WOW!! This was one heck of a story. From start to finish it will hold you. There was not one thing about it that did not keep me wanting more. Sally Hepworth definitely knows how to write a story that will keep us on the edge and keep us wondering just who is the one in control.

Two sisters, Rose and Fern, are inseparable. Twins who know each other better than anyone else could ever know them. Rose is always in charge. She tends to take care of Fern. Protecting her from anything and anyone who may hurt her. Even their mother. If anything goes wrong it's Rose who takes the blame. She is a take charge young lady from early on. Fern is more timid and has problems that makes her see mainly just the good in everything. Though she is a fighter if she needs to be. Fern decides to help Rose have a baby. She meets Wally, who is really Rocco. She calls him Wally for a reason.

This book takes you on many twists and turns. You will learn the inside outs of these two girls lives. What happened to them growing up. Who cared about whom and how their mother treated them differently. You'll learn how each deals with things and what lengths they will go to to protect each other. But you will find out there is a whole other story going on also. Who can be trusted. Who is lying. Who is really in charge of it all. Fern loves their mother. Rose does not. Why? You will find out exactly what is going on and what happened by the end of this book. Everything is revealed.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #sallyhepworth, #stmartinspress for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

4/5 stars and only lost one because I figured out who was doing what. I figured out a few things. But it is a great story. If you love a good Women's Fiction, Thriller/mystery, then this is the book for you. It was truly great. I devoured this one.

This is a great book about the secrets families keep, and the different ways in which people view their own stories. Fern was a very likable character, and I absolutely adored Wally. I appreciated that the author didn't include a lot of cursing or sexual content in her writing. So refreshing! Although I figured out what was going on about halfway through the book, that certainly didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story. I was thoroughly invested in the characters, and I needed to see how things played out! I would definitely read more books by Sally Hepworth in the future! Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

This book was awesome! I love a thriller that has me guessing, feeling crazy, and throw in an awkward love story.... thank you!
Fern and Rose, twin sisters, raised by a single mother, are now adults living/dealing with the upbringing they had. This story pops around from the twins point of view and then also Rose’s diary. It also goes back and forth in time. It seriously has you guessing the entire time!
I feel that is all I am free to say, saying anymore will give away too much and it really need to be read!

Thoughts

This was such an intense read! Twin sisters Fern and Rose had a tumultuous upbringing.  They were homeless when they were young, but that didn't register with Fern like it did with Rose.  Their mom also had a few boyfriends, and one of them had a son around the girls age.  They all go camping together and everyone is getting along great, until Fern gets herself into trouble.  Only the sisters know what really happened during the trip, and they are not talking.  Years later Rose is married and trying to get pregnant with no success.  Fern just happens to notice her struggles so she plans to have a baby for her since Rose has kept her secret all these years, but Rose has some terrible secrets of her own that Fern will find out the hard way.

I loved how the chapters alternate between Rose, Fern, and Rose's diary entries.  I think different POV's can either make or break a story, and they made this one!   There were so many twists and turns, and some of the twists you could easily figure out, but that did not make the book any less enjoyable.  Fern is such an easy character to root for especially as she starts to understand Rose's intentions more and more.  I also enjoyed the romance between Fern and Rocco/Wally.  It was a nice break in the twists. 

You do not want to miss this one, and it came out today! Run and grab your copy!  

Thank you St. Martin's Press, NetGalley and Author Sally Hepworth for my #copy!

Book Rating: 5/5

Wine Pairing: Francis Coppola Diamond Collection Cabernet Sauvignon

As I was reading this book I could anticipate the 'twist' if you will. I think most of you would also see what was coming. However I was supremely let down with the last 20-30 pages of this book. After the buildup and slow discovery, it felt so rushed - wham, problems all solved, everyone gets what they deserve, good or bad. (Not trying to spoil anything here.) So while I thought this book was 'okay', and heading towards 'good'... the end chapters really lost points from me.

I am likely in the minority here, I love Sally Hepworth books and will anxiously read her next.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5 stars

This was truly “un-putdownable.” I was hooked from the first chapter and feverishly reading. This is a duo POV thriller about two fraternal twin sisters: Rose and Fern. They are both extremely close, having dinners multiple nights a week and Rose always watching out for Fern, who has sensory sensitivity. Fern works at the library and thrives on routines and schedules. Rose, on the other hand, is diabetic, struggling in her marriage and conceiving a baby- constantly protective of Fern especially from their cruel mother growing up. There is a terrible act that Fern did in their childhood that Rose has kept a secret for many years - and naturally the past slowly unravels and Fern is finding other secrets Rose may be keeping from her.

I loved Fern and Wally’s relationship and seeing the world through the lens of Fern’s eyes. Her love of the library as a child growing up really made me love her even more - and felt protective of her reading. It was interesting to see the world through Rose’s diary, highlighting events from the past and seeing how Fern might interpret differently. I highly recommend this one!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

US Pub Date: April 13, 2021

Wow. I really enjoyed this book. It was quite the page-turner. Fern and Wally were my favorite characters and I wondered throughout the book if they were both on the spectrum. I did have a love-hate relationship with Rose, though. She was made out to be the very protective and caring twin sister of Fern's but at the same time I wanted her to lay off a bit as she was very overbearing. I loved the way the little twist gradually made its way into the story. I've loved all of Sally Hepworth's books that I've read but this one is now my favorite. Very well done.

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

I have really enjoyed some of Sally Hepworth's previous books, so I was excited to read an ARC of The Good Sister, and still was totally blown away by how great it is! The story is about 2 very different fraternal twins. Fern is a librarian who leads a very structured life, and has some sensory issues. Her sister Rose helps to take care of her unique needs and when Rose is unable to get pregnant, Fern thinks of a way she can repay her for all her assistance. The story is told through Fern's point of view in the present day, and Rose's journal entries to uncover their past. Their character development is exquisite, and delves into the personality traits and interpersonal relationships of several characters with troubling characteristics which are not labelled, but left for us to uncover through the characters' actions and words in a way that drew me in and didn't let go until the last page. In addition to being immensely entertaining, this book also contains a lot of diversity and refreshingly accurate descriptions of sensory issues and Type 1 Diabetes which really impressed me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“There’s only been one time that Rose couldn’t stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.”

I have a new favorite domestic thriller author and her name is Sally Hepworth! I am not quite sure how 'The Good Sister' ended up being both a romance and a thriller for me but I relished every word.

Sisters Rose and Fern have only had each other to rely on their whole lives as their mother was emotionally abusive and apparently mentally unstable as well. Where Rose anguished over every sudden move, every eviction and every mood swing of their mother, Fern saw things quite differently. Fern is neurodivergent and processed their tumultuous childhood events very differently.

As an adult, Fern loves her job as a librarian and manages perfectly well on her own, Rose is very, very protective of Fern, as she has been their whole lives. When Fern learns that Rose is unable to have a child of her own, Fern hatches a scheme to finally help Rose.

Woven into this wonderful domestic drama is a terrible event that occurred when Rose and Fern were children. Will this secret eventually come back to haunt Fern and Rose all these years later? This tension, and what really happened with the girls' mother, is perfectly balanced out with the warmth and humor with which Fern navigates her personal life.

I loved this book so much that I am now going to read Sally Hepworth's backlist including 'The Mother-in-Law'. I loved Wally and Fern's relationship here and literally could not stop listening to the audiobook! Barrie Kreinik is outstanding, infusing just the right balance of innocence, humor and tension in her narration. Her Australian accent is spot-on.

Trying to figure out who is unreliable is part of the fun of this book. Of course, things turn out to be very different than they seem as first, and all the unexpected twists and turns are incredibly engrossing. Fern is a wonderfully endearing main character that I won't soon forget. Add 'The Good Sister' to your must-read (or must-listen) list! You'll love it!

This is the first title that I have read by this author, and I will be reading more. I was given the opportunity to read an ARC of this title, and despite lesser starred reviews, I found it to be a real page turner.

The story follows the lives of twin sisters, then and now, known as Rose and Fern. Rose is the level-headed, motherly, while Fern appears to be on the autism spectrum - a creature of routine and extremely sensitive to lights, sounds, and other sensory issues.

Rose is married to Owen, and Fern is somewhat the stereotypical spinster librarian...well, at least until she meets Rocco, whom she has nicknamed Wally. Rocco seems to be the perfect match for Fern, but for reasons yet to be revealed, Rose seems adamantly against the budding relationship to the point that she advises Fern to end the relationship once she discovers that she is pregnant.

Of course, Rose knows everything there is to know about Fern, so the only solution is for Fern to let Rose and Owen adopt the baby, after all, Fern is not fit to be a mother. But, as Fern begins to question certain aspects about her relationship with Rose, she begins to wonder exactly who her sister is....

I do love a good domestic thrill....

Fern Castle is on the spectrum....she can't handle bright lights, loud noises, people touching her, or changes to her shedule, so she has a perfectly curated routine that she carries out daily. She works at the local library and enjoys that as long as no one asks her questions about the photocopier. She also goes to have dinner with her twin sister Rose 3 nights a week. When she discovers that Rose has been trying to get pregnant but is having fertility problems, Fern sees this as the chance to help her sister and pay her back for all the times she has watched out for her over the years. She will just have a baby and give it to Rose... easy! Fern's mission to help her sister may end up costing her everything in the end, though.
I am a huge fan of this author, so I was excited to read this new book she had written. I was not disappointed. In fact, it may be my new favorite. It is told in alternating parts between Fern's point of view and Rose's journal entries. It was so good, I could not put it down. It was one of those books that you get to the end of the chapter and you just have to read "just one more" because you have to find out what happens next. Fern was hilarious, and she kept me laughing through the whole book. If you are a fan of suspense then this book has to make it onto the top of your TBR pile.

3.5 ⭐️ for the Good Sister

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Pages: 320 pages
Genre: thriller
Pace: medium to slow (for a thriller)

Themes: sibling rivalry, co-depencies, celebrating neurodivergent characters, emotional and mental abuse, unreliable narrators, finding your “person”

My thoughts: I really loved that this book featured neurodivergent characters. That, and the underlying romance, was my favorite part of the book. I also liked that the sisters’ relationship was the focus of the novel. I think this is pretty rare for the thriller genre, and I wouldn’t mind seeing it done more. I will say, however, that this book read more like a family drama than a thriller to me, and the pace was pretty slow. I’m usually okay with thrillers that start out slower as long as it’s all setting the scene for a major twist, but I guessed the twists pretty early on for this one. I’d say, people looking for a true, edge-of-your-seat thriller, might want to skip this one. If you enjoy family dramas AND thrillers, though, this just might be the perfect book for you!

Who should read: fans of Behind Closed Doors, anyone who would enjoy a family-drama/thriller combination, or people who want to read a thriller with some likable characters

If you have read Hepworth's The Mother In Law, then you know...

You know... (evil laugh here LOL)

Yeah- this book. Pay attention.

And Fern...Oh Fern...(another evil laugh)

I found The Good Sister to be a fast paced wicked (domestic) thriller. I was glued to my Kindle and yeah on more than one occasion wanted to throw it (it's a compliment trust me!)

If you are looking for a twisty (if not predictable too) good time, buy this book.

I loved The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth, so I was really looking forward to this book! Unfortunately it just didn't live up to that for me. It was very predictable. I ended up guessing every twist that happened, and even "diagnosing" the "bad" sister by 32% into the book. And I'm not a therapist. I will say though that this book emoted a lot of anger from me, so it did invoke feelings! My body was seething throughout all of the manipulative parts of the book, which requires me to be invested in the character. My other issue came from the way one of the sisters was portrayed early in the book. I don't want to give away spoilers, so I won't go into more details, just know that it didn't sit right with me. I feel like Sally writes novels that are more dark family dynamic driven than psycho thrillers. Unless there are some twists that the reader just doesn't see coming...like with The MIL!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the chance to read this much anticipated ARC of mine!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Told from the POVs of both sisters, I kept going back and forth on my thoughts of who was the "good" sister. I would classify this story as a thriller, it is more of domestic suspense. Both sisters have a dark past that keeps creeping back into the present day that makes for an addicting story.

When I read a book, I don't read the back cover or what other people say. I usually choose a book either by its cover or because it's by an author that I love! In the case of The Good Sister it is both! And I was in everything in this book! I absolutely loved the suspense, the surprise and direction of the story. The authentic voice of Fern endeared me to her heart and story. And the twist is WOW!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
The author is always readable but I like this book better than most. Twisted characters where it is not always clear who the bad guys are. I loved that the characters I loved really were the good guys.

Have you ever questioned your view of the past? Or swear no one told you details you supposedly were told? This is the reality for Fern who already has a sensory processing disorder and made to feel incapable by her fraternal sister, Rose. Fern wants to please her twin, Rose, even if it means she should have a baby for her. Things get complicated, though, when Fern falls in love with a minimalist living American who she met at the library where she works.

If you want to look into the scary mind of a narcissist and the reality of what someone with sensory-processing disorder lives through, you will be enthralled with this novel.

This is my first novel by Sally Hepworth, but I can guarantee it’s not my last. I loved Fern in this novel, along with her quirks and her “person” Wally.

I loved all the library references and it would have been perfect if it has been published last week for National Library Week. But, it is written by an Australian and likely celebrate on different dates, so you’ll only have to wait a few more days. This novel is hitting the shelves on April 13th!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this advanced readers copy! All thoughts are my own.

4 1/2 Glowing Stars...

Wow! Ms. Hepworth pulled me into this story and kept me completely obsessed with it until the very last page. I read it in one day.

Fraternal twins, Rose and Fern have quite an unusual relationship. They grew up with two very different impressions about their childhood with their mother and the odd differences don't stop there. This is definitely a book where I can't share much because I don't want to ruin anything for another reader. I loved it. I couldn't stop reading until I knew the ending.

I know we probably aren't supposed to share quotes from ARC copies, but I can't help but share this one.because I really loved it::

"Angry is just a pen name for sad."

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

If you’re looking for a quick read with twists and turns look no further then Sally Hepworth’s upcoming book The Good Sister.
Fern is my favorite character . She works at a library , she will help you with most things but don’t ask for help with the printer 😂If you can’t find Fern that’s because she might be taking a nap 😉
The book alternates points of view with chapters titled the journal of Rose Ingrid Castle with the next simply titled Fern.
As the book progresses this reader was drawn in. Who is the good sister ? Is it type A controlling , smothering Rose or is it mild mannered, structured Fern?

I highly recommend this book . The publishing date is coming up on April 13, 2021.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to read The Good Sister.
This is my honest review .