The Patterson Girls in Aussie Readers

Jul 30, 2015 Janine rated it it was amazing

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Cannot speak more highly about this book. It's a departure from Rachael's usual rural style, and I loved it. It tells the story of the 4 Patterson sisters who return home to their Fathers motel for Christmas after the sudden death of their mother. The 4 girls are very different from each other, one a doctor, one a teacher, one a violinist and the other sister is a free spirit who dabbles in a number of occupations. I loved all their stories, and when they discover that generations ago their fami ...more

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Sep 10, 2015 Bree T rated it it was amazing

Shelves: women-s-fiction, arc, contemporary, aww2015

It’s always a little scary when a favourite author tries something new. Their previous books are familiar, you always know what you’re going to get and it’s going to be good! There’s always a little nervous anticipation diving in when a writer deviates from their previous work, but it’s an excited anticipation. It’s the unknown and if you’re lucky, it will be just as fabulous but in a different way.

With The Patterson Girls, Rachael Johns moves from rural romance to the broader women’s/contempora It’s always a little scary when a favourite author tries something new. Their previous books are familiar, you always know what you’re going to get and it’s going to be good! There’s always a little nervous anticipation diving in when a writer deviates from their previous work, but it’s an excited anticipation. It’s the unknown and if you’re lucky, it will be just as fabulous but in a different way.

With The Patterson Girls, Rachael Johns moves from rural romance to the broader women’s/contemporary fic genre and neatly ties in the stories of four sisters, all returning to spend their first Christmas at home with their recently widowed father. Their mother died unexpectedly and her absence is felt keenly by each of the Patterson daughters, as well as her husband. Two of the daughters, obstetrician Madeleine and violinist Abby now live overseas. The two other daughters, teacher Lucinda and yoga teacher Charlie also live interstate so it’s not often that they all return together to their family home.

I don’t have a sister and sometimes I lament that but sometimes I’m actually rather glad of it. I have a brother and we have a wonderful relationship, I couldn’t ask for a closer sibling. But I do enjoy reading about sisters, perhaps because for me, it’s the unknown, the different relationship that I’ve never experienced. I have sisters-in-law, and get on rather well with one of them but it’s not quite the same. I think the sister dynamic can be difficult to get right because four, very different grown up women are going to interact in many and varied ways. They will love each other and they will at times, hate each other too, or at least fight. In this novel, each of the sisters is a fully fleshed out personality with attributes and faults and their personalities do often clash in believable and yet also silly ways – just as people who have known each other all their lives would.

Each of the sisters has an issue in their personal life and after the Christmas holiday is over all four of them once again find themselves back at home. Each of the girls’ stories are incredibly interesting and I found that I had little trouble relating to almost all of the sisters at one point or another in the story. I understood Lucinda’s longing for a child and her frustration at her mother-in-law’s attitude. I also understood how her longing could become an obsession driving a wedge between her and her husband Joe. Charlie was a favourite character of mine and her story is an absolute page turner! I don’t want to say too much about it for fear of spoiling anything but the twist in the story that involves Charlie is amazing and very well orchestrated. It’s an emotional rollercoaster – for both the characters and the reader!

To be honest I’m not really one for believing in curses or anything like that so I did wonder how I would go with that part of the story but I think it’s presented in a way that you can understand why the sister’s would begin to really start to question it, especially Lucinda who is searching for an answer, any answer to a question. I found myself quite enjoying the revelation about the curse and how it played out. There was something about the way it was written and something about the way the girls slowly came to question whether or not it was just rubbish or if there could really be something to it and it might explain a few things that they have begun to question and worry over. Each of them react to the news about the curse, some of them do things that are quite out of character and some of these things (probably most of these things) end up getting them into problematic situations. It’s how these situations get resolved that make for wonderful reading as each of the sisters put their lives back together, take on new challenges and head in different directions from the ‘before’ time, when their mother was still alive. Even their father begins to embrace change and the chance to live again.

I really enjoyed The Patterson Girls and I’m sure it’ll bring Rachael Johns new admirers. For her old fans, there are times when she hasn’t strayed too far from the familiar – Charlie and Mitch’s story could’ve probably made a full length rural! But there are more intricate layers here and more main characters are handled expertly with none losing out in depth and time in the limelight. Luckily for me, The Patterson Girls is just as fabulous as Johns’ other books, just in a different way! ...more

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Jul 05, 2017 Kira rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, aussie-author, contemporary

3.5★ At the beginning of the novel, the Patterson girls are reunited at Christmas in their home town of Meadow Brook in South Australia. They are their to help their father who is grieving the loss of their mother and struggling with running the family motel. It is here that the four sisters uncover a curse bestowed upon the family generations before. The sisters then part to return to their lives, or start new ones with the curse running through their minds and affecting their decisions. The st 3.5★ At the beginning of the novel, the Patterson girls are reunited at Christmas in their home town of Meadow Brook in South Australia. They are their to help their father who is grieving the loss of their mother and struggling with running the family motel. It is here that the four sisters uncover a curse bestowed upon the family generations before. The sisters then part to return to their lives, or start new ones with the curse running through their minds and affecting their decisions. The story does drag a little in the middle, but that's because we are given four characters to follow. For most of them, the curse weighs on their minds and they react in ways that aren't entirely rational.

Madeleine is the oldest Patterson Girl, a driven obstetrician who has chosen the wrong man to love. Lucinda's desperation to have a child is almost spot on and absolutely depressing as a result. Charlie is the hippy vegetarian, the odd one out. She was my favourite character because she was the most down to earth and I related most closely to her. Abigail is the youngest and makes silly mistakes throughout the novel. I liked Abigail as a character, but I did feel she came off as a little too ditzy at times to be believable.

The secondary characters helped reveal who the Patterson girls really were. Mitch was by far my favourite, although almost too good to be true. Aunty Mags was great and a nice change from the other characters. I was a little disappointed the girls Dad didn't feature very much, given they were supposed to be there to support him. He makes flittering appearances but always has to duck off to the motel or to bed because he's tired. Each of the four girls has a love interest, and not always the right one.

The writing was solid, although there were a few cliched lines that repeated throughout that I associate only with romance novels and occasionally pulled me out of the story. This probably wouldn't bother a lot of people, but it's something I've begun noticing a little more lately.

Although a longish book, The Patterson Girls was a fun read. If you like romance and women's fiction (chick-lit) then you'd probably enjoy it. ...more

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Aug 14, 2019 Jenny Delandro rated it liked it

Four sisters return home for the first Christmas without their mother, to find their father is not coping well running the family business.
One sister stays to help him but soon the other sisters return as well.
We encounter a marriage put in jeopardy by one sisters obsession to have a baby... a lie becoming truth for a sister who travelled from London ... and a desire for a baby highlighting that has a dedicated doctor realising her life would still be empty and a simple joy of life long friends ...more

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Aug 29, 2015 Helen rated it it was amazing

WOW what can I say this is a story that will hook you from the start it is emotional and heart-warming it is going to make you cry and smile as we journey on a road to get to know the Patterson Sisters Madeline, Lucinda, Charlie and Abigail and the secrets that have been kept for many years.

Each sister has of course their own opinions and their strengths, personalities and problems but when they all journey back home to the small South Australian town of Meadow Brook and the motel they had grow ...more

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Aug 22, 2015 Brenda rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-on-kindle, aussie-authors, contemporary-fiction, 2015-release, net-galley, own-read, arc

The four Patterson sisters each headed to their childhood home for Christmas; the first Christmas since their mother had passed away unexpectedly six months previously. The small town of Meadow Brook in South Australia had many memories for the four, but with their parents owning the only motel in town, it meant their lives had always been interesting. Now their father was trying to run it all on his own – they weren’t sure how he would be coping.

Madeleine was an obstetrician in her mid-thirties The four Patterson sisters each headed to their childhood home for Christmas; the first Christmas since their mother had passed away unexpectedly six months previously. The small town of Meadow Brook in South Australia had many memories for the four, but with their parents owning the only motel in town, it meant their lives had always been interesting. Now their father was trying to run it all on his own – they weren’t sure how he would be coping.

Madeleine was an obstetrician in her mid-thirties, and the eldest; she lived and worked in the States. Abigail was playing violin in the orchestra and based in London, while Lucinda and her husband Joe lived in WA. Lucinda was a school teacher and she and Joe had been trying to start a family for some months with no success. Charlie was the youngest and lived and worked in Melbourne. She was different to her siblings; and always felt inferior as if she could never be as talented, clever or beautiful as they were.

The decision by their bereft dad to sell the motel meant the girls would need to go through their mother’s belongings; but the discovery of an old card covered in words referring to a “family curse” was the catalyst to a time of trouble; self-doubt and shock rose quickly in the sisters. As they struggled to keep the motel going and prepare it for sale, the chaos and torment which surrounded them all created confusion and heartache.

Was the curse real or was it just rubbish? The sensible Madeleine didn’t believe in curses – but then again… As the four sisters’ lives changed in ways they couldn’t believe or understand, they found the bond between them all strengthening once again. But what would their futures be? Could they have lives of happiness in the face of what was happening?

The Patterson Girls by Aussie author Rachael Johns is a move away from her usual romance novels, and is an enjoyable read. The intricate lives of four sisters and the individual issues and problems, plus heartache and familial love are well worked together. A great story of secrets, both old and new; plus a bond that can’t be broken – The Patterson Girls is easy to recommend highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
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Aug 13, 2018 Nicola Marsh added it

Shelves: aussie-authors, read-in-2018, women-s-fiction, rural-romance

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this story of four sisters and their road to happiness.

Set in a small town in South Australia, the characters are real and relatable.

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Jun 08, 2015 Sheree rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, aussie-author, womens-fiction, read-in-2016

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Aug 06, 2015 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: aussie-author, arc-are, netgalley-reviews

The Patterson Girls is Rachael Johns first foray into general contemporary fiction, though she doesn't stray far from her literary roots in rural romance.

The titular Patterson girls, obstetrician Madeleine, wife and teacher Lucy, professional violinist Abigail, and Charlotte, the self described under achiever, have come home to spend Christmas with their recently widowed father. Keenly feeling their mothers absence, none of them are surprised when he announces his plan to sell the family motel a The Patterson Girls is Rachael Johns first foray into general contemporary fiction, though she doesn't stray far from her literary roots in rural romance.

The titular Patterson girls, obstetrician Madeleine, wife and teacher Lucy, professional violinist Abigail, and Charlotte, the self described under achiever, have come home to spend Christmas with their recently widowed father. Keenly feeling their mothers absence, none of them are surprised when he announces his plan to sell the family motel and willingly agree to help clear out their mothers things. As the sisters rummage through their mother's keepsakes, reminiscing over old photos, fashion and jewelry, their curiosity is piqued when they discover a reference to a Patterson curse. Wheedling the details from the reluctant Aunt Mags, the particulars of the curse stuns all four sisters, and becomes a catalyst that turns the Patterson's sisters lives upside down.

Told from the shifting third person perspectives of Madeleine, Lucy, Abigail and Charlotte, The Patterson Girls is a story of sisters, secrets, loss and love.

Vivid characterisation brings the personalities of the sisters to life. Each has distinct strengths and flaws, and are beset by their own personal challenges, from unrequited love to infertility. While I identified most closely with Charlotte, I also found Madeleine, Lucy and Abigail to be interesting and well rounded characters and I really enjoyed Johns skillful portrayal of their sisterly dynamic.

The plot blends domestic drama, romance and a hint of mystery. While it's clear from the outset that all of the sisters are struggling in one way or another, the revelation about the Patterson curse piles on the pressure, and provokes much of the drama that follows, particularly for Madeleine, Lucy and Abigail. Charlie is finally finding her feet when a twist in the tale threatens to shatter the happiness she has forged for herself. Meanwhile, romance proves to be troublesome for all of them. While Charlie's feelings grow for an old friend and Abigail meets the man of her dreams, Lucy's marriage is floundering, and Madeleine's love life grows increasingly complicated.

A well crafted, entertaining, contemporary novel with strong characters and an engaging story, The Patterson Girls should appeal to fans of Monica McIerney and Marian Keys. ...more

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