I loved this story so much! It is easily one of my favorite mystery thrillers of 2021!

“The Good Sister” is the first book I read of the author and definitely won’t be the last one! The author spins the tale in a deliciously captivating manner that makes it hard to put down. Also, the storyline progresses between Rose’s diary entries (from the past) and Fern’s present storyline. My heart went out to Rose in the diary entries, particularly in how their mother treated her. Moreover, the diary entries give the story an extra edge because you hate the mother from reading it. But, you never know who is telling the truth as both the sisters have different perspectives on what happened.

Similarly, all the characters are charismatic and mysterious, and memorable. Fern is adorable! She is quirky, weird, direct, and you don’t know how she will respond to people. I loved her conversations with Wally/Rocco and Carmen. Moreover, the way she meets Wally is simply adorable, and you cannot help but love their friendship. Yet, you don’t know if Fern has a dark side and could snap at any minute. The author keeps you guessing as to who is telling the truth and who isn’t. The storyline is so gripping because it makes you understand how two sisters, growing up in the same environment, can have different viewpoints of life and how the situations shape them differently.

Overall, “The Good Sister” is a fantastic psychological thriller, and I highly recommend it is if you are in the mood for one.

Holy deceitful sisters Batman??!! What did I just read??!! This story is insane. And I mean that in a good way. Fern and Rose are sisters. The story alternates between their perspectives and versions of how life happened. We see a lot of this perspective in Rose's journals. Here is the best part of this book for me - you don't know who the 'good' sister is until the end. It's absolutely brilliant! The author could not have come up with a better title. I fell in love with Fern's character. Her quirkiness and her sensory issues make her an endearing character but also make for extreme confusion on figuring out this mystery. Rose is stiff, difficult and very unlikeable. Again making it confusing on if she is justified in her attitude or if she is the bad part of this equation. My mind kept flipping back and forth on who was doing what to whom, who could be trusted, who was telling the truth and ultimately who was the good sister. This story was suspenseful, entertaining, stock full of family drama and kept me up all night reading to find out what happens in the end!!! Great read!

My thanks to Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a great book! From page one, I was hooked. It's actually a fast read, if you are not to busy. I have been busy, so it took me a few days. I so enjoyed this book. I feel.in love with Fern and Wally! The best part is Fern is a librarian and half the book is set there.

Fern has sensory deprivation. I thought she was funny. I even laughed out loud a couple of times. Fern will do anything for her sister, Rose. But, Rose is not all that she appears to be.

Hepworth developed these characters superbly. I felt as if I knew them personally. She wrote in a way that transported me right into the book. As I said earlier, I was hooked from the beginning.

I highly recommend this book. I think any reader would enjoy it no matter their preferred genere. Do yourself a favor and add this book to your TBR list. I don't think you will regret it. It comes out April 13, 2021. Don't miss it.

Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martins, and the author for the Kindle Version of this book.

Sally Hepworth is firmly on my "I will read anything this author writes"list so I did not even read the synopsis before starting this one. It did not disappoint! The Fern and Rose chapters were as different as night and day; I so enjoyed getting to know Fern. While I do not have any of the sensory issues Fern does I still found her very relatable. The whole story kept me wanting more. It's one of those books that you tell yourself "just one more chapter and then I'll get to xwz" and then before you know it you've read five more chapters! It was unputdownable!

I received an ARC of this powerful story. Amazing tale of twin sisters who are so very different. I was pulled into this book and was totally unprepared for the direction it took. I found myself immersed in the drama. It's so well written and not at all what I expected. Absolutely worth reading!

Fern and Rose are twins. Fern is quirky, with sensory issues and she’s extremely literal. She loves her job as a librarian, relies on her routines, and leans heavily on Rose for anything and everything.

Rose thrives in her position as Fern’s “person,” often taking advantage of her sister for her own needs. Her husband has taken a job out of town, and when Fern comes across pre-natal vitamins, Rose tells her she’s been having difficulty getting pregnant. Fern decides the way for her to repay Rose for all she’s done for her is to have a baby and give it to Rose.

When an American comes into the library wearing a red striped beanie, Fern dubs him Wally, as in Where’s Wally (note: this book takes place in Australia, and the character is only called Waldo in the US and Canada). She asks him out, intending for him to be the father of her future baby, but Fern and Wally (she refuses to call him by his real name) hit it off and she finds she wants more than just a sperm donor.

Fern’s story is told in first-person, but Rose’s is in the form of journal entries, including flashbacks to their childhood with their abusive mother. But as the story progresses it’s not clear whose version of events is true, as Fern has very different memories of their mother.

I loved Fern. I liked her straightforward manner, attempts to understand social cues, and personal growth, and the character reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant. I enjoyed her library colleagues as well, who didn’t always understand her but were sympathetic, and her relationship with Wally is very sweet.

The Good Sister starts out a little slow but picks up speed and by the end I couldn’t put it down.

Just when I thought Hepworth couldn’t get any better, she creates this delightful page turning novel of humor, deceit and family drama. When Fern, an absolute perfectly written and charming character, finds out that her sister Rose wants a baby but is unable to conceive, she decides to have one for her. As we traverse between past and present and unravel the truth, who is really The Good Sister?

Holy smokes! 😱 To say that The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is a page turner is an understatement. I could not put it down and was almost frantically turning pages to see how it ended. Twisty and intense, this isn’t one to be missed.

I loved this. Sally Hepworth books draw me in and hold me there. I loved most of the characters in this book. Quick read that held my attention.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved The Mother in Law by Sally Hepworth when I read it two years ago, and I was stoked for this book and it blew me away. I don't normally rave about thrillers. I enjoy them but rarely do they get a loved rating from me. But I adored this book. Hepworth writes thrillers that are less about the plot and more about the characters and geez oh man can she write some characters! I kept thinking I had all the complexities of this story figured out but then she introduces a little tweak and I would once again be questioning everything. Fern is one of my favorite characters in a long time and I was rooting for her against all odds. I don't want you to read anymore about this book, because I think the less you know the even better the reading experience will be. Even those people who don't love mystery/thrillers and are more literary fiction inclined will like this book.

Also, Barrie Kreinik is a gem of a narrator and I hope she always narrates Sally's books.

Content Warning: Emotional Abuse, Child Abuse, Death, Ableism

I was invested in this book from the start!
A domestic mystery featuring twin sister’s Fern & Rose and their family drama through past & present.
Fern (the quirky twin) without a doubt is my favourite character. She’s unique and I absolutely loved being immersed into her world. I love that she is a librarian and her love of books is infectious.
Rose (the protector) always one step ahead of Fern making sure she is ok from the time they were young. Mostly from their mother, a true sociopath who hid her ways from the world, and only Rose could see it.
The tension builds in the sister bond as secrets are being exposed with Rose realizing that maybe Fern’s choices will mean that their mother might have the last word impacting the future of all.

First by this author and won't be my last!

I guess we are supposed to wonder which sister is the "good" sister and which is, by default, the "not good" sister. Well, it is a pretty easy guess and we read and wait to find out why we are right. Fern has sensory issues and is very reliant on both her own schedules and her sister Rose. The reader is lead to rely on Rose to solve Fern's problems and be the guiding sister. I do love the development of the characters through the book and the introduction of other people in Fern's world. I wish we had gotten a better look at Rose as she was seen mostly through Fern or in flashbacks through a diary. And, as frequently seems to be the case, I did not need the chapter at the end that went back over everything and confirmed all the lose ends. It was redundant and I continue to wonder why authors feel the need. The book was complete and I was a happy reader without it.

I can always count on Sally Hepworth to deliver a totally binge-worthy book that I won't be able to put down! She crafts these characters that you can't help but get attached to and emotionally invested in their lives. Once I started reading The Good Sister, I didn't want to put it down, and in fact, I only did so to take care of my kids (lol). In this book, we meet Rose and Fern, who are twin sisters. Even though they are the same age, Rose has always taken care of Fern and acted as her "protector." When they were younger, Fern "did something bad," and ever since then, Rose has taken it upon herself to protect Fern from herself. Things get complicated when Fern meets a man and becomes pregnant. I don't want to give too much away, but man, this one was twisty! Hepworth leaves you in a state of suspense, as you try to figure out what Fern did that was so bad. When things start to unravel and the characters' true natures start to come to light, the suspense is ramped up in a way that will have you racing through the pages to find out what is going to happen next. This was a fun read from start to finish, and one that I would definitely recommend. I will be posting my review on my Instagram page @readingmama_reviews in the next few days before its pub day, which is next Tuesday, April 13. Thank you to St. Martins for both my digital copy and physical review copy!

4.5 stars!

Mind. Blown.

I’ve heard the hype for Hepworth’s books so I was a little nervous knowing how well-loved they are. But this exceeded every kind of thought I had! I was hooked from the get go not wanting to put it down. I finished in less than 24 hours because the audiobook was so easy to listen to. I followed along on my kindle, but I absolutely loved the narrator, Barrie Kreinik. Nonfiction is typically my audiobook genre, but if Hepworth and Kreinik can be considered their own genre, they’ve been added to my top audiobook favorites.

My emotions were pulled every which way for this story. This story was written from two POVs, one present day Fern, and the other was Rose’s journal entries. I absolutely adored Fern and felt so bad for Rose in the beginning.

The story starts explaining a story from childhood, and how Fern did something really bad. But it wasn’t touched on again for half the book or so! I was definitely questioning how it would come back into play. Have no fear, it impacts the story in a big way.

In the end, I really enjoyed this book. It's less about the plot and more about the character development so if you’re looking for a good page turner, I really think this would satisfy that.

Big thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book, and also LibroFM for the ALC of the audiobook!

Read this book. Don’t read the reviews. Don’t read the synopsis. Just clear out your Saturday afternoon, find a blanket, a cosy spot and get stuck in.

Sally Hepsworth is now an auto-buy author for me. That’s all I’m saying.

I had heard good things about both this author and this book so was looking forward to reading it. I wasn't sure at first if I liked it or not but once I was further into the book I really enjoyed it. I found I liked the characters and it had some good twists that I didn't see coming.
Based on this book I will definitely be reading more by Sally Hepworth in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my ARC.

As the book description says it appears Rose and Fern are as close as twin sisters can be. But as Fern tells us with sisters it's often sunshine and lollipops and blood and guts. Rose is an interior designer, who is experiencing a separation in her marriage due to infertility issues. Fern is a librarian, who loves her job, her predictable routine, and has a sensory processing disorder. We learn through alternating chapters about their difficult childhood, their present day situations, and a big secret the sisters are keeping. Fern's chapters are told in her own voice as things happen. Rose has been instructed to keep a journal to work through her traumatic childhood. Fern tells us of learning Rose cannot have a baby and Fern's secret plan to help with that. However, when Fern meets "Wally", a man she assumes is homeless at first, things take a turn toward romance for her.

The story keeps you guessing about the facts that are being presented. Fern's memories of their childhood differ from Rose's, but Rose tells us Fern often forgets things or remembers things incorrectly. As the story progresses secrets are revealed and lies are unraveled. I do not want to give away any spoilers. I really enjoyed Fern. I also liked the relationships that develops between her and Wally. Definitely check this out if you enjoy a good story with unreliable narrators.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This is the story of twin sisters - Rose and Fern - whose childhood wasn't particularly happy. There was an incident - one I can't tell you about here - spoilers - but something that keeps being mentioned all the way through... A defining incident you could say.
Anyway... back in the present, and Rose is unhappily married - sort of - and struggling to conceive. She has been seeing a therapist and writes a diary. She is also extremely protective over Fern who she sees as very vulnerable. Anyway, long story short, Fern wants to repay Rose by giving her the one thing she could have that Rose can't achieve... and this is the story of what happened after she made that decision.
I'm being deliberately vague as I firmly believe that less is more going into this book. You really need to go in as blind as you can. So... stop reading reviews and just crack on!
Still with me? Need more convincing then? OK...
This story had me glued to my kindle. It gripped me from the off and held me captive throughout, only allowing me time out to do the things necessary for my ongoing survival and no, that didn't include sleeping.
The characters are cracking and I wish I could explain more here but even if I only hint at why I liked some of them rather than others could inject spoilers here and that's not happening. Suffice to say that they are, within their story arcs, wholly credible and I was well able to connect to each and every one - both positively and negatively as appropriate.
Plotting is tight and well executed. Pacing is darned near perfect and the injection of the past into the present happened at exactly the right moments for maximum impact. The action, intrigue and anticipation all ramp up nicely to the end and, after the final denouement, left me wholly satisfied.
I have already read the rest of the author's already impressive back catalogue so all that's left is to sit back and patiently await her next offering. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for this amazing novel!

This was such a great read. I fell in love with Fern and Wally. These delightfully quirky characters will stay with me for a long while. And I will picture them in noise cancelling headphones and swim goggles always.

This story is told from the perspectives of twin sisters, Fern and Rose. Rose tells the story of growing up with Fern and their single mother through therapist-suggested journal. Fern’s perspective is focused mostly on her present, quiet life as a librarian. Fern loves routine. She forgets things quickly and she has sensory processing disorder.

Fern relies on Rose and Rose protects Fern. Fern would do anything for her sister.
But there are secrets about their past that have been buried for years. What happens when they begin to surface again?

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins but that is where the similarities end.
Rose has always been the one who is the responsible one and Fern is the one with sensory problems.
Fern is haunted by a tragedy in their childhood. Rose always said it was an accident.
Fern has a very rigid schedule that helps her cope. One day she meets she Rocco, who she nicknames Wally because of his striped hat. Fern is letting her guard down and letting “Wally” in.
Rose is married but her husband is working away and they are desperate for a child which hasn’t happened.
Fern is finally becoming her own person and Rose is having problems accepting her independence.
This story is fast moving and suspenseful. It shows that everyone needs to trust their instincts.