30 Sep Blog Tour + Review: ‘Rainy Day Sisters’ by Kate Hewitt

Today is our stop on the ‘Rainy Day Sisters’ blog tour and we’d like to thank Kate and wonderful Jenny at Neverland Blog Tours for the opportunity to take part. Read on for our review and hope you check this book out, we totally recommend.

When Lucy Bagshaw’s life in Boston falls apart, thanks to a scathing editorial written by her famous artist mother, she accepts her half sister Juliet’s invitation to stay with her in a charming seaside village in northern England. Lucy is expecting quaint cottages and cream teas, but instead finds that her sister is an aloof host, the weather is wet, windy, and cold, and her new boss, Alex Kincaid, is a disapproving widower who only hired her as a favor to Juliet.

Despite the invitation she offered, Juliet is startled by the way Lucy catapults into her orderly life. As Juliet faces her own struggles with both her distant mother and her desire for a child, her sister’s irrepressible optimism begins to take hold. With the help of quirky villagers, these hesitant rainy day sisters begin to forge a new understanding…and find in each other the love of family that makes all the difference.

Kate Hewitt’s the author of more than forty women’s fiction/romance novels and ‘Rainy Day Sisters’ is the first part of a brand new series. Although I’ve heard of her books, this one is the first by her I’ve read. Having said that, I really had no expectations from the story. But once I started reading ‘Rainy Day Sisters’ I was hooked! I couldn’t put it down and read in a single sitting.

I spent 3-4 hours in beautiful Hartley-by-the-Sea, mostly known for rain, but also for the lovely community where you feel welcomed and just like home.

As the title suggests, ‘Rainy Day Sisters’ is about two half sisters, Lucy and Juliet who don’t really know each other as they got separated when they were young. Lucy is the younger sister who left UK to live in America with their mother, while Juliet lives in Hartey-by-the-Sea after giving up college. After an unfortunate event which leaves Lucy devastated, Juliet invites her in her home and hopes staying for a few months in Hartley is the much needed change she needs.

This was such a wonderful and engaging read. I absolutely loved the way Ms Hewitt explores the sisters’ relationship and how these characters and their relationship were developing in time. Not having a sister of my own, books exploring these bonds really fascinate me. I absolutely loved how Lucy and Juliet are portrayed, their flaws and diversity making them feel so real. They are so different, while Lucy is the sassy one, Juliet is the worrier and more down to earth person. Lucy finds herself in a position where she needs to mend her relationship with her sister and persuade her she’s got nothing to do with her mother’s poor communication with Juliet.

Will Lucy manage to adapt to rainy Hartley and her bitter sister? That’s what kept me reading! I was engrossed in this book rooting for these sisters and hating the hell out of their mother. While it was fun reading about the way Lucy becomes a part of the community, it was so frustrating reading the second part when some ghosts from the past appear.

What I liked the most was the in-depth exploration of sister/sister relationship, but also the role and influence of their mother, as well as their relationship with her. At times I was slightly frustrated over how judgmental Juliet appeared, but once I got to know her motives everything became so much clearer.

‘Rainy Day Sisters’ was definitely an enjoyable story and one I read cover to cover in just 3 and a half hours. I loved the short chapters and the dual narration (chapters told from Lucy and Juliet’s perspective). The dual narration which was executed with perfection helped me really get to know these characters and feel exactly what they’re going through.

The only reason why I’m not giving it the max number of stars is the fact I found the second half of the book bit slower, however that didn’t stop me from enjoying the complete story. Overall, this was a surprisingly good read for me and I’ll most definitely check out the other books in this series. Besides Lucy and Juliet, there were so many lovable side characters and I do hope in the next books we’ll get the chance to get to know them a bit better. Definitely recommend to all fans of family drama/women’s fiction.

My rating: 8/10

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kate Hewitt is the author of over 40 novels of women’s fiction and romance. She loves telling an emotional story in a variety of genres, and has been nominated for the Romance Writers of America RITA Award twice. An American ex-pat, she lives in the Cotswolds of England with her husband, five children, and an overly affectionate Golden Retriever. You can follow her adventures in village life on her blog, http://www.acumbrianlife.blogspot.co.uk.