Susan Mallery

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery pens a love story of a different sort...a heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters. Once upon a time, when her dad married Sage's mom, Daisy was thrilled to get a bright and shiny new sister. But Sage was beautiful and popular, everything Daisy was not, and she made sure Daisy knew it. Sage didn't have Daisy's smarts--she had to go back a grade to enroll in the fancy rich-kid school. So she used her popularity as a weapon, putting Daisy down to elevate herself. After the divorce, the stepsisters' rivalry continued until the final, improbable straw: Daisy married Sage's first love, and Sage fled California. Eighteen years, two kids and one troubled marriage later, Daisy never expects--or wants--to see Sage again. But when the little sister they have in common needs them both, they put aside their differences to care for Cassidy. As long-buried truths are revealed, no one is more surprised than they when friendship blossoms. Their fragile truce is threatened by one careless act that could have devastating consequences. They could turn their backs on each other again...or they could learn to forgive once and for all and finally become true sisters of the heart.

The Stepsisters

Kristen Claiborn

Family relationships can be difficult. It becomes even more tricky when step-parents and step-siblings are involved. The Stepsisters follows three women and their fragile relationships with each other. Daisy’s dad and Sage’s mom got married when they were kids, forming an immediate family unit. The couple eventually had Cassidy-half sister to both Daisy and Sage. Eventually the relationship fizzled out, tearing apart the unit. Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to forget the “sister” you used to have. The relationship she had with Sage never seemed to leave Daisy’s mind, so when they ran into each other decades later, Daisy still felt the sting Sage’s rejection left behind. While Daisy wanted nothing more than to forget and move on, their shared half-sister, Cassidy, suffered a horrendous accident that required constant care, so she was sent to Daisy’s house while she recovered. Cassidy required the attention of both sisters, so Daisy and Sage were forced to face their differences head-on. 
	Susan Mallery weaved a tale so intimate it felt like she might have lived through a similar scenario herself. Both of these women spent their lives surviving with the scars of their parents’ relationship, yet neither had ever actually confronted the lasting effects that lingered and effected them on a daily basis. Sage struggled with her own personal relationships while Daisy held onto her marriage with a death-grip. Every piece of this novel felt like a walk in reality for those of us who have gone through similar scenarios with our own parents and siblings. Mallery was able to bring the emotions of each of these women through, and made the reader feel like part of their struggle to come to a resolution. I loved every piece of this story except Sage’s big no-no…I wish there was another way to show that these women were able and willing to put family first.

Linda Quintanilla

I don't know where to start. In the beginning of The Stepsisters, I would say damn I am not going to like all of these sisters except for one. During the middle, I was hell yeah I love all them. Leading toward the end, nope I cannot. I just can't. That betrayal was so deep. I would never do that to my sisters. And I would not even comprehend how to forgive someone who did. You just don't do that to someone. That's just something I do not understand and will not understand because that's the deepest betrayal from sisters. I am sorry but that betrayal is not something to forget and forgive. I don't care about being the bigger person. It's not on me for being the bigger person. They mess up, not me. I refuse. I should not do the work. I did not betray them. That's why I had to take a star away.

Totally Addicted to Reading

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery tells the story of Daisy, Sage and Cassidy. Sage and Daisy were stepsisters who despise each other. They have nothing in common except for their half sister Cassidy. Sage and Cassidy were close, leaving Daisy out in the cold. Their relationship was further affected when Daisy and Cassidy’s dad divorced Sage and Cassidy’s mom. 

Eighteen years have passed with no form of communication between the sisters. However, unforeseen circumstances will lead to a reunion forcing them to confront their issues. A situation which resulted in restoration of their relationship. 

Throughout the story, Daisy portrayed an inner strength one could only admire. It could not have been easy. Welcoming back Sage and Cassidy into her life despite the way they treated her in the past, but she did it anyway. To know their return coincided with her husband’s (Jordan) decision to leave the matrimonial home must have been a bitter pill to swallow. Especially given the history between Sage and Jordan.

I admired her willingness to fight for her marriage. My  respect for her went up a notch at her willingness to acknowledge her role in the breakdown of her marriage. Although, I have to say I found her husband to be weak and pathetic. He took pleasure in playing the blame game. Also, his many attempts in making everything about him revealed his selfish nature. I wasn’t too fond of Sage and Cassidy in the initial stages, but they grew on me as the story progressed. 

Each of the sisters went through a phase of acknowledgement, acceptance, healing, and forgiveness. They encountered many bumps on their journey through these phases. Their love for each other proved more powerful than any of these bumps. 

The story captivated me and kept me entertained from start to finish. Drama and tension flowed from the pages. The Stepsisters proved to be a powerful read. It delivered an interesting story about sisterhood, family, love, healing, and forgiveness. Mallery did a wonderful job of capturing the intricacies of siblings, marriage, and blended families.  

Overall. a wonderful story and one I recommend to fans of both the author and the genre.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

The Stepsisters

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