Cover Image: Saturdays at Sweeney's

Saturdays at Sweeney's

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Member Reviews

The Sweeney Sisters series are the first books of Farley’s I read. I couldn’t get enough and loved that she had a series to continue reading on about the lives of these three sisters. This one was wonderful and showcases how wonderful of a writer Farley is. I’m a huge fan thanks to this series.

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This was a fast paced, easy and worth while read. I was actually sad when it ended because I just wanted the book to keep on going. The Mom of the sisters has Alzheimer’s and is suspected of arsony by a local, snobbish reporter. The sisters have hard decisions to make and while each have different goals, dreams and personalities they all come together to see that their Mom is well take care of.

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I'm sad that this is the last book in the Sweeney Sisters series (#5) but it was a very satisfying conclusion for these wonderful sisters. The sad side of this book is that Lovey's health has declined significantly and the daughters get the news they have feared that Alzheimer's is the diagnose. A fire has devastated not only the family but the town as well. Faith, Sam and Jackie must deal with Lovey, the rebuilding along with the children's problems as well. These three ladies and their families are a testament to fortitude and family love. I hope that Ms. Farley will treat us to more of the Sweeney's with the next generation.

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I had never read any of her books. Now she is on my list of must read. This was a story about a everyday family going through real problems. they stuck together as a family as solved what ever was thrown at them. Such a great book.

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This is the fifth book in the installment of Sweeney Sisters. This is the first book I have read in the series. The 3 Sweeney sisters are the focus in this series and their families. This is a sweet finale to the series that includes heartbreak, death and family dramas. I enjoyed this read and will go back and read the entire series. Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

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I had never read one of the Sweeney sisters series of books. Saturdays at Sweeney’s makes me want to go back and read the rest of the series which I will. The characters in the book were definitely more than the one dimensional characters that I am used to from other authors. Following the stories of the lives of these sisters and their families drew me into the book more. Serious problems were written about in this book and Ashley Farley did a great job with the character development throughout these problematic situations. One thing with the Sweeney’s that I see is family means everything. I have 2 sisters so reading this book reminded me of them.

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This is the fifth book in the installment of Sweeney Sisters. But since I have not read the first four, I have to admit, I read this book as a casual novel without bonding with any of the sisters.

Ashley Farley is explanative in her prose, so I could keep up with the happenings of the past. But in this book, being the last, the characters are pretty set in their ways. They move with an air of don't you already know me from the previous books? An already known feeling pervades the pages. Maybe that's one of the reasons, I couldn't feel their emotions. I didn't know them; they were strangers to me.

The story goes thus, the seafood store goes up in a fire, the sisters are at a loss, both in their livelihood and the plans of a future for themselves and the children. There are crisis abound, health issues of their mother Lovie, with child problems in elder sister Jackie's life, middle sister, Sam having lost her entire means of living in the shop fire, the younger sister, Faith being stalked by a criminal ex. All this makes the book a series of happenings.

I wouldn't say I loved the sisters and that I want to be a part of Sweeney Sisters, I certainly don't. I couldn't feel the bond between them. The real emotions between sisters felt lacklustre in this. Maybe being the final book, I am already supposed to feel their love from the previous books. The sisters have lot of untold hidden secrets, which keep on getting solved as the pages turned. I couldn't find that closeness, which sisters normally share even during the problems.

The core of this final book, the vein that threads through its pages is never stop living, never stop dreaming, never get scared in starting a new life, whatever be the age. And this point resonated deep within me, as it stands true in my life too, especially while standing in the cross roads of life.

Maybe one day I would go back and read the series in order, to fall in love with the Sweeney Sisters.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Kindle Press and author Ashley Farley and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

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This was a gentle, sweet read. I havent read the other books in the series, but I didnt feel too lost. It is actually the last book in the series, so it's wrapping up loose ends and closing chapters in character's lives. I thought the passages regarding the mother's aging and deterioration were difficult - mostly because I could relate to a lot of it. Ashley Farley writes engaging, all too human characters with very relateable problems. The novel is well plotted, and the dialogue is sharp and appropriate. I wish I had read the rest of the series, as the characters are all layered and engaging. I would definitely read more from this talented author.

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Saturdays at Sweeney's is the final book in the Sweeney Sisters series. This book seems to have a bit of everything and everybody in it. Lovie is accused of arson, but does she even know what she's doing? The family members each have decisions to make now that things are changing. This book was interesting. Definitely worth picking up.

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"Saturdays at Sweeney's" by Ashley Farley is a passionate story about three Sweeney sisters and their families. All three sisters were strong women with their individual issues. However, with the sisters impassioned support for eachother their problems were solved. I admire the family values expressed in this book.
Although, "Saturdays at Sweeney's" is a part of a series, it can stand alone. If you like heartfelt nice stories, this one is for you. I recommend this book.

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Although I did not read all of the titles in this series, I am going to go back and do so! This final installment of the Sweeney Sisters carried a most beautiful message of always striving for a dream and reminding us all that it is never too late to keep doing so! Full of family, relationships, laughter and squabbles I delighted in reading every word! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity of reading this book prior to publication--I loved it!

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Farley's Sweeny Sisters series is great. Family, food, fun with SC lowcountry thrown in. What could be better? Read this book.

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Thanks to Net Galley and Kindle Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Another great read in the Sweeney Sisters life and the lives of their families. Sam ,Jackie & Faith each have their problems, but the strength they have together and the love of their families always sees them through. I loved reading more of the family tale but in this book we say goodbye to the sisters mother, Lovie. Lovie started the family business more than 50 years ago and has been a big part of this family story. This book touches on a few big topics dementia as Lovie begins to decline and drug abuse for one of Jackie’s twin boys Sean.
Great series and would love to read more about this family.

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The Sweeney family is back!
The beloved Seafood Market has burned to the ground!
The big question is "Who did this?" The need to find out the cause of this disaster is essential to recoup the insurance money and rebuild.
The family matriarch, Lovie, has been found at the scene and has no idea what has happened- or does she? She is battling dementia and is considered unreliable.
Then--- the clues start to come forth to put and end to the mystery.
This is a beautiful novel with many facets to the plot. You will find that you want to step into the book and help the Sweeney's as they work through each of their problems and to give them all hugs, especially Lovie as she begins to move on to her next journey.
Don't miss this book!

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I have found that my love of the Sweeney Sisters novels hinders on my appreciation for the character of Sam.  As the middle sister, Sam is the backbone of her family and seemingly is the only one who has grown up over the past several years/books.  As the family's business goes up in flames, Sam finds that she is completely alone in deciding if she should rebuild or move on.  Her sisters are not invested in rebuilding the family's legacy and they spend much of the book too wrapped up in their own personal dramas to care that their sister has ultimately lost everything.  After all, the locals suspect and blame Lovie Sweeney of setting the business ablaze, especially since she was found at the scene of the crime and showed signs of complete confusion.

One of the reasons it's difficult for Faith to be available to support or help Sam, is because she is busy trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up.  Another reason is that their mother, Lovie is clearly deteriorating and Faith takes it upon herself to take care of her.  But Faith hasn't really grown as a character in this series.  When she discovers who may be the true culprit, she never thinks to seek out her sisters or confide in her husband.  Instead, she makes one bad decision after another that puts her, her daughter, her mother, and the rest of the family in harm's way.

While I had a hard time sympathizing for Faith, I found Jackie to be utterly repulsive.  I have never really been a fan of the eldest Sweeney sister and her actions/story line have only further contributed to my lack of disinterest.

Now that I've gotten past my gripes, let me tell you what I truly love about this book and this series.  This series is about a family that is not perfect and they have a lot of ups and downs.  They make mistakes, keep secrets, and get into trouble.  But at the end of the day, this family saga gives me insight to the love and strength of a family.  This is something I am not fortunate enough to have in my real life, so it's nice to live vicariously through the Sweeneys.  I also enjoy the way the family rallies around one another in a time of need (with the exception of my gripes above).  At the core of it all, it is the family aspect of this series that makes it a hit with me.  I love reading about how the family is growing and changing.  It's even nice to see some of the younger perspectives being introduced and their storylines developed.  This book has its ups and downs, but the overall story is what makes this a must read in my book.

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