Series: O'Bannon Sisters (Book 2)
Nora has always been the sister who binds the O'Bannons
together. No matter what crisis hits, smart, dependable Nora knows how to fix
it. But for Nora, the pressure of perfection is taking its toll.
Nora's marriage is in trouble, and she has been reluctant
to worry her sisters with just how dire her situation is. Now though, faced
with losing her husband, her home, and the life she's worked so hard to build,
Nora can no longer pretend.
As the O'Bannon women rally around her, Nora begins to
see that failure is nothing to fear. It's like they say in the bakery: if you
want to make something good, you can't be afraid to get messy. When her husband
returns, asking Nora to give their family a second chance, Nora must decide if
their relationship can be saved-or if it's time to throw out the old recipe and
start from scratch.
Good story of love, forgiveness, and family. Nora has
been the glue that holds her family together. Her father died when she was
eight, leaving her mother overwhelmed as she became the sole support of the
family. Nora became the second mother to her sisters, making sure things got
done and doing her best to make everything go smoothly. She dealt with any
problems, always insisting that everything was fine. This continued into adulthood,
where everything looks perfect to those on the outside, looking in.
But things aren't perfect. Though Nora appears to have an
ideal life, with a loving husband, two kids, and a lovely house, appearances
are deceiving. Her marriage is in trouble, thanks to her husband's gambling
addiction. They are about to have their home repossessed by the bank, and Nora
holds Ben entirely responsible for it. He left her holding the bag, trying to
pay the bills and keep the household going. Ben went to rehab, but Nora no
longer trusts that he will put the family first and is ready to call quits on
their marriage. Additionally, their eight-year-old daughter, Sarah, has been in
trouble at school and was just suspended for fighting. Nora is at her wit's end
but continues to maintain the façade of "everything's fine" to her
sisters and mother. When her sister, Magpie, invites her and the kids to the
beach for a week, Nora grabs the chance to get away from it all.
I started the book with a great deal of sympathy for Nora.
She is the one trying to keep things as normal as possible for the kids, make
ends meet, and find a way out of the mess. I was happy for her to have a chance
to relax and recharge, away from all the reminders of her troubles. Her
encounter with the neighbor, Will, seemed a heaven-sent look at what could be. I
liked the way he treated her, restoring a little bit of her self-worth. But all
the time she is with him, she is reminded of the love she had for Ben. There
were times she remembered the good times, but she would allow the present to
overshadow them. I quickly became frustrated with her consistently negative
outlook on her future.
I was not a Ben fan at the beginning. Knowing he was
responsible for the loss of their house was a big black mark against him. I
softened toward him as I saw what a good dad he was, with excellent
relationships with Sarah and Jake. The more I saw of him, the more sympathy I
felt for him. He knew he screwed up and took himself to rehab. I ached for him
when he came out because it's clear that Nora hasn't forgiven him. Ben wants to
reconcile, but every time he brings it up, Nora shuts him down hard.
It was interesting to see the changes in both of them as
the book went on, but especially the changes in Nora. She was so rigid and controlling
in some things that it was no surprise that Ben had some resentment toward her.
He still didn't give up on them, despite Nora's resistance. I ached a bit for
Nora as the pressure she felt to hide her troubles kept building, and knew she
would eventually break. That scene was a little heartbreaking as she realized
how much she had lost by keeping that distance from her family. I loved how
they came through with the support she needed. The confrontation she had with
Ben also opened her eyes to the way she had treated him. I wasn't sure how much
effect it would have on her since she was still focused on the past. I loved
Ben's big moment at the end. It was sweet and romantic and filled with hope.
There were also some things going on within the O'Bannon
family. The girls' mother, Colleen, who has been a widow for twenty years, is
spending a lot of time with Roger. He is the director of the shelter where she
volunteers. He is a sweet and kind man with a painful backstory that had a significant
impact on who he is today. He has it bad for Colleen. Unfortunately, she feels
guilty for even thinking about him because she never believed there would be
anyone other than her late husband. I liked Roger's persistence, and his
realistic view of Colleen. She was prickly and judgmental, which irritated me
quite often. That came to a head in her dealings with the bakery's intern,
Iris. Though everything worked out, I do wonder if Colleen can genuinely
change.
Nora's sister, Magpie, is the sister with wanderlust. She
is a world traveler who rarely stays in one place for long. Throughout her and
Nora's stay at the beach, it is evident that she has something she wants to
talk to Nora about. But she also suffers from the family "I'm fine"
disease, and can't get past it to confess her problems. I was pretty sure what
the trouble was, which was confirmed by her conversation with her friend, Charlie.
I liked her confession to her family, and the instant support she received. I
hope that there will be a book for her.
I liked the bakery intern, Iris. Her need to please was
heartbreaking, and I liked seeing her blossom as she worked there. There was a
rough patch that wasn't her fault, and I ached for what she went through because
of it. I'd like to see more of her.
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