Like my own experiences with siblings, this story of two sisters details relationship highs and lows. It was an okay read but not great. It was an okay story, but not great. It was okay writing, but not great. And there were okay characters but not great. I had to force myself to finish it, because it never did grab me.

I'm not sure why this is so compelling, but there's something about "Sister of Mine" that had me desperate to know more.

Two sisters kill the abusive husband of one in a fire, an action that haunts them for the rest of their lives. Petrou doesn't dwell on the abuse, preferring to focus on the consequences and how the two women cope with the aftermath of murder.

It's an unusual book, out of the ordinary, atmospheric and haunting. I found it to be a breath of fresh air among a lot of mediocre books I've read recently.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

A slow moving mystery that may appeal to fans of The Girl in Cabin 10. However, I found the nonlinear narrative frustrating and couldn't find a likable character. I'm a big physiological thriller fan, and although Sister of Mine is written simply and hauntingly, I just couldn't find a hook to make want to keep reading.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Sister relationships can be complicated and this one is more complicated by because of secrets. Another story where what one character does ties into what another feels and does. Wasn't what I expected at the end. I wonder if I would view the charterers and their actions different through out the story now that I know the ending?

As I sit here... reflecting on this novel, I have no words. This isn't what I would call a memorable read. It's not a bad read, certainly not of poor writing, but what it doesn't hold for me, is that captivating nature.

I should mention that I have two siblings... an older brother, in which we are very close in age, and a younger sister, who is almost 13 years younger (12ys and 11 months if you want to get technical). I suppose there is a connection that we all have with our siblings, but in truth, we all have that point when we draw the line. This novel for me, somewhat pushes the boundaries of those connections. Then again, every family is different. I expected this one to have a bit more of an impact for me, given my relationship with my siblings, yet, in the end, it didn't end up that way.

There looms a secret between sisters Penny and Hattie, one with great consequences if it were ever to get out. It's clear that someone has committed murder. Buddy, Penny's husband was an abusive man, and Penny, at the point where she can't take anymore makes a decision, it has to stop. Buddy is killed in a house fire. How the fire starts, and by whom, well, that's not really clear. Both sisters are involved, but to what extent? We, the reader are taken through what feels like endless babble of inner turmoil as we watch this secret slowly eat away at these characters like a cancer.

I felt little to no connection to these characters or the storyline. You know that experience when you read a REALLY good book, and you have that book high for a while, and it takes a while to come down, and every other book you pick up after just seems to pale in comparison... yeah well... that might be what happened here. It's the sad truth, but nonetheless, it's the truth. So, with all fairness, this again, is not a bad read, but in reality maybe just wasn't a good read for me at the time... maybe?

I want to thank NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Laurie Petrou for allowing me the chance to read this novel in exchange for my review.

One sister wants out of an abusive marriage. Her sister wants to help her be happy. What decision would you make? Can you trust even your sister with your worst secret? What leverage will this secret give you? An all engrossing story of two sisters, their decisions and the consequences.

More domestic drama than psychological suspence and definitely not my cup of tea but well written. I think I am just over this entire genre

This is a captivating read ! I loved the premises of two sisters bound by family love determined to do anything to help one another. It is a explosive thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved this twisted tale of two sisters and the lengths they go to as they protect each other from their deepest darkest secrets and the crimes they are guilty of. This is book that keeps you reading late into the night! Very well done.

DNF at 48%. I put this down a bunch of times and have finally decided that I'm not going to finish it. I can't stand the two sisters and there really is no mystery happening. I kept waiting for the investigation/mystery/suspense piece to show up but the first half is really just the sisters' dysfunctional and miserable lives together and all of the negativity and secrecy and normal life and weird things they decided to want and do and I just do not care to finish the story. The writing style was okay and there was definitely a sinister atmosphere building, but like I said I could not connect to and/or was not interested enough in the story or the characters to continue to the end.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for a free ARC copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

An in-depth analysis of sister relationships which was very well handled and sensitively depicted. The actual story is quite simple but the skill of the author keeps you wanting to read on. I like stories with familial dynamics and this one didn’t disappoint.

Where do I begin? Petrou’s Sister of Mine has Penny and Hattie taking sibling love and rivalry to a whole new level. They love each other, they hate each other, they love each other, they hate each other…and on and on it goes. From the day Hattie stole their mom’s earrings and gave them to Penny, their relationship has been marked by dark secrets and complex emotions. The entry of new men into their lives does nothing but complicate it further. A truly stunning, well-written book. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Sisters, sisters ...

What a riveting story about sisters! The story was well crafted and the characters were human, by turns thoughtful and hurtful. I was absolutely ensnared by this story. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Could not get interested in reading this. Did not hold my attention. Beyond the first fifty or so pages.

This is a story about sisters, sibling rivalry, love, family issues and more. It's an OK easy read, although there were a lot of loose ends that didn't tie up for me and the sisters are not characters you warm to.

It's a slow build where you start out knowing the 'what' and then work through the book to establish the 'why' and 'how'?

It's much more a sibling / family / domestic drama than a psychological thriller and I certainly didn't find any thrills. An easy beach read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4 Sister Sister Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

"A sister is both your mirror —and your opposite."

I’ve read quite a few books lately with complicated sister relationships... I unfortunately or fortunately, depending upon how you look at it do not have a sister... I have brothers, my daughter has brothers, I haven’t had to navigate the sister relationship as a sister or as a mother of sisters.... so the sister relationship is a bit of an enigma to me... just asked my daughter if she wished she had a sister... and her answer was an emphatic “NO,” our house only has room for one princess!

This was a compelling domestic thriller that really focus on the complex relationship between sisters Penny and Hattie... its about that fine line between love and hate.... and how your best friend can also be your worst enemy.... The relationship between these two sisters was so dynamic, it change from minute to minute... I didn’t always know who the good sister or bad sister was... I found One sister more empathetic than the other, but my opinions did change throughout the book....

The story is narrated by Penny... I found her narrative to be very compelling, emotional, and uncomfortable.... as the older sister she felt responsible for her little sister... and at the core of everything lies a secret... A secret that binds the sisters together and also tears them apart...

This was a unique dark thriller... The story was really more about these characters, rather than a shocking twist... there was a surprising ending... however that was simply the icing on this thrilling cake....

Absolutely recommend this book to people who enjoy domestic thrillers with complex characters and relationships...

*** many thanks to Crooked Lane for my copy of this book ***

I really enjoyed this book and seeing the bond between sisters and what they're capable of doing in order to help each other. If you enjoy exciting books with twisty turns be sure to pick this one up and enjoy it as much as I did. Happy reading!

Thanks to netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

When I was reading this, I felt like I was reading something from Chevy Stevens, which is positive because I have mostly liked her books. These seemed like characters she might write. I thought the author did a good job of describing the sister relationship, and how 2 people who have gone through life together can be so intertwined, which is interesting to me because I am an only child so I have no experience with this. This book is short which made it a quick read. I think my issues with this book had to do with it not really being very suspenseful. We know the husband died in a fire in the beginning and know the sisters were involved. The book sort of has to do with why he was killed and I didn't think the reveal was anything spectacular. I also had a hard time figuring out when this book was taking place. A couple of small details made me think it was in the 80's or 90's, but it was never really clear. I felt like this book should have been classified as women's fiction rather than suspense.

Laurie Petrou in Sister of Mine brings to the reader the story of orphaned sisters. It seems that they would do anything for each other. But how far will they go to protect each other? Secrets are difficult to keep and then serve to control the owner of the secrets. The book is riveting and suspenseful,

Holy smokes! This one is a winner. Sister of mine yanked me out of my reading slump and gave me several hours of very enjoyable reading time. I liked everything about this book. I even liked reading about sisters that I really didn't like. This complex family saga is very well written. Will definitely look for more by this author. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 Stars

Sister of Mine had a complex plotline. Penny and Hattie are sisters who are living in a small town. They closer than close due to a secret that they share. That secret is a drain on their relationship. Their relationship, strained, gets more strained when Jameson comes into the picture. When Penny does the unthinkable one drunken night, that the bond breaks. Hattie descends into mental illness to escape and Penny is left picking up the pieces. But, when the police look into Penny’s husband death, new questions arise. What happened that night? And who lit the match? The answers to those questions test the remaining strands of Penny and Hattie’s bond.

I didn’t like Penny during the first half of the book. She rubbed me the wrong way. Her lack of grief over her husband’s death struck me as odd. Even with the explanation of what he did to her, she came across as flat. Almost emotionless when retelling it. It rubbed me the wrong way. So, when she stepped away to allow Hattie to have her relationship with Jameson, I was a little skeptical. The last half of the book, though, my dislike turned into begrudging admiration. She came back to pick up the pieces when Hattie came apart.

I felt bad for Hattie. Up until Penny went to school, she had to deal with Penny telling her how she was to blame for her father leaving. Then she was to blame for their mother dying. No wonder she had mental health issues!!! But my pity for her evaporated in the middle of the book. At that point, she lost her damn mind. She made poor decisions and those decisions affected everyone around her.

The mystery angle of the book was fantastically written. As was the suspense.

I did have an issue with the dropped storylines. Mainly the one about Penny and Hattie’s father. There was no closure. I was left wondering what happened to him.

I am not going to get into the rest of the book. I will say that I was surprised by the huge twist at the end of the book. I was thinking one thing and was left with a huge WTF moment when the secret was revealed. I was also surprised by what that person did and where they ended up.

What I liked about Sister of Mine:

A) Penny and Hattie’s relationship

B) The mystery angle of the book

C) the twist at the end of the book

What I disliked about Sister of Mine:

A) Penny and Hattie’s relationship

B) Hattie losing her damn mind the last half of the book

C) Dropped storylines

I gave Sister of Mine a rating of 3.5 stars. I didn’t like Penny and Hattie’s relationship. I also didn’t like Hattie losing her damn mind in the middle of the book. But, what I didn’t like was the dropped/unfinished storylines. That is why Sister of Mine got a 3.5 instead of a 5-star rating. I did like Penny and Hattie’s relationship at the beginning of the book. The relationship after their childhood but before Jameson. I also loved the mystery angle of the book. Which goes with the huge twist at the end of the book.

I gave Sister of Mine an Adult rating. There is sex but not explicit. There is violence. There is language. I would suggest that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence about rereading Sister of Mine. I am also on the fence about recommending it to family and friends.

I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Sister of Mine.

All opinions stated in this review of Sister of Mine are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**