The good sister is about twin girls with a secret from their past. Fern and Rose are fraternal twins and very different, however their bond is very strong. Fern has a sensory disorder, and likely is also on the autism spectrum (she reminded me of the adult version of Amelia bedelia!) and Rose is successful and Fern's biggest protector. The tension builds throughout this story as we see what lengths sisters will go for each other. I flew through this story and loved the twists that played throughout.

Fern and Rose are twins who have a codependent relationship. Rose is overprotective of her sister due to Fern’s sensory issues, and Fern feels as though she needs Rose to help her live normally. Fern meets a new man friend that she names Wally and they become closer. When Rose discovers she can’t get pregnant, Fern decides to help her by seducing Wally and giving the baby to Rose.

Told in alternating timelines, Fern narrating the present and Rose telling us the past through journal entries, it is clear the sisters have very different views of their childhood. Fern remembers a loving mother while Rose shares that they were abused at the hands of their mother. As readers, we don’t know who is telling the truth.

Hepworth delivered a top notch thriller/family drama with The Good Sister. Fern is one of my favorite characters in my recent reading history. On the Autism spectrum, Fern’s view of life is sometimes unique. Her inner dialogue is often funny and always raw and truthful. I started feeling overprotective of her from the minute I met her in the story. I love the way the backstory was revealed little by little through not only Rose’s journal entries but through Fern’s conflicting memories. This was my first book by Hepworth, but it will definitely not be my last! Plus it’s a perfect read for Autism Acceptance Month!

I would normally say this isn't my type of book, I'm not a big fan of thriller or domestic noir...but I am wrong! I'm not even sure what genre this falls into, but I know I was hooked immediately.

Twin sisters, Rose and Fern, are intensely entangled in each other's lives, still carrying out their childhood roles. Over the course of the novel, we can see just how unhealthy those bonds are and lead us to question who IS the good sister?

Hepworth is so skilled at pacing and set up. She is masterful at the art of 'show don't tell and has the reader constantly questioning what we think we know.

I thought I would read and listen, but the audio production has be enthralled and made this a 100% listen. I absolutely understand why this author has such ardent fans, and will start reading her backlist.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, Macmillian Audio and author Sally Hepworth for the complimentary copies in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited for the April release of Sally Hepworth’s newest novel, The Good Sister, since I really enjoyed reading The Mother-in-Law. While The Good Sister was slower paced than The Mother-in-Law, I enjoyed it.

Fern and Rose are twin sisters, and the dynamic between the two sisters has always been affected by Fern’s experience with sensory processing disorder. Fern is hypersensitive to sound, light, touch, and smell. Reading Fern’s point of view is by far my favorite aspect of this book. I also love that Fern works at a library and feels that the library is her safe haven. (Fern’s research on dating and sex is also fantastic.)

Fern’s sister, Rose, has Type 1 diabetes, and there is a part of the book that may be difficult for my friends who are parents of diabetics to read, as it involves dangerous neglect. More potential trigger warnings include emotional abuse, addiction, overdose, drowning, fat-shaming a child, and sexual assault of a child.
*Those sensitive to stories involving infertility, surrogacy, or adoption may want to skip this read.*

Memory, perspective, and the complicated relationship between siblings all come into play in this book. This is a story of gaslighting and manipulation, but there are also really sweet, smart, and funny moments. I think fans of Liane Moriarty will enjoy both The Mother-in-Law and The Good Sister.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and the author for the gifted copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Fern and Rose are as close as twin sisters can be. They have dinner together multiple times a week and Rose always rescues Fern. It all started that one night at the river. Rose protected her sister then and she knows she has to keep an eye on Fern now because she's dangerous. When Rose learns that she can't get pregnant, Fern decides that she will get pregnant instead. This will be a way to pay Rose back for all she has done.

I loved The Mother-In-Law by the same author when I read it a few years ago so I was excited to read The Good Sister. Honestly, between the child abuse and the ableism, I was ready to DNF this book at 20%.

I am actually really glad I didn't. While parts of The Good Sister are incredibly difficult to read, the romance that blooms between Fern and Wally is so sweet. While this is a thriller, I found myself reading more for the romance than finding out what was actually happening!

A twisty, turny thriller that keeps you wondering exactly which sister is the “good” one. Rose and Fern are twins that have protected each other against their mother since they were little. As Fern becomes more independent, Rose has trouble letting go. What we unearth is two vastly different views of their past but as a reader the question is, who do we believe?

What a rollercoaster! This book definitely had me questioning everything. I read this in just a few sittings but could’ve read it in one sitting, it’s that good!

The story is about twin sisters, and their childhood told through Rose’s diary. The chapters also alternate from Fern’s present-day point of view. Fern is different, loud noises upset her, she doesn’t like to be touched, and she struggles with remembering important things. While Fern is mostly independent, her twin sister Rose is constantly having to make sure she’s okay. In some ways, Rose is a bit controlling, at least in Fern’s point of view. And when Fern meets a love-interest named Rocco, Rose feels the need to involve herself in order to protect Fern.

Reading Rose’s diary, the reader learns of years of abuse from their mother. While their mother is clearly disturbed, Rose describes several events where she protects Fern from her mother’s wrath, and eventually the details of the murder is revealed.

About halfway in the book, you begin to realize something strange is going on with Rose, and Fern’s boyfriend questions her intentions. It’s not until Fern becomes pregnant, that Rose becomes overbearing. From that point, the book becomes hard to put down, and without revealing too much, everything you are led to believe begins to unravel.

I love a good page-turner and this was the perfect binge-read. While I wouldn’t necessarily categorize this as a thriller, this was absolutely a fun, stress-inducing domestic suspense. Compared to Hepworth’s last book, The Mother-in-Law, I would say I liked this one a little more.

If you’re looking for something exciting, psychological and twisty, this is the perfect read!

Thank you to #netgalley and @StMartinsPress for the advanced e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

Any book that makes my palms sweat is great to me!

This book was twisty and turny and the perfect psychological domestic thriller. With most thrillers I am gripped to the plot and don’t necessarily have strong attachments to the characters but with this one, my heart ached for Fern and Wally.

This is my second Sally Hepworth book and I can’t recommend it enough. She is an excellent writer and becoming one of my favorites for this genre.

Thank you to St. Martin’s press and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I was expecting more of a thriller type book, but was pleasantly surprised by this story. More of a coming of age type story, but of adult women. There are a few twists and turns, but. nothing too crazy. I liked the "voice" of Fern's non-neutorypical character. It was interesting to read and see how someone who is "different" might view the world. Having gone through infertility myself, and then having a surprise pregnancy and just giving birth 10 days ago, it was easy for me to have a connection with both characters.

Wow! After reading this book and taking some time to think about it, I’ve come to realize it made me extremely sad. Having someone so close to you do all those things to you throughout your life is horrible. I like how Sally Hepworth gave just enough information about the sisters when the time was right. Nothing felt like it came out of nowhere. Everything flowed really well and I definitely enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book to others.

This was my first book by this author, but it won't be my last. It was a great book. The book is about twins that couldn't be more different.
I want to thank net galley and the publisher for the chance to read this amazing book for my opinion.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters and the plot sucked me in and I stayed up all night finishing it. I enjoy Hepworth’s writing style and will definitely seek out more of her books. Add this to your TBR list today.

This was such a great surprise! Thank you @stmartinspress and @librofm for my copies!

I will be honest that I wasn’t expecting to love this one as much as I did. I had seen plenty of great reviews, but I still wasn’t sold on this one. I’m really happy to say I was wrong. I loved this one!

I ended up listening to the majority of this one and the audio completely drew me and kept me listening. The narrator was a perfect choice for the main character and completely brought the story to life. I finished in 24 hours over a really busy stressful Monday. I hardly ever finish a book during the week in 24 hours that’s how much I loved it. I was able to pretty much figure this one out, but it didn’t detract from my love of this one. If you loved Eleanor Ophliant I am fairly confident that you will enjoy this one too.

This highly engaging, suspenseful psychological thriller delves deeply into sibling relationships, influences, bonds and boundaries. The story unfolds masterfully, gripping the reader with twists and a sense of foreboding.

Rose and Fern are fraternal twins who have a closely connected relationship despite having little in common. Their appearance, personalities and temperament are vastly different. Rose, an interior designer who is married has long acted as Fern’s protector, her”person”. Fern, a single librarian, is on the spectrum and has a sensory processing disorder, she has a straightforward and literal approach and struggles with interpersonal relationships. The storyline is told alternating between Fern and Rose ( via her journal). A long held family secret and the sisters role in it continues to affect the dynamic of their sisterly relationship.

Sally Hepworth deserves high praise for crafting well developed, unique and fascinating characters that invest the reader in their story and it’s outcome. Fern is an especially fascinating character, it was enlightening to get a glimpse into how her mind processed information. She and another neurodiverse character were well depicted with both insight and dimension.

This was a great domestic drama that effectively combines mystery, suspense, amazing characters and complex family relationships.
Thank you to NetGalleyfor providing me with an ARC of this book.

The Good Sister is an entertaining, twisty thriller. The main character, Fern, is delightful and funny. I would enjoy seeing this character in a future novel by the author. I will recommend this book to patrons at my library.

I am a library paraprofessional. Opinions are my own. I received an advance copy from NetGalley.

4.5 stars!

This is the story of two twin sisters, who may or may not appear as they seem. Fern is a quirky and peculiar librarian; Rose is a bit more “normal”, and has always felt she needed to take care of Fern and protect her from their mother. Fern secretly decides she needs to help Rose have a child and many more secrets begin to unravel!

A good first ~60% of the book is getting a look at the past and really understanding the family dynamic, how the sisters came to be who they are today. There’s a long awaited sense of ok when is it all going to go apeshit!? As the story evolved I began to predict what would go wrong but there were still small details that I didn’t necessarily see coming! If you are someone who’s never read a thriller or doesn’t usually, I would say this is a good one for you because it has family drama and is less psychological than others IMO.

One of my favorite parts of this book is Fern and “Wally”/Rocco’s relationship! Even though it’s not a romance, I loved their story, how they relate to one another, can be themselves and be openly, emotionally honest and straightforward.

I also really loved Fern. She’s someone I’d love to hang out with. She’s basically a walking encyclopedia and is always eager to research anything and everything to get a better understanding. I also really liked that her sensory issues played a big role and hated how Rose felt like she needed to shield her from the world because of them.

Two-thirds of the book is told from Fern’s perspective and the other third is journal entries from Rose. I wasn’t sure about the chapter layout at first but came to love it and how the journals wrapped up at the end of the story.

“It’s like she doesn’t know where she ends and you begin. Like you belong to her or something.”

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is my first book by Sally Hepworth. It centers on Fraternal twins Rose and Fern who have been each others world their entire lives-right down to the matching bracelets they have never taken off. Fern has sensory processing issues which casts Rose in the caretaker role for her twin. Things are going along swimmingly as long as quirky Fern listens to her sister but when a romance throws a wrench in things, long held secrets are dredged up and things are not what they seem. Really loved the Fern character! I did not get thriller vibes from this book most of the way through. It really felt like watching one of those Lifetime movie dramas where something crappy happens to the main character and you keep watching hoping all will turn out right for them. I thought the writing was good and it held my interest but you could kind of see where this one was going well before you got to the end.

The Good Sister? I imagine, like me, you will feel differently about who is actually the “good” one in this relationship once you finish Ms. Hepworth’s book. There are some clues scattered through the pages, but still a surprising end to the story.

From the mother, you couldn’t help but hate, to the twins - Fern and Rose, to “Wally” and even Fern’s co-workers this book was packed full of interesting likable and hateable characters. All were wonderfully fleshed out by the author’s talented hand. I was right alongside them throughout the story. I love to take such a great trip! What’s even more enjoyable is to arrive at a surprise destination at the end. Exactly the case here.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Happy book publication month to The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (@sallyhepworth)

The novel is about two sisters and a dark secret between them. Rose and Fern are sisters who couldn’t have more diverse views about how their single mother brought them up. Rose has a slight mental disability and is a librarian, who is single. Fern has a home, a husband, and longs for a child. Rose and Fern are as close as two sisters can be. Fern takes care of Rose and makes sure nobody else takes advantage of simple Rose. Fern goes to London on a trip, Rose meets a guy and everything falls apart.

The character of Rose reminded me of Eleanor from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. The novel pulls you in and compels you complete in one sitting. A juicy thriller that will make you doubt the intentions of both the sisters. The ending was highly satisfying. After I completed this book, I picked up The Mother-in-Law by the same author.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Category: Thriller
Publication Date: Apr 2021

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is an interesting examination of mental illness. For much of the book, the reader cannot be sure which of the sisters has succumbed to mental illness and which has not. Rose and Fern are adult twins who are relatively independent: Rose is married to Owen and Fern is a librarian and a good one. Rose wants to have a child and is unable to and Fern decides she will have a baby and give it to Rose. She would do anything for Rose. So she goes out and finds a man to assist. She sees him in the library and he reminds her of Waldo of Where's Waldo? fame. In England he's known as Wally. She sees him in the library and thinks he's homeless so she follows him to offer him a personal care kit. They become friends and eventually lovers, odd since neither really cares to be touched. When Rose discovers what is going on, she encourages Fern to break it off with Wally, despite that is the last thing she wants. She is early in her pregnancy so he has not idea since Rose encouraged her to keep it a secret. It all comes together very quickly at the end of the book.

The Good Sister is a study in mental illness versus, in this case, autism. Rose had been close to every move Fern had ever made, caring for her. Their mother had been in a nursing home for 16 years, having overdosed or had a stroke or? For much of that time she has been unable to communicate, but that is changing. Fern has visited her regularly during this time. Rose has not seen her for 10 years or more. As it becomes clear who is in charge of their lives, Owen, Roses' husband, reappears, as Rose had said it would. He has interesting things to say, along with what Wally contributes having reappeared. This was a stunning book written with care and love. Both women were excellent characters who loved one another in their own ways. The pacing is perfect to keep the reader involved and uncovers the story slowly, keeping up the suspense until the end. An unforgettable read. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Good Sister by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #thegoodsister