Dear Reader, It’s always wonderful to return to a favorite place. That’s how I feel about Bittersweet, Oregon, the fictional setting for my 1990s trilogy, Forever Family, now collected here in one volume with a new title—Envious! I’m delighted to revisit Bittersweet in the company of Bliss, Katie, and Tiffany—three women who’ve just discovered they are half-sisters . . . Bliss Cawthorne is John … half-sisters . . .
Bliss Cawthorne is John Cawthorne’s only legitimate daughter, but her father’s wealth has complicated matters. Mason Lafferty believed he wasn’t good enough for the boss’s daughter and broke Bliss’s heart after saving her life. Yet now he’s back in Bittersweet, determined to make her trust him again.
Tiffany Santini is widowed and struggling to raise two children after a car accident. That doesn’t mean she needs interference from her powerful brother-in-law. And Katie Kincaid is too busy wrangling her rambunctious son to get involved with the enigmatic cowboy next door. Then there’s the mystery at the heart of Bittersweet—the recent disappearance of an elderly local, Isaac Wells, who has vanished without trace, casting a dark cloud over all their lives . . .
Join me in Bittersweet as these three very different, independent women try to escape the shadows of their pasts . . .
Lisa Jackson
more
Flew through these to see how it would all end up for these women. Excellent books!
These characters make you want to move to their town and become friends. Nice romantic connections with a little town mystery as well.
I usually really like Lisa Jackson’s books, but I had a hard time getting through this trilogy (stopped reading halfway through the second book). I get the whole alpha male thing, but not when they’re over the top to the point of almost being abusive. Did not enjoy and do not recommend.
Envious by Lisa Jackson
This collection of three vintage romances from around 1990 tell the story of three half sisters unaware of one another until their biological father suffers a health crisis that makes him realize he needs to make some changes and make things right with his daughters who do not know they have sisters. Throw into this a missing many mystery that appears in all three books and is resolved in the finale and you have an interesting tale that reminded me of similar books I read in that era. I had no idea that Lisa Jackson had written simpler romances as I met her work later when romantic suspense filled with thrills and chills were more her style so it was interesting to see what she was writing earlier in her career.
A FAMILY KIND OF GUY
Second Chance Romance – Bliss and Mason were falling hard for one another when their young love was thwarted by more than one occurrence and though their lives continued for ten years…neither was really happy. Seeing one another again after ten years apart the chemistry was still there but so were the hurts that lingered from the past. This book introduces the main characters and provides the first romance as well as introducing the mystery man who disappeared without a trace.
A FAMILY KIND OF GAL
Widow and her Brother-in-Law – J.D. Santini and his sister-in-law, Tiffany, met years before when Tiffany was engaged to J.D.’s older brother. Years have passed, much has taken place and now that both are free there is potential for them to be together…maybe. Tiffany is dealing with issues related to the feeling that father abandoned her while working, running an apartment building and raising her two children. This was an interesting relationship to watch unfold and there was a bit more about the missing man.
A FAMILY KIND OF WEDDING
Single Mother meets Hot Cowboy – Katie is a reporter looking for a story. She has never divulged the name of her child’s father and this is an issue in this story. She meets Luke while looking for a story and there is definitely chemistry. Luke is a quiet man but sometimes still waters run deep. I enjoyed watching how the two managed to get together, eventually, and also how all three stories and the mystery were tied up by the end of the trilogy.
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington – Zebra for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4-5 Stars
ENVIOUS (Forever Family Books 1-3) By Lisa Jackson
I am a fan of Lisa Jackson’s work, and I love her novels. This is different that what I have usually found from her, but enjoyable just the same. Envious has three stories about three young women that just find out that they are half sisters. One that concerns Bliss, one that brings us Tiffany and the last one is Katie. A heart attack makes John Cawthorne realize he needs to focus on his family. These are interconnected stories with a lot of hurt, heart and love. Can he repair his relationships? Read and see! These stories were introduced 1st in the 90’s and now have been re-released as one book. I give this 5 stars.
Envious by Lisa Jackson was a complete surprise. I don’t know what I expected but it wasn’t 3 fantastic stories in one book. Ms. Jackson has provided three different stories. John Cawthorne had a daughter out of wedlock that never knew who her father was. He went on to marry and have another daughter. During the time he was married he met and fell in love with someone else and had another daughter that believed her step-father was her father. After John’s wife died he was free to marry the woman he loved but a heart attack interfered. He had a come to Jesus moment and now wants all his daughters in his life. Each book in this collection is the story of one of those daughters. These well-written stories are loaded with phenomenal characters, humor, drama, spice, action and a little suspense with the mystery running through all 3 books of where is Isaac Wells. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more from Lisa Jackson in the future. Envious is books 1-3 of the Forever Family Series. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
ENVIOUS ..Lisa Jackson
Combined format of 3 novels (700 pages) and the three half sisters, giving us this story. A father when he has a heart attack tells Bliss of the half sisters, Katie and Tiffany. Getting to know them, and their love interest, each are different, independent and strong willed. Takes place in Oregon, a bit of a mystery when a local man goes missing. Given Arc for my voluntary review and my honest opinion from ?Net Galley and Kensington.
Envious is a complitation of three previous books in a series by Lisa Jackson. I have read alot of her later books, but these were from earlier in her career and I hadn’t read them before. I found this to be an enjoyable read, especially having all the stories together in one book. This book is full of love, hate, anger, angst, heartache, and redemption. What would you do if you found out your whole life has been a lie? By reading this book you will come to understand alot of the emotions involved in that question. I definitely would recommend this book to others.
I received an Advance Readers Copy from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my fair and honest review.
I was excited to read this book. As I am a big fan of Lisa Jackson. And this didn’t disappoint. I was surprised that I hadn’t read the stories before. As this is a re-release of three previous stories of hers.
This book consists of three stories about three half sisters, in the series Family Forever. A Family Kind of Guy, A Family Kind of Gal, and A Family Kind of Wedding. These stories are about three half sisters that grow up, not knowing each other. All growing up with different lives. In the first, you meet Bliss Cawthorne. She’s the ‘legitimate’ daughter and grew up with money and a privileged life. The second is about the oldest sister, Tiffany Santini. She grew up with her mother, at first not knowing her father was alive. Then learns he is John Cawthorne. Who suddenly wants to be a part of her life. And the last story is about the youngest sister, Katie Kinkaid. Who grew up with her mother, who was married several times. She always thought that her father was one man, on of her mother’s husband’s. Then she learns of her mother’s lies, and the affair she had with the married John Cawthorne for years.
All three women struggle with the new life and family they are learning about. And each fight attraction to the men who show up in their lives.
This was another amazing story from Lisa Jackson. The characters were well written and incredibly likable. The story just came off the page and held your interest. It was a beautiful story of accepting family, and finding love. And all three of these women are strong and resilient. I definitely recommend giving it a read.
A wonderful book. It has the three stories of the sisters based in Bittersweet Oregon. Liked having all the stories in one book so I didn’t have to go and find them!! It was very well written and kept me reading to see how things would turn out. Each story was about a different sister and how they handled finding each other and dealing with their feelings with what life was throwing at them. Well worth the read.
Envious (Forever Family #1-3) by author Lisa Jackson is very different from all the other books I have read by this author. Envious is about family, lost loves, an romance. Bliss Cawthorne is about to receive the shock of her lifetime! Bliss goes to the hospital to visit her father as he recovers from a heart attack and surgery. John Cawthorne reveals secrets to Bliss he has kept hidden all her life. She has two half-sisters from different mothers! Her father had a daughter, Tiffany from an affair before he married her mother and he has been having a long term affair with another woman even while he was married to her mother. Bliss is horrified that her father could have been unfaithful to her mother. John is determined to marry his mistress and he wants Bliss to meet her and the two half-sisters. The three books feature the love lives for the three girls Bliss, Katie, and Tiffany. If you enjoy romantic novels you will enjoy the family conflicts and the romantic ending of Envious.
Publication Date: March 31, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and ARC of this book.