Review: The Sisters Hemingway, by Annie England Noblin

14 February 2019 by Melissa

About the book, The Sisters Hemingway

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 12, 2019)

For fans of Susan Mallery, Kristan Higgins, or Susan Wiggs, this is a novel for anyone who loves stories about sisters, dogs, and family secrets.

The Sisters Hemingway: they couldn’t be more different…or more alike.

The Hemingway Sisters of Cold River, Missouri are local legends. Raised by a mother obsessed with Ernest Hemingway, they were named after the author’s four wives—Hadley, Pfeiffer, Martha, and Mary. The sisters couldn’t be more different—or more alike. Now they’re back in town, reunited to repair their fractured relationships.

Hadley is the poised, polished wife of a senator.

Pfeiffer is a successful New York book editor.

Martha has skyrocketed to Nashville stardom.

They each have a secret—a marriage on the rocks, a job lost, a stint in rehab…and they haven’t been together in years.

Together, they must stay in their childhood home, faced with a puzzle that may affect all their futures. As they learn the truth of what happened to their mother—and their youngest sister, Mary—they rekindle the bonds they had as children, bonds that have long seemed broken. With the help of neighbors, friends, love interests old and new—and one endearing and determined Basset Hound—the Sisters Hemingway learn that he happiness that has appeared so elusive may be right here at home, waiting to be claimed.

Buy, read, and discuss The Sisters Hemingway:

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About the author, Annie England Noblin

Annie England Noblin lives with her son, husband, and three dogs in the Missouri Ozarks. She graduated with an M.A. in creative writing from Missouri State University and currently teaches English and communications for Arkansas State University in Mountain Home, Arkansas. She spends her free time playing make-believe, feeding stray cats, and working with animal shelters across the country to save homeless dogs.

Connect with Annie:

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

My Thoughts

This book came into my life when I really needed a cozy, gentle novel about family, and that’s what I got. At the same time, though, it’s also an honest look at family, at the secrets we keep from the people we love, and the truths that only those who love us most ever know, often without saying.

With The Sisters Hemingway, author Noblin gives us three separate stories in one novel, though all three eventually converge with a fourth to form a family portrait of courage and heartbreak, and unspoken selflessness.

The actual sisters of the story are all fully formed adults when we meet them, approaching middle age with less stability than they probably wished to have. Martha, the music star, has ended a relationship with someone who diminished her talents and self-worth. Pfeiffer made a stupid mistake that cost her a thriving career, and Hadley is a dutiful wife to a politician. Their fourth sister dies in the prologue – we never know what she would have been as an adult – but she’s still very present in the novel.

What I really loved about this book was the way Noblin showed us that just because you’re an adult, or even middle-aged doesn’t mean you have to be finished or perfect or even know exactly what you want. Rather, we are capable of growth and and change, and finding new love at any age, and for me, someone who is fast approaching the magic age of fifty, that’s something I don’t often see in contemporary fiction, except in mysteries and thrillers.

Noblin’s writing voice is fresh and accessible, her plot is well-paced, and her characters are vividly drawn. I recommend this book highly.

Goes well with grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches and homemade chili, with glasses of cold sweet tea.

Visit the other great blogs on this tour:

Tuesday, February 12th: A Bookish Affair

Wednesday, February 13th: Peppermint PhD

Thursday, February 14th: Bibliotica

Friday, February 15th: Lindsay’s Book Reviews

Monday, February 18th: Iwriteinbooks’s blog

Tuesday, February 19th: BookNAround

Wednesday, February 20th: Ms. Nose in a Book

Friday, February 22nd: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books

Friday, February 22nd: Literary Quicksand

Monday, February 25th: Instagram: @giuliland

Tuesday, February 26th: Laura’s Reviews

Wednesday, February 27th: Into the Hall of Books

Thursday, February 28th: What Is That Book About

Thursday, February 28th: From the TBR Pile

Review: 99% Mine, by Sally Thorne

1 February 2019 by Melissa

About the book, 99 Percent Mine

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (January 29, 2019)

Readers and critics alike raved over USA Today bestselling author Sally Thorne’s smash hit debut, The Hating Game, which has sold in over 20 countries. Now she’s back with an unforgettable romantic comedy about a woman who finally has a shot at her long time crush—if she dares.

Crush (n.): a strong and often short-lived infatuation, particularly for someone beyond your reach…

Darcy Barrett has undertaken a global survey of men. She’s travelled the world, and can categorically say that no one measures up to Tom Valeska, whose only flaw is that Darcy’s twin brother Jamie saw him first and claimed him forever as his best friend. Despite Darcy’s best efforts, Tom’s off limits and loyal to her brother, 99%. That’s the problem with finding her dream man at age eight and peaking in her photography career at age twenty—ever since, she’s had to learn to settle for good enough.

When Darcy and Jamie inherit a tumble-down cottage from their grandmother, they’re left with strict instructions to bring it back to its former glory and sell the property. Darcy plans to be in an aisle seat halfway across the ocean as soon as the renovations start, but before she can cut and run, she finds a familiar face on her porch: house-flipper extraordinaire Tom’s arrived, he’s bearing power tools, and he’s single for the first time in almost a decade.

Suddenly Darcy’s considering sticking around to make sure her twin doesn’t ruin the cottage’s inherent magic with his penchant for grey and chrome. She’s definitely not staying because of her new business partner’s tight t-shirts, or that perfect face that’s inspiring her to pick up her camera again. Soon sparks are flying—and it’s not the faulty wiring. It turns out one percent of Tom’s heart might not be enough for Darcy anymore. This time around, she’s switching things up. She’s going to make Tom Valeska 99 percent hers.

Buy, read, and discuss 99% Mine:

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About the author, Sally Thorne

Sally Thorne is the USA Today-bestselling author of The Hating Game. She spends her days climbing into fictional worlds of her own creation. She lives in Canberra, Australia with her husband in a house filled with vintage toys, too many cushions, a haunted dollhouse and the world’s sweetest pug.

Connect with Sally

Find out more about Sally at her website, and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

My Thoughts

99% Mine was my first introduction to Sally Thorne’s writing, but it was a welcome one, and the perfect antidote for a glum January weekend as I was recovering from oral surgery with characters who are witty, refreshingly real, and unaffected, and also delightfully flawed, just the way real people should be. Main character Darcy, who has a congenital heart defect, is first introduced to us as she’s working as a bartender under an assumed name, where she provides us with this key piece of information: when confronted with any group of men, identify the alpha. She does this with a group of guys who come in to drink, and immediately proves that her power is greater than theirs.

At home, however, author Thorne shows us another side to Darcy – lonely, isolated, and not as together as she seems. When childhood-best-friend Tom Valeska shows up to start the remodel on Darcy’s inherited house (she shares ownership with her twin brother Jamie, whom we meet through phone calls, for the most part) the tenor of the story changes to one of reclaimed friendship with a dash of romantic comedy.

Ultimately, this is a satisfying read, a fresh spin on family dramas mixed with a healthy dose of romance for balance. I found all the characters to be compelling, including the house, which was more than a plot device or a setting, if slightly less than an actual member of the cast. As well, I liked the fact that Loretta, the twin’s dead grandmother was also a sort of character, appearing through memories, references and signs.

While I was aware that author Thorne is Australian, I found it interesting that she chose not to specify the setting of her novel. It could have taken place in any major city in almost any English-speaking country.

Overall, this was an entertaining, fast-paced read.

Goes well with hot pizza and cold beer.