I absolutely loved this book. Harris deals with so many hard hitting topics in such a beautiful way. Each character was so well written, I liked the multiple POV to see their perspectives and seeing how intertwined their lives were. I would definitely recommend this book to those that enjoy family dramas, strong character stories and multiple narrators. Such a brilliant read, I loved the premise and execution.

Could not get into this one. The main heroine was so negative, immature, vindictive, and downright nasty! Not to mention the numerous instances and undercurrents of racism throughout - not enjoyable throughout. The 16-yr-old was the most mature person in this book by far!

This is a good emotional story that doesn't- even when it could- descend into the melodramatic. Harris has created a very realistic family and is sensitive to so many issues. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I picked this book up solely because I read and liked the author's previous work. I did not even pay attention to the blurb when finally getting around to it. I have not read too many books by people of colour in the US (More this year than the last few, but still), making this experience even more refreshing.
There is so much I want to talk about this book, especially having binged it in one afternoon when I was fighting my need to take a nap. I did not regret a minute of it. I wept copious tears for vast chunks of it and am still trying to figure out exactly why it affected me so.
The most essential point in this regard has to be the fact that all the people, the lead protagonists, the supporting cast and the love interests and last but not the least, the eponymous Judge are fallible people. Each person we encounter is flawed in one manner or another, and some of them are doing their best, which makes the read worth the while. The story is simple in concept; we have two daughters, one wife left after the demise of a well-loved man. Their dynamics are complicated, with race being a primary starting point. I do not want to go into the plot points which drive the narrative forward because it would take away from the learning and emotional bonding that could happen otherwise. I highly recommend this for anyone who reads this genre and likes positive reinforcement (at the core) of female relationships.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Sadly, I did not have time to read this book before it was archived, however, I still believe it is a worthwhile read!

Thank you #netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for this e-ARC in return for my honest review.

I have not read anything by Sharina Harris before, but this was a great first book to read by her. Very intense at times and content warnings for alcoholism and grief at the death of a parent are needed. Great development of characters and Sharina doesn't shy away from the discussion of racism as one of the main characters was married to a Black man. As the three main characters move through the story, each is well written and well developed. While they will never co-exist perfectly, as they finally were able to become a sort of a family, it made sense. I really enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to reading more by Sharina Harris.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting and complex story. I liked the various viewpoints and exploration of their histories and current stouations. The characters were interesting and engaging. The book was well written. A great read.

I knew I had to wait until I was in the right mindset to read this book, and I’m glad I did because it gave me all the feels (in the best possible way). It is an emotional story that follows three women who are all very different but have one thing in common, Judge Joe. When he dies and they have to share his estate they start to learn more about each other, but also themselves in the process.

This book explores identity, grief, ambition, substance abuse, and relationships. Each character had their own complexities and issues, and my heart went out to them. The author wrote them in such a raw, vulnerable, and real way, and with the alternating points of view you really get to know them. It’s impossible not to be moved, and it’s the sort of book that ends up staying with you for a long time.

I loved this book! I thought telling the story from three different perspectives was so fresh and interesting. Honestly, I feel like this is one of those books that will stick in my mind and on my heart for a very long time. I could NOT put it down. Grief is such a powerful thing, and I love how Harris honors each narrator by allowing them to have their own journey with it. I was touched by their journeys, insecurities, and interactions, and was rooting for all of them. I'm looking forward to reading more by Sharina Harris.

This is a story about how three different women grieve the loss of the main person in their lives and how they all cope differently. I have to say that the writing was beautiful and I could see a bit of myself in each character. I found myself hurting for them.

Harris writes about difficult issues in the novel such as death, grief, racism, alcoholism, blended families and more. She has written in a way that I was always turning the page to continue with the story. I love the multiple POVs and the journey each character took. I also have to say I just loved the aunts!!

Full summary in the comments below.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great read!

I started this book and was really looking forward to some complicated dynamics. But the main character, Maya was just mean. I understand she was probably very much stuck in her grief but I was not prepared to read about two grown women sniping at each other. There wasn't enough in the beginning to help me care about Maya so when she was angry and mean, I only felt dislike for her. I was not able to continue the story.

Judge’s Girls by Sharina Harris is a standalone novel. The story focuses on three women who are part of the same family, and how their lives are affected by the death of the patriarch. Joseph Donaldson, a well known and popular Judge in a town in Georgia, died and left his wife (second wife, Jeanie), daughter (Maya, in her twenties and successful lawyer), and step daughter (Ryder, who is 17), in total disarray.

Maya Donaldson, who is the main character, inherits the home her father left her, but with provisions to allow Jeanie to live there as long as she wants. Maya is not happy, since she has never gotten along with Jeanie; but she loves Ryder as her little sister. Maya, who is black, is a beautiful successful lawyer, and has always resented that her father married a white woman after her mother’s death. All three women are having their own issues, with them deep in mourning. Maya is up for a promotion to become a partner in the law firm she works with, and is devastated to find out she is being bypassed. Her boyfriend, Roland, who professes to love her, is a partner at the firm, and she resents that he did not help her get the promotion.

Jeanie is totally spiraling out of control, unable to handle the change in her life. She begins to drink, neglecting her daughter and causing problems for Maya at work. This causes both Maya and Jeanie to be angrier with each other, and making life more difficult for Ryder. Ryder decides to befriend a group of wild friends, which brings Maya to try and stop her from ruining her life. I thought that Maya was a great character, very smart and independent; except in recognizing her true feelings for Roland. I actually loved Maya and Ryder relationship and how close they were. Wonderfully done by Harris. Early on I was not crazy about Jeanie, as she let herself fall apart, not looking at the other two people suffering from their loss.

It is Maya who will step in to force Jeanie into rehab, which will change things for the better. Jeanie learns how to deal with grief, get herself on the bandwagon with her Alcoholism and find a new friend, who teaches her how open up with new possibilities; which includes confidence in painting. Maya also gives advice to Ryder, who enters a poetry class, and meets Alston. Once Jeanie comes home, her and Maya slowly begin to accept each other, with some help from Ryder, who was determined to bring them together. It really was a wonderful last third of the book, as we watch all three women move on with their lives, and become a family again.

Judge’s Girls was a wonderful, emotional story about broken families, grief, forgiveness, racial issues, alcoholism, love and obstacles. Sharina Harris did a wonderful job writing this wonderful story line that had me totally engrossed into the lives of these three women. I wholly suggest you read this book, so very well done.

Loveeee this book!!! so many great things to say about it first because there are so many great characters especially the three women that are the main characters of this book, They were so different from each other but they had one thing in common to love Joseph Donaldson. Husband, Father, Step-Father, and a guy with a great heart that is always trying to be good and to help others. but life was not so easy especially after Judge Joseph left this plane and left her three girls completely alone with a stipulation on his will that is so hard for them to follow.

Maya the only daughter of Judge Joseph feels like she was never seen by her father, she always felt like he was very strict with her not allowing her to feel and show any weaknesses or even to have a sad day. she felt like she didn't know her father in so many ways as he was one way with her and a totally different way with Janie and Ryder. she felt always somehow anger towards her stepmom, she felt like she was so fragile and she wasn't alow to be that way making their relationship even harder.

Ryder is only a teenager, she has an amazing relationship with her step-sister no matter if they came from different race or culture they both were amazing to each other nothing and no one will have any change to separate them even if Ryder knew Maya never had a great relationship with her mother. Ryder has her own story, she is also struggling with all the drama in her house, her mother can't stop losing her self and she really needs her.

Janie feels so lost without Joseph she has become a walking zombie around Ryder and around the house, everything is so dirty and incomplete disorder, even her feelings and mind are all over the place but the lack of conversations and honesty is making everything ten times worst until she hits rock bottom and decided that is time for her to regain her life and her family.

what a beautiful and wonderful story this is a multicultural story, we can see so much of what is happening today, people not understanding each other, but what I love is that the author gave these women a chance, to make mistakes and to seek for forgiveness, I love how three of them had different personalities but what kept always uniting them was the love for Judge.

Faith, strength, and second chances are what Judge's girls evoked for me, I love the closer Maya had, I love how Janie was humble enough at the end to recognized her mistakes as wells Maya, I love how Ryder was more mature at times than her mother and stepdaughter. This was a very refreshing read, I really enjoy it so much.

Great read by a new author for me. The plot is well written and enticing to the reader. Makes the reader feel like part of the story.

This book was amazing. Ms. Harris is proving herself as an upcoming women's fiction writer and is following in the footsteps of those that came before her, and doing it in a great way, as well as in her own voice. There are 3 women, All having dealing with the death of Judge Joseph Donaldson, and His grown daughter, current wife and bonus daughter have to learn how to grieve and work together for the greater good. Told from each of their viewpoints, Ms. Harris crafts a tale of acceptance, growth and forgiveness. I enjoyed the character growth throughout the story. This book could be such a great lifetime movie. I can't wait to read the next book from this author.

Another great read by Sharina Harris. I interviewed the author, featured Judge’s Girls as Book of the Day and included it in the October roundup of new releases.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review "Judge's Girls".

This was my first Sharina Harris book and it came highly recommended by author Kristan Higgins. The premise was interesting and the interracial relationships added another level of complexity to the family dynamics. I'm usually a fan of alternating POVs but I struggled here because they all sounded similar. I found myself flipping back to the start of the chapter to make sure I knew whose part I was reading. As for the story, it was just okay for me.

What happens when you throw three family members together after a heartbreaking loss? Sharina Harris’s new women’s fiction novel, Judge’s Girls, explores the answer to that question. This October 27th release deals with heartbreak, family drama, and how each person grieves differently.

I really enjoyed this story about these different women who are actually more similar than it initially seems. I loved the alternating POVs and how we got to see three different women at three different stages in their lives cope with the loss of a man that was so important to them. I don’t think this novel would have worked if each of Judge’s girls didn’t get a point of view and Harris did a great job of shifting from a teen’s mind to a young adult’s mind to an adult’s mind. Some portions felt a bit rushed, but the chapters were broken up with days and times so that helped keep track of what was going on.

There are heavy topics like alcoholism, grief, and loss; however, this novel shows that no matter what hardships come your way, you can always find a way to move forward. There are also mentions of racism and racial bias, which was really insightful given that this novel focuses on a blended family with different ethnicities. But this book also shows how speaking your truth is imperative to living your life to the fullest and finding people that you can call family.

Overall, if you’re looking for a book that has humor, love, heartbreak, and family values, then this is definitely the book for you! I will definitely be keeping Sharina Harris on my radar and can't wait to see what other books she will write next!

*I received an ARC from Kensington Books via Bookish First in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this story, which was deeper and more thoughtful than your average chick lit book. The “Judge” of the title, Joseph, is someone we never meet, because at the beginning of the book he has already died. But we get to know him well through his “girls” - Jeanie, the second very young white wife who married Judge after being his secretary; her white daughter with another man, Ryder; and Maya, a black woman and Judge’s first daughter, up and coming at her law firm and trying to decide whether to commit to her boyfriend Roland. Though Maya and Ryder share no blood, they are close, refer to themselves as sisters, and Maya has always looked out for Ryder, while at the same time never approving of the young and somewhat ignorant white woman her dad married after her mom died.

The story focuses on how each woman deals with life, and eachother, in the wake of Judge’s death. I absolutely loved (to my surprise) all three narrators. Harris has a gift for making you understand and empathize with all three of them from the start. This book is ultimately a really heartwarming and thoughtful book about family, race, alcoholism, and a whole bunch of other serious issues, while still managing to be a quick and enjoyable read. I especially loved Maya and the sisterhood between her and Ryder, and I loved Judge Joseph, even though we never met him. I believe readers of many diverse backgrounds will love this book and white readers like me may learn a little something too - Harris does an amazing job of writing all three characters beautifully while sneaking in a little race education too. But I suspect for most readers the fun and enlightenment will also really come from loving all of Judge’s Girls and Judge himself so much. Harris has created a wonderful family. I’d love to read more about them. I’ll definitely be checking out Harris’ backlist.

4.5 stars - this is a great escapist read when you want to read something that makes you feel a little better about the world and the people in it.

Big thanks to Sharina Harris, NetGalley and Kensington Books for such a lovely and heartwarming read - just what I needed in these tumultuous times.

When Judge Donaldson dies, his will stipulates that his "girls"- his daughter from his first marriage, his current wife, and daughter- all have to live in the family home which now belongs to Maya, his eldest daughter. Of course, there's a lot of drama and animosity between the three "girls". Well plotted and paced. Very good read.