3 out of 4 stars
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The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings is a well-written example of women’s fiction genre. The storyline revolves around five very different women, both age and character-wise. First, there is Rose – a mother-like figure to the rest of the group. Then there is Sophie – an independent and somewhat short-tempered woman, who is determined to not get her heart broken again.
Veronica is the true city girl, traveling for work all the time. Amanda is a young mother of two and the wife to a soldier serving in Afghanistan. And last, but not least, we have Melody – a stubborn photographer, who happens to fall into the freezing mountain river while trying to get that perfect shot.
Melody literally storms into the story while being swept away by the stream. Luckily for her, she passes the other four women who happen to be spending their weekend fly fishing and catching up with each other.
To be honest, it took me some time to get into the story. The beginning felt too dragged out, and loads of detailed fishing scenes were too much for someone who has no clue about what fly fishing is. Nonetheless, I could feel the passion the author had for this hobby, and I understand why she wanted to share that passion with her readers.
Depicting women who have different lifestyles, mentalities, and social backgrounds and yet become friends due to their shared passion for fishing was a great idea. I loved the fact that the author did not try to portray their friendship as something pink and fluffy. There were situations where the characters were annoyed with each other, envied each other’s achievements, made wrong decisions, and even argued with each other. But in the end, no matter the issue, they were always there to support one another in times of need. In other words, their friendship felt realistic.
That being said, I felt like their voices were all too similar. Except for Melody, who, in my opinion, was the most developed character, the rest of the women sounded too much like each other. There were times when I had to double-check who was the narrator of a certain chapter because I couldn’t tell the difference from the way they expressed themselves.
All in all, it was a well-written and perfectly edited book. The writing style was casual, and dialogs did a lot to make the story livelier. So, I am giving this book 3 out of 4 stars mainly because of the lengthy beginning where nothing was happening, and because each character could have been given a more distinct voice.
If you are looking for an exciting and fast-paced book with strong culmination point, this story is not for you, but if you wish for something heartwarming and relaxing to read while fishing or spending a weekend in a cabin in the woods, I am sure the book is well suited for that.
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The Reel Sisters
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