THE STEPSISTERS by Susan Mallery

MIRA Publishing
May 25^th, 2021
978-0-7783-3180-3
Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Self-Purchase
4 Hearts

Once, Daisy and Sage were stepsisters when Daisy’s dad married Sage’s mom. But Sage was always the popular and beautiful one while Daisy always felt like the smart but socially awkward one and as Sage dealt with her beauty as a weapon and put Daisy down, always trading her looks for popularity. As their parents divorced, they drifted apart until Daisy married Sage’s first love and Sage fled the country. Now years later, Daisy and Sage are brought back together as sisters as their youngest sister, Cassidy, needs them more than ever. But Daisy is dealing with a fragile marriage and Sage is trying to grow up and deal with her choices-bad and good. As the three sisters’ bond and find themselves growing closer, friendship blooms between them. Until one careless act manages to destroy the fragile bond they have. As Daisy, Sage and Cassidy find out, sometimes families make mistakes, forgive and move on but it’s up to them to decide if forgiving is an option or drifting apart is better.

THE STEPSISTERS is Susan Mallery’s newest book that delves into the relationships of sisters-step and half siblings- and how the past can color the memories as well as taint the present lens we see people with. I really enjoyed how Sage and Daisy find their way to one another again as sisters as they help Cassidy deal with her issues. As with all families, sometimes the memories you hold fast to might not be the whole story as you have just one part of a whole. I really liked Cassidy and how she was like all annoying little sisters/siblings but also how much the bond and fragile truce that sprung up between the three girls helped heal some rifts even as they worked through things from the past to get to where they were in the present. The characters are quite vibrant and entertaining to me. I loved Esmerelda as a secondary character as her wit and caring came across wonderfully in the pages and I enjoyed how Daisy finally stood up for herself and put herself first as she dealt with her marriage ending. The story flows seamlessly and you get a sense of how each of the three sisters continued to grow and move on as they finally dealt with past mistakes, issues, etc.

THE STEPSISTERS is more than a book about siblings, it’s about family, forgiveness and how to move on when you make a mistake that hurts the one you love. I love how each sister is so different from one another and how their personalities really shine forth. Daisy- mother of two who is dealing with a troubled marriage that has her in knots, Sage, who was married and divorced three times but never truly in love before and Cassidy, so afraid of love she would rather be alone than take a chance on trusting herself and the man she is in love with. All three are wildly different but also the same. Each has insecurities, fears and at the core, a deep love for one another along with regrets of past mistakes. Each page showed me how dynamic these three are apart but together, they are exceptional people. Susan Mallery delivers a timeless classic that will resonate with the reader and deliver a satisfying ending that will leave you in tears and a wide smile on your face. The last half of the book moved really quickly, and I won’t spoil what happens but suffice to say I was even shocked by what went down. THE STEPSISTERS is a wonderful book to read on a lazy afternoon or at the beach. I look forward to seeing where Ms. Mallery goes next and if we will meet up with these three characters again in the future. I would love to know how all moved on and if they got their own happy ever after.

This is an objective review and not and endorsement.