Author: Ali Brady
Series: None
Publication Date: May 9, 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 480
Obtained: Authors - Sisterhood of the Traveling ARC
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: A book about sisters and their relationship is always a must read for me and this one hits all the points
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab
Summary: Hannah and Libby need a miracle. The PR agency they inherited from their grandmother is losing clients left and right, and the sisters are devastated at the thought of closing. The situation seems hopeless—until in walks Lou, an eccentric self-help guru who is looking for a new PR agency. Her business could solve all their problems—but there’s a catch. Whoever works with Lou must complete a twelve-week challenge as part of her “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program. Hannah, whose worst nightmare is making small talk with strangers, is challenged to go on twelve first dates. Libby, who once claimed to have period cramps for four weeks straight to get out of gym class, is challenged to compete in an obstacle course race. The challenges begin with Hannah helping Libby train and Libby managing the dating app on her sister’s behalf. They’re both making good progress—until Hannah’s first love rolls into town, and Libby accidentally falls for a guy she’s supposed to be setting up with her sister. Things get even more complicated when secrets come to light, making the sisters question the one relationship they’ve always counted on: each other. With their company’s future on the line, they can’t afford to fail. But in trying to make a comeback to honor their grandmother, are they pushing themselves down the wrong path? ~amazon.com
Review: Any book about sisters will get an automatic add to my TBR list/pile because I think it's one of the most important relationships you can have. You learn a lot about someone with how they relate to their sister. I'm very lucky because my sister is my best friend but trust me when I say it wasn't always that way. Hannah and Libby relied on each other from a very young age since their parents weren't the most stable. The only stable adult was their grandmother, GiGi, whom they worshiped. So it was only natural for them to take over GiGi's PR business when she passed but it's not as easy as she made it seem and they are bleeding money. A miracle in the name of Lou comes into their office with an offer to be her PR firm but they both have to first complete a 12 week challenge that focuses on their opportunities.
For Libby that means training for an obstacle course race which is way out of her comfort zone but she has her sister by her side for this challenge. Hannah has to go on dates because she's not really comfortable with social interactions but Libby offers to do the hard work, swiping on the dating app and initial conversations. Of course things don't go as either of them planned but they do learn about themselves and each other.
It's always the journey that is the most interesting part of the story and that is the case in The Comeback Summer. Libby discovers that her body is stronger than she ever thought about and that she doesn't have to always take care of everyone, maybe it's ok for someone to take care of her for a change. Hannah learns that she's always relied on other people and not herself but that she can't keep doing that in order to spread her wings and fly. Most of all they learn that the roles they have taken on for each other need to be broken and turned into something new if they are going to have the type of relationship both of them want.
I must say that there is nothing better than Chicago or it's suburbs in the summer. Ali Brady definitely caputured that in their 2nd novel. It is magic and definitely something to experience if you've never done it. Chicago gets a bad rep in the news and I loved how they highlighted the good things about the city here.
I would highly recommend you put this on your list for it's release date in May!
