The Accidental Sisterhood by Julie Edelman
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Women’s Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by NymphaeaJules Malone has sworn off love after two failed relationships: one with an abusive fiancé whom she calls her white knight-mare, and the other with a nice-but-boring ex with whom she co-parents their son, Max. But then one fateful Christmas Eve, Jules meets Sean, a twinkly-eyed charmer with a captivating smile and an unexpected invitation. Despite Jules’s efforts to stay guarded, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to him.
As their relationship deepens, so does Sean’s unpredictable behavior. He misses Jules’s calls, changes plans abruptly, and hangs up quickly when she enters the room. One night after returning home from a charity meeting, she finds Sean missing and blood everywhere. Panicked, she’s about to call 911 when she hears a phone ringing on her patio. It is Sean’s. By the time she gets to it, the caller has hung up. Multiple texts follow-as does Jules’s journey of shocking discoveries. The first? That she is one of four women sharing full lives with Sean.
But it is the devastating secret these women uncover together that leads to a resolution none of them could ever have imagined…and to the power of sisterhood.
A woman trying to rebuild her life and finding out that life is more complicated than she ever believed.
I did like that this story involved real life situations. I picked up this book knowing full well there might be trigger warnings. Jules is a woman navigating life after two men that weren’t her dreamy forever man. She’s trying to raise a son and get through life. It’s not easy. But her exes aren’t the half of it. She meets Sean. He’s the one she thinks she’s looking for.
I could identify with her need to slow down with Sean. Been there, done that on my end. I liked that she was relatable in that way. I also liked that she wasn’t perfect. Finally, a few characters that aren’t perfect, but aren’t so flawed it’s hard to get behind them. I liked Jules. I will say Sean’s antics could be a struggle for some readers and might trigger them. He’s not what he could be, and it helps to layer the story, but again, might bother some readers.
That’s not to say this is a book to skip. Far from it. Pick this book up knowing there might be some angles that are difficult, but it’s worth the read. The difficulty makes the story more memorable.
Check it out.