this was okay, not something i'd pick up knowing that i don't like women's fiction. thank you for letting me at least try.

The Sister Effect by Susan Mallery is a beautiful story about forgiveness and family. Finley McGowan finds herself living with her mother and acting as the guardian for her 8-year-old niece, Aubrey, after her sister, Sloane, abandons them due to her alcoholism. Sloane is fighting her addiction and ultimately wishes to spend more time with her daughter, but the question remains: is she strong enough to confront her demons and earn her sister's forgiveness?

While I found the storyline engaging, I struggled to root for either of the main characters. They both exhibited whiny attitudes and a "poor me" mentality, which made it hard to root for them. However, the small hints of romance added an enjoyable layer to the narrative, and I found myself hoping for more of that aspect. I particularly loved the relationship between Sloane and Gil; it was evident how deeply they cared for each other and wanted the best for one another, even if that meant they couldn't be together.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys women's fiction.

3.5 Stars

Susan Mallery's books are never just a book! She knows just how to create totally relatable characters, who pull you right into the story. Same happens with the Sister Effect: Finley and Sloane are sisters. But whereas Finley is a straight shooter, Sloane is the wild one. And Sloane has went too far: she got herself addicted to alcohol and had to pay the highest price: she went to prison and had to give up her rights to her daughter Aubrey to her sister Finley.

Now, Sloane is trying very hard to stay sober in order to get her life back on track and to establish a relation with her daughter. To Finley: once an addict, always an addict. Therefore, she doesn’t trust Sloane and she is very reluctant to have Aubrey spend time with her mother. Of course, this creates tension between the sisters and their mother, Molly, with whom Finley and Aubrey are living currently.

For Finley, it’s not easy to forgive and forget. Time and time again, she gets disappointed by the people she loves. First by her father, Lester, who walks out on them. Then by her boyfriend and last by Sloane, who steals and totals her van with precious equipment. She finds a kindred spirit in Jericho, the contractor she is working for. Ever since Jericho’s wife has cheated on him with his brother Gil, he is reluctant to let anyone get close. Dissing out whose situation is worse: his or Finley’s has them connecting over family ties and bad relationships.

Susan Mallery shows you both sides to stories, which gives the book an authentic feel. Absolutely wonderful. can people forgive and forget? Is blood thicker than water? Find out for yourself in this great story. Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I just love a Susan Mallery read! Though predictable, that's what you love about them. They always make my heart happy and feel like a book hug. This one was no exception. What a great read!

Susan Mallery has come up with yet another very interesting and unique storyline. The characters were fun to read, and a bit frustrating, which kept you wanting more.

Susan Mallery is one of those authors that I know I will love any book she writes without even reading the summary. She has proven that again with The Sister Effect.

As is her usual style, she has created characters that are so real and believable, and who are conflicted with real life issues and situations, but she does it with her usual talent and flair. I love a book about families with conflicted relationships, and I was immersed in reading about Finley, her niece Aubrey who she cares for, and Finley’s sister Sloane, who wants to be back in her daughter’s life again. Each character has their own personal troubles as well as the major shared one, and each was a great addition to the overall storyline and plot.

Though the major themes are heavy; alcoholism, addiction, and abandonment, the underlying consistent theme is of family, love, and later, forgiveness and redemption. Mallery has also sprinkled in her usual flair of humor and romance to the mix, making this a truly enjoyable read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of The Sister Effect by Susan Mallery.

This is a good book. This story is about a family with a mother, Molly, two daughters, Sloane and Finley, a granddaughter, Sloane’s daughter, Aubrey, and a grandfather, Lester. The relationship of a family is sometimes hard. There are different personalities and family interactions. This story talks about relationships and falling in love.

It was a typical read involving siblings conflicts. Not very original. Story was still interesting enough to read, but, there were too lines that were repetitive in the book. For example, one of the main character making the same remarks or telling the same story over and over.

I enjoy Susan Mallorys books. This one was just as good as her others. I liked the complexity of families in this book. It is realistic to normal everyday family and life. This also makes for a non cheesy book read. Would recommend

Cute with loveable moments but a lot of back and forth between character stories that was confusing at times.

If you like Susan Mallery, you will love this book. However, she adds in a lot of insight into the life of an alcoholic and how alcoholism affects the families that live and cope with the disease in their family member. This book is about love, friendship, and family relationships (although the sister's relationship is probably at the forefront), all four generations are coping with something (or someone) that all in all o9f Ms. Mallery's books find a resolution in the end.

What a good book! Finley is a bit hard but she has reason to be. Raising her sisters daughter, with the help of their mother because her sister in an acholic. She's on the med but still Finley is very proactive of her niece and worried her sister will relapse. Teh book follows the family as they navigate being a family.

Susan Mallery's is a comfort read for me. I love her books for the summer, and this one was no exception. Loved the deeper topics this read covered, and Finley was such a great and complex character.

Susan Mallery's poignant tale delves into the complexities of a fractured family, navigating themes of love, forgiveness, and resilience. A heartwarming exploration of human vulnerability and the power of second chances.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Susan Mallery books are good books to read. I enjoy the stories between sisters or friends (sometimes sisters and friends!)

Susan Mallery writes about life situations that feel very real because they are real ( husbands leaving wives for new girlfriends, families feuding, women finding themselves after not making themself a priority for so long) but I’ve noticed with her last couple of books that she’s had a character in each book that is rigid or Disney stepmother terrible like and I am here to say that Finley was the rigid character in this book.

I’m not making fun of Finley because she did have reasons to be rigid, but she went a tad too far. The dialogue was a bit too rinse and repeat in her reasons (which were valid, but I didn’t need to hear them 1k times- that may be a teensy exaggeration)

What I liked:

The cover. Susan’s covers are the kind of covers I naturally gravitate towards and they are the kind of covers I like my bookshelves to be filled with 🙂

The dynamic between Finley and Sloane. Books about sisters fascinate me because a sister is someone you can love to pieces who can also tear your heart out with a look. And between these 2 sisters is A LOT of things to unpack.

The side plot with the brother characters. In the Susan Mallery books I’ve read, men have played a role in the book ( ex-lovers, ex-husbands, so on and so forth) but this is the first I recall where the men characters have a juicy side plot of their own.



Bottom line: I enjoyed this book and will read more books by her, but if you ask me in a year what this book is about, it’s probably going to take a minute for me to remember the plot points.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

Loved this book! I love everything Susan Mallery writes, this did not disappoint. This book does not stay on shelf long at my library.

I have been provided with a review copy of The Sister Effect from NetGalley for an impartial review. Oh my gosh this story was just epic. I just couldn’t put this story down and I was just captivated by everything that was taking place. The author truly outdid herself with this story. This story just had my emotions all over the place and I am so sad to see this book end. I just can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

This is a really good portrayal of what it’s like to have an alcoholic in the family. While I can’t relate to it, I learned a lot and got to see it from different perspectives from different family members. Well done.

Finley is raising her sister's daughter and is determined to give her a stable life. Finley and Sloane were dropped off by their mother to be raised by their grandfather but he didn't stick around for long. Finley stayed on a good path and finished her education while Sloane went wild and left town. When Sloane calls Finley to bail her out of jail she agrees but only if Sloane will go to rehab. As they work on rebuilding their relationship they both find men they can rely on. Will it last or crumble like all their other relationships. A good story.