Ummmm....wow.
When I’m reading a book I periodically think how I would review it. If I stopped right where I was in the book, what would I say. My review cycle for this book was a rollercoaster of emotions.

I like it, it’s good.
That was obvious but wondering where it goes
It’s so darn cliche
I wish the writing were better
Interesting twist. Now what?
Ok enough already this isn’t going anywhere
Holy s**t!!! Wow.
Jaw on ground

I struggled whether to give this a three or four stars. Most of the book had me wondering what the purpose was. Then the end. The end. Seriously. It’s like I was calmly walking down the street and suddenly, out of the blue, I got clobbered in the face.

I wouldn’t say the writing is great, but I would say the story telling is brilliant.

It’s like Bridget Jones Diary if Robert Patterson wrote it.

#netgalley #sisterdear

As soon as I see a book by Hannah Mary McKinnon it moves to the top of my to be read pile and this book was no different.
A twisty psychological thriller that I could not put down!

When Eleanor Hardwicke’s beloved father dies, her world is further shattered by a gut-wrenching secret: the man she’s grieving isn’t really her dad. Eleanor was the product of an affair and her biological father is still out there, living blissfully with the family he chose. With her personal life spiraling, a desperate Eleanor seeks him out, leading her to uncover another branch on her family tree—an infuriatingly enviable half sister.

Simple enough...Eleanor ventures to find her biological father but what seems so simple is not and the story continues with its ups and downs for Eleanor, many twists and turns and a big explosion towards the end!

This book was hard to put down; easy to read but amazing at the same time because I truly did not see the ending coming. I particularly did not like the ending but I think the author did it for a reason...not sure what that was, but I couldnt take away a star because I truly loved this book. Cant wait to discuss it at my book club. Put it on your TBR list if you want something different to read. Will be released on May 26, 2020. #Netgalley #fivestars

I am a huge fan of McKinnon and I was thrilled to receive this new, beautiful novel to review! Right from the first page, I adored the main character Eleanor and really felt for her and the situation she was in. I loved the many shocking twists that were peppered throughout this novel to keep you on your toes! You really aren’t sure what was going to happen with Eleanor and her half sister, but trust me when I say it isn’t at all what you are expecting! I flew through this novel in one sitting and couldn’t help but be addicted to the story line! I definitely recommend picking this one up!

Out May 26th!

SISTER DEAR by Hannah Mary McKinnon is a fast-paced and twisty psychological thriller that kept me guessing right up until the unexpected and shocking conclusion. I read the whole thing in one sitting because I simply couldn’t put it down! This is a riveting story of family, love, grief, jealousy and vengeance. While visiting her beloved father in the hospice center, Eleanor Hardwicke overhears a stunning secret. The man she adores and who raised her from birth is not her biological father. She later learns that her estranged mother Sylvia had an affair with a wealthy and powerful married man before she married Eleanor’s father and Eleanor is the product of that union. Seeking a family connection in her time of loss, Eleanor approaches this man, but he wants nothing to do with her. She discovers he has a family of his own and soon becomes obsessed with her half-sister Victoria who appears to have everything she doesn’t. Eleanor begins to secretly infiltrate her half-sister’s seemingly perfect life. What follows is a complex tale of lies, betrayal and manipulation that had me reeling. The characters are well-developed and the plot is revealed with perfect pace. I definitely did not see the final twist coming. I really enjoyed this book and so hope there is a sequel coming in the future. Highly recommended! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read an early copy.

This was a fast-paced read full of twists. When a woman finds out that the man who raised her is not her biological father, she goes looking for her original family and finds more than bargained for. My first read of McKinnon's but won't be my last!

Oh my goodness as soon as I looked at the cover I knew I had to read it! It is very creepy looking which I love... and thank goodness I read it because it was phenomenal! Honestly the writing was amazing.

This was really good with a really twisty ending I didn’t see coming! The first half of the book was better than the ending but it was still an enjoyable read for anyone who likes domestic thrillers!
Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy!

Hannah Mary McKinnon does it again!! She has managed to weave another story that will keep you on your toes ... and if you think you've got it all figured out, think again! I truly believe this is her best one yet!!

Huge thank you to Hannah and Harlequin - Trade Publishing for my review copy!

This book was incredibly interesting and I enjoyed the entire book. The ending was insane and I definitely didn't see it coming but that made it so much better. I love an ending that is not perfect or storybook so I was very excited when the book ended the way it did. I felt for Eleanor through and through and understood her plight. It was an excellent build up and the character development was marvelous. The book was well written and I never had to re-read anything out of confusion. Wonderful book and I can't wait to hype this book up at release.

Author note: I hope readers will enjoy this novel as much as I did writing it. Thank you for choosing to spend time with my characters.

I enjoyed the dynamics between the two sisters and the interactions between the characters. An overall enjoyable read with some surprising twists along the way.

Sister Dear by Hannah Mary McKinnon is a thriller about a young woman named Eleanor who finds out that the man who raised her is not her actual father. This information comes in the form of a deathbed confession from the man she considered her father. Left with a mother and sister who she doesn’t get along with, Eleanor feels that she is all alone now. So when she finds out her biological dad is a wealthy businessman and that she has a beautiful half-sister, she decides that maybe she can be a part of an actual family after all.

What I liked: The story moved at a pretty fast pace and the first half definitely made me wonder what was going to happen. Especially after Eleanor befriended her half-sister without telling her who she actually was. The opening chapter definitely clues you in that something bad happened, but you have no idea what that was. It was a good way to peak the reader’s interest from the start. There was some foul language, but it wasn’t throughout the whole story. I also liked Lewis’ character and his relationship with Eleanor.

What I didn’t like: The ending. I hated it. Really hated it. I will say the last 1/3 of the book, I realized where the story was going (in terms of the true nature of the characters). But the actual ending and what happened to the main character?? No. Just no. I don’t think there has been a book that I have read that I disliked the ending of this much. Although I will say that some people must have liked it since it has some really positive reviews on GoodReads. Maybe it’s the fact that it is so unexpected? Maybe people were so surprised at the ending that they gave it high ratings due to the shock value? I read a lot of thrillers and psychological suspense and this ending is definitely like no other. I realize the main character wasn’t entirely innocent in everything (and that’s pretty much all I can say without spoilers). I just didn’t feel that it needed to end in that way. I kept waiting for a light at the end of the tunnel. It didn’t happen. And it made me mad.

Overall, you may want to give it a read. (I don’t like discouraging people from reading books in general). Maybe the fact that I feel so strongly about the ending is actually a testament to how well written it is. I cared so much about the characters that the ending made me that angry. Maybe you will disagree? As I said, I did predict some parts of the ending. But the actual ending and “resolution” I would have never predicted. So if you are looking for a thriller with a shocking ending, go for it. Just know you may be angry when it ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book!

This was a decent book with a really twisty end. It centers around Eleanor, a lonely young woman whose closest ally, her father, passes away, but not before accidentally letting her know he is not her biological father. She sets out to figure out the truth and is pulled in by the seemingly perfect family her "real dad" has built, becoming increasingly beguiled with her half-sister, Victoria, and her social circle.

Though I enjoyed the story, Eleanor was not super likable and I wanted to shake her a few times for making bad decisions- her new relationship with Victoria just feels too good to be true and I wanted her to get some self-respect. She also starts dating her lovely neighbor, but also makes bad decisions as it relates to him and I questioned how someone like her could have gotten that far in life with this kind of judgment. That being said, the twist at the end is great and redeemed the whole book for me. Without giving any spoilers, I will just say that when things seem like they are too good to be true, they probably really are.

I also have a minor complaint in that I didn't think the synopsis described the book well- it says "All of it stolen from Eleanor, who plans to take it back. After all, good sisters are supposed to share. And quiet little Eleanor has been waiting far too long for her turn to play." but that doesn't describe Eleanor's mindset or what actually happens at all. Eleanor just wants to fit in and wants her sister to like her, and actually angrily turns down her mother's idea to try to blackmail her biological father. I couldn't figure out why the synopsis was misleading- whether it was purposely done to throw off the reader or was just an earlier version that hadn't caught up to the final story.

All in all, this is a pretty good story with a pretty great ending, and I'd recommend it for readers of the domestic and psychological thriller genres. . I think it's a solid 3.5.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow.. this book was a rollercoaster from beginning to end. It was a fantastic read, but the end was kind of disappointing. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.


4.5/5 stars

A grieving daughter, a jealous sister - nothing is as it seems in Hannah Mary McKinnon’s latest slow-burn suspense, Sister Dear. Loss, love, revenge, buried secrets and greed add up to make SISTER DEAR an electrifying read. If you think you know where this story is headed, watch out. # netgalley

Okay. Wow. 3.75 stars
This book was not what I was expecting at all.
For most of the book it was what I expected, and then the last chapter of the book HIT ME IN THE BACK OF THE KNEES AND TOOK ME DOWN.
I did not see the ending coming at all, maybe I should have but it was not where I saw this book going in the slightest.
Most of the book was slow and typical. I wasn’t really impressed. In fact I was straight up annoyed at our main character because she made a lot of really bad choices. Then the ending redeemed it. I am unsettled and wildly impressed by how much this one shocked me.

What the hell! This is nerve bending! This is so twisty! This is sick! This is dark, intense! Those characters are one of the worst mother…..!(Biiippp) And guess what! I’m sitting on the edge my couch! I’m cursing the end, cursing the characters, hardly gathering my words to write something meaningful but as you can see my emotions are everywhere! This book ruined me!

Did I enjoy it at the end? Of course I did. I couldn’t stop reading. I read in the car, ignored the honking sounds, the furious drivers saying bad things about my parents and I also read it at my spinning class, using my flashlight , making my instructor screamed at me but I didn’t care. And of course I read at home, skipped the meals (actually that was my husband’s meatball day and I’m not happy to miss them when my stomach’s growling sound was more irritating than death metal concerts!) and kept reading.

I went back and forth between 4 and 5 and finally I said “luck that!” (Of course the original word was not starting with “L”) and I rounded up 4.5 stars to 5!

Poor Eleanor raised by a mother Kris Jenner meets Joan Crawford and Mama June kind of mother, lost her dear father to big C but at his last moments she finds out he is not even her real father. Her real father Stan (he’s so famous, Eminem made a song for me, okay, that was my worst joke ever!) is multimillionaire, successful businessman, married with an elegant woman and had a daughter Victoria who has same age with Eleanor. As you may imagine, he doesn’t want to do anything with her.

But Eleanor loses only person she loves. She is antisocial, having so much insecurities about her appearance (Thanks to her monster mother’s bodyshaming her for years), no friends, no special one (her hottie neighbor Lewis doesn’t count! He seems interested in her but she cannot believe a guy like him can get interested in a girl like her) so she’s lonely, living in a shithole, resuming her miserable life as his step sister is living a fairy tal-ish, glamorous life! It’s not fair, right?

Eleanor is so adamant to open the can of worms and meet with her sister. But as soon as they meet, she finds out, her sister has relationship issues. She needs help. But poor, chubby, neglected, verbally abused, traumatized Eleanor (it’s impossible not to feel sad for her!, the author writes an amazing portrait, making you ache for her, clenching your fists, doing something to help that girl but unfortunately she turns her life into hell at each chapter which was so depressing to read!) wants to help her sister and there are so many surprises, mind bending twists follow each other. So what will happen to Eleanor? Why is she in jail? (We read that in the beginning but is it true?) Let’s find out! Shall we? You gotta read this ASAP!

This was gripping, heart throbbing, depressing, dark, intense, riveting reading! It was not easy if you’re really feeling sorry for the heroine as much as I did.

I’m so happy to be introduced to a new author and I cannot wait to read more works of Hannah Mary McKinnon!

Special thanks to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN TRADE PUBLISHING (Canada)/MIRA for sharing this mind-blowing ARC with me in exchange my honest review!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I had some trouble getting into this one but once it took off, it went off the rails and back! A bit all over the place but still entertaining, 3.5 rounded up.

Eleanor finds out a secret when her beloved father dies. He never was really her father. She discovers her real father and finds out she has a sister. Victoria has the perfect life and is everything Eleanor has wanted to be. Eleanor begins to befriend Victoria without revealing who she is. This was a good book with fast pace and a surprising ending. Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC.