Many thanks to Netgalley, MacMillan and Jessica Knoll for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


Kelly’s sister, Brett, is dead and she is somehow responsible - or, at least in her own words, not innocent. So, by jumping from present to past, in alternating chapters, through different characters points of view, we find out what happened. Not only has there been a murder, but practically everyone has a vested interest in lying. Is it just to protect Brett’s image or is it for more selfish reasons on their part? The women in this story are all part of a TV reality show called Goal Diggers. They must be young and successful in their own right to qualify. Each woman has secrets to hide and uncovering them might lead to the answer of who killed Brett. You have Jessie, the producer of Goal Diggers, who controls whether or not you will get asked to come back for another season and seems to be willing to do anything to create an exciting storyline. She knows what happened to Brett and is complicit in keeping the truth a secret. Her underling, Lisa, does all of her biding and is known to manipulate the cast members. Lauren is the dumb blond who has a drinking problem and Jen is the vegan health guru whose empire would crumble if her fans knew she chowed down on bacon in private. Stephanie is a famous author and Brett’s best friend. She is married to Vince, a beautiful man who loves to live off of his rich wife. Is their marriage as fairy tale as it seems? Once inseparable, Stephanie and Brett had a feud at the end of last season that has divided the loyalties of “The Diggers”, as the girls are known. Brett’s sister, Kelly, is the latest cast member and Brett isn’t too happy. They are business partners but their sibling rivalry runs deep. As each chapter unfolds, you realize no one is who they seem, especially off camera. Each has their own set of secrets that, if discovered, could lead to their ruin and each of them has a reason for wanting Brett dead.

So, a little while ago I read “Bachelor Nation” by Amy Kaufman. (find my review here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2330664173). One of my complaints was that I didn’t feel like I got enough reveal of what it was like behind the scenes. I admit it, I am a reality TV junkie. I watch all the Housewives and was always curious how scripted these shows actually were. Were they really fighting? Were producers feeding false information to rile them up? Did they behave in outrageous ways because they know if they don’t have a hot storyline, they will be fired? I think that I learned more of what it is like to be on a reality TV show from “The Favorite Sister”, a book of fiction, than I did from Kaufman’s non fiction, supposed tell-all. (Yes, I know Kaufman’s is about The Bachelor but there are similarities) For me, this was the most interesting and exciting part of the book. You really got to see how they shape storylines, how they retake “spontaneous” conversations four times and how production will interfere to get cast members riled up. Oh, and yes, the alcohol flows!

The murder mystery held its own and I wanted to read to the end to see what happened. The characters were well developed and complex. There were two major issues, in my opinion, that weakened the story. First at those junctures when the plot would start to move along, you would be inundated with tons of extra information that took you in different directions. At first, I would reread these parts, thinking that there was some important clue that I needed to know, or that I was missing something, but nope, it was just a bunch of junk. This really detracted from the any kind of suspense build up or sequential storytelling. Also, sometimes there would be these rantings about women’s plight in society and it felt like the author’s voice bleeding through rather than that of the character’s. This, for me, took me out of the story, making the characters sound disingenuous, and I personally don’t like being preached to, even when it is something I happen to agree with. My other issue was with the characters’ big reveals. I am all for surprises, unexpected twists and turns and being led down a path, just to have the rug pulled out from under you. I enjoy it! These didn’t seem that clever, well thought out, or even true to the character. It was just opposite. So I’ve told you all these facts and I’ve spent all this time building these characters but actually just forget it - here is something out of left field. After a while I became fatigued and just started to not believe anything I was reading. I just waited until the reveal. This is dangerous because you lose your investment in the characters. You pull out emotionally of the story.

That being said, I still enjoyed the story, it held my interest and the ending was a surprise.

I so enjoyed Jessica Knoll’s first novel, I thought it was original and had a great twist, so I was exceptionally thrilled to receive an advance copy of her latest novel from #netgalley. Unfortunately, I didn’t love the book, it felt like it took forever to read. There wasn’t much thrill or mystery to the story, There were no slow reveals of interesting plot points, rather they were lobbed at the reader with very little intensity. I found it difficult to remain focused on the story, often when the plot seemed to be advancing, we were dragged back into the past for a lengthy description of a time gone by. The characters as a whole were unlike able, so I really didn’t have a vested interest in “whodunit”. The setting of a reality series was interesting, and a lot of her dialogue felt fresh but honestly the book felt so long and dragged that I doubt I will pick up a third novel by the author.

I was instantly intrigued by the blurb for The Favorite Sister when I read it. I love thrillers, mystery, and the drama of reality television. Unfortunately, the execution of the story did not live up to my expectations.

The novel is marketed as a thriller, but for me it lacked the suspense that’s to be expected by a novel within that genre. There was drama and a few twists- some slightly surprising, but mostly predictable- but the novel overall lacked mystery.

I had trouble getting into the story. I found the pacing to be very slow, which made me put it down a few times. The characters were developed well enough, but weren’t very likable. Each cast member was secretive, selfish, and catty. They lied, gossipped, and backstabbed each other easily.

The Favorite Sister read more like women’s fiction or chick-lit with a splash of murder mystery.
Or
Real Housewives meets The Hills, with a dash of Desperate Housewives.

While it wasn’t a hit for me, it could be for you. If you love drama and reality TV, check it out.

Sigh... This book was NOT everything I wanted it to be. The book was written well enough, but I found it lacking. It could not keep my attention. I really struggled to relate to a single one of the characters, and frankly couldn’t get lost in the story at all. Also, it wasn’t really a thriller/Mystery like describes, but more of a reality tv script. I finished it... but that might be the best thing I can say about it. Maybe I wouldve enjoyed it more if I was a fan of The Bachelor and other such shoes. I really just expected more from this...

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really tried with this one and usually when I’m this far in a novel, it’s supposed to get good or there should at least be some kind of culminating point in the novel.

It’s a shame because I like the idea of the story and how it’s an all women novel. Maybe one day in the future I can get back to it and finish it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Five strong, successful women make up the Goal Diggers reality show cast set in New York City. The producers will get more than they bargain for this season when one of the women is murdered.

Brett is the fan favourite. She is only 27 and has launched a highly successful spin studio. That, coupled with her recent engagement, has only increased her popularity and made her the envy of her cast since they are all vying for the spotlight.

Kelly is Brett's older sister, business partner, and the newest cast member. The veterans of the show think she's a cling-on not understanding that growing up, it was Kelly who was the favourite, not Brett.

Stephanie is the oldest on the show, and the first black woman. She is a published author of erotic novels, but her success has come from her memoir in which she has taken some liberties and is afraid of being found out. Stephanie is married to an attractive, non-working actor with a wandering eye. Sounds like the perfect storyline for a reality show, but this season, the focus is on the rift between Stephanie and her former best friend, Brett.

Lauren a successful start-up story whose out-of-control drinking has her poised for a recovery storyline.

Finally Jen, rich and famous from her vegan food line is actually not vegan, and is incredibly ruthless behind the scenes. I pictured her to be like Gwyneth Paltrow chowing down on burgers.

Can I tell you how riveting this was? Knoll has an incredible knack for writing conversation which is why the premise worked so well—we are also a culture that is obsessed with celebrity and social media, and this story plays right into that hand.

There are multiple characters introduced in the beginning and I had to keep referring back to the character synopsis to keep them all straight and I really hope that this is included in the published book. Certainly not a criticism, but I wanted to mention it because I found it useful. Knoll develops intriguing and complex characters with several layers and once you get into the story, you easily can tell who is speaking and whose point of view it is.

The title of the book is clever—it speaks to the obvious sisters in the story as well as a nod to the sisterhood of women. It is these relationship dynamics that are present and integral to the narrative. Knoll's view of the sister/sisterhood is multi-faceted and downright ruthless at times. But she's not wrong. Women are all about coming together and supporting one another however, the flip side is the incredible hypocrisy as women will turn on each other on a dime! Women have to be younger than their male counterparts, thinner, smarter, and so on and unfortunately, we are our worst critics both to ourselves and each other. Knoll explores all of this through the lens of a reality show. I thought this was a fantastic read.

“’Crazy’ and its derivatives are words that have been used to shame women into compliance for centuries.”

“It is a dangerous thing to conflate feminism with liking all women. It limits women to being one thing, likeable, when feminism is about allowing women to be all shades of things, even if that thing is a snake oil salesman.”

From the author of Luckiest Girl Alive comes The Favourite Sister, a story about female rivalries and friendships. The story involves five successful women who appear on a reality television show called Goal Diggers. It bears some similarities to the Real Housewives show, except that the women are all more focused on their careers. The show espouses feminism but, of course, behind the scenes the women are competitive with one another and frequently scheming against each other.

“The show is founded on the radical notion that women are people first, Jesse is constantly reminding us, and once women have kids, they cede everything to the black hole of motherhood. I want to make it clear that this is Jesse’s worldview, but I don’t think she’s wrong. We have choices as women, and there is no right one to make – especially because no matter what you decide the world will tell you you’re doing it wrong. But when you make the choice to become a mother, it becomes the choice that defines you, fair or not.”

There are five main characters. Brett is the successful owner of a line of spin studios. Kelly is Brett’s older sister and business partner. “Kelly was the smart one, the pretty one, the one who was going places,” but now Brett has outpaced her. Stephanie is the first black cast member of the show. She is an author who specializes in erotica. She and Brett used to be best friends, but have recently had a falling out. Lauren is the tv show’s comeback story. Her story line revolves around her getting sober. She has established herself by starting a Bumble-like dating app. And Jen has made her name off her vegan food line but is far deceptively ruthless in real life. I would suggest jotting these names and facts down on a piece of paper to consult while you are reading or else the first couple of chapters might be confusing. I kept mixing up Jen and Lauren until I wrote out who they were on a Post It.

“This was before the $23.4 million, the book deal, and the speaking fees that still haven’t made me rich, because it is very hard to be rich in New York City.”

With references to TMZ, Real Housewives, The Bachelor, and Hamilton, this is a thoroughly contemporary book. The book also name drops brand name clothing, which will delight people who follow fashion: Repetto, Gotard, Chanel. Celebrities are mentioned throughout, including numerous references to Gwyneth Paltrow. This book is the literary equivalent of junk food. You know you should not enjoy consuming it as much as you do but a little will not hurt you.

“It everyone could stop assuming that I care about being skinny that would be so great.”

The Favourite Sister is an intensely readable book told from the perspective of the Brett, Stephanie, and Kelly. It begins by telling the reader that one of the reality stars, Brett, has been murdered and then goes back to tell the story that led up to that happening. The characters are unlikeable, but overall I would say that this made the book more interesting. Jessica Knoll perfectly captures what reality tv show contestants are like. She is excellent at writing characters who look like they have everything going for them on the surface but are deeply flawed underneath.

“Kelly is brightening slowly, like one of those sunrise simulators designed to gently wake you in the morning.”

The question the story poses is whether women can be successful and still support other women. If you enjoy the cattiness and the drama of reality tv, then I am sure that you will like this book. The plot really ramps up at around the middle of the book and is filled with twists and turns so try not to give up even if you are finding the first couple of chapters a little slow.

“It feels like the iris of a camera is shrinking, narrowing, slowly isolating the terror on my face.”

Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy of this book, which will be available in bookstores on May 15th, 2018.

Grade: B-/B

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the eARC for The Favorite Sister. I have mixed feelings about this book. I think the author comes up with interesting concepts but sometimes the execution doesn’t quite deliver. About 1/4 of the way in I just wanna to get the reveal at the end. The beginning also felt like the author was trying to hit a checklist. LGBTQ character : check. People of color: check. Curvy character: check. And so on. And it just seem like she was trying to hit all the makes and it didn’t drive a purpose. The intrigue is good. I loved the reality TV aspect and the behind the scenes vibe it had. Overall it was a decent book.

Was given an early copy for my honest review.

I decided to give this author another try but found myself still not a fan. The writing has improved for me from the first book but I could not connect to any of the characters. I forgot about each character as their chapter ended and couldn't remember how they all connected to each other. If you didn't like the first book I suggest you pass on this one as well.

I really had a hard time to get into the book, because the characters were so egocentric, jealous of everyone else in the show, and it made me wonder if everyone in these reality shows act like they are the best of friends on tv, but really hate each other off-screen. I am not a hypocrite, I can’t fake how I feel: my face is an open-book. This is one of the reasons I think I didn’t like these women, even if the author, later in the book, tries to picture them more human-like, shows theirs insecurities and vulnerabilities. I just didn’t care.

But someone told me to keep reading. So I did. I asked myself why, but I read it anyways.

Well. I should have stop reading it when I didn’t enjoy it.... I’m sad, because I loved Luckiest Girl Alive, but really this one wasn’t for me. I did enjoy the twists and turns at the end of the book, but that’s about it.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit that I am a huge fan of "The Real Housewives of ..." all of them. I'd call it a guilty pleasure, but I don't feel guilty watching the drama unfold in different cities and between different women. Which is one of the reasons that I decided to ask Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy.

Rather than the "Real Housewives" we have "Goal Diggers" - a Reality TV show that follows five women as they set the world on fire with their creative ideas. We specifically follow the lives of Brett and Stephanie; best friends for 3 seasons, who suddenly turn on one another - why? We don't know ... but it seems that if "the secret" got out, all hell would break loose and the ladies would find themselves off the show.

Told through alternating points of view - Brett, Stephanie and Brett's sister Kelly, we follow the unraveling of story-lines and the discovery of what happened to create such animosity between the women.

I will say that the book gets better the further along you read - however I do think that it was a disservice to the reader to only get Brett and Stephanie's stories. As with these reality shows, we get to hear everyone's' perspectives, and I think that Jessica Knoll should have included Lauren and Jen's (the other two Goal Diggers) perspectives. I think it would have brought more depth to the story - and would have moved the plot along faster.

This is the type of book that would be enjoyed by someone who watches reality television - simply because it follows the script; the drama, the pettiness, the secrets and lies as everyone is out for themselves and their own story-line. It is survival of the fittest on television.

Will you like these characters - probably not. Will you be shocked by the big secret at the end - perhaps. "The Favorite Sister" is a decent beach, summer vacation read.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

If you are a fan of Real Housewives-style reality TV, I would highly recommend this book. It was entertaining and darkly humourous, and I really liked the multiple viewpoints.

I really didnt like this book at all. I found it it a hard read as it would jump from character to character. the story line was there however it didnt have that dramatic thrill i was looking for. The description on the book isnt what the book was. so that was very misleading.

3.5/5 stars

This book is being promoted as a thriller. So that was what I was expecting. IMO the book is more Chick Lit with a bit of a mystery thrown in.

This book is told from three female POVs: Brett, Stephanie and Kelly.

Right from the start we are in the present and we find out that someone is dead. These ladies are on a Real Housewives type show called Goal Diggers. Then the book goes back a year and we see how everything unfolded.

I love The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. So I was intrigued when I saw that this book featured a reality show that was similar. I did enjoy when they were filming the reality show. But I'm not sure that I liked the format of going back and forth in time (interviews were being done in the present talking about what happened). And also I'm not sure that I loved knowing that someone died right from the first chapter.

Brett is in her mid to late 20s and a bit overweight. She runs a company that helps women in a foreign country. Stephanie is 34 and a best selling writer. She is married to a cheater. Kelly is Brett's sister, who has a daughter. I think that one problem that I had with this book was that none of these characters were particularly likable.

The end of the book was the most interesting. That is the suspenseful part of the story. And what happened was pretty good. However, I just didn't love the way that the story was told. And I really was expecting a suspense/thriller throughout the entire book. But it just did not read that way to me at all. There were definitely things that I did like about this book. I did like their reality show and the filming was particularly fascinating for me. But so much of the story was the characters remembering things that previously happened. And that coupled with the author telling us what happened in the first chapter ... well even though we didn't know exactly what had happened... it just didn't really work for me like I wish it had.

2.5 stars

I didn't love this book and I'm not sure how much of that was me and how much was the way this book was promoted:

The cover looks like a thriller. The blurb says it's a thriller. The prologue sets you up to read a thriller. But this book was not a thriller. It was a soapy-drama-chick-lit-guilty-pleasure book. It would probably make a great beach read (if you're into soapy-drama-chick-lit-guilty-pleasure books).

I struggled to identify with any of the characters (they were all very cutthroat "mean girls") and this resulted in them not seeming quite three dimensional to me, which made it hard for me to get immersed into the story. I just didn't care about any of the characters enough. That said, I think I would completely enjoy watching this as a guilty-pleasure tv show à la UnReal -- with the right actresses I suspect these characters could really come to life.

Badass Female Character score: 4/5 -- All the female characters are tough cookies who know how to fight to get what they want. But they're also all bitches and so that knocks a point off.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for a free electronic ARC of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review.

It was like The Real Housewives/The Bachelor. It had lots of drama, which I love. I love Jessica Knoll's books! I always have a love/hate relationships with her characters, It's definitely an awesome beach read!

Not my favorite of this author.. was hoping for more. For me,just had a hard time getting into this one. I did not finish. Hopefully others will find it more enjoyable.


Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early release of this book

Eek. This is no heartwarming Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, that's for darn sure. The Favorite Sister contains some of the bloodiest, mud-slinging, bitch slapping, backstabbing, and savage cast of female characters that aren't on your television(or Netflix)-yet! This book finds itself as a contender for most difficult to enjoy

The backdrop of the story swirls around the world of reality television and is narrated by three of the characters-Brett, her bestie Stephanie, and Brett's sister, Kelly. At times, it wasn't easy to be in these ladies heads and how they justified themselves repeatedly. But a small part of me really enjoyed it( even book loving me has dabbled in the past with reality t.v.)

Plain and simple, I feel like a yo-yo. I liked it. I didn't like it. I like that it pokes at the dark and twisty part of "sisterhood." Ouch, I didn't like it because it was just too raw. No redeeming characters! Author Q&A gives delicious insight-read it first. What a dilemma! Now in search for a good palate cleanser to wash away that icky feeling that lingers.

I wish I could rate this one higher, as I had great hopes for “The Favourite Sister” - Jessica Knoll’s follow-up to “Luckiest Girl Alive”. Sadly, I found this a lacklustre read with a bevy of unlikable characters and a plot I had to actively push through to finish.

“The Favourite Sister” focuses on five successful women who take part in a “Housewives”-like reality show called “Goal Diggers”. Brett, the fan favourite and owner of an ethically minded spin studio, has spurned jealousy from her castmates and sister for her success and recent engagement to her gorgeous and smart girlfriend. Brett’s sister Kelly is the show’s latest cast member - a role that requires her to keep hidden a deeply damaging secret.

Filled with docu-drama faked realness and mild commentary on the barriers faced by women in the corporate and celebrity worlds, the novel starts off sluggishly with chapters filled to the brim with so many characters readers are certain to struggle with a plethora “who is who” questions.

As the story progresses it becomes clear there are no likeable characters for readers to connect with. Although the plot promised an ending filled with twists and turns, the effectiveness is dampened by the fact readers aren’t likely to be emotionally invested in the impact the final reveals have on the “Goal Digger” characters.

Sure to be promoted as the next “can’t miss” summer read, “The Favourite Sister” is one I suggest you skip.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced readers copy in lieu of an honest opinion & review.

The Favorite Sister was so much more than I ever expected it to be. The book is told from the perspective of three cast mates on the reality show Goal Diggers. This show aims to turn our patriarchal society on its head by celebrating highly successful women and their accomplishments. Even with these lofty goals, life in the public eye and the pressure that comes with it seriously messes with the psyches of the five women in the cast. It is hard not to hold your breath as you see these characters hurtling towards self-destruction and ultimately murder!

The Favorite Sister delves deeply into the concepts of feminism, fame, female friendship, and what it means to be authentic. In addition to its criticism of these deep issues, it is playful and funny, smart and wrapped in a juicy mystery that is full of twists and turns.

I would highly recommend the Favorite Sister, and it has become one of my favourite books!