The Good Sister is an overhyped books that does not need any hype because Sally Hepworth can stand on her own. I have not read all her books but have read her last two books before this one and loved them all. She has established her place and style as a great story writer!! I have been struggling a bit with overhyped books breaking my reading groove and I was worried this was going to be another book that didn't "live up to the hype". I had nothing to worry about because Sally Hepworth writing is captivating with characters that are easy to connect with.

I found all of her books well-crafted stories with compelling family dynamics, themes and plots that are brilliantly delivered. Her characters are interesting and unforgettable characters that I still think about, and Fern and Rose will be too. The drama to the stories is engaging and adds enough suspense to drive the stories forward.

The Good Sister explores the dynamics between very different twin sisters. It is well-layered with not what I would call twists but turns to the story that might feel predictable but are perfectly paced and layered to pull the story together. There is a bit of trope here with the good sister and bad sister, however, it’s fresh and exciting, and Fern and Rose are unique, compelling and fascinating characters.

I did have a teeny tiny struggle with buying into some parts of that very, very bad thing Fern did, however I did like how it all wrapped up.

Title: The Good Sister
Author: Sally Hepworth
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Good Sister" by Sally Hepworth

My Opinion:

'The Good Sister' was a good read full of suspense, thriller, and oh my goodness, drama all over the place. I enjoyed the plot development, and the characters were all simply well-developed in this well-written story that this author gives the readers. Be prepared for one interesting read that will be surrounded by sadness, confusion, and anger in this Castle family, Nina, Rose, and Fern. It was quite a read that showed that this family was definitely in need of help during childhood. This was some read of two sisters [fraternal twins] and a mother with one of the sisters, having 'sensory processing issues, hypersensitive to found, light, touch, and smell,' with the other one...somewhat domineering, definitely used manipulation, and with a mom who has overdosed [sociopath], leaving the twins to have to live in foster care until they were eighteen. Believe me, and you will have quite a read as the story continues. After saying that, I will say this is one read that you will need to pick up and see how well this author brings it all out, giving the readers one twisted and surprising ending.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an arc of this book and my giving my honest review.

I love how Hepworth builds suspense! This is my second read by her and I love it.

Rose and Fern are fraternal twins and they couldn’t be more opposite. Rose is the outspoken one and is very protective of Fern. Living with a mother that is a sociopath, she can be brash and abusive. Rose takes it upon herself to shield Fern from their mother’s outbursts. Fern is quirky and on the autism spectrum with sensory sensitivity. She willingly follows Rose's lead. When they were younger, Fern did something very bad. The thing she did is what was suspenseful for me. What happened? Was it really that bad? They vowed to never speak of it and keep it a secret. Sisterly bonds are tight and Fern wants to give Rose something she can never have. A baby. The story fell off the believability tracks right here, but Hepworth wove it in flawlessly. Rose always has the upper hand and can be manipulative taking advantage of Fern. Sowing seeds of doubt in her capabilities to further her own agenda.

I especially like the character of Fern and her growth throughout. How strong is a bond between sisters and what is the breaking point, if any?

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advance copy.

Loved this suspenseful, mystery-thriller! The author drew me in to this wild narrative and I couldn’t put it down. I love how the author wrote this and it made me nervous, crazy. Have you ever been really close to your sibling? And if you have a crazy parent does that means you’ll end up crazy too?
This has mental illness, bad parenting and lies about the past. What’s not to love? I highly recommend this if you love suspense-thrillers. It’s really good.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press via Netgalley for the eARC. I’ve voluntarily given my review.

This is my first time reading a book by this author and was an okay read for me. The storyline of two sisters who was brought up by a mother who was very dysfunctional in the way she raised them. You can see why the two main characters Rose and Fern acted the way they did with each other.
I usually like a book with plot twist and turns but this one didn’t do that for me.

I voluntarily received a ARC from Netgalley and my review is of my own honest opinion and thoughts.

—t h e g o o d s i s t e r—⁣
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Y’all, this book is wild. If you have read anything by @sallyhepworth then you already know - she is masterful when it comes to writing complex, untrustworthy characters. She makes relational dynamics incredibly tense, uncertain, and thrilling. The Good Sister is no different. ⁣
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Fern and Rose are twin sisters who have complicated relationships with their mother, who mostly raised them alone. The book interweaves Fern’s perspective of current day and Rose’s journal entries exploring mostly their childhood. ⁣
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Fern has sensory processing issues and I think her neurodivergence is handled mostly sensitively. I would be interested in others’ thoughts on this, however. Her relationships with Rose, their mother, and her romantic interest Wally, are fascinating. The book is highly bingeable. I will say that parts of this book, particularly at the beginning are very difficult to read. There is a lot of disturbing descriptions of psychological abuse that I found hard to get through. The back half of the book is wiiiiiiild however and I am glad I stuck with it. ⁣
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Thank you to @sallyhepworth, @stmartinspress, and @netgalley for the #gifted copy. This book is our TODAY. If you love the intersection of family dramas and creepy thrillers, this is it!

Fern and Rose are twin sisters who grew up in an unstable environment and leaned on each other for support. Rose is Fern’s “person”, the one who takes care of her and helps guide her through the challenges of living with a sensory processing disorder. When Fern learns that Rose is unable to conceive a child, she decides she wants to have a baby for her. But when Fern meets Wally, she forgets
her plan and for once starts living more independently until Rose reels her back under her watchful eye and control. Will Fern realize Rose may not always have her best interest in mind?

A family drama full of secrets and manipulation. I enjoyed the plot line of Fern, her struggles and how she progresses in overcoming challenges. The author made the sensitive topic of sensory issues understandable. This was a quick read and my second book by Sally Hepworth. It will not be my last!

The Good Sister is told from two POVs, Rose, through journal entries about the past, and Fern's life in the now. They may be fraternal twins, but their personalities are quite different. Even though Rose is married, she continues to feel responsible for Fern, who it seemed did something bad when they were children. Rose's husband Owen has taken a job in London, and Rose might end her marriage since she cannot see herself leaving Fern.

Fern lives on her own but within walking distance of her sister's house. She loves her job as a librarian, though certain sounds or other disruptions to her routines make her very uncomfortable.

Fern accidentally discovers that Rose cannot have children. To make her sister happy, she figures out the perfect solution, she will get pregnant, and give the baby to Rose! It seems simple, until the man she decides will be the donor, Rocco, becomes someone very important to Fern, someone who seems to understand Fern's issues.

Things get interesting when Fern becomes pregnant and Rose starts to take over her life. Rose has always been the more domineering sister, but that is only because of her constant worry about Fern, or is it? As Fern loses more and more control to Rose, the question is, which version of their shared past is true. It is a Sally Hepworth book, so you just know there are going to be twists, secrets, and lies.

An engaging fast-paced read that I finished in an afternoon. I did figure out what was going on about halfway through the book, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment. After all, I could have been incorrect, since I often guess wrong! The Good Sister does not publish until next April, and if you are looking for a terrific beach read and haven't already read it, I loved The Mother-In-Law.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this book. This was such a great physiological thriller. The story told in Fern POV and Rose’s diary entries. It doesn’t feel like much is going on and then BAM! The story is a bit predictable but so enjoyable. The narration was perfect with Fern’s parts.

Fraternal twin sisters, Rose and Fern, are raised in a horrible home by an awful mother. Or were they? When Rose can’t get pregnant, Fern decides that she will surprise her sister by getting pregnant and giving her the baby. When the one night stand becomes a loving relationship for Fern, Rose quickly starts to isolate and remove Fern from the situation, convincing Fern she could never be a proper mother to this baby. After visiting with their disabled mother, Fern starts to question Rose’s opinions and ideas, realizing that maybe Rose doesn’t always have Fern’s best interest in mind.

Told between Fern’s point of view and Rose’s journal entries, this domestic thriller is suspenseful, shocking, and engrossing. I love an unreliable narrator, which Rose indulges quite well. Her essays are quite in contrast to Fern’s events, so who is telling the truth? Page turning until the very end, I highly recommend The Good Sister.

Wow what a amazing book, my first by this author but certainly won't be my last. I was caught up in the storyline from the first page, and it kept me turning the pages until the very end. This is my favorite genre of book, and I loved this book. I would most definitely recommend it to everyone.

I received a ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and this is my fair and honest review.

Sally Hepworth makes you think she’s leading you down a predictable path, only to put a cliff-edging switchback in the middle of your planned route..

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins. Rose seems to have it all together, while Fern...doesn’t. Despite the tragic secrets that bind them, they are also united by their codependence. Fern is neuro-atypical, but has made herself a valuable member of the staff of the library where she works. However, she constantly looks to Rose for guidance on how to navigate her existence. When Fern learns Rose and her husband, Owen, are having trouble conceiving a child, she decides to surprise Rose by getting pregnant.

Both sisters are about to experience a lot of surprises.

THE GOOD SISTER is full of lots of good things—humor. romance, suspense, friendship, dogs, and babies. It’s impossible to put down, and difficult to summarize without spoilers. Just read it. You’ll be glad you did. #TheGoodSister #NetGalley

The Good Sister was such a fast and immersive read for me. I found myself identifying with both sisters in different ways. Reading the journal of Rose was a little difficult for me. Living in a world with harsh lights and sounds made me feel for Fern. I was thankful, in the end, that I was not either of them. Rose has always taken care of Fern and Fern is finally feeling like she can take are of herself. When Rose cannot have a child, Fern decides that she will do it for her. Finally, something she can do for her sister! Then she meets Wally, the name I prefer.

I've been reading a lot about sisters lately and this relationship was very realistically written. The more I read the more I knew we were dealing with unreliability. When done well, this can be a wonderful addition to a book. Here it was smoothly woven into the story and unwoven in a timely and suspenseful manner. The book balanced between Fern's coming into herself as an adult woman and a thriller dealing with a long ago death. Once again, Sally Hepworth delivers with the thriller mixed with family relationships. Thanks to her, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this latest work.

Fern and Rose are twins. They are fraternal twins, and different as two people can be. Rose was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes while Fern struggles with sensory processing disorder.
Due to Fern’s sensory processing disorder, Rose has been her best friend and protector since they were young children and continue into adulthood. Fern is aware that she could never make it on her own. She is indebted to her sister for many things and comes up with a plan to repay her when she hears that Rose wants a baby and unable to.
Fern can’t see no wrong in others, which is why she never questions her sister until she starts noticing things are not as expected.
I loved the cute romance between Fern and Rocco (who Fern nicknamed Wally).
I struggled a bit at the beginning of this book but glad I stuck through until the end. This is my second book I’ve read by this author and love her writing style of that sudden twist thrown at you unexpectedly.
Thanks to NetGalley, Publisher and Author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Entertaining story, the chapters were either from the point of view of Fern or Rose writing in her diary, twins that lead different lives. I don't like giving spoilers in my reviews, so I'll just say that I did not expect the way it ended.

This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Most siblings have a complicated relationship to some degree. That potential conflict can be even worse when the siblings are twins. Which twin is The Good Sister in Sally Hepworth's novel is the central question. Fern and Rose are living in Australia and each facing their own challenges. Fern has sensory processing disorder and cannot abide loud noises or bright colors or crowds. She also has problems recognizing social cues and is very blunt in her interactions with others. Still, she is a very competent employee at her job in the local library and she maintains her own apartment. Rose is married but unable to conceive a child. Things aren't helped by the fact that her husband has taken a temporary job on the other side of the world in London.
The chapters alternate between Fern's day-to-day observations and a diary being kept by Rose where she discusses her own problems, her concern about Fern, and her memories of growing up with an unpredictable, vindictive mother.

Fern decides that she can help Rose out by having a baby for her. In her usual fashion, she thoroughly researches how she might go about this, and decides that the best way is to have a casual relationship with a stranger and conceive the old-fashioned way. Luckily, a potential partner soon emerges in a library visitor she dubs "Wally" due to his resemblance to the main character in the "Where's Wally (Waldo to us Americans) books. Wally has been living in the United States, but thanks to his mother's Australian citizenship, he's decided to relocate. Since he's unsure of his future plans, for the moment he's living out of his van. He meets Fern by coming to the library frequently to use their showers (?). It turns out that Wally is a bit unconventional and has some similarities to Fern in the way he deals with the world. What starts out as a casual fling soon becomes more serious. This new relationship alarms Rose, but is she concerned for Fern's welfare, or that she might lose her influence over Fern?

While Fern and Rose are keeping a dark secret from their shared childhood, can they trust that their recollections of what happened are true? I really enjoyed learning more about Fern and seeing how the other characters reacted to her somewhat unusual precautions to daily life. It was also interesting to see how two people could have such different memories about the same shared events.

This is the first book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth but it will not be the last! I’ll be honest. I went into this book not expecting much. It sounded more like chick lit from the blurb and that isn’t my most fave genre. Every once in a while I hit on a good one, but not very often. So, I’m happy to report that I was wrong on all counts! This book had me hooked from pretty much the very beginning. I was intrigued by Fern’s character the most. It seemed as if the author did a wonderful job delving into and creating a character with sensory issues that seemed very true to life. And Rose’s character was a surprise later on. The Good Sister is definitely a mystery and suspense book. I can honestly say I didn’t quite see the twist coming and that’s a good thing. The mystery kept me turning the pages long after I should have been sleeping. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future!

NICUnurse’s Rating: I give The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth 5 out of 5 stars!

Sally is becoming one of my favorite authors and this book did not disappoint!!! It was definitely keep you on your toes good! When I wasn’t reading I was definitely thinking about it and for me that makes a book a 5 star!!!

When I pick up a Sally Hepworth novel, I know I am in for a treat that will completely take me in until the end. The Good Sister did just that.

A domestic suspense at it’s finest, Hepworth keeps you both enthralled and charmed by her characters. Twin sisters Rose and Fern are as close as you would imagine twins would be. Maybe too close. Though Fern is a little different than most, Rose has always been her protector and best friend. They’re thick as thieves.

When life throws a curveball, Rose tries to protect Fern once again, but Fern is becoming a little leery of her sister’s protection. Relationships are tested, suspicions arise. Who really IS the good sister?

Hepworth may just have written her best one yet. 5 stars, all around.

I received an advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

I was in the mood for a mystery to switch up my reading routine and this did not disappoint. From the beginning my wheels were turning trying to figure out Fern and Rose. Although some of the plot seemed a bit predictable, I was throughly engaged I the story from beginning to end. I appreciated how quick of a read this was since it was easy to get lost in.

I was completely engrossed in the character of Fern and was rooting for her and Wally. Neither one was your typical character and I loved that. It made them seem like real people, people I could walk into a library and meet.

I had not read any of Sally Hemsworth books before but I definitely would again when a mystery mood strikes me in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.