This one definitely surprised me! Based on the summary, I completely expected the villain to be a different character. I'm afraid to say much more because I don't want to give away the twist.

To summarize the general story, the main character, Eleanor, loses the dad she's known her whole life to cancer. She's never been at all close to her mom or sister, and she suddenly finds out she may be related to a completely different family. Feeling all alone since losing her closest family members, she wants to explore who these other people are, and imagine how her life might have been different. Her plan develops beautifully, and she is suddenly spending time with others and having more friends than ever before in her life, even if some of the relationships may involve a few un-truths.

The style of this book is charmingly conversational. I could really imagine Eleanor's emotions through her successes and failures. Overall, I'd give this 3.5 out of 5 stars. I'd recommend this book as a fun read for anyone who enjoys great female characters or psychological thrillers.

This is my first book by this author and first thing I want to say is I will definitely be on the look out for more books from this author. So, as you know from the blurb, Eleanor finds out the man who raised her is not her biological father. Her mother and her sister her horrible to her. It really is a very sad situation that Eleanor is in. Well, her biological father she finds out already paid her mother off a substantial sum which she never saw a dime from. In any event, she decides she wants to know her other half sister from her biological father. What starts out as devious on her part becomes totally different and she becomes to care about her. If I continue this review I am afraid I will give away spoilers. This book at the end had such a major twist that I never saw coming and all the revelations that came with it. I was totally flawed from the ending which I never saw coming. I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC for an honest review. If you like this genre of books with a major twist at the end then I highly recommend this book. Thank you net galley and the publisher for this ARC.

I thought the beginning of the book was quite good and very believable, but as I read deeper, I felt there just wasn’t enough tension or high enough stakes to qualify this as a thriller. It is more women’s fiction, I’d say. I had mixed feelings about the main character, who I felt for but also felt frustrated with for some of her bad, self-defeating choices. I also wished that the book meandered less and stayed much more focused. Overall, I fear this book is either too slow moving and meandering for a thriller or perhaps has been mischaracterized, which may frustrate thriller fans hoping for a heart-pounding read. I stopped reading this halfway through, but I’d be game to read other work by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow! What a twisted story! I never saw that coming!
This was an intense story about Eleanor finding out she has a half sister. She has no relationship with her mother or sister so it’s only natural she would look to her other sister.
At times I wanted to shake Eleanor and make her see this wasn’t going to end well. It’s a page turner, definitely recommend! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the early copy

McKinnon was born in the UK, grew up in Switzerland and now calls Toronto home. The story, in this her fourth novel, begins when Eleanor's father dies and she finds out he is not her biological father. When she discovers the identity of her bio-dad (a wealthy developer) she dreams of a relationship with him and his daughter, who seem to live perfect lives. While billed as a thriller, the thrill itself is slow to build but the story still captures your attention and whether you love or hate the ending, it will certainly get your attention. It is a good recommendation for readers of books that are okay with characters that are hard to like...think Gone Girl or The Girl On The Train.

I’ve been on a roll with my reads recently and Sister Dear is no exception! It’s a slow-burn domestic suspense with a killer of an ending. ⁣⁣
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Eleanor has always felt like she is the unwanted ugly stepchild to everyone in her family except her beloved father. When he passes away, she makes the astonishing discovery that he is not her biological father and goes to search for her birth father. On this journey she discovers a glamorous half-sister, a rich bio dad and a whole lot of family secrets. ⁣⁣
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Eleanor is sad, depressed, complex and compulsively readable. Sometimes this type character can get on your nerves, but McKinnon’s writing and character development elevates Eleanor and makes you care about her as she spirals out of control and jealousy and envy take over her life.⁣⁣

Eleanor Hardwicke grew up in the shadow of her perfect older sister, Amy, and dealing with a resentful mother. But she always had her father, who loved her no matter what. Now Eleanor's dad is in hospice care, dying of pancreatic cancer. As Eleanor cares for her father, she learns a heart-wrenching secret: her father isn't her biological father. She is the result of her mother's affair with a wealthy man. With her only loving family member dead, Eleanor's life is shattered and she seeks out her biological father--and her half sister, Victoria, who appears to have the perfect childhood Eleanor longed for. Victoria has everything: loving parents, wealth, and love. And Eleanor is going to get her share now.

"Every last detail leading up to one fateful night. The night someone died because of me. The night I lost you, too."

This was my first Hannah Mary McKinnon book--I was very excited to give her books a try. This was a slow and steady read with a dark and twisted plot. Eleanor is not the most likable of characters, though her mother is an absolutely terrible person and, with the death of her father (at least the person Eleanor thought was her father), you can't help but have sympathy for the poor girl. Alas, Eleanor makes a lot of stupid decisions in this book, making it hard to retain said sympathy. Couple this with a handful coincidences that seem to be thrown in to keep the plot moving and eh. I wound up mostly liking this book, but not really loving it.

I also guessed a lot of what was going to happen--though I'll give McKinnon credit that I was still wondering along the way. She had me wavering in my decisions several times. The book does a good job delving into family dynamics and the complicated ways a family forms us. And while the ending is explosive, so to speak, I had most of it figured out and honestly, I found it depressing. I'm going to give this one 3 stars, but it just barely ekes them out.

Sister Dear  started out a little slow but the bombshell ending made it worth it!

After finding out Bruce, the man who loved her and raised her her whole life wasn't her biological father, Eleanor Hardwicke is shattered. She's always been rejected by her mother and sister, so the combination of this news coupled with Bruce's death sends her over the edge. She finds the family her biological father has- wealthy, perfect, everything Eleanor isn't. She doesn't think it's fair that her half sister has so many more opportunities than her. Why did her father abandon HER? She makes it her mission to infiltrate their lives but she gets into more than she ever could have bargained for. As Eleanor starts to transform herself from mousy victim to bold and vindictive, I found myself liking her less and less. She was so whiny, and perhaps a little unhinged. 

WOAH! This one had so many layers! It was so twisted and had my heart racing at the end. At times it was a little far-fetched, and the conclusion was a bit of a cliff-hanger, I did enjoy this one! I'm curious as to if there will be a sequel.  

Thank you to Harlequin Trade/MIRA books for my copy and for letting me take part in this blog tour!

Sister Dear is everything I love in a novel. It has dysfunctional family dynamics, a thoroughly entertaining plot, and the ultimate I-did-not-see-that-coming twist. What more could you want? I read Sister Dear in a single sunny afternoon, essentially ignoring everything else that needed to be done, because I NEEDED to know how it was all going to resolve. I couldn’t put it down, and isn’t that the gold standard of a truly great book, when you become so invested in the characters and the plot that you can’t look away?⁣

Yet another amazing thriller that I have to add to my physical book library. Eleanor was raised by a toxic mother. She suffers from crappy self-esteem, she's antisocial, and dislikes her body thanks to all the body shaming her evil mother has bestowed upon her. Eleanor has also lost the only person she's ever known as her father to cancer.

As she's grieving him she finds out that he isn't her father after all. She finds out her real father is a wealthy business man with a beautiful wife, and a daughter named Victoria. Of course her real father wants nothing to do with her. She's instantly infuriated. She should should be living that great life, she should be in Victoria's spot, she should be living that happy life. Instead, she lives in a crappy home with her mother and overall she's just a unloveable miserable person. After finding out about Victoria, Eleanor vows to share that glamorous life with her sister...after all sharing is caring right?

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. I definitely have found another thriller author who I will be reading more from. McKinnon has a way with words. Even though Eleanor was a bit cuckoo bananas you can't help but feel sorry for her. That's how well written this book was. Huge thanks to NetGalley, Mira Books, and Harlequin Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Eleanore Harwicke has always wanted a traditional family, a mother and father who loves her and a sister as a best friend. Instead she is estranged from her mother and sister, never feeling good enough or accepted for who she is. The only constant in her life is her loving father who is in hospice and dying. Eleanore happens to overhear a conversation between her parents suggesting that her father is not her biological father and that she is the product of an affair. Eleanore makes it her mission to seek out her father and his family and to determine if he knows of her existence. She soon discovers that she has a sister who is beautiful, successful, and has lived the life that Eleanore has dreamed of and always wanted. Inveigling herself into her sister's and husband's lives allows Eleanore the opportunity to vicariously live the life that should have been hers and to get back at her father and mother.

Sister Dear is one of those books that draws you in from the very first chapter. It reminded me of those suspenseful movies where I squirmed in my seat and kept muttering, "don't open that door," "don't go in there." I thought I had it all figured out, however, was I surprised. McKinnon has a diabolical mind and has created a psychological thriller with a surprising ending (no spoilers here). I recommend this book for the sheer fun of it. Fans of B.A. Paris and Mary Kubica will enjoy McKinnon as well.

This is a slow burn thriller with an explosive ending. While I didn’t really like the way the beginning of the story was told I definitely think that McKinnon hit her stride about half way through and that’s when I started finding the book hard to put down. I think my biggest problem with the first half of the story was the constant flashbacks that seemed to happen out of the blue, especially because I didn’t find most of them to be necessary. Once the sister aspect of this story is introduced the book was very engrossing and I loved seeing the story fall into place. The way McKinnon builds up to the the ending was fabulously done and the ending, while mostly predictable, was darker and more twisted than I was expecting. Overall, this is a solid thriller with an ending I don’t think I’ll forget anytime soon.

Sometimes I read a book, and when I try to find the words to describe it, the only word that comes to mind is "Wow." Sister Dear is one of those books. Most of the story is the calm before the storm - a fascinating tale of a woman trying to connect with a biological family that she never knew she had while learning to accept herself and her strengths rather than dwell on the distorted weaknesses. Then comes the storm, and it is a strong, unexpected, and destructive storm.

I love the development of the plot. Usually, I do not care for slow builds, and I questioned whether I was reading a psychological thriller a few times (you may too). But I was reading a psychological thriller. You must wait for it, but it is worth the wait. I have never read a book developed in this way, and I loved the freshness of the approach. It lulls you in just like the characters are lulled in, and then it rapidly spins you around and stands you on your head, leaving a lasting impression.

The main character and narrator is realistic and sympathetic. The adults in Eleanor Hardwicke's life always told her that she was not good enough, and she lived in her younger sister's shadow. She binge eats to cope with her negative emotions and negative self-talk. She appears to self-sabotage for reasons that are not apparent. Life never seems to go her way. Then, she finds out her dad, the only parent who has ever loved her, is not her biological father. When she finds out who her biological father is and that she has a half-sister, she becomes hopeful that maybe they can form family connections like she has never experienced with her mother and her other half-sister. Life is looking up - until it's not.

Her newly discovered half-sister Victoria Gallinger led the ideal life. Rich, beautiful, the perfect husband, and two parents who adore her, Eleanor cannot help but feel like that should have been her life. Envy and jealousy color Eleanor's view of Victoria as she weasels her way into Victoria's life. And that is just the beginning.

To say more will give away spoilers, and I am committed to non-spoiler reviews, but know the last part of the story will leave you breathless and saying, "Wow," just as I did.

Sister Dear is more domestic drama than thriller, at least for the first 60 to 70% or so. Then it ramps up little by little until things get completely crazy. Domestic dramas sometimes work for me and sometimes not, and I wasn't really sure which way this one was going to go at first. But I found myself still turning pages despite that doubt, so it's safe to say that while this one wasn't the thriller I expected at first, Hannah Mary McKinnon certainly penned a compelling read. Eleanor brings out a lot of emotions, and I found myself feeling sorry for her, getting mad at her, grieving with her, and feeling happy with her only to make the circuit again and again. She is also one of the most frustrating characters I've read in some time. Of course, some of her actions and the reasons for them also make her an unreliable narrator, which is a bit overused in my opinion, but it works here. It's not hard to understand why Eleanor would be the way she is. I will say that as things picked up and the race to the conclusion started, I did figure out what was going on, or at least the gist of it if not the details, but that didn't diminish the big twist for me. It was still interesting seeing how it all played out. There is one extra twist at the end that felt like just a touch too much, but it does either leave things for a possible second book or leave the reader to wonder what if. All in all, an emotional read with a bit of thrill - I would say that readers of domestic dramas and domestic thrillers should enjoy this one.

Wow, what an excellent book! Discovering the nuances of the characters was a joy. Each new path the story took left me breathless with anticipation. Everything was so well done and I never would have guessed the eventual outcome. I can not say enough good things about this book!

After reading The Neighbors last month, I read this book side eyeing everything. My mind kept churning and I had to force myself to try and not figure it out because when it comes this author's books, you NEVER know what's going to happen!

The beginning of this book is incredibly sad and had me missing my father and all his dad jokes. "What do elves learn in school? The elfa-bet." "What do you call Santa when he takes a break? Santa Pause." tee hee. 🤎

I felt a lot for Eleanor and everything she was going through but I was also highly frustrated with her throughout most of the book. It took a while for the foundation to get laid with this one and then we get the BOOM in the last few chapters. I don't know why but I did NOT see that coming. All these little peeks led to an eye opening revelation and personally, I was here for it.

I think some people will have issue with her character but gimme all the characters to hate when it's done so humanly. And that ending... well, let me tell you, I'm one of those readers that love to be surprised and not have it be all tied up nicely in a bow. Crazy Lifetime movie type of read... GIVE IT TO ME. This book just brings out the natural craziness that's inside of us ALL … and if you're gonna deny THAT, then you just haven't tapped into yours yet... but don't worry, you will. 😉

I spent the first half of Sister Dear wondering why it was classified as a thriller. Don’t get me wrong, I was fully invested in the story, just a little confused. There’s an underlying creepy factor for sure as Eleanor Hardwicke discovers that the man she grew up calling Dad is not, in fact, her biological father, and begins a quest to get to know her biological family. She tries to confront her ‘real’ dad first, and upon his rejection, instead begins a quest to get to know her biological sister, Victoria, without telling her how they’re related.

I loved the complexities of Eleanor. In a genre overwhelmed with seemingly perfect women (read: wealthy, gorgeous, married to Prince Charming), I liked that the protagonist in Sister Dear did not fill that role. Eleanor’s struggles with binge-eating, growing her own business, and trying not to let her terrible relationship with her mom get to her, made her seem real. She tries to dye her own hair and it goes wrong, she runs into a cute guy while she’s holding her polka-dot underwear in the laundry room: she has a definite relatable factor.

As Eleanor finds herself suddenly devastated by the death of the man she always thought was her father, combined with the indisputable rejection from her biological father, she begins unhealthily obsessing over Victoria. The two of them fall into a cautious friendship, under the guise of Eleanor helping Victoria with building a website, and Eleanor begins to believe she has found the inseparable sister-slash-best-friend she never had in her non-biological sister, Amy.

I was really hoping there would be a shocker of a twist in this book, and I was not disappointed. The deeper Eleanor becomes enmeshed in Victoria’s life, the faster I found myself reading, anticipating that things were not quite as Eleanor saw them. The levels of deceit and darkness that played into the ending of this story were incredibly unexpected. In the end, Sister Dear absolutely lives up to its thriller categorization.

Reviews posted on May 20, 2020:
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Eleanor Hardwicke knows it’s only a matter of time before she loses her father to terminal cancer. She thinks they have months together so when she storms away after overhearing a conversation in which it is revealed he his not her biological father the trauma is compounded by his sudden death that night. Eleanor has never been close to her mother or sister (now step-sister) and desperately wants to connect with her biological father. Armed only with the name Stan Gallinger, she begins to research the man and his family. It turns out Stan is married and has a daughter, Victoria, who is close in age to Eleanor. Initially rejected in her appeal to Stan for a relationship, Eleanor furiously wonders how she can gain the family connection she so desires and turns her focus to Victoria. She will have to approach Victoria more carefully if she wants to become a part of her sister’s life and perhaps seek revenge on Stan for his rejection.

VERDICT is that this is a thriller that didn’t thrill me. I was intrigued by the publisher’s description and initial setup in the first chapter but the book didn’t fulfill my expectations. I felt a lot of empathy for Eleanor’s character initially and was really interested in her transformation from rather meek and self-doubting to decisive and formidable. However, while there were hints of this transformation it never fully happened. I will say that I did not see the end coming. I don’t want to give any spoilers, however, it was still a bit of a let down in that I feel like the publisher’s description leads readers towards incorrect character assumptions in order to set up the surprise.

4.5 stars!

Woah! What a dysfunctional "family"!

I flew through Sister Dear, which was actually my FIRST Hannah Mary McKinnon book! I need to go read her previous ones now!

Poor Eleanor Hardwicke is down on her luck – significantly. Her father recently deceased, her estranged and loveless mother and sister, and an unfortunate personal injury. Nothing seems to be going her way. She accidentally stumbles upon a major secret while overhearing a conversation between her father and mother, while her father is on his death bed. Nothing will ever be the same for Eleanor….

Enter Victoria…. Her new best friend, or so she thinks?!
This is a marvelous story about a “friendship” that starts off with deceit, but who is deceiving who?!

I would consider this a “light mystery/thriller”, not super intense, but more than a women’s fiction.

I highly enjoyed this one, and recommened it!

OUT TUE 5/26! Thank you netgalley & the publisher for allowing me to read this early #partner

I am a huge fan of Hannah Mary McKinnon and I have to say that Sister Dear is her best yet! It's an intense and twisted ride that kept me up late turning the pages!