adults and revealing the secrets they had tried so hard to keep hidden for so many years. This became not just a story of sisterhood but about women empowering one another in so many ways (trust me, once you read the story you'll understand), as well as a story about hope, courage, love, and family. Throughout their journeys, Waverly and Charlie find that life is neither "simple" nor "perfect" but together it can be just right. For those of you that enjoy reading inspirational fiction then I heartily recommend you grab a copy of Becoming the Talbot Sisters to read. For those of you that aren't quite sure about inspirational fiction, then I say this book will surprise you and go ahead and grab a copy to read, you can thank me later. The only problem I had with this book is that it made me incredibly hungry to try out all of the foods being described and I wish there were a few recipes included to try out (and I don't even cook). I look forward to reading more from Ms. Linden in the future.

At the heart of Becoming the Talbot Sisters are Waverly Ross and Charlie Talbot, twins who have grown apart through years of living very different lives—but the death of their beloved aunt brings them together again and sets them on an unexpected path toward healing and reconciliation. As the two sisters begin to work through the heartbreak of past hurts and unfulfilled dreams, they soon discover emotion, adventure, and danger aplenty.

Taking readers on quite the international trip, Rachel Linden delivers a heartfelt story of the bond of sisterhood, while also going a step beyond family drama to grapple with a number of grittier topics. It proves engaging in both plot and setting, filled with immersive description and emotion, making Becoming the Talbot Sisters a pleasure to read.

When two sisters separated by continents and lifestyles come together again after the loss of a beloved aunt they can't help but want to get closer. One selfish act by one sister will bind them together forever.

I wrote a long review explaining why this novel didn't work for me ... and the internet ate it. But I didn't discover that for several weeks after writing the review, so now I can't remember what I said. Sorry. I do remember it annoyed me on many levels, and the world is probably better off without my impassioned vent.

This is a love story, a story of return. Unusually, a love story of siblings, an area we don’t often explore in society. I very much liked this emphasis. I felt I got to know the two sisters with their passions and fears, and tentative steps toward each other.

But the plotting of the book was obvious - even for me. I can’t usually guess what will come next, but I could, step by step, in this novel. Sadly, too bit predictable with the major events, but not with the setting (Central Europe, which was fantastic to explore), or with the tough issues it addresses - such as rape and trafficking.

I would have liked to see the strand of faith developed more strongly.

Thanks to netgalley.com for the ARC in exchange for a review.

I was initially hesitant about this book. Thought it might be a little too fluffy and romance for my taste.
However, I ended up pleasantly surprised at how much I grew to enjoy the two sisters and their relationship.
The book was interesting to read and I enjoyed reading about the far away locations. Some parts did seem a bit unrealistic and too neatly tied up but overall it was a fun book to read.

Becoming the Talbot Sisters by Rachel Linden is an amazing book about two sisters that have grown apart. Charlie and Waverly could not be more different and they barely have a relationship now that they are adults. When their aunt who raised them passes away, the sisters reunite for the funeral and begin a complicated relationship once more. While it is true that there are no clear Christian messages, this book is still worth the read. The characters are well developed and interesting as they develop through the story. The book has a great deal of emotional depth as well as some suspense in the plot. I am a fan of this author's previous book and love this one as well! Don't miss it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

I really enjoyed reading this story of twin sisters who lost touch with each other. When the aunt that raised them dies, Waverly takes a leave of absence from her TV cooking show to return home for the funeral. Her sister Charlie arrives from Budapest, Hungary where she works as an international aide worker. Waverly has just had another miscarriage and Charlie decides to become her surrogate and give Waverly and her husband Andrew the gift of life. The sisters soon bond over this idea but soon both are in peril when they are traveling in Europe and interfere with human smugglers, adoption rings and domestic issues on the home front. I thought the ending was rushed, I was hoping we would have another book with Charlie getting her life together and more bonding with Waverly. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Like bnb other reviews I have seen, I was surprised by the direction this book took but in a good way. I enjoyed the story of the twin sisters finding their way back to each other. The sex trafficking storyline was heartbreaking yet timely. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

This book really surprised me. I was expecting a book about two sisters who forge a relationship when one is unable to have a much-wanted baby and the other offers to be a surrogate. Their travels across Europe, especially to areas that are not often written about, provided more depth and interest. I also liked that we got some looks at the story from many perspectives--Waverly, Charlie,and even Andrew a few times. This made me connect more to the characters and understand their motivation better. I would have liked a little more from Charlie's perspective and a little less from Waverly's, but overall this is a fantastic book and well worth reading.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Charlie and Waverley are twin sisters who have grown apart. Orphaned at a young age and brought up by a loving Aunt they have drifted but come together for the funeral of their beloved Aunt.

Waverley seems to have it all. A cooking show almost at the top of her game, a loving husband, a very comfortable home. Charlie works for a NGO amongst women in Eastern Europe. She was swindled of her inheritance by a co-worker, she has been raped but all this trauma is hidden.

When she makes an offer of being a surrogate for Waverley who has suffered six miscarriages and is longing for a child of her own they both are shocked - Charlie who was never maternal wonders what made her offer and Waverley is of course over the moon.

Complications set in when Charlie gets back to her routine job and Waverley continues with her life at home. Charlie's inadvertent involvement in a human smuggling ring puts Charlie in danger and when Waverley unexpectedly pays a visit they are both kidnapped but it seems that it is not Charlie who is the target. The kidnappers want Waverley with her TV connections to highlight Albania and the plight of Albanians.

Taking twists and turns (some a bit improbable) the story moves to Charlie having a baby and Waverley facing a predicament of having two children now to choose when an unexpected bonus in the form of a four year old lands at her feet!

The children bring the two sisters close to each other in a way nothing ever can. The story of family set in two locations is descriptive and interesting. The contrast in the two characters was also nicely fitted into the story.

Twin sisters who have drifted apart, one lives in the states, the other lives in Budapest . One twin longs for a child of her own, but her body keeps rejecting each pregnancy, one twin offers to be a surrogate mother. One twin seems to have the perfect image, the other twin is trying to find herself after harboring a secret that has torn away the layers of who she really is. Throughout the book it is intertwined with both sisters thoughts and twists and turns along the way.

Becoming the Talbot Sisters is a great character drama. I’m pretty busy with work and moving right now, but I found myself completely engrossed in this story. Waverly and Charlie Talbot are twin sisters, but they have drifted apart as life as taken them down different paths. Waverly is a successful chef with her own cooking show on The Food Network, Simply Perfect. Her husband Andrew is her soul mate, but she longs for the children she is unable to have.

Charlotte “Charlie” Talbot is a world traveler who has spent her life helping others in need. She is currently working in Budapest, Hungary as an international aid worker. She flies back to the United States when she learns of the death of their beloved Aunt Mae, who raised them after their parents’ tragic death.
The two sisters reconnect and Charlie finds she can help her sister. The best laid plans never go as intended and soon the Talbot sisters find themselves in a world of trouble.

I don’t want to go off too much further into the plot as I found it very exciting and quite unpredicted. I didn’t know what to expect for this book and I really liked the surprises. This novel had everything I like: great characters, sister relationships, cooking, and international intrigue. It was very interesting. I also loved the characters growth throughout the story where they both realize problems they are having and how they can solve them and strengthen their relationship. All of the storylines through the novel tied together by the end and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I liked also learning the backstory of why the girls lived with Aunt Mae and what happened to Charlie as she started her world travels.

Favorite Quote:

“That was the turning point, the place where their relationship had stalled. Without honesty, there had been no capacity for growth.”

Overall, Becoming the Talbot Sisters is a great story with a plot that kept me from putting it down and wonderful characters. I highly recommend it.

Book Source: Review Copy for being a part of the TLC Book Tour