The Starfish Sisters

by Barbara O'Neal

From the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids comes an emotional novel about two women facing the betrayals, heartbreaks, and refuge of true friendship.

Phoebe and Suze used to be closer than sisters. Growing up in a quiet and wildly beautiful coastal town in Oregon, they shared everything. Until the secrets they couldn’t share threatened their bond and complicated their lives.

Now, decades later, Suze, a famous actress desperate for safe haven following a brutal attack, is back in town. Phoebe, a successful illustrator and fabric designer, has discovered keeping a secret means she can’t let anyone get close, aside from her beloved granddaughter, Jasmine. As Jasmine’s move to London looms, Phoebe doesn’t know how to face the return of her old friend and all the drama she brings.

But Phoebe let Suze down once before and she’s not sure she can do it again. Can the two women who’ve never confronted their past do it now when the choice is between healing and survival?

Heartfelt and layered, The Starfish Sisters is a moving story about the complicated nature of female friendship, the joys and heartbreaks of life, and the resiliency and power that women possess.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Romance, Audiobook, Womens Fiction, Book Club

344 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 25, 2023

About the author

Barbara O'Neal is the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling writer of women's fiction. She lives in Colorado with her partner, a British endurance athlete.

Reviews

[L.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"When We Believed in Mermaids" was a stunning book, so I was happy to read another one by this talented author. It was emotional with so many betrayals and heartbreaks separating two friends. When Phoebe and Suze met as children, they blossomed to adults, but their friendship could not hold up to the strain of so many obstacles. I loved Phoebe's grandmother,Beryl, who was a catalyst to their bond. She owned a home in the coastal town in Oregon where her granddaughter Phoebe visited in the summer. When Suze moved there with her evangelist father after her mother died, she needed a motherly figure and found it in Beryl.
Suze's father was a horrible man outside the pulpit, beating her until she was hospitalized. He was controlling and old-fashioned. He made her dress in an outdated manner and would not allow her to socialize or participate in the school play. Her life takes a turn for the worse, but she finds herself in love with a boy that Phoebe also likes and then their great divide comes.
It is written in two timelines: Then and Now. Now Phoebe is a successful illustrator and designer. She has a daughter Stephanie and her granddaughter Jasmine.
Suze has made it big with her talent as a famous actress. She returns to her old town where memories haunt her, but her resilience and power shows her healing and survival skills. This is heartfelt, yet complicated. Their childhood was powerful and captured the joy and need for friendship and the loss that occurs or can suffer irreparable damage unless we allow forgiveness to guide us.
I enjoyed the audio narrated by Laura Jennings, Jenn Lee, Shaun Taylor-Corbett.

[benedicta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was approved for a copy of this book and I couldn't have picked it up at a better time. It has a lot in common with my previous read.

This is also domestic fiction and has a coastal setting. It also has its own niche and personality which explores the layers of female friendships along with its bliss, betrayal and heartbreak.

The story is written from two perspectives, Phoebe and Suze who met at the age 12 and immediately found they were the missing half of each other. They grew up apart but shared a diary where Phoebe would write and send it back to Suze so she'd read and write back too. The cuteness >>> 🥺😍😍.

The story is told in two timelines, the girls as teens and the girls decades later. So many years have passed, Suze still thinks about how series of Phoebe's actions in their younger years disappointed and hurt her. Can Suze learn to trust Phoebe again if these two soul sisters don't confront their past?

This is emotional and engaging. For the most part of it was so relatable 😭 because everyone knows friendship heartbreak hurts so much worse than relationship heartbreak 💔💔

thanks to netgalley, the author and publishers for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review 💜

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of two broken women who hold secrets from each other. It is told through dual points of view going back and forth in time.

It exposes the complications of friendship, through heartbreak and joy. There is a sense of resilience that is felt by readers as we watch both characters navigate their worlds, and hopefully find a way to come together and forgive their past.

Will they?

Emotional. Engaging. Thought-full. With a bit of a mystery as readers wait for the secrets to be exposed.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phoebe and Suze are twelve when they meet in a small coastal town in Oregon, famous for the sea stacks known as the Starfish Sisters, Suze has recently moved there with her father an evangelist preacher and Phoebe visits her grandmother Beryl in summer.

Phoebe and Suze become best friends, they considered themselves sisters, and they share their teenage troubles, hopes and dreams. Suze’s home life is terrible, her father makes her dress in old fashioned clothes and he won’t let her cut her hair, his punishments are extreme and she’s an outsider at school. The girls keep in contact via Beryl, Suze's father wouldn’t approve of her writing to a friend and he won’t let her be in the school play.

Decades later, Suze is a famous actress, she’s starred in movies and on television and she’s attacked out the front of her house in Hollywood Hills by a member of a racial white supremacist sect. Phoebe is a successful book illustrator and fabric designer, she’s divorced and lives in Beryl's cottage. Her daughter Stephanie has been offered a job in London, Phoebe is dreading her two girls moving overseas and she loves spending time with her granddaughter Jasmine and like her she did with Beryl.

Phoebe and Suze had a falling out, Phoebe knows Suze will be struggling from the attack, it will bring up memories of her childhood and living with her father. Phoebe holds out the olive branch to Suze and visits her house overlooking blue cove, this means both women have to confront things that happened in their friendship and both reconnect with men who they knew as teenage girls, Phoebe with Ben and Suze with Joel.

I received a copy of The Starfish Sisters by Barbara O’Neil from Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The dual timeline narrative delves into the two main characters friendship over the years, how it ebbs and flows, both have experienced heartbreak, and Phoebe feels guilty because she kept a secret from Suze and she was jealous.

I really admired Suze’s character, once a broken, shamed teenager and she vowed to stand up for other girls in her position, speak up and use what happened to her to bring about change. Five stars from me, a story about the power of friendship, with age comes wisdom and it’s never too late to make things right. I'm keen to read Ms. O'Neil's previous book, When We Believed in Mermaids and I can see why she's a best selling author.

[Casey Reads 🌸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a beautifully written book. It made me jealous of Phoebe and Suze’s relationship and at the same time, I also didn’t want to be in their shoes.

Phoebe was a very selfish and jealous character. I do believe she had love for Suze, but her love was very selfish. She was always jealous of Suze, even though Suze went through way more horrible and traumatic things in life. Suze may have ended up with a more outwardly successful life, but she still went through the most trauma by far. It was at times hard to listen to what Phoebe was thinking.

There was some exciting twists and turns. I would say this book was really like a 3.5 to me and that is not because it wasn’t good, it just wasn’t the type of story I would normally read. I think this would be a good story for someone who is in their 50’s and up to read, because they will understand the feelings better.

[Keeley Nickelson Greenfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll never forget when Molly told me “there’s just a lot of average books out there.” This was one of those average books. Long gone betrayals that people should get over and not enough interesting things or character development to really care. Not bad but somewhat boring.

[Kristan Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous, perfectly woven story of a friendship of a lifetime, its demise and resurrection, The Starfish Sisters is a wonderful read. Two teenage girls meet on the coast of Oregon—Phoebe, who visits her grandmother each summer, a refugee of her parents difficult marriage, and Suze, who lives there year-round with her abusive, religious father. The girls are soul-mates, and one of the most rewarding things about this book was that message—family of choice and the immense power of female frienship. There’s a rift, of course, but Suze, now an iconic actor, returns to the coast after a brutal attack. Phoebe is there, waiting, helpful and hopeful that the closeness they once shared can be found again. An old flame, healing the scars of the past and present, and a message of hope make this book as soothing and welcome as a rainy day after a drought.

[Ashley W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you, Netgalley!

I have mixed feelings. I think this story had a lot of potential. The characters were well defined and I loved the idea of a beach setting (which is what drew me to the book), but the story itself was lacking.

Somehow this book managed to be 98% exposition and 2% plot.

That is to say... nothing really happened. It seemed that O'Neal was trying to do too many things in too few pages.

>The dual POVs
>Jumping back and forth in time
>Storytelling and letters
>The abusive, religious zealot father
>The great grandmother
>The bickering then divorcing parents
>The hippies at the house
>The entire Joel (past and present)
>Ben romance
>The LNB attacks
>The pregnancy

Among a number of other plot lines. It made the entire book seem shallow because there wasn't enough on any subject to get invested. Any one of those would have made for a good story, but thrown together, it felt messy.

[John Gilbert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read and given two of her previous books four stars, I was unprepared for this train wreck of a book. The elements of a good story were here, but the disjointed presentation was very poorly done. Lots of 'stuff' here, abusive preacher/father, Hollywood starlet, forced adoption, parental divorce, but the core was two best friends that spend most of the book being anything but best friends. 2 stars only because I was vested enough to finish, manipulative emotional writing at its worst though.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Starfish Sisters was this month's book club read and I adored it! So many times I found myself drawing comparisons between The Starfish Sisters and one of my all time favorite movies, Beaches.
Suze & Phoebe meet as young girls and their decades long friendship is the only true constant in their otherwise tumultuous lives. Difficult home lives, crushes on the same boy, successful careers, betrayal, and time apart...but no matter what, these two and their unbreakable bond, find their way back to each other. I enjoyed the past and present time lines as well as the dual perspectives, but could've done without the covid tie ins. It is rare for me to read love stories of women in this age range but I thought it was written so well and the ending was better than I could've imagined. 4 stars.

[Taiga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was honored to be selected to receive an advanced copy of The Starfish Sisters. I loved this story. Barbara O’Neal is one of my favorite authors and this one did not disappoint. I couldn’t put it down once I started reading, I was on an emotional rollercoaster. The story was very relatable. I highly recommend that you add this to your cart when it becomes available September 1 2023. Life’s too short — find peace and forgiveness whenever possible 💕

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, written by Barbara O'Neill, author of When We Were Mermaids, is such a beautifully written book. It was thoughtful and sensuous at times. There is definitely trauma, but there is also love. Both friendship love, romantic love, and grandparent love.

Suze and Pheobe have the kind of friendship that has lasted over a lifetime. They could not be closer, they are interwoven into each others lives. And yet there are secrets, and there is need for healing. I love how the book shows the imperfection in people, but still allows you to love and forgive them anyway. It was raw and real and beautiful and moving all at once. I deeply loved it, and will read all of this author's books.

[Linda Langford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story turned out to not be what I was expecting. I didn’t enjoy the more graphic details. I thought there was too much drama between Daphne and Suze, the two main protagonists. There was too much turmoil for me.

[PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t get the hype.

[Lisa Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was unrealistic to keep one's lie a secret for 40 years because one thinks the friendship is too fragile to withstand the truth while at the same time regarding one's best friend as close as a sister and maintaining the friendship all that time.

Also unrealistic, that Suze did not have the curiosity to ask her best friend about an "old friend" or look him up on social media or anywhere on the internet for 40 years.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

For fans of Barbara O’Neal, her latest book, “The Starfish Sisters“ will probably be greeted with great anticipation. She is good at what she does.. I have enjoyed reading some of her books, and looked forward to this First Reads choice. Ms. O’Neal specializes in books about female relationships, which are all extremely intense. This one seems to have a really thin plot and far too much in the way of alternating time lines. This device has become over-used and often interferes with the flow, causing too many instances of “whose voice is this, and when is it happening?”

I would like to give this book 2 1/2 stars.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This book was published July 25, 2023.

This is the first book that I’ve read by this popular author even though I’ve had “When We Believed in Mermaids” on my TBR list for years.

The book sounded promising - female friendship and betrayal with the Oregon coast as the setting. I may be in the minority here but I thought this book was a mess. I was bored until the last 10% of the book where there was finally some plot revealed. I didn’t really care about either character nor all the side sub-plots.

[Lynn Cahoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book last night in bed reading on my phone. I just couldn't stop. I loved the intense relationship between the two girls/women. And the way we pass our fears, hopes, and dreams on from one generation to the next.

The secrets they held from each other were small but after so many years, a small secret becomes a burning lie. Add in a nice mixture of 70's nostalgia in the two timelines and the story took me back.

The setting was magical, I'm a sucker for an Oregon coast story, and the men, the heroes that don't come to save them, but instead, complete them. Swoon.

[Dianne S · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I have no inclination to read another one. Obviously I’m in the minority but I thought the story line was thin and the writing was all over the place. Maybe it was the changes in times and characters as I was listening to the audiobook. Still, I didn’t care about the characters at all, the terrorist subplot seemed too far-fetched, and the resolution of problems just felt too mundane/predictable. The last 10% was somewhat better, but overall I was disappointed.

[Jeanne Adamek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid 4 star read for me until the last 1/5th of the story. Then the tone seemed to change in a way that I found jarring. It wasn't that I disliked the ending, it went the way I suspected. It was just the tone that makes me give this a 3.5 star.

[Beth Ferleger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. I usually like Barbara O'Neal but I simply found this book a little boring. Kept talking about secrets but they were obvious and a bit boring.

[Aly Lauck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked this, didn’t love, but was a good storyline. Not very relatable to me personally, but I think it could be for a lot of people. I liked the generational component. How we carry on the legacy of our elders was my takeaway and break any generational trauma cycles. Overall a sweet story. Themes include female friendships, romantic interests, growing old, and losses we encounter. Want to include that this book also touches on abuse, some of it in somewhat graphic detail that may be triggering.

[Tessa Emelander · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Timeline and view points were all over the place. I often had to go back to the chapter title to verify whose perspective I was reading. Although the book shows how ugly jealousy is and the consequences of it all, for two supposedly best friends/sisters there’s no reason they shouldn’t have been truthful years ago. The plot and climax weren’t good enough for me.

[Lynn Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. What a wonderful endearing strong book about women. The friendships we have, the strengths and weaknesses we possess and all the hurts we put on ourselves and others. Two women who grew up in such opposite families and are best friends. Secrets and long kept lies add to this wonderful story.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! It really delved into the unbreakable bonds of family and life long friendships. I didn't want it to end!

[Andrea | andrea.c.lowry.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barbara O’Neal’s latest, The Starfish Sisters, is a rich story that will touch your heart in so many ways.

What appealed to you the most in this story?

O’Neal has a way of tapping into all your emotions, while drilling straight down into the soul of her characters, and she did this with each of her characters through the theme of found family…which I can never get enough of. I loved the way Pheobe and Suze were basically sisters and how sisterhood played a part in their summers, and everything wasn’t always peachy keen. Their childhoods and teen years slowly unfold throughout the story through dual timelines, as each woman remembers different experiences and traumas, while in the present they seek to find their way back to each other.

How was the pace?

This was a slow burn character driven story.

Do you recommend this book?

This is a heartbreaking and at the same time heartwarming story about two women coming back together and coming to terms with a tragic past and realizing that they still have each other and more.

3.5 stars

Thank you, Amazon Publishing, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Julia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the setting as it takes place in the Pacific Northwest, where I have traveled to this past summer.
The beginning of the book was intriguing, I was ready to educate myself on the Pentacoastal Church and a hate group targeting celebrities. But I quickly realized that the book was not at all about any of that, but about a friendship between two girls, including betrayal and lies.
I thought this book was boring, and I didn't care for the characters or the storyline.
2.5 stars

[Deborah Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lifelong friendships

I really enjoyed this book a lot. Suze and Phoebe become friends at a young age of twelve. They are more like sisters. Their friendship is tested over and over again. But, will it survive? It's an intense relationship between them from girls to adult women. They share with the reader their fears, hopes and dreams. A book rich emotion; I found myself unable to put the book down. Highly recommend.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this author. This was another good one by her!