Author: Susan Mallery
Publisher: HQN
Genre: Romance
Source: Justine at HarperCollins ( Netgalley )

Goodreads: Beloved bestselling author Susan Mallery brings readers an emotional, witty, and heartfelt story that explores the nuances of a broken family’s complex emotions as they strive to become whole in this uplifting story of human frailty and resilience.

Finley McGowan is determined that the niece she’s raising will always feel loved and wanted. Unlike how she felt after her mom left to pursue a dream of stardom, and when the grandfather who was left to raise them abandoned her and her sister, Sloane, when they needed him most. Finley reacted to her chaotic childhood by walking the straight and narrow—nose down, work hard, follow the rules.

Sloane went the other way.

Now Sloane is back, as beautiful and as damaged as ever…and she wants a relationship with her daughter. She says she’s changed, but Finley’s heart has been burned once too often for her to trust easily. But is her reluctance to forgive really about Sloane or worry over losing what she loves the most? With the help of a man who knows all too well how messy families can be, Finley will learn there’s joy in surrendering and peace in letting go.

Ope’s Opinion: I have not had a lot of experience with someone who is an alcoholic, so this story was not only interesting to me, but is was also informative. I enjoyed seeing the sisters relationship grow and change.

At one point I felt like there was a bit too much put on Finley’s plate. I know some times life does get hard, but this seemed too much for one person. I do like that although Finley was frustrated and angry, she didn’t give up thinking things could get better.

There was romance, just a little steamy, but this was not the focus of the story. It was mostly about Sloane being an alcoholic and her relationships with her family members.