3.5 stars. A cute story. A light read. I felt like I kept waiting for something HUGE to happen and it never did.

The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan is the story about three sisters that had grown apart and one half sister they knew nothing about. Maggie, Eliza and Tricia Sweeney grew up in Southport, Connecticut in the seaside town. When their mother died fifteen years ago from cancer, the girls grew apart. With their dad's sudden death, they returned home to arrange the Irish wake of their famous father. I found this book to be a good escape, reading about family/sister drama. I grew up with three brothers, no sisters, so I enjoy reading about sisters. I recommend this book, if you enjoy this type of book too.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have always enjoyed sibling relationships in novels and that is why the premise of The Sweeney Sisters really intrigued me. The three sisters – Maggie, Eliza and Tricia – were created and written in a very profound way, each laden with their own unique characteristics and personalities that differentiated them from the other. Maggie was the soft sister, but also pretty headstrong. She was lively and brought color to the story, what with being a painter and artist. Eliza was the mature one, oldest too. She was a family person, a good mom but too conscious of how people viewed her. Tricia, on the other hand, was tough to crack through. She was a lawyer by profession as well as lifestyle, and I found her to be the most reasonable and practical of the sisters. As I had said, each had their own shortcomings and upbringings, and added flair to the story.

Coming to the writing style, it was brilliant. Told in lyrical prose, with the right amount of humor and seriousness, the story was a great hit. I was drawn into the story right from the beginning line, because the way it was written simply mesmerized me. I loved it, and the same interesting writing was kept intact till the end.

The story had me in its grip throughout. While I won’t say it is a mystery per se, there was a kind of thrill attached to it in regards of uncovering the truth about Bill Sweeney and Serena Tucker. That, I really enjoyed. The sprinkles of the run for finding the memoir and in the way also finding so many other things was the cherry on the cake.

The Sweeney Sisters is a brilliant tale about love and loss, sisters and relationships. It tries to show that no person is ever a saint, no matter how popular or homely. That people always do mistakes, and bad things. That sometimes it is okay to let in new people into your lives and let go of the ones that are straying away from you. It is a lovely tale about books, writing, love and family, the secrets that we hide to save ourselves, and the surprises that these may sometimes lead too, all combined with a dollop of exciting humor in between.

I was a bit skeptical when I started this one because I thought it might be predictable and formulaic, but I really liked it! The characters were relatively realistic, portrayed as vastly different personalities at separate life stages who often didn’t see eye to eye on much, allowing almost any reader to relate to at least one of them and confirming that family is indeed one of the strongest bonds in life. I actually liked the fact that the parents were not actually physically present in the story but still had such a deep impact on each of the sisters. The ending wrapped things up just enough to be satisfying but not so much that there couldn’t be a second book to come. I would definitely be willing to read a sequel about the continuing adventures of the Sweeney sisters!

The Sweeny Sisters by Lian Dolan is a spectacular contemporary read which has a lot to offer to its readers. It is funny, heart-warming, emotional at times and conveys the strength of a bond of sisters in such a beautiful way that it is hard not to like this book.

Although this book was fiction, it did a pretty good job of convincing me otherwise. The characters felt so real and full of life and the story was so fresh and good that I wanted to believe it all to be true. And that is the best way an author can indulge a reader! The book was well-written and I loved the cover image of the book. The concept was good and the story-line very engaging.

I loved every bit of it and would recommend it to all contemporary fiction reads and anyone who likes reading about family and relationships in general.

Getting to know the Sweeney sisters was fun, and a perfect escape from reality. Liza, Maggie, and baby sister, Trisha, were a joy to hang out with. Supportive and thoughtful, the sisters make sisterhood seem simple, especially when their lives are in an upheaval. Their father has died unexpectedly and has left a few surprises in his wake.

William Sweeney is a literary legend and a Southport hero. Unfortunately, what he's gained in fame, he's failed in fatherhood. The Sweeney sisters never said their father was perfect, but they hadn't expected the biggest surprise of all: finding out there may be a fourth Sweeney sister! ♪ dum dum dum ♪

Serena Tucker is intelligent. She has given lots of thought to how she's going to handle the DNA information she discovered six months ago. If she's honest with herself, she's always been a little envious of the close-knit Sweeney sisters. Serena just wants a chance to know them; to fit in. As an only child, Serena has never experienced the bonds of sisterhood. William Sweeney's DNA delivers Serena to the Sweeney's door, whether they like it or not. Serena wonders how she'll be received. The Sweeney sisters wonder what Serena really wants. Like their father, Serena is a writer. Will she concoct a tell all exposé? Family secrets are about to spill from all directions.

Three sisters. One half-sister. The timing couldn't be worse. Four women try to navigate life's ups and downs. Each woman brings a different strength and weakness to the family's dynamic. Spending time with them as they reorganize their lives was surprisingly nice. Confident, headstrong women supporting one another. Yeah. Very nice indeed.



**Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow & Dey Street/Harper Collins Publishers for the e-galley review DRC.

This book was written in a way that made me feel like I was reading a classic novel for an American Literature class. So much depth and detail was put into this story that I felt nostalgic while reading. Having 2 sisters myself I felt that the Author did an amazing job at capturing the relationship between sisters and the dynamic that comes with 3 different personalities tied together by family. Another part I love is how we saw the imperfections of parenting and how you can overcome that ideal when you are ultimately disappointed in the people who have raised you. I can’t say enough good about this book, I absolutely recommend it to anyone. I plan on adding this to my personal collection so I can read it again in the future. 5/5 stars.

The Sweeney Sisters is about three sisters who find out their famous writer father is also the father to the girl next door at the reading of his will. The book centers around the sisters dealing with their father’s death, his writing legacy (they have to find his memoir or payback the advance!), their romantic relationships and careers, and their new sister. I really don’t know how I feel about this? I really like the beginning, but I felt like the last third of the book was really rushed. I feel like the pacing was off, and the ending explained everyone’s “happy ending” instead of letting it play out. I think? Maybe I just need someone else to read this, so I can process it?

Maggie, Eliza and Tricia come together after their father, a world renowned author passes away. Surprises come to light with the settling of his estate and the sisters realize their father is not who they thought he was. This is a sister centered story, family secrets are revealed at the same time each sister is on her own journey to figure out the future for their self. At the end of it I felt sorry for the women but I'm glad they had each other.

I enjoyed reading about the Sweeney sisters.. After their father's sudden death, the 3 sisters return to plan his funeral . Many family secrets come to light and the sister's learn that they have a half sister they knew nothing about. It's a story about grief and dealing with the mess their father left behind of his estate. Searching for the missing memoir and dealing with the contents once its found. The sisters also coming to terms with their new sibling - each in their own way. I would give this about 3 1/2 stars

I love stories about sisters, so when I read the description for this book I knew I had to read it. This story has all the makings of a great sister story mixed with family drama and secrets. And to top it all off, it's a book about books.
After their dad passes away unexpectedly, Tricia, Liza, and Maggie reunite at their childhood home. While settling their fathers affairs and reading his will they learn some new and shocking things. They learn they have a half-sister who stands to earn her share of the Sweeney estate. They also find out that their father had promised his publisher a tell-all memoir in which he already received an advance. Now the girls must find said memoir or find a way to pay back the advance. The way the sisters work together to protect their fathers legacy is what got me the most in this book. All three sisters are different in their own ways and seeing them come together was heartwarming.

Told from all three sisters perspectives really gives you an insight into each sister and I loved that. You get a look into each sisters thoughts and personalities. It was also interesting to see each sisters reaction to their new half-sister. This book is a great reminder of family should be like.

I really enjoyed this book. I have been searching for something that read reminiscent of The Weird Sisters. I have to say that this is the closest I have ever gotten to that. The literary father. The closeness yet divisiveness is the sisterly bond. The sisters are obviously the main draw of this novel but a wonderful addition is the never present yet always looming mother. I really loved the use of the mother to bring the sisters together. To define their childhood. To divide them from their father most importantly to remind them of their sisterly bond. If you are searching for something that will remind you of the bonds of sisterhood then this is it. If you are looking for a story that contains multitudes of love, devotion, looming literary figures, mystery, grief and lasting bonds....this is absolutely it.

The Sweeney Sisters beautifully combines the nuance and themes of family drama, with the heart and warmth of women's fiction. It really is the best of both genres, having equal amounts of sharpness and sentimentality.

The four central women in this story couldn't be more different, but they do have two things in common: their red hair and their complexity.

All the characters in the book have a level of nuance to them, but especially so with the four daughters of the late literary giant Bill Sweeney.

I'm impressed with Dolan's care in making these women believable and multifaceted, along with the journey they each embark on in the book. Not a single one of the four ends the novel in the same place, emotionally or physically, that she started in. All of the transformations are believable and in character. Instead of outright changing, Dolan paints each woman as coming into her own and being a fuller, truer version of the self they were all along.
In addition to stunning characters as individuals, The Sweeney Sisters explores familial bonds of every kind. From the friction between the very different sisters, to each of their personal relationships, to their collective disillusionment with their larger than life father after his death, the Sweeney girls give ample opportunity to dissect the complex emotions and relationships in our lives.

Unlike with some character-driven novels, the plot felt fresh and moved along steadily as the sisters navigated life without their father. The plot is enjoyable and satisfying, but getting to know these four women is what will draw the reader in most,
The novel ends in a way that has enough of the loose ends tied up to satisfy, while still giving the impression that the women are moving forward. They may not have everything in their lives completely in place, but they've certainly come a long way. The ending stays true to the characters and leaves them in a hopeful place, which was a good choice from Dolan.

The Sweeney Sisters is a charming, five-star family drama with a lot of heart. It's definitely one you should read if you're looking for something balanced right between light and thoughtful.

3.5 stars. I haven't read any of Lian Dolan's other books, but I do remember hearing her radio show with her sisters, The Satellite Sisters, when my mom would listen to it in the car back in the 90s. As a teenager I wasn't totally enamored with it (could not understand back then why you would want to listen to people talk rather than music...but now I'm an avid podcast listener), but it was way better than Dr. Laura or the other right-wing radio hosts she would listen to otherwise. So, a welcome relief from being blasted with offensive opinions! My favorite sisters were always Liz and Sheila, but I had fond enough memories of all of them to request this book.

The Sweeney Sisters was enjoyable, and as a woman with no sisters made me wish I could discover a ready-made group of them through a DNA test. I haven't been much into family dramas lately, sometimes they just make me sad that I don't have such a close family. But this was lovely and heartfelt and I identified with each of the four sisters in different ways. I liked watching then navigate this new relationship and reckon with their father's legacy. There's not much of a plot, so it dragged a bit at times, but for the most part there were enough secrets and drama to keep me entertained. Mostly this was a nice way to immerse myself in the fantasy of having a large, close family full of sisters. I think many fans of family dramas will enjoy this one.

Lian Dolan is a great writer and it shows in The Sweeney Sisters. They was she writes is so enjoyable. The main plot of this book was family drama but she includes so much laughable moments and great plot twists. She really makes you as the reader become a part of the family and connected with everyone.
I really enjoyed The Sweeney Sisters and look forward to read more from Lian!

Sweeney Sisters was the book that is a balm for the soul. It's comforting, reliable, and easy on your heart. The story of 3 sisters who discover a 4th sister after their father's death plays out exactly like you might expect it to. While I think the story is sweet and great for a light read, the characters were fairly one dimensional and I lacked emotion or connection to any of them. One of the sisters annoyed me especially with her selfish tendencies and ultimately I wasn't invested in the storyline for any of the sisters. There was a strong theme of family, sisterhood, and coping with loss if you're interested in these topics then this story is worth a read!

This was really enjoyable. I really liked all of the Sweeney family and enjoyed the relationship between the sisters. An interesting and timely premise that is coming up more and more with the onset of genetic testing. I loved the description of the setting too. I wanted to visit the house in the summer! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.

Having recently finished "The Sweeney Sisters" by Lian Dolan, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishers.

The cover art of this book pops!! It really is lovely and colorful; covers can definitely draw a reader to stop and look. This one does.

While parts of this story of a dysfunctional family dealing with life changes and making personal discoveries were enjoyable, the overwhelming amount of superficial moments sank it for me. There was just too much of...

"She looked good she thought. The crying had made her green eyes pop and the grieving diet brought out her cheekbones."

"Raj noted that Tricia had noted his footwear. That must mean something."

There was also so much backstory being told about each character that the ability to care or "bond with" any one of them was lost.

This was a keeper moment though...

"Stop, drop, and read". What a great idea! It will definitely be something to take away from this story and use for future grandkid visits.

Something about this book was just off for me. I wanted to love it. I wanted to connect to it. The premise was intriguing. Imagine three sisters finding out after their father's death there is a fourth sister. This book is about how the family deals with the discovery.

Maggie, Eliza and Tricia are the three sisters and we see into their lives. Each character felt like a stereotype to me and not enough depth to them. I think this was part of my just not feeling this book. It might be just me as most reviews seemed to love it. Serena was the newly found sister and again I just felt like the character was flat.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

It’s no secret that family dramas are my jam. I absolutely love, love, LOVE them. Lian Dolan certainly delivers with her latest, The Sweeney Sisters and I am very thankful for that. I devoured this novel in just a couple of days. I grew up with two older brothers and spent my entire childhood wishing, dreaming, and hoping for a sister. Never happened. Just two stinky brothers for me. Ha! So, it’s no surprise that I’ve always been drawn to books about sisterhood. I’ve always been curious and envious about this special female bond that I’ll never experience. Good thing there’s plenty of books to help me with that! I found a little piece of myself in each Sweeney sister, being that they’re so unique and different from one another. I enjoyed all of the little surprises, secrets, drama, and dysfunction throughout this complex and entertaining story. Highly recommend!