I was so honored to be asked to read the upcoming novel, The Good Sister, by Sally Hepworth.
Fern and Rose are twin sisters who are always, looking out for one another. Even from a very young age, they’ve had a special, sisterly bond that is truly unbreakable.
Rose is married to Owen, and all she wants is to give him a baby...however it just doesn’t seem to be in the cards for them.
Fern, is a quirky, sensory sensitive librarian with a charming intellectual disability. She decides she wants to help Rose. All she needs to do is find a man and get pregnant. Sounds so simple, right?
This book alternate between past and present, and also between both girls’ points of view. As the reader, I instantly favored Fern, and immediately fell in love with her...though both sisters were likable and each told a great story. Chapters set in the past carry a deep, dark secret, that only slowly unravel....continuously leaving you begging for more!!
Who is “the good sister” here anyway?? 🤔
Unfortunately you’ll have to wait a bit for this one. It doesn’t come out until April 2021, but I promise, it will be worth the wait!!
I really LOVED this book and I think you will too!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth and was excited to receive this copy of The Good Sister from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This was a fantastic domestic thriller! The plot was quick moving and the characters were multilayered. I loved the way that the author presented Fern and Rose, two fraternal twins who lives are tightly wound together. Fern needs order in her life and she has some sensory issues that the author does a brilliant job writing. I can't remember ever reading a book with such an accurate representation of character with sensory issues. The relationships in this story are well written and the twists that Hepworth weaves throughout this novel keeps the reader on the edge of there seat, waiting to see how life will evolve for these two sisters. I flew through this novel and it was such a wonderful thriller. I can't wait to see what Hepworth writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this! Fern is a librarian who sticks to her routines, hates crowds and loud noises, takes things literally, and doesn’t understand many social cues. After finding out that her twin sister Rose cannot have a child but wants one desperately, Fern decides to help her out by finding a man and getting pregnant herself. What follows is completely unexpected and will keep you reading! The ending seemed a bit too unrealistic, with everything tied up neatly in a bow for Fern, and I thought at times the author was beating us over the head with Fern’s (I assume) autism. But overall, a solid and well-written mystery! 4 stars!

THE GOOD SISTER is an interesting read, but a bit uneven. The first half or so reads like women's fiction. It's a tiny bit slow as the story develops and I had a difficult time connecting with Fern. Then the second half of the book becomes somewhat of a thriller or suspense story. The second half seemed stronger to me and I wish the first half had been a bit more interesting or moved faster. Hepworth's character development is very well done. Recommended for fans of women's fiction and suspense and who don't mind a book that changes gears a bit halfway through.

Another fantastic book by Sally Hepworth! Every new book is my new favorites of hers, and this is no exception. The Good Sister is so incredibly well written. Sally Hepworth has a way with characters, making you easily fall in love with each one of them and root for the best. LOVED this book and highly recommend!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book from start to finish! It grabs you right from the beginning. It didn't have jarring swings but rather the story builds perfectly. I really felt connected to the characters!!

Wow - awesome book - couldn’t put it down.....even read it through dinner!!!! The author really knows how to pull her readers into a story - this is just another one of her books that I’ve loved! I won’t spoil the story, because it’s that good, but wow - just wow!!!!

Current pub date is April 2021 - add it to your TBR!

This is SUCH a good one from Sally Hepworth, perhaps my favorites of her's so far. We meet Rose through her journal - occasionally sharing current events, but mostly detailing memories from her childhood - then we meet her fraternal twin sister, Fern, who experiences Sensory Processing Disorder (though she isn't officially diagnosed).

The initial setup of the story and up until about the halfway mark for me felt very normal... though I was waiting on *something* to happen knowing that it was a thriller, it truly felt like a normal women's fiction story. Then we start getting more details on a mysterious event that Rose has referenced in her journal, and the first inkling that we may have an unreliable narrator here. But who?

I'll leave it there for now since there's plentyyy of time until the pub date but trust me - this is a good one! Super intriguing story throughout and an ending I think will please readers!

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth A domestic suspense novel that is warm, humorous, heartwarming with an underlying threat that is dealt with in clever outcome.. Rose and Fern are fraternal twins with the premise that one twin is more dominant than the other, Their story further complicated because of their past and Fern's life issues. The final pages reveals a relationship that is both loving and complex. Fern and Wally are absolutely adorable as a couple.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This book was a crazy fucking roller coaster. It was also incredibly funny. A joy to read. Light hearted, but checks all the right boxes. This author keeps getting better and better

I'm a huge fan of Sally Hepworth so I salivated a little when I got this title. How can a book be heartfelt, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at once! Fraternal twins Rose and Fern are as close as sisters can be. It appears that Rose has always taken care of Fern who has Aspergers; even as an adult, it is to Rose that Fern turns to when life seems to spiral out of control. The novel alternates between Rose's journal which documents their childhood with an abusive and controlling mother and present-day Fern who works as a librarian and meets "Wally." another quirky and lovable character. But of course Hepworth's talent lies in the unsuspected surprises that are revealed as the book goes on. Nothing is as it appears and I was gasping every other page! Ultimately, I may have done some ugly crying but it was all worth it as this is a gem of a novel!

Sisters are a complicated relationship,as anyone who has one knows.
Fern & Rose,twins,have known this all their life.
From a complex relationship with their mother to a complex relationship at hand,this story weaves a web that needs untangled,in the worst of ways.
Rose,the perfect child & Fern, ostentatiously on the spectrum try to live their adult lives while combating their childhood & their own intermingled relationship day by day in a novel that will keep you hooked page after page.

I received this book from Netgalley because I read and enjoyed The Mother In Law. I liked the Good Sister just as much. Great characters and a story that made me tense. Not knowing where it was going.

THE GOOD SISTER
BY SALLY HEPWORTH

What is it about twins that make for such a fascinating topic in psychological thrillers?

In this case Rose and Fern aren't identical twins but fraternal. I think what captivates us is somewhere in these stories there is always one that is relatively good and one that if not evil is bad news.

In Sally Hepworth's latest offering we definitely have an unreliable narrator but who is it? Is it Rose or Fern? Rose is married to Owen but is failing in the common infertility area where she admits right in the very beginning that she is driving him away with all of the stressors of the perfect ovulation time etc. Fern is an unmarried librarian who happens to come across the news by accident that Owen and Rose are having trouble conceiving by noticing an infertility drug in Rose's pocketbook.

Fern gets it into her head that if she was to have a baby and give it to Owen and Rose--then problem solved? The only problem is that Fern is single and not dating anyone in particular at this time. If it weren't for Rose Fern couldn't manage since she has an over stimulating capacity to not be able to tolerate bright lights and loud noises. It is Rose that has to keep reminding Fern not to forget both simple requests as to pick up a container of milk to not forgetting she is taking care of Rose's dog. Fern is convinced that if not for Rose's reminders she would not be able to manage on her own.

This book is completely addictive once you start reading it. It left me pondering how much of our trauma's in our youth define us as being confident adults? Are some of us more susceptible than other's in believing how events really happened? I do believe some of us are more strong willed than other's. I do know that from birth until around the age of seven we children are in a theta brainwave state meaning our core beliefs are being downloaded by our parents, siblings, friends and community like we are video recording everything that is our surroundings.

This novel is themed with one sister being more dominant than the other. This was an interesting premise of who is leading who. It is a compelling narrative with what is at stake and believe me that it is a life defining decision whether or not you are able to give up one of life's most precious gifts.

Publication Date: April 13, 2021

Thank you to Net Galley, Sally Hepworth and St. Martins Press for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#TheGoodSister #SallyHepworth #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

I am a big fan of the author, Sally Hepworth, and have read almost all of her books. I really enjoyed The Good Sister. We start with Fern and Rose, fraternal twins, but completely different from one another. The story is told alternately from Rose's journal, starting in the past, and then we see what's currently happening in Fern's life. From the very beginning of the book, you can tell that Rose is the strong, dominant twin and always looking out for her more socially awkward sister Fern. We are then introduced to Fern, who works in a library and has difficulty dealing with the world due to having Asperger's. There does seem to be a hint early on in the book that she has done something bad in the past.

I really enjoyed the humor and warmth that the author interjected into this book. The character development was wonderful and the plot was well driven. I love the little touch of danger that that's through and ends interestingly. With all the turmoil currently happening in the world right now, this was a fantastic book to fall into and lose yourself in. I loved it! Kudos to Sally Hepworth for another great novel.

I would like to thank Sally Hepworth, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Oh.My.HEART.

Sally Hepworth's books always just hit the "happy" spot for me. No matter what they are ostensibly about, no matter the time period or the subject matter or the genre...I walk away with a warm, full heart.

THE GOOD SISTER is no exception.

On the surface, this is a suspense/domestic fiction novel.-but it's so much more than that. It's a story of manipulation, sisterhood, hurt, community, and ultimately...love. Familial love, romantic love, unexpected, fierce love.

I ADORED Fern and Wally. They were written in such a multi-dimensional way that they became friends. I cared about them so much by the end of the novel.

I LOVE a plucky, strong, non-neurotypical female lead. Fern is a gem. And as I finished the last page, I had tears in my eyes.

I'm just imagining this sweet family all cozy in warm, sensory friendly cocoon of love and happiness and man... Rocco is right. Everyone else is weird. THEY are perfection. Absolute perfection.

I am a huge fan of Sally Hepworth so when this book turned up in my library, I was thrilled. And I’m even more thrilled to share that The Good Sister is just as amazing as Ms. Hepworth’s previous books! I’m sad that it doesn’t come out until April of 2021 because it is the perfect beach read. I read it on a float in less than a day. I loved the twist even though I figured it out a bit earlier than I would have liked. I loved Fern and her I n the spectrum personality. Really one of the best books I’ve read this year!

I loved The Mother-in-law and I enjoyed this just as much. In fact, I stayed up until three in the morning to finish it. The story is about Fern and Rose, fraternal twins and is told through a diary of Rose’s (the past) and Fern (the present). Their relationship is complex, as I imagine it is with sisters. But complicated more because of their past and Fern’s issues in life. I loved this book. I loved the author’s development of the characters and I loved the humour coupled with the suspense.
Thanks to NetGalley for an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured The Good Sister in one day's time. Sally Hepworth is a genius; even her dedication is a sweet + hilarious note to her daughters. Here's what I love about the book: EVERYTHING (but really!)
-The characters are complex, but without feeling like you're reading a long list of synonyms. Hepworth does a great job of character development
-The plot is unique and original
-The main character, Fern, struggles with sensory processing disorder and you can tell the author has done her homework.
-So many things happening without feeling unrealistic- Murder, pregnancy, lies, love. This book has it all!
-Family drama- YES PLEASE!
-A surprise ending- EVEN BETTER!

I cannot recommend this book enough!

I loved this book! A tale of two sisters in their late twenties, Fern & Rose, fraternal twins that couldn't be more opposite to each other. Fern is a tall fair-haired kindhearted librarian with an unofficially diagnosed sensory sensitivity disorder, most likely on the autistic spectrum. Her sister Rose is petite and brunette, separated from her husband and longing for a child she can't physically have. Rose has always looked after Fern, protecting her from their unstable mother during their childhood and from others in society nowadays who might take advantage of her. Tragedy struck when they were younger and Rose has vowed never to leave Fran on her own, for everyone's safety. Now Fern sees her chance to repay Rose by providing her with the gift she wants most, a child of her own. And that's when things get interesting..

Any avid mystery reader will know that things aren't always as they appear and this story takes it to new levels. How we define good and bad, strong and weak, safe and dangerous - it's not always as clear as you'd think. As you read this story, you have to step back and remember that you're seeing it through the eyes of two very different women and that the truth may lie somewhere in between. Or does it? Maybe it was there in front of us all along, we just weren't looking for it. Sounds confusing? Well then you will just have to read it for yourself to understand what I mean. And it will be so incredibly worth it!