Twins have always fascinated me, what a special bond

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins who are very, very different. Fern has a sensory processing disorder and Rose is neurotypical, Fern is tall and thin and blonde, Rose is small and darker, and as their abusive mother would say, round.

The chapters alternate between Fern's POV (gloriously executed!) and Rose's journal entries. Through Fern, we get a broader picture of what the twins' lives look like now, as 27 year old women and through Rose's journal we see what life was like for them as children.

I loved Fern's character. She, and her love interest "Wally", were amazing and the character development phenomenal. Rose was a bit of a harder sell for me, but that might be because I read a review that spoiled it for me a little. I didn't really like that in Rose's chapters she "spoke" before her journal entry, I thought it would have been better if it was all journal entry, but maybe I'm nitpicking.

The story was fairly predictable, but I loved Fern enough that it compelled me to read quickly. I will definitely be looking for her other books.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pub Date: April 13,2021
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I am always a Sally Hepworth fan. The Good Sister is a great read and one of my most anticipated for the first half of 2021. I want to give credit to myself for working so hard to get an ARC because the pre-ordered copy is not getting any closer. An obsession that I think I was being forcefully begging publisher to give me a copy! 😜
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The story is written between two POV of the sisters Fern and Rose. Fern’s on a current timeline while Rose’s were entries of her journal. Fern is a librarian and has a Sensory Processing Disorder. She was told to believe that she always will need her sister To depend on. Rose has been the responsible sister, or so we thought.
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Once again, Sally Hepworth has penned down another spectacular masterpiece of family connections, mother-daughter relationships and most of all-sister love! Fern has been an interesting, intriguing and purely captivating character I have been introduced to. She has my admiration for somebody inspiring without even realizing how she impacts people around her in the positive manner. She has opened my eyes to a wider horizon of understanding that people with disabilities may not always possess a visible impairment. Her love for reading, her innocent care for others makes her all the more lovable and adorable. I am so happy she found someone like Wally or Rocco if we need to be legal, to fall in love with and be committed with. He is the best person for her!
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The Good Sister will be out in US for the public to enjoy on April 13th 2021. Pre-order now!!
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Special thanks to @stmartinspress for the printed ARC, @librofm and @macmillan.audio for the ALC file of the audiobook, @netgalley for the digital copy.

I had the pleasure to meet Hepworth at a group lunch a couple of years ago and she is just the absolute sweetest. Who knew that under that all the niceness laid the creator of such a crazy family story. Yes yes yes - come along and meet twins, Rose and Fern whose only commonality seems to be their bloodline.
Hepworth takes us back and forth in timelines as we get a glimpse of their harrowing childhood where they ended up in the foster care system after their mother dies. We know straight off that an awful death occurred when they were kids and that Fern is at fault and Rose has, and will always, protect her sister. Fern follows along with Rose's influence because she really need some help as she gets overwhelmed with sensory overload at times. And how does she want to repay Rose? By having the baby that she couldn't. Nothing could possibly go wrong here... right? 😉

It's infuriating when you start to see some dynamics coming to light - I truly wanted to drop kick one particular character. Hepworth gives us very layered characters - even the ones I wanted to hate, I still felt for. Just how much can ANY of them take before something blows? The journey we are taken on starts off very suspenseful and foreboding and then launches into a PHEW but WHAT drama llama ding dong that I couldn't help but love every minute of. Personally, I felt this to be a very predictable read BUT I was here for every page to see how it was all going to play out. Even though I knew it was coming, my eyes still widened with realization along with some of the characters.

I am snagging the other Hepworth books I have on my shelves and upping them on my tbr - I absolutely love her writing style and can see why people rave about her books. I also really enjoyed the narrator. Props all around for this read - would definitely recomment.

It is a testament to the fact that I have never read a Sally Hepworth thriller before that I was confused when I picked this up and felt like I was reading a Camille Pagan book. This is in no way a slight because I love that type of character-driven story. I just was not expecting some rom-com funnies when diving into a thriller. I adore thrillers (obviously) but they do tend to be extra-serious don't they? Anyway, all of this to say that this was not the type of thriller I was expecting, but I absolutely loved it. As the story went on it definitely exposed every dark and tense edge expected as well.

This was one of the more unique thrillers I have ever read and I definitely found it difficult to put down. Once I reached the halfway point of the novel, all I was thinking about was this book. WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN? With about 1/3 of the way left, I was TENSE. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, in which the coaster starts off with the charming you in an immersive storyline but then before you know it you are plummeting to your death down at a 90 degree angle. That's this book. It is like Jurassic Park in which everyone is "Ooo" and "Aah" at the beginning but then it is all followed by screaming. You get me, right?

Anyway, I have read quite a few outstanding thrillers this year and I can count this as one of them. This book had some of the best characters I have read in a thriller and also had me flying through the pages because the stakes were high. I loved just about every minute of this one and cannot recommend highly enough.

Fern and Rose Castle are fraternal twins that couldn’t be more different in appearance, personality and temperament. The story begins with Rose’s diary entry that recalls an event when they were twelve years old that was traumatic and horrifying. It provides the context for how we begin to think of these two women throughout the story. Fern is a librarian in Bayside (Victoria, Australia) who has a sensory processing disorder. Today we might describe her as being on the spectrum with an ultra logical way of sorting out what she sees and hears. Rose is married but her husband is temporarily living in London working on a special assignment. She’s ready to get pregnant but it becomes clear that traditional paths are not an option. Fern decides, on her own, that she’ll find a partner, get pregnant and deliver the child to her sister and her husband.

Most of what we know about Rose comes through her diary entries, which chronicle a troublesome childhood at the hands of a manipulative and cruel mother. Rose becomes her sister’s protector, shielding her from the worst of her mother’s behavior while suffering personally from the effects of juvenile diabetes. Fern’s voice is in the present, providing an interesting contrast to her sister’s perspectives. At some point, my opinion of these two women began to shift, with a subtle recognition that one of them might not be a reliable narrator. By the time the truth is revealed, I’d pretty much figured things out but it was a pleasurable reading experience getting there! There’s a lot more going on but you need to discover that for yourself.

This author is now on my auto read list as her writing style fits my tastes like the proverbial glove. She is excellent at developing her characters, slowly but methodically, giving me an opportunity to make judgments for myself while throwing in a ringer or two that’s not even obvious. Rose and Fern were well designed and the challenge was figuring out who really was the good sister. I loved how the story unfolded and am so happy I opted to get the audio version. Barry Kreinik’s narration was oh, so good, providing slight distinctions for the sisters that fit who I believed them to be. I could always tell whose point of view I was listening to and her depiction of Fern was particularly well done. It was a great listening experience of a well crafted story. 4.5 stars

Sally Hepworth’s domestic thriller, “The Good Sister,” is a novel about the ties that bind two sisters. The sibling relationship and its influence are strong, but a relationship between twins, especially when one of them is dominant, is as powerful as it is interesting! Sally writes incisively about family, relationships and identity and draws on the good, the bad and the downright odd of human behaviour. This novel is no exception; a neurodiverse protagonist, a sweet romance, a tension-filled plot and twists that you won’t see coming! Hepworth sends readers on a ride where things are not as they seem and with compelling characters caught in the manipulation of sibling rivalry gone mad. This is a fantastic story that highlights vulnerability and dangerous minds.

I was gifted this copy by Sally Hepworth, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide feedback.

Twin sisters Rose and Fern were raised by an unstable evil mother and had only each other to rely on. Or were they? Fern suffers from sensor-processing issues and a somewhat on-the-spectrum-type personality—kind of like Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory, where she’s a little socially awkward with an innocent childlike quality. Rose, on the other hand, comes across as very competent and capable, always watching out for Fern, with a husband and hopes for children in her near future.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were interesting and really grew on me, so that once the foundation for the characters and background was all laid out, the storyline really picked up and intensified and took everything you thought you knew and threw it off a cliff. A great, fast read!

The Good Sister will be released on April 13. Thank you @NetGalley and @stmartinspress for the advanced copy! Also, if you’re not following @sallyhepworth on Instagram, you should! Her feed is adorable and she’s just lovely. Especially with that awesome Aussie accent. 🇦🇺🐨🎉

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth / Pages: 352 / Genre: Mystery & Thriller / Release Date: April 13, 2021

Fern and Rose are twins. To most, Rose appears to be the responsible one, while Fern is a little unusual. The story is told from each woman’s perspective. Rose keeps a diary on the advice of her therapist and we learn of a tragedy that involves the drowning of a young boy.
Rose shares how, over the years, she has protected her sister from their mother by taking her wrath.
Fern’s side of the story introduces readers to a young woman who has Asperger’s syndrome and many of the issues that go along with that, however, she has a career as a librarian. When Fern decides that she will help Rose, who has been unable to have a child, by having a baby for her. She seeks out a relationship with a library patron named Rocco (although she calls him Wally), who is also on the autism spectrum.
The twists and turns the author takes us on as we find out which, if either, story is the truth, offer much tension and surprise.

The book hangover is real with this one!

Sally Hepworth brings us two wonderful sisters, with a simple yet complex relationship that will have you guessing at every corner.

The good sister takes you down an interesting path, with a unique take on the sister relationship and dynamic.

I couldn’t get enough of this story- Fern and Rose, sigh. I don’t even know what to say without spoilers. But I highly recommend snatching this one up as soon as it releases!

The Good Sister weaves the intricate story of twins Fern, the quirky one, and Rose, the protective and responsible one. Rose has protected Fern since they were little from not only their psychotic and abusive mother, but also from the terrible secret and consequences Fern would surely face if anyone knew what happened on a camping trip many years ago.

To repay Rose for always looking out for her, Fern decides to become a surrogate for Rose when she has trouble conceiving on her own. But as Fern grows more and more pregnant, Rose is sure that Fern needs extra eyes on her to make sure she doesn’t make poor choices like she has in the past. With Rose growing even more protective than ever before, Fern starts to unravel some of the secrets Rose has been hiding and thinking maybe their mother’s advice might not be so bad after all.

I really don’t think there was anything about this book that I didn’t like, aside from the personalities of the mother, Nina, and at times, Rose. I thought this was a sweet story about the bond between sisters.
I absolutely loved Fern’s character and I was glad most of the story was told from her point of view. Having sensory-processing issues, Fern’s outlook on life was much more literal than that of most other people. This was a very refreshing aspect to both a character and narrator.

I also liked the little glimpses into Rose’s journal that gave us a brief look back into their past, helping to build the backstory of what happened all those years ago. It was just enough to keep you guessing what happened while getting a peek into Rose’s perspective. It was interesting to see the differences between the twins and their views of the same experiences.

And then there was Wally. *swoon* I am not one to be “in love” with characters in books, but if I were, Wally, aka Rocco, would be that character. I loved his personality, how he took Fern for who she was and didn’t try to change her, and as their relationship grew, so did his concern for Fern’s well-being.

I did find parts of the story to be predictable, but not in the way that it ruined the story or left me feeling bored. That wasn’t the case at all. In fact, the predictable parts for me actually made me try to figure out the reasonings for what I knew was going to happen. And ultimately, I did not see the twist at the end coming, and that was possibly the best surprise of all.

I very rarely like the ending of a book, but this one felt complete. All the loose ends tied together nicely and in the way I had hoped they would. I felt satisfied in closing this book and reflecting on everything that happened. I didn’t have (too many) unanswered questions. (But I am hoping for a sequel!)

It is clearly safe to say that I absolutely loved this book, and I would give it 10 stars if I could. I will be recommending this book to everyone! By far my favorite book of 2021 so far.

This was my first Sally Hepworth book so I don't have any other books of hers to use as a comparison. I've also read a number of twin-related thrillers lately (Sisters, Mirrorland) and was a little worried this would fit too closely to those thrillers as well.

I loved that we got to explore the complicated relationship between sisters/twins and families in general and see characters with sensory processing disorder and anxiety.

My first thought after finishing The Good Sister was that for the first 75% of the book it didn't feel like a typical thriller/mystery. I understood the setup to what happened to Fern and Rose when they were 11/12 years old - it definitely hits on some big event(s) there but it wasn't this overwhelming, all-encompassing suspense. I could acknowledge this looming as we got closer to finding out what happened but this book felt more like a character-driven almost "coming of age" story of Fern. Which I loved. Fern was such an engaging character and I loved being in her head and getting to watch her grow throughout this book and get to know Wally.

That being said, I did love the slow build-up of their past through Rose's diary entries and leading into the last 25% where I remembered "oh right, this is a THRILLER" and wondering what the heck was going to happen. I really enjoyed the whole build-up, twists, and reveal of Fern and Rose's past. I love when you get to the twist and realize "oh duh, I see all the clues now" and it gives the book a whole new story! By the time I hit 60% I kept telling myself I needed to get to bed but couldn't put it down!

I was reading this on my kindle and had some odd page breaks in the middle of chapters and the font size changed occasionally mid-page.

I received a copy of this from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This is a book about sisterly bonds. I loved Fern. She was so trusting and genuinely kind. Wally was pretty awesome too. I didn’t know how I would feel about this book, but was very pleasantly surprised.

What a fun domestic thriller! Sally Hepworth knows how to keep the mystery bubbling at the top of the surface for a slower, but totally worth it, burn. I binged this one in a day, going back and forth over audio, and thought the audio was terrific. It was a great accompaniment for a workday where every so often I'd find myself pausing, staring beyond my laptop, trying to figure out what the heck is going on.

I've heard great things about Hepworth's other titles and will for sure be adding those to my TBR.

Thanks to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press for this arc!

This is the second book I have read from this author and Ms. Hepworth has not disappointed me yet. I could not put this book down. It was an absolute page-turner. I think the best part about this book though were the characters. I LOVED Fern and Wally and their oddities. The story was captivating and the writing was superb. This is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Sally Hepworth for a copy of "The Good Sister" in exchange of an honest review.

Wow! The Good Sister was GOOD!⁣
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I had started losing interest in thrillers recently but this book gripped me from the beginning and kept me so invested until the very end. I couldn’t wait to figure out what was truly going on.⁣
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Fern and Rose are fraternal twins. Fern has sensory issues and Rose is type 1 diabetic. Fern gets special treatment from her mum, and Rose constantly takes the brunt of her mum’s fury... or does she? ⁣
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Fern is forgetful, unreliable, and uncomfortable in most situations due to her sensory issues... or is she? She heavily relies on Rose to keep her safe and on track.⁣
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Their mum was unstable, at times homeless, and overdosed on drugs and has been in a home with a brain injury for ten years... or was she? ⁣
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Rose is so involved in Ferns life it seems overbearing but Fern relies on her and thinks her sister is her person and the only one who gets her until she meets Wally/Rocco who is insanely intelligent, sees through Rose and too has some sensory issues.⁣
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Wally and Fern really hit it off until Rose doesn’t want her around Wally anymore. Wally was so lovely, I adored him and how kind and thoughtful he was to Fern.⁣
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The anxiety I felt for Fern, mixed with the disturbing eerie vibes Rose gave off made this an excellent page turner, that I couldn’t put down. That ending, was a mic drop on proof of Rose’s pure insanity. I always love a psychological thriller and this one did not disappoint.⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC for my honest review. #netgalley #bookstagram #thegoodsister #books #thrillers #psychologicalthriller

The Good Sister is the latest story by Sally Hepworth. The reader meets the twin sisters as they are adults but through one of the sister's diaries we learn what memories she has of their childhood. At times this book is laugh out loud funny and at others it deals with serious subjects. There comes a point where The Good Sister is impossible to put down. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.

The Good Sister is an engaging story about the love 2 sisters have for each other, and the lengths that they will go to for each other’s happiness and well-being.

Fern is a sweet, quirky gal with sensory issues, who struggles to function in many social situations. Her sister, Rose, is always looking out for her, albeit from a distance now that they are adults. When Fern finds out that Rose is struggling to get pregnant, she decides to surprise her sister by getting pregnant and then giving the baby to her sister to raise. After all, Fern feels like she owes Rose, and Rose is the safe, smart sister that keeps Fern on the right path....except for that one time when they were kids. After all, sisters always look out for each other, right?

The story is told in alternating sections from Fern’s point of view and Rose’s journal to give you the perspective of both sisters. I felt sorry for Fern and her struggles, but she has such a bright outlook on life in spite of what she did when she was a child, and tries to be a kind person. The Good Sister explores the complex relationship of sisters, both positive and negative, and delves into the issues of the perspective of reality and that sometimes the people you love the most are also the ones you despise.

The Good Sister comes out April 13, preorder your copy now!

Oh m'gravy, this was a great read!! I read this suspenseful psychological thriller in just two sittings. 'Nuff said, right? The story centres around family dysfunction and successfully completes the suspense read hat trick: secrets, manipulation, and tension! Oh MY!

The story focuses on fraternal twins, Fern and Rose. Fern is highly intelligent (and a librarian t'boot) who speaks her mind and appears to be a high functioning person on the autism spectrum with sensory sensitivities. Yay for including neurodiverse characters! Fern's twin Rose is outgoing, married and a successful interior designer and since childhood, she has taken on the role as Fern's protector - a role that has continued into their adult lives.

The story is told using two POVs - one from Fern and the from other Rose's diary entries which reveal situations from their childhood to current day. As the tension ramps up, I found some scenes quite emotionally charged and even hard to read at times - particularly as the truth comes to light. And while I may have figured out one of the big twists, Hepworth still managed to surprise me in the end.

Side Note: As a Library Assistant myself, Sally totally nails what it's like to work in a library setting (even staff's adverse reactions to customers' printer/photocopying problems! Argh!) I appreciate how she illustrates the importance of libraries, their changing roles, their inclusivity, and the sense of community that makes public libraries so much more than 'just books'.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, so I'll just say this - You need to read this book. It is a tension-filled story with an interesting array of characters that is part psychological thriller, part family drama and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.

I have read and enjoyed all of Sally's books to date. She is an auto-read for me, so keep your eyes out for this book in stores on April 13, 2021 or preorder your copy today.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the author and St Martin's Press for my advanced copy given in exchange for my honest review. This review was posted on my blog, social media & posted on Chapters.Indigo on March 30, 2021.

This was such a good book. I loved the set-up of the fraternal twin sisters, Rose and Fern, and the relationship they had with each other and others in their life. The journal Rose was keeping was excellent, and I loved how Fern had sensory issues and was able to find a man with similar issues. I loved the twist ending (although I kind of saw it coming about halfway through the book). I'm definitely going to read more by this author.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

🎼oops she did it again! 🎼

I just loved every moment of reading Sally Hepworth’s new novel The Good Sister so much and am telling everyone to run to the bookstore to pick it up!

Rose and Fern are fraternal twin sisters raised by a single mother. Rose is always taking care of Fern who has sensory processing difficulties. It’s always been this way and now they are adults and Rose wants to have a baby but has health concerns that may interfere with this desire. Fern wants to help her sister and believes she wouldn’t be able to manage being a parent. It all seems like the perfect plan. Fern is going to meet a guy, have sex, get pregnant and give the baby to Rose. This is the setup and right about where I was totally sucked in by both Fern and Rose’s story.

This book has heart and doesn’t read like a suspense novel early on. Hepworth waits until she has you right where she wants you and then makes you realize she has been playing with your emotions and your gullibility all along.

Buy this book!

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The Good Sister publishes April 13th!