My review- This is my first Sally Hepworth novel I have read, but it certainly won't be the last! This book is a thriller, family drama and love story all rolled into one.

Fern and Rose are twin sisters. Fern has had to struggle her whole life. Rose has had to look after Faith. Fern sees an opportunity to help her sister Rose that can't have a baby of her own. But, once Rose finds out Fern is pregnant things start to go very wrong between the sisters. This will be a book that you will not want to put down till the end.

5 stars for The Good Sister!!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an advanced copy for my honest review.

Sally Hepworth came through again. I thoroughly loved The Mother-in-Law and this book has a very similar feel to it though the stories are totally different. I find her writing to be a cross between literary fiction and mystery/ thriller. Fern and Rose are twins but different as night and day. Fern is on the spectrum and lives a life almost totally dependent on her sister who seems to have it all together and dotes on Fern. But Fern starts to find she likes independence and opens up to others as the story moves forward, finding friends and alliances where she never had before. Her life begins to change and secrets from the past start to affect her present life. We find some unreliable narrators along with deception and manipulation that you can sorta see coming but you don’t really know what’s really what till the end. Just as in the Mother-in-Law life takes an unexpected turn for Rose and Fern.

This story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. Hepworth is a talented story writer with unique sympathetic characters. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I would recommend this book if you are looking for something to keep you on your toes. Fern will capture your heart and you will be hooked from the start. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another hit from Sally Hepworth! I loved the dynamic between Rose and Fern, having a sister myself it can be a very delicate relationship. I loved the inclusion of sensory issues in the book and the well thought out research about Fern’s character. This book was fantastic!

Everyone has a dark side.

Lately I have been accidently and sometimes on purpose reading books with a bookish bent so I'll get this out of the way first. With one sister a librarian I loved all the literary references - from the library setting, references to books that I've read, ones in my tbr pile and others that made it to said pile. Australia has some wonderful authors that are hard to come by in North American and I enjoyed the plugs for them. Don't get me wrong this book isn't a walking advertisement but a fun glimpse into the inter workings and whats on the mind of a librarian.

Sally Hepworh also has a bent towards relationships and family which continues here. Twin sisters, Fern and Rose alternately tell the story reverting at times to the past and the horrific events that moulded them into who they are today.

I loved the mystery that kept me on my toes. I felt the injustices and slights directed at those who were deemed 'different'. And I tensed at what I foresaw, having to read faster and eventually with one eye closed as the last pages drew near - surely I'm not the only one who just barely peeks because you know whats going to happen but don't want to watch but you know you have to?

I've been reading Sally Hepworth since her first book, The Secrets of Midwives and haven't looked back. This book doesn't release in North America until April, 2021 and available for preorder now. Also since it's out to the rest of the work no, The Book Depository has it available for purchase.

My thanks to St. Martin's press (via Netgalley) for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

A new book by Sally Hepworth. Does anything else need to be said? If you must know, once again, Ms. Hepworth nails it.
Fern and Rose are twins. Living with their single mother, they appear to live a life that is not what one would consider perfect. In fact, it’s a life that most would consider pretty awful... or is it?
This book had me questioning nothing. I literally took everything I read as the truth. Maybe it is the truth though. But who’s truth is it actually? As a long-time reader of suspense books, I should know better, but I was taken in by the amazing writing and the very believable characters.
Since the book is not out until April, I will leave it at that for now. Thank you to NetGalley for the free advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.
#Netgalley #SallyHepworth #TheGoodSister

If I could give this book a million stars, I would. OMG!!! This was so twisty, dark and effed up in so many places. Loved the characterization of Rose and Fern and their "sisterly" bond. I took a little longer to read this because I wanted to enjoy every single page. This is my second book I have read by Sally Hepworth and can hardly wait for her next book if it is as good as this one.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!

Thanks to Netgalley, Sally Hepworth and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/13/21

The story of Fern and Rose grabbed my attention from the very beginning! This is a great twin thriller that beautifully incorporates family drama into the plot. The dysfunction between the mother and daughters plays out between past and present day which will have readers on the edge of their seats. Sally Hepworth does it again!

What an excellent reading adventure!!! I was captivated right from the beginning. The story of Rose and Fern, fraternal twins who are telling their life story from each one’s perspective. The story of their current lives interspersed with flashbacks from their childhood that reveal small bits and pieces over time that show their true character as to why & where they are today. Rose the protector and Fern with her issues. The strong sisterly bond they share seems so touching yet things do not always add up? Slowly the secrets and deceptions become known but who is really spinning the tale? There are a lot of twists and turns with a few WOWs along the way! Who really is the “good sister” and whose perspective is accurate?

If mystery/thrillers are your genre I highly recommend giving this one a shot. Hepworth was a new author for me and I can’t wait to read more from her!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. #NetGalley

Sally Hepworth has become one of my go to authors. I know when I sit down with one of her novels that I’m going to be grabbed and better hold on tight until I turn the last page. That was true with her latest, The Good Sister.

Fern and Rose are twins - Rose the responsible one and Fern the quirky one. Years ago, Fern did something very, very bad. And Rose has never told a soul. What Rose doesn't realize is that Fern is growing more and more aware of the secrets Rose, herself, is keeping. And their mother, who Rose insists is a sociopath, might have the last word after all.

There is quite a bit going on here and I found myself wondering who is telling the truth – Rose or Fern? Who is the reader supposed to believe? I read the entire book with a sense that something was coming, though sometimes I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. While slightly predictable there were also surprises. The Good Sister was an enjoyable tale of well-drawn characters. Characters you find yourself rooting for and characters you hope get what’s coming to them.

If you enjoy a mystery/thriller and are looking for a new author, give Hepworth a read. She satisfactorily closes each door opened in her stories, which this reader appreciates.

I loved this book. It was one of those that I just wanted to read non-stop. The characters and the writing were fantastic. I highly recommend this one.

WOW! What a great reading experience, I could not put this book down, I read it in one day. This book will grab your attention from the first chapter and holds your interests throughout. This is a story of fraternal twins, Rose and Fern, and the lies and deception one sister bestowed on the other while showing only kindness on the surface. I enjoyed this book so much to avoid spoilers I will not go into any further details. Enjoy the read! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Authors have written a number of books about sisters. But this one is twisted with manipulated acts that turned my brain around a few times. I loved it and only wished it was released now so I could share this enthusiasm with my book club, friends and family members.

It's about twins: Fern and Rose -- two sisters that are competitive yet Fern is more than anxious to please her sister who seems to be more normal even though her husband, Owen, has just left her for a job in London. Fern has sensory-processing issues: hypersensitive to sound, light, touch and smell which creates a huge challenge when she's in public areas like restaurants and entertaining activities.

Rose writes in her journal about her childhood days of being raised by a single mother who she describes as cruel and harsh at times. She tries to make sense of her life. She's always been protective over her sister, Fern, especially in difficult situations. However, they are both now older, living independently and she feels it's safe enough to travel for a month to visit with Owen and patch things up. Rose has strong desires to have a baby and with premature ovarian aging, she is racing against the clock. In the meantime, Fern enjoys her job as a librarian and decides she wants to help her sister with the brilliant idea of getting pregnant and having a baby for her. But first she needs to find a partner. Each chapter keeps the reader racing to find out what happens next.

The characters are a little quirky which adds to the liveliness and flow of the book. It also has interesting facts such as the the amount of bacteria in our hands at one time which makes me cringe. In the author's notes at the end, Sally Hepworth writes: "to the readers, who read my books, spread the word, and keep me in a job." I don't think that will be difficult as this one will definitely be a best seller.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGallery for this advanced copy.

Great beach read! Very engaging and I loved Fern to pieces. The last chapter was unnecessary though - it should have ended before it.

Complex snd layer thriller of two sister, one of which wishes to have a baby, .Perfect blend of complex characters, plot twists galore, and great psychological suspense. Don't miss it."

*4.5 star rating

The Good Sister was exactly the type of book I needed for my current reading mood, aka non-existent because nothing can hold my attention. After reading The Mother-in-Law in the thick of coronavirus lockdowns last year, Sally Hepworth quickly became one of my favorite authors. The Mother-in-Law hooked me in right away and I absolutely could not put it down until I finished it (which happened within 24 hours of starting the book). The Good Sister was an attention-grabbing read, but it took me until about the 60% mark to truly be invested in the book.

Overall, I think the Good Sister is a solid family drama with interesting twists. The sisterly relationship between Rose and Fern makes me wish I had a sister. In the acknowledgements (and all over her personal Instagram), Sally Hepworth admits that she was inspired to write the story after watching the relationship her two daughters have as sisters, which is heartwarming to me and makes the story that much more special. Not many books can keep my attention these days and make me want to read a book at the end of the day, but The Good Sister definitely did. After reading this one, I can still confidently say I will pick up anything Sally Hepworth writes.

I would recommend The Good Sister to anyone struggling to get lost in a good book right now, anyone who needs an easy pandemic read that provides quality entertainment, or anyone who enjoys family dramas, especially The Mother-in-Law!

Having recently finished “The Good Sister” by Sally Hepworth, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press!

The ability to initially make me feel one way about (Rose and Fern) and then take me in a completely different direction about (Fern and Rose) is why I love Ms. Hepworth's stories so much. Just when you think you know the outcome, the detour happens. The Good Sister was filled with manipulation and dysfunction, but it also left me with sweet memories of a library I would love to visit, and a new understanding of those in our communities with sensory-processing issues. That is one of the greatest gifts an author can give... the ability to teach us through their stories.

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"If it were up to me, every child would have a year in the library before they went to school. Not just to read but to roam. To befriend a librarian."

Wow! The Good Sister is fabulous psychological thriller! Characters are so well developed, I felt constantly pulled in directions as the plot unfolded.
Fern and Rose are twin sisters with an incredibly close relationship. Fern works at a local library and maintains a carefully structured life with Rose’s support. Fern finally finds an area that she can support Rose and sets about to make it happen. As Fern branches out beyond what she is comfortable with, things seem to go awry. But the deeper secrets are still hidden!
Great read and highly recommended.

The good sister title leads one to make presumptions, or at least to ask questions. These are fraternal twins, Rose and Fern. If one of them is "good," is the other one "bad"? Fern is quirky and reactive to over stimulation. She did something very awful as a child. Does this tell us she is then the bad sister? Rose is no saint either, so keep reading while their true characters are revealed. This makes for a very interesting character study with surprises and twists to keep everyone guessing and unsure of themselves until the end.

I've always wanted a sister but now I'm thinking maybe not! Says Fern:

"Sisterly relationships are so strange.... The way I can be mad at Rose but still want to please her. Be terrified of her and also want to run to her. Hate her and love her, both at the same time. Maybe when it comes to sisters, boundaries are always a little bit blurry. Blurred boundaries, I think, are what sisters do best."

I figured some of it out early on so giving this 4.5 instead of 5. Hepworth, however, is definitely a favorite of mine.

This was my first Sally Hepworth, but it will not be my last. Fern and Rose are fraternal twins, always together, and looking out for one another. Their childhood was not easy. After their mother overdoses, they are put into foster care. Now they are adults, one is married, and the other works in a library. But things aren’t quite as good as they seems, Fern has a past that keeps coming back to haunt her, and Rose will do whatever it takes to take care of her sister. Excellent work, super fast paced, I finished this quickly.