Ah the beginning of summer. “Blue skies, girls, barfy burgers.” Okay maybe not the last two. But summer. Pools, drinks on the deck, firepits, friends. Although this year there are no pools and we have to wait until June 1 for friends.
I must admit, I’m really having a hard time with the whole “no pool” thing. Like I am seriously mourning the fact that I can’t sit by the pool with my book and just veg out to the sounds of spraying water. And my husband thinks I’m crazy. But my sister understands.
My childhood was all about the pool club. Pretty much everyday it was above 70 degrees, we were there. It was one of those pool clubs of the eighties where there were so many kids in the pool, you could hardly move, and the moms and dads greased themselves with SPF 2 Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil. Ewww… And some of the dads walked around in speedos (double eww).
But this is not why I love the pool. It’s just a thing! And of course I tried to fake it at home. This past weekend I bought the kids some sprinklers, bought some zero gravity chairs and pulled out my book. Except the dog was barking in my face, the kids kept spraying me with water and I had to get up every 5 minutes to help adjust the hose.
Maybe I’ll just read inside this year.
Today I’m reviewing The Half Sister by Sandie Jones, I guess the first official book of summer of the summer that just isn’t the same.
From the Publisher:
Meet the half sister, and unravel the ties that blind us.
THE TRUTH
Sisters Kate and Lauren meet for Sunday lunch every week without fail, especially after the loss of their father.
THE LIE
But a knock at the door is about to change everything. A young woman by the name of Jess holds a note with the results of a DNA test, claiming to be their half sister.
THE UNTHINKABLE
As the fallout starts, it’s clear that they are all hiding secrets, and perhaps this family isn’t as perfect as it appears.
My Review:
In The Half Sister, we meet Lauren and Kate, two sisters that while close on the surface, couldn’t have less in common. Lauren is oldest. She’s the practical one. She’s a stay-at-home mom with three kids and a husband who no one really likes all that much, but one that they tolerate. One that she barely tolerates too.
Kate is a successful producer who has it all. She has the handsome husband and the career. But despite appearing like she has it all, what she really wants is what her sister has. Well, minus the douchebag husband. Everyone assumes that she doesn’t want children, but it’s all she really wants.
All of this aside, the real story is when their half sister walks into their house during Sunday dinner looking for her biological father–Lauren and Kate’s dad who passed away a year earlier.
From there, the sister’s relationship with eachother and their mother becomes increasingly strained as they all try to figure out who their half sister is, whether or not she’s telling the truth, and if her intentions are good…or evil?
The Half Sister, while in the “thriller” category is really much more of a domestic thriller, which I personally define as “something that could totally realistically happen in real life,” like to a neighbor or friend and it would seem crazy, but feels slightly less so on the page when we are expecting cray things to happen.
Still, there are some good twists and revelations, and a good book to pass the time with poolside or on the beach- if you can find one open! Special thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur Books for a free e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out June 16. Get your copy:
Women in Trouble Book Blog 
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