Contemporary
The four Bytheway sisters have been keeping secrets for years, but now the youngest, Jane, has one she’s ready to share.
On the night of her sister Suzie’s Christmas present-swap, Jane plans to introduce Laurie, the lover she’s been keeping a secret for almost two years. First, though, she must survive a day of Christmas shopping with her other sisters, Ronnie and Di – a day filled with sisterly bickering, unresolved family issues, snow-delayed trains, awkward encounters and the weight of long-buried family tensions.
As memories of their childhood resurface, Jane is forced to confront the complicated legacy that has shaped their lives since their mother’s death. What begins as a simple plan for a joyful reveal soon threatens to unravel decades of carefully guarded truths…
RRP £3.99
Here's what readers have to say about this book....
review of Playing the Sister Card, by S.C.Ashton Jane is a younger sister, influenced by what she’s read, who provides an account of her complex relationships with her sisters. A quote from Mansfield Park at the start of the book confirms that we’re in the hands of a Jane Austen fan, but this is a smart, contemporary novel, at home in a world of online dating, texting and a disintegrating rail service. We get close, witty accounts of minutiae - what’s involved in saving seats on trains, or reconciling very different ideas about how to celebrate Christmas. This is a lively, entertaining read, which accelerates towards a skilfully managed climax of suspense at the end of the book. Strongly recommended *****.
If you've got sisters or brothers – or if you've ever wished you had – you'll love this story of family relationships. It's witty, insightful and gripping.
