ARC Reviews: Short and Sweet (Secret Sister by Brenda Novak & Montana Cherries by Kim Law)

I've been trying my hardest to keep up with reviews this summer.  To save a little bit of time I'm going to do two reviews in this one post. Interesting enough both stories show strained relationships between mother and daughter.
Click the title to go to kindle page for each book: (I do not use affiliate links)

Secret Sister by Brenda Novak 
“I received a free, advance copy of this book from the author/publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.” 

(Fairham Island Books - Series)


Blurb from author's site:
Did she once have a sister? Has her mother lied all these years? Why?
After a painful divorce, Maisey Lazarow returns to Fairham, the small island off the South Carolina coast where she grew up.  She goes there to heal—and to help her brother, Keith, a deeply troubled man who’s asked her to come home. But she refuses to stay in the family house because the last person she wants to see is the wealthy, controlling mother she escaped years ago.Instead, she finds herself living next door to someone else she’d prefer to avoid—Rafe Romero, the wild, reckless boy to whom she lost her virginity at sixteen. He’s back on the island, and to her surprise, he’s raising a young daughter alone. Maisey’s still attracted to him, but her heart’s too broken to risk…
Then something even more disturbing happens. She discovers a box of photographs that evoke distant memories of a little girl, a child Keith remembers, too. Maisey believes the girl must’ve been their sister, but their mother claims there was no sister. She’s convinced that child existed. So where is she now?

My Short and Sweet Review:

I'll admit I'll read anything written by Brenda Novak. I've always enjoyed her work. This series has a bit of mystery and romance. Great Story and Nice start to what looks like a new series. The ending came too soon. Can't wait to see more. 4 Stars overall.


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Montana Cherries by Kim Law

“I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.”

Blurb from author's site:

After her mother’s tragic death, Dani Wilde had no choice but to abandon her dreams. She left Columbia University and returned to her family’s Montana cherry farm, intent on being a maternal figure to her brothers. Now the kids are grown, and it’s finally her time to fly. Her sights are on New York City, and nothing will stop her—not even an old flame with gorgeous green eyes.
Celebrity photographer Ben Denton hasn’t seen Montana in years—and hasn’t spoken to Dani since “that night” so long ago. When he discovers he’s a dad to a four-year-old—and the child’s mother refuses to care for her—Montana and the Wilde farm spring to mind. The orchard is the only place that’s ever felt like home, but will the warmth of the Wilde family be enough to help Ben figure out how to be a father?
As the Wilde family gathers for the yearly cherry harvest and Dani struggles to figure out what she really wants in life, she discovers the shocking truth about her own mother—and learns that following her heart may lead her to her dreams after all.

My Short and Sweet Review:

This is my first time reading this author.
I will definitely read her again. This book was more about relationships within the family. This story makes you realize that perception is everything. Ben and Dani both struggle with their relationships with their own mothers and how it affects their relationships with other people whether family or friends. Not your typical romance, has more drama than romance. Give it 4 Stars overall.