Kalan Chapman Lloyd’s, The Sisters of Blue Mountain Beach is the tale of three sister-friends (none are blood sisters) who spend one final two-week adventure in a beach house riding out infidelity between one sister-friend and the other’s spouse, a cancer diagnosis, a disastrous divorce disguised inside a Ponzi scheme and the death of a cheating husband. Although the hurricane was mentioned throughout the book, the unrelatable event didn’t take place until the climax. Although I kept reading because my interest was initially piqued by the author’s unique choice of writing style, the individual chapter tales were disjointed and hard to follow. Each chapter was dedicated to a particular sister-friend, and/or an island acquaintance that had opinions about these three women. At one point I liked it because I could relate to sister-friends as sisters, when the first family of siblings in our lives fails us. But the sister-friends were hard to relate to, as jealousies, lies, shame and health issues pervaded the novel, giving the story an almost unbelievable feel which kept forcing me backwards to make sure I got each chapter right. The book was time-consuming to read, patchy and ill-paced, and I almost gave up in the mushy middle. Honestly the book read like numerous peoples’ diaries and only connected over the incessive meals they shared or places they shopped and ate, or the dislikes they seemed to have for one another. The style was just too fragmented for an easy, breezy beach read. The setting intrigued me right away because I love a good beach read, but the storyline, plot and style seemed crammed together like lobsters in a tank. Some of the details such as the hurricane needed more research and reality to ring true. It was hard to embrace any single one of the sister-friends or feel any empathy for them. I have lived through a few hurricanes and the way these sisters stuck to their guns and remained after the evacuation in the final chapters of the book, didn’t jive with any of my experiences. Although I would try another novel by Lloyd, the delivery style, and authorial voice simply didn’t resonate with me. But three stars because it kept me reading, hoping to find a cohesive story I could relate to that represented the intriguing cover art. I want to thank Net Galley for the copy, and I will read another book by this author out of sheer curiosity.

Thank you to Rebelle Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of 'The Sisters of Blue Mountain Beach' in exchange for my honest review.

The novel delves into the lives of three women whose friendship is likened to that of close-knit sisters. Each chapter explores their struggles while vacationing in one of their beach homes, intertwined with a mystery element. Although the premise held promise, I found myself grappling to connect with the story and struggled to immerse myself in the characters' experiences.

While this particular book may not have aligned with my personal preferences, I am thankful for the opportunity to explore the author's work. I appreciate the nuanced storytelling and would remain open to reading more from this author in the future. Thanks again for allowing me to read and review 'The Sisters of Blue Mountain Beach.'"

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I chose this book admittedly because of the cover and the synopsis. The first 25-30% of the book I was confused by the fragmented sentences and choppiness; I had to keep re-reading sentences and paragraphs to grasp what the author was trying to say. And I have no clue of the stores, artists, designers, perfumes, make up and such that Arden's character had or bought, I have to assume I'm in the wrong tax bracket to get it. The middle part, I seemed to get on a roll and started to enjoy the characters and their lives. But, the summary of the book made it sound like the hurricane would have more of an impact on their lives earlier, rather than the last 5% of the book. After going through hurricane Ian recently and seeing what happened to my parent's condo's and those around them, it is just not feasible that these sisters survived in a house on the beach in a basement with a mattress covering them and by digging holes and trenches, I'm sorry, but no way! I really wanted to like it this book because I did like the characters and the plot, but it was just poorly executed.

I had high expectations for this book after reading previous good reviews but unfortunately it let me down. The main characters, although sisters, were all very different indeed which made interesting reading. Each chapter concentrated on one sister at a time and sadly i don’t feel that there was much interaction between them all. The story was certainly intriguing and i stuck with it to find out how it ended but i felt like i was giving up at least 3/4 of the way through. This is the first book I have read by this author but i would try another.

Thanks to Rebelle Press and NetGalley for allowing me an advanced copy to read in exchange for my open and honest review. As always, my reviews will also be posted on Amazon, Goodreads and Waterstones and interaction on Facebook and instagram where possible.

I'm sorry that I didn't read much of this book but after every sentence of the first pages started with they, and every sentence of the next few pages started with " the most important thing " i couldn't take it anymore. Sorry but in my opinion this made reading to boring.

"The Sisters of Blue Mountain Beach" is a gripping and emotional tale that revolves around the lives of three remarkable women who go missing in the aftermath of a devastating hurricane on Florida's renowned 30A. Arden, the youngest of the sisters, finds herself at a crossroads in her life, facing difficult decisions and a longing for something more. Cilla, newly retired, has just received a devastating cancer diagnosis, prompting her to confront her mortality and live each day to its fullest. Mary Fran, the oldest sister, is mourning the loss of her husband and grappling with the secrets he left behind.

As the women navigate their individual struggles, they find solace in each other's company, sharing memories, arguments, and meals amidst the serene backdrop of Blue Mountain Beach. The beauty and fragility of life are ever-present as they gaze upon the emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The search for the missing women intensifies, strengthening the bonds between Arden, Cilla, and Mary Fran. With each passing day, they find hope within and with each other. However, as secrets are uncovered and hidden truths emerge, their lives are forever altered.

"The Sisters of Blue Mountain Beach" is a heart-wrenching and inspiring story that explores the resilience of the human spirit, the unbreakable bonds of chosen family, and the relentless search for hope, even in the darkest of times. Will the sisters be found? This captivating novel immerses readers in a world where love, loss, and the search for answers collide against the untamed forces of nature.

This book had me from page 1. The story of these women and the circumstances of their lives but their ability to bind together when they need each other most to overcome the fear of being lost. Each character was developed perfectly and I found myself feeling lost in the story. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my advance copy!