wow this was a tough read - but I got through it - loved it until I figured out what really happened - not fond of that ever, so that it was fine up to that point - still LOVE most anything Jennifer writes!!

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SISTERS AND SECRETS – Jennifer Ryan
William Morrow Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-294446-7
June 16, 2020
Contemporary Fiction

Carmel Valley, California – Present Day

As SISTERS AND SECRETS opens, Sierra is in her car with her two young boys escaping a fast-moving wildfire near her home in the Napa Valley. They survive but are left with virtually nothing. With no home or job left, Sierra makes the decision to return to her childhood home in Carmel Valley. Her mother, Dede, welcomes her with open arms but how will Sierra’s two sisters, Amy and Heather, feel? Her relationship with both sisters is tenuous, especially with Heather, who is a single mother of a little girl. Amy is married to Rex with two children and appears happy, but could that be a false perception?

Dede’s next-door neighbor, Mason Moore, has secretly been attracted to Sierra for years. He stepped aside when Sierra fell in love with David and married him. Now, David is dead, and Sierra is trying to rebuild her life. Mason will do anything to help her, even if she only sees him as a friend. As they spend some time together, feelings soon develop between them. Meanwhile, Sierra was left having to pay on a mysterious loan David took out and asks Mason, an attorney, to investigate the source. If he finds out the answer, will the truth bring them closer together—or rip them apart?

Amy is under a lot of stress in her life, which is compounded by her shaky marriage. Rex is always angry with her and complains she has no time for him. Instead, Amy has her days planned out on a color-coded calendar that is filled with sports, music lessons, etc. How can she keep up her perfect life if she gives up something? Meanwhile, Heather is hiding a secret she hasn’t shared with anyone in her family: the name of her daughter’s father. But she acknowledges to her family that he is no longer available, and she is moving on. Heather starts to look around for the perfect husband and latches onto Mason, unaware that he is interested in Sierra. Will this lead to a confrontation between the sisters?

I must admit while reading SISTERS AND SECRETS that I ended up being right in my hunch as to what the secret between the sisters would be. Growing up, the three were most like any set of siblings. They fought and squabbled, even as they supported each other. Amy and Sierra both see Heather, the youngest, as a bit spoiled. Amy thinks Sierra had a perfect life until it all fell apart starting with David’s death. Yet, it is Amy who is now experiencing the unraveling of her life. Will she and Rex find the spark again in their marriage?

SISTERS AND SECRETS is a gripping and emotional tale that I had a hard time putting down. Each sister is unique, but their shared childhood bonds them. Their mother, Dede, is mostly in the background but she is the one that ties them together and forces them to be there for each other when things start to fall apart. When the secret comes out, how will this family get through this? Don’t miss this compelling read by Jennifer Ryan. Be sure to pick up SISTERS AND SECRETS.

Patti Fischer

I'm so glad that other reviewers enjoyed this book and I'm sorry to be the outlier, but it disappointed me. It was almost as though the author wasn't sure which sister the story should focus on and, as a result, they mostly felt inauthentic. Sierra was the least "cardboard" of the sisters but I still had a difficult time connecting with her. Overall, I like the author's treatment of family and how secrets impact loved ones. Although I wish the character development had been better, it's still an entertaining story.

Thank you so very much to NetGalley, Jennifer Ryan and the Publisher for an Advanced copy to read for an honest review.

This was a great, interesting read between 3 sisters, and the secrets that they all have, and ultimately what tears them apart, and start to build relationships again.

From the first page and the information about the fire and how hot the car was getting while the family was trying to leave that city, to the end page where the relationships are starting to come back together, this book held my interest and I never put it down.

If this is Jennifer Ryan's first book that fits into the women's fiction category, keep writing this genre. This is an absolutely riveting read and would gladly read more from her.

If I could give 10 stars, I definitely would.

Three sisters with secrets. Sierra has lost her husband and house in one year. Heather has a daughter and refuses to name the father. Amy isn’t happy in her picture-perfect life.

It’s a quick read. I feel like you really get to know Sierra, which makes sense since it is mainly her story. Heather wasn’t as fleshed out of a character as she could have been – I would have liked to have seen more development. I think that the excuses of her being the baby of the family who always got her way and therefore that’s why she acts the way she does is a bit of a stretch. I’m happy that we had some development of Amy’s character.

Overall a great read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I know, Sisters and Secrets as the title, and I am thinking sisters and this is going to be such a perfect book to read right now. I was reading along and loving the relationship the sisters had. But then a thought comes along that this book is going to get interested and boy did it get interesting. This book kept me up until I finished it What a story this was and I loved it. It wasn't what I was expecting but it was just what I needed to come alive while doing the stay at home order. Thank you for the roller coaster ride, that kept me on the edge of my seat, but the roller coaster didn't seem to come down for a long time but it sure was fun reading this book.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a sister about three sisters who are bound by their love for one another and are tested by the secrets that can tear them apart.

Sierra is forced to return to her hometown after a fire has destroyed her home. She and her two young sons are welcomed back by her mother, whose hope is that Sierra will stay. She needs a safe place to restart as she is also grieving the loss of her husband, who died suddenly a year ago. She is reunited with her sisters, Amy and Heather, who are happy she has returned.

Amy is the oldest and she confesses to Sierra that her perfect or "Instagram" life is imperfect and she is feeling her husband slip away. She has always been the center of attention and can't seem to manage a balance that can make her happy.

Heather is the youngest and a single mom. She has informed her sisters that the father of her daughter is out of the picture and wants them to respect her role as a single mom.

Sierra discovers from the fire that her late husband had secrets and she hires her old friend, Mason, to help her find the truth. Mason has his suspicions and is being cautious because he does not want to break her heart, the woman, who he has loved since he was a teen. The two spend time together and he is connecting with her two sons. Sierra and Mason reveal their true feelings for one another but their happiness is short lived when his investigations confirm his suspicions. Sierra is devastated and not sure who she can trust anymore.

This story did a good job weaving the different relationships together and keeping you engaged with the different characters. I've read other books by this author and enjoy her storytelling. This one did not disappoint.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Jennifer Ryan for sending me an ARC of Sisters and Secrets in exchange for my personal honest opinion.

Sierra, Amy and Heather are three sisters who have very different lives.
Sierra is coming home after losing her home in a terrible wildfire. She makes a daring escape with little left of her life. She gets her two young sons safely to her Mother’s home to rebuild her life. She not only lost everything in the fire but a year earlier she lost her husband in a tragic car accident.
When Sierra gets arrives, she reconnects with Mason whom she has known for years.
The sisters each have secrets that can turn this family upside down.
Jennifer Ryan has written a wonderful story that will keep you reading until the very end.

I liked this book. I didn’t know anything about it going in. It was a pretty quick read.

It is mostly a story of Sierra, who lost her husband in a tragic accident and her home in a wildfire. Now, she and her two young sons have moved back to her hometown to regroup. Her sister Amy is a type A “perfect” mom. Her sister Heather is a single mom and kind of a brat.

Sierra reconnects with her old friend Mason. She also asks for his help with an issue she found in her dead husband’s papers. What was he hiding?

I enjoyed the dynamics between the sisters. Those seemed very true. Some things seemed to get resolved a little too easily, in my opinion. Maybe Sierra is just a really good person. The writing was good and entertaining

#SistersandSecrets#NetGalley.
This was a wonderful book. There are three sisters,Sierra, Amy,and Heather. They are all very different. When she looses her home in a wildfire shortly after looking her husband in a car accident. She decides to move home to have the extra support from her family. All of the Sisters have their own secrets some they can share and some they can not. Sierra finds her old friend Jason living next door. Will he become important in her life ? How will she feel when she finds out a secret from her husband's. past? All these questions will be answered when all the Sisters show their truthful side not just the mirage of their true lives. I will be reading more of Jennifer Ryan's books.

The world is sometimes a harsh place. Family usually makes it better. A cushion to lean on when times are tough. Important to remember family is made up of individuals each with personal expectations, dreams, wishes, likes, dislikes. Well you get the picture. Circumventing these differences is the challenge of family. I for one think the challenges are worth the effort for the sake of having family. Sierra and her sisters in SISTERS AND SECRETS will have to work at getting to that place. SISTERS AND SECRETS by Jennifer Ryan is one of her most ambitious stories. SISTERS AND SECRETS is at times loving and at others harsh. When reality sets in the world in SISTERS AND SECRETS takes a drastic turn.

What appears to be perfect is most times anything but. Once we get that hopefully we can get past impossible expectations. For ourselves and others.

Looking for perfection can be tiresome and stressful. Sierra didn’t think life with her husband David was perfect but she adjusted to it. With his death she began to notice things and feelings she had buried. When forced to relocate Sierra realized she wanted more for herself. But deep seated issues with her marriage clouded her vision. Trust was questioned. Had she trusted her husband too much. Was there a reason for her lack of security in their relationship and marriage.

Returning home brought with it some enlightening moments. Some things became clear but others were murky. Her sister’s lives were a great part of that feeling of ill ease. Amy’s marriage was shaky. Heather was immensely secretive about who fathered her daughter. So while Sierra was diligently trying to find a new balance to her life the world around her was throwing obstacles in her way.

A newly defined relationship with Mason, a childhood friend was another challenge. Sierra couldn’t help feeling there were times when Mason was less forthcoming with her than she liked. Sierra wanted to trust Mason with her heart and soul. Perhaps even move to a new place in their friendship.
None of this would be easy for sure. Worthwhile but ripe with doubts.

Sierra wanted normal. Was moving home the right decision for her and her boys. Only time will tell.
SISTERS AND SECRETS is quite the perfect title for this newest gem from Jennifer Ryan. Sisters usually have secrets that keep them together. Fun secrets that bind them together as a special group. Those secrets are good and healthy. But the secrets that these sisters hold are not necessarily healthy or material for a good relationship. In fact some of these secrets are downright dangerous. For the future of their relationship with each other and with other people these secrets need to be aired and addressed once and for all. The repercussions might be staggering. Perhaps life altering. But clearing the air is essential.

SISTERS AND SECRETS is a commanding story of secrets and jealousy. Jennifer Ryan treats these elements with care and honesty. From the very outset Jennifer Ryan lets you know that the sisters in SISTERS AND SECRET are going to face some big challenges. The question is how they will come out of them. Hopefully stronger and happier. Time will tell.

Sisters and Secrets was my first book from this Author. I really enjoyed this book. The Sisters each were very different in their own way. But each wanted to love and be loved. The betrayal between the one Sister had on the other Sister and the Husband made for a very intense read. I was on pins & needles waiting to see what the outcome was on a very dark secret. The ending was bittersweet. I am looking forward to reading more from Jennifer Ryan.

Sisters and Secrets by Jennifer Ryan 3.5 stars

This is the newest Women's Fiction title from Jennifer Ryan. I really liked last years "The Me I Used To Be", but this one while OK, did not keep my attention as the other book did. While I was reading it, I found the book predictable and by 56% into the book I guessed what the big secret would be. The beginning of the book was dramatic and the emotional punch was strong. But when it became a story of three sisters, their lives and relationships, it evolved into readable but not spectacular book. I have been reading Jennifer Ryan for many years and she hasn't written a bad book yet, but this one was just OK.

Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow Paperbacks for this ARC.

Wow! Sisters and Secrets is a must read, especially for middle sisters! This story depicts reactions of 3 sisters to a variety of situations and, in my opinion, accurately attributes characteristics of the oldest, middle, and youngest sisters. Issues of ties that bind sisters closer due to multiple moves as children are woven into the personality differences as well as the choices made. But, their reactions to the uniquely, intertwined situations so wonderfully explored make this novel an unparalleled vessel for discussions of so many relevant issues. The bonds of family ties are frayed, but amazingly unbroken due to the strengths built throughout childhood. The sisters do more than survive as family, as women in past, present and future relationships with the men who entered their lives, as daughters, and as mothers. Better, not bitter is the winning theme of this page-turner!

Sisters and Secrets is a wonderful romance full of heart, emotion, and chemistry. I'll have to pick up another Jennifer Ryan book soon!

I've read several of Jennifer Ryan's books and this is by far the most emotional and saga-ish in that it had complete stories for another of the secondary characters as well. This book kept me riveted and feeling for (most of) the characters in the story. I really engrossing read that kept me in it until the end.

Scary opening. So sad.

Why is she suspicious of her husband?

Why would having her sister back raise questions about Heather's daughter?

I'm with Amy on this one.

Tell me David is not Heather's baby daddy.

I'm tired just hearing about Amy's life. Her poor kids need a vacation.

You snooze, you lose, Mason. But you would make a good dad.

Her sons are so cute. She should have taken a picture.

Oh, Oliver!

Heather is a little crazy.

Argh, I really want to know about the loan!

You promised you wouldn't kill the messenger, honey.

Boo-hoo, Heather.

I think Sierra is just as responsible, since she married a man she didn't actually love. She settled.

Aww.

The moral of the story is that communication is key.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having thoroughly enjoyed reading all of Jennifer Ryan's romance novels, I was excited to see her newest novel which fits more into the women's fiction category. This was a very enjoyable novel that explored the relationship between three adult sisters as they face the realities and difficulties of life. From the opening paragraph, describing the escape from the wildfires, I was drawn into this story and didn't want to put it down. Perfect for fans of Jill Shalvis and Susan Mallery.

Wow just wow. I cried, laughed and yelled while reading, Sisters and Secrets. This must have been a very difficult book to write. There were a few very surprising issues that came up that were tastefully written. Well as tastefully as you could get with a couple of the issues.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This is the first book I’ve read from this author. I found this book to be an easy read and held my interest from start to finish.