Four successful, driven, hollow women on a reality television show? What could possibly go wrong?

Brett has done something terrible to upset her on-screen (and once off screen) friend, Stephanie, one of the alpha females of the group that broadcast their drama on reality television for mass consumption. But the biggest news is that her sister (unhip, uncool, and un-target demographic as well as *gasp* a mother) is being invited to the show. Does that spell the end for Brett, considering the other three women have frozen her out? Will she once again play second fiddle to her better looking, more popular, 'less-successful-but-everyone loves-her-anyway' sister?

While I really wanted to love this book, and appreciate the opportunity for the sneak peak (ARC), the characters were simply not relatable to me or anyone I know. The women were all hugely successful and wealthy, and while the author tried to make it seem that they had struggled to get there, they really were either lucky, spoiled, or a combination of the two; not a reality for many women in business. What *was* relatable was the sniping, backstabbing, and Machiavellian manipulations the women inflicted on one another, sadly. The best character was Layla, the daughter/niece, for her authentic representation of a twelve year old girl. This author wowed me with her first book, but this sophomore effort leaves me frustrated.

I really was excited for this book and I tried to give it my undivided attention but I just couldnt get into the story. Im not really into the drama of reality shows so maybe this wasnt a good pick for me. I know from reviews I have read online that there are a lot of people who do love this book though and I wish the author and publisher much success!! Thank you for the opportunity to try this book even if I had to shelf it as a DNF.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected...

I loved Jessica Knoll's previous book The Luckiest Girl in the World so I was excited to have the opportunity to read the advance copy of this book. Initially, the characters were a little confusing. This is highlighted by the multiple narrator style. However, about halfway into the book, it really took off. There were some great twists and the larger theme about a woman's ambition made it thought provoking. Great suspense read!

Great story, although I did keep getting confused, keeping track of all the characters. Written well, good character development.

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll was not exactly the mystery/thriller I was expecting and I think I would put it more in the contemporary fiction section. It reminded me the drama that occurred in Big Little Lies, except I found that book much easier to get into.. The Favorite Sister I think will be great for fans of dramatic contemporary fiction, but I didn't find it to be my type of book. I am really not a huge fan of contemporary books and this is also the first book I have read from the author.
The premise of this book is group of women in New York City who are on a reality TV show called Goal Diggers. My first mistake in reading this book is that I really do not like reality TV shows, unless its something involving law enforcement or true crime, so reading about it wasn't my favorite. There are variety of characters in this book, all of which have different backgrounds and stories, however I never really became very interested or invested in any of them. If I am not invested in any of the characters, I am going to have a hard time getting invested in the plot itself. The chapters are really long and give a lot of information on each of the women and I found it difficult to keep track of them. Overall, I wasn't really a fan of this book, I am however curious about reading her previous book, The Luckiest Girl Alive.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book.

Set in the world of reality television, The Favorite Sister tells the story of five women appearing on the show Goal Diggers. The show has been on for a few seasons and Brett has become one of the fan favorites, partially due to her complete acceptance of herself. and her body type. Unfortunately her popularity has led to some feuds with the other members of the cast including Stephanie, an African American author who feels like her age will cause her downfall at any moment.
The story is told in several different points of view (Stephanie, Brett & Brett's sister, Kelly) It also flips back and forth between present day and the past. Right up front, you know that a Goal Digger is dead but the remaining story is telling how that came about as well as who did it.
I loved Jessica Knoll's first book and this book was just as amazing. There were several twists that I never saw coming. I did find the ending very abrupt but I understand the reasoning for it.

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll is a thriller that revolves around five successful women who are star in reality TV show called Goal Diggers that showcases their businesses and their personal lives. It’s revealed from the beginning that one of the stars have been murdered and the story describes events leading to that point. This novel is filled with gossip, backstabbing, and lies. The plot sounded intriguing, but the actual book was underwhelming. I was ready to quit reading the book a quarter into it, but I knew I had to finish if I wanted to give a fair and unbiased review. All the characters are unlikable and play the victim role. The narration varies among Brett, Kelly, and Stephanie. The main issues I had with this novel were that there was too much character background and just too many characters in the story. There wasn’t too much distinction among the characters. I also didn’t like the blatant push for feminism in this particular novel - it felt like it was trying to hard to be with the time. The story only got interesting in the last quarter of the novel. This hardly felt like a mystery or thriller and felt more of a contemporary. I would recommend skipping this book. The book releases on Tuesday 5/15.

I just could not finish this book. The writing and plot too convoluted and confusing. The back and forth was too hard to follow. I gave up and I never do that!

First of all, I’m not typically one that watches reality TV. For that reason, I didn’t know if I would love this book, but I was drawn to the murder mystery aspect of it. I’m a total sucker for a good mystery.

The book. We meet five women that are part of a reality show called Goal Diggers. We get to hear two sides of the story leading up to Brett’s death- Brett’s side and Stephanie’s side. Don’t worry- that’s not a spoiler. We also get an intertwined present day story from Kelly, Brett’s sister. No one is who they claim to be. As with reality TV, things are never what they seem. We are introduced to the real characters and who they claim to be on Goal Diggers. The show wants ratings and that’s what everyone is out to get. You’ll see there are liars, cheaters, and some real B’s.

Despite the fact that I don’t care for reality TV, I really enjoyed the book. I couldn’t put it down for the last third. It was like a guilty pleasure and totally addicting. Must take this one on vacation!

Luckiest Girl Alive is the book you can't put down. It's a dark and twisted page turner that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. You'll be so enthralled with this title, everyday activities will be forgotten.

I wasn't too sure about this book at first. It took a while to get going, but once it did, it was a twisty tale with more drama and backstabbing than any episode of Real Housewives ever dreamed of having. If you are a fan of any of the Bravo reality series, this book will make you think and maybe even re-evaluate some of your perspectives on the shows. Not to mention, it's fun to think about which 'wives inspired which characters, because there are some definite parallels. While I enjoyed the author's first novel a bit more, The Favorite Sister deserves a spot on anyone's summer reading list.

Knoll doesn’t seem to write warm and fuzzy characters, but her style of writing is pretty unique and gritty. The Favorite Sister starts off a little confusing. With the introduction of several different characters in the very beginning of the book, I found myself having to take notes to keep up with the story. Once you get over the initial introduction, you are led through a series of bickering and backstabbing catty drama that is actually very entertaining. I’m not particularly fond of reality TV, but Knoll did a superb job capturing that world. This is a suspenseful story full of twists. I can’t say I particularly loved the characters, but that is exactly the point. Kudos to Knoll’s novel for being authentic and creative and for keeping you immersed in this twisted drama. I highly recommend it!

After a slow start, the book really picks up speed and I devoured the last quarter, if not more. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes of reality TV plot and it was interesting to think about what the show would be like if it were all men. As someone who used to watch the show Knoll references in her interview at the end of the book, but had to quit them for all the reasons Stephanie points out throughout the book, it really resonated how far society still has to go.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you are a fan of the Housewives franchise, you really need to read this book!

I personally am not a fan of these shows. Why do women let themselves behave like this toward each other? That has always been a question I struggled with. Is it the money? Obviously not, as what they make couldn't keep me in tea for a year!

Shows like this are what make it hard for women to be taken seriously. They should just change the name to Women Behaving Badly. And the author has laid it all out there. Every ugly part of "reality" television. There is no reality here. None of these characters had any redeemable qualities at all. Back stabbing, cheating, lying, and the unhealthy need to be front and center. To matter.

This book could not have come at a better time. With social media and all of these so-called reality shows, everyone's life looks better than yours. But is it? Really?

Not only are the women ruthless, the women who run the show are as well and encourage the fights. When everything comes to a head with a shocking conclusion in the end I thought, well maybe this will knock some sense into the women of television, but I was horribly wrong.

Well Done!  I will definitely check out what ever comes out next from Ms. Knoll!

NetGalley/May 15th 2018 by Simon & Schuster

As a hardcore reality television fan (with no shame!), I was super excited for The Favorite Sister. I can't put my finger on exactly why I didn't *love* it, but I think it's because it just felt slow moving to me with no real suspense. The book is focused on the female stars of the reality show "Goal Diggers" (like Real Housewives, but single ladies who are running their own businesses and killing it). We know from the start that one of the show's stars, Brett, was murdered, but we don't know how. However, I didn't feel a lot of twists and turns throughout the way... I actually kept forgetting Brett died while I was reading the book and didn't feel that, "omg I need to know what happened!" feeling.

The ending *was* a surprise to me, but it just didn't feel as climatic as I wanted it to be. Part of the problem may also be that none of the characters are particularly likable. I don't usually care if I like characters or not, but I did have trouble connecting or cheering for anyone here.

That said, I love the concept behind the book and I think Jessica Knoll did a really awesome job creating this world. I have a feeling many reality TV producers are kicking themselves for not coming up with "Goal Diggers" (even the name is so good!!) before she did. I loved reading about the production of the show and how, even though it's based on a positive concept, producers are still brewing drama and creating as many catty situations as possible. The women are all incredibly vicious, but excellent at hiding it... Much like I imagine all the women of the Real Housewives franchise are.

If you're a fan of reality TV shows like The Real Housewives, I think you'll get a kick out of this book; but if you're looking for more of a thriller or serious mystery, this might not deliver for you.

I must admit I was curious about Knoll's sophomore effort. Since her debut novel had been inspired by events that happened to her, I wondered if she was going to be a one-trick pony. She is not.

This novel is very different than Luckiest Girl Alive, but keeps the reader interested in the same way a reality TV of the kind portrayed in its pages can: It is like realizing a car crash is about to happen and not being able to look away. The women are--again, as is expected from this kind of show--larger than life and this is what keeps the reader hooked.

*4.5 stars*

Goal Diggers is the first so-called feminist reality television show, featuring five successful women. We learn very early on that Brett, one of these women, has died, and her sister, Kelly, has apparently replaced her on the show. But how did Brett die, and who is covering up the circumstances of her death?

Reality TV is not my cup of tea, but The Favorite Sister is a well-written, intensely readable novel about the women who become reality TV stars, and how it strains the bonds of sisterhood and friendship. The characters are all well-drawn, and I enjoyed reading about their lives. There are also several twists in the plot that are very memorable! Let's just say that my guesses for what happened to Brett were all wrong!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for an ARC.

While I really liked Knoll's first book, Luckiest Girl Alive, I had a really hard time getting into The Favorite Sister, her latest work. But you know how sometimes you say, it's not you, it's me? I seriously think this book is a case of that.

The book opens in the future, with flashbacks to the start of the latest season of Gold Diggers, a reality show about successful, independent (and childless) women who are making a name for themselves. So the premise is fun. And there are so many characters that are doing things and gossiping and all that, which I think a fan of the Kardashians or Real Housewives would love.

It's seriously a back-stage, insiders look into that type of show. The reason I think it's me and not the book is that I've never really been into those shows. Now, I'm not trying to appear snobby or high and mighty, because while I may not watch those shows, I've had quite a run watching all of Bachelor Nation make fools of themselves on and off the cameras. But that particular breed of reality show is not my cup of tea.

For me, all the characters and details and gossip was all a bit confusing for me and the plot was slower than I'd hoped. I also felt like the whole "mystery" of the book was downplayed in favor of the behind the scenes reality show stuff. That was were I found the emphasis.

So without giving too much away, my recommendation is if you love gossipy, character dense novels with lots of fun and salacious details, pick this one up. Knoll is a former editor at Cosmopolitan, so she does that stuff very very well. In retrospect, this one is a great beach read--out May 15.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an advanced e-galley of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I have very mixed feelings about Jessica Knoll's first book, "Luckiest Girl Alive." I absolutely loathed the main character, who remained irredeemable even in view of the traumas we learn about throughout the book. But at the same time, I couldn't put the book down. I felt the same way when I started reading "The Favorite Sister" - I hated every single character, even knowing their inner struggles and experiences. Everyone was deeply self-centered, inauthentic, selfish, and just generally loathsome. And while some of that dissipated as the book went on, those traits never disappeared and I still finished the book generally hating everyone in the book, even if I also felt sorry for some of them too. And, just like Luckiest Girl Alive, I couldn't put this book down either. And the story and plotting is much better than that of Luckiest Girl Alive (and contains no brutal rape scene). If I had to pick between the two books, The Favorite Sister would win out, no question.

This book just didn't do it for me. It was such a slow and dragging book. I couldn't get into the characters as it was confusing as to who was who..probably due to the boredom from reading it, I wasn't paying full attention. The ending did pick up but not enough to really enjoy this book. I am bummed as I was hoping for a fun yet suspenseful mystery. Oh well. Good luck, I hope it does well.