Great story, heartwarming in places, funny in places....everything a fan of this genre could want!! Loved it!

I didn’t finish this book. Tried to read it for a second time but still struggled with it .it just wasn’t for me.

3.5 stars, actually.

Two sisters - one harden and bitter, one chasing love and acknowledgement like a lovable puppy. Both hurt by their cold mother.
Will they reconnect in the British village of Hartley-by-the-Sea?

This is one of the better chick lits I have experienced in my reading life. Light read, but yet not superficial. Sometimes it feels really authentic and raw and I have found myself noding that yes, I could definitely feel the emotions! But the book is a bit predictable from the start, unfortunately.
But still, there is wisdom, warmness and reality connected into a bunch that is working on me.

My favourite character is not Juliet neither Lucy, the heroines - but Peter, in his modesty, strength of character, solidity and unselfishness. Alex is hot and all that, but Peter is the real deal.

And could we all have some sympathy for Fiona, please? Yes, she is what she is, but we all are, and her fate was not easy, too.

(And just a very personal snark, but I have to - Poirot is NOT an inspector.)

I had every intention of reading this book and writing an honest review but it expired before I had the chance. My apologies, If you like to resend it to me I would be happy to get it reviewed,

Julie and Lucy are sisters, but only in formality. They were not raised in the same home and only share the same crazy mother. When Lucy's life falls apart she decides to escape across the pond to a small town in England where her sister owns a B&B. As each of these sisters had very different but interesting relationships with their mother, I loved seeing both sides of the coin.

Told through both of their points of view, I loved getting to see the story move forward piece by piece from both of the sisters. I appreciated that the author gave each sister their own story and both stories felt true. I actually loved both equally!

There were a few times where I wanted to sit the characters in the room and say - YES you both had crappy childhoods for different reasons but lets gang up together against mom instead of against each other!

Let me say that this is my kind of "romance." There was a full plot surrounding these two sisters and also they each had interesting and honest love stories. The love stories were just a part of their story as it should be! I loved that the drama of their sister relationship took the forefront while the love was there but not front and center.

This is a really good book with a picturesque setting, a touching romance, and a good dose of charm. The plot line kept me interested, and I loved Lucy. I was rooting for her and hoping for a positive direction for her life.

Like the lovely aga on the cover, “Rainy day sisters” will leave you feeling warm and happy.

Set in the west of Cumbria, this novel features two sisters who are virtual strangers. They have the same mother, but they grew up on different continents and were rarely in touch. When Lucy, the younger sister, has a life crisis, she turns to her half sister Juliet. Unsure of her welcome, she travels across the ocean to stay for four months with her elder sister who runs a bed and breakfast in the seaside village of “Hartley-by-the-Sea”, population fifteen hundred. Her B&B hosts guests from far and wide, mostly people on walking holidays.

Juliet is a very solitary person. Lonely, but seemingly unable to let her guard down long enough to make friends. The outgoing Lucy is very intimidated of her half-sister, who gives her a cold welcome without so much as a hug. They tiptoe around each other, both physically and emotionally.

Juliet has arranged for Lucy to take a temporary position as a primary school receptionist/secretary. Lucy, who is an artist, has no skills to take to her new position and finds the job challenging. The head teacher, though very handsome, is taciturn and chilly in demeanor.

The girls had very different upbringings. Their mother, Fiona Bagshaw, is a prominent artist and an outspoken social commentator. Lucy had lived under her mother’s shadow in Boston, Mass. whilst Juliet, eleven years Lucy’s senior, was on her own in England. Juliet was estranged from her mother, who treated her coldly and didn’t so much as acknowledge her birthdays and Christmases over the years. She felt unloved and unwanted her entire life.

As early autumn turns to winter, Lucy’s warm effusiveness eventually breaks the ice around Juliet’s heart and the sisters gradually warm toward each other, but not without some stumbling blocks along the way. This change in Juliet causes her to open up to other people, especially the sheep farmer up the road.

“Hartley-by-the-Sea” is in a part of England that I dream about. The friendly village and picture perfect views of the Western Lake District make for an idyllic setting for a novel. The charming Cumbrian customs and dialect add extra flavor to this excellent example of women’s fiction. I can’t wait to visit the village again in the next “Hartley-by-the-Sea” novel, “Now and then friends“.

The second novel in the series features different characters from the same charming village. We meet them only fleetingly in the first novel.

Quality women’s fiction, gorgeous setting, and a whiff of romance, make for escapist reading at its finest.