⭐⭐⭐⭐ Was I hooked by that book? Yes. A feel-good story about finding family in unexpected places and appreciating the one you already have.

As the owner of Twisted, Seattle’s best salons, Erica knows that the sharpest cuts come from the people we love. She’s terrified that she’s losing her teen daughter, Summer, to her “other” family, especially to her stepmom, Allison.

All it takes to blow up Allison’s happy life is one collect call. From prison. Her beloved husband, Peter, has been arrested, leaving Allison pregnant, broke, scared and alone with a toddler. But when her stepdaughter ferrets out the truth, the teen rushes to the last person Allison wants to ask for help, her husband’s battle-ax ex.

Erica would do anything for Summer, even take in the woman her daughter loves like a second mom. Allison feels intimidated by Erica, a woman who would never let herself become so dependent on a man. But the more time they spend together, the more Allison realizes what Erica truly needs is a friend. Can two women who married the same man move beyond their complicated past and rethink what it means to be family?

MY THOUGHTS

Erica and Allison were both dropped into an impossible situation not of their own making. The only thing binding them in any way was Summer, Erica’s daughter and Allison’s stepdaughter. Summer turned out to be quite the tenacious bit of glue. I had mixed feelings about her. She was only 16 with a whole lot of good intentions, but she did manipulate her mother quite a bit without taking her feelings into consideration.

I really liked Erica and Allison. They were very different people. Erica’s steely core was the backbone that kept this whole menagerie of a family together. Allison was forced to develop her own inner strength, it was sink or swim for her. Luckily, she didn’t have to do it on her own. It was very heartwarming to see these two women grow closer and form a stronger new-found family.

The romance between Erica and Killion was like a gentle, meandering river that cut through everything and brought Erica a much-needed safe space. It also wore her defenses down gradually, so that she could see the potential future available to her.  

The story started out a bit slow, but it was engaging and I was heavily invested in the outcome for all of these characters. I can recommend this if you like an emotional family drama with strong female characters front and center. See what other readers are saying on Goodreads.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Were you hooked by that book? Let me know in the comments below.

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Published: June 4, 2024
Sensuality Rating: Subtle