Synopsis

Sometimes you have to break a family to fix it.

From New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins, a new novel examining a family at the breaking point in all its messy, difficult, wonderful complexity.

The Frosts are a typical American family. Barb and John, married almost fifty years, are testy and bored with each other...who could blame them after all this time? At least they have their daughters-- Barb's favorite, the perfect, brilliant Juliet; and John's darling, the free-spirited Sadie. The girls themselves couldn't be more different, but at least they got along, more or less. It was fine. It was enough.

Until the day John had a stroke, and their house of cards came tumbling down.

Now Sadie has to put her career as a teacher and struggling artist in New York on hold to come back and care for her beloved dad--and face the love of her life, whose heart she broke, and who broke hers. Now Juliet has to wonder if people will notice that despite her perfect career as a successful architect, her perfect marriage to a charming Brit, and her two perfect daughters, she's spending an increasing amount of time in the closet having panic attacks.

And now Barb and John will finally have to face what's been going on in their marriage all along.


My thoughts
I really enjoy books that focus on complex family dynamics and I also wanted to read something by Kristan Higgins who is a new author for me (despite the fact that this is her twentieth book). Always the Last to Know was everything it promised to be and more. Emotional, touching, realistic, with well-drawn flawed characters. We meet Sadie Frost, an artist and a schoolteacher in New York, as she is contemplating proposing to her long term, perfect on paper, but somehow not quite right boyfriend. Her mother Barb is thinking about giving her husband of almost fifty years John divorce papers. Barb and John's eldest daughter Juliet who is a successful architect and a perfect mother of two pre-teen daughters is hiding in a closet struggling with a panic attack. And John... John has just had a massive stroke and concussion and is on his way to the hospital. As the family are waiting for John to come out of surgery, Barb reads some messages on his phone that shock her and change her whole perspective on what was happening in her marriage. With John needing round-the-clock care, Sadie moves back to their little town in Connecticut, which causes her face her first love and first heartbreak Noah.

 Everybody in this family has their own struggles and dramas. The author's choice of using  alternating POVs of Barb, Sadie and Juliet with a few chapters from John does a wonderful job of letting the reader see how the family and its members came to be the way they are and how they are developing in the story. Kristan Higgins is a master of character building with every one having their own unique voice and personality.

The issues raised in the book felt realistic and relatable. Spouses dealing with infertility issues in different ways, parents finding it easier to relate to one child than the other (partly because their character is more similar to their own), feeling that you love somebody deeply, but are not able to give them what they want from life... The more I read, the more I was invested in this family, which somehow did and didn't resemble my own and  many other families I know. The book is well-written and easy to read, especially when the pace picks up somewhat in the second half.

Entertaining, perhaps a bit predictable, but still heartwarming, Always the Last to Know has a satisfying ending and an important message of accepting that life and families can be unpredictable and messy, but it is always worth focusing on love and people you care about.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Berkley for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

Title: One Hot Texas Summer (Prentice Brothers of Sweet Ridge #1)
Author: Nicole Flockton
Published by: Tule Publishing
Publication date: May 26th 2020
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

She’s been fooled before by sweet words and hot kisses

Kelly Turner loves being a florist, and being asked to take the lead on the new site for the town’s festival is an honor. If only she didn’t have to work closely with the town player, Tate Prentice. After being burned once by a serial cheater, her inconvenient attraction toward Tate needs to be nipped in the bud.

Tate Prentice’s focus is on ensuring his father recovers fully from his stroke and making sure the family’s peach farm continues to thrive. When his brother nominates the farm to be the satellite site for the festival, he’s less than impressed. The only good thing is he’ll be working with Kelly – even though he knows she’ll never give him a second glance, not with his reputation.

The more time Kelly spends with Tate, the more she sees the man behind the reputation. Can she trust her instincts, or will her heart be broken once again?

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                              About the author
 
USA Today Bestselling author Nicole Flockton writes sexy contemporary romances, seducing you one kiss at a time as you turn the pages. Nicole likes nothing better than taking characters and creating unique situations where they fight to find their true love.

On her first school report her teacher noted "Nicole likes to tell her own stories". It wasn’t until after the birth of her first child and after having fun on a romance community forum that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book.

Apart from writing Nicole is busy looking after her very own hero – her wonderfully supportive husband, and two fabulous kids. She also enjoys watching sports and, of course, reading.

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