I really loved this book so much. It’s one of those books that just draws you in right from the first page, and that you really don’t want to end.

The relationship between Cassie and Julie is a complicated one. The bond between sisters is a unique one, but in this case, there’s a lot more to it, because of their family situations, and because of family secrets.

It’s told from both of their points of view, alternating in each chapter, and it’s so easy to see how each can misinterpret the other, particularly with their lack of proper communication, and also to see how our perception of someone else’s life can be so different to the reality.

The setting is beautiful, but the palpable tension between the sisters leads to an atmosphere that’s at odds with the location.

Nana, in spite of not actually being there, is a strong presence in the novel, and you can feel her warmth and her love for Cassie and Julie.

It’s a real page-turner of a book, I really couldn’t put it down. Definitely a “cancel everything” one!

This is a very accomplished debut novel, hard to believe that it is actually a debut, it’s so beautifully written. I’m delighted that this is the first part of a series, as I can’t wait to read more.

I do love this type of story. A story of two 1/2 sisters who were close as children, but because of family secrets/drama have been estranged. When their grandmother passes, the sisters have to spend the summer together after 15 years.apart. A moving story of their journey together. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity.

If there's one thing I like doing, it's discovering new authors. Cecilia Lyra is definitely a new author for me Judging by how much I enjoyed reading 'The Sunset Sisters', I will definitely be reading more of her work in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Sunset Sisters' but more about that in a bit.
I loved the focus of this book, which centres on family relationships and how they can become rather fractured over time with disagreements, misunderstandings and incidents and so forth. In that respect I ended up thinking of my family where factions have fallen out with each other over what some might call trivial matters. This book looked at whether or not these relationships can be repaired.
It took me a little while to get into this book, which has more to do with the fact that I was tired when I started to read and can't be taken as a criticism of the book or of the author. However, once I got into this story that was it and I was away. This wasn't a book that I could binge read over the course of a day because boring things like life got in the way. I managed to finish the book over the course of three days. I would pick the book up, read a chapter or two and then put the book down so I could think about what I had read. A moment of contemplation if you like.
'The Sunset Sisters' is well written. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. She grabs your attention from pretty early on and then introduces you to two sisters who in the present day are like chalk and cheese but back in the day they were as close as sisters could be. Each have their own grievances and their own ways of coping. Cecilia then takes you on one hell of an emotional rollercoaster ride through the lives of the two sisters. The different chapters are written from the points of view of both sisters and it was interesting to see things from their perspectives.
Overall 'The Sunset Sisters' was an interesting read, which I really enjoyed. I will be reading more of Cecilia's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

An emotional and affecting tale of love, loyalty and the ties that bind, The Sunset Sisters is a moving and compelling read fans of Susan Wiggs and Kristin Hannah are sure to sure to enjoy.

Half-sisters Cassie and Julie had been so close as children. Having bonded during idyllic summer holidays, the girls were inseparable and despite the vast social chasm that divided them, their friendship was so strong that nothing and nobody could possibly come between them. But Cassie and Julie are no longer children. They haven’t spoken in fifteen years – since the day of Cassie’s mother’s funeral and the two sisters who were the best of friends are now total strangers. Resentment and anger have replaced the love and affection that had bound the two girls together, but when their beloved grandmother dies, the terms of her will bring them both back to the Hamptons beach house where they had spent so many happy summers…

Their Nana’s will stipulates that in order for the two of them to inherit, they need to spend one final summer together at the house. The two women are not exactly overjoyed at having been forced together after so long, but they both need to escape from their lives, so this seems to be the chance they had been desperate for. Cassie needs an excuse to leave Boston behind as rumours about her personal life are swirling around and she needs somewhere to lie low and hide before somebody else distracts the gossips with another scandal. Meanwhile, Julie has just realized that the cracks in her marriage continue to get bigger and bigger with each passing day. A chance to reconnect with her sister will at least enable her to mend one broken relationship, so she heads over to the Hamptons for a summer that will force her to confront the past and deal with old ghosts that have never been truly vanquished.

As Cassie and Julie meet again after all this time, they realize that they cannot continue to run from the truth and that if they are to have any hope of having some kind of a relationship in the future, they need to face the music and go through all the pain and heartbreak that has kept them apart for so long. With their Nana’s guiding hand, will the scars from Julie and Cassie’s past finally heal? Or are there some things, you simply cannot go back from?

The Sunset Sisters is a mesmerizing read that touches the heart and will have readers reaching for their tissues on many an occasion. A hopeful, poignant and beautifully written tale about confronting the past, redemption and healing featuring two brilliantly drawn and wonderfully believable characters, The Sunset Sisters is a compulsively readable novel that will linger in the heart and mind long after the last page is turned.

I couldn’t stop reading this book. Finished it in two nights💜
The two sisters relationship is tried over and over in this book. But they make it through some pretty terrible things.
It’s a great summer read!!

EXCERPT: 'I have a sister.' Not a question this time. My tone is now trusting, believing. A chip in my cynic's armor.

A secret sister. It felt dramatic, impossible - the sort of thing that happened to other people. I was Cassie Meyers: plain, ordinary. The only thing that was different about me, the thing that set me apart from the other kids at my school, was that my parents didn't love each other. I was sure of that even back then. They his it from the world, in the same way that my father hid his temper and my mother hid her drinking, but I was never spared. I knew - and I was expected to keep - their secrets. To maintain the blissful suburban facade they so masterfully cultivated. On our street, we were the respectable Meyers: banker dad, stay-at-home mom, studious daughter. We mowed ourlawn. We greeted our neighbors by name. We went to church on Sundays. People had no idea what went on in our home.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Two sisters. A surprising inheritance. A summer that changes everything.

As children, half-sisters Cassie and Julie were nearly inseparable, bonded through happy, lazy summers playing barefoot in the surf and sleeping out on the porch of their grandmother’s Hamptons' beach house. Though from wildly different backgrounds, each magical summer the girls were as close as only best friends, accomplices, sisters can be. But they haven’t spoken in nearly fifteen years—not since the funeral of Cassie’s mother—and now there is only resentment and painful memories between them.

Successful and self-contained, Cassie is shocked to learn the requirements of their Nana’s will—that she and Julie spend one final summer together in the Hamptons' house in order to inherit. Cassie agrees reluctantly, she needs an excuse to leave Boston and give the growing rumors about her personal life a chance to die down.

And for Julie, who is discovering too late the cracks in her marriage, it is the chance to repair at least one damaged relationship. But for the two sisters to regain what they had, they will have to finally confront what happened the night Cassie lost her mother. With their Nana’s wisdom guiding the way, could this summer bring painful discoveries, and a new direction, for both sisters?

MY THOUGHTS: This is an incredibly good debut novel by author Cecilia Lyra. I was stunned, when reading the author's notes at the end, to discover this is her first novel.

One father - two daughters: one to his unstable alcoholic wife, Katherine (Cassie), and one to his exotic French mistress, Sophie (Julie). Born only weeks apart, the two girls know nothing of each other's existence until the summer their grandmother brings them together.

Lyra writes of the complexity of family relationships and, believe me, this family is more complex than most. As an adult, Cassie becomes a successful psychologist and is determined never to marry, her parents marriage having scarred her for life. Julie, on the other hand, sees marriage as the stability she and her mother never knew, and marries an older man, Patrick who is wealthy but controlling. Very controlling.

This is a book that rolls along at an even pace, the characters all well crafted and eminently believable. There are family secrets, lies, manipulations and intrigue. When the character Elle was introduced, my mind was all over the place trying to fit her into the story. I was wrong. I love that. Being wrong, I mean. I consider it a success on the part of the author.

There are hidden depths to both the characters of Julie (pronounced the French way with a soft J) and Cassie. Their actions/reactions sometimes surprised me. But I was completely besotted by their enforced journey as they stumbled and wavered their way back to some semblance of a relationship.

I read this slowly, savouring it. There was definitely no temptation to skim anything. I see that this is #1 in the 'Sisterhood series.' I can't wait for #2. Can I put my order in now?

❤❤❤.8

THE AUTHOR: I wear two hats: Storyteller & Storyseller. 💚🍀🐍 Author of THE SUNSET SISTERS out June 2020 --- Literary Agent at The Rights Factory.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Sunset Sisters by Cecilia Lyra for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Thank you to net galley, the publisher and the author for the arc in exchange for my review.
I really enjoyed this one. Two estranged half sisters must spend a few weeks in their grandmother house together in order to inherit the house. Their relationship through the years in revealed along the way as well as details about their current lives. Will the sisters reunite or will spending that much time together drive them even further apart? Read it and find out.

The Sunset Sisters by Cecilia Lyra was a fantastic read! It's a tightly woven story of two half sisters who share a father, but have different mothers. Once their grandmother passes away, they are forced to stay at her home on Montauk in order to inherit it. Unfortunately, they've been estranged for about 14-15 years, because one of the sisters blames the other for her mother's death. There's a lot of emotional baggage on both sides, which the readers will read through and sympathize or not sympathize. These are wonderfully detailed written characters and a deep rich plot. I cried at quite a few spots. I didn't want this book to end!!

I enjoyed this book but struggled to get into it in the beginning. At the middle of the book, it picked up and was much more interesting to read.

This book is just amazing! 😱 it’s a story about to half-sisters Julie and Cassie, who share the same father. Cassie learns about her sister at the age of 9, and since then they are inseparable... till something happens. Cassie’s mothers dies and since then nothing is ever the same. It took 14-15 years for sisters to finally reunite and find a way to burry the past. Will they be able to do it?

There are so many things that I loved about the book!
• The writing is great: it is simple, light and engaging. I was flying through the pages, eager to learn more about these sisters.
• I love how Julie and Cassie have completely different lives and voices. They are so different, and yet they complete each other. They are complex: Cassie and Julie are trying to avoid their parents’ mistakes and have happy lives. They are trying to forget the trauma they got during childhood. Except, Cassie and Julie find in some ways doing exactly what their parents did.
• I loved how throughout the book you slowly, bit by bit discover all the family secrets, the struggles and learn to understand why Cassie and Julie make some questionable choices.

This book is just everything I wished for: complex characters, mystery, real life situations and wonderful writing.

A wonderful family drama. Can they grant their grandmother's last wish and spend a last summer together or will the drama of their past become too much for them? Read this beautiful story to find out for yourself. Happy reading!

Sun, sand, and secrets. Cecilia Lyra has written a fun beach read with a splash of Mystery. Cassie and Julie are half-sisters sharing the same father. The sisters spent the summers of their childhood on the beach with their beloved grandmother. But then something happens to tear these two sisters apart. It is 15 years later and Cassie and Julie have not seen one another since the fateful event. At the reading of their grandmother’s will they find out that in order for them to inherit her lovely Beachhouse they must spend the summer together in the house. The sisters are quick to agree to the terms, but will they be able to heal the wound between them?

This was a heartwarming story with some unseen twists and secrets. I always love reading books about sisters specially because I don’t have one myself, it is a relationship that intrigues me. Cassie and Julie were quite different from one another and I have to admit that I favored Julie for most of the book. Julie was kind and caring almost to the point of her own detriment. Cassie on the other hand was strong, blunct and a bit prickly. I really loved how the story between the sisters unfolded throughout the book, it was perfectly paste. I was seriously so invested in the story, because I cared so much about these characters. I also really love the little fairytale element added in, gave the story even more sparkle.

This book in emojis 🏖 👭 🐚 ✨ ☀️

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Two, once very close, step sisters confront their past after being estranged. The sisters are pulled together following the death of their grandmother and stipulations regarding he inheritance. Great summer read!

Family Healing and True Love
In this piece of Women's Fiction, many thresholds are crossed. Two sisters of different mothers come to grips with their abusive father and the effects he has had on their lives. Their grandmother leaves a strange condition in her will that causes all sorts of divisions to heal. It is an emotional ride as well as a heartwarming one. I can't wait for more books from this author. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

A well-drawn, gorgeous setting is always something I enthuse about, and Cecilia Lyra does it in style with Nana's beach house in Montauk, The Hamptons, which is wonderfully given life. I’d love to take a stroll along the beach, gaze at the sparkling sea, or relax on the porch with a glass of wine and a lobster roll.

This is a touching and compelling tale and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. In The Sunset Sisters both of the main characters, half-sisters Cassie and Julie, were lovely people. Born only two weeks apart, the girls share the same father but different mothers. However, they have lived very contrasting lives as privileged Cassie is a part of her father’s official family, with Julie compartmentalised in role of secret daughter. While their home lives are dramatically different, with Cassie enjoying a thriftless lifestyle and love child Julie living in a single parent household, nevertheless the girls have much in common. Both girls carry the responsibility of acting as carers for their needy and unfit mothers. When a tragic event causes a rift between them that lasts for fourteen years, fate eventually intervenes. Nana had included a condition in her will stating that in order to inherit her idyllic beach house in the Hamptons, Cassie and Julie must live there together for a month...

Cassie's and Julie's endeavours made me smile and they kept me entertained throughout. A delightful, bittersweet and beguiling story about love, tragedy, mental illness, family, sisterhood, adultery, and lies that had me utterly enchanted.

The Sunset Sisters is uplifting and compelling and I highly recommend it.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

The Sunset Sisters tell the story of two half-sisters. Cassie and Julie grew up spending summers with their Nana in the Hampton house.
They loved being together until Cassie’s mother died and then they did not speak for almost 15 years.
After their Grandmother Nana died, she left in her will that they had to spend time together in the Hampton house to inherit the home. It was a rough turbulent time and old feelings had to be dealt with, but it was tough because of all the past secrets that needed to come out.
This is an excellent first book in the new Sisterhood series by Cecilia Lyra. I am excited to read the nest book in the series to see what happens in their lives.
Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Cecilia Lyra for the ARC. I am giving my honest personal review.

Very good book! Interesting, well-rounded characters, and a great storyline. Can I just say I hated Patrick? I liked both sisters, but disliked their significant others. All in all would def read more by this author!

The Sunset Sisters by Cecilia Lyra is the 1st book in the Sisterhood Series, and my first book by this author. Cassie and Julie are half sisters, who grew up in two different worlds except the summers they spent at their Nana's house in the Hamptons. When Cassie's mother died, the two girls became estranged, and had not talked or seen each other in fifteen years. After Nana's passing she left the Hamptons house to them both, if they agreed to spend the summer together at the house. I really enjoyed this book, it is a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I highly recommend this book, for a feel good beach read. I will be reading more books by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

On the surface, this book is about two estranged sisters. When their grandmother, Bertie, passes away, she specifies in her will that to inherit anything, they must reconcile by spending a month at her beach house. The premise itself is interesting, but there is also so much more at stake than initially appears.

I thought that the author did a good job setting the stage for the “reconciliation.” It was apparent from the beginning that although they used to be close, Cassie and Julie had gone completely separate ways for almost 15 years. The reasons for that are revealed slowly, with small hints in the form of inner thoughts and barbed retorts giving the reader clues along the way.

I was very interested in the dynamic between Cassie and Julie. Cassie was very prickly and a huge chip on her shoulder, where Julie was easygoing to the point of being a pushover. Cassie took advantage of that, which made her somewhat unlikeable to me at first. I warmed to her over time, though.

What I found particularly intriguing were the life choices that each of the women had made over the years of estrangement. Julie picked a husband who she felt took care of her (and not much else) in the form of control, something she had missed as a child. While Cassie, on the other hand, had made choices that were more along the lines of Julie’s mother. I thought this was a fascinating juxtaposition that was deeply explored and expertly relayed.

I thought that point that they had the same eyes (also the same as Bertie) was especially telling. Eyes are the windows to the soul. Cassie and Julie were more alike than either of them were willing to admit.

I liked how Bertie had everything planned out, right down to involving Craig. With the memories of both girls, and the opinions of Craig, she came across as the mother that neither girl truly had. She was also someone who I would love to know (especially because of her “New Age-y” vibe).

What made this book truly unique to me, however, was Julie’s narrating the dual princess stories. I could see where that was going from the beginning. I was thrilled that the author used that as part of her character development. It was so illustrative, and I loved it. I was also pleasantly surprised that one character did something that I didn’t expect (no spoilers, but I expected a different choice to be made).

I loved the poignancy, and the story was heartfelt. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

Is it possible for sisters to forge a new bond after years of anger and resentment and miscommunication? Sisters Cassie and Julie are thrown together at their grandmother's house for a month as a stipulation of her will. They are finally forced to face events from the past and finally deal with them.