Title | : | The Secret of Joy |
Author | : | |
Rating | : | |
ISBN | : | 1439107173 |
ISBN-10 | : | 9781439107171 |
Language | : | English |
Format Type | : | Paperback |
Number of Pages | : | 352 |
Publication | : | First published October 26, 2009 |
Turns out Joy, the separated mother of a little boy (Rebecca has a nephew!), isn't very interested in the "father" who turned his back on her existence from day one–or her "sister." But Rebecca is so determined to establish family bonds with Joy that she doesn't go home... and finds herself being welcomed into small life by some very loveable, quirky characters, including a sexy carpenter named Theo...
The Secret of Joy Reviews
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I'm shocked by the terrific reviews that this book has generated. While the premise was interesting and I was somewhat engaged by the first half of the book, the last half felt forced to me - the actions of the main character and the requisite happy ending tied up too neatly and quickly. Maybe it's me, but I'd like to think I'm not too old for stories about family, love and relationships that are well written. This one didn't fill the bill for me.
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As a reader, it's a rare and wonderful thing when a book just comes together perfectly - - the story works, you're invested in the characters and you simply don't want to put the book down.
The Secret of Joy did this for me. It could have been Melissa Senate's writing style, which I found as pleasing and likable as could be. It could have been the subject matter, which has a strong personal connection to me as well - - I also found out I had a sister as an adult. The subject matter could have been as syrupy sweet as Log Cabin, or as depressing as watching the evening news but Ms. Senate handled it like a pro (and from her own personal experience). She took the good, she took the bad and gave me, as a reader, a book that was emotionally charged, witty and heartwrenching.
The Secret of Joy thoroughly excelled with its characters. I loved Rebecca immediately, flaws and all. Her relationships (with her father, with Michael, with Joy, and with Theo) weren't stereotypical, they emanated realism. Reading the book, you understand why she's with Michael and why she's wavering on staying with Michael. You understand how much she loves Michael's mother and how great it would be to have her as a mother-in-law. You feel Rebecca's pain over the loss of her father and her confusion, shock and eventual strong desire for a bond upon learning she has a younger sister.
The character of Joy, too, was extremely well fleshed out; so much that Joy's hesitation to form any kind of relationship with Rebecca is real and comes across as part of an actual character trait rather than simply advancing the story or creating conflict. I understood Joy's hurt and resentment and her unwillingness to immediately embrace Rebecca into her life.
The "supporting" characters I found a riot. I loved the perfectly named Victor and Victoria, outspoken Maggie, soft and sensitive Ellie and bed-and-breakfast proprietor Marianne. And Theo . . . who could forget Theo, who could quite possibly be coined a perfect man?
And let's not leave out the town of Wiscasset, Maine, which was just as important and vital a character as anyone else short of Rebecca. I could visualize this sweet little northern town in my mind while I read - - so much so that I could see autumn leaves falling and Maggie dashing through the town on her way to show a property, Ellie picking up some of those fabulous whoopie pies to cry into and Theo sitting on his steps, throwing a stick for Spock to catch. Reading The Secret of Joy made me want to visit this vibrant-sounding little town, in hopes that I would see Joy's tiny little house with the Love Bus out front, Marianne's bed and breakfast and Rebecca's yellow house.
I loved every minute that I spent in this book, with these characters. I felt both satiated with joy/Joy and saddened when the book ended because I didn't wish for my time in Wiscasset to come to a close.
In short, I cannot recommend this book enough. To call it simply chick lit would be an understatement for this sleeper of a book. This is the first book I've read by author Melissa Senate but it won't be the last. She is most certainly on my "authors to read" short list. -
Rebecca is a paralegal who likes her life in New York reasonably well. She works as a paralegal and has a good job, but lately there are some problems. She's living together with Michael. Their relationship is safe, but not passionate. Just before her beloved father passes away he tells her a secret. Rebecca has a half-sister named Joy. She always wanted to have a sister, so Rebecca decides to leave the city to find her sister. Joy lives in Wiscasset and Rebecca rents a room there. She has fantasies of a wonderful and warm reunion, but Joy isn't very welcoming. Rebecca is determined though and she keeps trying. Joy eventually invites her to accompany her on one of her singles tours, which she organizes for a living. Slowly they start talking, but it isn't easy to connect, not at all...
Rebecca finally has the time to think about her life in New York. Something is missing in both her professional and her personal life. When she meets Theo, a local carpenter, there is a spark. Only Rebecca isn't supposed to stay. She values his friendship and loves spending time with him. She's getting a whole new life in Wiscasset and because of that becomes harder and harder to leave. Joy doesn't want her there and Michael keeps pressuring her to come back. What will be Rebecca's decision? Will Joy defrost or is a connection with her sister out of the question?
I love Melissa Senate's books because her writing is so warm and open. I immediately loved Rebecca. She's such a sweet and generous person. I kept wishing she'd have a better life. Joy has a lot of personal problems and having a sister in her life all of a sudden is one too many. Even though she's unkind to Rebecca at first I liked her very much. She's tough and honest, but she's also caring. The divorced women, who are Joy's friends as well as clients, are such a fun addition to the story. Melissa Senate has a great sense of humor.
The Secret of Joy is a wonderful story about relationships, love and acceptance. There is a clear message, you should chase your dreams and fight for what you believe in. I liked that very much. I love how I felt committed to the story. Love isn't always straightforward and I kept hoping the main characters would see sense or would find the person they belong with. Relationships, friends and family are important and Melissa Senate writes about them in an amazing way. I'm a big fan of books about sisters and this is such a great one. I highly recommend this fantastic book. -
I really enjoyed reading this story. I really enjoyed the main theme of finding a sister you never knew you had. But I also liked the secondary theme which was all about relationships. It was all about knowing what was right for you in your relationship and when it was time to let go. It really made me think about my relationship with my boyfriend and where we are right now.
The setting of the book just seemed gorgeous. I have never really had any want to go to Maine--but the way that Melissa Senate paints the town of Wiscasset makes me want to visit. And it makes me want to move from my large city to a small, welcoming town.
And I really loved all of the characters. I loved Rebecca and how much she wanted a sister. I felt for Joy and how she suddenly had this half-sister from a non-existant father thrown at her. And the residents of Wiscasset were just so warm--The Divorced Ladies Club of Wiscasset were hilarious and I wanted them to find love. And Theo was just so understanding and cared so much for Rebecca.
This was my first book by Melissa Senate, but it will definitely not be my last. I can only hope that her other books make me think and feel as much as this one did! -
2.5 stars
Oh, boy. There's so much I could say about this but because I was so ready to love this like I loved
The Love Goddess' Cooking School that I'm left mighty disappointed. To sum it up though, it was a bit predictable as far as final outcome, the main character was a big hot mess that you totally wanted to slap, and unnecessary relationship drama (including cheating). It had a promising start but really went downhill fast. -
Imagine growing up wanting a sister. What would you do if that childhood wish suddenly came true? How would you respond if your father confessed to a summer affair as he lay dying? And so begins The Secret of Joy by Melissa Senate.
Rebecca Strand is a twenty-something woman living and working in New York City. She’s a paralegal for Whitman, Goldman & Whitman. She’s dating (and living with) Michael, her lawyer boyfriend, and she's contemplating their future together. A future that comes to a screeching halt when her father is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given weeks to live. Having lost her mother at nineteen and being the only child, Rebecca is extremely close to her father and cannot begin to envision what her life will be like without him.
During one of her hospital visits, her father discloses a summer affair with Pia Jayhawk. An affair that occurred during one of their family vacations in Maine. The affair was over before it started and Daniel Strand returned home and stepped back into his life. Out of the blue Pia calls him to tell him she’s pregnant. She calls again to tell him he has a daughter. He never returned her call and remained silent about his newborn daughter and his relationship with Pia. Now that he’s dying, he wants Rebecca to know the truth. A truth that may complicated her life and cause her to view him differently.
After her father’s death, Rebecca begins to question her life and the direction she’s headed. Is Michael the one? Is New York really her home? What about her job? The job she loathes. Does she have the courage to pursue her dream of becoming a therapist? As she ponders these questions, she begins to wonder about her half-sister. She sets off to Maine to find Joy Jayhawk, not really sure what to expect when she meets her for the first time.
When I first read the title of the book, I assumed it meant her father’s secret affair and his secret daughter, Joy. But, as I continued to read about Rebecca's life and the lives of the supporting characters, I realized the title was about the secret of. . . well. . . joy. The characters are all struggling with an issue in their lives that is causing them pain and turmoil. As each comes to the fork in the road where they either move towards a resolution or continue down the same hurtful path, the author illustrates the difficult, but necessary, truths we must face in order to experience the peace we want in life. Rebecca struggles with the loss of her parents, the impact of her father’s affair, not only on her, but Joy and Joy’s mother. While Joy struggles with growing up without her father which resulted in her being emotionally detached from her husband.
To make amends with his decision, Daniel Strand writes a letter to Joy every year on her birthday. As Rebecca reads these letters, she begins to have insight about her father as a man and a husband. It's not until she reads the last letter he wrote to Joy that she truly understands the love he felt for Joy and how his decision kept two innocent sisters from knowing each other.
The reader will feel compassion for Rebecca as she loses the only family she knows and gains a sister she has always wanted. The Secret of Joy is a great read, with a likable main character and a great supporting cast. Pick it up. Read it. You won't be disappointed. -
Though I don't read a lot of Contemporary Fiction, I was just so smitten with Melissa Senate's
The Love Goddess' Cooking School that I decided I wanted to try something else she'd written. While I would say this book does not speak to me the way
The Love Goddess' Cooking School did, I still found it enjoyable.
Part of the reason that I didn't like it as much may have something to do with the fact that I had a hard time liking Rebecca. She was so needy and clingy... my own personal reaction to that is to want to backpedal quickly, much like Joy. However, I didn't find Joy that easy to identify with either. I wanted to shake them both several times over at more than one point. I was also surprised at what little empathy I had for the Bitter Ex's club, and not just because I'm happily married. Prior to meeting my husband, I had similar relationship horror stories to all of the club and there are two things I learned. First, you have to be happy as one before you can be happy as two. Second, the old 'fool me once' adage stands because I may be able to forgive, but I am never able to forget. Unfortunately, instead of evoking empathy the Ex Club angered me; I was frustrated with the whole of them for giving third and fourth chances and for not valuing their own worth. I think the only character I really connected with was Theo. By the end of the book, I learned to like Rebecca but her lesson was long and arduous, for both of us.
All that aside, there are some wonderful gems of advice and great relationship questions tackled in this book. When is enough enough? When do you give up? When do you close the door? When do you try harder? Melissa Senate declares, you are the only one who knows what's right for you, and you must follow your instincts.
In the end, it is Melissa Senates wonderful ability to weave a story, even if it is a frustrating one, that wins the day. Though
The Love Goddess' Cooking School is still on my list of all time favorites, I will be more selective in picking up another novel by Melissa Senate. This is not at all a reflection on her, but on my lack of interest in the Contemporary Women's Fiction genre overall. However, if she writes more Food-lit I'll be the first in line.
READ MORE:
http://girlsjustreading.blogspot.com/... -
I absolutely loved this book. :) I've read all her books (this is the eighth, I think) and this is my favorite.
Rebecca Strand is not doing so well. Her job isn't a perfect fit (she's a paralegal at a divorce law firm, and she's surrounded by angry couples all day) and things aren't right with her boyfriend either (he's a partner at her firm). But the worst thing is that her dad's dying of cancer. And one day, not long before the end, he tells her that she has a half-sister that she didn't know about, one who's two years younger than she is (making the sister 26).
After her dad dies, Rebecca heads to Maine, where her sister (Joy--so the title's clever) lives. She has this big fantasy that she and Joy will be insta-BFF, but Joy's not so excited to meet her back. So now Rebecca has to figure out what to do with her life and how to make Joy her sister.
I think part of the reason I loved this book so much is that a lot of it is true for me, too. It's not exactly right--my dad did die of cancer and I do have a half-sister, but from my biological father, not my dad. But it's hard, because she's 10 years younger than me and we're not close. And we may never be, but that's okay. There's a line in the book that Joy says, and it's something like, "We're not sisters. We're related by DNA." (That is not an exact quote.)
And that's the thing. My best friend Jen is my sister. Meredith and I are related by DNA. (And not even good DNA; our biological father is an ass.) But I think most people get the distinction. There are people that you consider family and there are those that you're related to. And "family" doesn't always mean that there's a blood tie.
But her books are always good, so even without the weird family dynamics I have, I bet you'll like it. :) -
He was telling you he wasn't leaving you all alone in thie world, that you didn't have to marry Michael. ~Maggie
Rebecca Strand has a wonderful divorce-lawyer boyfriend, Michael, a job in his firm as a paralegal, and a dad dying of pancreatic cancer. As if that's not enough stress! While visiting her dad in the hospital, Daniel Strand makes a stunning deathbed confession...Rebecca did have the sister she always wanted. That begins her quest to find Joy Jayhawk.
Michael is not at all happy that Rebecca wants to make this quest to find her half-sister and to possibly give away half of her inheritance. He does everything he can to knock some sense into her thick skull. Rebecca goes anyway and finds the sister she's always wanted...only to find out that she's not wanted as this sister. Will she ever be able to find happiness and Joy in her life?
I really loved this book and didn't want to see it end!! I was afraid of how it would end but I'm very happy with how
Melissa Senate chose to end this book. There were so many characters I could identify with throughout this book but I see myself identifying more with Joy. I have known my dad and he's been in my life since the beginning. However, paralleling this situation with others in my life, I could be Joy. I also really like the character of Theo. He would be my hero in the "real life".
I highly recommend this read to lovers of chick lit and for those looking for a lite refreshing read. I received this book from the Publisher as a part of the Pump Up Your Book Promotional Blog Tour. -
What would you do if you found out you had a half-sibling that you had never known about? For Rebecca Strand, this life-changing news came to her as her father lay on his deathbed. Days before dying of cancer, he revealed an affair he had 26 years ago during a family vacation to Maine. Rebecca, who had desperately wanted a sibling her entire life, now finds out she has a half-sister, and a box of letters that her father has written to this half-sister each year on her birthday. Half angry at her father for turning his back on his mistress and her daughter 26 years previously, yet optimistic at the thought of having a half-sister, Rebecca sets off to find her after her father passes away.
Despite the pleas of her boyfriend Michael, who asserts that Rebecca is "running away" from her father's death and problems at work, Rebecca makes her way to main and confronts her half-sister, Joy Jayhawk Jones, with the news of her father's death. Joy is less than thrilled to have Rebecca show up on her doorstep, and over the coming weeks, Rebecca goes on a soul-searching mission to determine what makes husbands stray, and how she can build a life for herself where she is truly happy and content. Stumbling along the way in her relationships both in New York and Maine, Rebecca finally learns the true meaning of happiness.
Senate offers some powerful insights an anecdotes as to why some marriages/relationships are doomed to fail, while others can be saved, as long as there is a strong basis for the relationship.
This is an amazing, and quick summer read - great for the beach! -
I was lucky enough to receive this book in the giveaways, and I read it as soon as it arrived.
I really enjoyed this book. It explores the very convoluted issues of family, cheating spouses, friendships, break-ups, and marriage, but does so in a believably light-hearted manner. It circles around one of the most delicate issues of all; a child born as the result of an extra-marital affair and how that impacts two women who, until recently, never knew the other existed.
I enjoyed the characters and found them to be believable (well, except maybe the hunky hunkaman Theo- he seemed a little too perfect, but I still liked imagining him all the same!); especially Joy Jayhawk. I liked that she was cranky and moody. I liked that she wasn't all happy-happy to meet her sister and find out about her biological father. I enjoyed taking that journey with her.
The dynamic between the two women, Rebecca Strand and Joy, was, I think, intense and believable. I found the dichotomy if their views of their shared father interesting. Watching Rebecca explore her feelings about her father and what he did, trying to understand his motives, and how that plays into her life today was satisfying for me, the reader, as she finds a measure of closure both with her father, his past, and her present while at the same time she painstakingly builds a relationship with the irascible Joy.
This book was refreshing and sweet. I'm glad I was given the opportunity to read it. -
I won this on Goodreads and was very excited to get it. The book did not let me down! I will say it runs along some of the same lines as most chic lit books - you can pretty much tell who the main character is going to end up with from the beginning of the book and that it will all be wrapped up nicely at the end, but that's why so many of us enjoy these books.
I loved getting lost in the 'vacationland' of Maine. I could see so clearly the different houses that were discussed and the walks along the beaches. I loved it all! It made me want to get out of the city and back home to the country, where everything is quieter and moves slower.
I enjoyed watching Rebecca, the main character, start to find her true self and live into that. And I liked watching the other characters do the same. And I have to add, as a dog lover, that I really enjoyed the addition of Charlie, the mutt, to Rebecca's life!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a quick, good read full of warm fuzzies and good characters! -
The story here is not a new one: a dying father confesses to his (acknowledged) daughter Rebecca that he has another (heretofore UNacknowledged) daughter named Joy, the product of a brief affair early in his marriage. This book appealed to me because it has a Maine connection: one of the sisters (Joy) lives in Wiscasset and her job is leading small group tours to different parts of the state. Some of the plot elements are just too … coincidental (eg: she meets an interesting man almost right way upon her arrival to find sister in Wiscasset; her mother died when she was 19 and the name of the restaurant she frequents in Wiscasset is “Mama’s”; her profession meshes very nicely with what her sister is doing for a living, giving her a nice “in”…). None of that really matters much though if you are in the mood for a nice story that contains no blood, gore, or violence (like those of us reeling from a recent encounter with a Dennis LeHane book), you will enjoy this one, and feel good when you’ve finished it…a happy read.
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It's hard to describe The Secret of Joy without emphasizing that Rebecca Strand is absolutely winsome. Even as she screws up at work and is about to do something crazy, like give away half of her inheritance to a stranger, you find yourself rooting for her and hoping that things work out.
I loved Rebecca's closeness to her father, Daniel Strand. The letters that Daniel left for Joy seem to be written for Rebecca as well. As Rebecca reaches out to her sister Joy and works through her own needs and wants, she discovers her own strengths as a mediator. The discussions of love and monogamy, marriage, separation and divorce are interesting and make The Secret of Joy a little different from the usual women's fiction. The book's strength comes from the closeness and friendship that surrounds Rebecca throughout the book. The Secret of Joy is fun, touching, and a great read!
Publisher: Downtown Press (November 17, 2009), 352 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher. -
The Pros:
- Lovable cast of characters set in a quaint sleepy town that leaves lots of room for the imagination.
- Interesting plot set-up: a deathbed confession from her father tells a NY paralegal that she has a half-sister in Maine and she reaches out to get to know her after his death
- Well written prose that flows nicely over the course of the novel
The Cons:
- As likeable as the main characters are, they flip-flop a LOT with their feelings and the descriptions of what they're thinking and questions of 'what should I do?' become incredibly redundant as the story progresses
- The conclusion seems to come very quickly and most of the loose ends are tied up a little too neatly; That's not typical of a Senate novel and I don't like that this was so cut and dry in the end.
I did enjoy reading this story and I don't feel like it was a complete waste of time. But, it was not at the same caliber of story that I've come to expect from a Melissa Senate book either. -
Kırık Kalpler Tamircisi, sıcak bir yaz gününde okunabilecek, oldukça akıcı ve bir o kadar da keyifli bir kitap. Ayrıca aile bağları ve sadakat üzerine de güzel mesajlar veriyor. Bu türün bir severiyseniz eğer, okurken en az benim kadar zevk alacağınızın garantisini verebilirim.
Detaylı yorumum
Sevgili Kitap'ta... -
This is a wonderful story that encouraged me to take a deeper look at love, relationships, family, disappointment, and most importantly, forgiveness. With a smooth and enjoyable writing style, Melissa Senate whisked me into the lives of Rebecca and Joy, seemingly opposite half-sisters who didn't know the other existed until the death of their father.
Though Rebecca is delighted to discover she has a sister, Joy is anything but. It is while Rebecca tries to kindle a relationship with her reluctant half-sister that she begins the process of self-examination, reflection, and ultimately discovery. The author handled this brilliantly.
If you yearn for quality contemporary women's fiction that's loaded with wit, insight into the heart, and unusual charm, then this is your book! -
This one gives you exactly what you would expect from chick lit: a beautiful heroine trying to decide from two handsome men with some sassy friends. This one also throws in the grief of losing a father, the shock of discovering you have an illegitimate half-sister, and a more in-depth look at marriage than the usual chick lit book. You know how this one will end but it's a fun read anyway and an interesting look at what makes a family.
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Predictable chick lit from Melissa senate. Usually I like her books but I found the main character self absorbed and needy. Additionally, I found her habit of announcing she had no training as a therapist but then proceeding to provide counseling anyway inappropriate. She even attempts counseling with her new found sister and husband which didn't seem to follow with her sister's characterization as distant and reluctant to share emotional details. This author has done much better work.
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Yazarın okuduğum üçüncü kitabı Kırık Kalpler Tamircisi.Zaten başkada kitabi yok bildiğim kadarıyla. ☺
Yazarı takip listeme aldım. -
Right before Rebecca's father dies, he tells her that he fathered another child from an affair he had one summer when she was two. Now alone because she was an only child and her mother died previously, Rebecca takes a break from being a paralegal at her live-in boyfriend's divorce law firm in NYC and takes a trip to a small town in Maine to confront this woman and see if they can be sisters. Along the way, she searches her soul about what she wants to do with her life going forward -- does she love her boyfriend and want to get married? does she want to be a paralegal? does she like living in NYC?
I've had this book on my to-read shelf for the longest time, but never got around to reading it because it was hard to find. However, I recently was able to get a copy of the physical book at the LA County Library and I am really glad I did. I enjoyed the story and the characters a lot. I appreciated that even though the main character's boyfriend was kind of jerky, that he did have good qualities, too, and even though I thought she should call it off with him, I could appreciate that it was hard for her to outright think he was a jerk, that it took some introspection. I also appreciated that both her and her love interest were not quick to rush into a relationship and that they each respected the current relationship she had going with her boyfriend in NYC. I will say that this novel felt like it focused a lot on divorce and that it seemed like there was a huge amount of divorce and cheating going on in this small town in Maine. And I was kinda bothered by the "what if she's not my sister" line that kept Rebecca from deciding about her life's next steps...why didn't she entertain the idea that even if Joy wasn't her sister, that she could start a new life in this small town in Maine that she was clearly tied to? Nevertheless, I found the story interesting and to be a different kind of chick-lit. And a quick read to boot! -
Ogólnie w porządku - główna bohaterka dzialala mi czasami na nerwy - była zbyt niezdecydowana w kwestii:
*spoiler*
swojego związku, wiedziala, że nie jest szczęśliwa z tym człowiekiem a mimo to trzymała jego i siebie w zawieszeniu... z drugiej strony chyba często tak jest, że potrafimy dobrze doradzić innym, sami nie umiejąc skorzystać z naszych własnych rad.
Relacją z siostrą poprowadzona ok - mam wrażenie, że ten wątek nie został do końca wykorzystany, można było opowiedzieć więcej - listy ojca do córki, której sam nigdy nie poznał, były najsłabsza częścią tej książki (spodziewałam się dużo więcej po tej czesci), co nawet główna bohaterka czasem zauważa. -
The Secret of Joy (great title) is above-average chick lit. Rebecca's journey to connect with a possible half-sister she never knew existed brings the reader to a pretty coastal town in Maine and in touch with interesting women all wrestling with relationships. Does DNA alone make a sister? When is a marriage/relationship worth fighting for and when should you move on? Why does a married man cheat? There is also the theme of finding joy in your work and not living life in a rut. Pleasant read.
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Good summer novel - great for the beach or poolside. The characters are well developed and you feel for the girls and the situation they have been thrown into.
I loved the Wiscasset, Maine setting. As I spent summers in nearby Boothbay, I felt like I was home on the water with a lovely group of friends! -
I didn't read this book for an educational experience, but I did read it for a calm, decent story. It is not War and Peace, and some of the other reviewers have been very critical of this pleasant, easy-going story, which did not create angst in my life. Sometimes a pleasant story is what is needed, and this one was a good one.
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So predictable! I knew how the book would end on page 115. Ugh.
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I enjoyed this story of sisters finding each other and a young woman finding herself. It was a light and quick read.
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Unexepted Joy! Way more better than i expected :)
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Akmadi kitap, gitmedi, yarida birakmak zorunda kaldim.