The California sunshine’s not quite so bright for three sisterswho get dumped in the same week… fine, she’s crumbling inside, desperate for him to come to his senses and for life to go back to normal.
Zennie’s breakup is no big loss. Although the world insists she pair up, she’d rather be surfing. So agreeing to be the surrogate for her best friend is a no-brainer—after all, she has an available womb and no other attachments to worry about. Except…when everyone else, including her big sister, thinks she’s making a huge mistake, being pregnant is a lot lonelier—and more complicated—than she imagined.
Never the tallest, thinnest or prettiest sister, Ali is used to being overlooked, but when her fiancé sends his disapproving brother to call off the wedding, it’s a new low. And yet Daniel continues to turn up “for support,” making Ali wonder if maybe—for once—someone sees her in a way no one ever has.
But side by side by side, these sisters will start over and rebuild their lives with all the affection, charm and laugh-out-loud humor that is classic Susan Mallery.
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Read it in a short time…loved it!
Just when the world seems against them, three sisters find an inner strength and a bond they never expected.
Television personality, Finola is finally ready to give her husband his greatest desire-children. She plans to tell him on a rare getaway that goes awry when she learns he’s been having an affair.
Zinnie is happy on her own. She’s focused on a nursing career and only dates because it’s ‘the thing to do.’ So, when her best friend (a cancer survivor) approaches her to be a surrogate, Zinnie jumps at the opportunity to help. Except, being pregnant and alone, is harder than she expected.
Ali is getting married in six short weeks and she’s going crazy between preparations and keeping up to her mother who needs help decluttering her home so she can sell it. Then, in a cowardly move, her fiancé sends his handsome brother to call off the wedding.
What follows is how these three so-different sisters overcome the crisis each of them face and find strength from unexpected places.
Some of my favorite scenes happened in the family home as the three girls and their mother come together amid thirty years of memories.
I give California Girls 4 lovely kisses- An enjoyable read!
Three sisters, as different as chalk is from cheese, all get dumped by the men in their lives on the same day. One’s husband tells her he’s been having an affair and leaves to be with that much younger woman; one gets dumped during a dinner out, and the youngest gets dumped a few weeks before her wedding – and that’s not the worst part for her: her fiancé doesn’t even tell her in person. He sends his brother to do the dirty work.
Can these three women pick up the pieces of their relationship-disaster lives and move forward?
That’s the question posed in Susan Mallery’s newest book from Harlequin/Mira CALIFORNIA GIRLS.
I have to say I didn’t have one sister that I liked or disliked more than the other. They were all equally appealing and at times not-so-much so for me. Finola is the oldest and married to the cheater. Zennie’s in the middle and not really sure the whole “pairing up thing” in life is for her, and Ali’s the bride that almost was. The one constant in their lives is their pain-in-the-neck mother who’s entire goal in life seems to be made a grandmother.
Written with her usual flare for diving deep into the emotional depth and minds of her characters, Mallery gives us three women at a crossroads who are the poster children for the phrase “I never saw that coming” in their lives. And, also as usual, the way they each grow and come out of that relationship pitfall is written with a great deal of humor, warmth, angst, and discovery.
This was an enjoyable book. Thank you to Netgally and Mira for allowing me a sneak peak in exchange for an honest opinion. CALIFORNIA GIRLS is a keeper!
This was a very enjoyable story. I liked reading about the sisters and all the ways they were different . I would love to read stories about what else happens in their lives.
I love books about sisters because I am very close to my two sisters. This novel was true to life – the three sisters argued with each other and were honest with each other even if it was brutal but most importantly they loved each other and supported each other in every phase of their lives.
All three sisters go through a break up the same week while their mom was constantly nagging them about giving her grandchildren.
-Finola is a popular morning show host who feels that she and her husband Nigel have a wonderful marriage until he tells her that he is having an affair right before she goes on the air. She is devastated with the news but plans that they will be back together again in the future.
-Zennie is a cardiac nurse. She breaks up with a short term boyfriend and realizes that she doesn’t want to be part of a couple but is satisfied with her life just the way it is — until she agrees to be a surrogate for her best friend who can’t get pregnant. Then she finds out how much her life can change.
-Ali is engaged to be married and spending all of her time planning the wedding. One evening her fiance’s brother comes to tell her that the wedding is off and that his brother doesn’t want to get married. He becomes her friend but can he be more than that?
I laughed over some of the conversations that the sisters had when they were together and the way that they were honest with each other. They all banded together against their mother who insisted that it was time for her to have grandchildren! The real story line is whether the sisters will all be able to get beyond their break-ups and start new and more exciting lives.
If you are in the mood for a light read that will make you laugh and maybe shed a few tears, this is the book for you!
Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Such a great book!! I’ve always love your books!!
Family saga at it’s best! The latest from Susan Mallery has us knee deep into this family’s drama from the very first few pages … and loving it! She weaves a complex story line depicting each sisters life and the trials and tribulations they are all going through at the same time. Normally close and supportive, they find themselves straying and not being as happy go lucky with each other at the moment. A clingy, self-righteous mother tops off the cast and brings yet another perspective into an already chaotic life. I really enjoyed the book!
Finola Corrado thinks she’s living the dream. She’s basking in her own glory and about to embark on a grand vacation with her adoring husband when it all explodes in her face just before she’s about to go on live television. Her husband drops the bombshell on her that he’s been adoring someone else, and she’s literally steps away from interviewing the pop sensation trollop on her talk show!
Zennie Schmitt loves her solo life and just can’t understand why people keep harping on her to become part of a couple. When the guy she’s been casually dating wants to move forward with her, she fails to keep the disdain from her face and he ends up dropping her quicker than she can turn around instead. She’s going to concentrate on just enjoying life for a chance … and what better way than agreeing to be a surrogate for her best friend and help her achieve her life’s dream … only she has no clue how lonely and difficult it’s going to be when her family support system doesn’t agree with her decisions.
Ali Schmitt was on the the cusp of the happiest time of her life seven weeks before her wedding when it all comes crumbling down. Her loser fiancee sends his brother to break it off with her … right after invitations have gone out! She has always felt like Daniel disapproved of her as a mate for his brother, but he’s being really great in helping her pick up the pieces and cancel this wedding. As time goes by, she starts to wonder if the wrong brother was in her sights the whole time!
This author never lets me down. The story writing keeps me entertained and hooked. The relationship between the sisters is awesome. They go through a bad time in their lives together and lean on each other. I love how we see the different relationships and how they work through it. Each sister is different and we get to know them and root for them. I wish i could see what happens after the events in this book. Definitely another 5 star read from this author.
Favorite Quotes:
Finola, we have models in the building. Tall, skinny, hungry models. They’re starting to look feral and turn on each other. I’m convinced it’s the smell of bacon.
… she alternated between trying to figure out a plan to win Nigel back and wondering if she could find a few anthrax spores to send him in the mail.
Finola told herself they weren’t deliberately cruel, they were just young and thoughtless. At least she hoped they were because otherwise the next generation was going to be a disappointment.
My Review:
I fell into this irresistible story and didn’t want to come back out. Susan Mallery has extraordinarily strong word voodoo. I was fully invested and right beside them or sitting in a corner watching as they bantered and argued. The storylines were deftly written and cleverly crafted with ample servings of levity and curiously addictive conundrums. Each character was uniquely compelling and so enticingly well drawn I could easily identify them in a police line-up. The mother was heinously shallow and possessed all the warmth and nurture of a rattlesnake and whose self-involvement was second only to her eldest daughter, Finola, who was a complete narcissist, although Finola had the wittiest quips of anyone. I adored Ali and Zennie, although my favorite character was the sweet and thoughtful Daniel and was totally besotted with him by the end of the book. Sigh, I want to clear off my TBR and only read Susan Mallery stories for the rest of my life.
Three sisters, who have one thing in common, they were all dumped on the same weekend. This story tells the growth that they each go through with the breakups.
Ali, is dumped by her fiance 2 months before the wedding. He doesn’t even do the dirty work, but sends his brother, Daniel to tell Ali. All I can say is that I loved Daniel!! He was always there to pick up the pieces for Ali. We all need a Daniel in our lives!!
Finola, a morning talk show host, who finds out her husband, Nigel is having an affair with young singer. It took me awhile to warm up to Finola, but she matured so much through out the story. Learning it takes two to make or fail a marriage.
Zennie, dating Clark but both decided her heart wasn’t in it. Who needs a man anyways, at least that is what she thought. She has decided the best thing she can do in life right now is to become a surrogate for her best friend. How hard is a pregnancy??
Then add is their mother, who just wants to be a grandma! This book is packed full of emotion and humor, that you don’t want to see end. I loved these sisters!!
California Girls by author Susan Mallory is another wondery story about three sisters who are all experiencing a very dramatic event in their lives. Each of the three girls are dumped by the men in their lives on the same week. Finola is the very popular host of an LA TV show, and thirty minuts before she goes live, her husband pops in her office to tell her he is leaving her. They are scheduled to leave the next day for a week in Hawaii. She is shocked!
Zennie is an OR nurse who loves her job, surfing and running with her best friends. Her boyfriend Clark decides they should take a break. Zennie is not really disturbed too much, so she decides she must not have loved him. She impulsively decides to do an astounding thing for her very best friend, become a surrogate and carry her baby. This decision causes unexpected problems for Zennie. The youngest sister Ali, is getting ready for her wedding day to Glen. It is two weeks away and the final fitting for her dress has been checked off her list. Ali has an unexpected visit from Daniel, Glen’s brother, He brings news that Glen wants to break the engagment but does not have the courage or integrity to tell Ali himself. Daniel did not want tosee Ali standing at the altar alone. Oh my!
Each of the girls must deal with some extremely important life changing events. Their parents are not any source of support or comfort. Finola seems to be very caught-up in her own life and is selfish. Zennie and Ali were close until the sisters learn of Zennie’s pregnancy, and they all berate her for her decision. Ali has learned the hard way to keep some secrets about her life from her sisters. As each sister faces their problems and learn some important truths about their core strengths and faults, maybe the relationship between the three of them will make a change.
Publication date February 26, 2019
Such a fun, easy read! Three sisters experience breakups in one week, and the reader is along for the bumpy rides! I love Susan Mallery’s writing, she never disappoints. I wish I could have read it at the beach, the flirty dialog is perfect.
I have read several books by Susan Mallery and I have enjoyed her writing style. I also enjoyed this book. This is the story of three sisters each dealing with a difficult personal situation. The sisters, at first, are not as supportive of each other as I expected, but I liked how the characters grew over the course of the story and were introspective about each of their situations. I was surprised about how their parents reacted to each situation as well. The story does alternate between the point of view of each of the sisters throughout the book which I liked, and felt that it gave me a better understanding of each of the characters. Overall a good read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Three sisters are dumped in the same week.
Finola, the eldest of the trio, is a morning-show host who’s blindsided by her husband’s betrayal with a young, famous singer on her own television show! Just when she was ready to go ahead with a major plan for their marriage, it’s shattered in a moment.
Zennie, the middle sister, feels comfortable being alone. She dates, but always seems more satisfied relaxing at home by herself. She’s content with her job and her friends. Her recent sort-of boyfriend senses her lack of enthusiasm about their relationship and breaks off whatever it is they have together. Zennie is a bit caught off guard by this, but only mildly affected. A free agent, she decides to do her best friend a favor—she’s going to be her surrogate! But did she realize what she was getting herself into? And why does she find herself missing the man she pushed away?
Ali is the youngest of the three sisters and feels the smallest in comparison to Finola and Zennie, both in attractiveness and in accomplishments. Her fiancé didn’t even dump her for another woman, he just didn’t want to be with her anymore. To add insult to injury, he didn’t even have the decency to tell her himself, his brother broke the news to her, and he’s been so helpful in helping her get her life back on track. Why is he doing that?
I enjoyed this book about three sisters who reinvented their lives after breakups. While single they took a closer look at themselves and went after what they believed in, even if their actions weren’t immediately received favorably. But of course, in Susan Mallery fashion, each woman’s story ends on a positive note.
Great story!
My first book from this author. I expected grocery store cookie cutter romance. It was a library shelf surfing find, I needed something light, it was light with a touch of sadness. The characters were all interesting, will developed and likeable. It didn’t follow to obvious road of romance novels, it was an enjoyable surprise. I’ll give this author another try,
Three sisters, Fionola, Zennie and Ali have all come to impasse in their lives. Fionola was the oldest and everyone thought had the perfect life. Zennie is a OR nurse and feels like life shouldn’t be pairing everyone off. Ali has a confidence problem. You will want to rage against two of the men and the other two, you just want hug and say thank you for being so great. Amid all of this, their mother is selling the house and wants everything cleaned out. Opening boxes, bringing up memories, these sisters are finally getting to know each other again. Against all the odds, they find they are better together than they were apart. Loved the ending
This book had quite a few plots going on. Three sisters had life changing situations occur at the same time. Finola is a local TV celebrity and is blindsided by her husband announcing that he has been having an affair and is leaving her. Zennie is approached by her best friend and asked to be a surrogate to have a baby for her. Ali was told that her fiance did not want to marry her weeks before the wedding. Add to that, a cold mother that is more interested in having a grandchild then being supportive to her children.
The roles that had been established as they were growing up come into play with how the sisters deal with each other and their own issue. I have two sisters and think that the author understood and wrote about the bond that exists perfectly! She grasped the characteristics of the birth order. I am the third child and I definitely identified with Ali (the third child in the story). I am a huge fan of Susan Mallery and know that she is an only child. I am not sure what research she did to discover how to write these characters, but she did an amazing job!
The story definitely had me thinking not only of the story itself, but also my life. This was an emotional journey. Susan Mallery has another masterpiece with this book. I know all her fans will love this story and hopefully people not familiar to her books will read it also and become a fan too.
Loved the story and characters
Three sisters, three different personalities with one unique problem in common – they were all dumped on the same day. Susan Mallery creates strong, independent female characters who don’t need men in their lives but discover they may have more fun with them. She uses her signature humor to lighten the mood as the sisters develop a strong bond and find they never took the time to KNOW each other growing up.