The Sister Effect by Susan Mallery @SusanMallery @Blunder_Woman @HarlequinBooks

the setup…
Finley McGowan is a subcontractor who specializes in flipping houses and is guardian to her eight-year old niece Aubrey. They live with her mother Molly because three years ago her sister Sloane was the cause of her financial ruin and turned her daughter over to Finlay, establishing her as legal guardian. Sloane’s been sober for almost a year now and Finley fears that she may want her daughter back. To make matters worse, her grandfather is coming to live with them because of poor health. Lester abandoned them twenty years ago and she’s not interested in forgiving the man that threw the girls’ lives into chaos. Meanwhile, home contractor Jericho Ford is facing his own sibling battle. His brother Gil destroyed his marriage by having an affair with his wife. Now, he wants him to forgive them both and is using their mother to apply pressure. When he meets Finley who is working on one of his houses, they find their common bond and a friendship is born.

the heart of the story…
The overwhelming theme in this story is forgiveness and it becomes rather obvious early on. But how can you forgive someone who hasn’t really asked for it, at least in the opinion of the one who was wronged? While Sloane keeps telling Finlay she’s sorry, it doesn’t ever resonate or feel genuine. Lester does a better job of it but he later does something that calls his credibility into question. Jericho’s situation was even harder as his brother and ex-wife pretty much demanded he forgive them, move on, without ever really taking responsibility for their duplicity that doesn’t have a “but” accompanying the apology. I loved how Finley and Jericho were able to share their misery with each other, unknowingly finding an outlet and a sympathetic ear that ultimately helped them move forward. Their friendship eventually shifts to something more but by that time, they’d created a wonderful foundation.

the narration…
Tanya Eby is the reason I only listen to the author’s books because she’s such a wonderful storyteller. She delivered another great performance and gave distinctive voice to a host of characters.

the bottom line…
The forgiveness theme was therapeutic for me as I experienced similar disappointments in my life. I found myself bonding with Finley and Jericho, wanting them to hold out until…what? There were lots of lessons to be learned here, including for Sloane and Gil. This turned out to be an instructive but lovely story that even now I’m still thinking about. Job well done.

Book Info

• Release Date: March 7, 2023
• Narrator: Tanya Eby
• Audio Length: 11 hours, 43 minutes
• Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm