A very sweet departure for Molly Fader, The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets was an enjoyable and easy read. Told in 3rd person, we get the up-close and personal doings of all things McAvoy. Two distant sisters, a newly disoriented mom and a world of secrecy that slowly unfolds kept my interest from the very first pages. Fader has a distinctive style that gives you just enough to whet one's appetite as she masterfully guides you through all the push and pull that both Delia and Lydia provide chapter to chapter.

The longing for how it used to be when they all lived together as a family of 3 after William McAvoy perished during a storm, is the tether that ultimately brings Meredith and her two girls back into the fold once more. There is an air of mystery concerning a particular wealthy family that pervades every page and it's not until the last quarter or so that it all comes out and gave me quite the shock as the last few lines were read.

This is a clever and well-thought out storyline with endearing characters and beautiful descriptions of a hometown that holds secrets but also carries and keeps families and the love they have for each other. Delia is the true center of this book and this family and I was extremely satisfied with how her story concluded. She and her sister are strong women, with a mother who is the ultimate warrior.

A great read for a lazy summer day, I happily give The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets a solid 4.5 stars!

Wonderful Family Drama
This piece of Women's Fiction (aka Chick Lit) is absolutely riveting! I could not put it down. This family has so many broken pieces and still so much love. Told from the point of view of each of the 4 women, the reader gets a great insight into their hearts, their pain and their love. I think I will think about this book for a while and then read it again! I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

There will always be something special to me about Molly Fader’s The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets because it is the first book I’ve read that is set where I live – something that’s stumped me on almost every yearlong readathon I’ve attempted. This book takes place in northwest Pennsylvania on the shores of Lake Erie. In the house where I spent my childhood, we walked to the shores of Lake Erie. The McAvoy sisters do their grocery shopping at Giant Eagle, where I do mine. It was like reading about home.


Even the part that describe the summer humidity rolling off the lake as something like “a wet washcloth on your face all day” (I forgot to write down the exact words but the sentiment is absolutely perfect.)!

But I digress about where I live, on to the book itself –

The McAvoys have secrets, secrets that have driven one sister (Lindy) away and driven one sister (Delia) to do the things she never wanted to do. The book is a build-up to those secrets, always hinting at what’s to come. The things that come might not entirely be worth the wait, at least in that the book spends so much time focusing on the McAvoy FAMILY and how they interact with each other but the reveal of secrets sees them all in separate places, not wholly with family.

But it is a testament to what family will do for each other, even apart. And that makes the whole book worth reading.

It is the story of a messed up/entirely normal family in a small town where everybody knows everybody’s business and one bad choice can follow a person for a lifetime. It is the story of how there are people you can rely on to forgive that bad choice, to stand beside you when you feel like you’re most alone. It is the story of forgiving and healing, across generations and physical space.

It is the story of sisters who are truly the best of friends, no matter what the passage of time does to them.

As a sister with a sister, I identify with Lindy and Delia on levels I didn’t expect to. And that’s the second thing that will make this book stick with me for a long time. I’m going to reread it one day too!

I received a copy of The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets through NetGalley and Graydon House in exchange for an honest and original review. All thoughts are my own.

I was given an ARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

First off, the copy I received was a VERY rough copy. The text was super choppy and the title would randomly appear in the middle of the page, which was a bit annoying, but since I'm assuming that will be fixed before the final copy goes out (in three days!) that doesn't deter from my overall opinion of the book.

The story starts with an older woman walking down the street holding a flare gun. She is stopped by a cop, and she tells him to call her daughter to come down and see her. Thus, the prodigal daughter, Lindy, returns. There is obviously some tension between Lindy and her younger sister Delia, but we don't find out until closer to the end of the book what caused them to separate and whether or not they will be able to fix things and be close like they used to, at least for their mother's sake.

The character of Delia really resonated with me for a few different reasons. She is a mother to a teenager and a baby (I was a teen when my sister was born, so I vaguely remember what that was like) she suffered from post partum depression, and is trying to manage a family, a business, and care for her sickly mother all at the same time. Everyone keeps saying how she's changed, but all I can think is: the woman needs a nap! At the same time though, I felt sorry for Lindy because she was known as the "wild child" in a small town, and being from a small town myself, I know that no matter how far away and how long you go away for, you can't ever really escape the opinions people have of you when you're younger.

All in all I enjoyed the story. I read it while waiting for the hurricane to hit (hasn't yet) and it kept me interested throughout. I needed to get to the end to find out what happened to those poor girls. Admittedly I had an idea of what it would be, but I wasn't 100% sure.

I would definitely recommend this book to fans of writers like Nora Roberts. It has that same almost sweetness to it as far as the family goes, with just enough mystery and a little romance thrown in

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets by Molly Fader is a women’s fiction contemporary novel that delves down into the secrets that tore apart the McAvoy family. Lindy and Delia McAvoy grew up extremely close sisters even sharing a small bedroom but when Lendy left town she hadn’t looked back while Delia had stayed, gotten married and started a family of her own all while running the family business.

Now, seventeen years later Lindy gets a call that frightens her into returning to their small town. Lindy and Delia’s mother had been found wandering and asked for her daughter to be contacted and Lindy finds that she has been recovering from a “brain event”. Back home after all these years Lindy finds she has a teenage niece she doesn’t know and her sister has just had another baby and could really use the help with their mother.

Being someone who watched my grandmother go through her battle with Alzheimer’s books like this one with the matron of the family fading in and out of reality are truly heartbreaking to me. I could so empathize with the rest of the family with their worry and stress and that alone was enough to intrigue me into wanting to know more about the McAvoy family. There were many more layers to the family to come that definitely kept the pages turning too.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

4 1/2 stars

Have you ever finished a really good, satisfying novel and then thought, well, it’s going to be very hard for the next book to live up to that one? When I picked up The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets by Molly Fader, I had just that thought. While it took about a chapter or so for me to get into the groove of the novel, I soon swishing pages, wanting to know what was going to happen next.

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets is not only about the McAvoy sisters, Lindy and Delia, but also their mother, Meredith, who’s recently had a stroke, and Delia’s teenage daughter, Brin, who is setting out to prove that she’s a real teenager with all of its connotations and tribulations. Each of these characters is so different and so intriguing.

My heart broke for Meredith in the passages where she was dealing her cognitive impairment. Yet, her illness also brought a different aspect of her character to light. She could now be blunt and demonstrative and express her observations. I found that I really liked her.

My favorite character was Lindy although, based on the opening scene of the novel, I was afraid she was going to be a train wreck. She’s supposed to be the wild one, but I’m sure that’s just in comparison to her blander sister, Delia, although one does get the impression that she was confused as a teenager. That probably went hand-in-hand with the trauma of losing her father.

I also adored Dan, Delia’s very solid, very understanding husband, and Garrett Singh, the police chief who when he was a teenager had an interesting relationship with teenage Lindy. Obviously it progresses into an interesting relationship with adult Lindy.

The main secret at heart of the novel revolves around what happened 17 years ago? Why is Meredith intent upon going to the Fulbright house with her flare gun? Why was Lindy, the one who wanted to revamp the family business and not wander, forced to leave the town she loved? While I had a hunch early on as to what happened, I wasn’t disappointed with the novel’s progression. The book was very much a page-turner.

This is definitely one to add to your summer reading if you like women’s fiction with a hint of mystery.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was wonderful. I loved to discover all of the secrets and how they were revealed was even better. I definitely recommend this book and this author. A must read.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and Graydon House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets is a narrative of four of the McAvoy women: Lindy, the wild sister, left home for a fresh start in the city and never looked back; Delia, the other sister, is run off her feet because she is juggling a moody teenager, a baby, the family business, and her mother's ailing health; Brin is the rebellious teenage daughter that's been feeling displaced ever since her baby sister was born; Meredith, the matriarch, has been suffering with some memory issues and struggles with lucidity at times.

The sisters used to be so close. They shared a room and would write in a notebook as to not disturb their mother who had to get up early for work. It was their book of secrets. Seventeen years ago, tragedy struck their family and the McAvoy sisters fell apart. With pressures mounting for Delia, she has no choice but to welcome Lindy back in the fold for much-needed help. As the two sisters try to put their family somewhat back in order, they finally have the chance to reclaim what's been missing: for Delia, a happy marriage, and for Lindy, a sense of belonging and a lost love—but most of all, the sisters are missing each other.

When a particularly turbulent night leads to a shocking revelation, the women must confront the past that they've been avoiding for more than a decade. Will an old secret bring the McAvoy women back together or is it too late?

Fader's narrative is told in alternating third person limited points-of-view between the four women. Lindy and Delia have a complex relationship that plays out over the course of the story. Delia is suffering from postpartum depression. That, coupled with her mother's recent stroke, is affecting her relationships with her husband, Dan, and daughter, Brin. Lindy is struggling with not only returning to her home, but with the prospect of a new job and rightfully finding her place in an industry that she excels in.

Strong women are what makes this story so great. Meredith raised the girls after her husband was lost at sea and the sisters turned out to be strong both in spirit and will. Delia doesn't realize her own strength and perceives asking for help as a sign of weakness even though she is shouldering a huge load as well as a past trauma. I also think that Lindy's string of bad relationships is a sign of her fortitude, rather than a flaw—she hasn't found someone to compliment her yet.

The characters were relatable and multifaceted. Fader gives away just enough detail to keep her reader vested in their story—her pace is spot on. She also has an excellent ear for dialogue which translates incredibly well on the page.

The mystery of what happened 17 years ago is the driver and really turns this into a page-turner. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this story is. To be perfectly honest, the cover and title didn't really grab me and I think they actually detract from what is a really great book. Please do yourself a favour and give this one a go, you most certainly won't be disappointed. Fader really packs a punch—there's a lot to unpack and lots of topics that would make for a robust discussion. What was also so great was the mystery part of the story. And that ending...I totally did not see that coming!

This is my first Molly Fader book and it will not be my last. I loved how the four woman narrated the story. Get each of their thoughts. It made it more personal for me. Felt like I was right there with them. The lies, the heartache, the fears and the happiness were all experienced this way. I really enjoyed this book. Had no idea what was going to come to light from page to page. Kept me very interested. I had to know what was happening, so it was hard to put the book down!

This is a great Women's Fiction book! I really enjoyed reading it and I found it very engrossing. I really enjoy multi generational family drama and this book has it in spades! Great mother and daughter story lines. Very enjoyable!

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets is a beautifully written novel about family, unconditional love, loss, grief, growth, and strength.

Molly Fader so elegantly weaves her words beautifully across the pages of this book. What a journey we take between these two sisters. Lindy and Delia both have challenges to overcome, but this foundation is built on such a strong family bond that will get them through anything. The sisters learn about long lost secrets that have been buried and covered up over the years that will only strengthen this family unit more.

The storyline was so easy to become connected to this family and keeps you turning those pages. All the characters in this book are so well developed and you're rooting so much for the McAvoy family. The talent behind the authors humor, charming atmosphere, and engaging characters is all beautifully woven into this book.

Molly's writing is absolutely devine and really makes this book such a joy to read.

"The sky was black and so was the lake, far as the eye could see. An endless darkness."

I absolutely loved this novel and am so happy I came across this author. I was touched and even had goosebumps/tears at one point towards the end.

5 shining stars!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin/Graydon House Books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 7/16/19
Published to GR: 7/7/19

Seventeen years have passed since Lindy McAvoy set foot in her hometown. After a tragic incident involving her family she packed her bags, headed for the city, and planned to never return. But now her mother has fallen ill and her sister Delia cannot continue to care for their mother, carry out her motherly duties at home, and still keep the family business running, so she reaches out to her sister and asks for her help.

Lindy has her doubts about going back home, knowing all the hurt and drama awaiting her... but when your family needs you, you have to honor that and do what you can. But nothing could prepare her for the homecoming she is about to have...

Between the pages of this beautifully crafted story readers will get a glimpse into the lives of the McAvoy family, and learn their secrets, fears, strengths and weaknesses. They are your typical family, with a few flaws of course, but their flaws have caused them to stray from what is important, and left them divided. But now they are getting a second chance to make things right, but it won't be easy for them, there is a lot of forgiveness that needs to happen and secrets need to be brought to the surface. This one promises to give the heartstrings a good little tug, between the family drama that ensues, and the healing and forgiveness that takes place there is no way that you won't be affected. I absolutely loved every second of this one, it brought smiles to my face, stirred up a serious case of the feels, and did my heart so good! Highly recommend!

I requested an advanced copy of this title from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving my honest and unbiased opinion.

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets is one of those reads that have you reaching for the phone to call your own sister, mother or anyone that is like a sister to you after you read. I love the emotions that flow throughout as you read on. You are pulled in multiple directions when it comes to Lindys, Dan, Delia, Meredith and Brin. I love the rollercoaster ride that is family and the secrets that are kept amung them. As you read you realize just how closely bonded each and everyone is and how easily little things turn into bigger and sometimes it's better to just let go and move forward. Lindy and Delia are a good example of that and once you read you understand the dynamics between everyone. You root for the sisters to come together once again. Brin maybe the trouble teenager but you get why she's acting out. This is just a wonderful read that slowly seeps into your soul and gives you these feels that is hard to explain because you just have to feel them. This was a first time read for me of Molly Fader and I for one have been missing out on something special. I can't wait to pick up more of her books in the future. I couldn't put The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets down. This should be a one click read.

This book had me guessing until the end which I quite enjoyed. I found the sisters relationship to be believable. I did feel like the ending was a little rushed and was disappointed with the flash forward epilogue. But overall an enjoyable summer read.

This book is the epitome of a perfect, well written, summer beach read.  The plot was paced so well and I could not put it down until I figured out all of the secrets.  It was easy to read and had some really poignant metaphors and descriptions, along with some well developed and loveable characters.  We get to read from the four perspectives of the McAvoy women and they all had a distinctive, yet cohesive, voice.  Each woman had their own struggles that were relatable, intriguing, and helped to build a complex and wonderful set of characters.  I loved watching their relationships with each other evolve and discovering what had happened to wreck their former closeness.  The mystery was handled so well, and it ended up being a lot more exciting and dark than I had originally expected.  It dealt with a lot of difficult topics like dementia, abuse, grief, and depression, but was overall a story about family and connection.  I became so emotionally invested in these characters and their experiences that I was moved to tears more than once.  The afterword really wrapped it all up in a great dramatic way that had my jaw on the floor.  Overall, this was a super quick and easily investable story that I highly recommend for anyone looking for a great and fast-paced summer read.

Alrighty, then! This is book with a few surprises! I love how deftly Molly Fader jumps from one point of view to another with clarity. Each character brings her own slice of life: the hurting teen, depressed sandwich generation daughter confronting mid-life, the rebel trying to return home, and even the elderly mother with a surreal sense of reality.
I liked this family and I was surprised by everything that was revealed. Recommended as a quick holiday read.

I was provided an electronic version of this book for review.

#NetGalley #McAvoySistersBookofSecrets

I loved every single word of this book.

As a mother to five girls, it should be no surprise that I was drawn to a book that is ultimately about the ties that bind mothers and daughters.

Secrets, lies, fear, regrets, pride, and at the root of all of these things...LOVE. Pure, unadulterated love unmarred by time and mistakes and separations. I'm no stranger to the art of sweeping things under the rug and the fierce determination to do better for your own children. I connected with these women and felt their struggles and triumphs.

I don't want to spoil this lovely book but let's just say it's destined to be one of my favorites of 2019. The characters are written beautifully. They are imperfect and messy and they've made mistakes. And you will fall in love with each and every one of them .

Well done, Molly Fader.

Fader weaves a compelling story following 2 sisters who cross paths again after 17 years due to their mother's stroke. And when they do finally reconnect, it leads to past events coming to the forefront of their lives once more. Will they allow the past to control their future, or will they become even stronger because of it?

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of something Diane Chamberlain or Karen White might write. I loved the relationships between the sisters and mothers and daughters, though I will say there were times that this book fell flat for me. It also took me a while to feel invested in the book, but once I was, I just had to know the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley, Graydon House, and Harlequin for my free copy in exchange for my honest review!

Families keep secrets. Sometimes it's easier to not talk about things than it is to get them out in the open, and this is what the McAvoy family did. Meredith, the mother, is in early stages of dementia. Delia, with a husband, a teenage daughter and a new baby, is trying to hold it all together, caring for the baby, the shop, her mother, and she is losing it. Lindy has stayed away for a lot of years, and when she visits on rare occasions, she makes sure she won't run into her sister, Delia.

Brin, Delia's teenage daughter, feeling neglected, starts running with "friends" who are looking out for only themselves, and engaging in risky behaviors. Brin attempts to steal a high-dollar item from the local jewelers and winds up doing community service. She also finds a friend in Lindy, and while spending time at Gran's house, discovers old photos she has never seen, and hears some of the stories, which stir good and bad memories from the sisters, behind the photos.

Looming over this community on the shores of Lake Erie, is the Fulbright house. Vacant for many years, it is the site for a lot of teenage parties and other illegal activities. The McAvoy family has a special hatred for the Fulbright family, and as the story goes along, we find out why.

Thank you to Netgalley and Graydon House Publishing for my advanced reader's copy of The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets.  This book is set to be released next week and if you pre-order a copy now you'll have it on release day!  Spoiler alert: it was a 5 star read for me.

Family secrets are the main event in this book.  We have two sisters who used to be close and now never speak to each other.  A mother who keeps walking off to a house and yelling at everyone around her and a young teenage girl who looks a lot more like her aunt than her mother...intrigued?

I love the journey each character went on.  Every woman in this book grows and finds herself.  The teenage daughter is on a path of trouble.  She thinks everyone is against her and no one will treat her like an adult and tell her the truth.  When the truth unravels out...well...no true spoilers from me!  Lindy, the trouble maker sister, comes back in to town when her old crush from high school (now town police officer) calls her at her mother's request.  The mother has had "brain events" and is not quite herself.  Lindy comes to town and helps out.  Enter Delia.  The sister who stayed in town and took on the family business and cares for their ailing mother all while raising her own family.

Will the two sisters be able to mend their relationship?  After being driven apart can the two sisters even stand to be in the same room together?  Delia has a lot of years of pent up anger and depression.  Lindy has a lot of years of failed relationships and dead end jobs.  The mother is realizing that her bouts of confusion are occurring more frequently and that she is taking things out on the wrong people.  Delia's daughter ends up finding out that her mother isn't so bad after all...but can she turn her attitude around in time before it's too late?

This is a must read 5 star read, but I already told you that.  Each character comes with their own personal conflicts AND resolutions.  It was absolutely heart wrenching for me to read about the mother and watch her have her good days and her bad days.  The mother ends up taking the fall for not teaching her girls how to cope with things that happen in life, and we find out the secrets they keep.  I am shocked I did not cry while reading this, but I wanted to.  

The thought that went in to each character is appreciated and well thought out.  The book is told from the perspectives of the mother, Lindy, Delia, and the daughter.  What I found most appealing is how DIFFERENT each character sounded.  The daughter sounded as if a 16 year old mad at the world girl was talking.  The mother really sounded like someone who was trying to have her wits about her, but just couldn't quite do it.  The strife in the sisters' voices was remarkable.  It was so easy to picture each character and the flow was great.  Pick this book up once it's on sale on July 16th!  

***Review will be posted at donnasreadingchair.home.blog on Monday July 8th***
***Review will be posted at instagram.com/mrsdmvh on Monday July 8th***