The Good Sister is a fascinating read that keeps the reader questioning who to trust, what's real and what's not. A great read for anyone looking to explore sibling relationships both healthy and destructive.

This story enticed me from the very first chapter and I was hooked. The title alone made me question everything I learned about both of the sisters. Which one was the good one? And what made the other one 'bad'?

I definitely preferred one sister over the other but I'm not going to say anything more and will let you come to your own conclusions. The writing was easy to read and the author really got into the heads of the characters and gave me, the reader, a clear look at the world's of the two sisters. The way the story twisted out in the end was so satisfying. And left me pondering the true end result.

Sally Hepworth is a new author to me and I honestly loved everything about The Good Sister, her newest book. Although I have previously seen her books being talked about, this is the first one of hers I've read. I look forward to reading more!

Classic Hepworth. Exactly what readers have come to expect from her. The fact that it can easily switch between a women's lit book to a thriller show just how good Sally Hepworth is as an author. Even when you can guess what is going on you still are excited to see if you are right. Really a solid addition to Sally's works.

This was an enjoyable read and in many ways it reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. There is a little bit of a mystery element, but mostly it is a family drama with some great characters and a compelling story.

Fern and Rose are twin sisters. Fern has always had difficulty following social norms, and Rose has always been there to protect her. Even when Fern did something really bad as a child, Rose was there to make sure she was protected and continues to keep her secret to this day. But the sisters are tested when Fern decides to have a baby for Rose, and long buried secrets are uncovered that could change everything for the sisters.

Fern was a great character. I loved her quirks and immediately I was pulled into her world and wanted to protect her as well. I loved that she worked in a library, because I just love libraries. The story alternates between Fern's point of view in the present and Rose's journal entries, most of which take place during the sisters' childhood. The format is cleverly written, and it worked so well to reveal the story in this way. I flew through the pages!

I have read a couple of books by Sally Hepworth, and I think The Good Sister is my favorite of hers so far. Can't wait to read what she writes next!

This is my first read by Sally Hepworth and definitely not my last. The Good Sister checked every box I have for an enjoyable psychological thriller, with the added surprise of being funny and sweet at times! I think I'm glad I don't have twin sister.

This wasn't the most thrilling of thrillers, but the creepy factor definitely gets high toward the end. The main character, Fern, was a perfect narrator for this tale as the reader tries to figure out exactly where the twist will come in. Her relationship with her sister was well written and presented some surprises as the novel goes on.

Really like the book. Well written and fully invested in the characters kept me guessing until the end, loved the plot! Sally Hepworth has another winner!!
4 stars


Thank you to NetGalley and the Author and publisher for an ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I read The Mother-in-Law by Hepworth and was looking forward to this one. I wasn’t able to finish it, unfortunately. The primary voice (at least of the ~ 25% I read), was Fern and I actually liked her voice, her characterization. But, although she’s clearly on the spectrum, she’s certainly high functioning and responsible enough to hold a job, live on her own, make her own decisions. And yet… and this is where it actually lost me - even though I read on further - apparently she doesn’t have the capacity to understand that if she gets pregnant by some random man, that the baby born of that union isn’t her sister’s baby. What? She explains this away by the saying she doesn’t want to have sex with her brother-in-law so that this is her… only option? All this after she has googled how surrogacy works, etc.

I imagine I won’t be the only own who may have criticisms about the characterization of Fern and her condition… I actually very much liked her characterization, until this line of reasoning popped up and it made absolutely no sense to me, given her meticulousness, attention to detail, and adherence to rules and ideas that she feels are valuable and make her life run smoother.

I will almost certainly try Hepworth again, but this one unfortunately didn’t work for me.

ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley.

This book was entertaining but I would not say it was spectacular or a standout in the genre. I did like the unreliable narrator plot.

Now this is my kind of book! I loved this ingenious story of psychological suspense! My mind is still trying to process the story while at the same time I'm thinking of everyone I need to recommend this book to. I'll definitely be reading more from Sally Hepworth and looking forward to her future works.

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins who are just as different as they look. They have always looked out for each other as they have the loyalty you would expect from twins. Rose is responsible and looks out for her sister while Fern navigates through life on the Autistic spectrum and with a sensory processing disorder. While growing up, Fern and Rose also protected each other from their crazy mother who is manipulative and dangerous. Fern is the more favorable twin while Rose is bullied by her own mother. Bonds between sisters can be complicated and messy but when one twin needs something, the other is always there for her.

As adults, Fern does not remember their mother being so horrible and is often confused about her surroundings, especially due to the sensory processing disorder. Rose would often remind her of the things their mother did that caused such trauma in their childhood. Fern is relieved that she has Rose to help her as she is often naive and forgetful. Plus, Fern can’t be trusted since she did something so terrible as a child that only Rose knows about and helped cover up what happened.

As adults, Fern decides to have a baby for Rose since she can’t have a baby herself and that is where the story begins. It is told in alternating points of views from Rose’s journal entries and Fern’s present point of view.

The novel is so easily devourable in one sitting as the writing really sucks you right in. You will be trying to fit the puzzle pieces together! One thing I really loved about the book was that for a mystery and thriller novel, the characters were so great. Wally and Fern’s relationship was so wholesome that you just can’t help but to root for them.

It also gives you a bit more than your typical thriller novel. There’s the mystery and thriller aspect as expected but there’s also an exploration of family relationships and personalities. There is a lot of character development and growth, giving us readers a bit of a character study as well. Everyone’s dynamic with one another is so intriguing as well, especially once the truth begins to unravel and how they handle it.

This may be on the more predictable side if you’re a constant thriller reader however, it still constitutes as a fast, entertaining read with great characters. Definitely go into this without knowing too much as it makes the read more fun. This was my first novel by Hepworth and certainly will not be the last. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. For some reason it took me a long time to read this book, but I am very glad I finally got into it!!

Rose and Fern are fraternal twins and have depended on each other all their lives. Now grown, Rose is married and Fern is working as a librarian, but they still are close, having dinner together several times a week and talking daily.. Fern also visits their mother, who is in a nursing home following a drug overdose, but Rose refuses to even talk about her. Rose wants to know EVERYTHING about Fern's life, to "protect" her. Rose has tried for years to get pregnant without success, so Fern thinks the perfect gift would be for her to have a baby and give it to Rose. She meets a guy (much to Rose's surprise!), and does get pregnant. But then things happen that Fern does not understand and Rose seems to take over her life even more.

When their mother suddenly dies just as Fern is about to deliver, things get more complicated and the truth finally comes out.

The Good Sister is the third book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth and now it’s also the third five star review I’ve written on those books. There is just something about these thrillers that have drawn me into the story immediately and just won’t let go until the last page has been read.

This story is about two sisters that are complete opposites but they have always only had each other bringing them extremely close together. Rose is the practical in control sister that has always protected Fern who has her peculiarities seeming to fall on the autism spectrum. As children though Rose just knew she needed to protect her sister from their abusive and neglectful mother.

Now as adults though Fern does live on her own and work a job she loves in the local library with everyone around her being used to her eccentric nature. Rose has married and is wanting to have a child now of her own but she’s been struggling. Fern thinks this is finally time she can do something for the sister that has looked out for her and have a baby herself to give to Rose.

Immediately when reading this one I found myself having a huge soft spot for Fern and her unique way of seeing the world and existing in it. Sally Hepworth did a wonderful job bringing Fern to life and writing about her quirks but then again she does a wonderful job with all of her characters which is one of the biggest reasons I fall in love with her stories. The book moves at a perfect pace building the tension and giving the reader the backstory here and there to solidify the girls personalities and it becomes incredibly hard to put it down just anticipating the next twist coming along. After three winners in a row I am definitely looking forward to reading more by this author!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a good contemporary mystery/thriller involving the relationship between twin sisters, one who seems to have it all, and the other with apparent mental health issues that needs to be cared for and sheltered.

Rose is married and yearns for a child. She spends much of her time looking out for her twin sister Fern, as she's done their whole lives. According to Rose, she's needed to do that because of their narcissistic mother who mistreated them. Fern has a different memory of their mother and childhood, but with her anxiety and limitations, can her memory really be trusted? When Rose leaves to visit her husband who is working out of town, Fern tastes some unexpected independence and discovers that she is much more capable that she thought she could be. After she takes steps to help Fern have the baby she's longed for, Fern's world starts to change and she becomes more aware of the secrets Rose has been keeping from her.

I enjoyed reading this book. It's told in alternating chapters between Fern and Rose's diary entries. The book is evenly paced and the author does a really good job of slowly putting the edges of the puzzle together. As the story progresses, the author adds more and more pieces until the reader can see the full picture at the end. While I had my suspicions as to what the twins' secrets were, I enjoyed seeing how the author brought them out in the story. Throughout the book you got the sense that there was at least one unreliable narrator, but the author kept you guessing as to which character it was. If you're looking for a quiet, but entertaining mystery/thriller, this book is just the ticket. I recommend you read it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. All opinions are my own.

This is my first book by Sally Hepworth and I’ll be picking up another in the very near future. I was drawn in by the characters right away. I could not get enough of Fern’s story and ended up not being able to up the book down. Some twists were expected, but there were also some I didn’t see coming.

RATING: 4 STARS
2021; St. Martin's Press (MacMillan Audio)

This is my second book by Sally Hepworth, both on audio, and I have added her backlist to my TBR. It appears she writes more than one type of genre - in this case domestic suspense. This is always exciting to see because sometimes the author can only write one genre, or readers cannot see them writing beyond what they love. I will update you what I think once I get to her backlist - if you want to know. The Good Sister was an interesting book. There were so many diverse and unique storylines that some of the standards of domestic suspense seemed more exciting. I love Fern. From the moment we get her point of view - it goes between her and her fraternal twin sister, Rose's point of view - I loved her. I was invested full on to this story when we discover she works at public library. This novel takes place in Australia, so there are some differences to how libraries are, in Canada at least. To be quite honest, I wasn't even into Rose's storyline other than she was tied to the mystery. I found Fern and Wally/Rocco's storyline so well done, just like how Fern is portrayed. I don't want to say too much in case something is spoiler, so I will just say, add this to your summer reading list! This is a great read with some sunshine and wine.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

I have greatly enjoyed every Sally Hepworth book I have read, and this one was no exception! This book was captivating from the very beginning, and held my attention throughout. Fern was such a captivating character, and I loved reading about her interesting interactions with her sister Rose. These two girls are so different in so many ways, and the "twist" was one that I didn't see coming. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this entertaining book!

The Mother-in-Law and now The Good Sister have established Sally Hepworth as a leading author of domestic mystery and suspense. Not only does she develop complex characters that you believe you know and understand and then you don't, she also develops story lines that you believe you know where they are headed, and then you don't. Rose and Fern are alternate narrators and fraternal twins with different health issues, different personalities and different relationships with their mother. And then there is Wally, one of the most endearing characters I doubt I will ever forget. I thank Net Galley for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

#TheGood Sister#NetGalley

Another wonderful, exciting and twisty book by Sally Hepworth! I have read all her books, and wait with great anticipation for her next publication! The Good Sister is a book that keeps you guessing until the last page! Characters that seem to come off the page and a great plot results in a stay up all night page turner!!
I highly recommend this book to those who love domestic psychological thrillers!!
Thanks to NetGalley andbSally Hepworth for the opportunity to read the ARC of The Good Sister!

I'm still a little unsure about what I think with this one. On the one hand, the concept was interesting, but on the other, I found that it wasn't very well executed. In my opinion, this wasn't a thriller, but more of a family drama with a fairly predictable storyline that it felt like I'd read before.