Lovely book about family from Cathy Kelly.
Enjoyed it very much.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Lou always tries to be helpful. She is there for her demanding mother, always ready to work at a moments notice at work, forgiving of her husband's lack of consideration. She misses her daughter but knows she has her life to live. As her fiftieth birthday approaches it is not the age bit that bothers her, she sadly reflects her best friend who died of cancer will never reach that milestone.

At the party she discovers her husband hasn't even bought her a present "Oh Lou, you know I'm no good at things like that!" Her bosses at the top notch florists has sent a pathetic bunch of left over flowers & her mother decided to throw a major tantrum & reveals that her beloved father is not in fact her biological father!

Shocked to the core, along with sister Toni, who has also been hit by a major personal shock the pair speak to their aunt & set off to hunt down the man who fathered her.

This was a great story . I love Cathy Kelly's characters. It's a while since I read any of her book & when I do, I wonder why I left it so long! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

Cathy Kelly is a wonderful writer, who transports you to the places she is writing about and describes her characters so vividly you become invested in their lives and their stories. This is the story of 2 sisters each with their own problems, supporting each other to make their lives better. when things are rough This book is about relationships and family. A must read!

Love Cathy Kelly books and this is no exception. Lou is coming up to her 50 birthday. She always does everything for everyone else. Her party doesn't turn out the way she thought. Her sister Toni and her don't have the same relationship they used to have. At her party a secret comes out that changes everything

This book was my first introduction to Cath Kelly’s writing and I found it to be an enjoyable light-hearted read. The story follows a pair of sisters, Lou and Toni, as they both face huge turning points in their lives. The character development throughout the book was the highlight and what encouraged me to keep reading. I found myself relating to both Lou and Toni at alternating chapters in the book, despite the characters having vastly different ways of thinking. I would be intrigued to read more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC of this book.

A great, easy, enjoyable yet thought-provoking read for women especially.

As wives, mothers, daughters, do we do too much for others? Are we taken for granted, expected to look after others, think for others, run around after others, take on the mental load of everyone around us just so they don't have to bother? In my personal circle of friends, this is a common experience. And I think many readers will see themselves reflected in the main character of this book. to an extent.

Two sisters - one, Toni, a celebrity, another, Lou, a frazzled mum, daughter and wife.
A birthday party reveals a secret which sends Lou into a tailspin.

The sisters run away to Sicily together, Toni later reveals that she has also had a shock discovery and needed to get away herself.

The strong bond between the sisters strengthens, both knowing that things will have to change when they get home.

A satisfying read, one that may make many women question how much they take on, and how they let others treat them.

It was so easy to get swept up in this wonderful book. Strong family connections but with lots of family secrets and lies which are revealed through the books.
I loved the way the author developed all the characters and their stories.
A really feel good book which I loved reading.
4.5 stars

Sisterhood by Cathy Kelly was such a lovely read. I’ve been a fan of her books for a long time and this one did not disappoint. It’s a story of not only familial sisters, but sisterhood in all its forms. The perfect read on International Women’s Day!
Lou and Toni - Lillian’s daughters - are centre stage during a particularly turbulent time in their lives. Lou’s 50th birthday is nothing she hoped it would be, and Toni’s marriage crumbles amid lies and deceit. They take a trip to Sicily to both escape and discover the truth. Reading this book was inspiring and uplifting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cathy Kelly's latest book is about sisterhood both literal and metaphorical.

Lou is basically a slave to her selfish, demanding mother, Lillian, and a husband who expects her to do everything while he does nothing, not even bother to buy her a fiftieth birthday present. Even at work, she's taken advantage of and undervalued. Of course, Lou herself has allowed this situation to develop by allowing herself to be a doormat, but that's not much consolation.

Meanwhile her sister Toni, despite being far more assertive and successful - she's a popular TV presenter and advocate for women in business , married to a famous actor - has fallen into trouble both at work and at home.

When their mother imparts shocking news at Lou's birthday party, the sisters head off on a mission which will take them to Sicily, acquiring a troubled young woman, Trinity, along the way.

This was a really enjoyable read and I was rooting for the characters - especially for Lou to finally stand up for herself. I enjoyed the Sicily stuff too - I've been to Syracuse not that long ago, so that added an extra layer of interest. Aside from the main characters, there were other great characters such as Gloria, Emily... even the toxic Lillian is very well drawn. Men are fairly peripheral - women are the central ones here.

A great read. The acknowledgments at the end are a bit devastating, though. Very best wishes to you , Cathy.

My first Cathy Kelly I thought would be an ideal holiday read. There’s nothing too taxing about it but enough going on to hold your interest quite well. It was a bit repetitive but that was probably designed to emphasise Lou’s character. It wouldn’t go on my best books list but I would still recommend it.

Cathy Kelly never disappoints. I enjoyed this book and the story of the two sisters. I particularly enjoyed Lou becoming empowered as the book went on. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really loved this. Lou is turning 50...Ned her husband forgets, her mother causes a scene at her party and she finds out that the man who she thought was her father..isn't! Life couldn't get much worse for Lou. Meanwhile her very successful sister finds out that her husband has gambled all their funds away...So they go off together in search of Lous biological father...to Sicily!!
En route they pick up Trinity..who has problems of her own. A thoroughly enjoyable read. Loved it!
Highly recommend

Sisterhood is a really lovely, easy to read book. The story is interesting, emotive and makes you not want to put it down. The two main characters I’m sure to no shock; are sisters and we follow the story of Lou who does everything for everyone and Toni who is a powerhouse business lady. Their mum is a unlikeable character and after an outburst she turns Lou’s life upside down. At the same time Toni has things going on too and the sisters embark on a journey together. I’d definitely recommend it.

This was my first book by Cathy Kelly and I really enjoyed it. I found I could really identify with the main character Lou. Pleasing everyone is hard work and you invariably get over looked by others as you don’t kick up a fuss or cause a scene. I saw a lot of myself in Lou and at times I thought I was reading about myself, always justifying others actions so they don’t feel bad, even though they’ve made you feel bad.

Seeing the two sisters, Lou and Toni reconnect and bond, each drawing strength from the other was nice, they had to learn to be open and vulnerable with each other. Even strong independent women need love and support.

Watching Lou discover herself was eye opening and I really enjoyed it, she found her inner strength and stood up for herself, it was also refreshing to see that others grew and changed around her and became better people to keep Lou in their lives. Her husband had a wake up call and he rose to the challenge to not take Lou for granted but to actually show he loves her.

I will certainly be checking out other books by this authors as I loved the feeling of self love and family it gave me.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

The story begins with an upcoming birthday party, it’s Lou’s 50th birthday, but she’s not bothered about turning 50, she’s friend passed away who had cancer, and she misses them. She also doesn’t think that her husband will attend, let alone bring her a gift.

When the party is going on, whatever Lou was dreading, happens, and there’s one shock news after another, all told by her mother Llilian.

In order to get answers Lou and her sister Toni go to Sciliy , it makes them think about their lives could’ve have.

The characters were relatable. The story was well-written.

I recommend this book.

Sisterhood by Cathy Kelly is a heartwarming and empowering novel about self-discovery, family, and learning to put yourself first.

Lou Fielding, a lifelong people pleaser, has always put others before herself—her demanding mother, inattentive husband, and ungrateful employers. But on her 50th birthday, a shocking revelation from her mother shatters her world, making her realize just how much she has been taken for granted. Meanwhile, her younger sister Toni, a confident and successful journalist, is dealing with her own betrayal and career crisis.

Determined to escape and find answers, the sisters embark on a journey from Cork to Sligo to Sicily. Along the way, they lean on each other, learning from their differences and discovering their own strength. With humor, wisdom, and emotional depth, Sisterhood explores themes of self-worth, independence, and the power of female relationships.

The novel beautifully captures the importance of setting boundaries and the realization that “people treat you how you allow them to treat you.” It’s a must-read for anyone who has ever felt overlooked or undervalued, with a powerful message: women don’t need rescuing—they rescue themselves.

When I saw there was a new Cathy Kelly book out, I jumped at the chance to read it, and it didn't disappoint. A great read touching on themes of relationships, families, secrets and lies. All the characters were relatable (though not all likeable!).

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This is a lovely hug of a book which from the beginning has the reader swept up into the family life of main protagonist Lou and her sister Toni.

The book starts with a 50th birthday party looming for Lou. She doesn’t seem concerned about the age but is missing her friend who was lost to cancer and doubting her husband would even remember to arrive or get a gift. On the night of the party all of Lou’s worst fears come to fruition and there are more revelations to come, courtesy of her needy mother Lillian.

A trip to Sicily for Lou and Toni is a life changing time for them both, helping the sisters to see how their lives could be different and their own value.

This is a lovely book which has some very real and relatable characters that I enjoyed reading immensely. The author has portrayed them so vividly and with such reality that I was rooting for them to get a happy ending, or their idea of one.

Thoroughly recommend reading this book.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such an intriguing book exploring the crises of two sisters and their journey together, both physical and emotional. There were some lovely supporting characters along the way and some great twists. A really enjoyable book