I stayed up late in the night (after four in the morning) reading this book because it was just that good. This book was not called Secrets of the Tulip Sisters for nothing, not with the number of secrets in this book. It made for a fun and juicy read.

The book did start off slow and I was getting bored of it. Plus how understanding everyone was, was getting on my nerves. Every misunderstanding was easily talked about and forgiven and I thought that the book was not going to work for me.

But as we go on, I kind of liked and appreciated how adult most of the characters in this book were and still somehow gave me the drama that I craved. lol.

I also like how it talked about the female version of ED and that not all family connections are meant to be mended. I really enjoyed this book even with Kelly being annoying and making everything about herself.

I love Susan Mallery and her characters! Her writing is lovely, and I so enjoyed the setting for this book.

There is no denying that I'm a women's fiction junkie. Yet, somehow my eyes had never graced the pages of a Susan Mallery book. I thought this was going to be a great fit, a new author to indulge in even. That's not quite how things worked out though. From the start, I struggled to connect with the author's flow and the storyline. Resulting in the tough decision of setting the book down and moving on. Thank you for access to any early copy.

This was a fun, mostly lighthearted romance/family drama. I was actually a little wary based on the title, as secrets that create the drama in books usually drive me nuts. This time, however, we get to see earlier on how the secrets are revealed and how the characters learn and grow from them. Later on, we find out how they work through trust issues and lying. All in all a very satisfying story (and Sven turned out to be my favorite character!)

Not one of my favorites of Susan Mallery. I had a hard time getting into this story and staying interested in the main character. It was a decent read but I don't think I'd recommend it to my friends and family.

I wanted to classify this one as Woman’s fiction but there was too much romance and sex, so I will keep it as romance. But it has a lot of the wonderful characteristics of woman’s fiction so I highly recommend it to lovers of romance and woman’s fiction. The bond of sisters and female friends and family was so well done. The romance and sex was great too. Well done. A great read!

I've only read a few of Susan Mallery's books, but I have enjoyed each of them and Secrets of the Tulip Sisters was no exception. I really liked Kelly's character, as well as most of the secondary characters. This was a light, fun read peppered with some more serious moments. But mostly I just found this story, the characters and the family dynamics to be really enjoyable.

Susan Mallery is an excellent storyteller. I loved this book from beginning to end. The characters, storylines and just the way she tells the story. This book had a bit more sexual content than I think is usually in Mallery’s books but if you don’t like that just skim those pages, The story is worth having to put up with more sexual stuff. Great book

Susan Mallery does not disappoint. this was a fantastic book. I really enjoyed how the sisters really did not know each other and then became so very close. I really thought Olivia was going to be snotty but she was not and this made the book so much more enjoyable.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Thank you netgalley and Harlequin for allowing me to read this title for an honest review.

Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

Susan Mallery

Received from Netgalley


I don't know why I waited so long to read this book. I've always enjoyed reading Susan Mallery and SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS is exactly why. Kelly Murphy owns a tulip farm along with her dad, Jeff in Tulpen Crossing, Washington. Kelly's mom left her and her sister Olivia over ten years ago to live in Phoenix, never looking back. At the same time, Olivia is sent away to boarding school to keep her from becoming just like her mother. Now it's ten years later and Olivia has come back to visit. Hang on readers, it's one wild and crazy ride.


Both of the sisters have secrets and when they are divulged, it could ruin their relationship and make the sisters enemies once again. SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS have the sisters trying to become sisters once again but all these secrets keep popping up and while they are serious, you can't help but giggle along the way. Kelley is also dealing with secrets from her best friend Helen. Helen is falling in love with someone that is going to blow Kelly away when she finds out the truth. Helen doesn't know how to tell the man that she is in love with him, never mind telling Kelly who it is! I honestly don't know how I would have handled this situation, but Susan Mallery makes it work. Perfectly I might add.


While all of this is going on, Kelly's high school crush Griffith Burnett has moved back to town and decides he wants to get to know Kelly better. He wants a relationship with her but with no lifelong plan and no marriage either. Haha well, you know how much fun this is going to be right? SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS reaffirms my belief that Susan Mallery sure does know how to write about friendship and family. She has you laughing and tearing up all at the same time. I love how Susan Mallery writes about Kelly and Olivia growing and becoming comfortable in their own skin. They both go through huge changes as do most of the secondary characters. To make matters worse, they all receive a blast from the past that threatens to blow all of their lives to hell and back if not dealt with. I can not wait to read more of Susan Mallery and I promise not to wait so long between books next time!

Susan Mallery remains one of my favorite authors and I appreciate that she is expanding her skills into women's fiction. Unfortunately, Secrets of the Tulip Sisters didn't hit it out of the park for me. While the story is a good one and the intertwined relationships are developed very well, the story is a bit too long and a bit too boring. I normally have trouble putting a Susan Mallery book down, but this one took me several weeks to read. I'm glad Susan Mallery has maintained her romance genre books as well.

I regret to say that this was not Susan Mallery at her best. The characters were likeable enough and the story was enjoyable. But not engaging. The title appears to me to suggest some drama but the secrets were unremarkable and the characters' reactions were over the top. As for the behaviour of the parents I found it to be unrealistic on both sides. I didn't hate this book but Susan Mallery has done a lot better so I was left disappointed.

A great story of friendship, family and love. The main story revolves around two sisters who couldn't be more different from one another and a friend who is hopelessly in love with their Dad. I loved that they all had flaws and secrets, but still put it all out there to clear the air and make things better between them all. I think the flaws made them feel more genuine.

Kelly, is the practical one, while Olivia is the confident and fearless one. Though I guess given what happened to Olivia, it was probably best she learn how to be resilient. Funny that they seem so different, but in the end they have some of the same qualities and seem to bring out the best in each other once they work through their issues and let each other back into their respective lives.

I adored Helen, Kelly's BFF and the love interest of Kelly and Olivia's father. She's such a great character and easy to relate to. I loved the relationship that she built with the girl's father, Jeff and how down to earth she is about everything.

And then there's Griffith. Oh how I loved him. The man who swears he'll never fall in love again, yet is totally smitten with Kelly. How he thinks he can have a committed relationship with everything except falling in love is beyond me. But oh how wonderful a man he is for her.

I love the setting of the tulip farms in Northern Washington. So interesting to learn about growing tulips both in field and greenhouses. I love details like this that make the stories interesting and I always seem to learn something. Also, Griffith's business building tiny homes is an added bonus.

Overall, this is one of those books that has it's emotional ups and downs, but in the end leaves you feeling satisfied. So many secrets are revealed in this story and relationships tested (both romantic and familial), but in the end your faith is renewed in each character.

This was my first Susan Mallery book and I guarantee it won't be my last. I loved the family dynamics, the small town vibes and the sweet romances. Definitely a great summer time read.

I wasn't sure about this new series from Susan Mallery. But I ended up loving it! Maybe it's because I have an older sister myself, but I really found myself identifying with Kelly and Olivia and their relationship. Susan Mallery never disappoints!

This is a wonderful story of two sisters getting reacquainted after years apart. A great romance.

I really appreciate the free ebook in exchange for an honest review. I was a little unsure if I'd like this book when I fist started it. I ended up really loving it! I thought the characters were great and easy to relate to and the stories intertwined just enough, not too much. I would love for there to be a sequel!

Okay so I know that I complained...a lot, about the over abundance of sex in this book and not necessarily the active kind -I mean come on how many times a day can your thoughts turn to sex (when you are not a 14 year old boy at least???)? I found that women of this age that put so much time into thinking of sex was a little unrealistic (then again I'm not of this age!) But the book did get better once they got laid.

There was a lot of intrigue, emotional angst and secret keeping - so much so that I wonder if I could ever forgive my friends and/or sister some of these closely guarded secrets?

I did NOT like the fact that we have a story that was at best a trilogy of romance novellas that seemed to be meshed into one book based on several lies and one large project...very little character development is allowed when you are developing so many at one time and in so few pages.

Not a bad book by far, but this author (who used to be a auto read for me) has become a hit-or-miss author and I find that I don't like spending my book money on something that isn't going to be a fairly sure thing.

I have always liked the way Susan Mallory wrote. Secrets at the Tulip Sisters was another book that was very well written.

WOW quite a case for nature versus nurture. Guilt and self-condemnation for something done many years before – it seems everyone involved is trying hard to live down the repercussions of their actions. But truly – these decisions weren’t necessarily make with contempt or avarice. In the end the result was to wedge a huge chasm in a family already in turmoil.

Somehow Susan Mallery wants us to grow to understand, like and forgive those directly involved in dividing this family. And she gets the job done in her own special way – through letting us get to know these characters – recognizing their flaws and acknowledging their attributes. Susan Mallery’s booklist is filled with wonderful, memorable stories about all kinds of families and in SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS we are once again treated to a fabulous tale.

Olivia and Kelly were enmeshed in the awful destructive life and marriage of their parents who could no longer manage to stay together. No amount of compromise would get this couple over the hurdle and the anger was deep seated and earned. No doubt about it. Olivia and Kelly were the casualties.

SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS revolves around extraordinary normal characters handling their own issues – mostly with aplomb. But as in real life everyone needs a good support group or person and luckily these folk have that. Friendship, family and unconventional relationships forged a monumental, meaningful togetherness.

It all seems to start with the return of Griffith Burnett to Tulpen Crossing. For some reason Griffith seems to pop up where ever Kelly is. While in high school Kelly would have bet he didn’t even knew she existed which is the mantra of every girl where the guy is the town football legend. They would never be in the same universe. But that didn’t stop Kelly, young and impressionable, from dreaming and getting her fragile feelings hurt. But now her grown up imagination is taking off. They are living in a small town. Bumping into people is a common occurrence.

Kelly’s attitude and self-appraisal is a sad example of how we beat ourselves up when we think we don’t measure up. Olivia, Kelly’s sister, according to Kelly does. Kelly takes after her father, down to earth, ordinary, hardworking tulip farmers. Olivia takes after their mother. According to Kelly’s friend Olivia is like an exotic tulip. I’m sure you are getting the picture. So in Kelly’s mind there is absolutely no reason why Griffith seems to be paying attention to her. No reason at all. And each time they bump into each other it rackets up her angst to still another level.

Griffith has an intriguing successful career – he designs and builds tiny houses. And he knew what it would take to bring his business to the next level. Griffith had his own personal challenge – his ex-baseball playing brother Ryan. Ryan knew how to take advantage and dodge any real responsibility. Quite the opposite of his older brother Griffith.

And let’s not forget the last little player in this books drama – Olivia. Living the good life, staging homes to up her margins in selling homes and playing second fiddle to her boss. Olivia would give anything to try again for a relationship with Ryan. Being with Ryan would mean she finally made it. But being with Ryan meant going back home. Ugh.

It all points back to Olivia and Kelly’s mother leaving them and their father. Olivia still looking to be that special person in someone’s life. Kelly had that special relationship with their dad. Olivia adored her mother. Well she did adore her mother until she started working for her. And it seems as if that isn’t working that well. So Olivia is going home for the summer.

All paths seem to converge in Tulpen Crossing. Don’t miss a minute of this amazing, page turner that makes you realize how talented Susan Mallery is. She created a world filled with the most wondrous characters – leads and support cast. SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS is a truly standalone book – not part of any series – but it could be. Saying goodbye to the people you’ve met will be very difficult. Truly a Susan Mallery masterpiece.

Two sisters and a best friend are the main characters of this book. Kelly and Olivia Murphy are back living in their childhood home and as they try to live together with their father in the house also drama and secrets unfold and it will take a lot of work to heal this family.

Kelly Murphy grows tulips and her family has been doing it for generations and it was such a fun profession to read about. I loved the moments in the book where I was getting to know how she did it and the ins and outs of it all. Olivia Murphy wants to leave the real estate company she was working for and has many talents that this small town can take advantage of. I liked reading her bits because it was fun to see a young woman try to create many different jobs to support herself and her talents seemed similar to the things that I think I am good at. Helen owns the town diner and how she comes into it is such a story that I loved her for being resilient and a survivor. Because there were three strong, unique female characters this book was just a joy to read.

Just to set a warning, there were definitely some sexy times in this book and a few times I blushed! I will say that there is plenty of plot to enjoy the book even if you aren't a sexy times reader.