Ms. Mallery has hit another one out of the park!

Sophie, Kristine and Heather are actually cousins, but they are as close as sisters. They would do anything for each other.

When Clandestine Kitty, the business that is Sophie’s whole life, burns to the ground, she moves back home to Blackberry Island to try to rebuild. Her family is there to support her. Even though everyone wants to help her, Sophie has control issues and has difficulty letting go and letting them help. She thinks that she is the only one capable of doing every job right. Even after hiring a warehouse manager, she can be found operating a forklift after business hours. Sophie struggles to let her employees do their jobs without her help. She takes micro-management to a new level.

Kristine is the mother of three boys. She loves being a mom and runs her home and family flawlessly. But, something is missing from her life. Her dream is to some day own a bakery, but her husband, Jaxsen, is happy with things the way they are. He doesn’t want Kristine’s attention anywhere but on him and the family.

Heather dreams of leaving the island and going to college and making something of herself. She has been working and taking care of her mother, Amber, since she was sixteen. Not that her mother couldn’t take care of herself, but why should she if Heather will do it? Amber has spent her whole life feeling sorry for herself. She is a professional victim. She blames everyone else for problems she created herself.

I enjoyed reading about these three women as they struggled to reach their goals. I recommend Sisters by Choice and the entire Blackberry Island series.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This novel was a delight. I love women's fiction and few do it better than Susan Mallery. Though it is Book #4 in the series, it is not necessary that you read the previous books in order to enjoy this one, but it does help!

Sisters by Chance may be the 4th book in a series, but it easily stands alone if you haven't read the others (like I hadn't!). You know when a book is well written, it hits you...it makes you FEEL. I found that many times throughout the book. The storyline just had so many triggers for me with non-mothering mother drama, or low-self-worth issues that I found it was getting my anxiety up in places....but it's just because Susan Mallery wrote those storylines soooo very well. The book may have hurt a little to read, but don't get me wrong, it was still an amazing read. So full of great characters, and great storylines. It was a really quick read for me, less than 24 hours! So I will definitely be reading more Mallery books in the future!

SISTERS BY CHOICE are actually relatives, cousins to be exact. But growing up together as a tight knit trio makes them feel more like sisters. So that is the family basis or premise of SISTERS BY CHOICE. Amber, Sophie and Kristine now grown women with very diverse lifestyles and lives and I must put an emphasis on diverse.
Sophie talks about Lily and Mrs. Bennett as if they are single human mothers, more about them later or better yet meet them in SISTERS BY CHOICE along with a cadre of delightful characters. Some you will instantly like, others not so – by design. This is Susan Mallery we are talking about and she knows character development – all sorts of characters.
It is a unique ability to enable readers to forge a connection with characters that solely reside on a written page but Susan Mallery has always accomplished this feat.
SISTERS BY CHOICE will have you cheering for Kristine as she tries valiantly to forge ahead with a longtime dream/plan to build a business off amazing baking talents. Kristine also is a master of organization – a skill honed bringing up three sons, keeping a home and a cottage industry with her cookies and muffins.
Sophie has drive which has kept her CK business alive and well but we now see her facing many challengers both business and personal. Sophie has to face facts about her inability to take a step back and trust others with CK Industries which is undeniably her baby. CK needs to grow. Sophie needs to acknowledge her need for help if that is to happen.
And last is Amber. Amber is pitiful, untrustworthy, selfish and candidly unlikeable. Her only redeeming virtue is her family connection to cousins Sophie and Kristine and her amazing daughter Heather. Heather has supported Amber since she was sixteen and negotiations her own life through the many challenges Amber throws in her path. Heather has plans but they require separation from a life time of placating her mother. Amber truly does not deserve her daughter or cousins.
SISTERS BY CHOICE is a work of love and is about love. Each character in SISTERS BY CHOICE is bound by emotional attachments to each other, to their families and to their career choices. SISTERS BY CHOICE is a reality check kind of story. People’s lives seem to be on a good comfortable track but then you have to look more closely to see the cracks in that façade. Just like in real life the characters in SISTERS BY CHOICE are facing their own realities, some pretty, others not so. But it is their lives and now it is in their hands to decide whether to let things continue or shake things up. Change is difficult but staying the course isn’t always the best choice. So enjoy watching people face these challenges. SISTERS BY CHOICE is another winning story by Susan Mallery.

Sisters by choice, I love the Blackberry Island series by Susan mallery... so excited that I was able to read this from netgally Thank you.
Sophie's business burns to the ground so she had to literally pack up and move back to Blackberry Island her home place.. and start from the ground up but she didn't trust anyone she thought she had to do it all herself. And her business was the most important thing to her CK.
Some of my favorite characters in this story was Heather and her, self-centered mother who thought everything revolved around her... Heather did everything for her mother and in the end I think that all worked out .... another part of the story that I found to be intriguing with Sophie and Dugan how their story comes together.... Heather's not trusting of Dugan in the beginning things come out and soon she finds out ..... this was really a wonderful book I don't really want to give away any spoilers I don't like to do that in my review because I would like for everyone to enjoy the story as much as I did I hope that everyone picks up a copy and reads it.. I am of Susan mallery fan and I would definitely give her more stars than allowed if I could...

Hooray! Another outstanding book written by Susan Mallery. Three main storylines revolving three women and the choices they make from their family histories and backgrounds. A simple a common book theme. Ms. Mallery brings attention to the little tiny things that makes these women look at themselves and the routes taken. I think everyone can relate to any or all these women or can see someone they know like them. Kudos for having smart and strong minded men. It is always nice to be around positive uplifting people.

Disappointing formula novel, likely published because of the author's fame. This was my first Mallery read, and I'm not likely to choose another

I loved this trip back to Blackberry Island. This is another great story of strong women or women who learn how strong they really are. The three cousins that live on Blackberry Island are different and yet each facing some adversity in their lives. Sophie, owns her own business but has come to a point where she needs to relax a bit but she is used to being in control. Kristine is also at a crossroads where she finds she wants to do something for herself instead of always taking care of others.. Opening a bakery would be just the thing. Heather's problems are more relationship related with her mom. Each story is unique in situation and how the women handle their challenges and yet there are parallels across stories. If you are a fan of Susan Mallery, this is a must read.

Another wonderful read in the Blackberry Island series by Susan Mallery. Sophie returns home to Blackberry Island and reunited with her cousins Kristine and Heather. Each faced with their own set of problems, they support one another and define the title Sisters by Choice.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Once again, Susan Mallery has put a hit in our hands! I absolutely love her Blackberry Island series and this one was completely engaging - I read it in a day! Totally could not put it down and it was the perfect read for beach and couch. The complicated dynamics of family relationships plus the self-doubts each character faced added layers and depth to the core. The totally flawed personalities and day-to-day challenges create a likeable, relatable, irresistible story. A recommended title for those who enjoy contemporary women's fiction that isn't just fluff.

My thanks to the publisher for the complimentary e-galley via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A wonderful read with an in-depth look at relationships. What makes them good, what we tolerate and why, how loyalty is perceived and how much unwavering support matters. Three cousins that are sisters by choice take us into their lives and show us what they are made of. I loved the themes of following your dreams and standing up for yourself. I would have felt better if they had come down harder on Amber's behavior; for me the family loyalty there went much farther than it should have. There were laughs and tears and they were all in a good place at the end, so I was satisfied.

I love Susan Mallory's Blackberry Island books! I loved reading about the problems faced by each character, even if many of them did annoy me. I know that authors write with true emotion because I found myself so angered by one of the male characters in the book and his antiquated views of what a wife/mother should be. However, I was equally annoyed by his wife because I felt that she needed to grow a spine and speak up----so I was glad when she did. Being a cat person myself, I loved how one character learned to love again by fostering a mamma cat. 10/10 would recommend!

Story was a little to far fetched and could not buy the main couple... or was just ok for me but not very memorable

The description of this book does nothing to do it justice. Sisters by Choice is a true family drama, and at parts hit me way too close to home. I could relate to Kristine, the mom who wants a chance to do something for herself and grow, and especially Heather in my younger years for reasons I don't care to discuss. The characters are real, almost eerily so, and I only put the book down to put my kids to bed; once I started it, I finished it one night.
I do have one small critique, but nothing to not give it a five star rating: Blackberry Island (the fictional) sounded almost too similar to Camano Island, where my dad grew up.
Absolutely brilliant, and will be recommending to all.

A very satisfying romance! Three sisters are together again on Blackberry Island, each with her own struggles and her own story, which makes for an interesting, fast-paced storyline. Even better, a member of the younger generation, their niece/daughter, is an important part of the plot, which adds a fresh, young point of view.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s about 2 cousins and the daughter of a third cousin. All three women have major life choices to make. There is a lot of self reflection. It’s about the insecurities that all women at one time or another goes through. The writing is wonderful. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

This is a typical Mallery book in how it draws the reader in to follow the lives of the protagonists. But I’ll warn you that the main heroine, Sophie, is repeatedly irritating and just plain unlikeable. Her life revolves around her business to the point that she won’t let anyone help her. Everyone tells her to back off and let the people she hires do their jobs without interfering and micromanaging, but she constantly steps in. She meets this really sweet hunky guy who tries to give her good advice about her business, but she just shuts him down in a very insulting manner. Still he sticks with her and keeps waiting around for her to pull her head out of her nether regions. It’s not clear what he sees in her.

The other two storylines were slightly less aggravating. Her cousin, Kristine, is struggling with her dream of going from being a stay-at-home mother and housewife to opening up a bakery. Her husband is acting all chauvinist and irritating about it. The other storyline involves the daughter of a third cousin, Heather. The poor thing has had to work and take care of her lazy mother since she was 16. Her mother just whines and complains until you will want to reach into the book and just slap her. Kristine and Sophie are supposed to care so much for Heather yet they don’t do much to help her escape her mother and build her own life.

I kept reading the book to see how it would all come out, but having several such aggravating characters did detract from the enjoyment.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

When Sophie Lane’s business empire goes up in smoke- literally- she makes the decision to move back home to Blackberry Island to make a fresh beginning. The factory is easy enough to find, but finding the right staff and regaining her hard-earned confidence takes more time.

Kristine (Sophie’s cousin) married right out of school, had kids, the house with the white picket fence, a loving- mostly- husband, and a budding enterprise as a baker. She dreams of opening a bakery and running her own business, but her husband thinks she’s foolish- after all, she’s a wife and mother, isn’t that enough?

Heather works four jobs, cares for a mother (Sophie’s cousin) who defines the word self-pity, and wishes more than anything that she could leave her responsibilities behind.

Told from varying perspectives, this is a novel about family, friendships, and a strength that will carry us through life’s challenges- if we only believe.

I enjoyed the premise of the story. It shows women are smart, industrious, and able to handle whatever is thrown their way.

My problems came with a bedroom encounter only half an hour after supposedly indomitable Sophie meets the guy. Her heartache over losing a beloved pet cat, yet she takes in a foster cat about to have kittens. And worst of all, she is portrayed as a hard-headed multi-millionaire business woman, yet she can’t seem to hire the staff to run her new business.

While I like Kristine and rooted for her, I thought she could have better stood up for herself.

Heather was the most relatable for me. She’s a young girl trying to do the best she can with the crap hand she’s been dealt. I think she was the strongest of all the women.

Overall, Sisters by Choice is a good read- 4 lovely kisses!

Have you read any Susan Mallery books? Love them or… ?

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

Sisters By Choice
Susan Mallery
February 11, 2020

To be honest, this was the first book that I have read in Susan Mallery’s Blackberry Island series. Because of that, it took me awhile to become familiar with the characters, the people of the island, geography, etc. I will probably return to book 1 in the series, Barefoot Season and read the first three books. Sisters by Choice highlights Sophie Lane who starts out living in Santa Clarita, California. She is the owner and CEO of CK that sells products for cat owners. The business had done well for the past several years since graduation from college. Her biggest problem was that after her divorce, dating was difficult as her ex was not only difficult to live with, he took half her earnings from the company in the settlement. She was bound to try dating on occasion. This particular night she donned her heels and a fresh outfit and went out with Bradley, her most recent brush off. He had called again asking her out to dinner. Sophie was lonely and hungry so she accepted. While waiting for their meal to arrive she heard something ringing. Apologizing to Bradley for not turning off her phone she picked it up. It was the alarm company, her factory was on fire. She left the outside of the restaurant where she answered her phone and drove to her business. By the time she arrived, it was a lost cause. She was able to recover saved data from the network but all else was gone. Calling her cousin, Kristine out in Oregon on Blackberry Island for support and advice certain she could not handle another tragedy in her life. Kristine coaxed her into packing up and selling her condo to move back to her home in Oregon. There was an empty factory that could possibly be constructed to hold the ‘new’ CK.
This was the intro to Sophie and Kristine. The new life each would develop on Blackberry Island. Entering into Sophie’s life was also Amber and her daughter Heather Sitterly. Amber was also Sophie’s cousin. She didn’t remember much about Amber except what pill she could be. She had never met Heather but all things considered Sophie considered it fortunate that she had some family to help her start over.
Each of these women had personal baggage. In order to succeed in a future, they would need to work through this rough mental side of their personality. The story became more interesting and entertaining as I continued to learn more about these characters and their lives. I encourage readers to indulge themselves in Ms. Mallery’s recent work. The story was good but the idea that perhaps we all need to take a look at our burdens and see what others see when they become acquainted with our personal hang ups. Reading this 4th title of her Island series has encouraged me to read other works by Susan Mallery. Sisters by Choice is being published by Harlequin Books on February 11, 2020. I appreciate NetGalley providing me with the opportunity to request to read and review this book. I especially am indebted to Harlequin Books for sending me an ECopy of Sisters by Choice to read and review. I encourage others who enjoy Susan Mallory’s books to read Sisters by Choice as well as other readers who are looking for a good book to delve into to pick up a copy. A 5 star read.

Sisters by choice was a touching family drama. Meet Sophie, Amber and Kristine. Cousins, yet they have little in common. Sophie runs a thriving business,, but has intimacy and control issues. Kristine is a stay at home mom of 3, wife and a baker. She wants the best of both worlds. Amber is a pessimistic and perpetual victim, but has managed to raise a smart and driven daughter. The story depicts their individual struggles and how family comes together, when it really counts. 4 stars.