Sisters Like Us is the fourth book in the Mischief Bay series, but I read it as a standalone. While the title speaks about sisters, the book is actually about three women – Harper, her teenaged daughter Becca, and Harper’s sister Stacey.
Harper is recently divorced and makes a living as a virtual-assistant working out of her home. The business is young and Harper is spending much of her time working. Thankfully she has a Lucas, one of her clients, to support her along the way. Becca is 16, a young woman with challenges of her own. Sometimes she wishes her Mom had more time for her, like she did before the divorce. Stacey, is a pregnant M.S. research scientist who loves her work but is thankful her husband Kit will be a stay at home Dad. She has no maternal feelings towards her soon to be born daughter and plans on returning to work after a three week maternity leave. The matriarch of the family is Bunny, a traditional stay at home Mom who feels that the most important role for a woman is to care and nurture her family. She has always taken great joy on entertaining and decorating for the different holidays throughout the year – and feels Harper should be doing so too. She has always told Stacey that she is not like other girls and does not have the same expectations for domestic life that she has for Harper.
The book addresses the complexity and challenges to women’s lives throughout the age spectrum . Women tend to hold high expectations for themselves which are often unrealistic. It is through the process of trial and error , as well as experience, that creates change and/or acceptance. Mallery does a good job in presenting this. While the character of Bunny is disrespectful of her daughters in the beginning, the remaining significant characters were likeable. The book was entertaining and was the light read I was looking for.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book from my local library. Tanya Eby is the narrator and does a great job of both female and male voices. I recommend this book to those that love women’s fiction and romance.
My rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5.