Rose and Fern seem to be the quintessential fraternal twins. Rose is the responsible one. A husband who loves her, a fierce desire for a baby and a deep seated passion for protecting her sister from the dysfunctional displays of aggression and anger from their mother.
Fern the unusual one, a librarian, lovingly following Rose’s guidance and suggestions a little afraid to step out on her own.
Then after Rose leaves for a chance to reunite with her husband Fern meets someone wonderful who becomes a serious part of her life and challenges her to see life for what it is.
Like a wondrous chrysalis, Fern dares to fall in love. She begins to see the monster in her life and the plot that emerges to take her baby.
Great story, fun, quirky, entertaining imaginative.
I would give this story 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy. My opinions are my own and unsolicited.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not expecting this. Rose and Fern are twins. Which one is the leader and which one the manipulator. And don't even get me started on the mother. So many twists and I was hooked from the start. Unputdownable!

The Good Sister
by Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth has quickly become one of my favorite authors for this thriller genre. I absolutely enjoy a good domestic thriller and this one is amazing!! The story is about Fern Castle a local librarian who had some previous trauma that makes her uncomfortable with crowds, noises and bright lights. To avoid those triggers, Fern's life has been carefully planned to a set routine with no surprises. Her sister Rose has been her rock and a gift from Fern may help Rose change her life.

The story is told in the fraternal twins point of view and I really love the difference between the two sisters' bond. As the layers are peeled to reveal the rest of the story, there you will find Hepworth's brilliant story telling and creative plotting that is fast paced and tension filled.

I highly recommend this book - for the thriller fans, this is a must read.

"The Good Sister" by Sally Hepworth is another one of her books that hits the suspenseful spot. Very twisted, very dramatic, and very good! The two point of views featured in this story made this book what it is. It needs to come with a warning label that states "Has to be read in one setting" because nobody will be able to put this book down!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Good Sister.

I enjoyed the author's previous book, The Mother-in-Law so I was pleased when my request was approved.

The Good Sister is about fraternal twins, Fern and Rose. Rose is the 'good' sister. Fern is not. For all her life, Fern has depended on Rose but as she will soon discover, that might cost her.

What follows is a tale not just about two sisters, but about a young woman coming into her own, finding independence and believing in herself.

Fern is a believable, honest and relatable character. She is sensitive, emotional but capable and competent.

The narrative is juxtaposed between Fern's present day and notes from Rose's journal as she chronicles her past, a good way to lead the reader into a false sense of understanding, almost complacency as we are drawn into Rose's story and her point of view.

The ending is a happy one, though quickly and conveniently tied up nice and neat, as some readers noted, but I was glad to see Fern settled in and Rose get her comeuppance.

I look forward to the author's next book.

I adore Sally Hepworth and her devious mind, tricking us in all her novels. This one is a detailed relationship between twin sisters, Fern and Rose and it’s a doozy. Their mother prefers one of them over the other and it affects them both. One is a little developmentally challenged and it affects them both. One is a killer and it affects them both. One is good and the other not so much, and it affects them both. As a character observes where does on e start and the other end. Love and hate, jealousy and insanity, sweetness and evil, it’s all here and it makes for an unforgettable read.

I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth, her books never let me down, and this one was fantastic! So thanks @Netgalley and @Stmartins press for giving me that chance to read/review this book before pub date.

The book is a domestic thriller, told in multiple POV, and focuses on Fern, and Rose who are fraternal twins. Fern is a librarian who has a very structured life, things have to be just so, or she becomes overwhelmed. Rose, is married, and wants children, but unable to. Fern decides to have a baby for Rose, and a story unfolds, and A story it is. Without giving too much away, the book is just something else, and it one rollercoaster of a book. I would highly suggest anyone read it!! I think this book will do great when it releases in April 2021!!! Buckle up!!!!!

in closing, The book grabbed my interest from the first few pages. The characters are well developed, and the author does a great job in describing each character!!!

The Good Sister is one heck of a read and I didn't stop reading until I finished the book in one sitting! With sinister undertones and a deliciously juicy plot, readers are going to go crazy for this book! It's going to be a top read for everyone in 2021!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: April 13, 2021
“The Good Sister” is Sally Hepworth’s newest family mystery, full of deep, dark secrets between sisters, spurred as a result of a desperate struggle with infertility.
Rose has always been her twin sister, Fern’s, protector, always taking the blame for her sister against their drunk mother’s tirades, even covering for Fern after a terrible accident led to the death of a young boy. When Rose and her husband, Owen, remain childless after years of struggling, Fern decides that she can finally return the help her sister has been giving to her all of these years. Fern agrees to be a surrogate for Rose, against Rose’s knowledge, and sets out a plan to fall pregnant so her sister can have the child she so desperately wants. When Fern becomes pregnant however, others in her life start to point out things about her sister she may have missed and when their mentally incapacitated mother warns Fern to ensure Rose does not get her baby, Fern realizes her sister may not be the person she thought she was.
This novel had me hooked from the get-go. Alternating chapters between Fern and Rose, I felt empathy for both sisters almost immediately. Rose, who was willing to sacrifice her own life in order to ensure her sister was safe and Fern, the eccentric outcast who struggled in social situations and relied on her sister to help her through when she was overwhelmed. It was easy to understand why Rose would be so protective, and I rooted for Fern, as she grew into her own and became an independent young woman.
The drama doesn’t slow down; it is a constant thrill ride of gripping emotion. The twists and turns lead to a satisfying conclusion, with just a hint of anticipation as the very last pages come to a close.
I am always in love with characters who are on the spectrum (as I assume Fern was, although she was not diagnosed and does not label herself as such), and I was totally on board with Fern throughout. Hepworth has this way of finding relatable characters that pull me in, both in this novel and in “The Mother in Law”. The connection I have with Hepworth’s honest, dysfunctional characters has me devouring her novels every time. I can’t wait to read her next one (and perhaps I should get cracking on the other novels of hers I’ve neglected!).

10 stars! AMAZING!
Sally Hepworth has done it again with a twisted story that engages, intrigues and kept me guessing!
The story flowed so well with excellent character development. I felt the pain and emotions of each sister and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out more.

And yes there is a twist and a perfect ending!

Thank you for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sally Hepworth has amazed me, once again. This is by far her best book yet. I could not put it down, absolutely riveting story. The story moved along at a fast pace, you have to keep reading as the characters involved in this book. I am recommending this to people who would like to read something new or are in a slump lately.

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
Pub Date 04/13/2021
Suspense, Domestic Thriller

This book is about the lies that bind two sisters. Fern Castle works at her local library. Fern has dinner with her twin sister 3 times a week. Fern has to have an exact schedule. She avoids crowds, bright lights and strong smells. Rose is Fern twin sister and protector of a deep dark secret. And watches over Fern because of her sensory issues.

I absolutely loved this book. Read it in less than a day! Might end up being in my top 10 for the year.

Thank you to the publisher and to #netgalley for the book for an honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐+

This was FANTASTIC!!! I enjoyed every minute of this book. While not exactly a thriller, the twists had me not wanting to put it down. And the characters of Fern and Rose were so well developed and interesting, I felt like they were real people. This one will stick with me for awhile and I can’t wait to recommend it to friends when it comes out next year. Thanks to Netgalley and the publIsher for the pre-pub copy of this book. 4.5 stars rounded up!

I have read all of Sally Howorth's books, and this one is my favorite. The main character Fern is quirky, and she has developed ways to be successful in life, one of which is relying on her twin sister Rose. After surviving a difficult childhood, Fern decides on a plan to give her twin what she wants most. Fern is a character you will root for, especially as things come to an unexexpected end.

Thrilling novel about two sisters growing up in a dysfunctional home. One sister has a sensory processing issue and one sister thinks she is the good sister. Compelling read that keeps you guessing until the end.

This book was so much better than I expected. Well, I had a feeling I would like it, but The Good Sister was just so compulsively readable in the very best way, I can completely understand why it so far has a 5-star rating here.

Fern is quite possibly one of my favorite characters in recent memory. Sally Hepworth has created a story so twisty, you’re just never sure if you’re on the right track thinking about what’s happening.

Librarian Fern Castle has a very orderly life, prompted in part by the at times debilitating sensory processing disorder she has.

Her twin sister, Rose, believes it’s her duty to protect Fern. But when Rose discovers she can’t get pregnant, it’s Fern who comes to the rescue when she concocts the idea to be Rose’s surrogate. But Fern’s pregnancy reveals the sisters’ dark side...

Great read that I’d highly recommend. It’s both a family drama and a nifty psychological thriller.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for giving me the opportunity to review this copy. I’m definitely on the lookout for more books by this author.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, so I was able to read The Good Sister Early. Immediately I was engrossed in this book and finished it in about 4 hours, stopping half way through for a bit. What you think you know is so far from the truth it's ridiculous. This book left me feeling like "woah" and not seeing the twists and turns. This is the first by Sally Hepworth I have read and it was a great book! Highly recommended...

Really twisty and enjoyable read! There were a few inconsistencies that kept me from giving it extra stars, but I’d still recommend it. I think I’d appreciate it even more if I had a sister. I will continue to follow this author, she has not yet disappointed!

Fern and Rose….twins……. It’s a bond closer than the usual sibling connection. Twins supposedly share more than DNA. They think alike, sometimes look alike and are overprotective of their other half. What if that overprotection is a false front and one half of the duo is actually choreographing and controlling her twin’s life?  Autism made it easy to fuel the “bad“ sister’s schemes against her twin by manipulating thoughts to make her sister think she couldn’t exist without her help.The portrayal of how someone on the spectrum looks at the world every day is an education in this story. The author shows us positive role models who relate well with Fern.  Maybe we, as readers, could take that information away with us and apply it in real life. The story had me reading faster and faster in anticipation of the next chapter. Totally enjoyable .

What do you get when you throw a domestic drama, a budding and original romance, and a simmering thriller with unexpected turns into a blender? THE GOOD SISTER.

Fern and Rose are twins, but are as different as night and day. Fern has sensory issues. Rose has diabetes. Fern has been single for most of her 28 years. Rose is married, although the marriage is estranged. Fern has never even thought about having children. Rose and her husband have always wanted children, but never thought they’d have them. This plants a seed in Fern’s head that she can help her sister out with the ultimate gift.

There’s so much more to say, but I don’t want to give anything away. I will say that this far exceeded my expectations. The story is gripping from page 1. The chapters alternate between Fern and Rose’s POV. Fern is one of the best characters I’ve read in some time. With her sensory issues and being a bit different than everyone else, it was fascinating to see how her mind processed information and took everything so literal. She’s also one of the best examples of character growth I’ve read in some time. Fern is also a librarian (which was my dream job when I was a child), and I loved the relationships between her and her coworkers...which grew as the book progressed.

As other reviews pointed out, this doesn’t really hit suspense/thriller territory until about halfway through (54%). However, you will not be disappointed getting to know the characters and learning about their quirks. It’s all part of the groundwork for the second half. There are plenty of surprises and dark turns ahead, and the whole journey is 100% satisfying! Sally Hepworth is now an auto-read author for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Sally Hepworth, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.