In this dramatic gothic novel set in early twentieth century England and New York City, readers follow mirror twins Adelaide and Victoria, complete opposites and totally inseparable. Adelaide, dutiful and reserved, has no desire to leave her childhood home of Harewood Hall in the English countryside, while Victoria wants to explore the world and have a great romance. However, Lord Stanley and his talk of a luxurious life drive the sisters apart, marrying an unwilling Adelaide and an angry Victoria, and the gilded Fifth Avenue cage becomes more dangerous as Adelaide discovers a life of her own that is everything that Victoria wanted. Only increasing in intensity and drama as the novel unfolds, readers are in store for a dark and twisted romance and sisterly relationship. The two sisters are excellently written and more complex than they appear, which really adds to the interpersonal tension and drama in this gripping and intense novel. The characters are the star of the novel, but the glitz of New York City and the quiet of Harewood Hall are perfect backgrounds for the characters’ development and indicative of the emotional state of the novel. Gothic and dramatic, this is hard to put down and emotionally intense, so readers should be ready for an emotional rollercoaster of a book.

I have a huge obsession with books that are gothic, historical fiction/ non-fiction especially surrounding sister dynamics. Historical fiction/non-fiction is my absolute favorite genre of all time, followed by psychological thrillers, true crime and fantasy.

Remarkable! I found myself thoroughly engrossed. Analyzing the varying perspectives on women within British and American cultures uncovers intricate dynamics, reminiscent of the often-complex relationships observed among siblings, particularly twins. The pacing of the novel was impeccable. For those who enjoy a touch of romance, it is present. If mystery is your preference, it is also well represented. Perhaps you seek a psychological thriller; once again, January Gilchrist delivers. Adelaide and Victoria are mirror twins, each serving as the other's reflection. Adelaide is introspective, satisfied with a life of solitude and gardening. In contrast, Victoria yearns for social engagement, desiring admiration and attention. Ironically, it is Adelaide who captures the interest of a Lord relocating to America, while Victoria remains as the unmarried sister, overshadowed and inconsequential.


I love how the author beautifully mastered a historical fiction book that divulges into the bonds of sisterhood, bonds, betrayal, although it is not the big Gothic experience I expected, however it makes up for it with the hint of romance, loss and the resilience one goes through.

A story about two sisters who live in perfect harmony with one another, that is until one day. As tensions rise they have to determine what is the most important aspect of their relationship.

I love gothic stories, but this one was a bit of a miss for me.

For readers seeking genuine gothic suspense or a nuanced portrayal of sisterly rivalry, this novel unfortunately falls short on both counts. What remains is a beautifully rendered historical backdrop populated by forgettable characters in a story that never quite finds its purpose or direction. If you aren't looking for a gothic story, but would enjoy a story more about a the complex relationship of sisters, this will be the perfect read for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

An unsettling read about twin sisters Adelaide and Victoria who are locked together against their will. Born into comfort in the UK, they move to the US when Adelaide marries Lord Stanley. Adelaide had always been the quieter twin with Victoria the more outgoing but now Adelaide is blossoming. There's envy, resentment, and bad things. No spoilers from me but know that this is a twisty and satisfying tale that was more than. expected. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

My Sister's Shadow by January Gilchrist is a gothic thriller about twin sisters, set in 1904 in England and New York.

My Sister's Shadow is told from the perspective of Adelaide, a quiet, introverted, and somewhat socially awkward young woman with an identical mirror twin, Victoria, who in personality appears to be the total opposite. The story opens at their home in England and very shortly it is clear that although they come from a privileged family, there are strange dynamics going on within the family, and most especially, between the sisters.

I found the story to be a bit of a mixture. It started out rather slow with a hint of gothic mystery at their home, Harewood House in England, but then turned rather ordinary for a good portion of the novel as the sisters travelled to New York, and Adelaide was introduced to the social scene there. Then it suddenly took a melodramatic turn back to gothic, suspense for the final portion of the novel.

I really enjoyed the book but for the middle portion, I really wondered what was going on, and if the description of the book was accurate. I'll be honest, it was a bit boring. I think the book would have benefitted from the point of view being split between Adelaide and Victoria, as we lost sight of Victoria for a large portion of the novel, and it would have been interesting to see her actions, and understand what was going on in her head throughout a lot of the story.

I also felt like Adelaide's husband was superfluous to the story. Other than as a way to get the girls to New York, and an authority figure in one of the plot points near the end of the novel, he was barely present and I wondered why he was ever even introduced. I think his actions later in the novel would have seemed more believable if he had been more present throughout. Yes, we heard that he had done a few questionable, abusive things, but those instances were almost brushed off and seemed unimportant to the story the way they were presented.

I did find the third part of the story a bit over the top, but at the same time, it makes one wonder about the past, and how many women were gaslighted into similar circumstances in reality. I know my comments here are vague, but I don't want to give away any important points of the plot and ruin the story.

In all I enjoyed the story, and I do recommend it, but I can't think of any books I have read that I can compare it to for other readers. You'll just have to take a chance on it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Adelaide and Victoria are mirror twins, each other's reflection. Adelaide is introverted, content to stay at home forever and play in the garden. Victoria longs for society, to be admired and noticed. And yet it's Adelaide who is chosen by a Lord who is moving to America, and Victoria is the one who tags along as the unmarried sister, insignificant.

Unfortunately, I didn't much like this book. In the first half of the book, Adelaide was so boring she made me want to cry. Yes, I get that she's shy and nervous, but there's nothing interesting in a character who stares numbly at people who speak to her. The second half was more interesting in a way, but very depressing - I'm not a big fan of asylum scenes.

The only part I really liked was the ending. The twist was kind of expected, but I felt it was wrapped up nicely. Wiffy is also a great character, I liked how she was truly Adelaide's friend and supported her in this world of men.

Thanks to netgalley for providing this advanced copy for the purpose of review.
This was a dark gothic read. I haven't read much of this genre so I was interested to see how I found it. I found it to be a solid read and it was sufficiently atmospheric with plenty of twists and turns. I did find it a little slow to start but it did build up the pace.

A twisty and heartfelt gothic suspense novel. Character development was very well done. It was a slow burn, but picked up the pace in the second part.

This was the epitome of gothic suspense. From page one both sisters had such strong, distinct personalities that made them feel like real people. Adelaide was flawed but still understandable, and following along on her journey — internally and externally — was a twisty pleasure. Victoria was easy to resent and distrust, but it was still easy to understand the bond and love between the sisters and to feel the tension as it stretched, a testament to the author’s writing.

I really enjoyed this book! I was so invested with the plot and Adelaide’s plight, I devoured this book as fast as I could.

The characters had such big personalities and were well written. This story kept me riveted, I found myself on the edge of my seat while reading and I felt the characters feelings as if they were my own. This book was well paced and kept me interested until the very end.

I am happy that Adelaide got her HEA which she so desperately needed and deserved!

This was a great read!

I managed to read My Sister's Shadow in a couple hours because I had to know what was going to happen! I really enjoyed Adelaide's sweet nature and I hated Victoria from the beginning! If you want a quick, easy read this is perfect! It really got me pumped for 2025 reading!

If you want more about women's rights and asylums in this time period, I highly recommend checking out The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore. It's a long one but you'll find a new hero in Elizabeth Packard.

Thank you to NetGalley, January Gilchrist, and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read My Sister's Shadow. I have written this review voluntarily and honestly.

First of all, I want to thank January Gilchrist, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
That’s my honest opinion.

Presented as a gothic suspense, unfortunately My Sister's Shadow doesn't live up to expectations. We don’t have a paychological thriller, but a story of envy between sisters, with a touch of romance in between. I appreciated the historical reconstruction, but the plot and characters are too weak. Everything is quite predictable and the first half of the book is too slow. A missed opportunity.

I'm a bit torn on the rating for this one. While it was atmospheric and descriptive, I liked the story as a whole about two beautiful twin sisters, one good and one essentially evil, but the plot at times felt a bit melodramatic especially when a romance blossoms between two of the main characters. I also wished that while one of the twins perspective was voiced throughout the storyline that it would have been insightful to hear the other twin's reasoning as to what made her tick and perhaps shed light on her deeds. Still enjoyable and worthwhile.

Thank you to author January Gilchrist and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I asked to read this book because I loved the cover, and I'm interested in historical fiction books with sisters! This one didn't disappoint!
This book starts out with adult twin sisters still living with their father. They each want different things in life, but their dreams seem within their grasp despite their father isn't very caring towards them. But never would I have expected the outcome of the second half of the book!
I felt like the writing wasn't completely consistent throughout. At times you had beautifully descriptive imagery, Victorian style writing, but then it would slip into a more modern writing. Sometimes I couldn't figure out if we had jumped time in the story or who exactly it was talking about. But there definitely was personalities put into the characters to make you love and hate them!
** If you're looking for a gothic tale with various levels of love and hate, this book will have you turning pages to find out how it ends. Nothing overly graphic, but would recommend for high school or older due to certain content.
*** Cautionary content: uncaring father, deceased mother, art with nudity, adultery, attempted suicide/murder, gambling, mental health, descriptions of the harshness of asylums at that time, implications of sex, trying to get pregnant and periods,

This was a dark gothic suspense novel. I read a little of it and decided it wasn’t for me. You might want to try it if you like those type of stories.

I uploaded my review to Goodreads. I will upload it to Amazon on release day.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and January Gilchrist for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for My Sister's Shadow coming out March 18, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I believe this is a debut novel. I really love gothic stories and the early 1900s time period was intriguing to me. Twin stories are really interesting and I love the evil twin trope. However, there were aspects of the story that were a little slow and didn’t hold my attention as much. The characters weren’t very likable. I thought the ending wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for. I would check out other books by this author.

This book starts out pretty mellow. It is 1904 and Victoria and Adelaide lead a highly privileged life in Gloucester, UK. Despite being twins, the women are total opposites, Victoria bold and daring, Adelaide calm and reserved. Life takes them to New York and from there to Newport's high society. Up to this point the story is plain sailing, general fiction. But that's about to change.
An unexpected twist turns their world upside down. Darkness descends and goth takes over. Who can be trusted? The second half of this book had me on the edge of my seat, not able to put it down. Well crafted and fast paced to arrive at a grand finale. What a story!

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

My Sister's Shadow, is gothic tale of English twin sisters thrown into society in Gilded Age New York, one against her will, one in her element. Their story touches on the insular world of New York and Newport Society and how relationships are not always what they seem. An intriguing thriller with a final satisfying twist, this book is sure to please readers of historical fiction of Gilded Age New York.

My Sister's Shadow: A Novel by January Gilchrist

Victoria and Adelaide, twins, are the subject of January Gilchrist's captivating book. The period of 1904 in England is significantly different. Women were often regarded as mere pawns in the games of the aristocracy, relegated to a position of subservience to the influential men who dominated their lives. Their father's decision to invite a wealthy businessman, Lord Stanley, to their home, Harewood Hall, in an attempt to ascend the societal hierarchy has a life-changing impact on the family. Adelaide, a gentle and accommodating woman, and Victoria, a dynamic and assertive presence, are poised to captivate Lord Stanley with their entertaining charm. Lord Stanley's unconventional decision astounds both women, and we watch as a tale of deceit and lies is revealed. In an attempt to network with high society socialites and raise funds for his ideal horse track, Stanley relocates them to New York. After arriving in America, the genuine aspirations of all parties start to emerge, and the cracks in their facade begin to form. The reader is prompted to enquire, "Who is loyal to who?"

Amazing! I was just captivated. Examining the differences in attitudes towards women in British and American societies reveals complexities like the challenging dynamics often seen between siblings, particularly twins. The novel's pace was spot-on. If you like a bit of romance, it has that. If you prefer a mystery, we have you covered. Perhaps a bit of a psychological thriller is what you are after; again, January Gilchrist has you covered.

I went into this read with an open mind. Historical fiction isn't my favorite genre, perhaps not even in my top three. However, after I read this novel, I may need to recalibrate my thinking. Did I mention the ending? True perfection, and I smiled from ear to ear.
I am giving this 5 out of 5 stars. Strongly Recommended!

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books for the ARC through Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion.