Fern has always relied on her twin sister, Rose, to help her navigate certain things in life; she tends to miss social cues that seem obvious to everyone else, and she has a hard time being in places that are noisy and bright. Rose has always known she has to be there for Fern. One particular incident in their childhood made that clear.

Now Rose is longing for a baby, but her chances of getting pregnant are pretty low. Fern has never considered the possibility of having a baby to raise herself — it’s just not wise, given her obvious limitations — so she comes up with the idea of having a baby for her sister. She just needs to find someone who can be the father, since Rose’s husband is working far away for the year.

As Fern goes about her plan, it sets in motion a lot of changes in her structured and predictable, though satisfying, life. And it brings to light some of the dark issues from the two sisters’ past, with the possibility for danger right in the here and now.

I enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s The Mother-in-Law, and I was in the mood for some suspense, so this worked well. Both books delve deeply into the complexity of family relationships; here, it shows how close two sisters are and how much they rely on each other and love each other, even as there are elements of competition, anger, frustration and misunderstanding. Then the author adds in some uncertainty about motives, about where the truth lies, about what may happen. It’s a satisfying mix.

Bonus: it’s refreshing to read a book that is written in large part in the voice of a character who is likely in the autism spectrum.

I have been a fan of Sally Hepworth since her very first book. When I saw that she had written a new book I knew that I just had to read it. The Good Sister lived up to all my expectations and maybe even surpassed some. I was not disappointed in any way and found myself engaged and voraciously turning the pages to keep reading. There was suspense, complicated family interactions, manipulation, quirky conversations and actions, misunderstandings, blind trust, and various multi-layered feelings of love. I found myself comparing The Good Sister to Eleanor Oliphant, which was another favorite book of mine, especially in the beginning. The Good Sister was a book that will appeal to a large audience. If you haven't already done so, add this book to your TBR list.

The Good Sister was about the complex relationship of fraternal twin sisters, Rose Ingrid Castle and Fern Elizabeth Castle. They were brought up by their mother who was quite controlling and rarely showed tendencies of motherly love. The sisters could never anticipate which version of their mother would be present. Their story was told in alternating platforms. The parts of their story from growing up was told from journal entries Rose had written. The present day version of their everyday life was told from Fern's perspective. Rose and Fern, although twins, could not have been more different from one another. Physically, Rose was short and Fern was tall. Their personalities were even more dissimilar. Although Rose and Fern were both adults, Rose continued to feel responsible for Fern's well- being. Fern had sensory issues and had difficulty understanding and responding appropriately to social cues. Loud noises and bright lights made Fern uncomfortable. She felt uncomfortable in crowds and hated to be touched. Fern liked when she had time to plan things. She thrived on routines and structure. Fern suffered from Asperger's. A long time ago, when Fern and Rose were younger, Fern did something very bad and since then Rose always felt it was her job to look after Fern. Fern came to be dependent on Rose whenever there was a crisis in her life. No one could calm Fern down as well as Rose when she became overstimulated. Fern depended on Rose and Rose felt an obligation to watch over her twin sister and keep her safe. Although Rose was married, Fern had dinner with Rose three times a week on the same days each week. They lived only blocks away from each other. Rose was an interior decorator and Fern was a librarian.

One day, a man came into the library while Fern was working. He appeared to be a "homeless" man who wanted to use the shower. The library housed a shower that anyone could use. Fern initiated a conversation with this "homeless" man who she insisted on calling Wally even though his real name was Rocco. Wally continued to come into the library and one day Fern had a brilliant idea. Fern had recently learned that her sister Rose was trying to have a baby but because of complications was having trouble getting pregnant. Fern decided that she would meet someone and get pregnant and give the baby to her sister. When she met Wally, her plan started to take shape. Wally would be the one to make Fern pregnant. She asked Wally on a date but the date went much better than Fern had anticipated. Wally and Fern discovered that they had a lot in common. Fern started to look forward to seeing Wally and spending time with him. Wally understood Fern. They were good for each other.

When Fern discovered that she was pregnant with Wally's baby Rose was elated. She convinced Fern to break up with Wally and not tell him about the baby. Rose even built a small "dollhouse" on her property for Fern to live in. She encouraged Fern to give up her apartment and come live with her. Fern believed that this action of having a baby for her sister was what a "good sister" should do. Rose became more and more domineering and controlling as the pregnancy advanced. Will secrets from their past influence how their future will play out?

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth was a heartfelt, warm and funny story with lots of twists and a little touch of meanness along the way. Fern and Wally's relationship found a warm spot in my heart. The character development was brilliant, especially Fern's. The ending was very unexpected. It was so hard to put this book down. I highly recommend it.

Many thanks to St. Martin;s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this digital ARC of The Good Sister. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Good Sister is a mystery/thriller about twin sisters who rely on each other, perhaps a little too much. When Rose can't get pregnant, Fern decides to have a baby for Rose. However, many secrets end up being exposed, and things end differently than expected. I enjoyed this latest Hepworth book and would recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

HOLY SMOKES! I haven’t sat and read a book cover to cover in a while! Sally Hepworth is a genius. I was immediately drawn in to the story and invested in the characters! And did not see the turn of events. Oh, so good!!

Sally Hepworth gets better with every book! Loved loved loved this story. In fact, once I got into it, a perfectly good day was gone because I literally could not put it down. I adored Fern and Wally, and the library staff and setting was perfect. I cannot wait to recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Good Sister is told from the perspective of two sisters. Fraternal twins, Fern and Rose who are very different. Rose is short and Fern is tall, Rose has no sensory issues, Fern does, Rose is diabetic and Fern is not. Despite all differences they share a strong bond and a secret sister language. After many hardships in life, Rose takes a guardian role over her sister but at what cost?

For me this book was a slow burn picking up at about the 50% mark. I was intrigued from the start but just not sure what direction it was going to take. Once I started to piece it together, I was hooked and could not put it down

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an e-copy of this book for my review. A wonderful read that I am so glad I stuck with. I thought the book was going to be about the interactions of two sisters as they deal with the infertility of one of the sisters. The novel starts with some quite sad scenes of the sister's childhood and I was afraid it would just be sad. But the book was so much more than my expectations. For one thing the book has elements of both a psychological thriller and a love story. The “quirkinesses” of one of the sisters, Fern, was well written as we learn about the sensory issues that cause Fern's quirkinesses. You really root for her happiness. The book is written in alternating voices of the sisters but did not seem choppy. I have read most of Sally Hepworth's novels and really enjoy her as a writer.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found Sally Hepworth while on vacation one year and since then have read every book she has published! Some I like, some I love but they never disappoint.

"The Good Sister" is a "like a lot". The telling of the story from the two sister's different points of view was one I really liked particularly when you hear the story from each one - just a little differently - because whose sibling doesn't tell a family story "just a little differently".

I loved the surrounding characters who were also "family" and tried to see the story through their eyes and gain a different perspective than Fern and Rose.

It's a quick read but I did find myself - turning back to re read parts because something didn't seem to "hang together". If you haven't read Sally Hepworth - this is a great book to get started with - if you have read her - you won't be disappointed with her newest addition!

This was my first time reading a Sally Hepworth book and I definitely plan to add The Mother-In-Law to my must-read list as well. I really liked the alternating storylines between the two sisters and this book was a slow burn that didn’t disappoint. Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy!

I'm a new fan of Sally Hepworth and this book did not disappoint! I enjoyed the alternating story lines and the gradual reveal of the truth. I will definitely be recommending this book to patrons.

Absolutely superb! Another hit novel from Sally Hepworth. The story flowed perfectly, kept my attention, and made me just devour it!

This thrilker is superb. You will want to devour it in a single sitting. Fern works in a library and relies heavily on her twin sister Rose. They have dinner three times a week. Fern defers to Rose on most things. Rose is neurotypical while Fern appears to have something like Asbergers. The writer explires Fern's issues with great sympathy and understanding. Everything changes when Rose goes away and leaves Fern to look after her dog. Suddenly, Fern starts to view herself more as a person in her own right. She clicks with an interesting man who lives in a campervan. Interspersed with the story are excerpts from Rose's diary. They hint at a terrible childhood and a tragic event that ruined lives. It would be unfair to say anything else except: read it!

A huge Thank you to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press, and Netgalley for an ARC of this incredible book in exchange for an honest review. All I can say is if you love Sally Hepworths previous books you will enjoy this one too. I loved both characters Rose and Fern and everything in this book. Make this your next read you won't be disappointed!!

Another thriller I couldn’t put down! The writer has such a style that you start and can’t stop thinking about it until you’re done. The more I reAd, I began to really wonder if rose was as she said and same for fern.

I loved this book, I was hooked from the start. It tells the story of twin sisters who are very entangled in each others’ lives as adults. There are different POVs, and the book has some flashbacks. What I always enjoy about Ms. Hepworth’s novels is how she writes such rich and compelling characters. I wanted to keep reading, or to have another novel featuring this family, because I got invested and need to know what happens next!

Rec ARC from publisher
I have read ALL of her books, all good reads, excited to see this one even more that I got to read.

Journal started to process trauma runs deep
Sisters run deep
Libraries are important! Librarians job- "frontline soldier in war against illiteracy and lack of imagination."

Good Read! I could not stop reading

This was a nice surprise! I have never read anything by Sally Hepworth so I wasn’t sure how this book was going to go but I loved it. It was well written, fast paced, and intriguing. It’s told from Fern’s POV and alternates with her twin sister’s journal entries which I liked. I truly enjoyed reading it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twenty eight year olds, Fern and Rose, lead completely opposite lives. Rose is married and has recently discovered that she’s unable to have a child. Fern lives alone and has a set routine. Due to Fern’s disability, Rose has always been Fern’s protector. When Fern realizes Rose’s problem with fertility and after careful research, she decides she wants to have a baby to give to Rose.
Once Fern becomes pregnant she begins to see a different side of Rose. Their mother is in a nursing home after suffering from an overdose when they were twelve. She can’t communicate well but she is able to tell Fern not to give her baby to Rose. While Fern struggles to figure out what to do, her sister may not even give her the choice.

This book has a little comedy, romance, drama, and a whole bunch of twists!

Let me start by saying that Sally Hepworth has recently joined the list of my top-5 favorite authors ever!! I absolutely LOVE her intricate and complex writing style and the way she weaves tiny hints into the storyline that somehow seem to perfectly come together in a highly satisfying ending! For me, this book took an entirely different journey. Initially, I wasn’t drawn to any of the characters and feared the worst. But then, the mystery began and things really took off. Hints and clues here and there, plus a few twists, and by the 50% mark things really were brewing! I was hooked. I enjoyed the alternating chapters between sisters, seeing their differing viewpoints throughout the story. Unfortunately. the ending fell a little flat for me. Without giving away any spoilers, I’ll only say that I figured a few things out prior to the events unfolding. This is always a slightly disappointing feeling because I love the utter shock I feel when the secrets are finally revealed. Either way, this was a super-engaging and mysterious story that delves into just how strong a bond between sisters can be.

This was an interesting book that has plenty of twists and turns. There were a few that I guessed easily, as I've read a lot of books with the same type of plot, but there were some that I didn't see coming. I fell in love with the main character and her love interest and I was very interested to see what would happen to them.

Sally Hepworth os a genius storyteller. HerStories are rivetIng and characters devious yet some a likeable.
I read this in one day. Just couldn’t wait to turn each page tocsee what Fern and Rose were going to do next .
A lot of mind games in this one.