PUB DATE 07.16.24

This book focuses on Alex, who is determined to find her sister after she hasn’t heard from her in a few days. She follows her to the Hamptons and re-lives all the steps her sister took just days prior.

A fast paced read, honestly I could have read in just one or two sittings if I didn’t have so much going on this weekend. The author had a great writing style, and makes me want to check out her other books. The only thing I didn’t love was the constant back and forth flashbacks, sometimes I would get confused if we were in the past or present because it happened so often.

Read if you love:
-dual timeline
-multiple POV
-unbreakable sister bond
-family secrets
-search for missing person

4⭐️

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House for my eARC!

Alex and her sister Madison have always been close, so when Madison stops responding to texts while spending the summer working in the Hamptons, Alex rushes out despite the blowout fight they had after their mom's death. She finds the ultra-wealthy Blackwell family who had let Maddie stay in their pool house and a whole lot of "she went back to the City." Refusing to give up, Alex digs in to find the truth about what happened to her sister. There's a whole lot of backstory that took too much time before landing at the action, but once it got there the twists were (mostly) worth the wait.

Alex’s older sister Maddie has cancelled her annual trip home for Alex’s birthday, claiming she found a job in a seaside town in the Hamptons. When she stops answering Alex’s calls and texts, Alex goes searching for the sister she always looked up to. Following in Maddie’s footsteps leads her to the Blackwell family, a wealthy and well-connected family of real estate developers with whom Maddie was staying, and who were the last to see Maddie.

As the story unfolds, through multiple narrators, it becomes clear that there were a lot of people who may have wanted to harm Maddie. And with each revelation, Alex begins to wonder if she really knew her sister. But her love for Maddie draws her deeper into the secrets of the very rich at play in the Hamptons.

The plot moves along quickly, with a good amount of suspense building and twists that for the most part I didn’t see coming. The multiple POVs and the shifts in timeline could get a little confusing at times, but mostly both worked well.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read an advance review copy of this book.

Alex and Maddie grew up close. Maddie was the older sister and made sure to take care of Alex especially when their family life become unstable. But after their mother’s death and a horrible fight, the sisters weren’t as close, yet Alex knew Maddie would always be there for her. When Maddie cancels their annual trip and stops returning calls, Alex knows there is more to the story. Following Maddie’s trail to the Hamptons, she discovered the Blackwell family, a wealthy family that has it all, a beautiful home, a thriving business, all the luxury Alex has never known. Why was Maddie living in their pool house? What do the Blackwells know about Maddie’s disappearance? Alex is determined to follow in her sister’s footsteps, hopefully she can avoid disappearing as well.

This is my first time reading this author but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story is told by multiple characters, each bringing a clue as to what happened to Maddie. The mystery of Maddie’s disappearance is told, like an apple is peeled, it is continually flowing through the chapters slowly revealing what happened. The setting in the Hamptons added to the plot and the Blackwell family definitely churns the story to its ultimate conclusion. Well crafted story, don’t miss this read.

The Perfect Sister was not necessarily an “edge of your seat”/unputdownable book, but it was definitely engaging and readable. The story flowed quickly, building the web of relationships that all thrillers need. There were a couple things I saw right away- Lily is odd, Theo is unkind, James is a bit of a creep, Katherine is full of resentment, and Alex is the dutiful sister that desperately wants to find Maddie. The author does a good job of getting the readers invested in the story. Some of it predictable. There are a couple twists I didn’t see coming. I don’t want to give any spoilers away, so I’ll leave it at that! 3.5 stars rounded up.

I loved this plot the whole missing sibling and now you have to find the person. I got confused in some parts though with how many POVs there were. Not a bad thing normally but man I had trouble keeping up. I will say the main character development was really there and I loved that. Im giving this a 3.95 because i really did like it there were so many angles and twist to look out for.

Love the twists and turns! Without plot holes, the author did a wonderful job adding shocking layers that I didn’t see coming. I was guessing and analyzing throughout the entire book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Perfect Sister is suspenseful and full of twists. I never could tell who to trust or what was truly going on until the ending. The storyline is told from multiple point of views, but it is easy to follow. I felt like it kept the story moving quickly and kept things interesting. This one is definitely a page turner!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Perfect Sister was the first book I've read from Stephanie DeCarolis and I immediately went and purchased her backlist - set amongst the world of the uber rich in the Hamptons, where nothing is exactly as it seems, this story had me wondering what was going to happen next from start to finish and there were tons of unpredictable moments - something I relish as an avid thriller reader.

4.5 stars!

The Perfect Sister is a suspense/thriller about 2 sisters (Maddie and Alex) that grew up basically taking care of each other. When Maddie goes missing, Alex jumps into to action find her. This book is filled with several good twist and turns. However, I just didn’t enjoy the characters and could not het into the book that much.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book drew me in from the very beginning. Thrillers are my favorite genre to read and knowing that this book was about a girl on the hunt for her sister, who went missing, peaked my interest immediately. The author did a great job of including many twists, turns and unexpected events in the book, which is what every thriller reader wants to encounter. At times, the story drug on a little for me and felt like it could have been shorter. However, I did enjoy reading this book. It is a thriller that is worth diving into and going on the twisting adventure with Alex as she searches for her missing sister.

I always love a story with multiple POV (in this book there were slightly too many to keep up with) but overall a great book. Some characters were likable while others were most definitely not! Fast read and great insight into the world that I am not apart of :)

The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis was a great mystery and thriller read. The only thing that through me a little bit was the back and forth timeline. You really had to pay attention on what the character was saying. I would highly recommend this book to family and friends.

Phenomenal writing! This story hooked me from the very start and kept me engaged to the very end. I’d never read this author before but found her writing to be extraordinary, filled with metaphors and similes that really ground the reader in the moment. The way she alternated POVs and stayed true to each characters’ voice was incredibly well done. I’m now off to read everything in her backlist.

i know some people have a hard time connecting to books that have multi-POV, but i love it. it's like getting a different angle on all the necessary characters. this is also one of those "everyone looks guilty" books, which just adds to the whodunit experience.

there were definitely some interesting parts. every time you thought you'd figure it out, there'd be some new information dangled for you to rethink it. author did well to create new layers to the mystery. everything was written well and easy to understand.

for me, personally, some things fell a little flat to me. there was some thrill to it, but not enough to be a page turner. reading is subjective though, so i'm sure there will be someone who'll enjoy it more than me. it's not bad at all though. i liked it. it just missed some marks of suspense for me. i'd still recommend it to a few friends who will more than likely appreciate it more than me.

thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for allowing me to read this book. i received this book as an ARC and leave this review voluntarily.

This tells the story of 2 sisters who are so close they could be twins, but they aren't. When Maddie suddenly goes missing in the Hamptons, her sister Alex heads out there to figure out what happened to her. She eventually starts to uncover things and gets in over her head. I loved the Hamptons setting and the slow reveals about their relationship and what drove them apart. Interesting characters and some good twists along the way kept me interested and guessing.

While I felt this book was a bit slow to start, it really picked up around the 40% mark. I felt somewhat invested in the MC and what happened to her sister, but I struggled to really stay interested because of the bratty, self-absorbed rich kids. The ending seemed a bit rushed and a bit lacking. I did enjoy the story but wished there was a little more oomph to it.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

This book would be a great movie! I really enjoyed The Perfect Sister.
One sister goes on a search for her missing sister and stumbles into a family with very sinister vibes.
Just when you think you might be on the right track to solving the mystery, another twist comes your way.
Everything gets resolved by the end. If you enjoy a good thriller with family drama, evil characters, and kinky sex, then this one is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC. I can’t wait for the movie!

The Perfect Sister
By: Stephanie DeCarolis
Pub date: July 16, 2024
Publisher: Bantam

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alex and Maddie Walker were close growing up. When Maddie left home she promised Alex she would never forget her birthday, so when she does not hear from her she knows something is wrong.

Alex starts searching for answers as she goes to the Hamptons to meet up with the Blackwell family who were part of Maddie’s world.

This novel had me go through every emotion as Alex’s journey. Will she find out what happened to Maddie?

Family secrets, twists, and so much more. I will be reading more by this author.

Thank you Bantam books & Netgalley for this gifted copy.

❓ Do you have a sister? I don’t but my besties are like the sisters I never had.

#theperfectsister, #stephaniedecarolis, #bantam, #bookreview, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50

The book revolves around Alex’s search for her missing sister Maddie. The story moves along with some definite twists and I was involved and interested in the outcome. However, there were too many points of view and a few different timelines which made it a little confusing to read. Several times, I found myself checking back to see which character was speaking. I wasn’t really involved in any one character because none were developed enough for me to have a real stake in their individual story.
I did feel that the last few chapters were intriguing but once it was close to conclusion, the book abruptly stopped, leaving the reader wondering about certain people. It left me questioning how each character handled the “news” at the end. I would have preferred each one to give their point of view in subsequent concluding chapters but that was not the case.
Due to the fact that it kept me guessing, the book drew me in enough to want to finish it even though the end was somewhat disappointing.
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for gifting me this ARC.