Source - Received from publisher to review
It is a truth universally acknowledged that all mothers want to see their daughters happily settled.
But for Lara, mother to Maudie and stepmother to Jasmine and Eve, realizing this ambition has not been easy.
With an ex-husband embarking on a new marriage, and the surprising and late blooming developments in her own love life to contend with, Lara has enough to worry about, especially with Eve's upcoming wedding.
And when she begins to fear that Eve is marrying a man who will only make her unhappy, and Maudie reveals something that shocks the entire family, Lara faces the ultimate dilemma. Does she step in and risk the wrath of her daughters? Or does she stand by and watch them both make what she fears will be the biggest mistakes of their lives?
Despite its title this book is not just about the daughters of the family it's actually all about the relationships within a blended family. The lynchpin of the family is Lara, ex-wife to Bill, stepmother to Jasmine and Eve and mother to Maudie.
Lara has brought up Jasmine and Eve as her own ever since she first met Bill when the girls were young, after his first wife had died, and has always treated them as her own daughters rather than stepdaughters. So much so that when the marriage broke down, it was decided that it would be best for both girls to remain with her and their sister Maudie.
Now that the girls are all grown up, Lara is having to deal with empty nest syndrome after youngest daughter Maudie announces that she's applied to go to university in the States meaning that she'll be on her own for the first time in years. This makes her taking a look at her own life and it's obvious from the start that there's still a lot of healing left to be done before she can consider moving on.
But as a mother can she ever stop worrying about her children? She's worried for Eve, who is rapidly turning into a Bridezilla during the planning of her wedding, as she's not sure that her fiance Andrew is the right man for her daughter. When she tries to talk to her about her concerns this just puts a strain on their own relationship.
Meanwhile eldest daughter Jasmine is beginning to wonder if her own relationship with Duncan is going anywhere as he doesn't seem to want to take the next step in their relationship of living together. She knows that she loves him but isn't sure if she can wait forever to get her happy ever after.
This book pulled me in from the start as it's not just about the family dynamics but it also deals with a lot of complex issues such as death and bereavement, marriage, infidelity and divorce and the impact that they have on the whole family.
I'd like to thank Jo at Penguin for sending me a copy of this book to review.
Lara has brought up Jasmine and Eve as her own ever since she first met Bill when the girls were young, after his first wife had died, and has always treated them as her own daughters rather than stepdaughters. So much so that when the marriage broke down, it was decided that it would be best for both girls to remain with her and their sister Maudie.
Now that the girls are all grown up, Lara is having to deal with empty nest syndrome after youngest daughter Maudie announces that she's applied to go to university in the States meaning that she'll be on her own for the first time in years. This makes her taking a look at her own life and it's obvious from the start that there's still a lot of healing left to be done before she can consider moving on.
But as a mother can she ever stop worrying about her children? She's worried for Eve, who is rapidly turning into a Bridezilla during the planning of her wedding, as she's not sure that her fiance Andrew is the right man for her daughter. When she tries to talk to her about her concerns this just puts a strain on their own relationship.
Meanwhile eldest daughter Jasmine is beginning to wonder if her own relationship with Duncan is going anywhere as he doesn't seem to want to take the next step in their relationship of living together. She knows that she loves him but isn't sure if she can wait forever to get her happy ever after.
This book pulled me in from the start as it's not just about the family dynamics but it also deals with a lot of complex issues such as death and bereavement, marriage, infidelity and divorce and the impact that they have on the whole family.
I'd like to thank Jo at Penguin for sending me a copy of this book to review.
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