I loved this book, and I can't stop talking about it. This book reminded me of J. Ryan Stradal's writing, in that she took everyday people and made them interesting, made you want to care about what happens to each and every one of them. Then I found out the author lives in Minnesota, and it must be a sort of Midwest/Garrison Keillor thing they all have in their blood. The premise of the story is that several generations gather to help save an apartment complex, yet each woman has their own problem, so they're all there to help each other. It's about mother-daughter relationships, the different ways women cope with whatever life throws at them,

Parts of the book were funny, and parts very sad. What I really loved about it is, since it was set in the late 90s, were all the cultural references. It's not an exciting book, it's kind of lowkey, which may put some people off, but again, if you like very character-driven sorts of books, I think you'll love this one.

I can't wait to read the author's next book!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are mine, and freely given.

I really enjoyed this read. The characters were relatable. I found it didn’t quite suck me in at first but once I got going I liked it.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

This book was cute. A group of mothers come together through a swimming competition to save an apartment building. I would rate this a 3/5 stars.

THE SIRENS OF SOLEIL CITY
Sarah C. John’s

Follow the ups and downs of the women in a small apartment complex. As they laugh and cry together and support their own children all the while holding back secrets. As the secrets come out, especially the ones about one of the women’s multiple marriages, it will either bring these women closer together or pull them apart.

This book while a bit confusing was the perfect mix of happy and sad. It will make you laugh and cry at the same time. I would give this book an 5 out of 5 stars.

The Sirens of Soleil City by Sarah C. Johns is a timely release. Set in Florida with three generations of women facing problems that are straight from current headlines and releasing prior to the Olympics. Winning!

This starts in a way that makes the reader feel behind. It’s scattered in the explanation of who is whom, and the plot is lacking.

Loved this! The storyline, the characters (especially the age range!), the setting. So entertaining; this will really work with the Olympics set for this year. #MustRead!

DNF at 23%. I just couldn’t get into the story because I struggled to follow all the characters and jumping timelines. If you like really in depth family sagas this might be a good choice for you!

A story of mothers, daughters, and the family we make. Cherie has two moms- her biomom Dale and Marlys, the stepmother who raised her. Now, she's in her late 50s, her own daughter Laura is pregnant and having marital issues and Dale and Marlys need her. Badly. She decides that the women of the retirement community where Dale lives can save their building by winning a synchronized swimming competition. Unlikely to be sure but that's the mechanism that brings together the group which will be led by Laura who was once a dance line leader. This jumps around in time and between the characters, which I found distracting because individually, the women are great. It's in the quiet moments, the moments when Cherie is sitting in a bar, when Laura is thinking about her life, when Dale is thinking about all of them, and when Marlys, well, Marlys in general, that this is at its best. There are some chuckles, some pain, and some pulls at the heartstrings. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This wasn't the easy read I thought it would be based on (let's face it) the cover but it's a good one.

This was a really good story. I feel like it really hones in on what family is, can, and should be. And then it takes it further. Family is blood, but it's also more than that. It's the people who step up when no one else will. It's the people who do the most outrageous things, all in the name is love. It's about it all.

I can see this 100% being made into a movie. I'd be shocked if that doesn't happen.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A heartwarming story about mothers and daughters, the challenges of balancing work and motherhood and finding joy in old age. I loved the premise of this book set in a Florida retirement community where a group of seniors form a synchro swimming team and try to win a regional competition. With three generations of women in one family trying to reconcile their past hurts, this was a moving intergenerational story that was great on audio. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. The Sirens of Soleil City follows multiple generations over a span of a few weeks. Cheri is in Florida helping her mother’s Dale and Marlys with their struggles. She also has to help her daughter Lauren with her failing marriage. Unfortunately The Sirens of Soleil City is not my cup of tea. I made to 30% and I could not find myself interested in the storyline. I do think that others will enjoy it if they like multi generational stories with heavy topics.

This book is about women at a Seniors apt complex that decide to start a synchronized swimming team to try and save their building from being sold. On another level though, the book is about relationships between mothers and daughters and between friends. I enjoyed some of the women who lived in the complex and their views on life. Some of them were funny and irreverant. I did find that the relationship between the mothers and daughters were complicated and at times quite sad.

The writer did manage to navigate all the twists and turns well and never had us lost trying to figure things out. The plot fell short for me though and I think I would have preferred less of the famiy drama and more humour. If you like books about senior citizens or family relationships, you will really enjoy this one. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book.

A light hearted, feel good story that is a quick, easy read. It is the perfect summer read and will have you laughing out loud.

THE SIRENS OF SOLEIL CITY by Sarah C. Jones had me laughing and emotional both at the same time. It’s a quick look at mother/ daughter relationships, being there for each other, the power of female friendships, and generational wealth (or lack there of).

Cherie Anderson’s mother, Dale, is on the verge of being evicted from the crumbling, rundown apartment complex that she calls home. Cherie’s relationship with Dale has been compromised ever since Dale left her when she was five years old to go off and marry six times and travel the country. Raised by her father, Ed and his wife, Marlys, Cherie grew up with a loving stepmother and holds many resentments towards Dale for her actions and behaviour. Cherie is in the position that she would be able to just write out a check to help Dale but decides to go to Florida to visit with both Dale and Marlys, her ‘mom’.

When she gets there She learns that the owner will not repair the property as he wants to sell. With a ragtag group of older women, Cherie enlists the help of her own daughter, Laura who is six months pregnant and has just left her husband. They too, have a strained relationship. The women of the complex decide to enter the South Florida Synchronised Swimming Competition in just a little over a month in hopes of winning the prize money to make the necessary repairs on the property. Along the way we meet the other women on the team and learn of their perseverance and tenacity which keeps them going in times of need and crisis. We also see the inter-generational dynamics and how the stories of one affect the lives of other others. As death calls for one of the women, another life begins.

There were many times in this book where I caught myself chuckling at the conversations between the women, then cringing at the conversations of the women and cheering as they all fought to save the complex but learned to save themselves. As each new story was told we learned of the triumphs and tragedies in the lives of the women that chose to become a family. I loved it! The writing was clear and concise and led to a very enjoyable read. I could feel the sun beating down and the ripple of the water as I kicked and flipped along with the music. This is my first Sarah C Jones novel, but it will not be my last. An enjoyable afternoon romp while lying by your own pool or on the beaches.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This is a book about three generations of women and takes place in Florida in 1999. It's a great book about aging and how some older women still have a love of life and adventure despite what the world thinks.

Cherie is 58 and has a strange family -- she has two mothers. One is her biological mother, Dale, who was a free spirit and left her daughter when she was a baby and saw her infrequently when she was growing up. The other mom (and the one she refers to as Mom) is Marlys who married her father and raised her after her bio mom left. Interestingly, Dale and Marlys are now best friends and see each other frequently. Both of the women have a major problem. Marlys is dying but doesn't want anyone to know - especially not her daughter. Dale is facing eviction from her budget senior apartment -- actually all of her friends there may soon be without a home when the owner sells the complex. Cherie is someone who always wants to be in charge and tell everyone what to do so she feels it's her duty to save the apartment complex. She decides that the women should compete in the South Florida Senior Synchronized Swimming Competition. The prize is $10,000 which will save the complex. Do any of the seniors know how to synchronize swim -- well no, but surely they can learn in a month. To help out, Cherie calls on her pregnant daughter to come to Florida to help out. Can this feisty group of older women win the prize and save their homes?

My favorite characters were Dale and the other women who lived in the apartment complex. They may all be in their 70s but they are an outspoken and tenacious group of women. Even when they argued, they remained friends. Some of their conversations were hilarious - they didn't really care what other people thought of them, they wanted to live their lives in peace and knew that winning this competition would keep them in their homes. It was also interesting to see the three different generations of women interact. Cherie was comfortable with both of her mothers but her daughter failed to understand the relationship at first.

This is a book about families of all types. The different type of family that Cherie had with two mothers. The life that her daughter was going to have by having a baby after her husband leaves her. The family unit made up of Dale and Marlys. And the unconventional group of women who lived in the apartment who were a family based on the love that they all had toward each other as they navigated their aging. Overall, there is no good or bad type of family - the important thing is that it works and brings people closer together and happy with their lives.

This was a good book, but apparently not for me, and I usually like books about the over-60 crowd! So many others loved this deep look into motherhood that if it sounds interesting at all, I definitely would give it a shot.

This was a difficult, gritty look into the lives of two mothers who shared a daughter. It also looked into the lives of a granddaughter who is expecting her first baby and a group of senior women who are trying to save their budget retirement home.

One of Cherie's mothers is dying of lung cancer, one Mother is losing her home, and everyone's mess is on Cherie's shoulders to clean up.

This was a very difficult book to read. We jumped around in timelines. We jumped around with Dale's various husbands and figuring out who belonged to whom at various times nearly drove me to distraction.

Not my glass of Zinfandel.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Random House, the author, and NetGalley.

"The Sirens of Soleil City" by Sarah C. Johns is a heartwarming and poignant novel that explores the complexities of family, motherhood, and aging. Set in West Palm Beach in 1999, the story follows fifty-eight-year-old Cherie Anderson as she navigates the challenges of caring for her two mothers: Dale, who left her when she was young and is facing eviction, and Marlys, who raised her and is now dying.

The novel is rich in character development, particularly focusing on the relationships between Cherie, Dale, Marlys, and Cherie's daughter, Laura. Each character is well-crafted and relatable, with their own struggles and flaws that add depth to the story. The dynamic between the four women is the heart of the novel, highlighting the complexities of family bonds and the impact of past decisions on present relationships.

One of the novel's strengths is its portrayal of aging and the resilience of the human spirit. Through the characters of Dale, Marlys, and their friends in Soleil City, Johns explores themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and the importance of seizing the moment.

Overall, "The Sirens of Soleil City" is a beautifully written novel that will resonate with readers who appreciate heartfelt stories about family and the journey of self-discovery. Sarah C. Johns has crafted a touching and memorable tale that reminds us of the enduring power of love and the importance of cherishing those we hold dear.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to review for my honest opinion.

In the sun-kissed backdrop of West Palm Beach, 1999, "The Sirens of Soleil City" by Sarah C. Johns invites readers to plunge into the lives of three generations of women. Johns masterfully weaves a tale of resilience, forgiveness, and the intricate dynamics of family bonds.

At the heart of the story is 58-year-old Cherie Anderson, summoned from her frozen Minnesota home to help her estranged mother, Dale, and her adoptive mother, Marlys. Dale, facing eviction from her budget apartment complex in Soleil City, reaches out for help. Marlys, silently battling illness, refuses to admit her condition to her daughter.

Cherie's pregnant daughter, Laura, adds another layer of complexity. Her marriage has crumbled just weeks before her due date. Seeking a reason to stay in town, Cherie stumbles upon the South Florida Senior Synchronized Swimming Competition. The stakes are high: winning the competition could save Soleil City, and the ten-thousand-dollar prize money would be a lifeline.

With Laura as their coach (she used to captain a dance team), the unlikely team of senior swimmers embarks on a journey of self-discovery. In an apartment complex filled with feisty, funny, and strong-willed women in their seventies, Cherie finds herself navigating not only the intricacies of synchronized swimming but also the delicate threads that bind her family together.

Johns paints vivid portraits of these women, each with her quirks, dreams, and regrets. As they practice their routines, they learn that life isn't about neatly defined categories of good and bad. Instead, it's about trying to get it right, even when faced with past mistakes and uncertain futures.

The prose flows effortlessly, capturing the warmth of friendships forged over shared dreams and the bittersweet moments of reconciliation. Johns deftly explores themes of aging, motherhood, and the power of forgiveness. The characters' voices resonate, and their struggles feel authentic.

"The Sirens of Soleil City" is more than a novel; it's a symphony of emotions. Johns orchestrates laughter, tears, and hope, leaving readers with a sense of renewal. The Senior Synchronized Swimming Competition becomes a metaphor for life: a chance to dive into the deep end, embrace imperfections, and find grace in the water.

As the sun sets over Soleil City, the bonds between these women grow stronger. They learn that second chances are not just for the young; they're for anyone willing to leap into the unknown. Johns has crafted a poignant and uplifting tale that will resonate with readers of all ages.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Random House Trade Paperbacks for a temporary e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.