The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen

In The Sisters of Sea View, four sisters turn their seaside home into a bed and breakfast in a desperate attempt to stay together and support their ailing mother.

Genre/Categories/Setting: Historical Fiction, Sisters, Family Drama, Physical Disability, Seaside Bed and Breakfast

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My Summary of The Sisters of Sea View:

Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour for #TheSistersOfSeaView by Julie Klassen. Thank you #NetGalley #BethanyHousePublishing @AustenProse #AustenProsePR for a complimentary e ARC upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Upon the death of their father, four sisters decide to turn their home into a bed and breakfast to support themselves and their ailing mother. The sisters each bring their unique gifts, perspectives, and talents to the venture as they learn to work together. Viola has the most difficulty and wears a veil because of the scars on her face. The arrival of guests provides a colorful cast of characters and promises some engaging story lines.

My Thoughts:

A seaside setting + sisters drama + colorful and likable characters + sides of romance = a gently written histfic story with substantial themes

Checks the Boxes

As you can see by the above formula, The Sisters of Sea View checks my boxes for a delightful and heartwarming story. I love coastal settings and a story of four very different sisters with strong personalities overcoming adversity. The drama is compelling but not overly emotional, and the sisters are realistically drawn and lovable. Finally, I enjoy a side of chaste romance that doesn’t overwhelm the story. I love that this is the first in a series and look forward to the next installments.

Themes

In addition to themes that you might expect like sisters supporting sisters, family loyalty, taking risks, and overcoming adversity, there is a more substantial theme that involves physical scars and how that might affect your entire life. This theme is especially poignant for this historical time period when a great deal of superstition persisted around cleft palates and plastic surgery was not yet available for other types of scars. I appreciate the physical disability representation and it added considerable depth and emotion to the story.

Likable Characters

One element of a story I appreciate are likable characters…..ones I can root for. Even though the sisters are different, they are each likable in their own ways. I enjoy that they found a way to work together to support the family and each other to save their home and support their mother. Their interactions with the varied and unique guests provide an engaging story line.

Plot or Character-Driven?

If you follow my reviews, you know that I enjoy a balance of plot and character! If I had to choose one, I’d say this story learns toward character-driven but there is enough plot to provide a satisfying and page-turning story. I need to note that because of four main characters, the jumps between perspectives can be confusing at times. A small decorative divider between paragraphs that includes a perspective change might have been helpful for fast readers like myself.

Interesting Historical Element

As always in historical fiction, there is something to learn. In this story, the nineteenth century bathing machines are an interesting historical oddity!

Recommending The Sisters of Sea View

Readers who enjoy gently written, family centered stories will want to add The Sisters of Sea View to their TBRs. If you’re looking for a new histfic/women’s fiction series, you might consider this one! I think book clubs who might want chaste romance and no profanity will also love this heartwarming story. I’m eager to continue with the series.

My Rating:  4.5 Stars (rounded up)

More Information Here

Meet the Author of The Sisters of Sea View, Julie Klassen

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QOTD:

Do you love stories about sisters?
Do you have a favorite sisters story?

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