Lian DolanCríticas

The Marriage Sabbatical is the story of Nicole and Jason who after twenty three years of building a life together, raising a family, and working hard in careers, find themselves at a crossroads. After a profound loss Jason decides to take a year off, sublet their home, and plans a largely off grid travel itinerary. As the day draws closer Nicole is less sure she wants to go. An unconventional agreement is made. Jason will take the trip he dreamed of, Nicole will go to Santa Fe to learn jewelry making. They institute the ‘500 mile rule’, a ‘what happens while we’re gone stays there’ policy.

Dolan does an amazing job taking us back in time to when Nicole and Jason first met, through compromises, struggles, celebrations, and loss, giving us strong insight into how they got where they are, what each may be seeking, and if they truly intend (or should) return to one another. We watch as they travel, transform, and struggle with the decision to partner with someone else. I especially loved Nicole’s Santa Fe setting, a city I adore. Dolan brings us into the local art culture, the community traditions, and we feel less a visitor and more a newly welcomed resident.

My very dear friend, Angie, is a creative that lives in Santa Fe. She’s an artist, jewelry designer, and author. Angie’s journey mirrors the main character Nicole’s, coming to the SW for rebirth, reinvention, finding her passion later in life. I was living vicariously through the main character, Nicole as she spread her wings in Santa Fe.

I highly recommend for lovers of her previous books, those that appreciate smart, thoughtful women’s fiction, and what to travel vicariously to the desert SW. If you haven’t read her previous books The Sweeney Sisters and Lost and Found In Paris I highly recommend as well!

I received an early copy from my friends at William Morrow.

I really enjoyed this book. It's not so out there anymore with the DNA kits to find out more about your family, or other families then you bargain for! This story of 3 and a new found sisters was well done and all the characters were well written. Even the sister that drove me crazy was loved at the end. This one had been on my TBR shelf for a while but those are the surprises I like to find. Great book!

Boring! except for description of Pantheon½

I come from a household with three girls so I related to this story except for the fact that I didn't have .a famous father (lol). I loved how the author showed the relationships of the sisters in their state of mourning. I also found the relationship to the sister they never knew existed was developed in a great way. The twists and turns kept me interested, after a slightly slow start. I am excited to have found this author, and will definitely look forward to reading more of her work.
Thank you to Harper Collins, NetGalley, and author Lian Dolan for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lian Dolan's "The Sweeney Sisters" was equal parts family drama and literary smörgåsbord and I absolutely adored it! From the start of the book with the opening sequence in Liza's art gallery, to the conclusion, I felt a connection with the characters that I have not felt in years. I admired the way each woman was modeled to be her own person, limited by neither her faults nor her passions. I sympathized with Serena, the woman who had grown up without a sister, but I also felt drawn into the circle of others sisters as well. Dolan has done well to create a novel that had its roots sunk deep in the literary free-for-all of the 1960's but keeps its bloom here in the present day 21st century. I most wholeheartedly recommend "The Sweeney Sisters", go out and get your pre-order today!

**Review pulled from NetGalley.com, I received an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Joan has a job as an art courier. She is sent to Paris to carry some Joan of Arc sketches. She meets Nate on the plane and they end up hitting it off. Then the sketches are stolen and Joan’s first thought is “Nate is a thief!” But then she receives something of her father’s and she knows this is more than she bargained for.

Well! Joan is an amazing character. I enjoyed her thought process. She is quite hilarious in her deductions especially where Nate is concerned. These two are total opposites. But, they make the cutest sleuthing couple.

I absolutely loved the chase around Paris. If I ever get there, I am going to try and find all the unique places this book had me traveling to. And the mystery of the stolen sketches is full of history. This tale is so entertaining, smart and witty!

Need an intriguing art theft chase around Paris…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel for a honest review.

I wanted to love this book so much. The premise was right up my alley and is the type of book I typically love. But I just could not get through it. Too many details that didn't really seem relevant to the storyline and made it tedious to read. I did not finish it. Maybe I will eventually, but I just can't force myself to do so.

This book is a bit of fluff set in Paris. Joan Blakely is the daughter of a famous model and her equally famous artist husband. The artist is killed on 9/11 carrying all the documentation on his multi-media art installations. Joan’s mother has since become a grieving hermit, while Joan, an art historian, has spent her professional life tending to her father’s legacy. When she finds that her husband has not only been having an affair, but has also fathered two children by his mistress, she decides that she needs to get away.

Conveniently, her boss asks her to take some pieces of art to Paris for sale, and even more conveniently, she is seated next to a most attractive computer executive on her overseas flight. Can there be a doubt they’ll hook up?

To make a long and predictable story short, they not only hook up but he also helps her solve her problem of the stolen documents which leads to the discovery of the family secret that finally allows Joan free to lead her own life.

Pretty boring.

Random: why do people bring coffee to people's houses? Can't the host just make coffee to go with whatever goodies people decide to bring?

unfortunately I just wasn’t really engaged in this book. Neat premise - after a shocking discovery and divorce, Jean heads to Paris on a work assignment she volunteered for. There she finds herself on a bit of an adventure.½

I enjoyed The Sweeney Sisters, so I jumped at the chance to read Lian Dolan’s newest story. This book was a visit to Paris, an art and history lesson, a puzzle to solve, a family in need of healing and a women coming into her own rolled into one. The character development of Joan was refreshing. Watching her come into her own and gain the confidence she needed to move on was spot on. I enjoyed the cast of characters! Parts did drag in reference to art and light references, but I still enjoyed the storyline. I found the ending very satisfying. I look forward to this author’s next book!

Thanks to Ms. Dolan, William Morrow and Custom House, and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

I was hooked by the description alone! And the book itself? I was engrossed start to finish. A strong, independent, intelligent female protagonist, stolen art, and a mysterious scavenger hunt - wow!
The beautifully detailed backdrop of Paris, and well thought out characters make this story come to life. Though mostly fast paced, this mystery adventure slows down for poignant moments as Joan reconciles the past and sees things from another perspective. It's a wonderful balance of drama, intrigue, thrills, history, and the ending could not have been more perfect!
*Thank you William Morrow Publishers, Lian Dolan, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lost and Found In Paris by Lian Dolan is about a woman who has faced tragedy in the public eye, buried her grief to make others comfortable, marries for the wrong reasons, and takes a job that is safe. It’s about reinvention, discovery, letting go of the past.
Joan Bright Blakey, the daughter of a supermodel and world famous artist, finds herself in the wake of a major life shake up. An art curator, she agrees to carry some artwork to Paris. A new beginning, unfinished business, both?
Dolan is in her element and really shines with this messy family tale just as she did with The Sweeney Sisters. Once again she brings us a location as a character. I was immersed in the city of Paris, it’s cuisine, galleries, and countryside. I was so invested in how the story unfolded layer by layer. I was right with Joan on her quest, each step of the way, led by connections to her father. The relationship between Joan and her mother is complex but honest, and grows with understanding. I loved Joan’s arc, her self awareness, her regrets, her growth. I cheered her on!
I will be recommending Lost and Found in Paris over and over for Francophiles, readers of women’s fiction, those that enjoyed Lian Dolan’s previous books, and readers of Emily Henry, Linda Holmes, and Emma Straub. This will go perfect in your summer beach or pool bag! I’ve already read it twice.
Thank you to BookClubGirl NetGalley and WilliamMarrowBooks for the gifted copy. Pub date 4/5/22.

The Sweeney Sisters is a nice story. It has a beginning, middle and end. The characters are believable. The setting is nicely described. It is a story of acceptance, understanding and caring. The Sweeney Sisters is a very fast read. The rating of four stars was awarded to the book in this review.

There's three sisters: Liza, Maggia and Tricia plus one other: Serena. Except the additional sister isn't discovered until their beloved father passes. The mother of the three sisters died in the past. The book takes you quickly to what happens as soon as the father dies and how all the sisters react with their different personalities, relationships and careers. After both parents die, the big issue is money. How will their famous dad's inheritance turn out and let's not forget about the caretaker, Julia. It's a super relaxing read full of suspense. I enjoyed this book.

I adored Lian Dolan's first two books. They were smart, funny, light, and warm, and The Sweeny Sisters definitely followed suit.

Compared to her other stories, I felt this story dug deeper and was more complex when it came to relationships and emotions, likely because the four sisters were very different in temperament and behavior, and what flowed from that.

Told from the perspective of a trio of sisters - and the fourth they discover only after their famous author father dies, leaving a mess - of secrets, finances, and a mysterious missing manuscript.

Dolan crafts such vivid distinct characters each face their own personal struggle. The sisters struggle with secrets and disappointments of their father, a spouse, careers, and each other. This is a story of relationships, what makes a family, finding oneself, and it all comes together nicely in the end.

A very enjoyable read.

I was provided an advanced digital copy of this book; all opinions are my own.

In my patreon feed, a commenter rec for large family fiction.

I really enjoyed this. Three sisters reckon with their fathers death, while learning they have a previously unknown half sister. The characters are a little caricature-ish - Liza is the eldest, and she is the reliable one who does everything right. Maggie is the artist, flighty and emotional, and needs regular bailouts. Tricia is the buttoned up lawyer. Serena is the new sister, and she doesn’t really fit in a box like the others. She does grow up an only child, and leaves the small CT town where she grew up. She envied the closeness of the Sweeney family.

So the patriarch Sweeney was a famous author. He wrote many books and articles. But it also comes out there was an unsavory side - gambling, drinking, women. . The sisters don’t seem all that surprised to learn the house was mortgaged and the last book advance spent on that lifestyle.

So at first you think that the sisters’ closeness means this was some big happy family and they are grieving this loss. They are cautious and suspicious of Serena. They expect a lot of renewed interest in Bill Sweeney because if his death.

In the end they have moved on with their lives. Liza divorces her husband and starts anew with an older boyfriend. Tricia falls for Raj (the librarian sorting through Bilk Sweeney's papers) and joins Cap’s local law practice. Those seem organic, reasonable. Maggie somehow grows up - she is pregnant and productive with her art and seems more self confident. This is def a more likable character but it’s a big leap. They’ve all stopped seeing Serena as the enemy or interloper.

This was kind of a delicious summer read. The setting on the water in CT with the New England sensibility of What’s Right was great.

Good escape reading with a little meat to it than strictly chic lit and a good family discussion. The right amounts of family insight into dysfunction, love, & secrets to satisfy me.

I received an e-book copy of this book through Goodreads. #GoodreadsGiveaway

This was a delightful read about the three Sweeney sisters - Liza, Maggie, and Tricia - whose father has just died. William Sweeney was a literary icon who wasn't necessarily the best father to his daughters. Upon his death, the sisters learn that their father had another daughter, Serena, through an affair with the next-door neighbor. The story is entertaining and lighhearted despite the subject matter. Witty, sharp writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

This was a very well told story, I liked how it took a common tale, the one of three daughters with a famous, big as life father and upended it with the results of a DNA test. Author William Sweeney passes away and his three daughters, Liza, Maggie and Tricia arrive home to grieve and go thru all the motions of those end of life tasks. What they are surprised to learn from the family lawyer, Cap, is that a neighbor girl they barely remember, Serena Tucker, has revealed she is a family match after a DNA test. I liked how it explored how to navigate a new relationship like that, in a family that is already entrenched in their own ways.

Enjoyable book. Easy fun read½

A very enjoyable weekend read. Three sisters mourning the death of their father find out there is a fourth, thanks to his fling with next door neighbor before the three were born. Each of the 4 sisters is also dealing with other struggles which play out in the book in well-written dialogue and some humor.

Their father’s book was about “establishing self-identity and the impossibility of living up to standards that somebody else creates. That’s something you learn well past your coming-of-age years, isn’t it?”

“The Sweeney Sisters” is a delightful story about how three sisters with unique personalities grapple with dealing with the loss of their father, dealing with the legends that surrounded his celebrity, and finding out they have another sister. It is told with sensitivity and grace you would hope if someone was sharing your own memoir: not leaving out the juicy parts but filling it with forgiveness , joy, and love.

This book held my attention from the start and I enjoyed a peek into the personalities of all the characters.

Liza, Maggie, and Tricia Sweeney return to Connecticut when their father, a famous author, dies. They hold a wake, and a couple of uninvited guests appear. At the lawyer's office they learn one of those guests, a girl who grew up next door, is their half-sister. Each woman is dealing with things in her own life. For Liza, it's her marriage. For Maggie, it's direction. For Tricia, it's corporate law life. The sisters need to locate their father's final manuscript which belongs to his publisher and get things in order to sell the house. They decide to spend the summer there. They learn more about their father, about their half-sister, and about themselves. I enjoyed the DNA angle to this story. I really don't think the author understands DNA matching very much because she called Serena's DNA match wtih Maggie a 99% match. That's not the correct percentage for a half-sibling match. However, the author did mostly skip specifics and just mention the match most of the time.½

A pleasant surprise! I enjoyed this family drama much more than I expected to. I can't say that the sisters were without irritating qualities (every single one of them); but, I was engaged enough in the story to let that go after a while. Maybe I'm just so desperate to like something I'm reading after a string of disappointments. 🙄 😂½