About the Book

Book: Tangled Lives

Author: Carol McClain

Genre: Women’s fiction

Release Date: July, 2023

Two sisters and one man. Both women love him, but only one is meant for him.

Crystal Snow struggles with the paralysis caused by her biological parents’ drug use. She convinced herself no one will ever love her. Roxie, devastated by chronic childhood rejections, knows anyone who loves her must be intrinsically flawed. Both want only what is right for their sister who is also their best friend.

Dreams upend careers. Destroy friendships. End love.

When searched out by their biological grandmother, the past tangles with the present. Issues the girls wished to forget resurrect and threaten their dreams.

Who gets the man and career of her dreams?

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About the Author

Carol McClain is the award-winning author of five novels dealing with real people facing real problems. A fifth book will be out next summer.

She is a consummate encourager, and no matter what your faith might look like, you will find compassion, humor and wisdom in her complexly layered, but ultimately readable work.

Aside from writing, she’s a skilled stained-glass artist, a budding glass fuser. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband who finally gave into her dreams. They own five goats—three of them does who she milks from which she makes yogurt and cheese and butter. She’s raising bunches of chickens.

More from Carol

Have you ever:

Had a crush on your sister’s boyfriend?
Loved your sister beyond measure?
Hated your sister beyond measure?
Been confused about your career?
Waylaid by your past?

If your life’s been tangled, you’re not alone. You laugh at, root for, and not be able to put Tangled Lives down.

My Impressions

“Crystal’s school-girl crush was more than infatuation. She loved Jesse too. The minx. Roxie would make sure Crystal understood, Jesse was the real deal. Her real deal.”

Wow! Carol McClain’s Tangled Lives is a realistic, somewhat gritty look at two sisters’s complicated relationship with each other, then those around them.

Sisters Roxie and Crystal love each other deeply, but both are damaged by their past and their circumstances. Roxie will always feel like she can never attain her goals, only come in second best. Crystal is hampered by her fear of rejection, causing her to be a people-pleaser. What will it take for the girls to see themselves as God does, and value themselves accordingly?

I found Crystal very easy to like with her sweet, compassionate ways. I would love to hear her fiddle! On the other hand, Roxie is mercurial and abrasive, and I didn’t like Jesse much better. I wanted to put those two in separate corners many times.

I appreciated that all of the main characters are Christians, but I was disappointed by how often they don’t find living out their faith important. If you are looking for a women’s fiction book that shows lots of temptations and how the characters deal with them, you will like this book very much. I would have preferred some temptations not be so well described.

This could possibly be a good book club choice. I know I have a lot of thoughts about different events or actions in the book that it would be fun to get others’ opinion on.

I received a copy of the book from Celebrate Lit. I also purchased an ebook copy. No positive review was required, and all opinions are my own.

Notable Quotables:

“Boors don’t understand that beneath crutches or skin or mental status, we’re all the same. All important to God.”

“She…was fearfully and wonderfully made, created from the womb to be who she was. Being best was nothing but pride. “

“Seemed God valued people no matter how often they fell. Could I …?”