Loved this book - Fern is so interesting and lovable. Rose is a character with so many level and deciphering the differing tales was so intriguing. Great story, twists and turns, with characters that have so many levels.

I knew this was a thriller but the first 100 pages or so made me forget, instead i was thinking, these sisters love each other - how sweet. Sister relationships are complicated. Fern and Rose are fraternal twins - Fern is taller and more fair and pretty and Rose is more petite and fleshy. Since they were kids, Rose has always taken the role of protecting the more innocent-minded Fern from the things in her world that overwhelm her due to her sensory processing disorder. The dysfunction between the mom and her daughters, and the even more intense dysfunction between Fern and Rose created an uncomfortable but necessary tension that lingered through the whole book. I thought the whole book was really exciting.

Sally Hepworth does not disappoint!
I think this was a great domestic thriller. Truly enjoyed the twists, the book keeps the tension high but at a subconscious level. Definitely recommend this book! Won’t say much because I don’t want to give the plot away, the book is an experience one must enjoy!

A unique storyline that kept me engaged. I highly recommend this book. The story of these sisters was very different than what I expected...and don’t we all love books like that??!!

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Ferns character especially was so well thought it and detailed, the whole story line flowed beautifully and I enjoyed it immensely!!

I really liked this one!!! It’s a slightly different thriller and even though I thought I knew what was going on I could not put it down. And when I wasn’t able to read it I was thinking about it. It’s about the relationship between two sisters and their mother and the story is told from alternating viewpoints. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I think I have read every book Sally Hepworth has written and loved each one of them. This one is just as good as her other books. So, as you know from the blurb, Rose and Fern are twin sisters raised by a mother. The novel has two POV’s, one from Fern and the other from Rose. As one keeps reading the book you start to get a sense of who is truly a good sister and person.. This truly was an excellent domestic thriller. I really do not want to go into any specifics because I do not want to give away any spoilers but I highly recommend this book. The writing was excellent and the twists truly get intense but it was an awesome book. I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC for an honest review. Thanks again to net galley and again I recommend this book. Obviously, I gave it five stars. Sally Hepworth never disappoints one. She is an awesome author.

This is more of a 3.5 ⭐️ vs. the 3 I have it, but good reads doesn’t allow half stars.

This was my first Sally Hepworth book as I have The Mother-in-Law sitting in my TBR pile.

The book is about two twin sisters, who are very different, and view their childhood and upbringing very differently. They experience tragedy at a young age, and lean on their twin bond often to get through life. Without giving anything away, I’ll leave you there 😊

I just finished a few heavy books so I was looking for a thriller to escape to and this was a good story, but a bit predictable for me. Maybe it’s just the way my brain works, but about halfway through, I guessed how the story would all pull together. It was a book that kept my interest, but I prefer real crazy mind blowing twists that are unpredictable. I found the big reveal to be a bit anti-climatic, and the chapters after the big reveal to be a bit slow. I was hoping with the amount of pages left to have more context in the end.

Overall, an interesting read and I enjoyed the way the story was told by each sister, and not both chronological.

Thank you @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC! It was an enjoyable book! The Good Sister comes out 4/13

In the minority by not enjoying this book as much as others did. This lacked mystery during the first 75% and reminded me more of contemporary women's fiction- which isn't bad, just not what I expected or wanted.

The dynamic between Rose and Fern was quite interesting but I did guess what was going to happen, not that many people would. The relationship that they have isn't easy to understand, first you think it is because they are sisters, but soon you find out that isn't what drives the way they 'work' together. Add Owen, Wally (Rocco) and their Mum (who is in a nursing home) and you have one twisted tale. It kept my interest to the end and their is even a potential for a second book, so we'll see what happens.

Wow, this was an awesome book! I highly recommend it! It had everything in it: psychological thriller, murder and romance. It definitely gave me all the feelings. I just wish I could have sat down and finished it in one sitting.

Rose and Fern are fraternal twins and they are as close as sisters can be. However, is that for the betterment of Fern to have Rose help and control her life?

I found Fern and Wally's (Rocco) relationship to be adorable and sweet. It made me smile several times.

Now Fern and Rose's relationship gave me the heebie-jeebies. There were so many cringle worthy moments. I can't imagine being in Fern's position to have a sister rule your life that bad. Sadly, it took a long time for Fern to see through the facade.

I loved reading on how Fern was progressing on getting better adjusted to her sensory issues and learned to cope with being out in public in her own quirky way.

I loved Sally's writing style, it is witty and always moving. I never got bored which is always great. I can't wait to read her other books!

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for my digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Good Sister
By Sally Hepworth
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Page turning, gripping, I couldn't put it down! When I realized it was 4 am and I was forcing myself to stay awake because I wanted to finished this book. This is a women's fiction / mystery with a little bit of romance and lots of family drama. It's that kind of book that the reading is pleasant and everyone gets what they deserve.

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins that went through traumatic moments in their childhood with a sociopath mother. Rose is the responsible one and she is always there to protect Fern, that struggles with sensory issues and always sees the good in everyone. Fern did something very bad when they were kids and Rose has never told anyone. Fern loves that her sister is always there for her so she decides to help her sister by having a baby for her since she found out that Rose can't have kids. Things starts changing, Fern starts growing and being more aware of her sister's own secrets. There are two truths in the book: that one that happened and the one that one of them believed happened. Very good! The twist becomes predictable around 70% of the book and the rest is just family drama but you will get so engaged to the story that you won't care.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty, page-turning book - so much so that I finished it in two days! Love Sally Hepworth’s books and her latest release doesn’t disappoint. This book has it all - part mystery, part love story, and a whole lot of complicated family dynamics.

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins. Fern took after her mother- tall and slim with beautiful wavy hair. Rose didn’t; she’s short and a little thicker, which seems to be a sore subject with her mother constantly poking her in the tummy and calling her rude nicknames. Fern has a severe antisocial disorder: crowds, loud noises, uninvited touch, open-ended questions, silly statements that make no logical sense all upset her. So it’s no shock that as adults, Rose is the tough-as-nails protector of the weak and anti-social Fern.
Fern has a job she loves at the library with a couple of exceptions. She hates computers and printers and she can’t look anyone in the eye. She answers what she perceives as senseless questions with condescending answers. While Rose is away for a short time to make amends with her husband, Fern completely forgets to take care of Rose’s puppy, which almost dies. So when Rose laments the lack of ability to become pregnant, Fern, knowing she herself would make a horrible mother, comes up with the plan to get pregnant and give her baby to her loving sister. Sounds simple, right?
Fern’s first objective is to find a suitable sperm donor. She decides the “Wally-looking” guy she met at the library will do just fine. But a strange thing happens; as Fern is courting “Wally”, she accidentally begins enjoying her time with him. They quickly fall into a sincere and loving relationship, until Rose returns. What does the sisters’ relationship look like to an intelligent outsider such as Wally? It appears to be odd and very unhealthy. He voices his concerns and is immediately black-balled from Ferns’ life by her sister who, of course, knows best. Then Fern realizes she’s pregnant.
As the nine months count down, we reflect on their childhood through a journal Rose has always kept. And it does appear that Fern needs strict guidance and she most definitely can’t be responsible for a child. But what’s real and what’s perceived? Here’s where the plot begins to turn sinister.
You’re going to love Fern. Her perception of the world is so simplistic and endearing. And Wally makes the perfect mate for her. Fern’s co-workers at the library add just the right amount of color to the plot. Rose is the character we can’t quite put our finger on. With the ever-evolving history and present-day issues, the finer (and uglier) aspects of our characters begin to show through. This is a swift-paced and enjoyable thriller that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to my friends.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 13, 2021.

4+ well earned stars — Release date 4/13/2021
#NetGalley
#StMartinsPress

I needed a diversion from politics, actually from this whole year in general. This ARC filled the bill at just the right time. Not surprisingly, the author structured the composition of this novel amazingly well in its originality and presentation. We are looking at a set of grown women, Fern and Rose, fraternal twins both as different as night and day. They have matching bracelets each with a logo of their namesake on it. Each one tells a side of their story.

Fern Castle is a librarian, which grabbed my attention right away. I love books and libraries are a favorite place for me, so I can easily relate to her feeling of a sanctuary there, as much of the novel took place in the library. Fern loves her job and is good at it. She has a condition whose symptoms describe Asperger’s but it doesn’t come right out and state that. She is very bright, but has trouble with loud noises, light, and social interactions, yet she can read books to children without any problem.

It appears her sister Rose has cared for her most of her life and comes to her rescue when needed. Rose tells her side of the story from a journal she keeps. Her chapters are entitled “Journal of Rose Ingrid Castle.” It opens where she is estranged from her husband and wants a baby, so she needs to make things right with hubby.

A focal point of the story is a relationship that Fern makes with a man she meets in the library. She refers to him as Wally, as he reminds her of the main character in the book “Where’s Wally.” :) Although it’s not his real name, he allows Fern to call him that. He was an intriguing and favorite character for me, but I will say no more. This must be experienced by the reader.

Listed as a mystery/thriller, it is much more. The dialogue between Fern and Wally was a delight. This is emotionally captivating, humorous, yet dark and disturbing at times, but yes, still hopeful... and definitely more than a little wonderful, bringing the reader to a satisfactory conclusion. I’m fast becoming a fan of Ms Hepworth and happily recommend this, but you’ll have to wait for the release date next April, 2021.

I loved this distraction from real-world events and give a sincere shout-out of thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for my review copy. Keep an eye out for it in 2021, which we pray will be a better year for us all.

This book was okay, not the best I've read by this author, and one that while it wasn't for me, might appeal to others. If you like psychological suspense, check it out. That's usually a favorite genre of mine, but I didn't connect to the characters at all and they just felt too black or white without the lovely grey shadings that make them real in my mind.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Rose has always been there to look out for her twin sister Fern: first to protect her from their abusive mother, then to help her with the mundane difficulties of being neurodivergent. Now Rose is having fertility issues, so Fern decides to repay her by getting pregnant and giving Rose the baby. Fern immediately stumbles across an excellent sperm donor. Wally is cute, smart, and really gets Fern. However, Fern's perfectly logical plan threatens to unravel as she develops feelings for Wally and old secrets come to light. The sisters alternate chapters, slowly revealing the truth about a relationship that's not at all what it seems. Phenomenal characterization.

Rose and Fern are twins in their late twenties who have the closest of relationships, despite having shared a traumatic childhood. Rose is the responsible one who seemed able to see through the sociopathy of their mother, while Fern was the quirky one who saw the good in everyone. After Fern did something terrible when they were twelve years old, Rose helped her cover up the mistake, and throughout the years, she’s continued to keep a careful watch on Fern. But when Fern decides to help her sister achieve her heart's desire of having a baby, Rose realizes that Fern might make choices that can only have a terrible outcome. What Rose doesn't realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping.
---
Through snippets from Rose’s journal, we travel through Rose’s current feelings as well as some of the past events the twins shared during their childhood, which revolved around a mother who was narcissistic and mercurial. Rose’s journal entries alternate with chapters from Fern’s first-person, present-day point of view in which she navigates working at a library and engaging with others while being on the autism spectrum and managing debilitating sensory-processing issues.

It is Fern’s unique character - the specificity of it, the humor within it, the heart underneath it - that makes this book for me! Fern is so lovable, despite her flaws, that I honestly can’t remember the last time I felt myself emotionally connecting with a character quite this strongly. And on top of that, Fern’s internal thoughts and interactions with other characters had me giggling out loud.

Everything else about this thriller is on point! The plotting and pacing are solid, and there are some great twists that I didn’t see coming!

I can’t elaborate too much more, since I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll just say that this is a rare thriller that made me incredibly anxious while also making me giggle and warming my heart.

Not a lot of thrillers manage to pull those three things off at the same time.

I ABSOLUTELY loved this book and highly recommend it to just about anyone with a pulse!

This hits the shelves on April 13!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC!

I'll post this review on my blog and social closer to publication date, unless otherwise requested!

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is one of my favourite reads so far in 2021. The author combines two of my favourite genres, Women’s Fiction and Thrillers, which I feel work extremely well together. The book is an engaging story of twin sisters which will have you guessing what is the truth, and what isn’t.

Rose is the more responsible of the two girls. She views her mother as sociopathic and one who does a great job of hiding this from the rest of the world. Rose feels the need to protect her sister Fern from everyone as Fern only sees the best in everyone. Many years ago, Fern did something that was shocking, but Rose kept her secret. Fern has never forgotten this, so when she realizes her sister is unable to have a baby, Fern decides to have one for her. As this wish becomes a reality, the two sisters begin to see each other in a completely different light.

The story is intricately woven with the twists you normally find in a thriller. But there is stronger elements of Women’s Fiction that you might not expect. Indeed, the book is about the relationship of three women despite it being written in a two person narrative. While there are elements of mental illness, this is also a story of family love, as dysfunctional as it can sometimes be. The characters are extremely well developed and the story was dramatic yet moving. I loved the inclusivity of the characters. Without giving too much of the story away, I cheered for one of the characters who I miss now that I’ve completed the book. For me, that is a sign of great writing. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book in exchange for the honest review provided here.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book. My reviews can be read on my GoodReads account here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1335387-kelly