I am delighted to share my review for We Are Family by Nicola Gill. This is due to be published tomorrow along with many, many other books, but I hope you have this one on your list to buy.

My thanks to Avon Books for my e-ARC via NetGalley. My thoughts are my own.

Synopsis…

You can’t choose your family…

Jess and Laura might be sisters, but they’re very different people. Laura is laid-back, eats cheese in bed, and takes life as it comes. Jess, meanwhile, is the classic overachiever: Chief of Chivvying, Queen of all WhatsApp groups. They’re family, but they’re not exactly friends.

…but you can let them in.

When their mum dies, the sisters struggle to agree on anything, from where to scatter the ashes to whether “passed away” is an acceptable term. But as life forces them together, Laura and Jess realise: the only way through this is as a team. After all, they’re stuck with each other – and drinking wine is more fun as a pair…

A funny, tender and thoroughly entertaining read for anyone who loved watching Fleabag, and is a fan of books by Marian Keyes, Fiona Gibson, Rachel Marks, Beth O’Leary and Mhairi McFarlane.

Purchase Links from Amazon UK – Kindle – Paperback – Audio (these are affiliate links that earn me a small commission at no cost to you)

My Review…

The synopsis does a very good job of telling you what this book is about. Two sisters having to come together after the death of their mother to sort out funeral arrangements and clearing the belongings.

The story is one that I happily read in a day and I gradually got to know Jess and Laura. They are two very different women in their style and also their personalities as well as their lifestyle. I met Laura first who is a run ragged Mum of Billy and lives with her partner Jon. She seems to be the sort of woman who has no time for herself as she juggles her work, her family and trying to keep too many plates spinning in the air.

Jess, on the other hand, seems to be more organised, and in some ways, she comes across as slightly aloof, controlling and more stylish. This is something that is told from Laura’s point of view and when I met Jess I kind of agreed with Laura’s view. But as the story progressed I found that Laura did annoy me a little bit, she is jealous of what her older sister has and there is a lot of resentment.

The gi8lrs have to connect as best they can as they deal with their mum’s estate and slowly they begin to talk. There are some quite heartwarming moments in the story and also some very funny memories that are shared. This helps to build a bigger picture of the girls growing up and also kind of explains the lives the women now have.

This was a very nice read and one that shows the struggle of losing a parent as well as having to deal with resentment from the past. It is about having the chance to put the past behind them and move forward, but can they? There are hurtful memories and snide comments and while venting frustrations is a good thing they do cut quite deep emotionally.

An enjoyable read that I found very absorbing and entertaining, I liked the contrasts between the women and their lives, opinions, outlooks and traits. Ideal for readers who like a story that has a little sibling rivalry and like a story about families. It is one I would recommend.

Many thanks for reading my post, a like or share would be amazing 🙂 xx