Thursday 17 September 2015

❤ The Patterson Girls ❤ Rachael Johns ❤



    

How can four sisters build the futures they so desperately want, when the past is reaching out to claim them?

When the Patterson daughters return home to Meadow Brook to be with their father after their mother
s death, they bring with them a world of complication and trouble.

The eldest sister, obstetrician Madeleine, would rather be anywhere but her hometown, violinist Abigail has fled from her stellar career, while teacher Lucinda is struggling to have the children she and her husband so desperately want. The black sheep of the family, Charlie, feels her life as a barista and exercise instructor doesn
t measure up to that of her gifted and successful sisters.

Dealing with their bereft father who is determined to sell the family motel, their loves old and new and a series of troublesome decisions doesn
t make life any easier, but when they go through their mothers possessions and uncover the shocking secret of an old family curse, they begin to question everything they thought they knew.

A warm and wise novel about secrets revealed, finding your soulmate and the unique bond between sisters.

ARC received from publisher for an honest review

I don't know what rock I have been under, but this is my first Rachael Johns read - even though I have had the pleasure of meeting her.

I will definitely be rectifying that situation soon though.

I adored The Patterson Girls - what was there not to love.  Four sisters, all so different, but with a bond that time nor distance can break.  Each sister has their strengths and weaknesses that the others rely on or help with.

When they all get together for a family Christmas, their lives and loves all come to the fore.  Each has their own struggles, but with the love of each other they can get through.  Family secrets and curses are revealed, which gets them all thinking.

The Patterson family just feels so real.  None of those perfect-made-for-TV families here.  They fight, they laugh, they cry.  They bicker like any siblings do.

This story is told from all 4 sister's perspectives, with alternating chapters.  Each sister has such a distinct voice that I never felt confused as to who I was reading at the time.

Word of advice though - don't read this book on a coach tour like I did - you will need to hide those tears! I had to stop reading until I got to my hotel room at night! I swear I went through a whole box of Kleenex!  

I love a book that tugs at the heartstrings though! 

Ms Johns has written a beautiful, emotion-packed story and now I really, really need to read more of her work.

Cannot wait to see what she brings us next.