Secrets and sisterhood tested in Shari Low's new novel

     Anyone with siblings knows that it’s our brothers and sisters who push our buttons the most, but also have our backs when we need them. My One Month Marriage by Shari Low tells the story of four sisters living in Scotland whose secrets from one another can either rip them apart or bring them back together again.
    “I just need to know...which one of you slept with my husband?” Zoe Danton thought that getting married would help her live her happily ever after. However, after only a month, her marriage is over after discovering a devastating secret. But what makes things worse is that one of her three sisters, who are her best friends, might have been the cause of her husband’s betrayal. Has Zoe lost more than just her happily ever after?
     While I think that the title is misleading, My One Month Marriage tells the beautiful and complicated lives of four sisters and their search for happiness and love.
     It becomes exceedingly frustrating to read about the lack of communication between the sisters, but perhaps that’s because anyone with sisters knows how complicated your relationship can be. Ultimately, the Danton girls find that the bond of sisterhood is not easily broken and that sometimes is hardships that bring you closer together.
     While the novel gets off to a slow start, about midway through you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel and the pace picks up a bit. The alternating chapters was interesting since it gave the reader a broader sense of what was going on in each sisters’ life during a specific point in time and how it ultimately contributed to the situation they are in at the present. The jumping time periods and narration is a bit complex, so it’s definitely something to pay attention to, but ultimately shows how each sister is unique and how they react differently to the same events in their lives.
     It was also interesting to see how the same events in their past shaped each of the sisters into the women they are in the present: Marina, who likes control over the situation; Verity, who shuts down when things get complicated; Zoe, who tries to keep the mood light; and Yvie, who tries to play peacemaker. Each sister assumes a certain role in their family and the reader sees how it affects their relationships not only with one another, but their everyday interactions. It isn’t until they are honest with each other again and break down their barriers that they begin to heal from wounds from both the past and present.
     This novel is the perfect read for anyone who has siblings or has a crazy and dysfunctional family. If your expecting a romance book, then you might want to take a pass on this novel. However, My One Month Marriage is a touching story that will make you laugh, cry, and be grateful for the family that you have in this world. This is definitely a book to pick up when it’s published tomorrow.

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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