This book is so good! It didn’t take long for me to get settled into this story, and then the little reveals started to appear, and it kept getting more and more compelling. This story is exquisitely told through the alternating viewpoints of twin sisters, Rose and Fern. One of the best things about this book is the voice and development of Fern, a young woman with sensory processing issues. Honestly, there were times I practically cheered out loud for her. There were definitely moments when I had some emotional tears for her.

This has some domestic thriller vibes, but not crazy whiplash reveals. This is almost what I would call a comfortable thriller, which doesn’t take away from the power of this story or the layers of crazy reveals. But this book doesn’t depend solely on the crazy and unexpected. It is the characters and their relationships and believability that are the heart of this book. To my delight, there is a romantic storyline that is excellent. A bonus is that Fern is a librarian and many scenes take place in a public library with some fabulous supporting characters.

I really can’t wait for this book to be published and to receive the accolades and buzz it deserves. I highly recommend this book!

If Sally Hepworth has a new book coming out, you can bet I'm going to read it! I had my month made when I received an advance copy of Hepworth's upcoming novel The Good Sister via NetGalley. The book alternates between the perspectives of two twin sisters, Fern and Rose. These two sisters share a bond that has kept them close all their lives, but is this bond a healthy one or there something twisted about it?

Hepworth artfully crafts her characters in such a way that you will be completely drawn in and she keeps the action building and the tension rising as the plot moves forward. This book has it all- secrets, twists, suspense, unreliable perspectives, and even heartwarming moments. The Good Sister firmly cements Sally Hepworth's place in my top authors short list. She is an incredible storyteller and I am here for it! I highly recommend this one and am grateful to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

We have The Castle sisters, Rose and Fern, who are identical twins. The story is told in alternating perspectives of each sister from the present and part. You are led to believe Fern did a horrible thing in the past and Rose fixes things. Something occurs with Fern that causes supposedly happily married Rose to come in, manipulate the situation to make Fern give in to Rose. When Fern visits her mother in the nursing home, her mother tells her something that makes her question herself and the reader as to who is the Good Sister. I did not hate this book but it was somewhat predictable. It was not a page turning wow of a book.

The Good Sister is a captivating read that I couldn't put down. A major highlight of the book is the creative format Hepworth employs to tell the story of twin sisters Rose and Fern. Using dual narration, one sister tells her story through journal entries, while the other narrates through internal monologue. Fern struggles with sensory processing issues, and exhibits symptoms of autism, although a formal diagnosis is never disclosed. What I most enjoyed about this book is how the genre shifts through the novel; what at first seems like general women's fiction later evolves into a psychological thriller, and as a reader, you're not quite sure who to trust. It also touches on difficult subjects like emotional abuse and the challenging relationships between parents and their children. I really enjoyed this book, and highly recommend it to readers.

Fern Castle Is a highly intelligent, forthright young woman. She enjoys her highly structured routines which help her cope with her very literal take on the world and her tendency to suffer from sensory overload. She has intricate family relationships and keeps social interactions with less familiar people to a minimum, as she finds these confusing and uncomfortable. Fern has always been very reliant on her twin sister, Rose, to help her navigate the complexities of life. She has always felt that Fern has been her protector. The chance presents itself for Fern to reciprocate to Rose in a very selfless way. Seeing this through, leads Fern into a relationship which she never felt would be possible, and into events which turn Fern’s world upside down. This sometimes funny, sometimes tragic novel is a must read. Highly recommended. Thanks to the author, St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

I read The Mother-in-Law in 2019 by Sally Hepworth and really enjoyed it so I was looking forward to reading her new book, The Good Sister. It's definitely a slow burn, but Hepworth writes with great suspense and buildup. This is the story of two adult twin sisters and one of them is not exactly who she seems. I'll be recommending this book to friends as a good psychological thriller, and I'd also read more by this author in the future.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fern and Rose are twins. And as different as two people could be. Rose is married and seems to be happy with life except for the fact that she can't get pregnant.

Fern is more of a free spirit but has severe sensory issues. The world and it's inhabitants are a bit too extra for her.

But they both have secrets. Rose protected Fern from their crazy mother. Or did she?

Rose manipulates Fern into having a baby for her. And as soon as she is pregnant Rose turns into someone Fern doesn't know at all. 

I loved Fern. She has all these issues but she finds love with someone who understands them perfectly. But in the end, will she be able to stand up to Rose? Or will her mother actually save the day and expose who is the sociopath here?

That was some ending! Did not see that coming!

NetGalley/ April 13th, 2021 by St. Martin's Press

Wow! I just finished The Good Sister and I am blown away. All throughout I thought the writing was stellar; to be able to give the POV of two different sisters, one of which has sensory processing issues, was unique and very well done. As the story continued towards the climax, I was surprised at its twists and turns. So well written!

Having read and enjoyed another Sally Hepworth book I was looking forward to reading this and I wasn't disappointed. The story set in Australia focuses on two sisters – Fern and Rose and is told from their two narratives, although Rose’s narrative is given through a journal she keeps. Fern is really the central character and is wonderful, with her quirky idiosyncrasies. She struggles with noise and light and also she takes everything that is said to her quite literally, which causes a number of problems. She works in the library, a job she really loves and where she is a highly valued member of the team. The other person in the story is Rocco, who Fern meets at work. Rocco is also a wonderfully quirky character – he is a computer programmer who lives in his van. Rose is married to Owen who is currently working in London. Rose is desperate to have a child, but she has been trying for some time unsuccessfully. Rose has always kept an eye on her sister and they are very close, eating together three times a week. Fern wants to have a child for Rose to repay her for her kindness so she needs to find someone to have a baby with. Fern is a wonderful character and I became desperate for the happy ending she deserved. The first half of the story sets the scene and looks at the relationship the girls have with their mother who is now in a nursing home. There are flashbacks to the past and what happened in their childhood. It is difficult to say too much without giving the story away but suffice it to say it is really worth reading. It is a real page turner and is slightly hard to categorise although it certainly has some suspense in it. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this wonderful book

The Good Sister is a domestic thriller with a hint of suspense. With having loved The Mother in Law... I was eager to start The Good Sister.

What can I say? Is it a page turner? Yes! Does it keep you guessing? Yes! I was enthralled with this book but it was extremely predictable and that was SUCH a bummer. I have read so many thrillers and am so tried of having a predictable plot. I was playing it out in my head before I even finished the book sadly :(.

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins but are almost complete opposites. Fern has suffered some trauma in her childhood and has sensory-processing challenges, and is sensitive to touch and loud noises. Rose has looked after Fern her entire life and is very protective. Fern and Rose were placed in foster care as little girls due to their mother having an over dose on drugs. Ever since then, Rose has become some what of a mother figure to Fern.

Fern always has to have dinner with Rose three nights a week and they have a pretty steady sister relationship. Until things start to take a darker turn between Rose and Fern.

I won't go to into depth of the plot but the storyline alternates between Fern and Rose. It's a page turner and I have to say is quite the fast paced read. I was a bit let down unfortunately with the predictability and was hoping for another fresh and unique read by Hepworth. There are way too many thrillers in this genre that I feel all seem to get mixed up in the same box for me.

Overall, this has been getting very high praise and recommend giving it a try especially if you're a Hepworth fan!

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 4/21/21
Published to GR: 8/2/20

am going to start by saying I loved this book. Rose and Fern are twins. They grow up with a difficult mother. Fern has sensory issues and difficulty relating to others. But Rose has always taken care of Fern. She made sure nothing bad happened to Fern. Now, in their 20s, Fern decides to help Rose, who cannot have a baby. She meets someone and becomes pregnant with plans to let Rose adopt her baby. The story is told from two alternating points of view, Fern and Rose.

It took me a while to figure out which sister was the problem. Was it the helpful Rose or impaired Fern? I was on the edge of my seat holding my breath as I read the last pages

Told from two points of view, Rose and Fern, the story moves quickly with surprising twists and turns. I highly recommend this book.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth is a full length, stand-alone, contemporary, not always romance.
Meet Fern and Rose. Both are twins, but they couldn't be more different from each other.
They say there's often a good and a bad twin and in this case, I have to agree, sorry not sorry, no spoilers here.
Only so much, The Good Sister has it all, all the things I love in a great book, suspense, an intriguing plottwist, characters I could easily connect with. Check, check and triple check.
I enjoyed reading this complex story, 4,5 stars.

This was a very strange and twisted domestic suspense. This one was definitely a slow burn. It was good but not one of my favorites. It definitely excelled in the creepy category.

I've been a huge fan of Sally Hepworth for the a LOONG time, so when I saw the opportunity to request an arc for the Good Sister, I jumped on it.

I feel like 2020 has been the year of books about sisters. This is one of the good ones because there is an actual story here. We learn about the sisters Fern and Rose and we even watch them grow.
Rose wants a child and Fern is the one who can give her one. Fern is a complex character to be honest. She's timid, but I couldn't help but root for her.
I can't say the same for Rose. There was always ALWAYS something off with her and I always felt like she was holding something over Fern (spoiler alert, she sort of is) and I have to give Hepworth props for not even trying to beat around the bush with Rose.
As always Hepworth has a great talent for making you believe you have the story completely figured out and then she tosses in a sharp curve ball that you don't see coming. This was another homerun for me!

Thank you NetGalley For the ARC!

Twins, Rose and Fern have always watched out for one another during their turbulent childhood. After their father left, the girls have found they can't always rely on their mother.
With a sensory disorder, Fern finds that she must take care to avoid loud noises, bright lights, and disruptions to her routine. Rose does a good job of managing Fern's condition or so it seems.

As a beloved librarian, Fern has found a job she loves and created a careful routine that works for her. Once she begins to allow friends into her life, she finds new coping mechanisms that help although she lives with the guilt of having injured someone in the past.

While Rose's husband is away in London, she cajoles Fern into staying with her and tries to take over her life. Living in a nursing home, the girls' mother warns Fern that she needs to not allow Rose to control her.

What happens becomes the makings of a wonderful story in which hidden truths are revealed and friendships grow. I stayed up until 2am after reading this book in one day. It's a story that I found impossible to put down. It's a story I won't soon forget.

I received an advance Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm a fan of Sally Hepworth and found this to be her best book yet.

The Good Sister was an ARC sent to me by NetGalley, Sally Hepworth and St. Martin's Press. Thank you very much for this book and this is my personal review.
The Good Sister is a book about twin sisters. You truly have to read this book – it will be one that stays with you long after you have finished it.
I enjoyed this book from cover to cover.
Thank you again for another amazing story Sally Hepworth.

WOW! This book. Such a great story. I loved that the author would write about sensory overloads. I liked the two different perspectives. I really was drawn into Ferns world of order and being safe.
I also liked Rose but felt that something was off about her.
A great thriller and a great story.
I loved Fern and her challenges and all the ways in which she over came them.

Holy smokes! This book was an ARC (digital) from NetGalley, Thank you! I have seen Sally’s name in my book groups and thought I’d read one of hers. I had no idea the synopsis and took a chance. What a good decision! I could not put this down! What a twist!
I’ll definitely be reading more of this author.

My favorite sally Hepworth yet- not that she’s ever disappointed me before- she’s always been a reliable author. I liked the characters and it was a real page turner. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

The Good Sister did not disappoint!! Sally Hepworth is an automatic “want to read” author. From the way she weaves a story to the smallest of details used to describe the characters, she draws you in from the very first page.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Sally Hepworth for the opportunity to read The Good Sister in exchange for my review.