Secrets of the Tulip Sisters

May 1, 2017
A tulip-centered town is the backdrop for three women finding themselves and falling in love.Kelly and Olivia Murphy may be sisters, but they've never had much in common. When their mother left their family and Olivia was sent away to boarding school, the divide between them grew. Now, Kelly works for the family tulip farm in Tulpen Crossing, Washington, and lives with their dad, Jeff, while Olivia works for their mother's real estate company in Phoenix. But when Olivia decides to come back home to reconnect with an old boyfriend, the sisters are forced to get to know each other as adults. Olivia quickly finds out that her old boyfriend isn't as great as she thought, so she starts a fling with another local guy, Sven--without knowing that Sven is Kelly's ex. Meanwhile, Kelly enters into a relationship with Griffith, a guy she adored back in high school--until he broke her heart. And Kelly's best friend, Helen, is secretly pining after the guy of her dreams--who just happens to be Kelly and Olivia's dad. When their mother comes back to town, her presence threatens Kelly and Olivia's tentative friendship as well as Helen and Jeff's burgeoning romance. Once everyone's secrets are out in the open, will their relationships survive? Mallery (A Million Little Things, 2017, etc.) creates a cute and charming world in Tulpen Crossing, and her three main characters are immensely likable and sympathetic. Although Kelly's and Helen's romantic plotlines are much stronger than Olivia's, it's Olivia's search for a sense of belonging that really drives the story. Romance blossoms in a sweet small-town setting.

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June 1, 2017
Kelly Murphy is satisfied with her life in the small town of Tulpen Crossing, Washington. Her job running her family's tulip farm leaves her with little time for romance, so when handsome Griffith Burnett approaches her with a propositiona no-strings-attached but monogamous flingshe decides to go for it. But a surprise visit from her estranged and glamorous sister, Olivia, upends her summer plans. Olivia, who has spent the last several years working for her petty, narcissistic mother, Marilee, needs a break, and visiting family in Tulpen Crossing (and reigniting her relationship with her high-school sweetheart) could be the remedy. Despite their differences, the sisters soon realize that they complement one another, but long-held family secrets threaten to keep them apart. When Marilee unexpectedly shows up, the sisters are forced to confront their past and move beyond the grief they felt when Marilee walked on on the family. Mallery blends the friend-and-family relationships and self-actualization focus common to women's fiction with the racy love scenes and happy ending of a contemporary romance, making this an excellent summer read for fans of both genres.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)