Sisters Jolene, Marsha and Annis have convened at their beautiful family home, Fox House, following the death of their mother, the tricky Eleanor Vamplew. Born seven years apart, the women are more strangers than sisters.
Jolene, the eldest, is a successful romantic novelist who writes about beautiful relationships even though her own marriage to the handsome and charming Warren is complicated.
Marsha, the neglected middle child, has put all of her energy into her work, hoping money will plug the gap in her life left by the man who broke her young heart.
Annis is the renegade, who left home aged sixteen and never returned, not even for the death of their beloved father Julian. Until now.
So when the sisters discover that their mother has left everything to Annis in her will, it undermines everything they thought they knew. Can saying their final goodbyes to Eleanor bring them together again?
I'd like to thank SJ at Simon & Schuster for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour and ED PR for my copy of Together, Again to review.
Together, Again is Milly Johnson's 20th novel which is an achievement in itself but personally I believe it's her best to date, well of the books I've read as have to confess I've still not read some of her earlier books.
It's clear when we first meet the Vamplew sisters that a lot has happened in their lives and that they didn't have the easiest of childhoods living with their parents, Eleanor and Julian, in their family home Fox House. The sisters, Jolene, Marsha and Annis, are reunited for the first time in a very long time after the death of their mother including Annis who didn't turn up for the funeral of her father.
Despite being sisters they have never really had a close relationship and in fact at one time they all felt like they were only children due to the seven year age gap between each of them. Will spending this time together enable them to be able to mend bridges and rebuild a relationship that they all seem to be craving?
Of the three sisters Jolene is the one who appears to have it all, a successful career as a romance novelist and a loving marriage but appearances can be very deceptive as in reality she's unable to follow her own advice that she gives the characters in her books with regards to her relationship with her husband. The more I discovered, the more I was willing her on to stand up for herself and take back everything that was hers.
Meanwhile Marsha appears to have chosen a successful career over love as she's put everything into building up a successful business that she's now had an offer to sell. But without the business, who really is she as she's shut herself off to love following having her heart broken when she was younger. Will spending time at home help her come to terms with her past and help her look forward to a brighter future?
As for Annis, she was the sister with an air of mystery around her regarding why she ran away as a teenager and has never reconnected with her family until now. The more we learn as to what she has been through the more I wanted to know what led her down this path. She has endured so much that has made her stronger and self-reliant, will spending time with her sisters enable her to finally lay the ghosts to rest and give her the sense of belonging she deserves?
Add into the mix neighbour Sally who on the outside appears to be a busybody but scratch below the surface and you'll discover that she has deeply affected by events involving the Vamplews. Sally is also the holder of a secret that she wished she didn't know thanks to a letter from Eleanor that she was asked to give one of the sisters which she wished she had never read. It's only over time that we the reader get an insight to each of the relationships within the family and finally uncover the shocking truth that is revealed in the letter.
Although Together, Again does include some of Milly Johnson's trademark humour between the pages it's definitely a grittier read than her other books which I personally enjoyed. I loved getting to know each of the sisters and would love a follow up at some point even if it's just a novella so that we can get to see how the changes they have made have impacted their lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment