I enjoy a break from my usual historical reading now and then and I’ve found that Susan Mallery offers a wonderful diversion with her novels. California Girls is her latest and I thank TLC Book Tours for sending it to me at no charge for my honest review.
About California Girls:
- Hardcover: 432 pages
- Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (February 26, 2019)
The California sunshine’s not quite so bright for three sisters who get dumped in the same week…
Finola, a popular LA morning show host, is famously upbeat until she’s blindsided on live TV by news that her husband is sleeping with a young pop sensation who has set their affair to music. While avoiding the tabloids and pretending she’s just fine, she’s crumbling inside, desperate for him to come to his senses and for life to go back to normal.
Zennie’s breakup is no big loss. Although the world insists she pair up, she’d rather be surfing. So agreeing to be the surrogate for her best friend is a no-brainer—after all, she has an available womb and no other attachments to worry about. Except…when everyone else, including her big sister, thinks she’s making a huge mistake, being pregnant is a lot lonelier—and more complicated—than she imagined.
Never the tallest, thinnest or prettiest sister, Ali is used to being overlooked, but when her fiancé sends his disapproving brother to call off the wedding, it’s a new low. And yet Daniel continues to turn up “for support,” making Ali wonder if maybe—for once—someone sees her in a way no one ever has.
But side by side by side, these sisters will start over and rebuild their lives with all the affection, charm and laugh-out-loud humor that is classic Susan Mallery.
About the Author:
#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives-family, friendship, romance. She’s known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages.Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur.
Connect with Susan
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My Opinion:
This is my third book by Susan Mallery and what I love about them is you know what you are getting; good and diverse characters, rich family drama and current issues. In California Girls we meet three sisters who all get dumped in the same week; Finola, a TV hostess who finds out her husband is cheating right before she goes on air. Ali, whose fiance can’t even bother to tell her the wedding is off himself – his brother brings her the news. And Zennie who really wasn’t dating Clark but she sure does miss him when he tells her it just isn’t working for him.
Each sister gets equal time in the book as Finola works through the heartbreak of losing the man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with in a public arena. She is, after all very well known and everyone wants to know why her husband left her.
Ali doesn’t understand why a man who asked her to marry him has decided with just a few weeks to go that he can’t marry her. As she works through the pain she has help in the form of her fiance’s brother and she learns that she has more inner strength than she knew.
Zennie is a bit of a free spirit who doesn’t understand why everyone thinks she should partner up. She thinks she is getting along just fine on her own. In fact she is getting along so fine she decides to become a surrogate for her best friend who can’t have a baby. What she doesn’t understand is everyone’s negative reaction to her decision.
In addition to the three main plots involving the sisters there is a subplot surrounding the girls’ mother; she is moving from the house where they grew up and needs their help with clearing it out and is excessively obsessive about having grandchildren.
The book moves smoothly between the girls’ stories as they work through their romantic trials and deal with parents who seem at times to be less than supportive. It makes for an easy read perfect for a weekend on the couch or for taking on vacation. It’s also going to be a great read for the beach this summer. There’s romance, family drama, sisterly love and more.
Rating:
3.5
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