Midlife sisters Gabrielle and Lulu are at odds with each other, mired in debt and angered still at their mother, a major controller now dead.

Instead of getting a large inheritance, they're bequeathed the contents of her secret closet filled with expensive Chanel clothing and accessories. Which makes them even madder, until they meet her lovely friends and find loving messages among her treasures that lead to reconciliation and forgiveness. A poignant and beautifully written tale of healing. Out now.

Thanks to the authors, Blue Box Press, AuthorBuzz, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

#thefashionorphans #NetGalley

Two estranged sisters find that forgiveness never goes out of style when they inherit their mother’s vintage jackets, purses… and pearls of wisdom. I've said it before but stories about sisters touch my heart! Having to sort through a parents thing after their death isn't easy, but when you have someone to do it with is makes it a little easier with someone by your side. In the midst of everything these sisters learn more about themselves. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for a review.

A great sister bonding story! Gabi and Lulu are very different personalities. They haven't been close to each other for a number of years and now are pushed together to deal with their mother's estate. The journey they take helps them learn more about their mother, each other and themselves. I really enjoyed the characters and how dealing with the loss of their mother, helped them both grow. I absolutely loved all the Chanel quotes. I was left feeling hopeful and happy. Such a great story. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Not exactly what I thought this story would be but nonetheless The Fashion Orphans by Randy Susan Meyers and M.J. Rose is an interesting read. Two half-sisters must deal with the animosity toward their late mother as they go through her clothes. The designer clothes are what she has left them instead of money which both badly need.

A close look at sisters that are struggling to be a family. A mother that was so controlling when she was alive it was surprising that she had such warm caring friends. Friends that Gabrielle and Lulu needed now but also needed in the past. The parting thoughts through notes in the clothes show a different side to this mother. She is so much a part of this story that one has to remind themselves that she is actually gone.

I could empathize with the sisters but was thankful my experience with my parents’ deaths was much different. The sisters find that forgiveness is truly divine, helping the forgiver more than the one forgiven. More heart tugging than inspiring, yet this character focused story was thought-provoking.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

OMG I loved this book so much!!!!!!!!!!!! I have read both of these authors separately but together they wrote an incredible story of sisters, love, family, and fashion appreciation!!!!!! This is one that every woman needs to read.

This was disappointing -- I was expecting more fashion rather than the depressing reality of unemployment, debt, infidelity and death...plus complicated sibling relationships. I will just say that this story and these characters did not bring me joy. Hope you have better luck!

The Fashion Orphans comes out TOMORROW on February 1, 2022, and you can purchase HERE.

But Bette never failed to answer the phone when Gabrielle called and was ever ready to meet for a quick lunch or leisurely dinner--often to offer advice whether asked for or not. Yes, she argued with Gabrielle and often found fault with her, but your mother lives in your blood. Who you are is who she was. And now, part of Gabrielle was gone. Forever. And today would be an even more brutal reminder of that.

The Fashion Orphans by Randy Susan Meyers and M.J. Rose is a thought provoking novel about mending relationships and dealing with grief. Estranged half sisters Gabrielle and Lulu have recently lost their mother, Bette. Both sisters had mentally made plans for their expected sizeable inheritance and they are stunned to find that there is barely enough money to cover their mother's final expenses. Their mother has left them a treasure trove of Chanel clothing and jewelry and the sisters must work together to decide how to liquidate the clothing. This plan must be approved by Bette's lawyer. As Gabrielle and Lulu work together they also embrace Bette's closest friends. Bette fostered her daughter's independence and neither Gabrielle nor Lulu felt they knew Bette well. It seemed to them that fashion is what Bette loved most. Thanks to Bette's plan, the sisters discover how important family is and how much their mother loved them.

This typically not my kind of book but when I read the synopsis I figured I give it a try.

Half sisters Gabrielle and LuLu must figure out what to do with an collection that has been to them as an inheritance from their mother.

I found this quite enjoyable since I love fashion tales. At times it meandered a bit but all in all it was a fun book. It’s also a pretty quick read. Just what I needed for a dreary day.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. 3.5⭐️

Forgiveness and understanding; major themes in family dramas.
Two estranged sisters need to come together to decide how to handle their mother's collection that is bequeathed to them after her death. Their Mother, Bette, was a huge fan of Coco Chanel and had amassed a large collection of her clothes and accessories. According to Bette's will, the daughters need to decide together and with their executor's approval, come up with a plan of what to do with the collection. Both Gabi and Lulu need money and a secure future. Gabi is divorced with little left to her name and Lulu is widowed with overdue bills and no savings.

The sisters need to come to terms with how little they actually knew about their mother's life and accept the love that she had for them in her own way. They also have to deal with their estrangement from each other and work to make sure that they will always be there for the other going forward.

I got quite the lesson in high end clothes. I am much more of a Lulu and her Gap clothing than Gabi and her own high end tastes! I really enjoyed the relationship between the sisters and the extended family that they developed with Bette's friends.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advance Read copy in exchange for this honest review.

I found this to be such an interesting way to tell a story. I liked how it was told through Gabrielle & Lulu's perspectives. I found each character to be well thought out & engaging. This was an interesting way to show how the girls's mom wanted her legacy to live on & incorporate a unique fashion designer, finding interesting tidbits about her along the way as well. I recommend reading this book if you're looking for watching a great story unfold. Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

THE FASHION ORPHANS by Randy Susan Meyers and M. J. Rose is an intriguing and captivating story of sisters, mothers and daughters and female friendships that kept me engaged throughout. Estranged half-sisters Gabrielle Winslow and Lulu Quattro are forced to meet when their mother, Bette Bradford dies and they must attend the reading of her will. Both sisters have recently experienced devastating losses. Fifty-five year-old Gabrielle’s very public divorce from a Broadway producer has left her without her career and income and an outsider in her former elite Upper East Side world. At age forty-eight, Lulu is grieving the death of her husband and her two grown sons have lives of their own. Hiding a staggering amount of debt from everyone, she has nothing left but working in her late husband’s family bakery. When the will is read, the sisters learn that rather than inheriting the cash that would relieve their financial woes and allow them to move on, they have instead inherited their mother’s secret “collection” and must agree on what to do with it to obtain their inheritance. As they explore their mother’s amazing collection and try to solve the mystery of what it meant to her, the sisters might just learn more about themselves and in the process, repair their frayed relationship. I enjoyed all the fashion references and the touching female friendships revealed along the way. This is an emotional story of family, friendship and resilience that I highly recommend. Thank you to the authors, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

Loved. Just basically devoured this book in one sitting. Two of my favorite authors coming together to write a book? Yes please. Gimme, gimme, gimme. Superb. Go hit that one click button now. An absolute must read. Happy reading!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Gabrielle, Lulu and their late mother Bette as they find their way to understanding and growth. The backdrop of fashion adds some different information especially around Coco Chanel. The extended cast of characters each bring their own perspective to the story and add to it nicely. All in all a very good relaxing read.

I was absolutely not the intended audience for this book.

Sisters and complete opposites Gabrielle and Lulu don't get along. When their aloof, emotionally distant mother dies, they find an enormous, hidden closet in her apartment filled to the gills with Chanel. Chanel bags. Chanel clothes, Chanel make-up. The woman loved Chanel, okay? Anyway, the sisters suddenly find little notes in the bags with Chanel quotes on them. Their mother was communing with them from the grave! The sisters have to figure out what the mother was trying to tell them in order to get the collection. Seriously?

It sort of fell apart from there. It was moderately tolerable at first, albeit the main characters were complete unlikeable- and not really in the intended way. They fought almost constantly, which was irritating. But then add on a plot line that was totally improbable and weird, and it was just a recipe for disaster for me. An emotionally immature mother who actually was super loving but never showed it until now through the gift of Chanel? Please. Talk about narcissism.

I'm sure that there is an audience out there for this one, particularly one who really appreciates fashion. But, unfortunately, this was just not the one for me.

This book is a collaboration of author's Randy Susan Meyers and M.J. Rose.
Estranged sisters Gabrielle and Lulu must join forces when their mother Bette dies and leaves them an inheritance neither of them expected. Lulu's dear husband died two years ago and Gabrielle has undergone a ghastly divorce. They do not get an easy start, but work tenaciously together.
I really enjoyed that the main characters were both a little older - middle aged - and were shaped by their life experiences. Their circle of family and friends was very encouraging and helpful. Coco Chanel was also a significant character in the story through Bette's legacy and her quote's that were hidden in it.
This is a cozy and warm book with characters you can identify with. Lulu and Gabrielle went a long way to accept the relationships they had with their distant mother. Family and friendship conquer all. There was a little romance, but fortunately not too much.
I did not realize how much fashion would be in this book. It should have been obvious though. I'm the kind of person who likes nothing more than cozy up on the sofa with comfortable clothes. These covid timed do not encourage shopping sprees either.

"I don't do fashion I am fashion." - Coco Chanel

Two sisters who have never seen eye to eye come together after their mother dies. As written in the will, the daughters are forced to work together to figure out their mother’s fashion legacy that was left to them. A nice story about sisters, family, fashion and making dreams come true.

I absolutely loved this one- the dynamics of the sisters, the fashion, their mother’s friends, the fashion, the big Italian family, the fashion, their plans, the fashion….
Lots of fun!

Half-sisters Gabrielle (55) and Lulu (48) have only two things in common: mounds of debt and loads of unresolved resentment toward their controlling, recently deceased mother, Bette. The sisters arrive for the reading of their mother’s will expecting to receive a sizable inheritance that will be the answer to all of their problems, only to discover all they have been left is their mother’s secret closet jammed with high-end designer clothes and accessories—most from Chanel. According to the terms of the will, they are not allowed to immediately sell off the contents of the closet, but are instead required to come up with a plan for her collection, and then the attorney must approve it before they can proceed. As they explore the collection, meet and fall in love with her warm, wonderful friends, and magically find inspiring messages tucked away in her treasures—it seems their mother is advising Lulu and Gabrielle from the beyond—helping them rediscover themselves and restore their relationship with each other.
I am a big fan of Randy Susan Meyers' books so I was looking forward to this new one co-authored with M.J. Rose. It did not disappoint. Although I am not one who is in the least bit interested in fashion, I was still drawn into the story, cheering on Gabrielle and Lulu, wanting them to succeed in their endeavors. This book is heartwarming and fun, and is a great read for anyone, whether they love fashion or not.

Gabrielle and Lulu are half-sisters and they're different as night and day (and their fathers). Very close when they were young, they grew apart over the years. As the book opens, they're mad at each other, disappointed with how their sister acted when each experienced significant life events. But the biggest loss, the death of their mother, forces them to come together and who knows where their relationship will go!
Their mother, Bette, had a lifelong obsession with everything Coco Chanel, including inspiring her daughters' names. She wasn't a typical mother and, as it turns out, kept a lot of secrets from her daughters.
Before reading The Fashion Orphans, the only thing I really knew about Chanel was that one of the tacky NJ Housewives on Bravo covers herself with the designers clothing and jewelry. And, now I find myself wanting one of those vintage handbags!
The Fashion Orphans was an entertaining book, even if you don't know anything about the world of high end fashion. The first half of the book was really focused on Bette's closet, and a lot went over my head. But the overall story about family (the one we're related to and the one we select) and sisters made it a 4 star read for me. I also loved how they captured the Manhattan and Brooklyn settings so well. The Fashion Orphans would make a great Lifetime or Hallmark movie!
Thanks to Netgalley and Blue Box Press for the opportunity to read The Fashion Orphans in exchange for an honest review.

This was a surprisingly fun read. Two half sister who couldn’t be anymore different come together in their mother’s death to deal with a surprise left for them in their mothers will. As they say, it’s the journey not the destination that makes the story and this is evident throughout. Lulu and Gabrielle work through all their childhood angst as well as adult sister troubles through a cathartic cleaning out of their mothers fantastic closet. The story focuses on getting back up after being knocked down all with the help of the family you make. The story kept a thread of mystery as they try to discover why their elusive mother has left Chanel quotes hidden around her purses. It was a beautiful look into the complexities of sister relationships as well as female friendships that can leave you widowed. It was more happy than sad and a true celebration of sisterhood.