The Never Never Sisters by L. Alison Heller

Title: The Never Never Sisters
 
Author: L. Alison Heller

Publisher: NAL Trade

Published Date: June 3, 2014

Buy on Amazon: Kindle &  Paperback

Author Website: http://lalisonheller.com/

Synopsis: 

Marriage counselor Paige Reinhardt is counting down the days to summer, eager to reconnect with her workaholic husband at their cozy rental cottage in the Hamptons. But soon a mysterious crisis at Dave’s work ruins their getaway plans. Paige is still figuring out how to handle the unexplained chill in her marriage when her troubled sister suddenly returns after a two-decade silence. Now, instead of enjoying the lazy summer days along the ocean, Paige is navigating the rocky waters of a forgotten bond with her sister in the sweltering city heat.

As she attempts to dig deeper into Dave’s work troubles and some long-held family secrets, Paige is shocked to discover how little she knows about the people closest to her. This summer, the self-proclaimed relationship expert will grapple with her biggest challenge yet: Is it worth risking your most precious relationships in order to find yourself?

 

My Thoughts:

The Never Never Sisters, by L. Alison Heller, is a contemporary story revolving around Paige and her family. Paige defines herself as a successful marriage counselor, wife, and daughter. As the story begins, all in Paige's life is well. Summer is beginning and she and her husband Dave have rented a beach house for the season that they hope to use on weekends. However, all of her well thought out plans are quickly halted when two major snags appear out of nowhere to wreak havoc in her otherwise orderly life.  

Paige begins to worry when she comes home early after work and walks in on Dave who has been suspended from his job at a major law firm. His story does not add up to Paige.  He says he has no idea why he was put on leave and his superiors are sorting it out. Once everything is dealt with he should be able to resume his normal work schedule. Paige wants to believe him, but past trust issues begin creeping into her thought process. Dave is also acting very secretive about his job and Paige starts to worry that he may be involved in something not totally legal. She has to decide if she is going to trust Dave and take his word that all is well or take the initiative to really find out what is happening behind the scenes.

As if the drama at home wasn't enough, Paige learns from her parents that her addict sister has made contact with them after 20 years and wants to visit. Paige doesn't remember much about Sloane, other than her doing drugs and abusing alcohol as a teen. At 16 Sloane was sent to a rehab facility across the country and never returned home. As an adult, the majority of the time Paige forgets that she even has a sister. However, Sloane's reappearance throws Paige's already tipsy life completely upside down.

I loved watching Paige and Sloane's relationship unfold in The Never Never Sisters. The two siblings had a long and bumpy road ahead of them toward reconciliation, but watching them stumble and then rebound was very rewarding. Heller did a wonderful job in creating two relatable sisters with a realistic relationship.  Sloane had a tough outer protective shell that she wore around her parents, but when she was with Paige and her fiancée she morphed into a different person. Sloane was no longer sullen and moody, but became excitable and creative.

The Never Never Sisters dealt heavily with addiction and the effect it had on both the addict and the family. Paige and Sloane’s mother, Vanessa, had many feeling of guilt. She believed that Sloane was an addict because of her genes. Vanessa’s father was an alcoholic and for a time Vanessa also dealt with addiction. She never wanted her girls to know about her sordid family life and their history of addiction. However, sweeping everything under the rug did not work out how she wanted. Vanessa believes that Sloane will never fully trust her but her hope is that her two girls will be able to build a beneficial and lasting relationship.

L. Alison Heller’s The Never Never Sisters is a thought provoking story that puts addiction and marital issues on the front burner, as well as healing and resolution. This is a wonderfully well written, realistic story that has likable characters and a good bit of suspense.  I highly recommend The Never Never Sisters as it will keep you guessing until the very end!

L. Alison Heller

                                                      

*I have been provided a complimentary copy of the book, The Never Never Sisters, for the purpose of review.*