KJ Dell'AntoniaThe Chicken Sisters: Reese's Book Club

I read this because I saw it was going to be made into a new series on Hallmark & I like to read the book before the show airs. This had all the things you like in a good family drama & it was a good read.

Loved how the story begins with Amanda's dramatic email draft pitches to "Food Wars" which never get sent, but are cleverly loaded with tons of backstory. Amazingly, the bland email she does send succeeds in putting two family restaurants at odds with each other as they vie for a $100,000 prize - wow!There's a lot going on in this story, so it's best to read long portions of it at once, if you can.Both main characters, sisters Mae and Amanda, have chosen very different paths in life. Mae, the one with enviable social media accounts, seems to have everything going for her but her pursuit of the "perfect life" far from Kansas leaves her wanting. Amanda, on the other hand, is the sister who stayed back and "settled" for a life in her home town. Both women want more, and they try to figure out exactly what that is as the story unfolds. There are a lot of bad feelings between the sisters, who seem more vindictive than vulnerable. Maybe that's largely due to Sabrina, the delightfully annoying host of Food Wars who seems to be around every corner with a cameraperson at the ready to record the worst moments for the sisters. In the end, we cheer the Chicken Sisters on, but wish it hadn't been such a painful journey.Ultimately, the story is about overcoming personal obstacles and I'm always a fan when characters show growth in the end.

Meh. Color me underwhelmed. The premise of this book seemed interesting enough - a century-old feud between two sisters and their progeny in the form of competing fried chicken restaurants. My biggest gripe was the length. If you shaved off a solid 100 pages it would have been much less of a slog. That, and the fact that none of the characters were particularly likable and I really couldn’t force myself to care about their stake in this reality show competition. I wasn’t rooting for either of the main characters, sisters Mae and Amanda.Basically, my faith in Reese Witherspoon is fading.EDITING TO ADD: The day I finished the book, Penguin Random House sent me an epilogue and despite the fact that it didn’t want to waste any more time on this book, it provided a much more satisfactory ending.

This is an excellent read. It is well paced with many distinct and likable characters. I can't wait to discuss this with my book club!

The characters were easy to relate to and the theme of appreciating what is really important in life as significant. I cried and chuckled which was entertaining for me. Interesting to think about how much people make very wrong assumptions of the thoughts or actions of others.

When i purchased this book i thought it would be a predictable well-worn plot. But, WOW! Was I wrong!! I enjoyed this book so much and it was anything but predictable! I am from a small, conservative town in Oklahoma so i understood the motives behind each character. And i was not offended by the author's portrayal of small-town politics and dynamics. She simply shined a light on what is sometimes very dark. Secrets are never good and problems can only be solved in the light. The dialogue between each of the characters, eapecially Mae and Amanda, was so true, and sometimes so hateful and narrow- minded, that i was blown away by it. But, that said, love wins out, at least in this treatise. And I like it when hope is found in the darkest of places and love carries the day. What can i say? Things in our world are hard and ugly sometimes and reading a book that takes your heart into its world, is like a sweet little vacation into a place of love. And what is wrong with that? i loved my vacay to Merinac!

“The Chicken Sisters” is an amusing story about a family in the fried chicken restaurant business. It is an enjoyable read, although the ending is a bit predictable. About 3/4s through the book I couldn’t put it down, because I had notions about what would happen and needed to see if I was right. Fortunately, there were still some surprises. I had trouble keeping the characters straight, maybe because there were so many Frank’s. 😀I’d rate this 3.5 stars, if that were an option.

The characters and the plot are delightful. Sisters often are competitive. Families do squabble. This story is down-to-earth and believable. In a small town everyone is part of the story. It was fun!

Liked the book. Fun reading about sister rivalry especially if you have sisters.

der Titel hätte eine witzige Geschichte hergeben können. Aber nach der Hälfte des Buches gibt es immer noch langweilige bis rührseelige Flashbacks in die Vergangenheit von spannendem Wettbewerb zwischen den Restaurants keine Spur. Sehr bemühend die Differenzen der beiden Schwestern.

Here is a fun, sweet story about two sisters whose relationship has soured over the years but who ultimately realize that they have each other's back. The narrative comes from the points of view of both the sisters and you quickly realise that while both of them have a lot of pent-up anger and jealousy, they're both actually craving to bring back the relationship of old. What ensues is an actual war brought about by the reality show Food Wars host and her purposeful creation of drama between the two protagonists for some "good TV". The book ultimately ends on a hopeful, happy note despite the fighting, health issues and financial problems with the sisters uniting and bringing everyone together. For the readers with sisters, you'll find yourself comparing your relationship with your sister to theirs for sure. While this book was quite a chill read and I finished it in a matter of a few hours, I felt like there was still a lot of baggage in each of the sister's lives that just didnt get unpacked. Their anger with their mom, their misunderstandings over the years between themselves, their feelings for each other - none of it was really talked about. We just skimmed through the surface of the real stuff in their family dynamic and I felt like I finished the book and still felt incomplere. Also, while I hoped that both Mimi's and Frannie's came out the winner of Food Wars (you find yourself rooting for both restaurants), I didn't find myself attached or rooting for either protagonist. I wouldn't be surprised if they make a movie or a show out of this though and if Reese Witherspoon is in it, I'm going to watch it despite my 3 star rating for the book.

Not badly written but I just found I didn't really care about the characters. Enjoyable enough for a n easy read.

Was not as funny as it was described. Good story though. Was expecting more from the book. Good history though.