I love Sally Hepworth's books. You can rely on her to give a super book with great characters. The Good Sister is no different. It's an immensely compelling read which hooks you from page one.

I love books about twins and this one has such amazing characterisations of the sisters that I could not stop reading it until I was done.
The story is told by twin sisters, Fern and Rose. They share their current stories and memories of a troubled childhood but apart from that, there is a bigger secret that is unravelled slowly.
Fern is one of the best characters I have read in a long long while. She is so well written that I fell in love with her completely.

This is a twisty, amazing, well-paced book that will relentlessly pull you in.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful story and a different take on a psychological thriller for me. Fern is a very quirky main character and I love her uniqueness. She has sensory processing disorder and has been told by her sister for most of her life that she isn't capable. Rose is her fraternal twin that has been looking out for her for a long time. They come from a past filled with instability and emotional abuse.
Fern decides she wants to have a baby for her sister because she has premature ovary aging syndrome. Fern works in the library and finds an interesting American that she takes a fancy to. She starts tracking her cycles and manages to get pregnant. Rose quickly steps in telling Fern that she isn't going to be a capable mother because she forgets too many things and has done horrible things in her past.

As the story progresses, things turn out to be different than they are perceived to be. Who is the good sister and who is the sister hiding all the dark secrets???

This was a wonderful book that I didn't want to end!

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced reader's copy.

This book was.... well, this book was actually really good! I am trying to branch out more with the type of books I pick up and read. This was one of those, "Well, let's give it a try!" reads. I was definitely not disappointed. The story focuses on twin sisters, Fern and Rose. Rose is seemingly normal and perfect from the outside, with the usual quirks that makes anyone their own unique person. Rose's POV take place in the journal that she keeps. She explores her and Fern's childhood and their mama drama. Rose is no afraid to get into the dark and horrible things that she experienced in her childhood. As an adult, her marriage is falling apart and she desperately wants a baby of her own.
Fern is a different type of person. She focuses on her immediate surroundings. She is sensitive to sounds, crowds, lights, etc. She enjoys her job as a librarian and has dinner with her sister at least three times a week. The two sisters have a close bond. One thing that always sticks in Fern's mind, however, is something tragic that happened in her childhood that she will never let herself forget. She does not trust herself because of this incident, and it keeps her from forming a bond with other people. One day, Fern discovers that her sister desperately wants a baby but is unable to have one of her own. Being the good sister that she is, she comes up with a plan to help her sister get that baby. What she does not realize is that by trying to help her sister have her dream baby, her whole world will start to unravel. Suddenly people are not who she thought they were. They have their own motives that she is not able to understand. What is a constant, however, is her job and her coworkers... and that guy with a funny hat that she bumps into one day while on the job who looks just a bit like Wally from "Where's Wally?"
This was an enjoyable read and I loved how the author weaved the story. There was definite character growth and the story became a bit disturbing (in the best way) near the end before the grand reveal.

Review will be posted on CelticsLibrary.com by June 7th, 2021

This is a book about twin sisters who are very close because of their traumatic childhood and a secret they have been keeping since they were twelve. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the rest of my book club, who seemed to really enjoy it! They loved Fern's quirky personality traits, which include navigating extreme sensory sensitivity and difficulty reading social situations. Fern clearly has autism. I found her habits to be rather predictable, much like the plot line. I love a tidy ending but this one was very convenient and quickly sewn up in a few pages, not necessarily in the most believable way. The writing is very readable, though, and I did enjoy the author's use of voice which she used to create her major plot twist. I would read more of her books.

I loved this book. The author had me "eating out of the palm of her hand" and then tricked me. I will definitely be reading more of her past and future books.

Rose and Fern Castle are twins, but they could not be more different. Fern is on the autism spectrum, but is able to live independently and hold a job. Their appearances are also opposite, where Fern is tall and willowy and Rose is short and her mother says, "round", in fact she teased her incessantly as a child. They were raised by their mother who has mental health issues, and doe snot seem to be able to hold down a job. They constantly move around, in fact spent one year living in libraries and their car. When their mom overdoses, Rose is left to take care of Fern. Fern works in the library and is very happy with her job as she loves books. Rose has gone to the UK to spend time with her husband while he is working out of the country. While she is away, Fern meets Wally, a man who also has some social difficulties. Fern falls for him and he for her, but when she becomes pregnant and offers her child to Rose and her husband to raise, she breaks it off with him. As the story progresses, we begin to see cracks in Rose's story and perhaps some secrets that will affect both sisters and Fern's child.

The story alternates between Fern’s point of view and Rose's POV, told through journal entries. They include flashbacks to their childhood, where we see how and why Fern has become so dependent on Rose. There is definitely an unreliable narrator in this one, but I will leave that to you to figure out. Rose is such a sweetheart, she wants to do whatever will make her sister happy, as well as what she believes she has to do due to family obligations. As the story progressed, I became suspicious of some of the things that were happening, but I was shocked when all is revealed. This is a well written and plotted story about family dynamics, relationships, secrets, obligations and mental health. I really enjoyed this one and recommend it to those who like domestic thrillers.

I really love thrillers like this. You can't put your finger on what is to come, but boy do you know its something.

The Good Sister is a fascinating read that keeps the reader questioning who to trust, what's real and what's not. A great read for anyone looking to explore sibling relationships both healthy and destructive.

This story enticed me from the very first chapter and I was hooked. The title alone made me question everything I learned about both of the sisters. Which one was the good one? And what made the other one 'bad'?

I definitely preferred one sister over the other but I'm not going to say anything more and will let you come to your own conclusions. The writing was easy to read and the author really got into the heads of the characters and gave me, the reader, a clear look at the world's of the two sisters. The way the story twisted out in the end was so satisfying. And left me pondering the true end result.

Sally Hepworth is a new author to me and I honestly loved everything about The Good Sister, her newest book. Although I have previously seen her books being talked about, this is the first one of hers I've read. I look forward to reading more!

Classic Hepworth. Exactly what readers have come to expect from her. The fact that it can easily switch between a women's lit book to a thriller show just how good Sally Hepworth is as an author. Even when you can guess what is going on you still are excited to see if you are right. Really a solid addition to Sally's works.

This was an enjoyable read and in many ways it reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. There is a little bit of a mystery element, but mostly it is a family drama with some great characters and a compelling story.

Fern and Rose are twin sisters. Fern has always had difficulty following social norms, and Rose has always been there to protect her. Even when Fern did something really bad as a child, Rose was there to make sure she was protected and continues to keep her secret to this day. But the sisters are tested when Fern decides to have a baby for Rose, and long buried secrets are uncovered that could change everything for the sisters.

Fern was a great character. I loved her quirks and immediately I was pulled into her world and wanted to protect her as well. I loved that she worked in a library, because I just love libraries. The story alternates between Fern's point of view in the present and Rose's journal entries, most of which take place during the sisters' childhood. The format is cleverly written, and it worked so well to reveal the story in this way. I flew through the pages!

I have read a couple of books by Sally Hepworth, and I think The Good Sister is my favorite of hers so far. Can't wait to read what she writes next!

This is my first read by Sally Hepworth and definitely not my last. The Good Sister checked every box I have for an enjoyable psychological thriller, with the added surprise of being funny and sweet at times! I think I'm glad I don't have twin sister.

This wasn't the most thrilling of thrillers, but the creepy factor definitely gets high toward the end. The main character, Fern, was a perfect narrator for this tale as the reader tries to figure out exactly where the twist will come in. Her relationship with her sister was well written and presented some surprises as the novel goes on.

Really like the book. Well written and fully invested in the characters kept me guessing until the end, loved the plot! Sally Hepworth has another winner!!
4 stars


Thank you to NetGalley and the Author and publisher for an ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I read The Mother-in-Law by Hepworth and was looking forward to this one. I wasn’t able to finish it, unfortunately. The primary voice (at least of the ~ 25% I read), was Fern and I actually liked her voice, her characterization. But, although she’s clearly on the spectrum, she’s certainly high functioning and responsible enough to hold a job, live on her own, make her own decisions. And yet… and this is where it actually lost me - even though I read on further - apparently she doesn’t have the capacity to understand that if she gets pregnant by some random man, that the baby born of that union isn’t her sister’s baby. What? She explains this away by the saying she doesn’t want to have sex with her brother-in-law so that this is her… only option? All this after she has googled how surrogacy works, etc.

I imagine I won’t be the only own who may have criticisms about the characterization of Fern and her condition… I actually very much liked her characterization, until this line of reasoning popped up and it made absolutely no sense to me, given her meticulousness, attention to detail, and adherence to rules and ideas that she feels are valuable and make her life run smoother.

I will almost certainly try Hepworth again, but this one unfortunately didn’t work for me.

ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley.

This book was entertaining but I would not say it was spectacular or a standout in the genre. I did like the unreliable narrator plot.

Now this is my kind of book! I loved this ingenious story of psychological suspense! My mind is still trying to process the story while at the same time I'm thinking of everyone I need to recommend this book to. I'll definitely be reading more from Sally Hepworth and looking forward to her future works.

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins who are just as different as they look. They have always looked out for each other as they have the loyalty you would expect from twins. Rose is responsible and looks out for her sister while Fern navigates through life on the Autistic spectrum and with a sensory processing disorder. While growing up, Fern and Rose also protected each other from their crazy mother who is manipulative and dangerous. Fern is the more favorable twin while Rose is bullied by her own mother. Bonds between sisters can be complicated and messy but when one twin needs something, the other is always there for her.

As adults, Fern does not remember their mother being so horrible and is often confused about her surroundings, especially due to the sensory processing disorder. Rose would often remind her of the things their mother did that caused such trauma in their childhood. Fern is relieved that she has Rose to help her as she is often naive and forgetful. Plus, Fern can’t be trusted since she did something so terrible as a child that only Rose knows about and helped cover up what happened.

As adults, Fern decides to have a baby for Rose since she can’t have a baby herself and that is where the story begins. It is told in alternating points of views from Rose’s journal entries and Fern’s present point of view.

The novel is so easily devourable in one sitting as the writing really sucks you right in. You will be trying to fit the puzzle pieces together! One thing I really loved about the book was that for a mystery and thriller novel, the characters were so great. Wally and Fern’s relationship was so wholesome that you just can’t help but to root for them.

It also gives you a bit more than your typical thriller novel. There’s the mystery and thriller aspect as expected but there’s also an exploration of family relationships and personalities. There is a lot of character development and growth, giving us readers a bit of a character study as well. Everyone’s dynamic with one another is so intriguing as well, especially once the truth begins to unravel and how they handle it.

This may be on the more predictable side if you’re a constant thriller reader however, it still constitutes as a fast, entertaining read with great characters. Definitely go into this without knowing too much as it makes the read more fun. This was my first novel by Hepworth and certainly will not be the last. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my review. For some reason it took me a long time to read this book, but I am very glad I finally got into it!!

Rose and Fern are fraternal twins and have depended on each other all their lives. Now grown, Rose is married and Fern is working as a librarian, but they still are close, having dinner together several times a week and talking daily.. Fern also visits their mother, who is in a nursing home following a drug overdose, but Rose refuses to even talk about her. Rose wants to know EVERYTHING about Fern's life, to "protect" her. Rose has tried for years to get pregnant without success, so Fern thinks the perfect gift would be for her to have a baby and give it to Rose. She meets a guy (much to Rose's surprise!), and does get pregnant. But then things happen that Fern does not understand and Rose seems to take over her life even more.

When their mother suddenly dies just as Fern is about to deliver, things get more complicated and the truth finally comes out.

The Good Sister is the third book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth and now it’s also the third five star review I’ve written on those books. There is just something about these thrillers that have drawn me into the story immediately and just won’t let go until the last page has been read.

This story is about two sisters that are complete opposites but they have always only had each other bringing them extremely close together. Rose is the practical in control sister that has always protected Fern who has her peculiarities seeming to fall on the autism spectrum. As children though Rose just knew she needed to protect her sister from their abusive and neglectful mother.

Now as adults though Fern does live on her own and work a job she loves in the local library with everyone around her being used to her eccentric nature. Rose has married and is wanting to have a child now of her own but she’s been struggling. Fern thinks this is finally time she can do something for the sister that has looked out for her and have a baby herself to give to Rose.

Immediately when reading this one I found myself having a huge soft spot for Fern and her unique way of seeing the world and existing in it. Sally Hepworth did a wonderful job bringing Fern to life and writing about her quirks but then again she does a wonderful job with all of her characters which is one of the biggest reasons I fall in love with her stories. The book moves at a perfect pace building the tension and giving the reader the backstory here and there to solidify the girls personalities and it becomes incredibly hard to put it down just anticipating the next twist coming along. After three winners in a row I am definitely looking forward to reading more by this author!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.