Sally Hepworth is an auto-buy/-read author for me and when I received an advanced copy of The Good Sister it's safe to say I did a happy dance!!

There is SO MUCH to love about this book - the characters are well developed and it was refreshing to read about and connect with a protagonist with sensory issues; the alternating viewpoints between Rose and Fern added a lot of depth to the plot line; and while there were elements of suspense, this read more like a contemporary fiction which I have been really drawn to lately.

Rose and Fern are fraternal twins. Fern has sensory and social issues and relies on Rose for quite a bit. As Fern likes to say, Rose is her "person." Despite these qualities, Fern is very independent - she lives on her own, has a great job at the local library, and generally manages her day-to-day life well.

Rose is going through personal struggles as she and her husband Owen have been unable to conceive and the stress has caused some tension in their relationship. He is working abroad and Rose is terrified that she will lose him because she so desperately wants a baby.

Rose and Fern have also had a troubled past which we learn about through snippets of Rose's diary. Their mother was emotionally abusive, neglected them, and ultimately overdosed which left her brain damaged and in a care facility. Worse still, the girls' mother often brought home strange men, one of which targeted Rose sexually. Because of her "limitations," Rose has always had to take care of Fern, often taking the blame for Fern's mistakes and carrying the brunt of the punishments as they were growing up.

As adults, Rose still feels a responsibility to take care of Fern and Fern feels indebted to her sister for all she has done for her. So when Fern finds out that her sister is having fertility issues, she decides she will try to get pregnant and give her sister the one thing in this world she wants most - a baby.

I really loved how well developed and relatable Fern was. It's not often that protagonists experience sensory issues and I thought Hepworth did a fantastic job describing Fern's experiences in a sensitive way that was understandable to people who have not experienced them. I also liked that Fern was so much more than her diagnosis and how Fern was never actually even labeled/diagnosed!

While this book did have an element of foreboding, I wouldn't qualify it as a thriller or even say it was all that suspenseful. The plotline felt fairly predictable but for me, this didn't retract from the story at all. It read more like a contemporary fiction with some elements of suspense and I actually found that I really enjoyed that as a genre!

Finally, this work was totally different than Hepworth's prior novels, but I think it's safe to say if you enjoyed those, you absolutely must read The Good Sister!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

Captivating | Twisty | Dramatic

I read this in one day. I just couldn’t stop! This is such a well-paced book and I couldn’t wait to see what happened at the end. There is so much under the surface of this book, and I love the well-crafted neurodivergent characters.

Rose and Fern are twins who have always been close. Fern has a sensory processing disorder and struggles to understand social cues, and Rose takes it upon herself to act as her protector. As children, Rose clues Fern into their mother’s sociopathic tendencies and creates a secret pact to cover up one night’s bad turn of events. As adults, Rose helps Fern navigate life and make decisions that will be to her best interest. But as Fern forms new relationships becomes more self-aware of herself and her place in the world, secrets start bubbling to the surface... and you’ll just have to read to find out more!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy!

This was a very good, engaging psychological thriller that sneaks up on you. For me, it started as a nice contemporary fiction about two sisters and this awful event that happened. Years ago, when they were 12, they went camping with their mom, her boyfriend and boyfriend’s son. Something happened. And then bam. Things aren’t as they seem.

As a bibliophile, I loved the parts that showcased Fern and the library and what an important part the library was: to Fern, to her routine, to the storyline; and even highlighting the role of the library within a community and how it is open to everyone. I also appreciated a character who is neurodiverse as one of the main characters.

Trigger warning: sexual abuse of a child present, not explicit.

Overall, I recommend this book! I really enjoyed it! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to review this advanced eBook.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is a domestic suspense novel about twin sisters, Rose and Fern, and their seemingly normal, but highly dysfunctional relationship. The chapters alternate between Fern's perspective and excerpts of Rose's diary. It is hard to determine what is the truth as the story unfolds, but the main premise is that Rose and Fern have relied on each other from a young age, having grown up with a father who left them and a mother who was unreliable. Fern learns that Rose is trying to have a baby, but is experiencing infertility. She decides to take it upon herself to get pregnant and give the baby to Rose. Fern has sensory issues and this idea seems perfectly normal and clear to her. As the story progresses, Rose's true colors come out and the reader has to keep up with who the unreliable narrator is: Rose or Fern?

I loved the representation of a main character, like Fern, with sensory issues. This is something that is so prevalent in our world, but you do not see much in literary world. While I found this book intriguing and the pace of the story kept me turning the pages, this one wasn't a favorite of mine. I loved Hepworth's last novel, The Mother-In-Law and if I were to compare the two, it still ranks higher. The Good Sister fell flat for me and I found the storyline predictable and the "twists" nothing to write home about. This one has received rave ratings and reviews, but I'm not sure I see what all the fuss is about.

Thank you netgalley for the electronic arc of THE GOOD SISTER. I was so looking forward to reading this and I was not disappointed at all. This novel embodies the category domestic thriller. This novel focuses on the relationship between two sisters, and what they are like as individuals. Though it doesn't mention specifically, Fern exhibits all the hallmarks of Asperger's Syndrome, Rose is diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. In that sense, I found this book educational, as reading it, I would think "so that's why, or yes, I can see that. Different incidents are shown (eventually) through both perspectives. Though I had an inkling of what was going to happen, this book kept me reading, because I couldn't be sure when and where the twists were coming-and whether or not I was right.

You gotta love a good Sally Hepworth novel - they’re fun, twisty, and full of family drama. This one centers around a pair of twins, Rose and Fern, with a co-dependent, dysfunctional relationship.
Rose is the alpha twin, who has been looking after Fern since they were children living with an unstable mother. Her marriage is currently under strain because she is desperate for a baby but unable to have one.
Fern, who has sensory issues (and is also possibly on the autism spectrum?) is perfectly happy in Rose’s shadow, working at the library and keeping to herself. She loves her sister so when she discovers Rose’s baby problem, she decides to get pregnant and then give her baby to Rose. She finds a guy, wines and dines him, and is pregnant in no time.
Naturally, though, nothing works out according to plan. Neither Rose nor Fern are who they initially appear to be and each are telling very different versions of the same story.
A tad predictable but still worth the read. Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this ARC of #thegoodsister by #sallyhepworth in exchange for an honest review.

Rose and Fern are fraternal twin sisters and they couldn’t be more different. Rose is an interior designer, married and yearns for a child. She suffers from diabetes. Fern works in a library, is kind-hearted and has sensory processing disorder and appears to be on the autism spectrum. While Fern lives on her own, Rose nearby and is devoted to caring for her as much as possible. The two sisters share a troubled childhood. Abandoned by their father, their mother created a difficult environment for them. And they also share a big secret.

When Fern learns that Rose cannot bear children, she devises a plan to get pregnant and let her sister and her husband raise the child. Fern is grateful for everything Rose has done for her and feels this is the best way to reciprocate. She also feels she would not be a suitable mother. While working in the library, Fern meets Rocco, a sweet man she calls Waldo as he resembles the character in the Where’s Waldo? books. A sweet relationship develop as Rose’s marriage has had some problems.

Everything isn’t exactly what it seems to be as the two sisters’ complicated relationship takes some unexpected twists and turns. To say anything more would be too much. I enjoyed this fast-paced, well-written book that I read in one sitting. The relationship of sisters is a complicated one and this one is a doozy. See if you can figure it all out before the end. And even if you do, it’s still an excellent read.

Rated 4.25 stars.

“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚂𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛” 𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚙𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚑
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ebook 📱
Book 62 in 2021
Release Date: 4/13- ARC received from Netgalley!

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC! I really enjoyed the story and build up behind this thriller!

Rose and Fern are twins, but complete opposites. While Rose wants control of everyone Fern needs control of her environment. Fern has a sensory processing disorder and all her life Rose has been telling her what she needs and why. Their family drama runs deep. Ferns entire life Rose has reminded her of all the terrible things their mother did. Rose believes their mother was a sociopath and Fern doesn’t remember it exactly the same way.
Rose has always wanted a baby, but she can’t have her own. Fern comes up with a plan to help her sister have the baby she always wanted.
Rose realizes Fern has done something terrifying. Rose is sick of covering for Fern. Fern has all the best intentions, but her past has a sneaky way of catching up to her. Secrets only Rose knows can be a dangerous thing.

I didn’t mind this book. The storyline was a little confusing and hard for me to follow at first but i ended up liking the characters a lot. I enjoyed the mystery and how the story ended up playing out!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Reading Between the Wines book review #39/115 for 2021:
Rating: 5 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 📱: The Good Sister
Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers | Women's Fiction
RELEASES on April 13, 2021!!! GET YOUR OWN COPY TODAY!!
Recommended to readers who like a good thrilling suspenseful domestic read with great character development.


Sipping thoughts: A Brilliant, Twisty Domestic 5 star read. Hepworth did such a great job with creating 2 characters that you root for or hate almost equally. I do not think I have loved a character as much as I found myself loving Fern-her peculiar ways not unlike Amelia Bedelia are hard not to love. I do not want to give too much detail away because I think going in blind makes this read so enthralling and all consuming. There are so many layers to this story that brings up so many emotions and the character development was great. The exploration of the relationship within sisters and how that affects their daily life was so interesting. I think this book will stay with me for a long while.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @sallyhepworth and @StMartinsPress for an advanced copy of @TheGoodSister

#TheGoodSister #SallyHepworth #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThriller #WomensFiction

I have read most of Sally Hepworth's books and she never disappoints. Right now there seems to be a lot of Mystery/Thrillers or Psycho/Domestic Thrillers on the market and it is a genre that is easy to get weary with but somehow Ms. Hepworth seems to keep her storylines fresh.

I was almost 50% into this book before it started to get twisty. The 2 main characters are fraternal twin sisters being raised by a single mom who appears to have a mental illness, either sadistic or she's bipolar.

Fern, the one twin has sensory processing disorder. She is overwhelmed with sounds and lights. Rose, the other twin, is her protector and has been from childhood into adulthood.

The story is told in alternate voices. Rose's story is in the form of a journal. If one is paying close attention, there are hints throughout that something is not quite as it should be.

The characters are all well developed, some of it doesn't become evident until the end when the reader may have an epiphany. I particularly liked the quirkiness of Fern. She was a very literal person, sweet and well-meaning.

It is hard to say much else in this review without spoilers. Like all thrillers, things are not what they seem to be. And, it kept my attention watching it all evolve.

This is a quick and entertaining read.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love reading thrillers. And the downside of having read a lot of them is that I’ve become a fairly difficult reader - the ending needs to be something I didn’t see coming but also can’t seem too convoluted or over the top.

The Good Sister was an interesting premise and I really enjoyed learning the sister dynamic between Fern and Rose. Fern was a really interesting character and I loved spending time with her. However I felt like it was pretty obvious from the start what was going on and was hoping there would be some different twists or something I didn’t realize that would surprise me. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Librofm for the free audio review copy and St Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the free ebook.

This book is insanely amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has Sally Hepworth's signature creepiness that pulls you in so hard you don't even know what time or day it is until you've finished it and look around dazed and shocked. I fell in love with the characters right away but was blown away by who the good sister turned out to be and how evil the other one turned into. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley and St. MP for my early review copy.

I'm a fan of Sally Hepworth and this is another excellent read that I couldn't put down. The story of twin sisters - different on so many levels. Rose seems the well adjusted one who has to look after sister Fern who has a sensory processing disorder. Rose journals her memories of her childhood while we live in the present with Fern as she develops new relationships and life skills.

I was beyond thrilled so receive approval for The Good Sister! This was my first novel by Sally Hempworth. Right off the bat, I loved her writing style. It kept me engrossed and made the pages and chapters flow easily. I did enjoy the characters of Fern and Rose. Fern got on my nerves at times, to be honest, though. I was not expecting the ending AT ALL! A great read!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!

Wow! This book had me hooked from the start. The characters were very well developed and relatable. The story line flowed smoothly and built up to a stunning conclusion. Twin sisters against the world. Fern has problems with bright lights, loud noises and crowds. Rose is her protector and always has been. Their mother was not a very good mother. Rose desperately wants a baby, but finds out she can't have one. Fern decides to have a baby for Rose. In doing this for her sister, Fern's life changes in ways she could not have imagined. The way that Fern sees herself and the people in her life begins to change and some things do not add up anymore. Rose tries to help her and protect her through it all as she has done all of these years. Will the truth about family secrets finally be revealed? If so, who will survive and at what cost? This is one book that will have you thinking about it for a long time after you finish it. I am already planning on rereading it to see what clues I missed along the way.

This was my first read by Sally Hepworth and I really enjoyed it! It started off a bit slow and I wasn't fully convinced I'd enjoy it. I thought it was going to be predictable but it really picked up about 10% of the way in and I could not put it down. I absolutely ADORE Fern. Every page that passed made me love her a little bit more. I think I enjoyed the character development more than I did the plot. The plot was creepy and ended in a way that was really satisfying. I'd definitely read more of Hepworth's work. I'd give it a 3.5 stars.

I'll post this review on my Instagram (@readingwithmarlow) in the coming days. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for letting me read and review!

Many thanks to Net Galley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

Insidious, the word meaning refers to something that proceeds in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects and it is this word that kept reverberating in my mind whilst reading this astonishing thriller The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth. There’s nothing surreptitious about the story, in fact, everything is clear from chapter 1. There are 2 sisters, Rose is the responsible one while Fern has too many issues to count to lead a normal life. So where do you think is the thriller element coming from, and that’s exactly where the author succeeds in astounding the reader coz every single thing is slyly plotted and cunningly woven thru the story. As the chapters alternate between Fern and Rose, there’s nothing to do but sympathize with the plight of these young girls with a sociopathic mother.

I can go ga...ga over this thriller but trust me, words are not enough to capture the chilling effect of the truth once it gets revealed. Yes, things do make sense by around 70% and most seasoned readers can definitely guess the direction of the story so the SURPRISE factor does not affect much but it is then that INSIDIOUS began to play in the mind.

In addition to the devious story, Fern with her “straight talk” was absolutely delightful. Wally and Fern were just lovely and cute and evoked all kinds of cuddly feelings, of course, Fern is not someone who loves touching. The description of her routine in the library was amazing and extremely enjoyable that I sincerely wish all librarians are like FERN!

Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers, even if you are not, read it for the pure joy of being inside a LIBRARY!

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Meduim.com, and Twitter.

The Good Sister is devilishly enjoyable, a novel about two sisters and what appears to be vs what is. It's clever, extremely well written *and* well paced, and I loved Fern, the neurodivergent librarian who seems to need all of her sister Rose's help, especially as Rose is so nuturing and has such a wonderful life. (Also, Wally aka Rocco is awesome and I loved him almost as much as Fern)

Side/minor characters are often glossed over in thrillers but here they're fleshed out really well in addition to their roles in the story.

You can guess what's going on within The Good Sister but honestly, it makes the book even more interesting because Sally Hepworth just embraces the full on gaslighting and seeing it play out in the book is a great way for readers to see how easily people do it in real life.

I throughly enjoyed this, definitely recommend it, and think that The Good Sister will widen Sally Hepworth's fanbase even more. And did I mention how much I love Fern? She's so amazing and I think this book will be perfect for YA readers who are neurodivergent or who have friends/family who are.

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins. Fern is probably on the autism spectrum, and has difficulty in situations where her senses are overloaded - with too much noise, too much light, strong smells and too many people. Rose has a beautiful home and a husband.

Rose has spent her life watching out for her sister - protecting her from a volatile mother during their childhood, and from herself as an adult.

I will not get into the plot of this book --- but I will say, I was unable to put it down. A fan of the genre, I had never come across a Sally Hepworth book, but will definitely go back and read some of her earlier works.

I highly recommend this book.