I had mixed feelings about this story. It can be a tough read for people - it was for me. Then, there was a twist that changed my entire outlook about this story. 

I appreciated the writing style, Without giving too much away, having the one sister’s journal entries was genius.

Thank you St Martin's Press and Netgalley for this fantastic thriller about sisters.  I couldn't put this down. So many twists, and I loved how fast paced it was.  Would read this author again!

HOLY SALLY HEPWORTH NOVEL! The Good Sister is classic Sally, Sally at her finest. Anyone who enjoyed her prior novels, especially The Mother-In-Law, should definitely add this one to their TBRs!!!

The book starts like most psychological thrillers. A seemingly normal cast of characters with known but mostly addressed dysfunctions. There’s romance, friendships, and a kooky but well intentioned sister. In fact, until about 60% of the way in, I forgot that I was reading a SH book - it seemed more like contemporary fiction. Once you hit 60% though, IT IS ON and you should clear your schedule because you won’t be able to put it down. 

The book is told from two POVs. The first is from Fern, a librarian who may be on the autism spectrum and has a sensory processing disorder. The other POV is from Fern’s fraternal twin, Rose, told through journal entries. Off the bat, I figured there was probably some significance to the use of standard narrative vs. journaling, but I didn’t come close to guessing the reason why. Sally did an amazing job with character development here, and I found myself highly invested in Fern and Rose and rooting for them along the way. Per usual in psychological thrillers, things aren’t always what they seem, but I liked the plot twists and how my favorite characters ended up. 

Lastly, OMG the ending. I love when authors wrap everything up neatly and on the last page plant a little seed of doubt. I won’t say more but I thought it was perfect.

(NOTE: I was going to remove 1 star for the slow start, but given how well developed the characters are and how invested I was in them, I decided against it (hence the 5 stars!). If you’re looking for something that is a wild ride all the way through though, you may find this one slow.)

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s, and Sally Hepworth for the advanced review copy!

Fern and Rose are twin sisters who are as close as sisters can be. When the book first starts out you believe Rose is the more stable and responsible of the two, while Fern is more quirky and has some social interaction issues that will remind you of Eleanor Oliphant meets Nina Hill. As the story progresses and we see how the girls were raised by their sociopathic mother, and the multiple points of views, you begin to realize that maybe the roles are actually reversed, maybe Fern is really the more stable one. The story is full of family secrets that come to light with a thrilling ending.
Sally Hepworth knows how to write a great family drama/domestic thriller! The relationship between the twin sisters is suspicious on both ends but with the multiple point of views, you are left wondering throughout the whole book "who is the more stable character?" and "who is telling the truth?" I personally love Hepworth's style of writing, the short chapters, and the multiple POV's. Her stories are addicting and un-put-downable. 

If you loved "The Mother in Law" you will love this one too!

Rose & Fern are twin sisters, Fern has always felt a little jealous of Rose because her name is so beautiful and her name is so boring. With their secret twin code and special bracelets they’re able to communicate and stand up for one another against their mother. Everyone on the outside thinks their mom is the sweetest, they don’t see her sociopath personality.
   Now that their adults, Fern still wants to help her sister by giving her what she’s always wanted, to be a mother; she makes a plan to have a baby but Rose is worried, especially because she has a secret she’s been hiding, what she doesn’t know is that Fern is slowing able to figure it out. 
Chapters reads as a different time periods in the twins lives- childhood and adulthood.
 The Good Sister  is the first Sally Hepworth book I’ve read and I’m glad Netgalley gave me the opportunity to read for an honest opinion. I’m giving this book 4 stars.

Reading this book was soooo much fun!  The storytelling is very engaging. Just enough interesting information provided to lead your mind one way, next thing you know, you’re questioning what you know and reading on to find out more.  There are fraternal twin sisters, one talks about the present, the other about the past.  I also loved the setting at the library.  Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

This one kept me up reading through the night. Psychologically intense with the twist at the end. It made me wonder about the bonds between twins, too.

I’m so thankful I was granted a copy of this book to read. I love every book I’ve read by Sally Hepworth so far. This one did not disappoint. Wow, twins! When an author can alter how you feel every time you pick up their book and dice back into the story then they’ve done a great job. This book just gave me all the crazy feelings. I’m so glad the ending turned up the way it did. Everything came together and had me guessing about little bits and pieces of the story until they were revealed.

This doozy of a domestic thriller about twin sisters was a super fun read.  The complex dynamic between the sisters becomes even more intense as the story unfolds and readers get to know them.   Clever plot twists will keep readers reading at a binge-worthy pace. 

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book.

Wow! This book was great. I wasn't sure what to expect because I did not care much for The Mother in Law. I absolutely LOVED Hepworth's writing in this one. The way she wrote made you truly understand Rose & Fern as characters- especially Fern. I loved that Hepworth portrayed Fern as a person with Autism without needing to flat-out say the character has Autism. The way she portrayed Fern, with high functioning autism, was perfect. I really rooted for this character and the ending made me so happy. The only reason for 4 and not 5 stars was because I predicted the ending early on into the book and there were not enough twists and turns. I highly recommend though! Thank you St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

FINALLY!!! A book with a protagonist that is on the spectrum and had sensory sensitivity. What an incredible story. First off, Sally Hepworth did a wonderful job writing from both perspectives. Twin sisters Fern and Rose share plenty of history with their mother and her relationships. While learning about the characters you can’t help yourself and fall for Wally and his loyalty while applauding Fern for following her heart and adapting to a new routine. The twists were somewhat predictable, but it did not ruin the story for me. I look forward to reading more books by this author. Thanks for the ARC!

Sally Hepworth brings Fern and Rose to life in The Good Sister!  This book kept me reading late into the night to see what was going to happen next.  I love how Hepworth kept me guessing through twists and turns in the story.

This was my first novel by Sally Hepworth and I liked it a lot - so much so, that I read it in less than 2 days. 

This novel examines the dynamic of twin sisters, Rose & Fern through present-day tales of Fern and diary entries by Rose. I really appreciated this story-telling method because as the book goes on, the sisters’ narratives grow further apart and the reader is tasked with determining who to believe, the quirky socially-challenged Fern or the responsible Rose. 

I recommend this to fans of mysteries and thrillers and look forward to reading more from Sally Hepworth!

I enjoyed this book, even though there were parts that I found creepy (which was the author’s intent). I loved the characters of Fern and Wally. I thought they were so well done, and was what made this book for me.

Sally Hepworth is always on my to-read and this one was no exception. Chapters alternate between 2 sisters: Fern and diary entries of Rose. Fern’s chapters reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant with her sensory issues and had me chuckling out loud a few times. My favorite characters were Fern and definitely Wally! I couldn’t believe this fell under the mystery/thriller genre but it is and I enjoyed figuring it out.

Sally Hepworth is a master at dysfunctional and creepy families.  Fern and Rose are sisters.  Rose has always protected Fern.  But now Rose needs protecting from Fern...

I'm not sure I have read the same book as everyone else who gave this book 5 stars. I was so looking forward to this one since I loved her last one but I just could not stick with it. BOTH sisters drove me crazy, the mom was nuts and I just tried to muddle through but found myself skimming pages so I stopped at 50%. I think that's plenty long enough to know whether or not I liked the book or not. Just wasn't for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rose and Fern are fraternal twins sisters. At 27, Rose is married and trying to have a baby. Fern works in a library and is generally happy despite having sensory overload issues that Rose helps her with. When she realizes Rose is struggling to get pregnant, Fern decides she will have a baby for Rose, after all, Rose has been there for her so many times, including keeping the secret of something horrible Fern did when they were kids. 

This was a fast, easy enjoyable read. Fern was very easy to like even though at times she reminded me of Sheldon from the Big Bang Theory. I liked her boyfriend Wally quite a bit too. I didn't find this to be super twisty turn-y like I like my books to be and I sort of sniffed out what was going on but none of that stopped me from enjoying it. This was my first read from this author but it won't be my last.

I flew through this one! 

Sally Hepworth is at it again with an AMAZING thriller. 
The twist was insane, the story was gripping, the characters were lovable and of course, completely worth hating. 

I loved it, I highly recommend!

Rose and Fern remember their childhood differently, perhaps because Fern is on the spectrum. Despite their diverging memories--to Rose, their mother was an ogre and to Fern, she was just their mom. Rose's journal details the horrors she experienced while an oblivious Fern depended on Rose for everything. Now, they're grown up, and Fern is a public librarian. Rose works, too, and is married to Owen. Fern hasn't dated much. She's a practical person and often single-focused. When she meets a guy she calls Wally (in the US that would be "Waldo," as in Where's) because of his hat and striped shirt, she has an ulterior motive for asking him out. 

I can't say much more because I don't want to spoil the plausibly twisty plot. Let's just say there's an interdependence between Rose and Fern. <blockquote>"...my sister holds the key to my sanity (even though I never gave it to her.)" </blockquote>Favorite librarian Easter egg,  <blockquote>"...is at my bedside again, this time reading a John Grisham novel." </blockquote> 

SOLID writing. I might become a Sally Hepworth head after this.