The Lemon Sisters

A Novel

By: Jill Shalvis

Narrated by: Erin Mallon

Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times best-selling author of Rainy Day Friends and Lost and Found Sisters returns to Wildstone, California, where two completely opposite sisters - who are still nursing wounds from the past - realize they need each other more than they think.

When Brooke’s older sister, Mindy, shows up at her door with her three kids in tow, she barely recognizes her sibling, who looks like she’s on the verge of a total breakdown. While adventurous, wanderlust-filled Brooke was always the problem child, eager to slip free of Wildstone and its small-town constraints, Mindy was the golden child, who never had a hair out of place or a GPA below 4.0. The Mindy who arrives at Brooke’s apartment, however, is a far cry from the ever-perfect doctor’s wife.

Brooke’s further stunned when Mindy asks to trade places with her for a few days so she can pick up her pieces and put herself back together. What Mindy doesn’t realize is that Brooke is just as broken. Her sister needs her though, so Brooke takes the kids and returns to Wildstone.

But how does one go home after seven years away and what feels like a lifetime of secrets? 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, or so he says. Only his words don’t match his actions, leaving Brooke feeling things she long ago shoved deep.

The sisters begin to wonder if the childhood taunts were true: Are they lemons in life? In love? True or not, they know one thing - you can’t run far enough to outpace your demons. And when long-dead secrets surface, they’ll have to overcome their differences and learn that sometimes the one person who can help you the most is the one you never thought to ask.

©2019 Jill Shalvis (P)2019 HarperCollins Publishers

Great story

I love the relationship between the sisters. I would have been so disappointed had not gotten together.

sister love knows no bounds . . . but

I loved revisiting Wildstone, CA. It was filled with family, friends, loves old and new, but this time there was something different about Wildstone.

Sometimes we just don't know where we belong. Sometimes we just need that one flicker of light to draw us back to the beginning. Sometimes that one hand held out as a lifeline will be what is needed to make you life feel whole again. All this an more was needed to make Brooke Lemon feel whole again.

Brooke was the Lemon sister that faced her life full speed with all abandon. That was until that day her world changed. Then she just ran and hide. She rarely ever returned back home to the place she grew up. She was not ready to face that past that had haunted her and sends her in to flashbacks at in opportune moments.

Mindy Lemon was the sister that had it all together. Or so that was what everyone on the outside thought until that day she was not all together. That was the day she and her sister realized that no mater what they were there for each other. And one sister would get the break she needed while the other sister when back to confront the life she left behind.

Jill Shalvis gives us the love, the sorrow, the pain of being a survivor of an accident, family separation, family responsibilities, family re-connection, and facing the past. Things were not easy but we get through it all.

Erin Mallon did a fab job with the voices in diction, pitch, tone and consistency. I loved the distinctions made with each character even with the children. There was no hesitation on what character was saying what. Clear. Clean. Concise.

Very good book

This is my first audiobook from Jill and it is awesome. Very real life stuff and Erin Mallon is the best at bringing books to life. Thanks for the book. I’m looking forward to more

A very disappointing book

I have read and listen to so many Jill Shalvis book, I’ve lost count and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. Not this time! I must say that I was moderately disappointed in the story. It was slow and so very predictable. If I hadn’t paid my hard earned money for it, I probably wouldn’t have finished it. Also, I’ve listened to a lot of audible books but I found this performance almost painful to listen to. This is the first time I have ever written a full review but felt it necessary to let the powers that be, that in my humble opinion this book was sorely lacking. I’m just a reader with no special credentials but I certainly know when a book is boring and a narrator is lack luster. Thanks for your time, a devoted reader.

So good

This is Jill Shalvis writing at its best. You laugh you cry you fall in love.
I am getting used to this narrator. Still not my favorite but this book shines like the amazing book it is.

Perfect, except for the narrator.

Please replace the narrator on any future Jill Shalvis books. I can't listen to this one ever again. Thank you.

GOOD STORY ABOUT WORKING THRU THE HARD PARTS TO FIND LOVE…

There were things I really liked about this book and some I didn’t. I’ll start with the positives.

I love the interpersonal relationships between the characters in this story: Linc & Mindy (husband and wife), Brooke & Mindy (sisters), Garrett & Linc (best friends), and Garrett and Brooke (boyfriend/girlfriend).

They were all friends in high school and know each other well enough that words are not always needed between them to know what the other is thinking or feeling — they just KNOW. These are the BEST kind of relationships in life to have.💕 They also know each other well enough to be able to tease each other, be flippant with others or be snarky to one another without anyone getting their feelings bent out of shape. They are ALL able to laugh at (with!) each other and at THEMSELVES; another very important component of lasting friendship in my experience.

One of my favorite parts of the story was when Linc asked his wife Mindy if she knew the exact moment was he fell in Iove with her? She guessed it was when he saw her walk smack into a big trash can in the high school parking lot, get stuck head first and because her lack of height he had to help her out of the trash can when she got stuck in it.

Linc replied, “No, although that was a close second.” He went on to explain he really fell in love with her one night when he, Mindy and his elderly grandfather were all watching a movie in the den at Linc’s house. Mindy was bored and fell asleep. Suddenly Mindy let out three loud “popcorn farts.” “POP, POP, POP!” They were so loud they woke Mindy up, absolutely horrified at what she had done. Linc’s grandfather laughed so hard his upper dentures flew out of his mouth. Mindy was so embarrassed, Linc told his grandfather that it had been HIM who had made the embarrassing noises to cover for Mindy. Linc and Garrett liked giving each other a good ribbing whenever they were in the same room — they just couldn’t help themselves — if they weren’t arm wrestling, they were verbally sparring. Despite that, they were also the BEST of friends. Sisters Mindy and Brook are also best friends, who verbally spar a lot, but would do ANYTHING for the other. After seven years of being separated, they ALL needed their senses of humor to find their way back to each other.

The things I did not care for in this book were: . TOO MUCH SEX! I could not let the book play in the presence of my kids,nor could I play it alligators

I found the kids to be a bit annoying in places, and in some places, the dialog was eye-rollingly CHEESY!

The thing that was most irritating? THE NARRATOR! Every sentence she said, was said almost with an urgency. The last word of each sentence, she did something with her voice that was just WEIRD. I became aware of it at the very beginning of the book and had hoped it would go away, but it did not.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. If you are looking for a good, easy beach read, this book would be a good choice.

Sweet story if forgiveness and family

The storyline was believable and modern. However, I really wish I had made this book a beach read instead of an Audible read. The narrator was extraordinarily annoying and I found it difficult to stick with the book as a result. I won’t give up on this author though.

Exactly what I needed

Jill Shalvis never fails to deliver a fun, sexy light story. She’s the perfect one to read in between heavier books and especially needed in 2020.

Great Series

I love good series and this is certainly a great on. Instead of like other series which has recurring characters this series builds on the location with rarely a mention of characters from prior books in the series. Each book stand alone. Each book focuses on a new family. I've listened to their first three books in the series and am looking forward to listening to the next.