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"Relationship drama"
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted March 30, 2003

Though she is wealthy, divorce lawyer Meghan Dontess is lonely. She has been forlorn ever since she made a decision twenty-five years ago that benefited her beloved younger stepsister but left her alone. Their mother left the two siblings behind in Sacramento while she went off to Hollywood. Read more...

"Rich characters, diverse setting - hard to put down!"
Reviewed by Lory Martin
Courtesy Old Book Barn Gazette
Posted April 9, 2003

Meghann Dontess, man-eating divorce attorney, doesn't let anyone get close, especially her sister, Claire Cavanaugh. Claire is in love for the first time at 35 with an ex-con who wants to be a country singer. Meghann, the "marriage expert," feels she must keep Claire from making this terrible mistake. Read more...

2004 RITA Finalist for a Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

No one knows you like your sister. She can make you laugh or break your heart with a single word. And no one writes novels like Kristin Hannah, an author who vividly explores the intricate bonds of family and, as Tami Hoag said "touches the deepest, most tender corners of our heart." Now, in her rich, captivating new book, she creates an indelible portrait of two women, once lost to each other, about to come together in a time of exquisite joy and almost unbearable sadness. Sisters by blood, strangers by choice, each stands at a crossroads, ready to confront the betrayals of the past. . . .

Summary

Meghann Dontess is a woman haunted by heartbreak. Twenty- five years ago she was forced to make a terrible choice, one that cost her everything, including the love of her sister, Claire. Now, Meghann is a hotshot divorce attorney who doesn't believe in intimacy—until she meets the one man who can change her mind.

Claire Cavenaugh has fallen in love for the first time in her life. As her wedding day approaches, she prepares to face her harsh, judgmental older sister and their self- absorbed mother. It is the first time they have been together in more than two decades. Over the course of a hot Pacific Northwest summer, these three women who believe they have nothing in common will try to become what they never were: a family.