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I just finished and WOW, I was so not expecting the end. Just when I thought I had it figured out.....
The Favorite Sister follows 5 women who are part of a reality show called Goal Diggers, and two of them are sisters.
I don't want to give too much away of the book, other than this is a MUST READ by Jessica Knoll. It's the kind of book you will devour in one sitting.

Brett, Stephanie, Jen and Lauren are the stars of the hit reality series "Gold Diggers." These are women who are young, beautiful, powerful and successful. These women helm companies that promote and build up other women. They are women helping women. Or are they? With a full cast of supporting characters, this book follows the lives of the "Diggers" both on and off screen.

After a bit of a slow start, the story line comes into focus. And what a story line it is! It is full of lies & deceit with plenty of infighting to keep the reader entertained. While the characters start out fairly superficial, they are fleshed out over the course of the book. The result is an entire cast that one will both love and hate simultaneously. There is lots of back and forth in time, which can be confusing but it is absolutely all worth it. The last 20% of the book sends the reader on an adventure that will NOT be soon forgotten! The twists and turns and surprises are nothing short of amazing. Jessica Knoll out did herself this time. She delivered a book that is better than Luckiest Girl Alive. Excellent read!

This is a difficult book review to write for me. Did I "like" the book? No, not really. I hated the egocentric bitchy characters a lot. However, does that mean that the book was horrible? I don't think the writing or story told was terrible so I won't give this book a bad review. We find out right away that one of the main characters has died-- the rest of the book tries to unravel the sordid web that she and other characters in the book find themselves in since they signed on to film a reality show called Goal Diggers. Ugh, there are so many cringe worthy materialistic and selfish things we read throughout the book, I found myself sort of hoping these women would get what they deserved. As many others mention, it is extremely difficult to keep the characters straight--they are all so plastic and selfish.If you were a fan of Jessica Knoll's first book, "Luckiest Girl Alive", I think you would want to read this one. For me the ending of both her books were just too contrived and in its entirety, "The Favorite Sister" just left me feeling empty.

Thank you to Net Galley for the chance to read and review this book.

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll is a quick and easy read. If you like reality TV shows like the housewives of series, then you'll like this book. I received this as an ARC copy for giving my honest opinion.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. If you like the Housewives Reality shows, this is a book for you. I'm not a fan of those shows, but I did find this book enjoyable. All of the characters are catty, over the top and intriguing. The more you read the less you trust anyone. It is a quick, fluff read. Just sit back and enjoy.

I love reality TV. I should feel guilty about this, but I don't. I love its purported values and the cattiness it brings out in people, the fights that lead to iconic lines and GIFs that are immortalized in the internet hall of fame.

When given the opportunity to read a book about a back-stabbing society of women, all starring on a reality show ostensibly about women succeeding in the business world, I was overjoyed.

The book opens with the news that Brett is dead. We don't know much about Brett, other than she was a cast member and sister to a cast member, but her death is cast in ghoulish shadow, a soft-balled interview about it the focus of the opening chapters. As the novel expands outward, it's revealed the tangled worlds all the women belt for themselves. Brett, the 20-something exercise bike start-up mogul, struggling to reconcile her newfound wealth with the image she tries to project. Kelly, her older sister, single mother and constantly feeling overshadowed. Stephanie, the oldest crew member, sure her relevance is about to end.

Secrets are tangled out slowly, string by string, the pace never faltering as it leads to the conclusion we've been warned about all along- Brett's death. But what really happened that fateful day, and how would the show choose to portray it?

Yes, the women are catty. Yes, they are fairly stereotypical. I still enjoyed the ever-loving hell out of this book. It was a delicious beach read that just happened to reach me in February, a thriller I didn't want to put down, peppered by female characters and with nary a man to speak of (save the cringey Vince, the ostensible Lothario married to Stephanie.) I blazed through this in just about a day, all told, and found myself shirking off tasks just to keep reading.

With The Favorite Sister, Knoll has distilled everything that makes reality TV great and put it in text form. It's the perfect novel to read if you're a Real Housewives addict, or you want to be justified in hating them. Seriously. Pull up a chair, sip a mimosa, and open the front cover.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

If you like reality TV with lots of unlikeable characters backstabbing and plotting against each other, you will enjoy this story about the women on the reality TV show "Goal Diggers" which was created to showcase and successful women--but ends up showing that they are just as catty and conniving as people on any of the reality shows.

The Favorite Sister is a stand alone thriller following the lives of two sisters and the cast of a reality show, "Goal Diggers."

There is plenty of drama to keep readers entertained and trying to entangle who said what to who, who is sleeping with who, who is doing what to stay relevant.

A huge nod to the Desperate Housewives series of reality tv takes the reader behind the scenes of what it is actually like to be a part of the cast. Alliances and friendships only last as long as a commercial break. Half fiction, half treatise on what feminism is today and the inequality of what is expected and required. A very interesting read.

This is the perfect summer read! Suspenseful, thought-provoking, successfully and freshly skewers reality show tropes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for gifting me with an ARC of The Favorite Sister.

I was beyond excited to receive an early review copy of Jessica Knoll's sophomore novel. As a die hard fan of reality TV and contemporary fiction, this book should have been an absolute winner. I am sorry to say, it was just mediocre.

Two sisters are part of a cast of five women who agree to share their daily lives on television as they promote their brand and cause. Of course, these women are not interested in sharing ANYTHING! Everyone has an angle, and each craves the most airtime even if that means lying. cheating, backstabbing and yes murdering to get that coveted top spot.

Jessica Knoll is quick with the snark, and her writing is clever, biting , sharp and so relevant for today. My problem was with the editing of this book. It was confusing in the beginning to separate the multiple points of view and recognize and identify with all the various characters. There were timelines shifting in middle of a page and often too much dialogue. The plot was thin and I found the twists common. The surprise element was overall basic & dull. It may be my expectations were raised as I really enjoyed Ms. Knoll's first book.

If you like Desperate Housewives or Real Housewives of wherever, you'll love this. I wasn't that into the "show" part of it since I've never been into either of those shows but I loved the thriller/whodunit aspect. I never really figured out how Brett died until it was actually revealed. I guessed the killer a couple of times but Jessica Knoll does an awesome job of keeping you second guessing and making you change your mind. What I really enjoyed though, is reading the Q and A's with Jessica at the end. This book is so much more than it seems.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Written in a style that leaves little breadcrumbs to the biggest mystery, The Favorite Sister kept me reading because I needed to find out why Brett died. This story centers around a group of women on a reality show, including Brett, the breakout star, and Kelly, her sister and newcomer to the show. The novel is written in alternating views from alternating times - pre and post-death - as the reader tries to figure out what is real and what is “reality.” Most interesting to me was the lies that each character has to live with in order to be a star, which serves as a reminder that no one is as happy as they seem on screen. I would recommend this book to those who enjoyed Knoll’s “The Luckiest Girl Alive”or anyone who loves to read “behind the scenes” articles about reality television.

I really expected a 5 star, just because of the dramatic premise, but unfortunately I just could not give it that. I rated it on the higher side, but would give it a more 3.5 star. It started out with so much spunk, but it just didn't get to the pulling you in and making you hold your breathe place I love my thrillers to take me. I still would recommend and definitely admit it kept me reading to find out who killed Bret.

The Favorite Sister follows the cast of Goal Diggers, a reality TV show about women who've achieved success in the business world. Picture your favorite guilty pleasure reality TV show where women are the front and center (did somebody say Real Housewives?) and you're close to the stars of Goal Diggers. You find out early on that Brett, the fan favorite, was murdered. The book details the events that lead up to Brett's demise, which coincidentally begin when Brett's sister, Kelly, joins in for taping.

Lies, drama, cattiness, backstabbing - it's a wonder the cast of Goal Diggers could keep any of their stories straight. I liked the twists and turns of The Favorite Sister, however at the beginning I found I was a little confused with the different players involved. There are strong messages in the book relating to the various struggles that women face, but I felt at times it got a little too preachy and some of the cast's actions were slightly maddening - particularly Stephanie, Brett, and Kelly because they seemed so aware of the struggles women deal with. This was a good read, but I personally enjoyed The Luckiest Girl alive a bit more.

This was a good twisty murder mystery. It had me guessing and changing my mind over and over in my head. It was full of nasty characters who one could learn to adore.
It is a book based on a reality tv show from behind the scenes after one of the main characters has died.
I found it took a little to get this story started and to get my characters straight. But overall I enjoyed the different POV's of each character and the final half of this book was all "full speed ahead!".
A great psychological murder mystery for the modern age!

I have tried to read this book several times but I honestly could not get through it. The characters were very superficial and unsympathetic. Though I enjoyed THE LUCKIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD, I simply couldn’t relate to this group of characters. Perhaps it might be enjoyed by a younger demographic.

Kardashian & Real Housewives drama mixed with murder – what’s not to love with a storyline like that?

What I liked:

All of the characters are success stories. They did not have everything handed to them. I enjoyed reading about how each female persevered to get where they are today. I enjoyed the inside look at a reality show – Most reality shows are scripted and fake, and this plot definitely supports that theory. The book has a lot of character diversity! It has people that are black, white, and every color in between, old, young, every kind of sexual orientation imaginable, and different economic backgrounds. This book reflects the complicated relationships of sisters – the highs and lows, the good and bad, the loyalty, love, support, and friendship – and how it can change minute by minute.

What I didn’t like:

The many POVs got me confused on who was narrating. I kept going back to the beginning of the chapters to remind myself who was narrating. I couldn’t keep them straight. The voices were not as distinctive as they could have been. There were so many characters narrating this story that it only provided a small glimpse into the person before it switched to another character’s viewpoint. I didn’t like any of the characters. I think that this was the author’s intent, and she certainly succeeded in this, but hey, I need someone to root for. This book was long, and many times it went overboard on feminism topics.

If you like watching reality shows on Bravo and E! and relish the drama, cat fights, tears, and backstabbing of these shows, you will enjoy this book!

So as I read; I realized- damn I need to read the first book! Story of my life! However, if you are like me and read this first, it's still a fab read that doesn't disappoint! It's like Big Brother in a book but it's really not, it's about women and triumph, cattyness and all things that make a girl a girl! Oh snap, did i forget to mention death? Yes - always, sadly a good read when someone dies; you will continue to wonder- what happened to Brett? You are hooked from the first chapter! Kudos for this read! Loved but now I must read the first book to get the back story!

Again, thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster for this amazing read!!

The Favorite Sister is a dramatic and humorous story about successful women on a reality tv show and what they will do to stay on top. The story follows a reality tv show about self-made women focusing on their careers called Goal Diggers. The Goal Diggers are Stephanie a best-selling author, Jen a creator of vegan food line, Lauren the founder of dating app, and Brett the owner of the SPOKE spinning studios. Brett’s older sister and business partner Kelly along with Kelly’s 12 year old daughter Layla are new additions to the cast. Stephanie’s new memoir is a huge success, but she had a falling out with her best friend Brett, her husband has a wandering eye, and as the oldest on the show at 34 (gasp!) she worries she will be cut. Lauren was forced to step down from being the CEO due to her drinking and drug use and she believes one of the Goal Diggers sent Page 6 the video that exposed her substance abuse. Jen pretends to be someone different on camera, her mother favors Brett over her, and her secret relationship ended leaving her heartbroken. Brett has come into money from SPOKE and is engaged to her lawyer girlfriend, Arch, but is worried the truth behind her fight with Stephanie will come out. Kelly is a single mother who manages all the business aspects behind SPOKE and she would like some recognition for her work. At the start of the story, the show has wrapped and we learn that one of the Goal Diggers has been murdered. Then the following chapters take place before, during, and after the filming of the show leading up to the murder. Feeling in constant competition to be relevant on the show and in their endeavors, each of Goal Diggers has been telling lies, keeping secrets, forming alliances and backstabbing each other. As the story progresses, all their lies and secrets come out building up to the shocking conclusion.
The story has a fair pace and well-written characters. The story does keep you mostly interested, but could slow when one of narrators when off on a tangent. The story is told in first person alternating between Brett and Stephanie with a few chapters narrated by Kelly. The story centers around Brett and Stephanie and we learn the most about them. I would have liked a couple chapters told by Jen and Lauren to be able to get their perspectives and understand the motives behind their actions. Besides Layla, the characters are not really likable, but that is probably true of any reality tv show. Also characters are hard to keep track of at the beginning before we are fully introduced to them, but they are easier to follow as the story goes on. Brett is self centered, braggy, and nasty to Kelly. A good thing about Brett is that she had strong body positivity despite being treated as the fat girl her whole life. Stephanie is funnier, but she could be a snob and she was obsessed with her age (34 is not old). She was stressed about her secrets, her age, and has always felt out place being a black girl adopted by a rich white family. Lauren is always drinking or on drugs, playing the dumb girl. Jen is really uptight and a total fake. She not only fakes being a hippie, she also fakes being a vegan. A true vegan would never ever eat meat, dairy, or eggs for any reason. The author is very inaccurate about the vegan diet, if Jen was on balanced vegan diet she would not have her health issues, her hair would be shiny and healthy, and she would be a healthy weight, not super thin. Jen was never on a vegan diet and calling her juice cleanses or anorexia a vegan diet is very wrong and narrowminded. Kelly is the most down to earth one, trying to better her life, run and expand SPOKE without going bankrupt, and raise her daughter. Although we get to read with happened with the murder, the scenes are not gory. The sex scenes are not very graphic or overly descriptive. The author does raise intriguing points about how women are defined, how women act toward one another, how society always pits women against each other, and what we are willing to do for fame and fortune. The ending is not a cliffhanger, we learn who the murderer is and how. Fans of Luckiest Girl Alive, Big Little Lies, Pretty Little Liars, and the tv series Unreal would enjoy this book. I liked the book aside from the author’s annoying errors on veganism. I received an advance copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.