Lisa Beazley

Reviewed from e-galley.
fiction (love-lives/social media/correspondence between friends). I think I was hoping for more of a griffin & sabine experience (minus all the loose pieces of paper), but I skimmed through the first few chapters to give it a chance. Cassie's character is a bit whiny (with lots of TMI about her non-existent sex life) for my taste--she probably gets better as her correspondence with Sid continues, but ultimately this wasn't for me. It might suit a different person fine (a different generation, maybe).… (mehr)

Cassie and Sid are sisters who live very far apart. They decide during the holidays that they will begin corresponding by physical letters.
It's a chance to get to connect and get to know each other better as adults.

Cassie and Sid both have their dramas. Cassie is feeling unfulfilled, bored with her life. She's got a great husband and the kids she always wanted, but she's not as happy as she thought she'd be.
Sid is in Singapore with her husband and two children. She barely knows anyone there and her husband is always away.

The two sisters send letters pouring their hearts out, telling each other things you'd only tell a spouse or closest friend.
But through a weird glitch, Cassie winds up actually posting all of their letters online. Then she has a lot of explanations and apologies owed to others.

Funny at times, sweet at others. I liked it but didn't love it. I didn't like Cassie that much for a lot of the book. I mean, I get it, if Cassie was perfect then she wouldn't have had anything to be embarrassed about when her secrets got out.… (mehr)

This was a bit of a slow start for me -- I almost consigned it to the DNF pile when I was about 10% in. But that 10% had gone quickly, so I stuck with it, and am glad I did.

I think the slow start is due in large part to the beginning's low stakes. Okay, so two sisters who live half a world apart, inspired by their grandparents' love letters, decide to keep in touch for the next year by snail mail. It's a nice idea, but whether they succeed or fail, so what?

Then the stakes get raised. Each sister is confessing problems with her marriage, and somehow their epistles are published on a blog, and it seems like their letter-writing could have some serious consequences!

On the whole, I thought this was a sweet, easy read, and it left me a little nostalgic for the days of real, handwritten mail. At the same time, the relationship that for me rang most true was Cassie's with her husband, not with her sister Sid. Still, this would make a good gift for a sister with whom you're hoping to keep in better touch.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.… (mehr)

To be honest, in the beginning I had to warm up to the story and the sisters. In fact, I was starting to have mixed emotions about this book. It was like...I like it but I am not sure if I like it. However, it only took me getting several chapters in to really start to settle into the story. Plus, Sid helped with my point of view on this story. Cassie took longer for me to embrace her (half way mark). This is because from the start I thought that Cassie was critical; whereas, Sid was more open and embraced life. Hearing her experience with her housekeeper and life in Bangkok was entertaining.

When the half way mark came, the story shifted and Cassie became less critical. When she lost it on the guy in line behind her at the coffee shop I was right there with the barista cheering her. Or the moment when her youngest had an accident and he took off down the street half naked with joy. Cassie took out her phone to film and enjoy the moment. What really made this book was getting back to the basics. There was very little mention of social media. It was just the pure emotion and anticipation of waiting for the next letter.… (mehr)