I recieved a review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. I loved Knoll's previous books even though the characters were kind of twisted. I just couldn't get into this book because it was so hard to keep up with the characters. This one was about a reality show where one of the women die kind of similar to the real housewives. This one wasn't for me, but I look forward to see what else Knoll comes up with in the future.

This was confusing. I gave up on it after reading about 20% because I couldn't keep track of characters/perspectives/plot.

I was really excited to get this ARC. I enjoyed The Luckiest Girl Alive althought I thouht it had some issues. One them being a lack of characters resembling decent human beings. But I thought Knoll might move more to that with this book. Boy was I wrong. She goes even farther with this group of despicable beings. While the main character doesn’t have to be likeable or even decent for me to enjoy a book, there has to be some contrast. And this story also includes several examples of horrible mothers which irritates me. This undoubtedly passes the Bechdel test but perhaps we need to add that in addition to talking not about a man, they need to not be actively sabotaging each other. Perhaps this is satirizing shows such as Real Housewives of .... but after reading it I felt like I had just sat through hours if the worst episodes.

I enjoyed Luckiest Girl Alive, so I was excited to get my hands on an early copy of The Favorite Sister. I don’t watch much reality TV outside of Great British Bake Off and Fixer Upper because polite bakers and charming decor is much more my jam than any content filled with vicious comparison games or the kind of one upmanship where everyone loses.

However, I’m familiar enough with the Real Housewives brand to know what was up in this book.
This story shows all the ways that feminism feels doomed to fail if A. it’s not truly intersectional, B. if it’s trying to flourish or even operate in a system that’s still designed and supported by patriarchal systems.

At first I was worried while reading Stephanie’s inner thoughts in particular that maybe Jessica Knoll doesn’t believe in feminism, that she believes that all aspects of true wellness and the body positive movement are lip service and trends that will never create actual change.
Instead, I came to believe (or hope?) that instead she sees all the ways that kind of real change is hard when so many people are still trying to be liked and popular above all else, that the rules are still rigged against women in general, and women of color in particular in a society that are expected to act a certain way, and to play that game, you have to still fit within some pretty binary, black and white rules.

The main characters of the book: the ladies of “Goal Diggers” were sold as the antithesis to the standard reality TV fodder where women could only be entertaining if they were pitted against each other. The show was meant to showcase women who were “doing it for themselves” and supporting each other through all their amazing goals. But that story doesn’t sell the way drama does and soon the cast is facing all the same BS, having their fears and flaws exploited for the sake of good TV.
Peppered within the story are some real truths and even those are fairly uncomfortable to face head on, like disservices done to abused women, and the sadness of women who believe that all the ways that they restrict themselves and strive to make themselves smaller is the most interesting thing about them.

There are a lot of layers to this story, more than the superficial drama that is the boiled down, drama concentrate of “bitchy” women. It explores a lot of women who have deeply rooted issues of self-worth who don’t want to look too closely at why they feel the way they do, why they act the way they do, why they have their addictions and labels. And then some of the layers also come from reveal after reveal of just how deep the various deceptions go.

Overall I felt like the book ended a little abruptly, but the revelations of the last few chapters show how easy it is to wallow in hypocrisy and also delivered one hell of an ironic punch.

I loved Luckiest Girl Alive, so I was really excited to read Knoll's latest book. Well, I wish I hadn't. Talk about a dud. A reality show about millennials that turns dark when one of the stars dies. Told through flashbacks, we get to find out what happened, why it happened, and whodunit. Except, the more you read, the less you care about any of the characters - they are all liars, cheaters, and backstabbers. Too many secrets to keep track of and too many obvious story lines to wade through. This book was annoying, tiresome, and lame. I should have DNFed it.

The Favorite Sister
Jessica Knoll
Available: May 15, 2018

Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I hate that I have to work for a living.. its because of my job it took me 3 days to read The Favorite Sister instead of polishing it off in one sitting like I really wanted. As a Housewife devotee (except for Dallas – sorry ladies!), I ate this up like it was a fricken cheesecase from The Cheesecake Factory with extra whipped cream. I think this is a true contender for an amazing Summer of 2018 read.
What I loved: The s%^t storm at the end is absolutely perfect!! I was reading with my mouth open in shock. Obviously, I can’t say more without ruining the whole juicy enchilada (what is with me and the whole food thing today?) but between the backstabbing, the twists and turns, and even the cheesy-ness of it all – I loved this book.
What I didn’t love: Of course, now I’m watching my guilty pleasure through tainted eyes. Its now so obvious about the shots, the conversations the set ups but I know I’ll still love my shows. It’s like finding out the truth about the Great and Powerful OZ, shrugging my shoulders, and going back for another round of Kool-Aid.
What I learned: Maybe Dorit from RHOBH can do a Stephanie?
Overall Grade: A-

www.FluffSmutandMurder.com

Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy of The Favorite Sister which doesn’t release until May of this year. If you’re a fan of the “Real Housewives” franchise and also enjoyed “Mean Girls,” this is the novel for you. It’s filled with revenge, betrayal, and the reader trying to figure out what was true and what wasn’t.

I found all the characters, except Layla, the daughter, totally unlikeable and I could never keep the names straight. The book might have benefitted from a description of each one in the beginning so you could refer back to it when you get confused.

The story follows a group of women on a reality show titled “Goal Diggers.” If you wonder what goes on behind the scenes of a reality show, you’ll find out in this novel. And it’s not pretty.

Knoll’s past editorships at womens’ magazines may have colored her story telling. You decide.

If the Real Housewives reality shows are your guilty pleasure, then this is the book for you. The book is a whodunit - who killed Brett, one of the four women who star in a reality show about women entrepreneurs. The story is told by her sister, Kelly, who was trying to become one of the cast members at the time of Brett's death and Stephanie, one of the original cast members who fears she is aging out of the show and will not be recast the following season. Kelly is struggling to seize the limelight because, as her sister's business partner, she has to do all the work while Brett has all the fun. Stephanie and Brett used to be besties but something has come between them and the world is watching them duke it out on national television. The characters are well drawn and the story has great pacing. Just when you think you know what happened - think again, you're wrong. You also learn a lot about the gritty underbelly of reality TV, which is fun. I started reading this book in the middle of the night when I couldn't fall asleep and read straight through until I had to get dressed for work the next morning - it's addictive!

I am always nervous about reading an author I loved next book - but Jessica Knoll does it again. The Favorite Sister is all of the drama, all of the suspense, all of the lies. You know an author can truly write when they make you have visceral feelings about characters. I absolutely loved this book and I actively loathed characters while reading. Capitalizing on today’s society with a reality tv plot this book had me picking up my kindle to read with every spare moment I got. This one is not even officially out yet and I am already waiting for Jessica Knolls next book.

The Favorite Sister was on my radar pretty early. The description about a bunch of reality stars and *gasp* a murder. I love a good who-done-it and I LOVE reality television. My roommate and I used to have trash tv nights where we literally just watched reality television like Bad Girls Club and Real Housewives of whateverland.
The book starts with an interview after the murder with Kelly (sister to Brett). Brett has just died. Then we bounce back to the beginning, prior to the fourth season of Goal Diggers, this show about "girl power" entrepreneurs. The stars include The Big Chill (Brett), Lauren Fun (Lauren), and the Green Menace (Jen). Their producer/creator/super boss, Jesse, is looking for a new star. She finds her new star in Brett's sister and niece, Kelly and Layla.
The book does a good job with layers. You see the personas they portray on television, who they are in real life, and the real secrets are the ones that you could kill to cover up.
Really, the premise sounds great, The initial introduction of the murder by Kelly was perfectly delivered and then we don't revisit the murder until half way in the book. At that point, I still don't see why Brett was murdered. The girls are mean girls to each other and their secrets are small. There isn't enough that's actually worth murdering each other. The motivations still pretty hazy at best.
So much of the book felt like day to day boring stories of failing marriages, fast engagements, single mom life, and rich people. I rolled my eyes a lot. One of the characters keeps constantly complaining about being old at 34. I understand the character in show-biz, but it started to isolate me as a reader pretty fast.
The last quarter of the book really picked up, but it was too fast. The crazy felt like it came out of nowhere. I didn't understand if the character were slowly going crazy, drugged/drunk out of their minds, hormonal with pregnancy, or what. Those lost motivations stayed pretty mysterious, except Brett.
I'm not sure who this book is for. It's not for me.

As someone who devours (almost) all things reality TV related, I was excited to get my hands on this novel. (It didn't hurt that I also really enjoyed the author's first novel).
The story is told by three different perspectives - Kelly, Brett, and Stephanie, and centers around a reality TV show following five successful women, called Goal Diggers. I relished the opportunity to see behind the scenes; the manipulation of the women is outrageous. I had a difficult time really LIKING any of the women. They're all deeply flawed, and don't really have any interest on actually doing better. Usually, I have a hard time getting through books in which I feel no connection to the characters, but that strangely wasn't an issue with this book. I was so invested in the goings-on of the lives of these powerful women that I almost forgot that they were desperately unlikeable.
At times the undercurrent of feminism and racism becomes a little too "center stage"; almost preachy, but fortunately, those moments pass quickly. I don't anticipate any problems with the book immediately hitting the best sellers lists. I'm definitely a fan, and I'm thankful that the author will make my job selling this title that much easier.

I am sad to say this, but I am unable to read and/or review this title at this time.
I currently have a few other books to review that I believe I can finish before I begin school again. Thank you for the opportunity, but I cannot proceed at this moment.

Thanks you.

There are definitely things that I enjoyed in Jessica Knoll’s second novel, “The Favorite Sister”.... but my interest was not only in the plot: the mystery murder itself...as to what happened to Brett.....who murdered her and why?
I was interested enough to find out what happened of course....and there ‘are’ a couple of those famous twists....
......but I found Jessica’s writing entertaining- just for the sake of tidbit-funny - or tidbit powerful..... regardless of the story itself.

Jessica Knoll has some great quotes.....’throughout’. She has a great third eye into contemporary life.
Here’s one quote I think many women might appreciate.
“Society makes life miserable for women who are not thin. I am part of a growing minority determined to change that. SPOKE is the first fitness studio that mentions nothing about transforming your body, because study after study proves that your physical body has so little to do with health. Healthy people are people who feel connected to their communities, who are loved, and are supported by those around them, and who have a sense of purpose in their lives. Healthy people do not waste their precious energy trying to make themselves smaller”.

This ‘power-to-the-women’ novel has lots of drama - secrets - lies - betrayal- and enough unlikable characters to dig your teeth into.

Overall ....it was fun....great company while doing cardio at the gym.

Thank You Simon and Schuster, Netgalley, and Jessica Knoll

3.5

DNF. I'm sorry I thought this story was so mean-spirited and the characters so , not likable, that I couldn't finish it. While the writing is good, the story and the multitude of characters just didn't resonate with me. In order to send the review, Netgalley insists on a starred rating. I don't like to give anything less than a 3 star, but that isn't even valid here since I didn't finish the book.

I read Luckiest Girl Alive a few years ago and loved it. It was the right mix of NYC, drama and twist and turns.

The Favorite Sister follows the lives of 5 reality stars in a show similar to housewives of NYC. A few storylines were ripped from the show. There is drama, murder, and envy. I wishes there were more twist and turns and less social commentary over feminism.

Overall it was a fun read. If you enjoy the housewives then you will enjoy this book.

The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll is a GOOD book but not as great as I was expecting it to be. I thought that it would have a bit more emotion like her debut did, but this one was more catty and drama filled. Don't get me wrong. I enjoyed the journey while I was reading, but I fear that I won't remember the book in the future.

I really wanted to like this book. I really really did, but I ended up DNFing. If someone liked reality tv and such they would probably like this book, but I went into it thinking it would be a thriller like the author's last book.

I was very excited to get approved for this book because I loved Luckiest Girl Alive and have been waiting for Jessica Knoll's next book. If I'm being honest, I didn't love this the way I loved that book but I still very much enjoyed it and will be recommending it to fellow readers. It didn't grab me from the jump but as it went on it became a page turner with an ending that I didn't guess in advance--which is a great thing with a thriller.

The gorgeous cover and the idea of a murder mystery in a reality TV setting really got me excited for this book.

We start the book with the fourth season of the show Goal Diggers getting ready to start, and our five main ladies with all their secrets to keep hidden. The book alternates between the perspectives of Brett, Kelly and Stephanie.

Brett is the 'star'. She is the young up and comer who is a fan favorite, but is hiding plenty.
Kelly is Brett's older sister who is harboring anger toward being overshadowed. She is new to the Diggers and basically just wants her share of the spotlight.
Stephanie is the oldest and only POC in the cast. She and Brett are best friends on the rocks, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.

There are some supporting characters that vary in stages of importance throughout the story.

I have to say this story took on too much of a feminist 'rant' at times, that became a little tedious and tiresome for me. You would have a character stating that women should be stomping down doors and breaking ceilings one minute, and then stating how much it meant to have a man's attention. None of the characters in this book are likable. They all start off having a glimmer of something that could be redeeming, but that doesn't last very long. I wanted to root for at least one of these strong, successful women, but they all drove me crazy with their behavior.

I think the author did a good job of weaving a believable story, with characters that (as annoying as I personally found them) could definitely be walking around the streets, or gracing our television sets, right now.

Thank you NetGalley, Jessica Knoll and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read and review this book.

If you like Real Housewives and/or Unreal, you will also like this book. I read The Luckiest Girl Alive by Knoll, and really liked it, so I was thrilled to be approved for this one on Netgalley.

The marriage of reality TV and a psychological thriller novel was definitely a holiday gift to me. It was fun to read the producers' manipulations of the cast, with the stakes even higher than "real" reality TV since there was a death in this book. I also enjoyed the development of Stephanie and her navigation of not just gender and class, but also race. I am glad that Knoll included a complex black character in this novel. In terms of plot, there were a couple twists that I did not guess and I always love that when I read thrillers. Finally, Knoll's writing continues to be sharply clever, playfully acidic, and completely enthralling.

What I didn't like was that in comparison to Stephanie, I found Brett and Kelly to be underdeveloped. And then going a step farther, I found Jen and Lauren to not be developed at all. At least with Stephanie, Brett, and Kelly there was first person perspectives which allows the reader to better understand their motives and decisions. But since there was no first person perspective for Jen or Lauren, it created a character imbalance in my eyes. I think all characters should have gotten a first person perspective, OR only one should have. Having it be a little more than half was not a good writing decision.
I also didn't like that none of the characters were really likeable. But I think that might have been the point :)

Another pageturner from Jessica Knoll, and I can't wait for her next one!
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC.