Wednesday 26 February 2014

✾ Evening Stars ✾ Susan Mallery ✾ Blackberry Island #3 ✾



© Bianca  





SUSAN MALLERY - EVENING STARS
• Blackberry Island #3
• 368 Pages
• release date -  25 Februrary - 2014


★★★★★
4.9 Stars



New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery returns to Blackberry Island with the poignant tale of two sisters on the verge of claiming their dreams.

Small-town nurse Nina Wentworth has made a career out of being a caretaker. More "Mom" than their mother ever was, she sacrificed medical school—and her first love—so her sister could break free. Which is why she isn't exactly thrilled to see Averil back on Blackberry Island, especially when Nina's life has suddenly become…complicated.

Nina unexpectedly finds herself juggling two men—her high school sweetheart and a younger maverick pilot who also wants to claim her heart. But as fun as all this romance is, Nina has real life to deal with. Averil doesn't seem to want the great guy she's married to, and doesn't seem to be making headway writing her first book; their mom is living life just as recklessly as she always has; and Nina's starting to realize that the control she once had is slipping out of her fingers. Her hopes of getting off the island seem to be stretching further away…until her mother makes a discovery that could change everything forever.

But before Nina and Averil can reach for the stars, they have to decide what they want. Will Averil stay? Will Nina leave? And what about the men who claim to love them? Does love heal, or will finding their happy ending mean giving up all they've ever wanted?



Click here to see the Blackberry Island Series on goodreads

Click here to see Susan's Blackberry Island Page





MY THOUGHTS

 Like the 2 previous books in the Blackberry Island series, Evening Stars also has more than one main character.
We have Nina (30) & Averil (26) - sisters.
Nina, has always been the responsible one in the family. Her mother had her when she was only 16 and as soon as Nina was old enough, she wasn't only acting as a mother for her little sister, but she also had to take care of her Hippie/carefree mom.
That's the main reason why she never left the island, why she never went to medschool and why her first love Dylan left her 10 years ago.

Now Dylan is back - working in his Dad's medical practice.
But he's not the only one who's back. There's also Kyle ☺ He's only 26 and he had a huge crush on 16 year old Nina when she was babysitting his little sister ☺ Now he's a Navy Pilot and stationed nearby. And he wants to convince Nina that she's still the girl of his dreams. But he's only looking for a short fling, because he's only staying for a few months.

Then there's Averil.
She's a bit like her flighty mother.
Nina made her go to college. So she went to UCLA. Then she met Kevin, fell in love and married him. But now things are weird at home. She doesn't really know why. Kevin wants a baby and she wants to write a Novel - but she just can't seem to bring herself to do either.
Her answer - flee home to Blackberry Island - and try to find out who she really is and what she really wants.

Then we have the girls' mom - Bonnie and her gay partner Birdie. They have been together for 10 years now - and Birdie thankfully has a calming influence on Bonnie.

The older couple runs an anitque store in town - but in reality it's Nina who's responsible for everything her family does.


Will Nina have to choose between Dylan & Kyle? Or is she just a fling for Kyle? Does Dylan want her at all? Or does he just feel guilty for leaving her?



Will Averil be able to find out what she wants? Will she fix things with Kevin?

And then the Antique store thing!!! Could be that Bonnie & Birdie haven't only found their usual junk on this last antiquing-road-tour......

 NOPE..... I'm not telling you ☺



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I REALLY LOVED THE BOOK!!!


I loved the previous 2 books in the series and I loved this one too.

If you're expecting one of those sweet and cute Susan Romances that we're used to.... this series is different.
But good different. It takes a moment to get used to it, but once you do - you'll love it.

Evening Stars was a really interesting and moving and funny and cute Story.
I especially love the location. Susan describes Blackberry Island so wonderfully real. I wish I could live there!!! ☺

I somehow got the feeling - with this whole series - that Susan had read a few Luanne Rice books to prepare for Blackberry Island. It's really not a typical Susan Mallery Series.
It's much deeper and intense - it's not so much a Romance, more of a 'finding-yourself-literature' - thing ☺
 I loved it - BUT I have to admit I love Susan's Fool's Gold Series and her other books a bit more.
And this last one in the series was my least favorite. The first 2 were much more moving and interesting.
Not that I didn't love this one too. There were 3 really great guys in here (I always need my heroes!!) - Kevin (Averil's husband) and Kyle & Dylan (Nina's 2 choices).
And I really loved Nina too - but I just didn't get how she could choose between the 2 guys - I would've taken them both!!!! ☺ It was a difficult situation that Susan put Nina in, I would've left out one of the guys - one would've been enough to cause trouble for Nina.

What I really liked about the book was that we got to hear about the Girls from the last book - Andi, Boston & Deanna. And we even met Michelle from book 1 again! It was really great to read what happened to them!

BUT - if you love Susan Mallery & Luanne Rice - you will love this book too!
Just try it!!! ☺

it's worth it - if only for the great Location ;)




LINKS TO THE BOOK AND AUTHOR



ABOUT SUSAN:
STOLEN FROM GOODREADS


With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. Susan’s books have made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT Book Reviews says, “When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.” With her popular, ongoing Fool’s Gold series, Susan has reached new heights on the bestsellers lists and has won the hearts of countless new fans.

Susan grew up in southern California, moved so many times that her friends stopped writing her address in pen, and now has settled in Seattle with her husband and the most delightfully spoiled little dog who ever lived.