I read it.  It was fine.  It got better as it went along, but never really drew me in.  I probably won’t remember much about it in a few weeks.

Kate and Tully became unlikely best friends in 8th grade. Tully was beautiful, well-dressed and “cool,” while Kate was definitely not cool. In spite of their differences, the friendship endured through high school while the girls dreamed of making it big as famous news anchors, through college as the girls explored careers and love, and on into adulthood as they finally acknowledged the separate paths their lives were taking. Through it all, the girls disagreed, fought and made up. Tully gave Kate the ability to dream big, while Kate and her family provided Tully with the love and stability she so desperately needed. But then Tully’s desire for success at any cost finally drives a wedge between the women that threatens their friendship forever.

Firefly Lane is a classic tale of mismatched best friends. Although somewhat predictable, Hannah still creates an entertaining story. Some of the side plots that really rang true to me were the mother-daughter relationships. Hannah manages to write about the intensity and love, without being melodramatic. Kate’s growth is especially fun to watch, as she grows from a teenager, fighting with her “overprotective” mother, into an “overprotective” mother with her own teenage daughter. If you’re looking for some fun chick lit to escape into this summer, Firefly Lane would make a great selection.

Julia is a child psychologist from LA, whose reputation has been dragged through the mud in a controversial court case. Her sister, Ellie, is the police chief in a tiny Pacific Northwest town. When a “wild child” is discovered in Ellie’s town, Ellie calls Julia to come help. Through the process of helping the child, Julia is able to find her purpose again, and Ellie and Julia are able to heal old wounds.

Like most of Hannah’s books, this one focuses on sisters who are estranged from each other. It makes me wonder what Hannah’s relationship is like with her own sister–or if she even has one. This book isn’t quite as melodramatic as some of her other books. I enjoyed the plot-line of Julia helping the “wild child.” However, after having read many true stories of children who have been severely abused at a young age, I really had to question the amazing progress that Alice was able to make in a very short amount of time, as well as the attachments she was able to develop with others. The ending was a bit of a fairy tale, but overall, the book was enjoyable.

Joy is recently divorced, and now must deal with the news that her beloved sister is marrying Joy’s ex-husband. Daniel’s ex-wife has recently died, and now he must build a relationship with his young son. Joy and Daniel are thrown together by a plane crash, and soon begin to heal.

I know, that synopsis was quite nauseating. If that’s all there was to the story, I wouldn’t recommend the book. But Hannah adds a few unexpected twists that help to redeem a seemingly predictable plot.