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A special thank you to NetGalley, Edelweiss, Harlequin, Graydon House, and HarperCollins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets is a narrative of four of the McAvoy women: Lindy, the wild sister, left home for a fresh start in the city and never looked back; Delia, the other sister, is run off her feet because she is juggling a moody teenager, a baby, the family business, and her mother's ailing health; Brin is the rebellious teenage daughter that's been feeling displaced ever since her baby sister was born; Meredith, the matriarch, has been suffering with some memory issues and struggles with lucidity at times.

The sisters used to be so close. They shared a room and would write in a notebook as to not disturb their mother who had to get up early for work. It was their book of secrets. Seventeen years ago, tragedy struck their family and the McAvoy sisters fell apart. With pressures mounting for Delia, she has no choice but to welcome Lindy back in the fold for much-needed help. As the two sisters try to put their family somewhat back in order, they finally have the chance to reclaim what's been missing: for Delia, a happy marriage, and for Lindy, a sense of belonging and a lost love—but most of all, the sisters are missing each other.

When a particularly turbulent night leads to a shocking revelation, the women must confront the past that they've been avoiding for more than a decade. Will an old secret bring the McAvoy women back together or is it too late?

Fader's narrative is told in alternating third person limited points-of-view between the four women. Lindy and Delia have a complex relationship that plays out over the course of the story. Delia is suffering from postpartum depression. That, coupled with her mother's recent stroke, is affecting her relationships with her husband, Dan, and daughter, Brin. Lindy is struggling with not only returning to her home, but with the prospect of a new job and rightfully finding her place in an industry that she excels in.

Strong women are what makes this story so great. Meredith raised the girls after her husband was lost at sea and the sisters turned out to be strong both in spirit and will. Delia doesn't realize her own strength and perceives asking for help as a sign of weakness even though she is shouldering a huge load as well as a past trauma. I also think that Lindy's string of bad relationships is a sign of her fortitude, rather than a flaw—she hasn't found someone to compliment her yet.

The characters were relatable and multifaceted. Fader gives away just enough detail to keep her reader vested in their story—her pace is spot on. She also has an excellent ear for dialogue which translates incredibly well on the page.

The mystery of what happened 17 years ago is the driver and really turns this into a page-turner. I was pleasantly surprised at how good this story is. To be perfectly honest, the cover and title didn't really grab me and I think they actually detract from what is a really great book. Please do yourself a favour and give this one a go, you most certainly won't be disappointed. Fader really packs a punch—there's a lot to unpack and discuss. What was also so great was the mystery part of the story. And that ending...I totally did not see that coming! ( )

The McAvoy Sisters Book of Secrets by Molly Fader
Source: NetGalley and Graydon House
Rating: 3/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: From the moment I stepped into the world of the McAvoy sisters, I felt on edge, as if some huge, world-altering event or long-buried secret was just around the corner. In many ways, that edginess, that tension heightens the intensity of the read and kept me turning pages. While this is predominately an in the now read, there are trips to the past which very much inform the present and illuminate the issues that permeate the McAvoy family. In truth, the problems the McAvoy’s face aren’t just between Delia and Lindy, but among the entire family. This story isn’t just about two sisters but about a family who has long buried their issues, ignored their hurts and grievances, and refused to acknowledge events from the past that are profoundly impacting their present and future. There is ugliness and darkness in the McAvoy family and with Lindy’s return to the fold, their mother’s growing health issues, and the rebelliousness of Delia’s oldest child, that ugliness and darkness is threatening to come roaring back into the light.

I can’t say I really liked this book, but I also can’t say I disliked it either. While I certainly had a great deal of sympathy for this family, I also often lost patience with the lot of them for ignoring and burying their issues. So many of the problems faced by the McAvoy’s and the hurt they all clearly experience could have been avoided by dealing with their issues, seeking help, and simply acknowledging the harsh realities of life. At the end of it all, this isn’t a happy story nor is it in any way uplifting or light. This is the story of a sad family who only deal with their issues and problems when they are forced to do so, and this kept me from really liking this read. From a technical perspective, I have no complaints as the author clearly knows her craft and there are no glaring errors in this read. ( )