Another good read by Sheryl Browne who is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. As usual I thank Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review this book. My Perfect Sister will reel you in from the beginning. Pretty much a loner Claire is shocked to receive a message from a woman claiming to be her half sister Sophie. The pair start to form a sisterly bond until the day that Sophie is left in charge of Claire's daughter Ella and the day takes a turn. The book did not let me down, full of suspense till the end.

Thank you netgalley for an ARC of The Perfect Sister. I had very high hopes for this book book but am very happy to be done with this book. It had very unlikeable characters, extremely predictable plot, it did not die well and nothing happened for the first 40%. This was my first book by this author but reading some other reviews I might give her other ones a chance.

Claire and Luke, together with their four-year-old daughter Ella, have moved in with Claire’s dad Bernard as he struggles through the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s. It’s a challenging time for all of them as they attempt to adapt to living circumstances that seem to change almost every day. Added to this is the additional difficulty of Ella having a chronic medical condition that requires extra vigilance and care. One night Luke returns home late and Bernard ‘mistakes’ him for an intruder … or does he? Things quickly spiral out of control after that.

And then, amid the chaos that has become her life, Claire receives a message from someone telling her that she could be her half-sister. As if things aren’t tenuous enough right now, here’s a real spanner in the works; or maybe it’s the neutral shoulder that Claire so desperately needs to lean on as things get further and further out of hand?

Although this was a real page-turner that I raced through, so many things about this book really don’t ring true and one does have to suspend reality rather a lot and just go with the flow! I know that Claire’s head isn’t in a good space and she’s not too sure what to believe about anything or anyone, including her usually dependable, loving husband. So she seems to quite readily accept that he’s suddenly become an abusive cheat?! And then is open to any suggestion thrown at her by the virtual stranger who claims to be her half-sister. She really is desperate for a lifeline of any sort!

But I think that the character I struggled the most with was the supposed best friend, Gemma. For such a close friend, she was rather scarce! And she seemed to show up only at rather strategic moments. I really would have preferred it if she would have had a more prominent part throughout the book, and would have found her role far more believable. As it exists now, for me, it held no depth whatsoever and although I understand why she was needed, there was just no strength to her function whatsoever.

For all the negatives though, for me this was a 4-star read (rounded up from 3.5). The way that the author dealt with the subject of Alzheimer’s was sensitive and obviously extremely well researched, from the condition itself, to the all-consuming anxiety that weighed on Claire’s conscience regarding moving her father to a care facility. She was so torn between her own family and what would be right for her Dad, and the entire responsibility fell to her. I truly felt her pain. I also found the choice of Ella’s medical condition interesting. I realised it needed to be one that required extreme vigilance and observation, as this would add to Claire and Luke’s anxiety about allowing Ella to become comfortable with a stranger, but the author cleverly chose a disorder that is usually more common in boys.

And of course, the fact that I did race through the book, wanting to piece everything together and to know how it would all end, upped the rating for me, despite the flaws. So well done to Sheryl Browne for that!!

‏I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.

In the Perfect Sister, Claire receives a text message that reads ‘You don’t know me, but I’m your sister’ Reading that and the rest description my interest was piqued.

When I read The Second Wife by Sheryl Browne I could not put it down. It was a roller coaster of emotions to read. I was watching for her next book to be announced. When I saw, The Perfect Sister, I immediately requested to review it. It was originally titled The Family Secret. Both titles work well for the book.

The book felt much longer than its 326 pages. I put it down several times because I did not connect with the characters and was not surprised as the secrets were revealed. I kept yelling at the main character as if I was watching a movie.

The writing style is the same I enjoyed from The Second Wife but I did not like the characters and their actions.

Based on the description, I expected The Perfect Sister to read a thriller with secrets. It was not. It was more of a family drama than a thriller. When thinking of it as a family drama, I would say it is worth reading.

This 200-word review was published on Philomathinphila.com on 2/2/20.

The Perfect Sister by Sheryl Browne is another scintillating read from one of my now go-to authors! I have read 'The Marriage Trap' and 'The Second Wife' though I have yet to get around to ‘The Affair’ and the ‘The Babysitter’.

The Perfect Sister is a brilliant and dazzling story with plenty of mystery and suspense, though more of a domestic suspense novel rather than a psychological thriller. Full of secrets, no one escaped this story unscathed and the excitement and twists that I didn't predict made this novel interesting and unexpected. The chapters were short and snappy, giving me a dreadful case of just one more chapter syndrome.

The different strands in this cleverly written story eventually come together at the end and I never saw the last twist in the tale. The unique way with the narrative that Sheryl Browne possesses made this spine-tingling and enthralling story stand out from many of the others in this genre.

Thanks, Sheryl Browne for this fantastic book!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

As followers of my blog will be aware I am a dedicated fan of the wonderful Sheryl Browne. This is another totally awesome five-star psychological thriller. The gripping story is exciting with well-rounded characters. I did not read the synopsis as, of course, I know it will be a good book and I enjoy story unfolding as the author writes rather than the clues from the back page.

This gripping domestic noir is told in alternating chapters of exceptionally developed characters. The story held my attention from the first page and I read it in a single day as it was such an easy read, well developed and planned with trademark curveball twists that Sheryl is an expert in!

Sheryl writes such fantastic gritty thrillers it's almost worrying - but she does have a sweet loving Jack Russell at home so I know this side of her is all author talent rather than a lifestyle! Well, in my mind, you can't be a bad person if you are owned by a Jack Russell!

If you are looking for a first book of 2020 then I sincerely advise you not to miss out on this - make it your first and you will get your reading year off to a great start.

My sincere thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of ‘THE PERFECT SISTER’ by SHERYL BROWNE.All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway. All my reviews can be found on my blog momobookdiary.

This was a exciting book. I didn't want to put it down. It was very easy and quick to read. I loved the plot and how there were a few different stories that all wove together perfectly.

The Perfect Sister is a perfect domestic thriller that will leave you wanting to read longer as the twists come aplenty.
Claire is married to Luke and they have a daughter, Claire’s father is suffering from dementia so to help him they have moved into his house, Luke goes out to work and Claire looks after her daughter and her father. On a night out Luke meets Anna and an affair starts, Claire’s friend sends her a picture of Anna and Luke kissing and Claire’s life goes into freefall. Claire really needs a shoulder to cry on but be very careful what you wish for as in this case it has definitely bitten her on the bum!
The more you read the more twisted this book gets, I did get the reveal pretty early on but this did not reduce my enjoyment of this thriller by any means.
A really well thought out thriller that was great to read and had me reading into the night to get all the twists and secrets out.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Sheryl Browne proves she is the QUEEN of suspense and mindf*ckery! In her newest story, The Perfect Sister, Browne will make you think you have it all figured out. Oh, so wrong you will be! This book just ticked off every single thing for me. It is full of family drama, revenge, murder, distrusting characters and well…quite a lot more. Wow! What did I just read? I think I am still in shock.

Honestly, within the first few chapters, I was like “huh? I already figured it out! Hah! You couldn’t get me this time Sheryl Browne and then as I kept reading, I was more like “What the…what is this trickery! I should have figured it wouldn’t be that simple. I am going to hang my head in shame for ever doubting your brilliance.

Claire is thrown a rough patch in her life, when her father is deteriorating due to his dementia, her marriage is on the rocks, and she worries quite often over her four year old daughter who is a hemophiliac. The last straw for Claire is when she thinks her husband is cheating on her and throws him out. She is not alone for long though when she gets a message from Sophie claiming to be her half-sister. But is Sophie all she is cracked up to be?

I can’t tell you how much I really enjoyed this book. I was sucked in right from the start, but that always seems to be the case when I read a book from Sheryl Browne Browne has this easy knack of sucking you right in and holding your attention until the last page is read. Browne throws in these little hints throughout the story and you might not realize it at first until it really hits you. There are a lot of twists I didn’t see coming. I kept going back and forth between the characters, especially with Sophie and Claire and trying to figure out what was going on. Although, I admit I kinda felt bad for Luke, Claire’s husband. What a sucker!

The Perfect Sister is a complex and clever take on family relationships with many twists and turns it will make your head spin. I LOVED it. A definite five star read for me and one I highly recommend to all thriller fans. Get ready for a crazy ride!

Two things made me jump at the chance to read this book. The first one simply because its Sheryl Browne! Who wouldn't want to read her books?! I've adored every one I've read and this one didn't disappoint. Secondly, a couple of years ago I discovered I had 2 half sisters. I've yet to meet them but I think they're fairly stable! I hope!

In the book we are introduced to Claire and Luke. Their lives are in turmoil. Claire is under pressure caring for her father who has dementia and her little girl who has haemophilia. Luke is finding the upset in their lives and what he perceives as Claire's indifference to his feelings. Ultimately cracks appear in their marriage but really nothing that can't be fixed. That is of course until both of them make rash decisions that have consequences neither could have foreseen. And again, their lives are turned upside down except this time all that they both hold dear, including one another is at risk. Claire and Luke push each other further and further away and Luke makes some pretty daft decisions that threaten his marriage. He feels he is helping out a stranger in distress but all he is doing is inviting danger into the lives of his family.

Claire feels Luke has not been supportive of her decision to care for her father. She's dealing with family secrets that aren't so secret now and her father is in no state to put things right. Contacted out of the blue by someone claiming to be her sister, Claire is confused, hurt and angry. Could it be Claire's decisions that put her family at risk too?

The Perfect Sister is un-put-downable! Yes I went there! It's actually a wonder I made it into work this week I was so engrossed. The author has created such an atmospheric story full of twists, turns and little tantalising clues along the way. At times I wanted to shake Claire and Luke to snap out of their stubbornness. They clearly love one another. The characters are so well developed and I'm interested in the psychology behind what causes people to do the things they do. At times the book took terrifying twists and I'll admit to taking a few out loud gasps! Apologies to the gentleman sitting near me in a cafe last night. I almost gave him a heart attack! A super book. Highly recommended.

Claire's perfect life is crumbling around her faster than the memories that are leaking from her poor beloved father's brain. She has separated from her husband Luke,their four year old daughter Ella is haemophilic and Claire's father Bernard's vascular dementia is getting worse with each passing day. Claire is lonely,confused,exhausted and in desperate need of someone to talk too so she is equally suspicious and overjoyed when she is contacted by someone called Sophie who insists that she is Claire's half sister.

Completely disregarding.the advice and warnings from Luke and her best friend Emma and despite the fact that Ella was involved in a life threatening incident whilst in Sophie's care, Claire welcomes the young woman into her life and home,besides Ella loves her Auntie Sophie. But then Claire starts experiencing intimidating incidents and as time passes she begins to wonder if she has made a massive mistake in trusting the mysterious stranger. But Sophie is family,isn't she? She loves Ella and wouldn't do anything to harm Claire and her beloved daughter,would she?

The chapters of this utterly compelling thriller alternated between Claire and Luke, plus there was also a couple of chapters that were voiced from Bernard, Gemma and Sophie's perspectives. Despite everything that Claire was being subjected too,I honestly struggled to feel any sympathy or empathy for her. I thought she was a rather unlikable character for various reasons,I also didn't like Luke very much either. I felt so sorry for poor Ella being lumbered with these two selfish people for parents. Poor Bernard hadn't been the nicest person when he was younger but despite what he had done in the past, you would need to have a heart of stone not to feel your heart strings being pulled as you read his struggles with his confusion and loss of memories. I think everyone when they reach a certain age lives in a certain amount of fear that they will develop Alzheimers or Dementia,I know I do. The author's portrayals of Bernard's mental decline were scarily authentic and caused me to have a lump in my throat more than once. I really liked Claire's friend Gemma and as for Sophie, if you want to discover the truth about her character then you are just going to have too read this brilliant thriller and find out for yourself.

Wow,just wow and wow again. You can always rely on Sheryl Browne to mess with your head with all the twists and turns that she packs into her outstanding thrillers and The Perfect Sister is no exception. The chapters were short and snappy giving the reader a very bad case of just one more chapter syndrome. You think you know everything about the vivid,diverse characters and then she throws in a couple of totally unexpected,jaw dropping twists that leave you sitting in your comfy chair in total shock. Sheryl Browne is a very talented author and I really really love her books. Worth far more than five stars and very very highly recommended.

Favorite Quotes:

‘Don’t forget your helmet, Jimmy,’ she called after him. ‘Wouldn’t want you damaging your one brain cell, would we?’

Was it her fault she’d had nobody interested enough in her to show her the basics in the kitchen? Her gran’s idea of haute cuisine was to pour curry sauce on her chips.


My Review:

Secrets, lies, betrayals, infidelity, mistrust, cons, revenge plots, chilling mind games, and a ton of prickly and complicated family drama were heavily featured in this twisty brain itching tale. The characters were untrustworthy, more than a bit frustrating, and not all that likable, but I pitied the poor husband, too bad he couldn’t seem to get his tongue to work and I periodically wanted to give him a swat to the back of the head to knock it loose.

My own wild theories were mostly, well, partly correct. I would doubt the veracity of anyone claiming that had it all figured out, as there is just no possible way to have unraveled or predicted all those deviously tangled and perplexing plotlines without psychic abilities. This was my first visit into the devilishly clever mind of Sheryl Browne and I enjoyed her wily written and intriguing tale while feverishly bumping around in her oddly compelling characters’ zigzagging reasoning. More, please!

I am a massive fan of Sheryl’s having read all of her books. I am happy to report that she certainly doesn’t disappoint with this gripping page turner. When we meet Claire, Sophie and Luke and follow a story that is told in alternating chapters between the characters giving some brilliant character build up.

Like always I went into this not knowing what to expect, with me not reading the blurb. The story does have an element of domestic noir which I will admit I am not normally a fan of.

I also found this story very different to Sheryl’s other psychological thrillers. When I first started reading it,the style of Sheryl’s writing took me back to her DI Matthew Adam series. Which is very gritty so I loved that.

This story is full of twists and turns with an OMG ending. Just when you think you have it all worked out Sheryl throws you totally off track.

The Perfect Sister is a story full of family secrets with some shocking revelations has the story unfolds. This book is perfect for psychological thriller fans. And I can’t wait to see what Sheryl comes up with next.

My goodness, this book brings page-turner to a whole new level!

Instantly, we are grabbed and pulled into the story, with a prologue that left me reeling.

The pace is fast, and it’s a very hard book to put down. The characters are excellent, but I just wished I could grab Claire and tell her not to be so trusting of Sophie!

The twist when it comes is truly stunning.

I’ve read all Sheryl Browne’s previous books and loved them, but this one is responsible for keeping me reading late into the night, and almost making me late for work, because I couldn’t just leave it until later to finish!

For anyone who likes a good psychological thriller, you will absolutely be gripped by this. Can’t recommend it highly enough.

Oh my! I was blown away with this book! The amount of twists and turns in this book is crazy, I didn’t see most of them coming and they really kept me gripped as I needed to know what was going to happen next. The way the writer has written this book is fantastic, it really make you not want to put it down.

The Family Secret/ The Perfect Sister by @sheryl.browne . Published by @bookouture 🤫
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Can a writer get better and better with every new book- well it certainly appears that @sheryl.browne can.
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Her latest offering is just as good if not better than her last book. Yes I am a huge fan of Sheryl and her work.
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You start to read it and almost in an instant she has already grabbed your attention, your interest- everything else goes by the wayside.
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This is a fast moving with some fantastic, gripping characters and plot.
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From start to finish here is a story/plot that just keeps on giving. It takes you on a emotional rollercoaster with so many twists and turns that once you think you have solved or discovered a secret then another comes straight behind it.
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Claire is a wife,mum and daughter who is trying to be the best she can be for everyone in her family. Who also live with her father while she is his carer. Her father suffers with Alzheimer’s. Her daughter Ella is a haemophiliac so Claire is constantly having to also keep her eye on her. With so many balls in the air and a unhappy husband who spends most of his spare time down the pub. Claire’s mind goes into overdrives day she suspects Luke is having an affair.
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Add a mysterious message that she receives from an unknown sender ‘You don’t know me , but I’m your sister!’
You have the ingredients for a fantastic book.
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I throughly enjoyed reading it. It is out today 29th Jan 2020
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Thank you to both @bookouture & @netgalley for gifting me a copy to read and review. Also big thank you to @sheryl.browne for delivering yet again a great read
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Another great book by Sheryl Browne, full of secrets and lies !!

Claire, Luke and their daughter Ella have just moved into Claire’s Dads home. He is suffering from dementia and needs round the clock care. The pressure is already starting to take its toll and Luke finds himself down the pub with his friends rather than being at home with Claire, who doesn’t seem o have any time for him anymore.

On a night out Luke comes to the rescue of Anna but a friend of Claire spots them together and sends a compromising picture to Claire. The end result being Luke is kicked out of the family home. Having no one else to turn to Claire finds herself getting close to Sophie, her secret half sister, who contacted her via Facebook. Everyone is wary of Sophie but Claire finds herself getting closer and closer to Sophie but should she be wary ?

This is a great book with an abundance of family secrets and lies. Sometimes I found myself just wanting to shake a couple of characters to wise up and think about things but I think this just added to the involvement you feel with the story as the truth is slowly revealed.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Claire, Luke and their daughter, Ella ja e had to move in with Claire's dad as he has dementia. After a night out, Claire throws Luke out, believing he is having an affair. Bernard (Claire's dad) has another daughter. Claire has no idea that she has a half sister. She o ly finds out when Sophie contacts her.

This is a cleverly woven story. Claire can't find out from her dad if Sophie is telling the truth. Claire invites Sophie into her life and Ella just adores her. But it's not before Claire starts to have misgivings about Sophie. You start doubting everybody whilst reading this book. Theres plenty of twists and the characters are well rounded. Imdid guess where the story was going but that didn't spoil the rest of the book for me. There were a couple of things that did ot resonate with me and that's why I gave it 3.5 stars. This is a fast paced read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Sheryl Browne for my ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgallery for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own.

I am giving this book 3.5 stars (down from a 4). I was really enjoying this book, it was fast moving, had gripping characters. Some that I liked, some that I hated. I am not even upset that I figured out all but the last twist in the book. Yet the last @10% of the book was a bit disappointing, hense dropping from my original 4 star rating. Overall, a pretty good read and will likely check out a few more of Ms. Browne's books.

I just love the way the author Sheryl Browne writes her books.....So when her latest book called The Perfect Sister
came out I had to read it. I was not disappointed it especially as I was hooked from the very first few pages..... It was Brilliant! If you like a book thats full of family secrets with great twists and turns throughout this is a book for you.
Sheryl has written with so much passion throughout this book and has written about a subject that may of effect us today or even in the future Alzheimers.

Claire is married and a mother..........she is trying so hard to be a perfect wife to Luke and mother to Ella as well juggling looking after her father who has Alzheimers. To make it easier they all move in to her fathers house to care for him, Luke is always at work and Claire is always the one who tucks Ella into bed at night and has started to wonder if Luke is having an affair as he is never home.

Is Luke having an affair?

Claire receives a strange text lat at night, from a number she has never seen before. The message is simple But shakes Claire world around her......................‘You don’t know me, but I’m your sister’.

Did they send this message to the wrong person?

Who is this person?

Claire has always wanted a sister or brother.......could this person called Sophie be her half sister? as her mother only had one child!!!

Well, you will need to read the book to find out.......

I highly recommend this book and all Sheryl's books.

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.