I was really excited that Netgalley granted my wish for this ARC of Sandie Jones new novel The Half Sister. Ever since I read her first novel The Other Woman, I have loved Sandie Jones. I am sad to say that this one did not live up to my expectations. The story did keep my attention and I read the book in 2 days, however, the pacing felt off. The story dragged in places and then randomly you would start a new chapter and the it would be weeks later, which is fine but I prefer when the chapter heading let's you know it has been a specific time change so I can get in the mindset that time jumped instead of a character suddenly saying oh it's been 2 weeks since I last saw you and the last chapter references their previous meeting.

This book also covers a lot of heavy topics all at once, infidelity, infertility, IVF, abortion and adoption. Definitely a lot to put in one novel.

The book is told from Lauren and Kate, the two main sisters. I wish we had gotten to see some of the story from Jess (the mysterious half sister) point of view. It would also have been nice to have some flashback scenes with Harry and Rose from 1996.

Overall, I would recommend reading this book but expect it to be full of heavy topics which are more prevalent than the actual psychological thriller portion.

Thank you Minotaur Books and Netgalley for my free advanced copy of this novel.

This one started out just a little too slow, and at one point or another I found every character so unlikable it drove me crazy. Once I got into it, though, I couldn't put it down! Ultimately my least favorite of the three Sandie Jones books, but still a page-turner in the end. Thank you to Netgalley and Sandie Jones for an advanced reader copy of The Half Sister!

THE TRUTH - Sisters, Kate and Lauren meet for weekly Sunday lunch, especially after the loss fo their father. THE LIE - A young woman, named Jess, holds a note with the results of a DNA test, claiming to be their half sister. THE UNTHINKABLE - It’s clear they are all hiding secrets and perhaps this family isn’t as perfect as it appears.

I really enjoyed this book. I flew through it a little more than a day! This book is told from the two sisters POV - Lauren and Kate. They both seem to have the perfect life, but of course not all is what it seems. Both sisters do not get alone, but they pretend they do for the sake of their mother who is still mourning the loss of her “perfect” husband. When Jess turns up claiming to be their half sister their whole world is turned upside down. For the most part - Jess seems like a desperate girl just looking for her family, but then of course in thriller fashion she becomes super shady. Kate does not believe that she is the half sister and is determined to uncover the secrets, but at what cost?

I felt this book was original and something I haven’t read before, especially since it had more of a mystery component than a true thriller. I enjoyed trying to figure out who Jess belonged to. Even until the very last sentence you weren’t sure who was trying to cover everything up.

I also enjoyed who the book dug into the lives of Kate and Lauren. Their perfect life is far from perfect. I felt this book had a nice family drama component as well. Overall, I would recommend this book. It’s not going to be the best book you read, but overall very enjoyable. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Pub: 6.16

I’ve read Sandie Jones previous books, The First Mistake and The Other Woman, and thoroughly enjoyed them. The Half Sister was no exception. As readers of Sandie Jones have come to expect it was a twisty tale full of red herrings and every time you think you have it figured out you’re led up another path. I loved it. A great read.

Loved this book as much as her first two. Lots of family drama, thought i figured it all out but was wrong. A very quick easy read with some twists at the end. Thank you Netgalley!

I am a huge fan of Sandie Jones! She certainly knows how to throw all the twists your way, and then some! I was immediately gripped by this novel and found myself ignoring all duties and responsibilities in order to find out more. The action begins immediately with sisters Lauren and Kate finding out at a family dinner that they have a half sister. Talk about an entrance! She bursts into their mother's home to announce that she is looking for her/their father and the book takes off from there. Though I found some of this novel to be a little bit too far-fetched, it definitely packs a punch with twist after twist, coming in hot. This is an enjoyable thriller for anyone who appreciates a good succession of plot twists.

This book centers around someone showing up in your life claiming to be a long lost sister... The entire story revoleves about this premise and finding the truth. Is Jess the half sister from the father... did thier mother secrely have a baby... maybe she is just scamming the family. I found this book to be a quick read, and honetly I thought I knew what was going on... sometimes I did... but believe me there are plenty of twists and turns!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sandie Jones and St. Martin’s Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I always really enjoy Jones’ writing and the twists that come along with it and this novel was no different. Unfortunately I did guess one of the twists, but I was shocked by some of the different twists and I enjoyed how it all comes out in the end. I enjoyed the suspense behind the half sister and trying to find out how she became a part of their family. It seems accurate to get older and realize that your parents aren’t exactly who you thought they were, and that’s mostly what this novel is about. Overall, definitely an enjoyable, easy to read thriller!

Out June 16th

This book was very engaging - I couldn't put it down. However the plot was kind of predictable and just never had that "oh sh*t"moment you associate with thrillers. The main characters (Kate, Lauren) were likeable and relatable, but the secondary characters (Jess, Rose, the husbands) didn't have enough build-up/personality to care much about. I still enjoyed reading it and will continue to follow the author, though.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I have enjoyed previous novels by author Sandie Jones, and I was very excited to receive this book. Unfortunately, The Half Sister didn't quite work for me. The book is presented in dual narratives by adult sisters Kate and Lauren. When the story begins the sisters are not particularly close as they are in very different places in their lives. Younger sister Kate is a journalist who is desperately trying to conceive a baby with her husband Matt. Lauren is unhappily married with 3 small children.

The sisters have recently lost their father Harry but remain devoted to their mother Rose. Unbeknownst to Kate and Rose, Lauren has submitted a DNA sample via a genealogy website ostensibly with the intention of connecting with extended family members. Her actions result in the titular half-sister, Jess showing up on the family's doorstep.

Her appearance into their lives, magnifies longstanding fissures which threaten to divide the family for good. Daddy's girl Kate, understandably struggles to accept that the man she thought of as the perfect father, may not have been the perfect husband.

Although the science behind this DNA reveal was a bit dubious, I was willing to suspend my disbelief and kept reading. I really enjoyed the character of Kate, She was smart and tenacious and I was rooting for her to get the baby she so desperately wanted with Matt. I liked Lauren less but I think that the author did a good job of handling the absolutely insidious nature of domestic violence.

I did not like the half-sister Jess at all. I understand that the character had questions about her past but her actions at the end of this book were just beyond what most people would be willing to tolerate. After quite a bit of build up the story just ends abruptly and the epilogue was only partly satisfying. Why Kate and particularly Lauren would ever speak to Jess again is beyond me.

The Half Sister is an ok read but definitely not the author's best work. However, based on the strength of the author's previous books I will definitely read the next book by Sandie Jones.

Sisters Lauren and Kate meet for lunch every Sunday with their families and their mom since their dad passed away almost a year ago. One Sunday, their lunch is interrupted by a knock on the door and a woman walking in claiming to be their half sister and the daughter of their late father, Harry.

While Kate doesn’t believe her father would ever cheat on her mother, Lauren has other views. While each sister is struggling with secrets of their own, the woman claiming to be their half sister is just trying to find out who her mother is.

The HALF SISTER reads more like literary fiction for the first half, and a domestic thriller in the second. Told from both Lauren and Kate’s perspectives, we are taken into their lives and the secrets they are keeping from each other, while wishing they had the other’s life.

I found Kate’s character more likeable. Kate grew up close to her father, which seems to be replicated with the man she chose to marry. While struggling with infertility, she and her husband had a strong bond and didn’t let their infertility struggles come between them. Lauren, who was not close with her father, married a man who has been verbally abusive to her for years, and is afraid of leaving him because of their children. I really struggled to like Lauren’s character because I so desperately wanted her to leave her husband.

I enjoyed this book, and thought it was a great popcorn read. I was able to predict the ending fairly early, so that was a bit of a disappointment for me, but I still found myself wanting to keep reading to find out if I was right. This is the second book I’ve read by Sandie Jones. I read The First Mistake last year and while I liked that one better, I will definitely continue to keep this author on my radar for future releases!

Oh my goodness this book is a must read. From the very beginning The Half Sister catches your attention and doesn’t let go. It all starts with an unexpected visitor at a Sunday family dinner and just takes off from there. You will start to think you have the book figured out and can guess the ending....but let me tell you, you are wrong! Sadie Jones knocked this book out of the park. This has one of the best books I have read in a while.

4.5 stars - This book is written using different POVs, and the first thing I noticed was how interesting it was to read the two perspectives of the sisters, Kate and Lauren. It was clear that Kate envied Lauren and vise versa. All this time, they thought the other sister had the perfect life, but little did they know each of them weren’t living happy lives.

I found the story predictable, however, the author managed to keep me entertained. Due to all the secrets and lies, I couldn’t put it down! Since Kate is an investigative reporter, it gave a bit of a mystery aspect in the story which I really appreciated!

I also loved how we got to learn about what each character was going through and their past experiences. It was multiple stories all intertwined. I really enjoyed that! Especially at the end when the action picked up a bit, such a great ending!!!

Every family has their secrets. This one just might have more than others!

Sisters Kate and Lauren, appease their mother by continuing their Sunday family dinners. Now that their father has passed, they feel more obligated to continue the tradition. It’s during one of those dinners that everything they know to be true will be turned upside down. Jess, a woman claiming to be their half-sister, shows up looking for their deceased father.
The sisters couldn’t be more different. Lauren, mother of three young children, is meek and quiet. Her husband seems to be the family decision maker without regard to Lauren’s wishes. Lauren has grown up closer to her mother, always at odds with her father. She thinks Kate has the perfect life. Kate is childless, having struggled through unsuccessful IVF cycles. She has always been closer to her father. Kate thinks Lauren has the perfect life.

I had a hard time really liking any of the characters. While they were interesting and their stories were entertaining, I couldn’t really connect with their unwillingness to hear anything bad about their parents. Kate’s resistance was so strong; it made her character more unlikable.
This was a quick, entertaining read. The suspense as each little secret came to light kept me reading to see how it played out. Each family member had secrets and appeared to be willing to do anything to keep those secrets hidden. As a domestic suspense novel, it was a fast paced, easy read.

This story may have you thinking TWICE about sending in a DNA sample to a genealogy company!

Remember-you cannot choose your family, and you could be opening a whole “can of worms” when you embark on this adventure!

Lauren has sent in a “sample” but she never expected “half sister” Jess, to show up at the family’s Sunday dinner!

Full sister, Kate, an investigative reporter, (and a “Daddy’s girl”) isn’t buying into the claim, that Jess is making, because if true, it tarnishes the memory she has of her late father.

Everyone hears a HALF TRUTH, and makes an ASSUMPTION, and you know what happens when you do that??

2+2 does not equal 5!

This is a LIGHT, domestic suspense book, but you know what?

It kept me engaged, I was not tempted to skim, and overall, despite it being a bit predictable, I was entertained!

Thank You to Netgalley, Minotaur books, and Sandie Jones for the digital ARC, received in exchange for a candid review!

This book will be available on June 16, 2020!

I enjoyed this book overall but I have to say, I was not happy about the ending. It seemed a bit fragmented, like there were pieces missing. I plowed through the book because I like the author's captive writing style, but I wished it was a bit more scandalous. I did enjoy the family drama, and storyline although it was a bit foreseeable.

I was absolutely blown away by Sandie Jones' famous novel "The Other Woman," so as soon as I saw that she wrote another book, there was no turning back. Turns out she did it AGAIN!

The novel is narrated from the dual perspectives of Kate and Lauren, two charismatic yet very different sisters. We get to know them well at the beginning of the book as they lead their usual lives until... a stranger introducing herself as Jessica suddenly shows up, claiming that she is their half sister. With DNA test results in hand, she says she is looking for her father... but why should they believe her? From then on, unexpectedly, some dark family secrets start being revealed, and their lives will never be the same again.

I must say that psychological thrillers, especially involving domestic drama, are definitely my weakness. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and found the suspense to be really high. It's a deliciously twisted story, and the only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is the fact that some of the side plots were redundant.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another great read by Sandie Jones! Didn't totally see the end coming and the story line kept the pages turning! Put this on your "to read" list now and grab it as soon as it's available! Thanks to @netgalley for another great ARC and chance to read this book early!

The Half Sister was a book I am glad I pushed through! The beginning started a little slow for me, but I think that is mainly because I was expecting more of a thriller novel. It was tagged as mystery/thriller, but honestly wasn't that way until the very end. I would classify this book more as a drama. I really enjoyed the multiple pov plot even though I had trouble relating to the characters' actions sometimes, but overall I'm glad I read this story. I would recommend this to any reader that likes family dramas.

I wanted to love this book as much as I loved the author’s first two. I found it hard to like any of the characters until much later in the story. The ending was a bit predictable. However, the DNA story makes for compelling reading. I will recommend this book and I look forward to the next book by S Jones.