Not my favorite from this author but a great read none the less. Fun trying to figure out what was happening!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher

I am a huge Sally Hepworth fan, but it’s always nerve-wracking going into a new book by a favourite author. Will it live up to your own hype? In this case, yes, absolutely. My friend Sally hits it straight out of the park, again.

This story centres around two twin sisters in their late twenties, Fern and Rose. These sisters are as close as can be, and for good reason, they had traumatic childhoods and experienced something absolutely horrifying as preteens.

They’re also polar opposites. Rose is married, has a home and a job as an interior designer, and is yearning for a baby. Fern is happily single, works at a library (a job she loves), and lives in a small apartment. Fern is also neurodiverse and has sensory issues, although no diagnoses is given, I’d say she is on the autism spectrum.

When Rose leaves town to visit her husband, who is abroad, Fern is left on her own in the first time since she can remember. How will he manage? You’ll just have to read the story!

I don’t want to give away too much, but this book has everything. I loved Fern and think she’s likely one of my favourite characters in a book ever. There’s definitely suspense, there’s a love story, there’s bookishness (the library scenes are swoon worthy, as are all the supporting characters at the library). I’d love to see this book turned into a film one day.

Highly highly recommend and cannot wait until all my reader friends and family read this so we can discuss. It’s just such a wonderful book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

Twins are fascinating creatures.. Bosworth spins a tale of Rose and Fern-one
Leader and one follower. Journal entries by Rose. tell the story of her manipulations of Fern the Librarian with sensory problems. Even when Fern. wises up you will be surprised at the ending.. A fun and clever read!

I have LOVED all of the Sally Hepworth novels that I have read so far, so I was thrilled to be invited to read a VERY early ARC of her latest (Publishing Apr. 13, 2021) directly by the Publisher through NetGalley.

I just couldn’t WAIT any longer to read it!

She truly excels at DOMESTIC SUSPENSE, and this was her best yet!

Rose and Fern are fraternal twins who are as different inside as they are outside.

Fern has Sensory Processing Issues and is often overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, and pungent smells and Rose has always been her fierce protector. Their mother lacked some mothering skills, and they even had to develop a way to communicate without words-a warning tap of their matching bracelets, when Fern should remain quiet.

The threesome were even “homeless” for a year, spending every day in the Public Library, and every night in the home of anyone who would loan them a couch for the night.

But this ended up serving the girls well, because when Rose moved on to marriage, and a fierce desire to become a mother herself, Fern found herself a job as Librarian, which she excelled at, and found that she could live independently after all.

When Rose discovers that she may be unable to have a baby of her own, Fern decides that she may just be able to repay Rose for all the things she has done, and for all of the shared SECRETS that she protected.

I had no idea when I started this book that I would find the next Eleanor (Oliphant)!

Although Fern often has to decipher what her co-workers and Customers are asking of her-she VERY OFTEN sees the World more clearly than you or I, and her outlook is delightful!

My favorite chapters were those spent in the present day with Fern and Rocco (affectionately dubbed Wally by Fern).

They meet in the library when he comes in to use the shower and she mistakes him for a homeless guy-though he actually has chosen to live in a van. #VANLIFE.

The sister’s earlier years are shared with the reader through the “Journal entries of Rose Ingrid Castle” in alternating chapters.

As the story progresses I became quite ANXIOUS as to what may happen, as I became quite invested in wanting a happy ending for Fern, but knowing that life doesn’t always give us what we want.

Whether I yelled at my Kindle with triumph or with anger, is for you to find out!

One of my favorites this year!

Sally Hepworth's next tale following the Mother-in-Law does not disappoint! The Good Sister was a total page-turner for me. I was left in suspense and found it highly entertaining!

Another great book from Sally Hepworth!
Twin sisters Fern and Rose seem to have had a difficult childhood. They are very different. Fern has sensory difficulties while Rose leads a normal life. As the story progresses, you find out how different they are and truths about their childhood.

This was a great book! The first part of the book gave a lot of background and developed the characters. The second half was full of new information and twists that greatly impact the story. I loved the way everything came together and was resolved in the end.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is a psychological thriller, family drama, about fraternal twin sisters, Rose and Fern. Growing up with a single mother who inflicts mental abuse on her daughters, as portrayed through journal entries written by Rose, Rose is Fern’s protector. Fern is on the autism spectrum, and Rose makes sure Fern is taken care of, even as an adult. Fern is a free spirit, smart, a librarian who avoids social interaction, becomes over-stimulated quickly in certain situations, however it doesn’t affect how well she does her job. It seems to everyone that the twin sisters are as close as can be, and after a tragic event when the girls were pre teens, they hold a secret that could destroy everything they wish for. Rose is married, unable to have children, but seems to mother Fern in every aspect of her life. Fern finds love with a quirky guy who comes into the library one day, although she thinks he’s homeless, but he’s not...he just lives out of his van. She nicknames him “Wally”, because he resembles the character “Where’s Wally” in the Australian book series. The two quickly find they are very much alike, and “Wally” is not exactly the character you would think he is.

As Fern becomes more and more independent in her personal life, Rose feels she is losing all control of the sister she has taken care of her entire life. As the secrets of the past start revealing themselves, Fern is faced with the task of figuring out the truth vs. what she has been led to believe to be the true. When Fern comes up with a plan to help her sister by giving her the ultimate gift, we see the relationship unravel and the differences between the two sisters are more prevalent than ever.

The story will lure you in from the first page. It is told in alternating chapters through the point of view of Fern and Rose, including Rose’s journal entries as snippets of the past. Fern is my favorite character. The author’s perspective of Fern’s world was eye opening. She does a fantastic job of allowing the reader to really feel the world through the eyes of someone with sensory issues and how they deal with it in every day life. To see how Fern’s mind processed information, in such a literal fashion, was really eye opening and written so well. It was a nice process to see the development of Fern’s character throughout the story, and be part of her relationships with her fellow library co-workers. You can’t help but cheer for her relationship with “Wally”, and see how she develops her own sense of worth in society. As for Rose, you start to see how her life isn’t what she wants people to think it is. While Fern may be the twin with the ‘issues’, we start to understand Rose may have some of her own unresolved issues from the past.

I have to start by saying I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth. This is the fourth book I have read by her, and my third five star review. Each chapter just gets better and better, and about halfway through, I found myself needing to finish it without stopping. I wouldn’t consider this book a thriller, but it is a psychological drama with many dark turns and a creepiness you won’t be able to get out of your head. This will definitely be a must read of 2021!

I would like to thank Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Sally Hepworth for an advanced read copy of The Good Sister in exchange for an honest review. I would recommend this book, as well as many other books by Ms. Hepworth no matter what your preferred genre may be.

Sally Hepworth has done it again!

Fern and Rose are twins, in their late twenties. They take turns telling their stories. Fern mostly tells about her life nowadays, while Rose fills in the present. Though it’s never explicitly stated, Fern almost definitely has autism and Rose has spent most of her life helping a Fern navigate her world. However, Fern is very humanized- something that I think is lacking with a lot of characters with autism in other books.

The characters are phenomenally developed and Hepworth once again proves herself a great writer. The story flows and it kept me glued to my kindle.

I cannot wait to recommend this to all of my friends. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Sally, you did it again. I’m a huge Sally Hepworth fan to begin with and this new novel didn’t disappoint!

This is a story about two sisters, fraternal twins growing up and in modern day. The story is told front their respective Points of View. There are triggers like alcoholism and child neglect.

In true Sally fashion, this is a suspenseful ride, with a twisty and satisfying conclusion. Take nothing for granted as you read, because you’ll find yourself very surprised at the end.

I recommend this one highly and categorize this in the “unputdownable category.”

Thank you for the ARC!

Ah, this was a fun read! This is the story of twins who are close and yet are very different. The author did a good job with the character with sensory processing issues, showing her in a real way. The author also did a good job of telling the story, leading the reader down a path in a way that we think we know where it will lead... and then the path takes a dark turn.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was a great book about relationships of sisters and how each person views their childhood and growing up differently. The twins in this book are soo different in so many ways and yet very close. Loved the suspense and plot twists. Highly recommend reading!

The Good Sister is Sally Hepworth's latest novel. Thank you #netgalley for the ARC to read and review. Wow! In her usual way, Hepworth leads the reader down a twisty and surprising path. Rose and Fern are fraternal twin sisters. The story is told by Fern, in the present, and by Rose, mainly through her journal entries, which reveal what their life was like growing up with an unstable single mom. The sisters are unusually close, in part because Fern has some sensory processing issues and has always relied on Rose to help her understand people and situations. Hepworth puts a new spin on the unreliable narrator conceit; the question for the reader- which sister is the good sister? Even with things seemingly neatly tied up, the surprise ending is unsettling. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC for my Kindle.
I got caught up in the story and thought I knew what was going on, but the last few chapters completely surprised me. A great suspense novel.

Fern and Rose are twins who are extremely close. Fern is on the spectrum and Rose is always there to take care of her- or is she? full of secrets, family drama, and a mother who treated the girls differently. I loved the way the story was told in both voices, including Rose's diary where she tells her store. Sally Hepworth grabbed my attention from page one and didn't let go until the last page. Highly recommend!

Loved this one! The Good Sister is yet another brilliant suspense/thriller by Sally Hepworth. I was drawn into the story of the sisters Rose & Fern right from the start of the book. It was a compelling read with a lot of tense moments. The plot was wonderful & started & ended very well. All characters featured were given a lot of background which made me feel very invested in the story. I loved all of them. I also loved the way each chapter provided alternating POV's - between Rose & Fern. There were such good subtle shifts in the story that I didn't know when I switched teams & went from rooting for team A to team B. I thought I had the story figured out at the start but was so very wrong. I loved that this was so unpredictable. The twist/reveal in the end was done so very well. Highly recommend reading this. This is one book that gets everything right, starting from the beautiful cover, the plot, the characters, the twists - everything.

Thank you, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press & Sally Hepworth for an arc!

The Good Sister is such a fantastic book! Fern is currently one of my favorite characters I've read recently, I love her quirky challenges and manner of interacting with others - she's just great! I honestly was 100% convinced this was going to be just a family drama of some sort until about half way through, and then it got really wild. Excellent, excellent book, I'm definitely going to have to grab Hepworth's other novel!

I loved the other Sally Hepworth books that I have read but this one missed the mark for me. It is the story of fraternal twins, Rose and Fern, who were brought up by a single mother who seemed to have a variety of boyfriends. I felt the book really dragged until I was 80% done and then it picked up somewhat. Overall, I was disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this book.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth was an unsettling novel, the story of twin sisters, Rosie and Fern who were the children of an abusive, neglectful mother who was admitted to a home after a drug overdose when they were 12. Rosie was the "normal" child who took care of Fern, who had a sensory processing disability. Rosie was happily married and wanted a child. Fern, who knew she could never marry or have children because of her issues was a librarian. When Rosie mentioned that she couldn't have a child, Fern decided to have one for her. The first man she met that was a likely father for this child was Rocco Ryan, who she called Wally, a man she met in the library and who she thought was homeless.

But things aren't always as they seem and Fern fell into a relationship with Wally and when she became pregnant, Rosie convinced her to break off the relationship, which she did. But was it the right thing to do? The story is told both by Fern and by entries in Rosie's diary so that you get both sisters' points of view. Rosie constantly reminds Fern that she can't be responsible because of something that happened when they were young that they have to keep hidden, but as the novel goes on, the reader begins to question what happened all those years ago, and what is happening now.

The novel is very suspenseful and kept me on the edge of my seat until the final twists and turns of the plot brought it to a very satisfying conclusion. After reading the first few pages I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but once through the first two chapters I couldn't put it down! Thank you to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

‘I know you love your sister, but … ‘

Rose and Fern are fraternal twin sisters, who seem to be particularly close. Rose is the responsible twin, married and wanting a child. Fern is a librarian who avoids social interaction. Rose is very protective of Fern and becomes concerned about some of Fern’s choices. You see, Fern did something terrible years earlier and Rose has always had to look out for her.

What did Fern do? And what is driving Rose? Does Fern really need Rose’s protection? The story is told through the alternate perspectives of the sisters.

I can’t write much more without spoiling what is a dramatic story full of suspense. Suffice to say that life changes for both sisters when Fern makes friends with a man she calls Wally. Things are not always as they seem initially.

I really enjoyed this novel.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I really enjoyed this book. Often, I didn't know where the story was going, I just kept reading. At different times in the story, I liked one sister more than the other. About 3/4 of the way through the book, I realized what was happening and I couldn't wait to see what would happen. I love happy endings and thought that was what I was getting. Then, there was the last chapter...