Once upon a time, when her dad married Sage's mom, Daisy
was thrilled to get a bright and shiny new sister. But Sage was beautiful and
popular, everything Daisy was not, and she made sure Daisy knew it.
Sage didn't have Daisy's smarts -- she had to go back a
grade to enroll in the fancy rich-kid school. So she used her popularity as a
weapon, putting Daisy down to elevate herself. After the divorce, the
stepsisters' rivalry continued until the final, improbable straw: Daisy married
Sage's first love, and Sage fled California.
Eighteen years, two kids and one troubled marriage later,
Daisy never expects -- or wants -- to see Sage again. But when the little
sister they have in common needs them both, they put aside their differences to
care for Cassidy. As long-buried truths are revealed, no one is more surprised
than they when friendship blossoms.
Their fragile truce is threatened by one careless act
that could have devastating consequences. They could turn their backs on each
other again…or they could learn to forgive once and for all and finally become
true sisters of the heart.
Terrific drama-filled story of love, family, choices, and
second chances. I could not put the book down. Years ago, when Daisy was eight
years old, her widowed father remarried. His new wife had a daughter, Sage, who
was a year older than Daisy. While Daisy was excited about having a sister,
Sage did not return the sentiment. Instead, she did everything possible to make
Daisy's life miserable. Several years later, their parents added Cassidy to the
family, a half-sister to both girls. Even then, Daisy couldn't catch a break,
as Cassidy aligned herself with Sage. The relationships broke down completely
when their parents divorced. Sage continued her tormenting all through high
school, where she became the stereotypical mean girl.
Twelve years after the last time they saw each other,
circumstances bring the three women back together. When Cassidy is badly
injured in an accident, their father arranges for her to recover at Daisy's
house. To make matters worse, Sage is back in LA after the end of her third
marriage, so she'll be dropping in every day to see Cassidy. The icing on the
cake: Daisy is married to Sage's high school boyfriend, who just walked out on
their marriage with no explanation.
I loved seeing the changing relationships among the three
women. All of them have vivid memories of their childhoods, and each is wary of
their new circumstances. Daisy resents her father's assumption that she'll take
Cassidy in but caves to his expectations and hopes for the best. Sage is at a
crossroads in her life and must decide what direction to take. Cassidy is the
one who was caught in the middle and forced to choose sides.
With Cassidy's arrival at Daisy's home and Sage's
frequent visits, Daisy takes a good look at her choices. She can continue to
keep them at a distance or take the high road and see if the relationships
could change. There is still a part of her that longs for the sisters Daisy
wanted when she was a child. Can she take a chance that enough time has passed
that they can overcome the issues that drove them apart? I enjoyed seeing Daisy
slowly open her heart to both Sage and Cassidy. It wasn't an easy process, and
there were a few bumps along the way. One of the things I loved was the support
Daisy received from them as she dealt with her husband's actions. The author is
great with these kinds of situations, notably in her Fool's Gold series, and I
always enjoy the vision of women looking out for each other. As the weeks went
on, the three women experienced a growing love and trust, as they discovered
that not everything in the past was exactly the way it seemed.
After the end of her third marriage, Sage returned to LA,
looking for a new direction for her life. Raised by her mother to look out for
number one, Sage discovered she didn't want to live that way any longer. Stuck
living with her mom, Joanne, for now, Sage has plans for her future that entail
significant changes. She looks back at her past with regrets over the things
she did and wonders if there's a way to make amends. I liked seeing her reach
out to Daisy, admit to her mistakes, and confess to what drove her. Sage's
connection with Cassidy also changed as she helped Cassidy see the past through
different eyes. I ached for Sage as her insecurities led her to make a hurtful
mistake with terrible consequences. Now she must decide whether to try to fix
what she did or run away from the family she loves.
Cassidy is the youngest and never felt she fit in on
either side of her family. As a result, she fears any commitment and uses her
work as a travel writer to hide from it. Her childhood, heavily influenced by
her mother's attitude, left her often feeling invisible. She came across as
quite a brat at the beginning of the book, but with some straight talk from
Sage, she discovered a connection she didn't know she craved. I especially
enjoyed seeing Cassidy connect with Daisy's kids. Her insecurities keep Cassidy
from believing that any relationship lasts.
It wouldn't be a Susan Mallery book without some romance.
Cassidy has a boyfriend that has her running scared. She loves him, though she
won't admit it and won't give in because "it won't last." Desean's
love for Cassidy gave him a tremendous amount of patience as he tried to get
past her issues. I loved his conversation with Sage and Daisy and how they
encouraged him not to give up. I loved how her sisters' support helped Cassidy
get past her fears.
After three marriages, Sage has pretty much given up on
relationships and plans to concentrate on her future instead. She doesn't
expect to run into a high school classmate living next door to her mother. Adam
is a widower still grieving the loss of his wife but can't help reacting to
Sage. She, too, is attracted to him. With neither looking for a relationship,
they settle on being friends. I enjoyed seeing them spend time together. Their
teasing banter was fun to follow, and they clearly had a lot in common. Adam is
a refuge for Sage when her mother gets to be too much. There is also a sweet
scene at their high school reunion when Adam helps Sage escape the clutches of
an old friend. I liked seeing the feelings between them deepen and ached for
Sage and her fear that she'd do something to mess it all up. When her fear comes
to pass, Sage must face those she hurt and hope for forgiveness.
As for Daisy, her husband of twelve years blindsided her
when he moved out with no explanation and no notice other than a text. Jordan
initially refuses to tell her why simply telling her "you know why" when
she has no idea. Even with counseling, he continues his passive-aggressive
attitude. The longer Jordan stays away, the more Daisy begins to suspect that
her marriage is over. I liked seeing her go from practically begging him to
come back to confronting him over his continued misbehavior. I loved seeing her
finally put her foot down. Jordan was quite the man-baby, and I got very tired
of seeing him try to blame Daisy for everything and whine about not being the
center of her attention.
The other character that was unlikeable was Sage and
Cassidy's mother, Joanne. During her marriage to Daisy's dad, she was nasty to
Daisy and sabotaged Daisy's relationships with Sage and Cassidy, which
continued after the divorce. In the current day, we see Joanne in her pursuit
of the net rich man she can latch onto. She continually pushes Sage to do the
same thing, including urging her to go after Jordan. Joanne's actions once
again attempted to sabotage Sage's relationship, all to suit her own desires.
The epilogue was good. I liked catching up with everyone
after the dust settled.
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