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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
Great summer beach read, enjoyed the series. This is more about sister love, and finding yourself. Yes there is a romance but not the main focus of the book.
This is the third in the Blackberry Island series. It could be read as a stand alone, but it does have a few ties to the previous two books. This book focuses on Nina and her family. Her sister Averil shows up and they have issues. Then their mom and her lesbian lover return from an antique buying trip and more issues within the family. To top it off, Nina finds herself torn between two men from her past who have returned to be with her.
I thought this book was interesting but part way through I got tired of the two men going after Nina. Otherwise, I thought the relationships between the women were well described and pulled me in.
I thought this book was interesting but part way through I got tired of the two men going after Nina. Otherwise, I thought the relationships between the women were well described and pulled me in.
Evening Stars has been my least favorite of the Blackberry Island series. I still liked it for sure, thus the three star rating, but I wasn't as sucked in and emotional by the end of the book.
As per usual, this is a contemporary novel with more than one third person POV. In this case, it's just two: sisters Nina and Averil. The main thing that kept this book from working for me as well was Averil's POV. Right from the start she annoyed me, and I never really learned to like her. I don't hate her, and I don't think her arc is bad per se, but I never ended up finding her interesting. In Three Sisters, I loathed Deanna originally but by the end I had such affection for her; that's the sort of amazing transformation I expect, and it's not what I got.
As a whole, I didn't find the cast of characters quite as delightful in this one. In addition to Averil, their moms Bonnie and Bernie were deeply annoying. Bonnie's so selfish, and she had not changed enough by the resolution for me to have anything but distaste for her. Bernie's better, but so much is made of her ability to be a positive influence on the family, but it doesn't seem like she actually does anything??? I like that they're a happy lesbian couple, but that's about it.
As much as that sounds like I did not like this book, I DID enjoy Nina's POV, which accounted for roughly 2/3 of the book. Her character arc is excellent, and it deals with the way she's always had to care for her whole family her entire life. What I appreciate about Mallery's books is her deft hand with the way the relationships are complicated. Nina's kept her family somewhat stable, but, in so doing, she's also kept anyone from really moving on and growing up, including herself.
Her need for change is encapsulated in her two potential love interests: Kyle and Dylan, her ex-boyfriend. There's much more focus on the romance than in the last two books, though it still is not a romance novel. I liked the use of the two love interests, and I thought it was nice how much it didn't feel like a love triangle; even the use of the cliché moment where one guy sees her with the other doesn't end up playing out in that hackneyed dramatic way. I also really like that her choice for her future is made without romance as a consideration, and that she puts herself and her needs first.So glad it was Dylan because imo Kyle always felt reallllllly creepy to me. Kyle never worked for me as a character.
It's pretty good, but I don't feel like the cast as a whole was as well developed and nuanced as I've come to inspect from Mallery.
As per usual, this is a contemporary novel with more than one third person POV. In this case, it's just two: sisters Nina and Averil. The main thing that kept this book from working for me as well was Averil's POV. Right from the start she annoyed me, and I never really learned to like her. I don't hate her, and I don't think her arc is bad per se, but I never ended up finding her interesting. In Three Sisters, I loathed Deanna originally but by the end I had such affection for her; that's the sort of amazing transformation I expect, and it's not what I got.
As a whole, I didn't find the cast of characters quite as delightful in this one. In addition to Averil, their moms Bonnie and Bernie were deeply annoying. Bonnie's so selfish, and she had not changed enough by the resolution for me to have anything but distaste for her. Bernie's better, but so much is made of her ability to be a positive influence on the family, but it doesn't seem like she actually does anything??? I like that they're a happy lesbian couple, but that's about it.
As much as that sounds like I did not like this book, I DID enjoy Nina's POV, which accounted for roughly 2/3 of the book. Her character arc is excellent, and it deals with the way she's always had to care for her whole family her entire life. What I appreciate about Mallery's books is her deft hand with the way the relationships are complicated. Nina's kept her family somewhat stable, but, in so doing, she's also kept anyone from really moving on and growing up, including herself.
Her need for change is encapsulated in her two potential love interests: Kyle and Dylan, her ex-boyfriend. There's much more focus on the romance than in the last two books, though it still is not a romance novel. I liked the use of the two love interests, and I thought it was nice how much it didn't feel like a love triangle; even the use of the cliché moment where one guy sees her with the other doesn't end up playing out in that hackneyed dramatic way. I also really like that her choice for her future is made without romance as a consideration, and that she puts herself and her needs first.
It's pretty good, but I don't feel like the cast as a whole was as well developed and nuanced as I've come to inspect from Mallery.
This is a story about Nina and her weird, sometimes dysfunctional family. Nina is the lead nurse and right hand woman to Dr. Andi from book two. Nina had dreams of medical school and leaving the island, but family issues convinced her to choose nursing school and staying to help take care of her family and the family business (antiques). So Nina pushes her sister to leave the island and explore her dreams, but that leaves Averil at almost 30 with a lot of unanswered questions and stunted maturity which leaves her marriage to a great guy in jeopardy. To help her move on and become an adult, Averil returns home and old wounds are re-opened but are actually dealt with by Averil and Nina (not so much the mom).
Added to Nina's plate is the return of her high school sweetheart Dylan. He broke her heart and she gave up on her dreams after that. He is back to go into practice with his father and to try and win back Nina. Complicating that is Kyle, a Navy fighter pilot who had a huge crush on Nina when he was a kid and she was babysitting his little sister. Kyle is a smooth talker and according to Nina, a sex god - according to me he came off as CREEPY AS FUCK. Seriously, everything he said was a line or a dramatic declaration of undying love. I'm glad Nina got her needs taken care of by him, but slow your roll dude. He walked the devoted/stalker line every time he was on the page.
I read this book in one day, because there was a good mix of plot and character arc development. I'm firmly on Team Bertie - she was the unsung hero of the book, with a honorable mention to Cindy, the antique miracle worker. Also loved Nina's ending, giving a strong HEA vibe without engagement/marriage/baby mentions that typically end a romance novel.
Added to Nina's plate is the return of her high school sweetheart Dylan. He broke her heart and she gave up on her dreams after that. He is back to go into practice with his father and to try and win back Nina. Complicating that is Kyle, a Navy fighter pilot who had a huge crush on Nina when he was a kid and she was babysitting his little sister. Kyle is a smooth talker and according to Nina, a sex god - according to me he came off as CREEPY AS FUCK. Seriously, everything he said was a line or a dramatic declaration of undying love. I'm glad Nina got her needs taken care of by him, but slow your roll dude. He walked the devoted/stalker line every time he was on the page.
I read this book in one day, because there was a good mix of plot and character arc development. I'm firmly on Team Bertie - she was the unsung hero of the book, with a honorable mention to Cindy, the antique miracle worker. Also loved Nina's ending, giving a strong HEA vibe without engagement/marriage/baby mentions that typically end a romance novel.