Favourite Daughter

Morgan Dick

It’s most likely that I’m the wrong demographic for this novel but unfortunately it just didn’t grab my attention enough and I found myself skimming through it.

The story of two women, each with their own issues who unknowingly share the same father…..and lawyer….who are going through a journey of discovery after their dad’s death. Good read with well written characters

I think the premise of ‘Favourite Daughter’ by Morgan Dick is one that will be lapped up by a lot of avid readers – it was certainly what drew me in when I read the blurb for the book.
The novel follows Mickey, who is left a huge inheritance by her dead, and previously estranged, father; meanwhile, Arlo is reeling because her father left her nothing in his will. They are, of course, mourning (or not, as the case may be) the loss of the same man.
Mickey has some problems – she’s a chaotic loaner who has a drinking problem but she lives for her career as a teacher. Arlo is a psychologist also working through some professional challenges and trying to come to terms with the feeling of rejection after nursing her father through his illness.
Neither woman meets until Mickey, in order to access her inheritance, has to complete seven sessions of therapy with, you guessed it, Arlo.
What follows is a deft exploration of how we perceive moments of our past and how we view the people around us, not to mention the idea of taking stock of how people influence us and whether we can ever really be objective about relationships with family.
This was a compulsive read and, not to give too much away, I did fear that one or two plot points would ruin the dynamic created but it was developed so well as to feel entirely natural, despite the unlikelihood of the premise.
To me, it felt a little like a mashup of ‘Big Swiss’ and ‘My Year of Rest and Relaxation’ – one of which I loved and the other not so much. But, it seems, that combining the two together is a good way of striking gold.

My thanks to Penguin, via NetGalley, for an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Two strangers, brought together by their father’s death…Mikey, a troubled school teacher who hasn’t seen her father in many years after he left home for a new family, and Arlo, an entitled therapist, grieving the death of the father she adored.

This book was so easy to read, and was an absolute page turner. The plot was original and quirky, nothing complicated to follow, and it moved quickly.

I didn’t particularly like either daughter, but I was invested in their story lines and associated characters, and so wanted them to get the help they needed and was rooting for a happy ending (quite unusual for me!!!).

Although light-hearted in style, some difficult topics are covered and I will include trigger warnings at the end of the review.

I loved this book, highly recommend and strongly feel that it’s a film waiting to happen. I would like to thank netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this advanced copy book.

Trigger warnings: addiction - including alcohol, suicidal references

All Mickey wants is to teach her beloved kindergarten students and be left alone. Her only friend is her humourless neighbour, Daria, and she congratulates herself for holding out till her bus ride home from work before she has her first drink, but she tells herself that she's perfectly fine. Then two events happen which threaten her carefully constructed reality: she crosses a boundary at work and finds out that her father, who walked out when she was a child, has died and left her a substantial amount of money - on the condition that she attends seven sessions of therapy.

Arlo is a successful, respected psychologist with a nice car and a spacious apartment. She may have a broken marriage behind her at the age of twenty-five, and no life to speak of outside of work, but at least she knows that her father adores her. Until he succumbs to liver disease and she finds out that he cut her out of his will just before he died and left 5.5 million dollars to the daughter he last saw more than 25 years ago.

The contrived plot of a dying man, suddenly stricken with guilt over a lifetime of addiction and abuse, is what finally brings the half-sisters into each other's lives for the first time. At first, each is unaware of the other's true identity - both women go by unlikely diminutives of their first names and different last names - but it is inevitable that they will eventually come to see their situation for what it is, with far-reaching consequences.

Mickey's characterisation is an important reminder that addiction can take many guises. She has the kind of wholesome job that most people would never associate with alcoholism, and her groomed appearance belies her internal struggles. She wears her heart on her sleeve when it comes to her estranged father; she is well aware that her self-destructive behaviour stems from his abandonment and her denial of her worst impulses is a refusal to recognise their shared traits.

This stands in interesting contrast to Arlo, who tells herself that he was the perfect father to her, the daughter he chose. It is only as his death slowly begins to sink in (along with the news that he has disinherited her), that Arlo is forced to confront his many failings, and the reader realises that she has been just as damaged by his role in her life as Mickey. If Arlo is to help Mickey process her relationship with her father and its impact on her life, she will have to first reckon with her own history.

The blurb describes this book as 'darkly funny', but, while it has its humorous moments, I found the subject matter too sad to be very amusing. As well as the threads of grief, loneliness and addiction which run throughout the novel, author Morgan Dick references suicide, child abandonment and domestic abuse, so approach with caution if these are issues you find difficult to read about. I found the examination of boundaries - both professional and personal - especially thought-provoking.

Though the starting point for the story is the women’s contrasting relationships with their shared father, Dick pays careful attention to their relationships with their mothers - both fraught in very different ways - and with each other, as well as those around them. I was particularly impressed by how Dick explores the question of whether most people are inherently good (as Arlo insists) or bad (as Mickey maintains). She does this through not only the two protagonists, who are both flawed but sympathetic, but also their father and an assortment of well-drawn secondary characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin General UK for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This debut novel is a darkly comedic and emotionally rich debut about two estranged half-sisters, Mickey and Arlo, who are unknowingly brought together by their late, manipulative father's will. The novel's strength lies in its flawed yet deeply authentic characters and its unflinching exploration of grief, addiction, and the complex bonds of family. With sharp wit and a compelling dual perspective, Dick crafts a story that is both heartbreaking and hopeful, leaving a lasting impression. Fans of Liane Moriarty and Sally Hepworth will find this an engrossing and thought-provoking read.

I often enjoy tumultuous family relationships in books, but this one did not work for me.

I read the first chapter of both sisters, but sadly this just didn't work. I didn't enjoy either of the sisters.

LOVED THIS!!
The story laces tough themes like grief, alcoholism, and child abandonment with a lot of sensitivity and understanding. I will often think of this book!
This is an incredible debut, and I look forward to reading more of their work!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this arc!

This book is very thought provoking and quite an emotive read that I found somewhat compelling. It revolves around loss and grief. It’s also about complex relationships within the family dynamics and explores the family issues how these evolve throughout the book.
It would be a book I would recommend and I will seek out further books from the author.
Many thanks to both the author and netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange of an honest review..

Favourite Daughter was a slow burner for me, at first I didn't fully engage with the characters. But as the writer allowed us a deeper insight into Mickey and Arlo I became fully invested in their stories.

Mickey is a kindergarten teacher and this is her passion. She can say without hubris that she is truly great at her job. Unfortunately she is also an alcoholic and a well-meaning decision leads to her suspension. This coincides with the news that her absent father has left her a huge fortune in his will, but with conditions. She must attend therapy with a specified therapist.

Arlo is a therapist struggling with grief and guilt over a previous patient.

There is a connection between these two women that only one of them becomes aware of. In working together many unhealed wounds will be forced to the surface.

I can always tell when a writer is speaking from a place of personal knowledge. It lends an authenticity to the story that can never be faked. And when you also have those same struggles it makes you feel seen. This is what good writing can do. Make you feel less alone. Give you hope and courage when it is failing.

There is a lot of messy feelings and deep despair in this book. But there is also determination and reconciliation. Forgiveness and a reason to be optimistic.

An engaging and compassionate story about being brave enough to face your past and climb out of the depths of addiction and denial.

You know this book is not what I expected. I resonated a lot to the themes and descriptions in this book more than I was expecting too. I told quite a few people to read this and they enjoyed it just as much. Will read again !

A gripping family drama that pulls at the heartstrings and keeps you turning pages. Dick explores secrets, love, and the complexities of sibling bonds with a sharp, emotional touch. A compelling read that’s both heartfelt and thought-provoking, definitely worth a cosy afternoon.

#FavouriteDaughter #MorganDick #FourStarReads #FamilyDrama #EmotionalReads #BookstagramUK #PageTurner

I really enjoyed this funny yet touching story following Mickey who has to attend therapy in order to receive her inheritance from her late father’s will. Unbeknown to her and her therapist, they are half sisters. A touching tale that is all about love, family and grief.

It has taken me a while to get around to writing a review of Favourite Daughter, not because I didn't enjoy it but possibly because it's not a book I'd get overly excited about. It was a perfectly decent read but perhaps with too similar a vibe to other books I've read in the last year or so. I'm thinking in particular of [book:I Hope This Finds You Well|200987323] and [book:Margo's Got Money Troubles|199534613], sort of offbeat humour, dysfunctional relationships, woman in her 20s muddling through emotional turmoil.

In this instance, it's Mickey, who has been left a five million dollar inheritance by her estranged father but only on the condition that she attend a certain number of therapy sessions with a prescribed therapist called Arlo, who happens to be the loving daughter of the same father. Cue emotional drama and chaos.

The novel is tender, funny and warm and very enjoyable, even if it didn't set my world on fire. 3.5/5 stars

*Many thanks to the publisher Penguin Fig Tree for the advance e-copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Favourite Daughter was published in May.

I really enjoyed reading about Mickey and Arlo and uncovering more about how their joint father had affected them both in different Satanist to the same degree even without him being there anymore. A very insightful look at mental health and addiction including how people can struggle to stay sober .

Well-written and pacy novel. It kept my interest despite a fairly implausible plot and unlikeable protagonist.. I would definitely another novel by this writer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This felt like a plot that could belong in Succession - a rich father tries to exert control over his daughters from beyond the grave, and despite this manipulation being completely inappropriate, both daughters inevitably learn something in the end. But that would be doing down the emotional complexity of this novel, which I did really enjoy. Mickey and Arlo are both realistic characters and you can see the reasoning behind every decision they make, even when they are decidedly dodgy.

Mickey and Arlo share a dad but not a life. Mickeys dad, an alcoholic, pops to the shop and never returns, instead he creates a new life with another daughter, Arlo. Fast forward many years and after a long and painful illness, being cared for by Arlo he passes away. Here begins chaos, he leaves the inheritance destined for Arlo to the daughter he left many years previously, with conditions. Are either of these girls going to recover from the destruction he caused in their lives?

This was a very different book to what I usually read but I found myself really enjoying it. For me it was very thought provoking, being someone who lost contact with her dad many years ago it’s made me think how I will react when I get that message he has gone.
I really enjoyed this story and getting to know both Arlo and Mickey and related to them both in different ways, they were both developed in a way that you couldn’t help caring for them.
I feel the complicated relationships in this story was handled with great care. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading and what’s something a little different.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for offering this ARC in exchange for my personal thoughts.

I’ve read quite a few books and seen TV series based on the concept of two siblings getting to know each other after their father‘s death. I enjoyed the way this novel’s story was set up one sister estranged from her father learns with his death from his lawyer who announces that she will inherit his entire fortune of £5 million if she attends six counselling sessions with a psychologist of his choice. Of course, the psychologist of his choice turns out to be his other daughter from his second family after he leaves his first marriage under the influence of alcoholism

The author has a clean clear easily read flowing writing style which made the novel a pleasure to read. The novel clip along a day Joan T pace and had my attention right from the start. I read it in one sitting.

The author has the ability to create entirely real three dimensional characters and I loved the way that we learnt more about the characters from the way they experienced their acute life event of losing their father . We gradually get to know more about their relationships of the two sisters with their father and how that this has influenced the way they grew up both sisters have been damaged by this damaged alcoholic father and we get to hear more of their lives gradually throughout the novel. As a sisters develop a relationship and themselves it becomes clear there father’s choice was inspired.
The novel is set in the USA, but the experiences of the novel could easily have occurred in this country
I read a copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an honest review, it had been on my to be read list for quite some time for no obvious reason
The book was published in the UK on the 1st of May 2025 by Penguin general UK
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. It will also appear on Amazon UK and Waterstones

#netgalley
What if your inheritance came with a side of mandated therapy… led by your half-sister… who doesn’t know you exist? That’s the deliciously dysfunctional premise at the heart of Favourite Daughter, a twisty story soaked in grief, vodka, and complicated family ties, underpinned by daddy issues galore.

Mickey, a jaded kindergarten teacher with a taste for Russian Standard and a streak of self-destruction, learns she’s been left $5 million by the father who walked out when she was five. But there’s a catch: she must complete seven therapy sessions to unlock the cash. And the therapist? Arlo, her half-sister, utterly unaware of the connection, who adored the very man Mickey loathed.

It’s messy. It’s murky. It’s morally dubious. And honestly, it works—to an extent.

This isn’t sharp satire or slick thriller; it’s more of a poolside read with a darker emotional pull. Addiction, abandonment, and inherited trauma bubble beneath the surface, wrapped in sharp dialogue and unexpected tenderness. Mickey’s voice is unfiltered and painfully honest. Arlo’s grief is complicated, blurred by professional boundaries and personal blind spots.

Does it land the emotional punch it promises? Almost.
The premise is strong, a dramedy - fresh, clever, full of promise, but the execution doesn’t quite deliver the emotional depth it reaches for. It’s grand, in that very Irish way: solid, engaging, just shy of something special.

Overall, a debut with bite, booze, and a bruised heart. If you like your fiction messy, complicated, and lived-in, this one’s for you. 3.5/5

Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read via NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own. Favourite Daughter is available now.