"Sisters Behaving Badly" by Maddie Please

If you think I'm a bookworm, you should meet my sister. Our relationship has never been the Hallmark "my sister is my best friend!!" variety -- it's had its ups & downs over the years (happily, more ups in recent years than downs) -- but books have always been something we could talk about and bond over. Her favourite place to be whenever we're all together at Mom & Dad's is curled up on the couch under a blanket with her e-reader in hand. Sometimes she falls asleep clutching it, the screen glowing in the darkness. 

Over Christmas, I was browsing the sale titles on Kobo.com and started laughing when I stumbled onto a book called "Sisters Behaving Badly" by Maddie Please.  Some books beg to be read simply because of the title, and this was definitely one of them. (The cover was pretty beguiling too.) I told my sister and saw a mischievous gleam flash into her eyes. Long story short, we both wound up with copies ;)  and I finally got around to reading mine. 

The plot: British sisters Jenny & Kitty were close when they were growing up -- but they haven't spoken in six years. As the book begins, they're on a ferry headed to France to fix up and sell the rundown farmhouse they inherited from their late Aunt Sheila. Uptight older sister Jenny is 66, married for 35+ years to controlling, persnickety Paul, and mother of an adult son, Ace. Impulsive younger sibling Kitty, 62 (the narrator of the story), is a childless three-time divorcee, now living alone in a dreary flat. The cast of supporting characters includes a flock of wayward chickens, a flatulent donkey (!), a well-stocked wine cellar, and (ooh la la) a charming contractor.

For the most part, this was a quick and easy read (if perhaps somewhat predictable) -- lighthearted chick-lit/rom-com, a bit of a fairy tale, with a midlife flavour -- a pleasant way to spend a few hours. But there are some serious issues underlying the fun -- sibling rivalry, family estrangements, failed marriages, emotionally abusive spouses. There are some deft observations about women and aging, second chances and starting over later in life. And Kitty's childlessness comes up at several points in the book (sometimes in direct contrast to Jenny's motherhood). Those of us who are childless-not-by-choice (particularly those of us of a -- cough! -- certain age) will definitely relate. 

4 stars on Goodreads.   

And now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need to go call my sister. :)  

This was Book #11 read to date in 2022 (and Book #6 finished in February), bringing me to 24% of my 2022 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal of 45 books. I am (for the moment, anyway...!) 5 books ahead of schedule. :)  You can find reviews of all my books read to date in 2022 tagged as "2022 books."