I love a family story, especially one that brings estranged sisters back together. Lena's journey back home to her failing health father, sister, brother, and family business was not easy, but it was a good one.

Chose this because I needed a little reprieve. I was seeking comfort and this one delivered. Get ready to have your heartstrings pulled though.

Loved the story going back and forth in time and following the sisters' lives. Family drama stories are so entertaining, and this one really hit the mark.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. While I found this title hard to get into at first, it was worth the fight to do so. Lena experiences an awful betrayal by her sister and leaves her hometown for NY. Ten years later her father's health is deteriorating and she returns home to her family that she shut out a decade ago.

The family in this novel is dealing with secrets, betrayal, and their lone surviving parent, their father, suffering from alzheimers. A huge source of conflict within this family is between Lena and her sister Hallie. To mildly put it, Hallie played a huge role in humiliating Lena on her wedding day, leading Lena to stay away from home town for years. Their poor brother finds himself playing peace maker. You can say everyone in this family is dealing with some level of conflict, but their father is what has brought them all together.

I thought this book was just alright. Feels like a hallmark movie. At a little over a third of the way through this book, I had a good feeling how this story would go. One thing that annoyed me about this book, and I've seen in other books where family conflict is a primary part of the plot, is the suggestion that the injured party should move on, because everyone else has. It is tiring, repetitive and unimaginative.

Filled with family drama, the grief of illness, and the hope of restoration, The Favorite Daughter follows a family that has been torn apart by past hurts. When a sudden illness brings the family back together, there is a realization that life is precious, that there is always hope, and forgiveness is sometimes what heals the most.

Emotional, heartfelt, and powerful—Patti Callahan Henry’s The Favorite Daughter is a story of the complexity of families, the anguish of loss, and the profound healing power of forgiveness.

Patti Callahan Henry has published quite a catalog of work, but this was actually the first book I have read by her. The story opens with the protagonist Lena walking in on one of the worst things imaginable on her wedding day. Panicked and devastated, Lena flees her hometown and moves to New York City, where she is a travel writer and goes by the name Colleen.

This is so much more than a betrayed-on-her-wedding-day novel. It begins at that point, but it is actually a story about a family and about regret, loss, forgiveness, and the power of love. Colleen does return home from New York nearly ten years after leaving when she receives a call from her brother Shane. Her brother is a beacon of support and peacemaking (he actually reminded me of my own brother in that way), staying steady through the fracture in their family, running the family pub in South Carolina, and taking care of their father, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

This was such an emotional book for me, having known loved ones who had Alzheimer’s. I really felt for this family as Lena and her sister struggle with their relationship and as Shane tries to keep the peace at home while keeping their pub afloat. I also really felt for their father as he tries to come to terms with the progression of his illness.

The family dynamics felt authentic and the emotions were raw. I am admittedly a crier, but I cried a lot through this one. It’s emotional and beautiful and touching. The theme of forgiveness is powerful throughout, and this is certainly a thought-provoking story. What are we able to forgive and move on from in the face of losing everything? How do we know whether to turn away or to stay?

A book that I won’t soon forget.

Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.

A heartfelt and moving exploration of family, forgiveness, and the power of memory—whether hauntingly, unshakably vivid, or sadly, slowly slipping away. The Favorite Daughter is Patti Callahan Henry at her best.

This book was a relaxing read. It was the first book I've read by this author and definitely won't be the last!

If you enjoy emotional, redemptive stories of families in crisis and the loves that lead them back from the abyss, you'll love this new novel from Patti Callahan Henry. I especially appreciated the portrayal of a family facing Alzheimer's, and the exploration of what memory is and what role it plays in our lives. And, of course, what it means to be sisters.

This is first and foremost a story of family. When Lena is betrayed by hers, she moves out of her small town to New York City. She chooses to be a freelance writer and start a new life for herself. When unsettling news brings her back home, she has to decide whether she’s ready to face the past. This was a sweet story.

Very enjoyable read

have hand sold and recommended this book numerous times. Great story, strong character development, engrossing!

This story is easy to get into and very enjoyable for the duration

An unforgivable betrayal halts the wedding of Colleen Donohue, who immediately runs away to NYC, estranging herself from family. A decade later, a family crisis pulls her home, requiring collaboration with her betrayer, making forgiveness the only option left to her. In the midst of the crisis, a secret is revealed that changes her entire understanding of herself and family. Henry pulls Dear Reader into this beautiful story of complicated emotions and familial dynamics with down-to-earth descriptions and perfectly placed hints. Fans of Diane Chamberlain and Liane Moriarty will appreciate Henry’s style. I’m grateful to have received this wonderful story from through NetGalley.

I am in love with this book. The dynamics between family members, especially sisters is so well done and relatable in so many ways. I really appreciated the deep emotion, realness and character development. I was immersed in the story from start to finish A go-to author for me. 5 stars

An interesting family drama with a twist. The major deception between sisters that broke the family apart - the family reuniting because of the beloved father's Alzheimers. Issues bubble up, resolutions are found, and reality is altered in the changing family dynamics. The definition of Home is contemplated. This is a fun and easy read.
I enjoyed this family drama and loved the setting - a family-owned Irish bar and a much-needed trip to Ireland to unearth the family secret.

It's been a long time since I have given a book 5 stars but this one really deserves it. It's such a beautifully told story of life, including love, betrayal, loss, forgiveness and making difficult choices. There were so many times where I had to re-read certain lines because I wanted them to sink in and remember them, like the words were meant just for me. It's very rare for a book to evoke emotions in that way. This book I will cherish and will be recommending and sharing with family and friends. I've already bought a copy to keep and share!

I struggled a bit with this book. What Lena’s sister did was pretty unforgivable and the way her family acted like it was no big deal really had my self righteous attitude up in arms. A few times I had to put the book down because I was so angry that Lena didnt punch someone.

A majority of the book is Lena and her two siblings trying to put the past behind them to create something for their fathers birthday in fear that it may be his last coherent year. As their fathers illness progresses, so does the drama. Secrets are discovered and truths revealed.

🌟🌟🌟💫(3.5 out of 5 stars) This was a decent book. Probably not my prefered type of genre and I think the way Lena handled her sisters backstabbing just blew my freaking mind. If my sister had ever done something like that to me police would have been involved. So I really just had a hard time getting over that in order to really enjoy the book.

Have you ever thought that one of your parents hated you? That no matter what you do, that parent will often judge you as lacking? Despite the fact that it was your sister who slept with your fiancé the night before the wedding, your parent will always find you at fault? Well this is the life that Lena Donohue has lived, and since the fiasco at the wedding that never happened ten years ago, Lena tried to stay away as much as possible, and when her mother seemed to blame her for this mess, it made Lena stay away more, and even after her mother died, too much hurt and not enough resolution had happened, and Lena stayed in New York.

But after an emergency phone call from her brother, who has taken over running the families Irish bar, asking her to come and take care of her ailing father, Lena headed home to Watersend, truly home for the first time in 10 years, to be with the only parent she truly felt loved by, but while doing that, she also had to face the pain of the past, and the secrets she was never supposed to know!

WOW! This book is WOW! It’s a make you ugly cry, break your heart kind of a book, and if this is the type of book that Patti Callahan Henry writes all the time? then she is now one of my new favorite authors. But it truly is one of the best books I have read this year. The plot mesmerizes you, the characters grip your heart, and by the end of the book, even though your heart is broken, you know that one couple will get their happy ever after! And no! I don't care that I'm talking like this book is a real person!

There is only one score I can give The Favorite Daughter and that is 5 stars! It really should be a hallmark movie.

The Favorite Daughter was mesmerizing, full of emotions, and beautifully written. I couldn't get past what happens in the beginning of the story, the unfairness of it. But the rest of the story softens it to be more bearable. There is so much involved in the whole story. There are the three children, Lena, Hallie, and Shane. The intricate relationships and bond that the three of them have. Lena left town ten years ago and has come back now after their father's Alzheimer's diagnosis. There is the love story of their parents. And the love story of both of the sisters. There are betrayals and secrets. As the siblings prepare a book of memories for the father and his upcoming birthday party, more stories are told and secrets revealed.

I received a copy of this book from netgalley in return for my honest review. This book was so good. The Author had such a beautiful way with their words. It kept my attention and made me want more and more! Thank you so much!