While this started off mediocre, it took off later in the book. Waverly and Charlie are twin sisters who live very different lives on two different continents. After the death of their Aunt Mae, Charlie offers to carry a baby for Waverly because the one dream Waverly hasn't realized and wants the most is to be a mother. Charlie gets pregnant and returns to her NGO job in Budapest, Hungary. Waverly shows up Budapest a few months later, separated from her husband and worried about losing her cooking show. Charlie and Waverly are kidnapped on the way to a wedding. That's where it gets interesting.
Who knew criminals liked cooking shows? There are human traffickers, victims of those traffickers, quite a bit of food mentioned, and awesome women helping other women (Waverly, Charlie, Simona, Kinga, Nadia, Antigona, Janet Ling).

I did feel parts of the resolution and ending were too pat but overall a good read. ( )

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Waverly and Charlotte "Charlie" Talbot had their lives turned upside down just before their thirteenth birthdays when their parents died in a plane crash on their way to South Africa. These twin sisters went from living a life of affluence on the East coast to a modest life with an aunt in Ohio. Now their beloved aunt has died and it seems their lives are coming apart once again. The sisters have grown apart over the years and made lives for themselves on separate continents. Waverly seems to have it all, a popular cooking show on the Food Network, a loving husband, and a wonderful home. She's been likened to the next Martha Stewart. The only thing Waverly doesn't have is something she can never have, a child. Waverly has just had her sixth miscarriage and has been told she can't try to get pregnant again. Charlie travels to central Europe for an NGO teaching sex education. She had left the US with the thought of returning after only a few weeks but found her calling in South Africa. She was even determined to set up a clinic for women there only to have that dream stolen when all of her monies were embezzled by her business manager and then she was attacked and brutally raped. She's not sure what she wants from life, but she is sure that she can help her sister achieve her dream and offers to be a surrogate. Little do either Waverly or Charlie realize that this offer will send their lives spiraling down paths neither one saw coming. Will they be able to survive the future alone or finally come together as sisters once again?

I found Becoming the Talbot Sisters to be a fast-paced read and one that offered a little bit of everything, family drama, hints of romance, international intrigue, and more. Both Waverly and Charlie do a lot of soul searching and find out what they want from themselves and each other. It was interesting reading about them redeveloping their relationship as adults and revealing the secrets they had tried so hard to keep hidden for so many years. This became not just a story of sisterhood but about women empowering one another in so many ways (trust me, once you read the story you'll understand), as well as a story about hope, courage, love, and family. Throughout their journeys, Waverly and Charlie find that life is neither "simple" nor "perfect" but together it can be just right. For those of you that enjoy reading inspirational fiction then I heartily recommend you grab a copy of Becoming the Talbot Sisters to read. For those of you that aren't quite sure about inspirational fiction, then I say this book will surprise you and go ahead and grab a copy to read, you can thank me later. The only problem I had with this book is that it made me incredibly hungry to try out all of the foods being described and I wish there were a few recipes included to try out (and I don't even cook). I look forward to reading more from Ms. Linden in the future.

This review originally posted on 05/25/2018 at https://www.thebookdivasreads.com/2018/05/2018-book-203-becoming-talbot-sisters.... ( )

There’s been a mini-trend this year in Christian fiction. I’d say this is the years of sisterhood. Specifically, twin sisters. This is the third story featuring twin sisters I’ve read this year. Yet, every one of them has been unique and moving.

Charlie and Waverly Talbot could not be more opposite. Waverly is put together, hosts a successful cooking show, and is happily married. Charlie lives on a different continent, works for an international aid organization, and thrives on her independence.

Despite their differences, both Waverly and Charlie are gripping something so tightly, they have little room for accepting other blessings. For Waverly, it’s her desire to be a mother while Charlie holds onto an event from her past.

As each sister sacrifices something for the other, they begin to appreciate the differences (and strengths) in each other, ones they haven’t been able to see before due to circumstances and distance.
I really enjoyed the scenes set in the book in the Balkan states (mostly Budapest but others as well) and the descriptions, especially the food. I should point out here that I dinged Rachel Linden for too much telling in her previous book, but this one definitely puts the reader in the scenes.
While the first half of the book gives readers background on each sister and sets up the second half of the book (which, for me, dragged at times), the growing and strengthening relationship between these two is worth it.

Disclosure statement:
I receive complimentary books from publishers, publicists, and/or authors, including NetGalley. I am not required to write positive reviews. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. ( )

I like reading stories about sisters and especially twin sisters, so the title called to me immediately, and the synopsis sealed the deal. Waverly and Charlie are twins who were very close growing up, but have become, if not exactly estranged, at least very distant with one another. Both have secrets they have kept from the other twin, something that was unheard of while they were growing up! Waverly wants to become a mother very badly, but cannot have children. Charlie has a dark secret of failure and personal shame that she has kept from her sister. When they come together at the Aunt Mae’s funeral, they begin to bridge the rift when Charlie offers to carry a baby for Waverly.

There are some unexpected complications along the way, some of which seem a little unrealistic, but still make for an interesting story. Parts a little predictable but that doesn’t damage the story; I expected the outcome, but enjoyed the journey anyway. One thing I did appreciate was that the author provided an epilogue. While I might have enjoyed a few more detail on HOW the characters got to where they were, I can honestly say there are no questions that were left unanswered.

This is a quick read and one of those books that can be read on different levels, which means it will be a great selection for book clubs. You can read this as an individual and enjoy the story, but if you want to go deeper with your book club, you will find plenty to discuss, from surrogacy, to sex trafficking, to family relationships, and more. I read an ARC and there is space left for discussion questions at the end which book clubs may find helpful.

This is classified as Christian fiction, from a Christian publisher, but there is nothing that smacks you in the face shouting ‘I am a Christian book!’ There are a couple of scenes in church and recurring references to Aunt Mae’s motto: Whatever the Good Lord puts in you hand you give back to others. Those are pretty subtle and probably few people would notice or feel offended by them, however a group with a Christian slant could find enough in the book to fuel a discussion of how their values apply in this book. ( )

The book opens by introducing the reader to Waverly Ross – a cooking show and entertainment show host. She started with small videos and now she is on the Food Network with a whole brand called Simply Perfect. But all is not quite so perfect in Waverly’s world; her beloved Aunt is dying and she has not been able to achieve her greatest desire – to have a baby.

Waverly goes home for her Aunt’s funeral and there she sees her sister Charlie for the first time in many years. Even though they are twins the girls went their own ways when they reached their majority. They were reared by their Aunt because their parents were killed in a plane crash. Now they sit and remember all she did for them and catch each other up on their lives. It’s during this talk that Waverly shares with Charlie her sadness at not having a child. Charlie impulsively offers to be a surrogate and this puts in motion a series of events neither sister could even begin to predict.

This gift from one sister to the other starts to bring the two closer than they have been since they were children. This does not mean that all is well though as strains appear in other relationships and in jobs. But the sisters’ abiding love will carry them through anything.

The two main characters are very intriguing; twins but complete opposites. Both women dealing with traumas of which the other is totally unaware. Both needing something but not knowing what. This relationship made the book worth reading. Other aspects of the plot were a little far fetched for me. I don’t want to go into what here as you know I don’t like to spoil main story lines in my reviews. I just had a hard time with one really big twist in the story. Once I get taken out of a book due to something that just doesn’t ring true I have a hard time falling back in to the tale. But that is me – others have not felt this way. That is the beauty of opinion.

The writing is great – easy to read and it moves right along. Ancillary characters are good; some are underdeveloped and one or two are caricatures but all in all a quick and entertaining read. Becoming the Talbot Sisters delves into some dark issues with compassion and hope. ( )