Scan barcode
judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
L. Alison Heller’s THE NEVER NEVER SISTERS, a thought provoking story of addiction, marriage relationships, and family secrets---a powerful and poignant story of healing, reconciliation, forgiveness, healing, and discovering your true self.
Paige has a successful career as a marriage counselor with a loving husband Dave. She wants to spend some quality time with her lawyer husband and rents a cottage in the Hamptons for the summer weekends. However, her well laid plans, do not go as she planned. Her husband has been suspended and is working from home. He is secretive and strange, and Paige begins to question and suspect Dave is not being truthful, and could he be doing something illegal?
In the middle of her problems, her sister Sloane is scheduled for a visit after a twenty year absence. Paige cannot recall much about Sloane, except she abuses alcohol and drugs and started as a teen, prior to being sent to a rehab facility. It has been so long since Paige has seen her sister, she sometimes forgets she even has a sister.
As Paige begins going through items, she discovers the therapy journals her mother wrote when Sloane was sent to rehab. The mother, Vanessa’s journals reveal a different side of her mother---discovering Dave isn’t the only one with secrets. A complex woman, her daughters have no clue about the real person behind their mother.
The ongoing theme throughout the book deals with addiction—from different perspectives. Vanessa has feelings of guilt, as she feels Sloane’s problem is because of her side of the family. Vanessa’s father was an alcoholic, and well as Vanessa’s addiction. She refrains from telling her girls about their history of addiction.
As the drama unfolds between the relationships Dave/Page, and Sloane/Paige, Paige questions her life choices. A compelling, and powerful story written with humor, wit, suspense, and emotion. Paige discovers she may not know really know, those dearest to her, and over the summer may discover something about herself, along the way.
A mix of contemporary, family, and mystery---This was my first book by Heller, and look forward to reading more!
Paige has a successful career as a marriage counselor with a loving husband Dave. She wants to spend some quality time with her lawyer husband and rents a cottage in the Hamptons for the summer weekends. However, her well laid plans, do not go as she planned. Her husband has been suspended and is working from home. He is secretive and strange, and Paige begins to question and suspect Dave is not being truthful, and could he be doing something illegal?
In the middle of her problems, her sister Sloane is scheduled for a visit after a twenty year absence. Paige cannot recall much about Sloane, except she abuses alcohol and drugs and started as a teen, prior to being sent to a rehab facility. It has been so long since Paige has seen her sister, she sometimes forgets she even has a sister.
As Paige begins going through items, she discovers the therapy journals her mother wrote when Sloane was sent to rehab. The mother, Vanessa’s journals reveal a different side of her mother---discovering Dave isn’t the only one with secrets. A complex woman, her daughters have no clue about the real person behind their mother.
The ongoing theme throughout the book deals with addiction—from different perspectives. Vanessa has feelings of guilt, as she feels Sloane’s problem is because of her side of the family. Vanessa’s father was an alcoholic, and well as Vanessa’s addiction. She refrains from telling her girls about their history of addiction.
As the drama unfolds between the relationships Dave/Page, and Sloane/Paige, Paige questions her life choices. A compelling, and powerful story written with humor, wit, suspense, and emotion. Paige discovers she may not know really know, those dearest to her, and over the summer may discover something about herself, along the way.
A mix of contemporary, family, and mystery---This was my first book by Heller, and look forward to reading more!
sunshine608's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like this book had all the workings of a perfect novel- suspense to keep you wondering what was Dave's secret, what was Sloane's story, with a few twists and turns that for me were unexpected but fit perfectly together with he story. I feel like I can't add much more without adding the spoiler title, but I really liked the way this book flowed and kept me engaged ( and up past my bedtime).
kdurham2's review against another edition
4.0
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
A family drama with drama being the operative word! Two sisters who have been estranged for many years and I don't believe either really know the truth of their family's past. Paige narrates most of the book and through her words she tells the story as she knows it, but the reader learns along with her that her truth may not necessarily be THE truth.
Paige being a therapist ad having her marriage melt down was so fun to read. She is trying to get her husband to open up and tell her his problems while at the same time her sister re-emerges and wants to reconnect - lots of drama for her all at the same moment in life. From page one it was easy to connect with Paige and learn all the characters that would take part. Having a sister (although not estranged) made this book even better for me.
A family drama with drama being the operative word! Two sisters who have been estranged for many years and I don't believe either really know the truth of their family's past. Paige narrates most of the book and through her words she tells the story as she knows it, but the reader learns along with her that her truth may not necessarily be THE truth.
Paige being a therapist ad having her marriage melt down was so fun to read. She is trying to get her husband to open up and tell her his problems while at the same time her sister re-emerges and wants to reconnect - lots of drama for her all at the same moment in life. From page one it was easy to connect with Paige and learn all the characters that would take part. Having a sister (although not estranged) made this book even better for me.
byashleylamar's review against another edition
4.0
The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller is a remarkable novel that delves deeply into the meaning of “family” and how these relationships shape the people that we become. Do we sometimes become so caught up in our own lives that we let or relationships with those closest to us suffer? In this novel Paige shockingly realizes how little she really knows about the people that she is the closest to and must answer the question, “Is it worth risking your most precious relationships in order to find yourself?” This is a riveting novel from the very beginning and women’s fiction at its best!
The characterization of the three main women in this novel (Paige, her sister Sloan and their mother Vanessa) is incredible and very relatable. While not due to the same sort of conflict that caused the rift between Paige and Sloan my sister and I also have a distant back-and-forth relationship and I found it very easy to connect with Paige’s emotions regarding her family. All families have some sort of emotional struggle, turmoil, confusion and drama and this is exactly why readers will connect with The Never Never Sisters.
Paige’s personal journey toward self-discovery and understanding is a relatable story regardless of the age of the reader. It involves so many aspects of family life – a trouble marriage, secrets, estranged family, forgiveness – that every reader will find something that draws them in. Heller’s ability to involve so many threads and characters without allowing any one thread to overwhelm the book is amazing. This could have easily become a directionless disaster but Heller keeps everything tightly wound together. Fans of women’s fiction should really check it out and consider exploring Heller’s other novel, “The Love Wars.”
Review by Ashley LaMar
Closed the Cover
The characterization of the three main women in this novel (Paige, her sister Sloan and their mother Vanessa) is incredible and very relatable. While not due to the same sort of conflict that caused the rift between Paige and Sloan my sister and I also have a distant back-and-forth relationship and I found it very easy to connect with Paige’s emotions regarding her family. All families have some sort of emotional struggle, turmoil, confusion and drama and this is exactly why readers will connect with The Never Never Sisters.
Paige’s personal journey toward self-discovery and understanding is a relatable story regardless of the age of the reader. It involves so many aspects of family life – a trouble marriage, secrets, estranged family, forgiveness – that every reader will find something that draws them in. Heller’s ability to involve so many threads and characters without allowing any one thread to overwhelm the book is amazing. This could have easily become a directionless disaster but Heller keeps everything tightly wound together. Fans of women’s fiction should really check it out and consider exploring Heller’s other novel, “The Love Wars.”
Review by Ashley LaMar
Closed the Cover
penandpage's review against another edition
3.0
The Never Never Sister is a somewhat predictable, feel-good novel. There are a lot of secrets between the characters that are revealed as the story goes on. I can't say that I was surprised by any of the revelations.
There are two main story lines. Paige and her husband and Paige and her sister. Of the two, the story between Paige and her sister is the most interesting. I think this had the potential to be a great story if the characters were developed a lot more.
However, The Never Never Sisters is a nice, light, pool-side read. It is enjoyable and might make you look at your relationships in a bit of a different manner.
There are two main story lines. Paige and her husband and Paige and her sister. Of the two, the story between Paige and her sister is the most interesting. I think this had the potential to be a great story if the characters were developed a lot more.
However, The Never Never Sisters is a nice, light, pool-side read. It is enjoyable and might make you look at your relationships in a bit of a different manner.
kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller is a very insightful and captivating journey of healing, forgiveness and self-discovery. It is also a thought-provoking novel about family relationships and how well we really know (or don't know) our loved ones.
At the outset of The Never Never Sisters, Paige Reinhardt's life is picture perfect. She is happily married with a successful career as a marriage counselor and she has a close relationship with her parents. But her world slowly careens out of control after her husband, Dave, is temporarily suspended and her sister Sloane comes back into their lives after a twenty year absence. Dave is very secretive about the reason for his suspension and Sloane remains evasive about her sudden desire to reconnect with her family. Paige's search for the truth leads to unexpected revelations that have surprising consequences for her various relationships.
Much of The Never Never Sisters is written in first person from Paige's point of view. She is a very likable character but due to her family's history, she is the good girl in the family. She does what is expected of her and although now in her early thirties, she continues to be very involved with her parents' lives. Much of her childhood is shrouded in secrecy with her parents refusing to discuss Sloane's addiction or disappearance. This pattern is repeated with Dave's suspension and Paige is content with his explanation until a breaking news story arouses her suspicions that he might somehow be involved in the emerging scandal.
Paige's relationship with Sloane is strained and it takes much of the novel to mend the rift between them. Communication is an issue for the sisters and this leads to erroneous assumptions and misconceptions on both sides. Sloane is impatient with Paige's lack of self-awareness and Paige is frustrated by Sloane's inability to forgive past mistakes.
For me, the most compelling part of The Never Never Sisters is the mystery surrounding Dave's suspension. Although she has a few misgivings about Dave's assertions that he does not know why he was suspended, Paige initially accepts his story at face value. But gradually, little things begin to raise warning flags and she is forced to confront her growing doubts that he is being completely honest with her.
The Never Never Sisters is a well-written and engaging novel that is quite riveting. Paige's growth as a character is phenomenal and it is incredibly gratifying watching her become more assertive and take charge of her life. She also becomes more reflective and introspective which helps her view her relationships more honestly and make some long overdue changes. L. Alison Heller does an excellent job keeping the story fresh and unique with a very surprising plot twist. All in all, a wonderful novel with appealing characters, a realistic storyline and a satisfying (and rather unexpected) ending.
The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller is a very insightful and captivating journey of healing, forgiveness and self-discovery. It is also a thought-provoking novel about family relationships and how well we really know (or don't know) our loved ones.
At the outset of The Never Never Sisters, Paige Reinhardt's life is picture perfect. She is happily married with a successful career as a marriage counselor and she has a close relationship with her parents. But her world slowly careens out of control after her husband, Dave, is temporarily suspended and her sister Sloane comes back into their lives after a twenty year absence. Dave is very secretive about the reason for his suspension and Sloane remains evasive about her sudden desire to reconnect with her family. Paige's search for the truth leads to unexpected revelations that have surprising consequences for her various relationships.
Much of The Never Never Sisters is written in first person from Paige's point of view. She is a very likable character but due to her family's history, she is the good girl in the family. She does what is expected of her and although now in her early thirties, she continues to be very involved with her parents' lives. Much of her childhood is shrouded in secrecy with her parents refusing to discuss Sloane's addiction or disappearance. This pattern is repeated with Dave's suspension and Paige is content with his explanation until a breaking news story arouses her suspicions that he might somehow be involved in the emerging scandal.
Paige's relationship with Sloane is strained and it takes much of the novel to mend the rift between them. Communication is an issue for the sisters and this leads to erroneous assumptions and misconceptions on both sides. Sloane is impatient with Paige's lack of self-awareness and Paige is frustrated by Sloane's inability to forgive past mistakes.
For me, the most compelling part of The Never Never Sisters is the mystery surrounding Dave's suspension. Although she has a few misgivings about Dave's assertions that he does not know why he was suspended, Paige initially accepts his story at face value. But gradually, little things begin to raise warning flags and she is forced to confront her growing doubts that he is being completely honest with her.
The Never Never Sisters is a well-written and engaging novel that is quite riveting. Paige's growth as a character is phenomenal and it is incredibly gratifying watching her become more assertive and take charge of her life. She also becomes more reflective and introspective which helps her view her relationships more honestly and make some long overdue changes. L. Alison Heller does an excellent job keeping the story fresh and unique with a very surprising plot twist. All in all, a wonderful novel with appealing characters, a realistic storyline and a satisfying (and rather unexpected) ending.
suzannefine's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed Alison Heller's first book - The Love Wars, so I knew I would enjoy this. I didn't realize how much though. I thought the characters were well developed and I really didn't see the twist coming with Dave's "secret". I won't give anything away, you have to read the book!!
I liked the story line between Paige and her sister, Sloan. I was really happy to see their relationship grow, even though they had issues (what siblings don't). As well, I enjoyed Vanessa and Frankie (Paige's parents) characters.
The part I appreciated the most about the book most - the ending. The last few books I have read, I have wanted to see a glimpse into the future, say six months down the road - for closure. Thank you Alison for adding in the last chapter, a few months down the road so we could see what becomes of Paige and her sister!!
I liked the story line between Paige and her sister, Sloan. I was really happy to see their relationship grow, even though they had issues (what siblings don't). As well, I enjoyed Vanessa and Frankie (Paige's parents) characters.
The part I appreciated the most about the book most - the ending. The last few books I have read, I have wanted to see a glimpse into the future, say six months down the road - for closure. Thank you Alison for adding in the last chapter, a few months down the road so we could see what becomes of Paige and her sister!!
whiskeyorwine's review against another edition
3.0
Very hard for me to get into at first however I had a good feeling about the book. Once it hooked me it didn’t let me go. Definitely had twists I didn’t see coming. The slow hook is the reason this gets 3 stars.
scnole2021's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25