I always think I’m going to like Jessica Knoll’s books more than I actually do. Halfway into this book and I had no idea what was going on. The characters all seemed to be the same (like reading an episode of The Bachelor — am I reading about the brunette drunk or the blonde addicted to Xanax — they present as the same person….) and then those “twists” kept happening. Nothing and nobody was reliable. I didn’t hate it enough to stop reading, but most of the time I was annoyed I was still reading. The ending wasn’t necessarily shocking, because everyone was an idiot and I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear that any of the characters killed her. (This is more a 2.5 star book, but rounded up.)

The show features strong women who manage their own businesses. Sparks fly between cast members, as they must on a reality show. But when sisters become cast mates, the gloves are off (at least behind the scenes).

I loved the idea of this book, but it wasn’t a good fit for me. At times I was confusing the characters. That being said, I think this will sell. Many people are fascinated with celebrity stories.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

There is no one to like in this book.  Don't go into it expecting to find a person you can like or relate to.  These women are freaking horrible humans.  But I still wanted to keep reading and find out more.



I liked Luckiest Girl Alive more, but The Favorite Sister was still a really good second book for Jessica Knoll.



The book starts out in present day with Kelly as the narrator.  We find out that her sister, Brett, was killed and we don't know why or how.  The story then goes back in time a bit.  At that point, the narration alternates between Brett and Stephanie.  



Brett, Stephanie, Lauren, and Jen are all a part of a reality tv show, Goal Diggers.  They each have their own role in the show and pretty much stick to it.  Brett is the heavier, tattooed lesbian.  Lauren is the fun girl who drinks too much.  Stephanie is the only girl of color that also wrote books, including her memoir about being in an abusive relationship.  She is the only one who is married.  Jen is the health nut, skinny vegan.



Brett's sister, Kelly, is being brought into the new season of the show.  It's mostly because of her twelve year old daughter who is model beautiful.  Kelly helps Brett with her charity which plays a large part in the book.



Each of these women are catty, lying, backstabbers.  There are little things that come out about each one throughout the story which kept it interesting.  I had to keep reading to find out the truth about each of them and what happened to Brett.  



I'm not a fan of reality tv in general, but I still really enjoyed all the aspects to it in this book.  I am keeping this review short so I don't have to put in any spoilers.  This is going to be one of those books that you either love or hate.  I ended up liking it a lot and gave it 4 stars.  



Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this one early.

I just could not finish this book, and that is a rarity for me. I could not keep the characters straight, the storyline was boring and tedious and the author’s style was just not for me. It seemed that the author was trying to solve all of the problems that women have with characters that have few redeeming qualities. There are five main characters and all are equally selfish and unlikeable. I just could not get into the book and finish it because there was absolutely no connection there. Readers need to be warned that this is heavy on gay rights, and unless that is your cup of tea, you will be offended by a lot of the book. I only read about 10%, after trying to force myself to read it, and I was offended by the language and the general lack of morality from page one. I expected a murder mystery and was reading a diatribe on women attracting other women and trying to be best of the worst. I wish the publisher and author success, but this book and author are not for me.

The synopsis of this story had me so intrigued, that I put this novel before several others on my to-be-read pile, only to be let down. To begin with there are so many different characters (and they are all introduced in rapid succession), that even at the end, I was still referring back to the synopsis on who was who. It became overwhelming, and to be honest, confusing. I found myself having to read the same passages more than once in some spots as I tried to figure out what was going. It quickly became tedious.

The story does pick up a little more than halfway through, but by then the damage was done. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, and to be honest I wasn't invested in any of them enough to really care about the outcome. There are a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews though, so I'm probably in the minority.

I will say there were some laugh out loud moments, and the author does have a solid writing style, I'm just not sure this story was for me. Overall, I am sure this story may still appeal to those who enjoy reality shows, and/or this type of novel. I would give this author a second chance.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

DNF @ 8%

This book was confusing - too many characters right away, and it drops you in the middle and digs a little at the sides and expects you to keep up. I have no patience for that. I like a clear, concise story with a linear approach. Start at the beginning and work through. I gave up with the line, "she's like John Nash with a great rack." No, thanks. I'm good. Next!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! This mystery thriller is so fascinating because it involves women who are cast in a reality television show called Goal Diggers, which makes it seem especially timely and also provides an excellent backdrop for dark comedy, social commentary, and murder.

This was told from alternating first person perspectives, which was the perfect way for this story to unfold. I could not tear myself away as twist after twist was revealed. I found myself so engrossed, and this was so well written and realistic, that I forgot that I was reading a work of fiction. The characters are believable and complex, and their voices seem authentic. This book is marinated in pop culture references. This is the perfect read for the beach, vacation, or escape. It is easy to read and entertaining, while at the same time very thought provoking.

Sadly, this book fell very flat for me. I am a fan of Jessica Knoll's and was looking forward to reading this book, because I loved her first book "Luckiest Girl Alive," but I was disappointed. There are so many characters and so many details that I was confused and constantly rereading to make sure I was following. Overall, I had a hard time keeping the characters straight and the plot didn't grab me and make me care. And, the details were exactly like an episode of The Real Housewives of NYC that at times it felt too close to the tv show and not original enough.

I read Jessica Knoll's last book The Luckiest Girl Alive and it was not my favorite. But, WOW this book was absolutely amazing. I loved the fresh take of the setting of the book being a reality TV show. I am obsessed with reality TV so this premise was perfect for me.

I loved connecting with all of the cast members. Each of the women featured on the show Goal Diggers was an interesting and complex character. They each had their own problems and feuds and story lines. I also really enjoyed that not much of the actual mystery was given away in the beginning and middle of the book. You are given just enough hints to know that something happens but have no idea what led to it. If I had the time I would have been able to sit down and read this book in one sitting! That should tell you how much I enjoyed it right there!

Thank you so much for letting me read and give my opinions on this book! If you can't tell I loved it!

What a guilty pleasure read! It was like watching a much more salacious Real Housewives show.

It follows 5 women who star in a reality TV show called “Goal Diggers”. It was easy to follow along with the different women as they are very well defined and different. Throughout the book each character is hiding so many secrets and you think you have it all figured out, but then are shocked when the story goes in a completely different direction.

The ending is a little abrupt and definitely leaves you wanting more, but all in all a fun read.

Head spinning twists! I really enjoyed this sophomore book, but not as much as her first. Glad I read it though. You won't be disappointed.

This book was an exhausting read to get through.
I know that doesn't sell it too well, but this isn't going to be a book that many can get behind anyway.

If you are a fan on The Real Housewives series on Bravo, then you will be able to relate and connect with the storyline and it's obnoxious and self absorbed characters. If you are not a fan, I can't see this being able to hold your interest for very long.

Personally-I think its premise is so relevant to today's pop culture, but the biggest reason for the higher rating is for the sheer brilliance of the writing. (And yes, I happen to be a huge Housewives fan)

Knoll held me captive with her first book, [book:Luckiest Girl Alive: A Novel|36373750], and her ability to create a character full of snarkiness, delusion, insecurities and craziness, yet still get me to feel empathy for her.
Here, she was able to do the same thing again, but times 5. 5 separate women who will do whatever it takes to stay relevant, outshine the other, and keep the spotlight on themselves-even if it comes to murder.

But this book isn't without its issues, as you will see from plenty of other reviews. As for me:
-I think the chapters where too long, and I learned to read to the end of the chapter before quitting for the day, as it took way too much time to figure out what was going on, who's POV I was reading, etc. when I started back up.
-The mystery of the death of the main character seemed to take a back seat to the backstabbing and cruelty these women threw at each other. Because of this, there was a lack of suspense that typically propels me forward, eagerly wanting to get tot the end where it's all revealed. Even the twist seemed to fall a bit flat to me.

So-do I recommend this read?
If you are a Bravo fan, I say Yes! Even though I knew a lot of the behind the scenes stuff, there was a lot I learned as well about how these shows are filmed.
If you've never watched, I'd give this a go, as you might be surprised how you take to these women.
But if you have watched and aren't a fan, then I can honestly say that this won't change your mind!

Looking forward to what comes next from this author, as she certainly writes outside the box!

ARC provided by NetGalley

This book just wasn’t a good fit for me. I hate reality tv and women who tear each other down to elevate themselves. Soooo, clearly i wasn’t the intended audience. I really liked the author’s last book and thought I would enjoy this one. But it’s not for me.

The book was a lot of fun but the way the author drops so many references, plus how many characters you have to keep in mind, can lead to re-reading many paragraphs to make sure you’re really getting what they’re trying to convey. I appreciated the author’s mostly conscious & loving critique of the feminist movement but I could have gone without someone “appropriating” the lgbtq community.

I give this book a solid 4 stars. Jessica Knoll really knows how to make you feel like you are actually watching a reality show/being behind the scenes of one. I really enjoyed the writing style of this book and had a hard time putting it down. I just had to figure out the answers to the murder of Brett. I did find this to be more of just a drama than a thriller, but that did not bother me.

I loved the premise of this story...I love reality TV...love the drama of reality TV...love the backstabbing that is so obviously created on reality TV...but this book fell a little flat for me. Part of it was the characters - absolutely none of them have any redeeming qualities so there's no one you can connect to, no one you can underhandedly root for. Part of it was the plot - somehow slightly unbelievable (and when it involves reality TV and is slightly unbelievable we've reached a whole other realm). It just didn't work for me. I was hoping for a fun, trashy, summery read, but it just didn't deliver. It was a quick read so I guess it would be good for a beach/vacation book, but if you're looking for something to fall in love with, this isn't it. Also, what in the world does an umbrella have to do with this story?! I'm so confused...

Thanks to Net Galley and Simon Schuster for my advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited when I read the description of Jessica Knoll’s latest novel- I thought it would be right up my alley! I enjoy indulging each week in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills but I am very much the girl that must watch from Season 1 Episode 1 and this book really felt like I was starting way too late in the game. There was a lot of backstory and it didn’t help that each character had an individual on AND off screen persona; it felt like I had to keep track of double the characters so much so that I almost took notes! I was annoyed because I wanted to like this more from the start but I felt like I had been tossed in too late to ever become invested. This was a slow, painful start for me. If it wasn’t an ARC, I may have given up altogether but I am really glad I didn’t.

Then about 30-40% in, I was hooked. I knew who was who and I wanted to see what or who they would do next! I was shocked at how deep and dark the secrets were (and I also learned how to pronounce Net-A-Porter).

It seemed realistic enough for me to believe this is exactly how my favorite show plays out and I’m really okay with it- minus the murder part, of course.

A great read if you stick with it, which a true housewives fan most likely will. Knoll is relatable in her mindset and wittiness; she feels like the kind of girl you would want to be friends with / follow on Instagram (check!). I can’t wait to read her next book.

Big thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was so excited to receive an ARC of The Favorite Sister from Net Galley. I really enjoyed Knoll’s first book - Luckiest Girl Alive- and hopes that this would live up to it. However, despite the premise of a drama filled novel with twists and turns that only a “real housewives” type reality show cast of characters could stir up- it was a little lack luster. There were SO.MANY characters I could hardly keep them straight. And SO.MUCH plot swirling around it was hard to keep focused on the events that kept he storm moving. I wanted to love it, I really did! But it ended up being just so so for me.

Buckle up, this is one hell of a ride! Based in reality TV land, completely foreign territory to me, I was fully engaged by the second chapter. The Favorite Sister quickly became that can't put it down, stay up late read I needed. The plot is just twisty enough to keep the reader guessing, but not so overboard as to become totally implausible. The characters are at once identifiable as in we all know someone like that, and at the same time, leading that glamorous TV lifestyle that is a mystery in itself. The cast is diverse enough in actions and personalities to engage without seeming too staged (even with the TV show casting element considered). But there's the twist, they are not who they seem to be when the show is taping. Once the facade begins to crumble, what has been staged to appear upbeat, motivational, and inspiring is seen to be a ring of ever expanding lies.
Even as a work of fiction, this confirmed my own bias against reality TV in general, and the gender specific politics of outwardly encouraging women to support one another while taking delight in the constant state of near cat fight. Throw one handsome, shiftless husband into the mix, and more discontent abounds. The author calls out the stereotypes of female protagonists, while creating characters display those very same characteristics, all for the ratings game. And once in the race for ratings, there was no exit for these characters.