Claire has a lot on her plate. Her father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and he's very difficult to look after. Her young daughter, Ella, is a hemophiliac and bears watching all the time. Her husband is not happy, and he spends a lot of time in the local bar. Claire suspects he's cheating on her and has a friend follow him one night. What the friend sends her is a picture of her husband kissing a very pretty woman.

Shortly before she throws her husband out, she receives an email from a woman purporting to be her half sister. She knows things that she shouldn't unless what she says is true. Actually, Claire is kind of happy to find a sister she never knew she had .... she's always been short of friends and now that hubby isn't there all the time, this gives her someone she can bond with, talk to.

But is the sister who she claims to be? Yes, she is sympathetic to Claire's problems, but how helpful is it to keep telling her that she needs to keep her daughter away from her father because he might be dangerous? And now she's bonding with Ella .... and Claire isn't too crazy about that, either.

But why would Sophie want to hurt Claire’s precious daughter? Was trusting her new sister with Ella the biggest mistake of Claire’s life?

Although I knew early on most of what was going on, there were still some surprises waiting for me at the unexpected ending. This is a well written psychological thriller. It's nicely paced from beginning to end.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this domestic psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

I have read Sheryl Browne many times and will never stop!

Like every book she writes it is well done, well written with many twists and turns. Interesting and well developed storyline with intriguing characters, full of emotions. And what I love : secrets, lies, then more secrets and lies...
Tense and intense.
It's good from start to finish and you don't want to put it down.

I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Good job, Sheryl!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Imagine you uproot your family to move into your father’s house to take care of him. Living with a parent or your in-laws can be stressful enough but add the pressure of looking after a sick relative and that would be enough to test any relationship.

Claire, her husband Luke and her daughter Ella all moved into her dad’s house. He’s suffering from dementia and he’s rapidly getting worse.
Luke tries to tell Claire she might have to consider moving him into a care home facility. But Claire is having none of it.

Their disagreement is the cause of many a fight and most of the time has Luke leaving the house to cool down. After one such argument Luke is out on the town with his friends when he gets caught up with a beautiful woman who seems to be in distress.

Unfortunately for him, photographs of this encounter end up in Claire’s hands. So now their marriage is on the rocks. Claire’s father is getting worse and she’s left all alone to take care of him as well as young Ella.

That is until one of Claire’s life-long wishes seems to come true; a sister. Or at least a half-sister. Claire receives a message from Sophie, who claims to be her half-sister. She decides to meet up with her and suddenly she has some support during all her trouble.

But as they say, be careful what you wish for. Not all is what it seems and not everyone might be telling the truth.

Sheryl Browne usually knows how to capture me with her characters, plot twists and story lines. I generally find myself shifting my loyalties from one character to the other throughout her books. So it pains me to say I didn’t have any of that with this one.


In fact I didn’t like any of the characters (okay little Ella is great). Luke is an asshole who rather walks away from his responsibilities. And although he just wants to help a lady in trouble he very easily crosses a line that should never have been crossed.

Claire is so self-absorbed and gullible she instantly believes anything a stranger tells her. She trusts too easily and I miss a bit of mother lion in her. She just leaves Ella with someone who claims to be her sister without any doubt. Considering her daughter is very sick and one small mistake can cost Ella’s life you would think Claire would be more careful.

And then there is Sophie, from the start it was pretty clear to me how she was involved in all of this. The timing of her appearance is too perfect and it’s a little too transparent for my liking.

The idea of the story line is not bad. There are a few twists and turns that gave me that Sheryl Browne feeling, but all in all I felt a little dissatisfied after reading it.

I’m sure it makes for a good read for a lot of people, especially if you like psychological thrillers but it didn’t capture me as much as I had hoped.

A good domestic thriller. The story is told by Claire, her husband Luke and her newly found half sister Sophie. Claire is leading a stressful life with a young child, a father with dementia and a marriage in trouble. Both Claire and Luke meet new people who change their lives. I enjoyed the book without loving any of the characters but that that just adds to the story. A few twists and turns and a good ending.

Not a thriller but a good family drama with a lot going on. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Perfect Sister’ by Sheryl Browne in exchange for an honest review.

‘You don’t know me, but I’m your sister.’ When Claire receives a message from Sophie, a beautiful young woman, she is shocked when she tells Claire that she’s their father’s secret child. Struggling with her father’s dementia, serious marital problems with husband Luke, and a young daughter with a life-threatening condition, Claire is excited to meet Sophie.

Yet this is a domestic noir not chick-lit about supportive siblings, so naturally it is to be expected that there is more going on with Sophie. Is she genuine or a wrong ‘un?

The chapters cycle through the different characters, including Claire, Luke, and Sophie. This does mean that some aspects of the plot and character’s motivations were revealed to the reader. However, I didn’t find this an issue even if I saw a couple of twists coming early on.

This was an engaging read that I zoomed through in a single sitting.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

A tale of a crumbling marriage impacted by other pressures and responsibilities. An arrival of a long lost family member always makes for the premise of a good read. However, I found this harder to get into. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and I am not really sure why as I have read other books by this author and not felt the same. However, I would recommend if you enjoy this type of book as it certainly is worth a read.

A good read but confusing and predictable in places. I have read better books by this author.


Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of the book. Release date 29th January 2020.

SYNOPSIS

Bernard has Alzheimer’s and his daughter Claire, her husband and their young daughter move in with him to look after him. It soon becomes clear that Claire has bitten off more than she can chew as he becomes increasingly confused and violent.

Luke comes home drunk one night and Bernard almost strangles him. This is the last straw for Luke who then ends up getting himself tangled into a strange relationship with a bunny boiler called Anna.

Claire gets wind of his ‘affair’ thanks to a so called best friend who sends her a photo of them kissing. She won’t listen to his explanation and kicks him out.

Desperate for someone to lean on Claire allows Sophie, a stranger who gets in touch with her out of the blue and tells her she is her half sister, into her life. They soon become very close with Sophie moving in with them. Claire begins to realise Sophie may not be quite as honest as she thought but it may be too late .......

MY OPINION

The book started off really well I was hooked from the beginning and flew through it in 2 sittings. It was an easy read but sadly the end was far too rushed and confusing I had to read it a few times to try to get it straight which is why I have given it 3 rather than the 4 stars I was intending.

I did relate to Claire at the beginning having a parent with dementia as well as a young daughter. That part of the writing was dealt with very well.

Wow, I think Sheryl Browne gets better with each book, if that’s even possible! A very twisty ride filled with lots of turns, chills, and thrills! Absolutely amazingly written, well developed characters, and unputdownable! If you are a fan of twisty psychological thrillers, this is your book, or Browne is your author! I highly recommend this book! Sure to give you a bit of whiplash and chills down your spine!
Will make sure to buzz it up on all the different platforms!

This book had so many twists and turns sometimes it was hard to keep up!! But wow did it keep me guessing until the end. Just when I thought I had everything figured out - everything was turned around. I was captivated by all of the characters, kept guessing in what would happen next. I just could not put this book down.

Claire and Luke's marriage is crumbling. Parents to daughter Ella rather takes second place to Claire's need to care for her father. He is suffering from Dementia and needs near constant care. Luke basically checks out of the marriage.

Meanwhile, Luke runs into a woman who apparently needs his help. Oh how he wished he had just walked away. With a photo taken at a right time and delivered to Claire, she is certain Luke is having an affair. At the same time, a woman comes into Claire's life as well. She claims that she is her sister. With her father's ailment, Claire is unable to get the answers she needs. Claire all but falls apart. No worries. Her new friend, her sister, Sophie, is there to prop her up.

So there you have it. Did he or didn't he? Are they really sisters? Well, The Perfect Sister is far more than that. It is a book full of lies, twists and turns as the book progresses. This is a book that will have you wanting to slap the main characters - Luke for falling into a woman's trap, Claire for believing a total stranger. Again, it is more than that. It is a convoluted story that dares the reader to put the book down for more than a few moments because you simply just do not know what is going to happen.

The reader can quickly guess that Luke's stranger and Claire's sister must be one and the same. The fun part is watching them come to this realization. Can things be salvaged before it is too late? No doubt you will not be able to wonder as to what the end game is. And oh, what a conclusion!

This was yet another excellent book by Sheryl Browne. I found it interesting that when I perused the previous books by Ms. Browne - The Second Wife, The Marriage Trap and The Affair - albeit different, I was reminded that they are all domestic thrillers. She has a very good formula, one that I look forward to partaking more of at the very next opportunity.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

So many secrets...so many lies...this family is seriously dysfunctional! Sheryl Browne's latest book is a domestic thriller that left me trusting...nobody!!!


You find out you have a sister. Surprise! Yet it is as your father is falling victim to Alzheimer's disease. He said he doesn't know about her. Is he lying or is it really that the disease is robbing him of this memory? I found myself questioning the mysterious and convenient timing of Sophie showing up. I couldn't believe how accepting Claire was of her newly found sister. She literally had no evidence other than Sophie's word. Was Sophie legit or just trying to get her piece of the inheritance?


As if there wasn't enough stress, add to the fact that Claire's marriage is slowly falling apart. The finely protective shell she has so carefully built around her daughter Ella is burst into a million pieces. Does Claire not see this??!! I wanted to scream OMG Claire open your eyes!!!


Meanwhile...her husband Luke is leading a secret life. Even though Luke evokes a great deal of disgust from me, I have to agree with him on one point...what do we really know about the newly found sister Sophie?


These characters were really well developed and not very likeable. Good job! I always like a bunch of unfavorable characters. I wanted to give everyone a lie detector test, except for dear little Ella!

First, I want to thank Sheryl Browne, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

WOW! Another incredible story from Sheryl Browne! This time she is back with some tough issues that pulled on my heart strings in The Perfect Sister.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t grasp my attention quite as fast as others I have read from Sheryl. However, there was a turning point in the story towards the beginning and then I was hooked. Better late than never.
As I stated earlier there were some difficult issues dealt with in this book such as infidelity, father with dementia, being his caregiver until it was time for him to go into a nursing home, and a daughter with hemophilia (she was my favorite character who made me smile)

Sheryl did an incredible job putting a lot of heart and compassion into a lot of her characters. You could tell that many of the storylines hit home and close to her heart. However, at times I would think some of the Father Daughter scenes would be hard to write as they were hard for me to read emotionally.

Claire is an incredibly strong character in this book for everything she has going on her plate! I wanted on so many occasions to jump into the book and just hug her.

Of course, there is a twisted storyline about a secret sister named Sophie. The mystery is who is she really and what secrets are her Dad hiding from her? What drove me batty is you don’t find out til the very end of the book!! But it was so worth the wait!!

I found this book difficult to get into, most likely because the main character was not someone that I enjoyed reading about and from the perspective of. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC egalley.

This book felt very disjointed. I didn’t mind that each chapter was from a different characters perspective, usually I like that, but it didn’t flow well. I felt things were a little too predictable and by the time you got the big twist it was shocking enough for me. I do appreciate NetGalley and Bookouture the opportunity for allowing me to receive an e-arc in exchange for my honest review. Also I just noticed that the title of the book posted on my shelf is different from the title on my ARC, which is a little confusing.

Claire’s marriage breaks down whilst caring for her father who has dementia. Claire’s husband Luke thinks her father should be in a home where he can be cared for properly, and this put added stress on their marriage. Thinking that Luke is having an affair, Claire tells him to leave. Struggling to look after her dad and daughter on her own, Claire gets a mysterious message from Sophie who says she is her half-sister. Unable to get the truth from her father, Claire meets Sophie and before long Sophie has moved in with Claire and is settling into their lives…

I’ve read many books by this author and have enjoyed them all. This book is a tense and gripping thriller which will have you turning the pages quickly to find out what is going on. I liked Claire and Luke’s characters yet wanted to bang their heads together at times so they could sort themselves out! It was obviously difficult for Claire to have this unknown sister turn up and not able to get any straight answers from her father, but I did think she was very naïve in how she dealt with the situation with Luke and of course, with Sophie!! It did go to show how lonely Claire was to open her arms willingly and welcome Sophie into the family without really knowing anything about her. Luke is an interesting character and I seemed to swing from liking and rooting for him to thinking how stupid he was being!

I guessed pretty early on what was going to happen, but this didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the book – I just waiting for the characters to catch up with me!! They did eventually, and this resulted in a great twist in the tale which was placed at just the right time in the story! It certainly kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the book and I couldn’t put it down for long before the need to pick it back up took over! It was a deliciously dark and unsettling thriller which I would definitely recommend!

The Family Secret or (The Perfect Sister? My Netgalley download has one title and the cover of the book has another... ) By Sheryl Browne is a psychological thriller. Claire is going through a devastating divorce from her husband and caring for her Father who is declining from dementia. She is also raising her daughter who has a life threatening illness. On top if all this, she receives a surprising phone call from a women claiming to be her half sister. As she tries to uncover the truth musterious things in her life are happening that she can't explain.
This story started off strong for me. I was quickly intrigued and engrossed with the story. I felt for the characters and felt sorry for the Husband. There were a few things in the book that didn't work for me and that I'd love to rant about but can't without giving away any spoilers. Overall it was a quick read and even though I saw the twists coming, I did finish it. I would rate this book a 3 out of 5.

I believe now the book is called The Family Secret and not the perfect sister.

Whoa, what can I say. There was a lot going on in this book. I'll be honest, it was hard to put down. and there are a lot of twists going on through out it. I don't want to give too much away, but you will not be able to forget this book!

I love Sheryl Browne’s books and this is a great read.
Claire and Luke are struggling to cope with her father who has dementia and Luke spending a lot of time at the pub isn’t helping.
Claire is sent a photo of him kissing another woman so asks him to leave.
She then gets a message from a woman who says she’s her half sister and her once simple life, becomes very complex.
Her daughter Ella immediately loves her new Auntie Sophie but something is definitely off about Sophie.
Luke is under investigation as the woman he was staying with has disappeared and there was blood left behind.
I did feel like shaking Claire at times and Luke just drove me mad.
The story had me hooked but I guessed what was happening and was then just waiting for it to all come together.
This is a great read if you like a gripping psychological thriller.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.