This is my first book by Sally Hepworth. It centers on Fraternal twins Rose and Fern who have been each others world their entire lives-right down to the matching bracelets they have never taken off. Fern has sensory processing issues which casts Rose in the caretaker role for her twin. Things are going along swimmingly as long as quirky Fern listens to her sister but when a romance throws a wrench in things, long held secrets are dredged up and things are not what they seem. Really loved the Fern character! I did not get thriller vibes from this book most of the way through. It really felt like watching one of those Lifetime movie dramas where something crappy happens to the main character and you keep watching hoping all will turn out right for them. I thought the writing was good and it held my interest but you could kind of see where this one was going well before you got to the end.

The Good Sister? I imagine, like me, you will feel differently about who is actually the “good” one in this relationship once you finish Ms. Hepworth’s book. There are some clues scattered through the pages, but still a surprising end to the story.

From the mother, you couldn’t help but hate, to the twins - Fern and Rose, to “Wally” and even Fern’s co-workers this book was packed full of interesting likable and hateable characters. All were wonderfully fleshed out by the author’s talented hand. I was right alongside them throughout the story. I love to take such a great trip! What’s even more enjoyable is to arrive at a surprise destination at the end. Exactly the case here.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Happy book publication month to The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (@sallyhepworth)

The novel is about two sisters and a dark secret between them. Rose and Fern are sisters who couldn’t have more diverse views about how their single mother brought them up. Rose has a slight mental disability and is a librarian, who is single. Fern has a home, a husband, and longs for a child. Rose and Fern are as close as two sisters can be. Fern takes care of Rose and makes sure nobody else takes advantage of simple Rose. Fern goes to London on a trip, Rose meets a guy and everything falls apart.

The character of Rose reminded me of Eleanor from Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. The novel pulls you in and compels you complete in one sitting. A juicy thriller that will make you doubt the intentions of both the sisters. The ending was highly satisfying. After I completed this book, I picked up The Mother-in-Law by the same author.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Category: Thriller
Publication Date: Apr 2021

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is an interesting examination of mental illness. For much of the book, the reader cannot be sure which of the sisters has succumbed to mental illness and which has not. Rose and Fern are adult twins who are relatively independent: Rose is married to Owen and Fern is a librarian and a good one. Rose wants to have a child and is unable to and Fern decides she will have a baby and give it to Rose. She would do anything for Rose. So she goes out and finds a man to assist. She sees him in the library and he reminds her of Waldo of Where's Waldo? fame. In England he's known as Wally. She sees him in the library and thinks he's homeless so she follows him to offer him a personal care kit. They become friends and eventually lovers, odd since neither really cares to be touched. When Rose discovers what is going on, she encourages Fern to break it off with Wally, despite that is the last thing she wants. She is early in her pregnancy so he has not idea since Rose encouraged her to keep it a secret. It all comes together very quickly at the end of the book.

The Good Sister is a study in mental illness versus, in this case, autism. Rose had been close to every move Fern had ever made, caring for her. Their mother had been in a nursing home for 16 years, having overdosed or had a stroke or? For much of that time she has been unable to communicate, but that is changing. Fern has visited her regularly during this time. Rose has not seen her for 10 years or more. As it becomes clear who is in charge of their lives, Owen, Roses' husband, reappears, as Rose had said it would. He has interesting things to say, along with what Wally contributes having reappeared. This was a stunning book written with care and love. Both women were excellent characters who loved one another in their own ways. The pacing is perfect to keep the reader involved and uncovers the story slowly, keeping up the suspense until the end. An unforgettable read. I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Good Sister by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #thegoodsister

I found that I could not put this down. I loved how Fern's being on the spectrum with sensory issues was handled so lovingly, and I thought the relationship between Fern and Wally was really great. Maybe as a result of all that, I can't say I was too shocked by the twists and it wasn't the heart-racing, nail-biting kind of thriller, but it kept my rapt attention throughout and I highly recommend it! I've read all of Sally Hepworth's books and will anxiously await her next book! Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC of this wonderful book.

Oh my. The Good Sister is a total page-turner. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. But most importantly, I love the representation of autism in this book! I also love the sister dynamic.

We learn a lot about the Castle twins from Rose’s diary and Fern’s narrative of her daily activities. We learn that they are close, as close as you would expect twins to be. We learn that Rose takes care of Fern and always has, that their childhood was unstable, their mother was a sociopath whose true nature only Rose could see. And we learn that Fern did something really, really bad when they were 12 and because of it her life – and future – are severely limited. After all, she can’t be trusted not to do a bad thing again. She needed protecting then and she needs it now, and Rose is right there to provide it.

Rose is struggling. Her journal tells us that taking care of Fern, dealing with their mother, and now with a husband absent on business and maybe absent for good, has taken a toll. She wants her husband to come home, she wants a baby, she wants the happy family she didn’t have as a child.

Fern, on the other hand, despite the sensory processing issues she has had her entire life, is charming and delightful. She loves her job at the library, her small circle of friends, and especially her sister, Rose. And when she meets Wally – well, I just couldn’t stop smiling at their every encounter. And at her plans for him. I wouldn’t want to have Fern’s issues, but I do wish I had her ability to use logic to get to the heart of things. No subterfuge with Fern. She is direct and honest and clear about what she thinks. She follows a straight line of reasoning: researching, analyzing and coming to a conclusion. Of course her conclusion doesn’t always fit with what society says is “normal,” but when you break it down it makes perfect sense.

So we think we know a lot about the sisters, but as we get farther into the story, we realize all we really know is that Fern has sensory processing issues. Everything else is kind of up for grabs. Everything that has happened to them, everything they say and do, is subject to interpretation. Nothing is nearly as clear as it originally seems.

And that’s the beauty of The Good Sister and what makes it thrilling, utterly compelling, unputdownable, brilliant. Rose is the good sister, right? She has sacrificed much of her own happiness to take care of Fern. Or is Fern the good sister? Because what you see is what you get, no lies, no fakes, right? The more I read the more unclear everything became, the more jumbled, the more I had to turn back to see if what I just read meant what I originally thought it did. There are lots and lots of clues hidden in the story, and as a picture started to emerge I couldn’t believe it, couldn’t stop reading, had to know which one was truly the good sister.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing an advanced copy of The Good Sister via NetGalley for my reading pleasure and honest review. I always love Sally Hepworth’s book and The Good Sister was no exception. All opinions are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it without hesitation.

I read this one in, like, three hours. Didn’t talk to my husband all night, because wow. What a fantastic story. Well-crafted, mysterious yet believable characters coupled with a fast-moving plot kept me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed how the chapters alternated between Fern’s current life and Rose’s diary about their childhood. It was quickly clear that the sisters didn’t quite agree on the facts of their relationship…but who to trust? Honestly, what a fun ride. The Good Sister gets an easy five stars from me.

Rose and Fern have always been close, as you would expect twin sisters to be. Fern is a librarian who is on the autism spectrum. She isn't close to many people and considers her sister Rose her "one person", the person that she can trust most in the world. Fern did something bad when she was a child and Rose helped her out of that situation, so ever since, she has let Rose look out for her best interest. So, when Rose is dreams of having a child and is unable to do so due to medical issues, Fern decides to help her out by becoming pregnant so she can give Rose & her husband the baby. It comes out of the course of the book, that both sisters have different memories of things that have occurred in their childhood.

This book is told mostly from Fern's perspective with some diary entries from Rose mixed in throughout. It was nice to see a book with a neurodiverse protagonist. Fern has her quirks but is likable and finds her tribe. She befriends a man that she meets at the library whom she dubs Wally due to his initial resemblance from the main character in 'Where's Waldo?' Wally is a great support person for Fern and I am glad that she found him. Hepworth did a great job, in my opinion, of developing Fern and Wally's connection. This is the second novel that I've read by Sally Hepworth. I read her novel The Mother-in-Law last year and I have to say while I liked both books, that I enjoyed The Good Sister the most of the 2. This book had me on edge the whole time waiting for the other shoe to drop. I recommend this one to fans of domestic thrillers.

What to listen to while reading...
Good Sister Bad Sister by Hole. (sorry I had to)
Overwhelmed by Royal & the Serpent
Librarian by My Morning Jacket
White Lie by The Lumineers
A Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant to Be by Jess Benko
Willow by Taylor Swift

Another winner from Sally Hepworth, who is proving herself as a force to be reckoned with when it comes to domestic suspense. For me, this book is a huge winner for one main reason--the character of Fern (and also Wally/Rocco).

Overall, I saw where this was going from a mile away from the beginning, but fortunately, the suspense storyline took a back seat to my rooting for Fern and her success. Fern has major sensory processing issues and a unique way of looking at the world. Her twin sister Rose has always been her protector throughout their tumultuous childhood with their dysfunctional mother. Rose continues to look out for Fern even as they are adults.

The story is told mostly through Fern's point of view, but also with Rose's diary entries that shine a light on the past. It isn't clear until the end though, if they are both reliable narrators, if one of them is, or if both are unreliable. That's the part I figured out pretty quickly, but like I said, it didn't matter too much because Hepworth's way with words made me feel deep anxiety about the unfolding situation. So much so that I stayed up very late (again, this is my trend lately with good books!) to finish and make sure everything turned out the way I wanted. Did it? I recommend you read it to see if you agree.

All in all, I really liked Sally Hepworth's latest novel and will continue to read her books as a huge fan in the future.

I have quickly become a fan of Hepworth's domestic suspense novels, so when this one popped up, I had to read it.

This one was interesting because it starts out in a way that makes the reader think it's going to be a pretty straightforward read. Fern and Rose are fraternal twins, but Fern struggles with major sensory issues and often needs Rose to almost take care of her. Through Rose's diary entries and Fern's narrative, the reader learns that they had a hard childhood. Their mother is in a facility due to a prescription drug overdose, and Fern is the only one who still visits her.

When Fern discovers that Rose is unable to have children, Fern sets out to meet someone who can get her pregnant and help her have a baby for Rose. She meets Rocco, AKA Wally, and they embark on a relationship, the first real one Fern has had in a long time.

As the story develops, Rose's behavior becomes more and more questionable, and Fern's relationship with Wally leaves her questioning whether she truly needs Rose's caretaking quite as much as she used to.

I really loved this book. I enjoyed the totally different aspects of reading a diary entries to get Rose's perspective and reading Fern's more straightforward, factual narrative. Fern is a very quirky, lovable character, and her developing relationship with Wally kept me reading. The slowly revealed twist ending was perfection.

I absolutely loved this book, I love Hepworth, and I 100% recommend this book and author.

Sally Hepworth is a go-to author for me and her newest release, The Good Sister, is just as good as her other books. Rose and Fern are twins. Rose seems to have her life altogether. A husband, a successful job, and a new wish to start a family. Fern is working as a librarian and has a few quirks. She likes a regimented schedule. She meets Wally when he enters her workplace and begins to develop a relationship with him. This sends the relationship between the sisters into a bit of a tailspin. Lots of good twists and turns in this novel. Read and enjoy!

Wow! The Good Sister grabbed my attention from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. We learn at the very beginning that Fern has a role in a young boy's death. Then the story alternates between Rose's diary and Fern. Despite being twins, the sisters couldn't be any more different. Fern's stories are mainly in the present while Rose does a mix of the past and present. Fern has sensory issues and is easily overwhelmed. She loves her routine as a librarian and not much of a social life, but quickly decides she can have a baby to help her sister Rose, who cannot get pregnant.

Hepworth masterfully wove all of the details of this story. Rose tells of a childhood of neglect and abuse. She always took care of her sister Fern.

I adored Wally/Rocko! He was such a wonderful man and really wanted to support Fern. I loved how he tried to make Fern comfortable. He was able to really see her.

I had an idea what the twist would be and where the story was going, but it was so well done .

I also leap to read a Sally Hepworth book! I think she is simply magical in creating deep characters and thick plotlines that have you completely hooked from the first chapter and make it impossible to put down.
I loved how she developed the characters of Fern and Rosa- how these twins were so different down to their core and the reality that they were both living in. Sally did a beautiful job representing a character with sensory issues to be so accurate yet sensitive. Bravo! Another incredible thriller that is a must-read for 2021!! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I LOVED all of Hepworth's previous books. This one wasn't BAD, but I felt the narrative technique was choppy and the characters shallowly defined and developed.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

4/5 stars from me. I was completely drawn into this book from the beginning and as the pieces started coming together I couldn’t put it down. This book is full of unique characters and has a plot that keeps you engaged.
Rose and Fern are twin sisters who have depended on each other their whole lives. Rose is the more responsible, mature sister while Fern like to do things her own way and likes to live a simpler life. Throughout the book, you alternate back and forth from Fern’s current perspective and Rose’s journal entries. You learn about their relationship with their mother and things that happened in the past that have cemented the strong bond between the sisters. One of those things in particular has been kept a secret for years and could change their lives forever if it was ever discovered.
In present day, Fern discovers that Rose is trying to have a child and is having trouble doing so. Fern takes it upon herself to try to fix the situation in an unique way. As you learn about each sister, you will probably be drawn to one over the other. I enjoyed the little twists that were thrown in there and in my opinion each sister gets the future they deserve. I will definitely be reading more books by Sally Hepworth.

3 1/2 stars. Fern and Rose are identical twins who were raised by their mother alone. Fern is on the spectrum and has a sensory processing disorder, and she and Rose are very close, with Rose watching out for Fern. One day while working at her library job, Fern meets a man she calls Wally, (who is also on the spectrum) and little by little they become friends and then more. All long we're given glimpses into Fern and Rose's childhood, through entries in Rose's diary, and we see that it wasn't a very happy one. When Fern decides on her own to do a huge favor for Rose, it seems completely reasonable, given their close relationship. This book is billed as a thriller, but it's more of a domestic drama. It isn't until the twist near the end that we see exactly what's really been going on. Thank-you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this title.

This was a fascinating read. Fern was such an interesting character but I really enjoyed Rose's part more. The author did a great job writing Fern's part though. She has autism and I felt like that author did a really good job capturing that aspect of her personality. The story was a little more family drama than thriller but I still enjoyed it.

Rose and Fern are fraternal twins and their lives have always been intertwined and inner-connected. Fern is a librarian and works at the local library. She is introverted and easily disturbed by sensory stimulation, so her life is structured and predictable – just the way she likes it to be. Meanwhile, Rose is married and works as a designer. Everything seems to be working out well, except Rose is unable to conceive and Fern decides that she could have a baby of her own and give it to Rose.

The Good Sister is an interesting character study that turns into something much more. There is unexplained tension between the sisters and their incapacitated mother, Rose is often unpredictable, and Fern begins to feel her life shifting in a direction she has never anticipated. This story is very well-written and it neatly moves from one sister to the other, as well as providing a backstory that fills in the gaps. I loved all the characters…from the two sisters, to the library staff, and even the nosy neighbor. All are well-drawn and memorable. I highly recommend The Good Sister. Sally Hepworth’s books are not to be missed!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

This was a great read! I loved how Hepworth built the story throughout the book layer by layer. Fern's character reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant, so I loved her. Also, she has my dream job- librarian WITH a sleeping cupboard? Come on. That's perfect!! I loved the back and forth voices and the way it worked within the story. I really need to get Hepworth's other books, because I've loved the two I've read! She manages to write page turning thrillers without any blood or violence.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.