cover image California Girls

California Girls

Susan Mallery. Mira, $15.99 trade paper (464p) ISBN 978-0-7783-5125-2

In Mallery’s heartwarming novel, three California sisters discover their inner strengths as they face trials in their lives. L.A. morning talk show host Finola Corrado is blindsided when her husband, Nigel, confesses his infidelity minutes before her live interview with country-pop star Treasure—Nigel’s lover. Ali Schmitt, Finola’s sister, felt invisible until she met Glen and is excited about their upcoming wedding, but his brother Daniel shows up at her apartment to inform her that Glen is calling off the wedding and refuses to tell her in person. Daniel is kind and attractive, making Ali wonder whether he might be a suitable replacement for Glen. Zennie Schmitt, a scrub nurse, believes she is doing the right thing when she agrees to act as a surrogate mother for her best friend, Bernie. As Fiona, Ali, and Zennie help their mother clean out her house to get it ready for sale, their lives intertwine and their candid interactions are believable and real. Mallery fans and newcomers alike will adore this tale about the bonds of sisterhood and friendship tested by life’s ups and downs. (Feb.)