This is a sweet summer read.

Jayne and Charlotte are sisters, separated by their parents in early childhood. Charlotte remained with their father in America and Jayne travelled with their mother to Ireland to care for their grandfather. The girls had spent only one summer together since being parted and now, 25 years on, can they rebuild their relationship?

I enjoyed this book. It is well paced and gentle with a focus on the relationships of the characters. I liked how the sisters responded to each other and I thought Jayne was very realistic with her nephews! I found the whole premise a bit odd- it did seem odd that sisters could be separated so easily- but this did not detract from my enjoyment of the book. It’s nicely written and a perfect, relaxing read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I really enjoyed this book. It’s a great story of the healing and rebuilding of two sisters who were split apart by their parents, one to the USA and the other to Ireland. Fantastic emotional read, highly recommend.

I enjoyed this story and the way it flowed during the process. The steps taken by both sisters were in tune with reality and although each sister had her faults, they grew as the story progressed. If you are looking for an exceptionally 'clean' book, this is definitely one for you. I personally prefer a little more zip in my books, but I understand that the male characters - and their relationship with the sisters - we definitely secondary to the story of Jayne and Charlotte. I would definitely read another book by this author.

When We Were Sisters is a fabulous summer read. It’s sweet, lovely, quaint, heartfelt and beautiful. Sister relationships aren’t easy to navigate, reading about the journey is fun.

When We Were Sisters, by Cynthia Ellingsen, is a sweet story and a quick read. It is a story of past mistakes and future healing and forgiveness.
It is a story of family and connections that are as strong as blood. It is a great story to read on vacation, on a rainy afternoon, or when you want something entertaining without too much depth.

I really enjoyed this story. I am glad that the premise remained the same throughout the book and focused really on the two of them. I enjoyed the flashbacks as it helped with development of the characters and to better our understanding of them. The relationship that develops between Jayne and her nephew was delightful. .

I just love Summer beach reads. Who can resist a book that is so full of emotion such as this one?
Adult sisters Jayne and Charlotte have been estranged for quite some time but must come together for the reading of their grandmother's will.
Jayne is the older sister and when they were children she would have done anything to protect Charlotte.
This book was fabulous right from thee start and I found it very hard to put down and it became a very quick read for me.
When they were children the children had to be separated it was beyond their control but younger sister Charlotte blames older sister Jayne for not being able to keep them together and has become a bitter adult for it.
Each carries a special memory with them of their last Summer at their grandparents beach house and the wonderful time they had together.
These days the sisters have nothing to do with each other though one of them has put a lot of effort into trying to change this.
A stipulation of the will says the sisters must live together in their grandparents beach house for 6 months while fixing it up n the order the grandmother specifies.
While there a lot of emotions play out including misunderstanding,grief,hurt,betrayal,love,peace,acceptance and more.
Will their grandmother, through her will be able to bring the sisters peace and harmony again in their lives?
Some unexpected happenings in this family drama.
I really enjoyed this book. This is a must read author!

Pub Date 11 Aug 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

A heartfelt book about sisters! The extent the grandmother went to
in order to reunite the two sisters was touching. Jayne was my favorite sister because she was kind and more open. Charlotte was hard to like. Separating the girls was a cruel thing for the whole family. I like that Evan accepted Jayne so quickly because she needed that. His love for his brother spoke volumes. Very enjoyable story. Recommended!

NetGalley …. Thank you for this wonderful book to read for my honest opinion.
This story was a wonderful read that kept me entertained and interested until the last page.
This story is about sisters that were separated from a young age to adulthood when they were brought back together by the reading of their grandmother’s will. Per Grandma’s wishes, the girls were to remodel the beach house and try to repair their relationship. Thru the ups and downs of a remodel, meeting the nephews and brother in law you had never seen before and the hot “guy next door” makes you wonder what will happen next!
Thank you for the opportunity to read and enjoy this book.

Two sisters split apart by their parents. One in us and one in Ireland come together over a. Beach house left to the by their grandmother. Can they overcome the resentments and misconceptions. A true surprise ending. Good read!

This is my second Cynthia Ellingsen book that I have read recently and she has become one of my favourite authors. I loved "The Choice I Made" and as soon as I saw this one was available as an ARC I requested it. I was pleased that the publisher granted my request and I started reading "When We Were Sisters" that afternoon. I was not disappointed!
This is a great story about separation, reacquainting, trust, forgiveness, moving forward and family with all the drama as well as the love and happy memories. There is a little bit of romance thrown in to make it even better. It is a beautifully written book with lots of emotions and likeable characters. The location setting is well placed too!
What would have made this a 5 star read for me was if there was a bit more romance. And if there was less spent describing the family's time spent in the beach house and more time spent on the relationship struggles and reconnecting between Jayne and Graham, her estranged dad. This part seemed to be just added in at the end and didn't really fit the same.

Thanks so much Bookouture (who has become one of my favourite publishers) and NetGalley for giving the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book! I would recommend it!

Charlotte and Jayne were sisters who were separated when they were young. When their parents divorced, Jayne moved to Ireland with her mother and Charlotte stayed in the U.S. with her father. The girls got to spend one summer together with their grandmother, and upon their grandmother's death, they learned that their grandmother left them the beach house. Jayne and Charlotte hadn't seen or spoken in twenty-five years. The condition was they had to live together for six months and fix up the house.
Once, they agreed to do it, it was rough at the start. Their grandmother had hidden different things that they would find to remind them that once they had been not only sisters, but best friends who loved each other so much.
As you read the book, you will realize what the parents choices not only did to them, but to the girls as well. With such a distance between the girls, not in distance but in their connection to each other, will they be able to connect on any level. You will also see where their grandmother had tried to make things better when the girls were young, and even after her death, she was still thinking of her granddaughters.
Life isn't easy for the girls, but the time comes when they have to decided for themselves to continue the way things have been for twenty-five years, or make the decision to change the course of their journeys, and walk on the same path once again. It is an emotional book, but it is also full of little reminders of the good times, the way it could be once again, and the day will come when the choice isn't your parent's choices anymore, they are the choices you are making.

At a young age sisters Jayne and Charlotte are separated when their parents divorced. Jayne and her mother moved to Ireland while Charlotte stayed with their father in the United States. The sisters did not get to see each other much except for one magical summer in their childhood when their grandmother invited them both to stay with her at the beach house in North Carolina. Upon the death of their grandmother, Jayne and Charlotte would inherit the beach house if the sisters could work together to renovate it. The sisters learn to accept the past while finding a few family secrets along the way. When We Were Sisters is an uplifting story about sisters and family. Thanks to author Cynthia Ellingsen, publisher Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

Wonderful novel about two sisters trying to find the closeness they once had prior to a parents divorce that tore them apart from each other for years. Charlotte and Jayne we close sisters when they were young but their parents divorce tore that apart as well as the relationship with the other respective parent. Jayne grew up in Ireland with her mother always longing for her sister Charlotte but as time passed the gap between them grew so she did not feel comfortable reaching out again. Charlotte grew up with her father and as her father moved on so did she hiding pain from being rejected by her mother and sister. The Grandmother on the father's side passed away and in a final attempt to pull the sisters together she gifts them a fix it up project in a prime location.

The author's writing is nicely done and presents the story with the present with flashbacks to the past. The unravels at a good pace while there is romance brewing in the background and showing how handy women can be at getting tasks done on the fix it upper. Enjoyed the characters as well as the story line and the pace the story was told. The descriptions of the scenery was amazing as well as the progress in the house. I enjoyed this light read and it is perfect compliment to the a relaxing summer.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy!

Synopsis:

Two sisters who haven’t spoken for twenty years. One summer to bring a family back together.

Jayne Winters hasn’t seen her sister Charlotte since that last childhood holiday at their grandmother’s North Carolina beach house. Separated after that summer by their parents in a bitter divorce, Charlotte has never forgiven Jayne for not fighting to stay together.

So when Jayne discovers that they have both inherited the beach house, and that their grandmother’s last wish was for them to renovate it together, it feels like a miracle: one last chance to win her sister back.

At first Charlotte will barely speak to her. But slowly the memories of swimming races and storytelling in their attic bedroom looking over the sea start to break down the wall between them. With the help of photographs and letters left by their grandmother for them to find, the two women begin to restore not just the creaking mahogany staircase and the faded antique wallpaper, but their own relationship.

But then Jayne discovers that Charlotte has kept a heart-stopping secret from their past from her. Can she find it in her heart to forgive her sister and keep their grandmother’s dream of reuniting them alive—or are some wounds too big to heal?

This was an emotional and uplifting read and I couldn't put it down. I was so invested in the story because I also have a sister that lives in another town far away from me, and we can't see each other every time we want. I really liked all the characters and slow healing and building relationship between Jane and Charlotte. I would recommend this book with whole my heart.

I really enjoyed this story where we see two sisters one wonderful summer during their childhood and now as adults. Choices their parents made have divided the sisters. I loved that the author was able to show their heartache and just how much they long for a close relationship when they come back together.

I enjoyed this book on my journey to find others similar to Elin Hilderbrand! Two sisters that were separated come back together through family trauma. It’s relatable & also optimistic towards something better. I will keep an eye on this author!

This was a nice book about sisters. It was a hard to put down book which I really enjoyed.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

From the beautiful cover to the emotional storyline I loved this book.
Utterly impossible for me to put down. A gorgeous story… I really haven’t been able to put this one down and found I had devoured the entire book in just one sitting… I have loved this book so much, I wish I could give it five hundred stars. All I can say is "WOW - read it. You won't be disappointed

What a thoughtful, sweet, poignant read. Ellingsen’s writing sucked me on from the first chapter. Two sisters, separated by selfish decisions, anger, and time, are forced to rehab their grandmother’s beach house. It’s a scavenger hunt for clues as well since the deceased is trying to heal the breach between the estranged siblings. I liked all the characters, except one, who I think was very selfish. The rapprochement between Charlotte and Jayne was very realistic. I liked all the detail about renovations the house. The ending held the hope of much promise. It is a very satisfying read.