The Lemon Sisters: A Novel

Jill Shalvis

Jun 2019 · The Wildstone Series Book 3 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

"A book to savor--and share." —Susan Wiggs, New York Times Bestselling Author

The New York Times bestselling author of Rainy Day Friends and Lost and Found Sisters returns to Wildstone, California...

Brooke Lemon has always led the life she wanted, wild adventures—and mistakes—included, something her perfect sister, Mindy, never understood. So when Mindy shows up on Brooke’s doorstep in the throes of a break-down with her three little kids in tow, Brooke’s shocked.

Wanting to make amends, Brooke agrees to trade places, taking the kids back to Wildstone for a few days so Mindy can pick up the pieces and put herself back together. What Brooke doesn’t admit is she’s just as broken . . . Also how does one go home after seven years away? It doesn’t take long for Brooke to come face-to-face with her past, in the form of one tall, dark, sexy mistake. But Garrett’s no longer interested. Only his words don’t match his actions, leaving Brooke feeling things she’d shoved deep.

Soon the sisters begin to wonder: Are they lemons in life? In love? All they know is that neither seems to be able to run far enough to outpace her demons. And when secrets surface, they’ll have to learn that sometimes the one person who can help you the most is the one you never thought to ask.

Ratings and reviews

Most of the time I don't really care that my sister and I are estranged, but then I'll read a book like The Lemon Sisters and it will sort of, kind of, make me wish she and I had a relationship like these fictional characters. But then I come to my senses and remember the key word- fiction. Although Brooke and Mindy had a bit of a contentious relationship, which let's be honest, pretty much all sisters do, theirs wasn't too far gone that it couldn't be repaired. Even with the distance Brooke put between them, both emotionally and physically, all hope was not lost for them. Nothing was easy, but they were both willing to do what it took to make things right, because deep down you knew they really did love each other and want what was best for the other. And that was true for Brooke and Garrett as well. Theirs was a hard fought love, with so much past pain and hurt, it was hard to imagine them finding their way throught the heartache. But there was so much love between them, so much history, I just couldn't imagine things not working out for them! The Lemon Sisters was an emotional journey, for both sisters. Brooke has put so much distance between herself and her family, it takes her sister Mindy showing up unexpectedly at her doorstep for her to realize that maybe it’s time to put some things to right. And what ensues is a poignant, heartfelt, and quite charming, story. While the main focus is on Brooke and the fallout from her past choices, including making amends with her first love, Garrett, we’re also treated to a side story with Mindy and her family. I really liked that we got to see inside the lives of both sisters. I liked that things weren’t easy, that there were no quick fixes, the work everyone had to put in was real.

I fell in love with this author’s stories when I first read Slow Heat, and have been a fan ever since. Once again, her storytelling talent made this a 5+ stars book. This one centers around Brooke Lemon. She left town to discover the world and after a traumatic and life threatening helicopter accident seven years ago, she has stayed away from home . Leaving behind Garrett Montgomery, her childhood sweetheart and the man that was once, an integral part of her past. A man that never expected to see her again. But when Mindy, Brooke’s sister shows up in her LA apartment with her three kids in tow , Brooke sees her once put together sister is on the verge of a breakdown, and offers to trade places, taking the kids back home . The story not only dealt with Brooke and Garrett, but we also get a chance to spend time with Mindy, her adorable kids and her husband Linc. This is a story about family and the complicated relationships within it . It’s also a story filled with heartbreaking moments and a reminder that the experiences in our childhood do in fact affect us as adults. A story about fears but also about hope and in the end , if you take a chance at loving someone special, life can in fact be a wonderful one . Another winner by this author and in this series. I was entrusted a copy of this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Brooke Lemon packed her bags at eighteen and went off to chase her dreams: photographing and producing shows about extreme: sport, landscape, daring to be different. Now working in the ‘office’ and behind the scenes after a helicopter crash that killed one person and nearly killed her, she’s not been back to Wildstone for years, and has essentially cut herself off from family and friends there. Until her older sister Mindy appears on her doorstep with three children in tow, a complete wreck. Now Brooke has a choice: ignore her sister, take the kids to Disney, or bite the bullet and take them home, allowing her sister to follow her in a couple of days. Three kids, a control-freak sister married to a doctor who always seems to be working or away and returning to her childhood home isn’t the hallmark of relaxing, especially when there are people she needs to apologize to, a schedule and activities for the kids to maintain, and well, being responsible for someone else. When you add in the fact that Garrett is living next door, and is the only person who won’t allow Brooke to lie, noticed her little “tics” that tie to her OCD, and the fact that her little niece is also displaying the tics that Brooke hid for so long – the story has so many layers of emotional punches that it’s hard to pick just one. With Mindy’s marriage on auto-pilot and her so determined to be ‘perfect’, her husband always taking up the slack in the practice he shares with his brother who is, to say the least, selfish and unable to accommodate anyone but himself, and Mindy feeling unseen and unappreciated, worried that Liam is unfaithful, and utterly absorbed in micromanaging everyone’s life, it strikes a chord with couples in long term relationships everywhere. Finally with some time to face (sometimes unwillingly) her past, her issues and Garrett and the damage she did to their relationship, Brooke grows in leaps and bounds – unwittingly or purposefully, and we see the power of love, family, acceptance and even the moments when things are on the precipice of falling apart. Shalvis does this by making her characters sympathetic, flawed and wholly engaging – from a barking three year old to three cats with major attitude, several reunions and a ‘dawn breaks over marble head’ moment for both Brooke and Garrett, the story is fun, easy to read and loaded with compassion and the power of acceptance – from everyone. I received an eArc copy of the title from the author for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning novels wherever books are sold and visit her website, jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.