I was so excited to get a chance to read Sandie Jones' latest and The Half Sister did not disappoint. The story moves quickly and I was intrigued from start to finish. Looking forward to see what this author comes up with next!

A family is rocked to its core when a young woman shows up claiming to share the same father. Of course, all is in confusion and the mother, Rose, knows more than she lets on. It’s a solid psychological thriller, that will keep you on your toes.

I received this book "The Half Sister" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. I haven't read anything by this author before. Overall good story that picked up in the second half of the book.

I enjoyed this book. It's well written and the plot flowed nicely. While the final twist wasn't mind blowing or surprising, I still thought it fit the story well. Kate was a little annoying and I feel like their family's secrets were a little lame and slightly unbelievable, maybe it's just because I come from a family that doesn't hide stuff. I will continue to pick up Sandie Jones books as they're published.

A special thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A family in the throes of grief is upended when a stranger arrives at their door.

Every Sunday, sisters Lauren and Kate have lunch with their newly widowed mother. At one of these lunches, a woman by the name of Jess shows up asking to see Henry, her father. She is armed with DNA test results and claims to be their half sister.

Kate and Lauren must come to terms that their parents have a dark past. As the fallout starts, it becomes clear that they all have lives built on lies and their family is not as perfect as it appears.

The Half Sister is told from the perspective of two sisters: Kate, a celebrity gossip maven who is desperate to have a baby with her adoring husband, Matt; and Lauren, a frazzled mother of three with an abusive husband, Simon. Jones writes Kate as being paranoid and distrusting, whereas she pens Lauren as more sympathetic towards Jess.

It is human nature to make assumptions and Kate and Lauren do this to each other. We all want what we perceive other people to have without actually knowing how much of it is real. What we see externally we compare against our assumptions and perceived ideas of happiness, success, etc. Lauren and Kate really need each other but are divided by their notions of one another.

Like The Other Woman, mothers play a huge role in the story. More specifically, how mothers prioritize the health and well-being of their children over everything in their lives. Women get lost along the way.

While the book is being categorized as thriller, this is misleading. At best it is a family drama with a bit of suspense—it just doesn't quite thrill. Unfortunately, the miscategorization of this book is not the only problem. The narrative is rather repetitive and the characters lack depth. Things are touched on and not given the page time they deserve. For example, Simon was a necessary evil and contributed to the overall plot, but I wanted more from Simon and Lauren's storyline—perhaps this was a conscious choice due to the sensitive subject matter. I also wanted to learn more about Harry and felt that he wasn't fleshed out enough.

That being said, Jones is a wonderful writer. She engages her reader is short succinct chapters and redeems herself with the ending.

This is the third book I have read by this author and I have enjoyed them all! At the weekly Sunday family luncheon, a knock on the door sends everyone's lives spinning. What would you do if a stranger showed up at the door claiming to be your sister? In this age of DNA testing, I am sure this scenario happens more often than we know. In this, case many secrets come to light and there are many twists and unexpected turns. Really enjoyed the twists and turns. The only complaint I have is that the book could be longer! The secrets could be revealed with more details. Especially those of Rose, their mom. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for sending me this awesome book! I look forward to more from Sandie Jones!

Loved the premise of this book, a long lost "sister" shows up to a family dinner unannounced and the father is deceased and no explanations given. As you can imagine chaos ensues from there. I did feel that after that 1st initial shock the book slowed down.

"It's funny what we thought the other one had."

The Half Sister by Sandie Jones is a gripping domestic suspense novel perfect for fans of her earlier books and those who enjoy fast-paced novels exploring the dark secrets and inner workings of families.
Kate and Lauren have never been the closest sisters, but the months after their fathers' death has only brought them further apart.
Then one day a young woman shows up with the news that they share the same father, something confirmed by an online DNA test, and these four women; Lauren, Kate, their mother Rose, and half-sister Jess try to make sense of the man they knew and find the truth.

But with each of them guarding secrets from one another, will they ever find out what really happened? Or will they end up destroying each other in the process?

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press; Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the advance copy.

What happens when a knock on the door changes everything?

Sisters Lauren and Kate have a lovely tradition of spending time with each other weekly over lunch with their mother Rose on Sundays. This particular Sunday, they receive a visit from a young woman named Jess who claims that she is their half sister following the results of an online DNA testing kit. Uploading the data, she is able to connect with Lauren. Kate working as a journalist is sceptic by nature and put her investigative skills into action, which uncovers family secrets long forgotten and thought buried and never to be unearthed.

I loved this book more than I thought I would. I guess I really like a page-turning domestic thrillers. I enjoyed learning about the characters, their spouses, their jobs and daily workings of their lives. The story alternates between Lauren's and Kate's POV which I enjoyed - Lauren the more insecure sister and Kate the stronger one of the two. The mystery element comes later as more secrets surface and a few clever plot twists added to the complex shocking revelation of the whodunnit element.

Overall, I really loved Sandie Jones' writing and would definitely make it a goal to read her other books. She writes amazing characters and delves deep into the details of the plot which I really appreciated. I found the novel to be somewhat thrilling as the mystery of who Jess truly is, is revealed and that made for an exciting revelation that made this a page turner of a book.

This was an easy read that I would recommend for readers who love a great page-turner domestic thrillers.

Sisters Kate and Lauren are meeting us with there Mom for Sunday lunch like usual when the doorbell ring and a girl named Jess is claming to be there recently passed Father Harry daughter. They don't believe it could be true, but she is holding the results to a DNA test that proves she is there half sister. As the story goes on we find out that Harry wasn't the only one holding secrets and lies. Everything comes out as the sister try to figure out who this woman is that Harry had an affair with and how it is possible he had a secret child.

The dinner table is set, family gathered around. The chicken is steaming, permeating the room with a savory aroma. The rolls are coated in melted butter, the broccoli seasoned to perfection; everything is perfect. You’re about to take your first bite, getting ready to taste the deliciousness with the familiar chatter of loved ones surrounding you.

But then a stranger walks into the home, her eyes wide as she discovers that she’s interrupted something sacred. Even wilder than her appearance? Her claim to being your half-sister.

I really enjoyed Sandi Jones novel The Other Woman, but this one fell really short for me. The first half of the book was filled with bickering family drama and not much happened to spark my interest, so it was hard to get into. When the story did pick up I found it all to be a little strange and I figured out the twist well ahead of time. The characters spent a lot of time speaking back and forth without spitting out the truth! They would just sidestep and tip-toe around things they already knew and I found myself wanting to smack them... “just say it already!”

Now, the storyline itself was very interesting to me and I did want to find out how things would unfold (even though I knew the twist). I just wish the characters would have conducted themselves better throughout the book. It would have left me much less frustrated with them. I won’t speak on what to avoid spoilers.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me, but may be a good thriller/drama for you guys!

TW: Physical/Emotional Abuse, Infidelity, Infertility, Abortion, Murder.

Wow! Full of family secrets and drama, it's hard to put down. I love that Sandie can make me think that I know what's going on but actually have no idea. When you find out the truth, it's just so out there from your thoughts.

I love being suspicious of everyone and everything! I'm so glad that some of my assumptions turned out not to be true.

I really enjoy how Sandie Jones builds up the suspense in her books and makes me want to keep reading. This book was no exception, but I have to say that the build up is a slow one and did not get fast-paced until about halfway through the book. The plot is one that is not totally original, with a DNA test producing a previously unknown sibling. Lauren did the DNA test and Jess showed up on her doorstep. Kate doesn’t accept Jess at all and Rose, the mom, is totally flabbergasted at the thought that her husband’s reputation will be dragged through the mud. Lauren was a likable character, but very weak personally. She didn’t know how to say “no” to anyone and that did not endear her to me. Kate was a strong minded journalist who is determined to find out the truth about who Jess is. This is one of those tales with the moral of “be careful what you wish for.” I enjoyed the twists and the clues that were dropped along the way. I was able to figure out the ending long before it actually ended, but it was really entertaining so I continued to read. Fans of Sandie Jones, domestic drama and mystery/suspense will enjoy this book.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Wow, I read this all today. I received an advanced e-book copy and finally got the chance to read it. This book was recently published. I love all of Sandie's books. She has a great writing style that brings you in right from the start. By the end of chapter one in her books I instantly get hooked. I have a tough time putting down her books because of her amazing story telling.

Kate and Lauren are sisters who have drifted apart after their father passed away 10 months ago. There is some jealousy involved as well and that can bring along tension, too. In walks Jess, claiming to be their half-sister, and the story starts going various ways after that bombshell is dropped.

This book ended totally different than I could've imagined it would end. So many secrets and lies among several main characters! This thriller/mystery has so many twists and turns that you'll be guessing right until the end! I have read all three books by this author and each one is amazing. Go pick this one up today!

This book is based on DNA testing and a girl, Jessica, showing up at the Alexander family’s front door claiming to be related. The book made me gasp early-on, and I didn’t figure out the ending until nearly finished. Fast-paced, once started you won’t want to put it down.

I was expecting a thriller and for more of a family drama. It certainly wasn’t a bad book, just not what I was expecting.

3.5 stars that I rounded up.

I think the first thing to point out is this isn't your typical thriller. This is more like a really interesting mystery story, in my opinion. I like the storyline concept of genetics being used to solve old cold cases. That's being used in real life and it's a great idea for a story. There were so many different ways this story could have gone and that's part of what I enjoyed and kept me interested. About the time I thought I knew the direction the author was going she would throw a twist to take me down another road. There is a lot of family drama, a ton of secrets and then throw a shiny knife in the mix and what's not to like?

For the most part, the characters are solid. There were two I didn't really care for, but that keeps things interesting. The pace of the book was a little like a roller coaster ride. At times we were moving along fast and furious and other times it was slow. The first half of the book was more of a 3 star rating and the second half a 4 star rating. A big part of the different ratings has to do with the pace of the book and the action in it. So that's why I landed on 3.5 stars.

The ending I had a feeling would happen but wasn't completely sure. I still feel it was a shock when I read it. Which I love endings like that! So that is why I rounded it up to 4 stars. Overall, it's a good story and I enjoyed it.

My thanks to Sandie Jones, Minotaur Books and netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was given an advanced copy of The Half Sister in exchange for an honest review. I have loved Sandie Jones two precious novels so I was excited! I did enjoy it but I will be honest, this is not my favorite novel of hers. It starts slow - and doesn’t pick up till really almost at the end for me at least.

The premise was good - it just wasn’t AS good as her other two books in my opinion. However, I’ll continue to be a fan and always read her books. You will enjoy it if you enjoyed her other two.

3.5 stars for me - still a quick readable enjoyable thriller (sort of a thriller )

Thanks to all involved for giving me the opportunity to get an early copy.

It took me a bit to finish this book because the first 3/4 was slow. Entertaining enough but slow. The last 1/4 of the book, however, I couldn’t plow through fast enough.

What I liked: It had some good twists in the last part that I didn’t see coming and one that I did. I also enjoyed the relationship and growth of the characters especially Lauren and Kate.

What I didn’t like: I found some parts of the book were added just for more suspense but felt like these parts stayed loose ends at the end.

I love Sandie Jones books. The Other Woman remains my favorite of hers. I give The Half Sister 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars given the end was so fast-paced with some good twists.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

This was the definition of a slow burn. But it was entirely too slow for my liking. I was actually quite bored and wanted to rush through it just to get it done. I was pretty excited for this one, it’s not my first sandie Jones book and I quite enjoyed her other but for the first 3/4 I was waiting for more to happen. The last 1/4 picked up and I wanted to know how it ended. But I was just disappointed. I feel like this book could have been cut in half and done better that way. The story was good, the writing is good. It’s just lacking in suspense that I’m unsure why it’s deemed a thriller. It’s just a drama story.