California Girls

BySusan Mallery

Release Date: 2019-02-26
Genre: Fiction & Literature

Score: 4

From 647 Ratings

Description

The California sunshine’s not quite so bright for three sisters who get dumped in the same week…

Finola, a popular LA morning-show host, is famously upbeat until she’s blindsided on live TV by the news that her husband is sleeping with a young pop sensation who has set their affair to music. While avoiding the tabloids and pretending she’s just fine, she’s crumbling inside, desperate for him to come to his senses and for life to go back to normal.

Zennie’s breakup is no big loss. Although the world insists she pair up, she’d rather be surfing. So agreeing to be the surrogate for her best friend is a no-brainer—after all, she has an available womb and no other attachments to worry about. Except…when everyone else, including her big sister, thinks she’s making a huge mistake, being pregnant is a lot lonelier—and more complicated—than she imagined.

Never the tallest, thinnest or prettiest sister, Ali is used to being overlooked, but when her fiancé sends his disapproving brother to call off the wedding, it’s a new low. And yet Daniel continues to turn up “for support,” making Ali wonder if maybe—for once—someone sees her in a way no one ever has.

But side by side by side, these sisters will start over and rebuild their lives with all the affection, charm and laugh-out-loud humor that is classic Susan Mallery.

Don't miss New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery's heartwarming summer novel, The Summer Book Club, where conversations over a glass of wine turns into something much more in this journey of motherhood, friendship and love.

Get lost in more beach reads by Susan Mallery: The Summer Book Club - Coming February 2024! The Happiness Plan The Sister Effect The Boardwalk Bookshop The Summer Getaway

Reviews

California Girls
5
By gajames
Another Susan Mallery winner!
Three sisters get dumped in the same week! Their mother assumes each is the responsible party. She wants grandchildren so badly and her hopes are sinking.
It has humor of the laugh out loud sort. Each sister has a trial until the end of the book book when surprises are experienced by all Not a book you want to miss.
Relationships
3
By chell u
This book explores three sisters; Finola, Zennie, and Ali. We follow their relationships with each other and their family and friends, through out the book and how they evolve, grow and rebuild. I liked the book, but honestly a little slow of a read. I struggled to finish.
Sisters who get dumped together stay together!
4
By Donajpatt
What a great story and study of sisters in crisis and how each one copes, learns and grows into the best version of herself. Was very interesting to see how each sister handled being dumped, One being in denial, one being relieved and one totally devastated.

I love how each sister saw their place in the family so differently Finola, being the oldest and the only child of her mother and late father, Zennie, her father‘s favorite and Ali the baby felt she had no parent of her own. And between the sisters Zani always felt left out. So when all three were dealing with their own break ups and bring in their lives back together it was interesting to see the dynamics that brought the sisters together and how they supported each other to become the best she can be.

Now, we cannot forget their mother who desperately wants grandchildren. I definitely would describe her as a drama queen. But she always made me smile when she was in the story. Even Mary Jo found her happy ending.
An enjoyable read
4
By Rybecbensmom
In the genre of women’s fiction Susan Mallery tells the story of 3 sisters at three different stages of life who each get dumped within a couple days of each other and how these sisters deal with it while helping their mother downsize their childhood home. The characters are very relatable and it made for very enjoyable reading, especially when stuck inside during a very cold, snowy winter.
Awesome book!
5
By Mari360
This author never lets me down. The story writing keeps me entertained and hooked. The relationship between the sisters is awesome. They go through a bad time in their lives together and lean on each other. I love how we see the different relationships and how they work through it. Each sister is different and we get to know them and root for them. I wish i could see what happens after the events in this book. Definitely another 5 star read from this author.
Not your typical Susan Mallery
3
By rphdarla
Just finished this stand alone novel from Susan Mallery about three sisters and how each of the sisters, with their unique personalities, deal with their own life crisis in the relationship department. Finola’s husband cheats, Zennie doesn’t feel the need to “couple up”, and Ali’s finance changes his mind about getting married just seven weeks before the wedding. Each sister has a lot to deal with and their mother is not very likable or supportive. Three or maybe even four stories in one left me wishing each was written separately. I felt this because the author was only able to scratch the surface and not go into much depth in developing the characters for the reader. I enjoyed the book but found myself wanting more. I also wanted to send their opinionated and judgemental mother to parenting classes and then make her apologize to her daughters over and over for years of being so unbearably self-centered.
Good, but not my favorite
3
By Cheryl33610
I'm usually a fast reader...that gal who becomes absorbed in the story and just cannot put the book down...and one of my favorite contemporary authors is Susan Mallery. So, imagine my surprise when I was not only able, but sometimes willing, to put down California Girls and take a break from the drama of Ali, Zennie and Finola's lives and turmoil.
I found myself wishing that each of their stories had been it's own book, as we have seen with past Mallery series that have centered on different family members in each read. Unfortunately, that might also not have worked for me, as I really did not enjoy Finola's part of the book. Maybe if she has had her own story and not just a third of this one, her character might have been a little more fleshed out for my taste.
While Zennie's part was okay, here too I compared it to other full length books that featured a surrogate storyline and wished for more...more story, more something...I can't out my finger on what I think it needed. For me.
Now Ali, I enjoyed the most. I felt the most empathy towards her, I loved Daniel and their relationship more than any other part of the book. Maybe because it triggered my favorite trope, friends to lovers...I'm not sure. But I definitely would have liked the two of them to have their own, longer story.
California Girls was a 3.75 star read for me, which seems low since many of Mallery's former reads rank higher in my book. It wasn't horrible, I'd still recommend it to people who are fans of the author. But if it was a new fan, I honestly would probably steer them in another direction.
Couldn’t put it down!
5
By Tigressdana
I’ve loved Susan Mallory for years. This was one of my favorite books of hers. I didn’t go to bed before 1:30 each night because I kept reading! I love that this book was about women finding their voice and becoming empowered. And that not every single one of them had to have a man to be happy. I think more books should empower women and show their strength without it having to be because of a man! I love that Susan did this in this book. It’s full of heartbreak, sadness, mourning, and then getting up and being a fierce woman!
Good but.....
4
By Hannajo
The book was very good in some ways, however, not so good in others. Three sisters, in various stages of their relationships, all being told on the same day that they are being left??? Two maybe but three? And it just felt that I wanted more about each of them - a longer book or continued in a second book to fill in the gaps. It was good and I recommend it, just not one of my favorites.
Not one of her best books
1
By ReadingMomma4
I have read most of her books. But really did not like this one. I purchased as a preorder. I made myself finish it so the money wasn’t wasted. Honestly if I had downloaded a sample first instead I would have never purchased it. I could tell from the first few pages that I was not going to enjoy reading this. Hoping her next book will be better....