Connie Briscoe

Jolene is ridiculous in this book, and the Jolene hate is worse than ever. Still, the growth of Barbara is gratifying, the womens' friendships with the Countess are lovely (up until the reveal at the end), and Pearl's interactions with her new family are so authentically awkward that her eventual successes are even more satisfying.

Pearl does become a bit of a Mary Sue in this book, but her breakthrough with her daughters is what will keep me coming back to reread it time and again. The main show more negative in this book is Bradford. He acts exactly the same as he did in the first book, but because he told Barbara that he's faithful now, the reader is supposed to believe him. BUT - the reader doesn't know they're supposed believe him until the end, so everything he says is just interpreted through the lens of Barbara. If the goal was to set Barbara up as an unreliable narrator and make the reader rethink all of their previous conceptions, that goal really is achieved. But I wish it wasn't at the cost of taking a badass woman and making her the villain.

Feminist rubric:

Positives
1. Barbara's growth towards independence and self love: So the book may not end the way I would like it to, but Barbara's journey is so sweet and honest and powerful that I would still mark this as a positive. SPOILER: I love that she doesn't end up with Noah. I don't love that she ends up with Bradford again after learning what he did to the Countess (GAH), but I can appreciate that she is there because she wants to be rather than needs to be.
2. Chapters 30 and 33!
3. Characters are racially and/or culturally diverse without being stereotypes and without that being their main characteristic.

Neutral
1. Fewer strong parent-child relationships: Pearl and her daughters are great. I'm frustrated that Jolene becomes a terrible mother in this book, or at least, an absent one, since that was her love for her daughter was her most humanizing characteristic.
2. Pearl and Patrick's relationship: Pearl and Patrick are pretty great together, but I just hate the scene where she decides to "fight for her man."
3. Language about men deprives them of autonomy, e.g. "keeping them," or "stealing them." Pearl does lay down some sense in chapters 30 and 33, but then the seduction scene with Jolene and Patrick really does make men seem like they completely lack autonomy.

Negatives
1. Virulent misogyny and slut shaming towards Jolene ALL THE TIME. From what I knew of Jolene, I just don't see her going through with the terrible thing she did in this book. I would have much preferred that she change her mind halfway through and work to come to an understanding with her new extended family. In the first book, Briscoe sets Jolene's humanity up so well by telling us about her pregnancy and showing her with her family. There is so much material there! I'm sad that it's wasted just so everybody else can band together over a common enemy.
2. Appearance generally tied to male approval or disapproval: I believe Patrick says something like "I like a little extra sugar on my brownie," when referring to Pearl's weight. No. Pearl is allowed to be whatever weight she wants to be. She doesn't need your permission by learning what level of weight you prefer. GROSS.
3. It seems unrealistic that Lee wouldn't need counseling after what she's been through. I would have preferred a more sensitive exploration of her transition to her new life. show less

It's nice to follow up on the three sisters from "Sisters and Lovers," and I found the sequel even more engaging than the original. Still, the relationships in this book are problematic, and I'm not sure whether the author knows so, or whether the end is intended as happily ever after. Kevin and Evelyn growing apart gives Evelyn the needed room for developing independence. This independence is a theme in a number of Briscoe's books, and it's one of the reasons I read her over and over again. show more But this particular deployment is unconvincing. Kevin's actions and transformation are so confusing that Evelyn's independence seems contrived. As for Charmaine, she and Tyrone never demonstrate an ability to talk about how to set boundaries with Tyrone's daughter, and the armistice between his daughter and Charmaine at the very end seems like a deus ex machina to make the relationship appear healthy. Beverly's story is definitely supposed to be the happiest of the three, and it very nearly is. But the secret her fiance kept seems more serious to me than it does to her and her sisters.

Relationships are hard and complex, and that complexity is well shown by this novel. I just worry about the disparity between the tone and the message.
I marked it four stars, because it's a book I'll read over and over again. The dialogue is delightful, the story is well written, the chronological structure is smart and effective, the characters have grown and changed since the first book, and the relationship between the three sisters is a thing of beauty. But none of their partners are Prince Charming, and I just hope that they, the author, and the other readers know that.

Feminist rubric:

Positives
1. Womens' success outside of romance: The womens' work lives are highlighted less than in the previous book, but they are still definitely working women whose jobs do more than just provide a change of scene from interacting with their partner.
2. Consensual sex: The sex is consensual, and the women are active instigators rather than passive recipients. No slut shaming, no sexual hang-ups, and no forcing themselves to do things to please their men. These women are genuinely confident and comfortable with their sexuality. Love it.
3. Positive relationships with other women: The sisters' relationship is the biggest strength of this book. There is much more understanding, kindness, and support than in "Sisters and Lovers." I loved Valerie and Beverly's relationship in "Sisters and Lovers," so I'm sad that had to be sacrificed on the altar of romantic drama, but the sisters' strengthened relationship makes up for it.
4. Passes Bechdel test.
5. Characters are racially and/or culturally diverse without being stereotypes and without that being their main characteristic.

Neutral
1. Self love not explicitly discussed.
2. No discussion of systems of oppression or toxic ideals (e.g. kyriarchy, beauty myth).

Negatives
1. Virulent misogyny: Briscoe does give Valerie a chance to explain her side of the story and gain some of the reader's compassion, but her explanation is weak and used to characterize her as a fundamentally untrustworthy friend rather than a person who made a mistake. Even in cases where the characters are so black and white and the hatred is justified, I don't need misogyny in my romances. I get it, like, everywhere else.
2. Non-consensual relationshipping: There are few examples of couples working together to make changes in their relationships, and the main dynamic for Charmaine and Evelyn's relationships is that of a constant power struggle.
3. Appearance generally tied to male approval or disapproval. show less

Briscoe has a gift for introducing characters in snippets and leaving the reader wanting more. I admire the inclusion of Lee and the difference of her life from that of the other main characters. I give this three stars because the hubris of Jolene and the substance problems of Barbara make the story less fun to read than its sequel. (Although, to be fair, Jolene's hubris is a problem throughout the series.) The new friendship between Pearl and Patrick is very sweet, and comes across more show more innocent and less sanctimonious than in the second book. Barbara breaks my heart, and Candice is just bizarre.

Feminist rubric:

Positives
1. Strong parent-child relationships: Regardless of how villainous the main characters are, they all love their children and treat them well. Lee is the exception, but we never meet her mother.
2. Pearl and Patrick's relationship: Their intimacy serves as a foil to Jolene and Patrick, and their unwillingness to be adulterers contrasts with Bradford. Even despite the relationship's functionality, I find them to be sweet and charming, and one of the best parts of this book.
3. Dips a toe in heavier subject matter: The book addresses race with Candice and Pearl, and prostitution, homelessness, and sexual assault with Lee. I admire Briscoe's willingness to explore darker subjects, though I wish some of that carried through to the experiences of Lee in the second book. I still don't know what to make of Candice. I really appreciate Pearl's awareness of her racism.
4. Characters are racially and/or culturally diverse without being stereotypes and without that being their main characteristic.

Neutral
1. Self love not explicitly discussed. But it's worth waiting for in the next one!

Negatives
1. Virulent misogyny and slut shaming towards Bradford's mistresses and toward Jolene
2. Language about men deprives them of autonomy, e.g. "keeping them," or "stealing them.,"
3. Appearance generally tied to male approval or disapproval: This is frustrating, because Pearl is normally the voice of reason in P.G. County, and even she is obsessed with losing weight so she can be found attractive by men.
4. Womens' lives are focused around men or stereotypically feminine activities like shopping and manicures: Granted, this is a lifestyles of the rich and famous type of book, so this may be a neutral rather than a negative. show less

Sisters & Husbands is a story about marriage. It's centered around Beverly who is a month away from marrying Julian. Beverly's family and friends are crossing their fingers that she will go through with it. She has backed away from marriage two other times at the last minute. This time things seem to be different. Beverly and Julian are truly in love. And, Julian is not just a good looking man. He's reliable, hard-working, successful and completely devoted to Beverly. He's her soul mate.

You show more could say that Beverly has commitment issues but it's really more than that. Beverly is not a dewy-eyed twenty-something. She's 39, owns her own townhouse, has a good job as a journalist and she's dated enough to know the good guys from the bad. What's bothering Beverly is that she is afraid of marriage. She doesn't want anything to go wrong.

Beverly has examples of good marriages to look at. Her parents and Julian's parents and his brothers all have long term, good marriages. Her sister, Evelyn, who's a psychologist, has what everyone calls the perfect marriage. Now then her other sister, Charmaine, has been married four times but this last one looks like it's going to stick. So, why would Beverly have any major doubts?

She doesn't until Evelyn's perfect marriage falls apart. She and her husband have been married for over 25 years. It's the marriage everyone looks up to. That starts a cascade of problems. Charmayne's 14 year old stepdaughter comes for the summer and is the cause of a split between Charmayne and her husband. Beverly learns a cousin is getting divorcced and then there is her best friend who's fiance has been physically pushing her around. Now Beverly has serious doubts about marriage.

I hope I haven't made this sound like a soap opera because it's not. It's a light-hearted look at a family of three sisters a month before a wedding. They do have enough drama going on in their lives but, they have such a strong bond between them. It's rewarding to see how supportive they are of each other. They joke around and squabble, just like real sisters. Their conversations are that of people you know.

It felt so real that there were times I was talking out loud to these women as if I were sitting there. For instance, men do not fare well here. There were occasions when I was shouting to the sisters, "Not ALL men are dogs!" Beverly was so focused on the marriages that were having trouble. I kept telling her to look at her parents and Julian's parents. She wasn't listening to me.

I loved this book. I gulped it down. Although the subject matter, marriage, is serious, it didn't feel heavy. It felt light and fun and a little gossipy. I liked that this was a story about a middle class black family. There were no stereotypes or characterisations. Just real people. There were a few references to black marriages and black men but just a part of the story. show less