The Marvelous Monroe Girls by Shirley Jump | Book Review

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A heartwarming story of sisterhood, second chances, and falling in love

Gabriella Monroe is doing her best to pretend that everything is fine, but her life is a mess. Sales are down at her vintage dress shop, her beloved grandmother isn’t her usual spunky self, and Gabby desperately misses the closeness she had with her sisters, Margaret and Emma—who were once so inseparable that their family called them the Monroe Musketeers.  

When the sisters stumble across a stash of letters that reveals their grandmother’s secret life, Gabby sees an opportunity to bring the sisters back together again and best of all, raise her grandmother’s spirits. And sure, this new project makes it easier to pretend her own life isn’t crashing around her, but concentrating on helping everyone else and ignoring her own feelings is what Gabby does best.

Except when it comes to Jake Maddox. Once the boy next door she crushed on—hard—he’s grown into an even more intriguing man, and her attraction to him isn’t so easy to hide. It’s clear he’s just as interested in her, but dating Jake would only muddy up her already complicated life. Or is it finally time to put herself first and risk it all for a chance at happiness?

Shirley Jump’s The Marvelous Monroe Girls is the first of a contemporary romance series set in the town of Harbor Cove, Massachusetts. I found myself interested in this book because I am always down to read books about sisters — having two myself. It is a theme I am very easily able to relate to. Jump’s series opener is a sweet romance about two people who find their path in life and deal with family issues. It was a decent read with a quick pace.

The Marvelous Monroe Girls follows Gabriella Monroe, the middle sister. Gabby runs a vintage clothing shop. Unfortunately, her business isn’t doing too hot. So, she comes up with the idea to kick off the town’s centennial and have a commemorative event involving many local businesses in hopes of a boost to everyone’s bottom line. In addition to chairing the event, she notices her grandmother has been feeling down. Gabby and her sisters have figured out that their grandmother is behind the newspaper advice column Dear Amelia. And so, they figure out who the letters are from and start meddling for happy endings.

Meanwhile, Gabby’s dear friend Jack who considers her grandma his grandma has been toying with the idea of taking a risk and going for it with his photography. This would mean striking out beyond his job doing photography for the local newspaper and the graphic design. Jack also has been in love with Gabby for his whole life. She’s hesitant to be involved with him as she had dated his cousin Brad previously and Brad was a real ass to her in the end. There is some chemistry to be found between Jack and Gabby, they just need to take the leap.

I loved the small town of Harbor Cove. I am such a sucker for that kind of theme. After all, I love having small businesses to root for. Also, Gabby’s grandma is a gem and I would die for her. As for Gabby and Jack, it seemed that their romance was kind of slow paced. It took forever for them to figure out their feelings and make some moves. I get that character development is a thing and that fear is a thing, but come on.

The Marvelous Monroe Girls has no spice at all, so if you read romance for spice, be prepared. If you read for the relationship development as well as for things like family relationships, be sure to pick this book up. It’s not a bad series opener. I certainly look forward to checking out more from Shirley Jump as well as to getting the stories of Gabby’s sisters – Emma and Margaret.

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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