The Half Sister, by Sandie Jones, was sadly a disappointment. While it was definitely a page-turner that kept me wanting to read, the conclusion of the story left me wanting so much more. It ended extremely abruptly, and the whole "twist" felt forced and underdeveloped. I did enjoy the characters, and a few of the smaller storylines, but the main plot point did not feel very well thought out. I don't think I will be recommending this one to others.

I LOVED this book! I read for hours straight to finish it and discover the truth. I read so many mysteries that I am always thrilled when I am surprised. I was unable to guess the whole ending of the book so that was definitely a nice surprise. If you like mysterious page-turners, this one is for you!

I have enjoyed all of Sandie Jones books and was thrilled to read an advance copy of The Half Sister. As with all of her novels, nothing is as it appears. The story revolve around sisters Kate and Lauren, and their mother, Rose. After recently losing their father, a young woman, Jess, shows up at their door claiming to be their father's daughter.. She claims to have been adopted and only recently learned of her parentage. While Rose and Kate are extremely skeptical and disbelieving of her story, Lauren seems unusually receptive to her claims. There is mystery and intrigue throughout the novel. Rather than give away any of the twists, I will leave it there. I really enjoyed the book. Highly recommended. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for granting my wish to preview this excellent novel.

Do you love a good thriller? Do you love being thrown for a loop or multiple loops in a book? If yes than The Half Sister is for you!

Guys, this book is amazing. I loved it and binged it, shocking I know. It had me guessing until the end and there were multiple times that I thought I had it ‘figured out’, only to be wrong! This is my first Sandie Jones books but if her writing is this amazing and interwoven in all her books, you can guarantee I’ll be reading more from her.

We follow sisters Kate and Lauren throughout the story and view the story from both of their POVs as well. They’re not very close to start with but their father’s dead has caused them to drift even further. They each envy the other. Neither confides in the other and so their jealousy at each other seemingly perfect life takes a major toll on their relationship.

In an attempt to bring her family closer together, Lauren takes a DNA test and ends up finding a half sister, neither girl knew they had. Kate on a mission to disprove the claims stumbles upon secrets that their family is not ready for.

I really enjoyed the dual POV structure within this story. However, I found Lauren to be very frustrating and naïve, even though she is the older sister. Even though both sisters grow in their development throughout the story, I found that Kate was just a much more likable character, at least for me. Personally, I find stories about sisters to extremely intriguing, since I have multiple sisters of my own.

Overall, this is a wonderfully written thriller that doesn’t relay on big plot twists to ‘surprise’ the reader. Instead, Jones slowly adds additional information into the mix to let the reader generate their own assumptions. This books is perfect for fans of domestic thrillers or family dramas!

I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on The Half Sister. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books. Huge thank you to Minotaur Books for my copy!

This was my least favorite of Ms. Jones' books to date. Another excellent story and interesting characters, but I felt like there were too many times where my head did that "dog thing" where they cock their heads and look at you like they are confused. (Yes, I just compared myself to a dog. But you know exactly what I mean, don't you?) At too many points things that should have been brought up weren't. Too many times people seemed to randomly turn and go in an odd direction. I guess this was to make the suspense last longer, but instead it gave me an overall disjointed feeling. And the ending left me scratching my head. It was a big twist, but it missed the mark for me. But, not every book can hit every time. That's why I hope Ms. Jones continues to write. I can't wait to see what convoluted plot she comes up with next!

Two sisters, Lauren and Kate, are visiting their mother when they get some interesting news. A young woman knocks on the door, and claims to be their half-sister. She has proof, a DNA test. The sisters react differently to the news, with one being more welcoming than the other.

Told using alternating points of view of Lauren and Kate. The characters are well-developed, and the different points of view work well for this story. As the story progresses, secrets from the past and present are revealed. It seems the sisters didn't know one another as well as they thought, and they both have struggles in their lives.

A great read for fans of domestic suspense with family drama. Fast-paced, entertaining, and clever.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am such a huge fan of Sandie Jones so I squealed when I was accepted for the e-copy! Jones has become one of my favorite thriller authors because she develops such believable characters, strong plots and out of this world twists. There are a lot of thrillers out there but Jones never disappoints and I would recommend her novels to anyone looking to read a good psychological thriller! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5 stars!!! A thriller that mixes family drama is always going to be at the top of my list! This is my third book from Sandie Jones and I always love how addicting her books are. I also enjoy all the twists she slowly uncovers throughout the book. It makes it a guessing game that I continuously got wrong. I do wish there was a little bit more to the ending and what happens to the family afterwards, but I did enjoy the very last twist as it was one I actually got right!!

Thank you to the author, netgalley, St Martin's Press & Minotaur books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Family Drama, Family Secrets, Motherhood, Marriage, Lies, Deception, Shock

That knock on the door that changes everything!

Sisters Kate and Lauren have been getting together for a weekly lunch with their family after their father's death. One day there is a knock on the door and a young woman who claims that she is their half-sister. A sister they never knew about. A sister who has DNA proof which rocks all their worlds, or does it? Is the DNA proof real or is a forgery? Because if it is real, it means the father that they loved and admired cheated on his wife. What does their Mother think of all of this? Did she know? Did she have any idea?

This book is told through both Kate and Lauren's POV. One is more shocked than the other upon hearing the news. Both go at each other in the book to prove the "these sisters are polar opposites" theme. As the story unravels, we learn that some characters have more secrets than we originally thought.

I breezed through this pretty fast and although enjoyable, this domestic suspense did not blow me away. I cannot fault the writing, but I just found that I wasn't as engaged with the storyline as I would have liked to have been. It was a fast and light read for me.

Fans of this author will most likely enjoy this book. I just wanted the characters to be more fleshed out. I found them to be a little lacking, but I did enjoy Kate the most. Will the ending be a surprise or obvious? Read and find out.

I received a copy of this book from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Yet another book of mistaken identity, or is it hidden? While this wasn’t the craziest thriller/mystery I have read all summer, the ending did leave me shocked because I did not figure it out. That pretty much means that it was successful in it’s misdirection. I will say that one thing I felt was lacking was a few of the scenes that took place in the past. For me they could have been a little clearer without giving everything away. It’s a nit picky thing, but would have given the ending more of a realized feel rather than something you just didn’t see coming. It doesn’t totally come out of left field but it also needed a little more refining.


You can see my video review here:
https://youtu.be/dTYkD42StOo

Sisters Kate and Lauren are devastated when Jess shows up with a DNA test showing that she's their half sister. Their image of their late father is shattered. Their mother denies that it's possible. All Jess wants is to get to know the family she never had, but everyone is hiding secrets...

I found the book very predictable and not very "thrilling" for a thriller. It was more of a womens fiction title. There were no shocking twists. While the writing wasn't bad, this book was very forgettable.

Sisters Kate and Lauren are surprised to learn they have a half sister when Jess unexpectedly shows up. Lauren had submitted DNA to an ancestry site leading to this discovery that turns everyone’s lives upside down. Family secrets, lost loves and lies are plentiful in Sandie Jones’ new book.

This book kept my attention and had me guessing throughout, but first half was a little slow. I still really enjoyed it though as a Pandora’s box slowly unfolds.

The Half Sister is a book that will keep you turning the page to see how this family drama will end. It is a very realistic story with the popularity of DNA testing which will have the reader wondering how to react in this situation. I thoroughly enjoyed this story.

4.5 rounded up to 5 on account of a slightly rushed ending. Otherwise this was JUST the kind of engrossing "interpersonal entanglements" thriller that I love. The kind that gets you ANGRY on the characters' behalf--deeply effective emotional writing. I was also at turns incredibly frustrated and angry AT the POV characters. Also good haha.

I'll confess at first I was worried this book was going to sit all wrong with me. When I realized in the opening that the MCs (two sisters, Lauren and Kate) had a dad who died less than a year before AND that it was going to rest on a plot conceit of a potentially evil/meddling half sister... well my mom died a year ago and I AM a (not evil or meddling) half sister. I have been the Jess in this situation--the one who grew up away from my father's other kids. While my family has no drama surrounding this, I was sensitive to the idea of Jess being painted without nuance. But ultimately I ended up being fine with it. Though that is not to say there wasn't a LOT of intrigue, re: the half sister who shows up out of nowhere, and her motives!

The strongest point of this book was the two POV MCs--sisters at odds with a ton of baggage and very different views of their parents--and the push & pull of that relationship while the two sides uncover clues, re: the past and their newly discovered half sister. The reader sees the pieces coming together but then has to suffer (in a good way) through the dramatic tension of two characters who just WON'T TALK TO EACH OTHER and that secret keeping/stubbornness turns up the dial in all sorts of conflict-laden ways. Both sisters play to a type: Kate is the tenacious journalist who is struggling with infertility and is mightily jealous of her "perfect" older sister with the perfect family (and a better relationship with their mother). Lauren's life (and marriage) is far from perfect: she's nursing plenty of wounds, including her hangups about her poor relationship with their deceased dad; her husband is abusive and then an old flame shows up. Lauren embraces their long-lost half sister Jess while Kate HATES HER and refuses to believe she is their father's daughter. Lauren helps Jess to try to uncover facts about who her mother was and where she is now, while Kate uses her journalistic skillset to prove Jess is a liar.

Kate's stubbornness and lack of empathy was at times infuriating. Usually I relate to journalist characters, but this was an instance where Lauren was more my speed. That said, because Sandie Jones is very skilled I regardless had so many moments where I was desperately rooting for Kate as things got dicey in her marriage, etc. But so too was Lauren frustrating every time she made an excuse for her abusive husband. Though rarely is life clear cut! Ultimately the dramatic arcs do work out for both characters.

That said: I'm assuming the dramatic arcs mostly work out! The book has an unfortunately rushed ending that left me mildly disappointed. The big climax ends sort of abruptly and then we jump forward a year--and that time job chapter is from only one sister POV (after a whole book of two) and it's SUPER SHORT. I was left with a lot of questions and a lack of certain emotional resolution. But there weren't the same level of plot holes as I found w/ Jones' last book, so this one is still a win. If you enjoy domestic suspense, I recommend this one.

Sandie Jones is the queen of domestic thrillers! This book was a quick and entertaining read. I had so much fun trying to piece together how Jess was related to Lauren and Kate. I liked how at first Lauren and Kate don't really see eye to eye but as the story progresses and secrets start to uncover themselves their relationship with one another changes. I was pretty surprised by the outcome at the end. I could never have guessed that ending! My only complaint is that I felt like the ending was rushed a bit.. I wanted more!!

I read and enjoyed "The Other Woman" I was excited to read this book!
I missed "The First Mistake" - so I will be looking for that book.


Surprise - Twist - Turns - ??
Sane - crazy - emotional - calm
Scheming - reality real
You will find all of this in Sandie's new book. It will keep you reading until the final gasp/page.

After the death of their father, Lauren does a DNA kit hoping to maybe find some long lost cousins or relatives to bring the family closer. What she didn't expect was to find a half sister. Jess turns up and turns everything upside down. The dynamics of the family have always seemed to be that Lauren was close to her mom and Kate was especially close to their dad. Looks can be deceiving. As the story unfolds, lots and lots of secrets come to light and the family they knew will become something entirely different.

You won't want to put this down. I was sitting there wondering just what is Jess really up to. You think you are having AHA moments as Kate goes digging. I learned that I need to let it come to me because I was so wrong. I had some issues with the way both sisters were so adamant about their feelings for each of their parents but as time went on and we find out just how things really played out, it made sense. This is another good page turner from Ms. Jones. I look forward to the next.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.

In this newest domestic thriller/mystery from Sandie Jones, we meet two sisters, Kate & Lauren who have grown apart over the years and are struggling in the wake of their father Harry's death. Their weekly family dinner at their mother's home is interrupted by a stranger named Jess who arrives claiming to be Harry's biological daughter. One sister believes it to be true, the other vehemently denies it. His wife (and their mother) says it absolutely cannot be true.

What ensues is an uncovering of who Jess really is and how this long-lost half-sister came to be! Someone isn't telling the truth and it seems that everyone knows more than they're admitting about the past.

Told in alternating perspectives between the two sisters, this suspenseful tale highlights how family secrets come to light. An interesting twist to have DNA testing and ancestry kits play a role in bringing secrets to light.

The Half Sister kept me on my toes from page 1 until the last cover! Filled with twists and unexpected turns there was never a dull moment for Kate, Lauren, and their new sister Jess.

I was expecting another psychological thriller like The Other Woman, so I was a bit disappointed to discover this was a domestic suspense, which really just translated into a long drawn-out family drama among three women who don't communicate properly at all. I kept reading and hoping for a massive twist I wouldn't see coming, but unfortunately it was pretty predictable and not at all surprising. The style of book may be someone else's cup of tea, but regrettably, it wasn't mine.