Sally Hepworth has done it again! I was surprised throughout the entire book. I was truly honored and excited to receive an advanced copy of this book! There were so many twist and turns that it will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Fern and Rose are twins but are polar opposites. Fern has sensory issues. Rose is a diabetic. Fern has always been single. Rose and her husband have been trying for a baby and can’t seem to get pregnant. But the one thing Fern and Rose have in common is that they would go to the end of the Earth to help each other out. So Fern comes up with a plan to have a baby for Rose. Fern is overly excited about doing this for Rose. Rose on the other hand has other ideas. Thank you so much St. Martins Press and Sally Hepworth for this advanced copy.

If you're looking for a psychological thriller, this is a good book for you! The story has you really "feeling" for the sisters and then there's a twist and the questions come at you fast. This is my first book by Sally Hepworth and she has hooked me! I will likely read her others. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this book in return for my honest review.

This is the first book I've read by this author. I really enjoyed it. The characters were enjoyable and so was the storyline. The story was unique and not like one I've read previously. I was able to figure out pretty early on what was going on, but that did not affect my enjoyment of the book at all.

My Thoughts
This was a fantastic book. I haven’t read a thriller that actually thrilled me in a long time, so I was super excited that this one delivered what it promised! This is one of those books that I have to be very careful about what I say because I do not want to give anything away! I promise, no spoilers! Here are my pros and cons for The Good Sister:

Pros

1. This is a fast-paced thriller that will keep you on your toes.
2. The characterizations are phenomenal. I particularly loved Fern. Fern is likely on the spectrum (she has sensory processing issues) and her twin sister Rose has always been there to help and protect her sister. They were both well-developed characters.
3. Fern sees everything through rose-colored glasses. Rose is a realistic person who feels the need to protect Fern from dangers in the world that Fern simply cannot understand – particularly dangers from their own mother. However, not everything is as it seems and therein lies the awesomeness of this story!
4. The chapters alternate between Fern and Rose’s POV. Fern’s story is real-time/current, and Rose’s story is told via journal entries. It was an effective way of telling the story and an efficient way to depict how Rose and Fern’s perspectives differ regarding certain events.
5. There is a romance between Fern and a man she calls Wally. Their romance is sweet, original, and genuine and is a huge part of why I loved this book so much.
6. Fern works in a library and I love how much she loves books. I simply adore books that have anything to do with libraries.
7. The first half of the book is foundational as we learn about Rose and Fern’s past and present lives. You will likely start to figure out what is going on – or at least suspect – about midway through the book. The thrilling parts start at this point and even if you do figure out where the story is headed it doesn’t ruin the book because you are still rewarded with some amazing drama and shocking revelations. (Note: I thought I figured it out, and I was partially right, but the story is creative enough that I was still surprised by some of the things that happened by the end of the book.)
8. You will find the ending perfectly satisfying.

Cons
None.

Summary
This was a major page turner for me! I loved this book! I could say so much more about this novel, but I am being super conscious of what I am including in this review so that I do not give away the twists and turns and unintentionally ruin this book for anyone. Suffice it to say it is a must-read in my opinion and I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great thriller filled with drama and dysfunctional family relationships.

By the way, I read and reviewed The Mother-in-Law by this author back in 2019 and I enjoyed that one as well. Sally Hepworth is becoming a must-read author for me. I think I need to go back and catch up on her other books!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Everyone knows sisters share a special bond - especially twin sisters, but the glue that ties Rose and Fern together is unlike anything you've ever heard of or read before. Rose is very protective of Fern, always watching out for her and her best interests. Rose is scatterbrained and tries hard to avoid any and all types of social interactions, but you know in a Sally Hepworth novel, not everything is as it seems.
I absolutely LOVED the character of Rose. Rose falls on the spectrum and is high functioning. I loved her relationship with "Wally".
This was a fast read with short chapters alternating in both Rose and Fern's perspective and both the past (focused on their childhood and sociopath mother) and the present. Very suspenseful. Highly recommend.

The story of two sisters, work, life and love, with snippets from the past. This book has a fantastic storyline. I was gripped from page one.
Love the author's writing style and will be looking out for more of her work.

This is a tale of two sisters that will have you on the edge of your seat. Fern and Rose are different as night and day but there's a tie that binds them together. Rose always takes care of Fern as she's often on the edge and doesn't adapt well to social situations. This tale is gripping at times and unpredictable. Quite a story as one twin tries to take what the other has. Full of suspense and hidden secrets from their youth. This is one book you don't want to miss. A true domestic thriller that I read as an arc via NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

I loved this one from beginning to end and could not put it down.
Fern and Rose are fraternal twins, close as can be. Fern has sensory issues and depends on Rose to be “her person”.
Rose is having marital woes and is separated from her husband. She also desperately wants a baby. Rose also seemingly depends on Fern more than Fern realizes.
When a stranger walks into the library where Fern works and turns her little, controlled world upside down, truths about both sisters come to light.

This story played out so well and didn’t skip a beat. There’s no lag, not one minute of word use just to take up space. It’s twisty, heartwarming and fabulous.

Amazing story! Something is wrong with Rose, this is obvious from the start. Even though I figured out some of the plot early, I still could not put the book down. I fell in love with Fern and Wally. This book is definitely a winner.

I Did not enjoy this book-too weird. Did not finish so unable to give a review for this author. The story was a jumbled mess.

sick & dark & completely loveable.

fern and wally/rocco 🥺 please. i loved them so much and i only wanted good for them. i wanted them to find their way, to find themselves and each other through the mess.

i wasn’t sure what i should be looking for or what to expect at the beginning, i wasn’t sure who’s account was true and who’s was false. but about halfway through i started getting suspicious, and i’d say i knew what to expect...to a certain extent.

sisters do anything for each other don’t they? they protect them and guide them, they are a support system for one another. but how much is too much? where does one like end and the other begin?

I enjoyed reading this book! Sally has a knack for developing strong characters and a super suspenseful plot,

This is the first book by Sally Hepworth that I have read. He Good sister is the story of twin sisters, Fern and Rose, who could not be more different. Rose is married, has a career and is aching to have a child. Fern suffers from sensory processing disorder. All types of stimuli - light, sound touch -are overbearing and stressful to her to the point of causing occasional meltdowns. Fern works in the local library, which she loves. This is her world, her space where she fits.
One day Fern offers a toiletry kit to a man who she assumes to be homeless. Wally lives in a van, by choice, and has some complicated emotional issues of his own. A friendship begins.
Rose is very protective of her sister, who she see as vulnerable to the outside world. She reinforces her belief by constantly reminding Fern of her limitations and telling her how she was the one to protect Fern from their horrible mother and her boyfriends during their childhood. Rose has also kept a terrible secret of something Fern did when they were 12. Rose has always been such a good sister.
I enjoyed the portions of the book that took me into the world of Fern and Wally. Their proclivities were well written without being overly dramatic. It was a clumsy, loving space that they lived in. I could also feel the stress in the sections from Rose’s diary. Each character was well written, but I felt not fully developed.
It was quite obvious where the story was leading from early on in the book. The fun in reading the story was in seeing how the author would take us there. I wish the Author had not shown her hand so early, it would have made a pleasant ride more exciting.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of The Good Sister in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of The Good Sister. The opinions in my review are entirely my own and not influenced by receiving this book.

Fern is sweet and quirky, and Rose is the good responsible one. Rose, like a good sister, is there to always protect Fern and rescue her whenever her when she is overwhelmed by life. But when Fern falls in love, the reality Rose has created is threatened.

Sally Hepworth portrays a diabolical love-you hate-you relationship between two twin sisters. The writing flows across the pages, capturing two sides of a sisterly bond that's both loving and hurting. Trust also plays large in this sibling relationship.

While I found the story a little slow to develop at first, it revs into high gear thereafter that will keep you reading well into the night. The characters are well developed, and how the story unfolds between Fern and Rose's diary entries works well. I found Hepworth's inspiration for the story intriguing and unique - well done!

I am adding Sally Hepworth to my list of “automatic buy“ authors. She captures the reader from the first page in her latest book, The Good Sister. She captures the emotions and characteristics of the sisters so perfectly. Her research is spot-on.

The Good Sister is a highly entertaining, psychological thriller/domestic drama about twin sisters, and the lengths one sister will go to get what she desires, even if it means costing her twin her sanity.

This is the second book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth and it’s phenomenal. Fern is a very interesting character. As a librarian, I loved the fact that she was one. She is very detail oriented due to being on the spectrum, which makes her good at her job. My favorite line in the book has to be, "taking a child to the library is the very best education you can give a child".

It seems like Rose is the protector of Fern from their physically and emotionally abusive mother (she would take all the blame for anything done wrong to protect Fern), but as readers go through the book, and read both sides of stories, we start to wonder if Rose is who we think she is. Is she really a caring and protective sister, or is there something more sinister, controlling and manipulative about her?

My favorite chapters were those spent in the present day with Fern and Rocco (called “Wally” by Fern due to his resemblance to Where’s Wally). I enjoyed how the reader found out that Wally was a bit like Fern (he also doesn't like to be touched). I loved Wally and Ferns date at the restaurant. He really knows her and tries to do whatever he can to make her more comfortable (headphones, goggles, unscented flowers). He is very considerate and perceptive. He has bad feelings he about Rose and how much she controls Fern’s life saying "Something's not right about her. She doesn't know where she ends and you begin. She thinks you belong to her". Once Fern becomes closer with Wally, Rose feels like Fern isn’t paying enough attention to her and seems to go out of her way to make Fern uncomfortable. Rose says she’s concerned about Fern, but it seems like she’s trying to keep her hold on Fern.

Overall, I loved the twisty, riveting story and the well-crafted characters. Fern and Wally stole my heart! Sally Hepworth is a wonderful thriller author and I can't wait to read more from her. I can recommend this book to anyone who enjoys drama, mystery and family relationships.

I love reading twisty psychological thrillers, and even more so when they involve family. In The Good Sister, author Sally Hepworth has offered just this, along with interesting characters and a dash of mystery thrown in. As I got deeper into the story, I found myself rooting firmly for one particular sister over another, yet I still wanted to see how the story arc played out and learn more about the why's of each character. I did, unfortunately, figure out some of the twists earlier than I liked (thus the 4 stars), but still recommend this book for fans in the genre.

I must bite my tongue on some of what I want to say about this page turner of a novel so as to not spoil the story for others. I will say that what really loved so was the author’s dive into the personalitys of her characters. I was pretty sure that, from nearly the beginning, I had a handle on the direction of the story but my immersion in those characters kept me engrossed in this thriller to the very last page. As one of those characters might have changed her comment at the end with “Sally Hepworth can spin a good tale”.

I had a great time reading this book and had a hard time putting it down. This was my first book by Sally Hepworth and I will be seeking out more! This is a highly entertaining psychological thriller about two twin sisters and their relationship. I loved the characters and the two different views. Pick this one up when it releases you won’t regret it!

3.5 stars !! It was good but was starting to lose me about half way through. I knew there would be a twist and it does not disappoint. It really picked up for me in the last 25 percent. I really liked Ferns character and her relationship with “Wally”. I was team Fern all the way. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher did the ARC