I think I had higher expectations for this book, but over all it was amazing. I couldn’t stop reading to see what was going to happen to Kate and Lauren and this new half sister that appeared in their lives.
The ending shocked me, but I had a feeling that person was the one who controlled everything.

The Half Sister by Sandie Jones was one of my most anticipated thrillers for the year and I was so happy I could read it through @netgalley . This is a thriller following two sisters who don’t really get along and one day a woman walks into their life claiming to be their father’s daughter. Obviously this causes a lot of tension and secrets to be revealed.⁣
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❤️Review❤️⁣
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I really loved The First Mistake and couldn’t wait to pick this one up. I really enjoyed the first chapter with the initial set up, but then it kind of lost me. The book felt very disjointed. The timeline would either go at a normal pace from chapter to chapter or it would jump weeks. I liked the characters would fluctuate from being likable and not likable. There were a lot of different possibilities that were hinted for the ending and I’m not sure if what actually happened made me satisfied. It was a twist, but not one I particularly enjoyed. I felt like something better could have happened.⁣
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3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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What has been your favorite thriller so far this year? ⁣
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Lauren and Kate have conflicting feelings about their deceased father. Lauren resents him in a way, and Kate remembers the doting, loving dad. Over the years, the sisters have drifted further apart and lead very different lives. Kate struggles secretly with infertility while Lauren is blessed with three children. Lauren has her own secrets though - her marriage isn't exactly what everyone thinks it is. Even though they're not as close these days, Lauren and Kate always go to their mother's house for lunch on Sundays. During one of their visits, there is a visitor at their mother's door with a crazy story - Lauren and Kate have a half-sister named Jess. How is it that their father could've had another child without anyone knowing? Jess and Lauren claim that the DNA results are the proof, but Kate can't bring herself to believe it. Is Jess really who she says she is?

I've enjoyed other books by this author and was excited to read The Half-Sister. The story here was just OK for me. There was a twist at the end, but I saw what was coming. I found there was a little too much going on and some of the characters' actions didn't quite make sense to me. I will definitely continue to be on the lookout for titles by Sandie Jones because I do enjoy her work.

Family drama is always one of the best reads. And Sandie Jones is a master of domestic suspense. This book is very intriguing, fast-paced and hard to put down, highly recommend!

The Half Sister is an interesting domestic thriller that provided some unique twists in the story. Unfortunately, it was not all that I was hoping it would be. It was not as suspenseful and dramatic as I like for a thriller. I felt like it had a stronger emphasis on the family relationship dynamic and I was just not in to it. It was also a very slow burn story, too slow for me. The last 1/3 of the book did pick up, I just wished it had been more like that the whole time.

The strained relationship between the sisters and their mother in the year since their father passed away has created a lot of tension in the family. They all have their secrets and years of misunderstandings between them, which creates a hostile environment. You could feel the hate and contempt between Kate and Lauren from the start. I know that the animosity between the sisters was there to help the story line, but it grew old for me fast.

I did find it to be a bit predictable and was able to guess the ending pretty easily too. I was really not a fan of the infidelity theme throughout the book, I don't care for that in general in any book that I read. The lying and paranoia with Lauren, and her guilt when her husband was obviously a jerk, got old pretty quickly. Simon was truly awful and you could see that whole situation escalating before the book was over from a mile away. I also hated that Kate doubted her husband like that after everything that they had been through with the infertility and pregnancy. I know that was written like that to keep the reader on their toes, but it really just made me dislike Kate.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy of The Half Sister in exchange for an honest review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Good story, good twist. Well written. I would read more by this author.

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This was a very good book. I was so into the book that I felt like I was there. So many surprises and twists I didn’t see coming. I would definitely recommend this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm starting to like domestic suspense as a genre. The Half Sister perfectly encapsulates that genre title. I have previously read and enjoyed all of Sandie Jones' books, and this one is no different. I read this one in a little over three days. The plot moves quickly, and I think the back and forth narration is effective at introducing us to, and letting us get to know, both main characters. Lauren and Kate couldn't be more different in their lives, but what they have in common is a BIG factor: each think the other has the perfect life. I love how the book played out this storyline while weaving the main storyline, the half sister, through.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

This one was alright but not the best. It was predictable to say the least and I caught on pretty quickly to what was going to happen. I also couldnt connect with the characters and just couldnt get into it. It was a fast paced read though which was nice. Thank you though Net Galley for sending me a early ARC copy of this.

I received a copy of this book to review. This book was suspenseful. A quick easy read that held my interest. A half sister shows up but is she really the half sister? What is she hiding? What secrets do each one have? I would recommend this book

What would you do if you suddenly found out you had a half sister? The two sisters who find this out have such different views on it that i’m not sure who to side with.

Absolutely adored this book. I was sucked in from the very beginning. It did have some flaws, though, which is why I gave it 4 stars.

-I feel like the DNA website part was a little flawed in regards to the plot.
-Everything at the end felt kind of rushed. I had to listen to the ending twice to understand what happened.
-this is not a thriller. Its a family drama.

That being said, I loved every minute of this family drama. I was so engrossed in this family drama from the very beginning. I wanted a little bit more from the end. But, I still loved this book regardless.

THE TRUTH

Sisters Kate and Lauren meet for Sunday lunch every week without fail, especially after the loss of their father.

THE LIE

But a knock at the door is about to change everything. A young woman by the name of Jess holds a note with the results of a DNA test, claiming to be their half sister.

THE UNTHINKABLE

As the fallout starts, it's clear that they are all hiding secrets, and perhaps this family isn't as perfect as it appears.

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The story is told by Kate and Lauren. They are both sisters who don’t exactly have the best relationship. There’s a lot of trust issues and tension between them. When Jess shows up at their door claiming to be their half sister, Kate immediately disregards her claims while Lauren isn’t too sure that they should brush this claim off easily. Their mother is seemingly distraught at this news. As the story progresses, Kate used her journalism experience to try to figure out everything she can about Jess while Lauren tried to get closer to her and offer her more support. This drives an even greater wedge between the two sister (Lauren and Kate). Secrets get uncovered, their mother seems to know more than she lets on.....how can they all find out the truth while protecting their family? Is that even possible?


This book took me FOREVER to get through. The first half of this story was SOOO slowly paced. The second half definitely picked up but while I know it was meant to mislead readers into thinking about different outcomes, it just threw story lines left and right. There was so many holes in this that weren’t resolved in the end that I can’t say I enjoyed it.

Another great read by Sandie Jones! Unexpected twists and turns will keep you guessing throughout. So many secrets in a seemingly "normal" family.

Thank you to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.

I feel like this story just didn’t work for me. I thought the premise was very intriguing, but it just didn’t go in the direction that I had hoped. I found this way less of a thriller and more just family drama. I feel like so much more could have been done with the half sibling showing up on the doorstep of a family due to an affair.

I really did enjoy Kate and Lauren and reading about the dynamics of their own families but I felt like there were too many issues going on at once with Simon and Justin and Matt and Jess’ problems. Everything just seemed to blur together and there were just ok many moving parts for me. The DNA didn’t entirely make much sense either. And why didn’t Kate just say that was Jess when she saw them? It just all felt unnecessary and difficult to get through.

It definitely was a quick and easy read though.

Much like The Other Woman, this story should have been more than what it delivered. You have two sisters living their lives in London when a woman shows at their doorstep claiming to be their father's child. She's mysterious and a threat to their level of normalcy. Good premise. Lukewarm execution. I gave this book two stars. I expected a little more thrills since this is a domestic thriller. Not once did I feel a chill on my spine.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Another fabulous book by Sandie Jones. Her writing style is truly unique. I never can put her books down once I start reading! And this book was no different.

The Half Sister had great & likeable characters, believable storyline, and an ending you didn't see coming!

You won't regret reading!

I went in with some high expectations, but this wasn't one of my favorites. There are some scientific aspects to this book that don't ring true to me. That's most likely due to me being a science teacher by trade so maybe some others may not pick up on it? It also felt rushed, not enough build-up in the mystery. I'll anxiously await her next novel in hopes for something a little more thrilling for me.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you, Netgalley, for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This book had a lot of potential, but often I felt it could have been more compelling. This was a good book. It just didn't draw me in quite as much as I had hoped. Unfortunately, this book was part of a number of thriller, mystery/suspense books that I read in a row for a challenge. So I think that is why I was leaning more towards a lower rating. The other books draw me in way more than this book did. Compared to those books, this book was just OK. The idea for this book was great. It's always interesting to read about lost relatives surfacing out of nowhere. I just believe that the book was too slow sometimes in particular since it also included a murder.