Rose and Fern are twin sisters who grew up with a single mother. The sisters have been inseparable all their lives and with Fern having a sensory issue she has often relied on Rose to help her.

After a traumatic experience growing up Rose and Fern have always kept it a secret from everyone else. Years later, Rose realizes she cannot have children so Fern gets the idea that she could have one and give it to Rose. Fern works at a library and meets a man named Wally and the begin a romantic relationship. When Fern gets pregnant this is where things start to go from bad to worse.

Wow did I ever love reading this one, this was my first book by the author and if all of hers and written in a similar style then I’m excited to read them. The chapters in this book alternate between Rose’s perspective of writing in a journal and then Ferns POV. I definitely found for the first half enjoying Ferns POV much more. I think Fern is one of my new favourite book characters. I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. I also found it interesting that for the first half I really didn’t know where the story was heading but I still loved every page of it. The ending was maybe predictable for some but I thought it was very well planned out. This one is terrific and one I would recommend everyone reads

This is the second book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth and the second I’ve loved! This secret holding, twisty book about the two sisters Fern and Rose had me pulled into the story from the start. I was drawn into the story of how they grew up with an unconcerned mother and found themselves living from pillow to pillow in several different homes as children. How they had this secret unspoken language between them when they bumped their twin bracelets together.

I loved how the story is told from both Rose and Fern’s point of view. It keeps you intrigued listening to the sisters’ inner thoughts. Rose was protective of her sister Fern, and Fern is willing to in turn conceive the child Rose so desperately wants. Well, although these two flower sisters seem to care and take care of each other it doesn’t happen without sister secrets! I may have gasped a few times as the secrets were no longer a secret!

You’re in for a treat reading this one. Although you can somewhat predict what is happening or going to happen, the way the book is written you want want to put it down.

The Good Sister is a page-turning domestic drama and I couldn’t put this one down! Twin sisters Fern and Rose have always stuck together. Ever since they were young, Rose looked out for Fern...even after she did something horrible...because sisters share everything, especially secrets.

The story is told in alternating viewpoints, one from Fern’s POV and the other from Rose’s diary. As we learn more about their childhood and the twins’ relationship with their mother, the truth about who really is the “good sister” begins to unfold.

This book was fast paced, the plot was interesting, and it kept me guessing until the end. A great read! Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is what I want from a mystery/thriller book feeling uneasy not knowing what the characters are going to do next and its exactly what i got. Highly recommend

The Good Sister is a cleverly imagined story of sibling relationships and influences, especially as they are twins with one more dominant than the other. There is a backdrop of danger and uncertainty, as one of the sisters has a destructive personality disorder. The plot is extremely well delivered with a horrible secret hanging over the family, and a sociopathic mother that targets her displeasure and wrath at one daughter in particular.

Fern and Rose Castle are twin sisters and have lived most of their lives with their single mother and her different partners over the years. We look back in time with Rose as she recalls and notes in her diary the life and experiences she and Fern have endured. Fern is a wonderful and highly likeable character who has a sensory overload problem and a filter-less lens on the world where social etiquette is just non-existent. The dialogue and perspective Fern exhibits have endearing humour, as she rationalises situations in her own unique manner and is astonished why people are easily offended.

“It’s astonishing what can be offensive to people. For example, apparently, it is the height of rudeness to ask someone his or her age or weight, which makes absolutely no sense. Why be mysterious about something that is quite literally on display for all to see? And yet, these rules exist, and everyone seems to understand what they can and can’t ask. Everyone except me.”

Fern recognises that she causes issues with her irregular approach, so she often defers to her sister to make many of her life choices. Fern is a librarian, marvellously suited to her job as she recalls and recommends the huge number of books she reads. She believes that she cannot be trusted because she is absentminded with dangerous consequences – none more so than the massive family secret where a boy was killed at Fern’s hands.

Rose is married and has a problem conceiving a child due to premature ovarian ageing. In selfless support of her sister, and with her own unique analysis of the situation, Fern decides to get pregnant and give the child to Rose. The man she identifies as the father-to-be is called Rocco Ryan or as Fern calls him Wally because he looks like “Where’s Wally” with his bobble hat. Wally is an intriguing character that adds another important thread to the story that helps Fern grow and gradually develop her independence.

I much prefer novels that gradually paint the symptoms of a personality disorder and allow us to build our own diagnosis. So much could be said about the characters in the novel but the less said the better. If we follow the notion that there is a Good sister then we can surmise that there is a Bad sister, but the story has many secrets and surprises ahead.

The Good Sister is a very engaging story full of suspense and drama, with compelling characters that keep this novel fascinating and with intelligent humour that rounds this novel off as a great entertaining read. The novel is impressively threaded together even if predictable and Sally Hepworth is establishing her place as a sharp social and domestic storyteller with keen observational quality. I would recommend this book, and I would like to thank St Martins Press, Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in return for an honest review.

I loved this book! I was so pleasantly surprised by the author’s previous book, The Mother In-Law, that I was excited to get my hands on a copy of this one. I ended up getting digital and audio copies and switching back between the two. The audio narration is absolutely fantastic, and if you enjoy audio books this is a great one to get.

Once again the author creates wonderfully authentic characters and draws the reader into their lives from the first page. I personally love that the plot is plausible and not trying to reinvent the wheel through insane and eye roll inducing plot twists. Instead, it’s a solid plot that the author executes really well and the strength of how the characters are written causes it to really shine.

Fern’s character was just wonderful. I loved watching her growth as she realized the support system she always had and didn’t realize it. Her love of the library and recommending books to people was great! She’s a character that will live with me for sure.

I can’t wait to see what this author writes next. She is on auto-buy status for me!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary digital and audio copies. All opinions are my own.

The Good. Sister is more of a drama than a thriller. There were some twists you didn't see coming, and some that made me so angry! A story about sisterly manipulation and deceit and pure love. This was a page turning, quick read that will be on many must read lists this spring!

Thank you St Martin's Press and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I loved The Mother in Law so I couldn't wait to pick up The Good Sister! Similar to her previous novel, this one sucked me in and I couldn't put it down. Even though it was a bit predictable, there were enough twists and turns to keep me at the edge of my seat. I loved how Sally Hepworth explored the relationship between sisters, especially twins. I felt for both siblings at various times, but I especially loved Fern and her growth throughout the story.

If you are a fan of thrillers or new to the genre, I highly recommend this one; but beware, there are lots of trigger warnings.

This book actually gets 3 1/2 stars. The book is well-written with lots of tension in it before you even realize why there's tension. As the story unfolds from both points of view, the reader feels an unease from discrepancies. The book serves us twists and turns throughout. It was a very good psychological thriller.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Ms. Hepworth is a new-to-me author and I enjoyed this story from beginning to end. The story is told from the POV of fraternal twin sisters, Rose and Fern and it also moves back and forth from their childhood to present day. I seldom read reviews until after I finish an ARC as I don’t want them to influence how I feel about the story. In this case, that was a great decision and best to go in blind!

As Rose narrates events from her childhood, I was just so sad at the way she was treated by her mother and it seemed like the sisters lived a life of constant change and worry. The two sisters are so different, but Rose seems to be the older one, always in charge and guiding Fern. I found it interesting the health issues the sisters had and how that was portrayed throughout the story.

As an avid reader and recalling that my grandmother took me to the library as a small child, I loved that Fern was a librarian and found solace and comfort there.

About mid-way through the story, I started to have concerns about events and the sisters POV. The story seemed to become more of a psychological thriller and I grew tense, concerned at what would happen next. As the story proceeds, I began to wonder about both sisters - who was the good sister? There are unexpected twists and turns and kept me wondering what was happening!

The characters were well written, the plot was amazing, and kept me intrigued to the end. Then, the ending – that was both good and left me wondering a bit. I loved the Wally/Rocco character and it was unfortunate that he wasn’t in the story more, but it fit the plot.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Hepworth’s work.

The Good Sister is a gripping story of fraternal twin sisters who seemingly are raised by an uninterested mother. As typical of this author this book is one you just can't put down, the relationship of the sisters as they grow older is a dominating situation. The ending is fast and amazing, in fact the entire story is fantastic, I loved every minute!
Thank you #NetGalley#TheGoodSister#StMartinsPress#SallyHepworth

I really loved the twist in this book, but be warned that much of the book is about psychological abuse and sensory overload.
Fern and Rose are fraternal twins who survived a dark childhood by sticking together. The book is told from alternating perspectives: Rose’s diary she’s writing for therapy and Fern’s straightforward narration. Fern has sensory processing problems and Rose has always helped her manage overwhelming life.
I found the emotional abuse to be creepy and in parts very hard to read. Fern’s sensory processing issues were handled well and felt extremely real, in some parts it caused my own anxiety to flare up.

That said, the second half of the book was completely gripping and I loved the twist.

I have been waiting for this book FOREVER! I read The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth a little while ago and absolutely loved it. I can happily say this book was just as awesome!

Fern and Rose a twin sisters who couldn't be more different. Fern is a librarian with a quirky style and sensory sensitivities that leave her somewhat vulnerable to the rest of the world. Fern tends to lean on the solid, dependable shoulder of Rose who acts as a protector and advocate when Fern feels out of her depth or over stimulated. Rose is the picture of perfection, with a posh husband who's working in London, a perfectly cute pup, and dreams of expanding their family in the near future.

But a dark secret both tethers them together and is pulling them apart.

Then Rocco, aka Wally, steps into Fern's life. All the binds that so tightly contained her in Rose's orbit begin to loosen and things that seemed so certain begin to blur.

This was definitely not the angle I thought this story would take. It's very difficult to share my thoughts about the story line without giving juicy details away. All I can really say is it will throw readers for a loop (in a good way) and Fern is a spectacular character. She's an adult on the Autism spectrum without identifying herself as such. To her and those around her, she just happens to be someone who tends to take almost everything literally and has sensory processing sensitivities. Fern's perspective of events takes on a different angle that deepens her experiences and makes the story that much more interesting.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is another solid domestic thriller from the author. Not high-tension, more of a slow burn, but so very well-crafted that it sneaks up on you and had me completely caught up in it. The pacing is a bit slow at the beginning, but perfect for getting into the story and having it told through the differing POVs of the two sisters is very effective. And once you realize that not everything is as it seems, the tension ratchets up a notch and I could not put it down. I found myself second-guessing everything, more or less right up to the end - by then it was very clear what the situation was, but very unclear as to whether the wrongs would be uncovered or left to fester. Very well done!

A page-turning twisty story about two sisters with blurred boundaries. Brilliantly written and I loved it more the longer I read on. I especially loved the unique, memorable Fern who has a sensory processing disorder and tolerant and sensitive Wally, the man of my dreams. One heck of an ending and my favorite Sally Hepworth book!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Good Sister! Rose and Fern are fraternal twin sisters who couldn't be more different. Fern has sensory issues which make it impossible for her to be in crowded, noisy places, she also seems to have developmental and social problems ( autism is never mentioned, but traits are there) although she is able to have a successful career as a librarian. Rose is married to Owen, although his is off on a job, and has been unable to get pregnant. Fern decides that the one thing she can do to help her sister is to get pregnant and give her the baby. The sisters have a very co-dependent relationship, Fern is convinced that Rose is the only person who can handle her problems and help her out and Fern is planning to give Rose the one thing she most wants.

Most of Rose's story is told through her diary and is where we get much of the backstory to their upbringing and their mother who overdosed when the girls were twelve. I really don't want to give away the twists that are in the book, it will take too much away from the enjoyment of the story. Suffice it to say that you know that things aren't quite right between the sisters, you can guess or assume some things but read to the end, it's worth it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for this truthful review.

The Good Sister was soooo intense. My stomach was in knots for most of the book. Although I quickly figured who was The Good Sister, I could not figure out why others thought she was the bad sister. The different viewpoints from Fern and Rose further confused me. But when it finally came together, it all made sense. There are some excellent characters in this book- I felt like I could not stop reading until I knew they were safe (trying not to give away story) This is not my first Sally Hepworth book and it definitely won’t be my last.

Sally Hepworth has out did herself with her latest psychological thriller The Good Sister. This well written fast paced book will keep you up way past your bedtime! She combines a sociopathic mother with fraternal twin girls and years of mental abuse to bring about a highly entertaining drama/thriller! Hepworth has developed such great characters that are compelling and demanding of your attention! There are many twist and turns that keep you totally engaged. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy a psychological thriller with family drama added into it.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Good Sister was my first Sally Hepworth book and I ended up reading this in a day. I thought I would give it a few chapters and see if her writing lived up to the hype, and before I knew it, it was five hours later and I just Needed to Know How it Would End.

This story grabbed me from the beginning and gave me enough twists and turns to keep me engaged through the last page. And now I’m excited to explore her entire back catalog.

just started this one last night and I'm excited for an unreliable narrator and questions who is telling the truth. It seems like it's going to be more family drama / character study over a mystery/ thriller.

So far I'm honestly I'm not enjoying it. The first part. A diary entry was absorbing but I don't think I'm in the right mood for this. I appreciate the way the author is creating diverse characters. But I need something faster, more thrilling, and to the point.
the reviews seem to be more positive than anything else and I'd love to be reading from a POV from a character with sensory issues and often has trouble with conversations and social cues. As I have a close friend on the spectrum who struggles very much with sensory issues and conversing with people.
But right now I have to DNF maybe I'll give it a try again but I've tried a couple times and it isn't for me right now.