But Olivia's return isn't as triumphant as she pretends. Her job has no future, and ever since her dad sent her away from the bad boy she loved, she has felt cut off from her past. SHe's determined to reclaim her man and her place in the family...whether her sister likes it or not. For ten years, she and Kelly have been strangers. Olivia will get by without her approval now.
While Kelly and Olivia butt heads, their secrets tumble out in a big hot mess, revealing some truths that will change everything they thought they knew. Can they forgive each other - and themselves -and redefine what it means to be sisters?
(via Goodreads)
Secrets of the Tulip Sisters is my first Susan Mallery novel, and I really enjoyed it! This story weaves together themes of love, family, friendship, hurt feelings, divorce, trust, and the ties that bind us all together.
I enjoyed the playful and fun writing, the love story (stories!), and I was quickly engaged in this book. I especially loved Griffith, how direct he was, and how much he secretly loved Kelly even though he kept saying he didn't "do love" anymore.
This is a love story, but not only between couples searching for their happily ever after. This is also very much about the bond that can disappear, and then grow again, between sisters. The relationship between Kelly and Olivia was central and so important for them both to work through before they could finally create their own true paths in life. I particularly appreciated how the author didn't make Olivia a typical mean girl. I feel like Mallery quite easily could have chosen that path for that character, but instead we learn Olivia is broken because of decisions made for her at a young age, and she is sincerely trying to figure things out, so she can mend her relationships for the better. She's desperate for a place to belong, and you can't help but cheer her on.
Lately in my reading life, I've been focused on choosing novels I can really trust to leave me with a happy ending. I don't mind bumpy rides or being torn apart through my novels, but I just want to make sure I'm put back together again at the end, and Secrets of the Tulip Sisters fit perfectly.
I had the opportunity to ask Susan Mallery a few questions about Secrets of the Tulip Sisters. I hope you enjoy reading the interview!
What
inspired Secrets of the Tulip Sisters?
I live in Washington
State, where there's a Tulip Festival every spring in Skagit Valley. A couple
years ago, my husband and I were driving through these breathtaking fields of
tulips, just completely enveloped in the beauty, when I started to think about
how much work it must be to harvest the flowers and get them into the hands of
florists around the country. (I know, a very practical, unromantic thought for
a romance writer.) That led me to think about the people who would do that work—farmers—and that led to the conception of the farmer's
daughters. One loves the land as much as her father, and one left when she was
young and hasn't been back for ten years.
Here's the twist—Olivia
didn't just leave. She was sent away… and, although she didn't know it, her
banishment was her sister's fault.
Ultimately, what
inspired me were not the fields of tulips, pretty as they were, but the idea of
complicated beauty, such as that of friendship and family.
Do
you have a favorite scene?
I love the emotional
midpoint of the story, when the secrets that have been lurking in the
characters' minds begin to spill out, and everything they thought they knew
about each other—and about their own pasts—turns on its head.
Did
any of the characters surprise you along the way?
Yes! OMG, yes. I wrote a
character named Sven, who was supposed to be just a walk-on. I didn't even give
him a last name! But boy, he walked on, and I couldn't let him go. I fell in
love with Sven to the point that I commissioned an illustrator to create three
fabulous illustrations of him. If you want a laugh, visit
Sven-the-Viking-God.com. Seriously. Go check it out and then come back. I'll
wait.
…
See? Sven is fabulous.
That apron picture came straight from a scene in the book. I can't wait for
readers to meet him.
What
would you like readers to take away from this book?
A pure sense of
emotional satisfaction, something that will leave them feeling happy and
uplifted and more prepared to face the challenges of real life. My stories are
meant to reinforce readers' belief in the world as a good and just place, where
decent people work through their problems and achieve happiness. I want readers
to know that happiness is possible.
As
a reader, any recent book favorites you can share?
Unfortunately, I’ve
discovered that while I’m writing a book, I can’t read a book in the same genre
because it gets in the way of my own story. Since I’m almost always
writing—four new books this year, plus a novella—I don’t get nearly as much time
to read as I’d like. When I finish a book and before I start the next one, I
try to squeeze in a few stories. Category romances are great for this because I
can finish one a day and get that wonderful intense focus on the romance. I
recently read The Maverick Fakes a Bride!
by Christine Rimmer. So good! It’s a friends-to-lovers story and a fun twist on
the marriage of convenience trope.
Thank you so much to Susan Mallery for answering my questions! You can connect with her via Facebook, Twitter, and her website for more. Secrets of the Tulip Sisters is available pretty much anywhere! Check it out on Amazon.
xo
Jenn
Disclaimer - I received a complementary copy of Secrets of the Tulip Sisters from the publisher and TLC Book Tours. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own. To hear what others had to say about this lovely novel, you can visit the whole book tour here.
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