Together, Again by Milly Johnson

 

Together, Again by Milly Johnson.

Published in paperback 2nd March 2023 by Simon and Schuster.

From the cover of the book:

Sisters Jolene, Marsha and Annis have convened at their beautiful family home, Fox House, following the death of their mother, the tricky Eleanor Vamplew. Born seven years apart, the women are more strangers than sisters.

Jolene, the eldest, is a successful romantic novelist who writes about beautiful relationships even though her own marriage to the handsome and charming Warren is complicated.

Marsha, the neglected middle child, has put all of her energy into her work, hoping money will plug the gap in her life left by the man who broke her young heart.

Annis is the renegade, who left home aged sixteen and never returned, not even for the death of their beloved father Julian. Until now.

So when the sisters discover that their mother has left everything to Annis in her will, it undermines everything they thought they knew. Can saying their final goodbyes to Eleanor bring them together again? 

***********

The death of matriarch Eleanor Vamplew has managed to bring about a miracle - her three daughters, Jolene, Marsha and Annis have returned to their childhood home Fox House, and are together for the first time in many years.

Born seven years apart, these are women who barely know each other. Jolene, the eldest is a successful author of a series of romantic novels, but her own marriage to the charming Warren is less than picture perfect. Marsha, the middle sister is a forthright business woman on the surface, but a mass of contradictions underneath, and she struggles to form relationships after having her heart broken in her youth. And Annis, the youngest is an enigma, estranged from her family since the day she ran away aged just sixteen.

Fox House holds more bad memories than good ones, and they all come rushing to the surface as the sisters begin to sort through their mother's possessions, in the strange limbo days between her death and funeral. The surprising fact that Eleanor has left her worldly possessions to Annis, the daughter who rejected her family, has the potential to drive them further apart. However, coming together to say goodbye to the mother, whose affection they always craved, could also be the chance for something good to grow from the ashes of their difficult childhoods...

Together, Again is the twentieth novel from Milly Johnson, and it is an absolute stunner! The story follows three sisters with a lot of emotional baggage, as they come together following the death of their mother. There is a lot of distance between these women in terms of both age, and sisterly closeness, and the difficult relationship they had with both of their parents (especially their mother Eleanor) has meant that any comfort they could have given each other during their time at home, and in the years that have followed, has been impossible.

Each of the sisters has a voice in this novel, as they try to come to terms with their own problems and the painful memories that resurface now they have come together again in the place where their unforgiving mother held sway. Johnson, with her accomplished flair, takes you right inside their hearts and souls, tugging mercilessly on your heartstrings through all the poignant episodes that result. Their narratives are broken up by two other voices that weave through the novel about a secret that lies festering at the heart of the Vamplew family - next door neighbour Sally, and intriguingly Eleanor herself. What they have to reveal knocks you sideways, when the little hints that Johnson drops coalesce with shocking clarity at the end of the book.

For the most part, this is a tale that warms the cockles of your heart as the three sisters unexpectedly find strength from each other, in a situation that could easily go either way. Annis proves to be the one with the wisest head on her shoulders, despite all she has been through, and I love how she is the catalyst for real change in all their lives. Johnson touches on some weighty subjects in the telling though, with themes that delve into different facets of betrayal, and there is a big dose of dysfunction and a side order of insidious abuse along the way. These moments hit you with force, but they are balanced beautifully with threads of hope, reconciliation, laying the ghosts of the past, warmth, humour, and delightful romantic suspense that make your heart sing. 

I adored this book, and absorbed it from cover to cover. I cannot wait for book twenty-one!

Together, Again is available to buy now in multiple formats.

Thank you to Ed PR for sending me a paperback copy of this book in return for an honest review, and for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author: 

Milly Johnson was born, raised and still lives in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. A Sunday Times bestseller, she is one of the Top 10 Female Fiction authors in the UK, and with millions of copies of her books sold across the world, Milly's star continues to rise. Milly was chosen as one of the authors for The Reading Agency's Quick Reads 2020 campaign. Together, Again is her twentieth novel. 

 Milly writes from the heart about what and where she knows and highlights the importance of community spirit. Her books champion women, their strength and resilience, and celebrate love, friendship and the possibility of second chances. She is an exceptional writer who puts her heart and soul into every book she writes and every character she creates.