Not a bad read, just nothing super memorable. Kind of predictable, been there done that.

It's now two days since I finished and can I remember much about this book? Nope. I had to re-read the synopsis to remind myself what it was about.

Alex has always looked up to her older sister Madison (Maddie), and Maddie has always been there for her. Their tumultuous childhood bonded them together strongly. The one thing Maddie promised was that she would always celebrate Alex's birthday with her. However, this year, they had a falling out after their mother's death and although Maddie agreed to text Alex on her birthday, she has now ghosted her--Alex can't get in touch and Maddie won't reply. The Hamptons was the last known location she had for Maddie, so Alex travels to see if she can find her. She gets caught up in a complicated web of lies, cover-up, and possibly murder.

Except for the creative, yet WAY OTT resolution, most of this book was incredibly predictable and I saw where it was going from the beginning. I think one of the issues this book has is that there are far too many character POVs. We hop from one person to the next, from present to past to near past and it just gets jumbled together. Sometimes it was difficult for me to remember whose head I was in and had to go back to the beginning of the chapter to figure it out.

I know many people have enjoyed this one, so if you like stories featuring missing people, this one might be a winner for you.

This started off so strong and I liked the tense atmosphere that was created here. I’m a fan of rich people behaving badly, or shady, in this book, and that aspect also worked well for me. I did find the middle to slow down a bit and would classify this more as a solid mystery than a thriller. The build up and ending resolution was satisfying and I liked how it was different than other mysteries. Overall, a solid summer mystery.

Thank you Netgalley, Stephanie DeCarolis and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the ebook. This was a gripping story of sisterhood and the lengths one is willing to go for family. Alex was driven and not giving up on her sister Maddie. The twists were wild and I didn't see many coming. A must read!

THE PERFECT SISTER is a slow(er) burn thriller about a young woman trying to find her missing sister in the lush Hamptons. You really do not have a sense of who you can trust, but you start getting breadcrumbs on who might be more on the up and up based on all the multiple POVs of which the story is told. The author gives you just the right amount of information at the time they see fit. It all mostly works, too! I was extremely curious to discover what happened to the sister (if anything, nefarious or otherwise) and why. I think I got a little sidetracked with all of the POVs (there are like... 6? 7+?) and it made me lose a little focus, but then it would pick back up again. Solid book!

3.5 star review.

A missing sister, a privileged family, and lots of secrets. There are so many secrets in this book. The relationships in this book are quirky and unique. I kept trying to put it together and figure out what had happened to Maddie and if Alex would find her sister before it was too late.

When I picked up The Perfect Sister, I was looking for a book that held my attention and kept me wanting more. The Perfect Sister started off being just what I was looking for. About ¾ of the way through I started to slow down. I was losing interest but had to finish and find out the answers. I am glad I stuck with the book.

Was Maddie really the perfect sister that Alex thought she was? Find out in Stephanie DeCarolis’s THE PERFECT SISTER. If you want to escape while lying on the beach, this is the one you need!

After surviving a rough start, Alex and her older sister Maddie promise that they will come together yearly to celebrate Alex’s birthday. When Maddie cancels at the last minute and then goes silent, Alex can’t help but think something is wrong. She decides to go to the Hamptons to find out what’s going on with Maddie. Alex can’t help but wonder if the fight they had during their last meeting is making Maddie not want to meet.

When she arrives in the Hamptons, Alex learns that the wealthy, prominent Blackwell family were the last people to see Maddie. She had apparently been living in their pool house prior to her disappearance. As Alex continues to dig, she learns that her sister had connections to a strip club, had taken a leave of absence from medical school and had told her roommate to rent her room. Did Maddie just decide it was too much and run off? Local Police Chief Gilroy seems to think so and does not take Alex‘s concerns seriously. As Alex looks closely at the Blackwell family she sees cracks in their polished and perfected lifestyles making her sure that something nefarious has occurred.

I completely enjoyed being with the rich in the Hamptons, smelling the salt air and feeling the breeze blow across my skin. The writing was clear and concise and led to a very enjoyable read. This is my first.Stephanie DeCarolis novel but I see she is a prolific author. I will certainly be checking out her other works.

Thank you to NetGalley and random house for this arc opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

This gripping thriller, a testament to the author's storytelling prowess, demands to be devoured while lounging by a pool with a refreshing margarita in hand! As an introduction to this author's work, I found myself thoroughly captivated and eager to delve into more of her work.

Where could Maddie be? Is she still out there, alive? Alex's sense of unease grows as she fails to reach her sister, prompting her to embark on a quest to the Hamptons in search of answers. Tracing Maddie's footsteps leads her to a surprising revelation—Maddie has been residing in the pool house of the enigmatic Blackwell family, known for their affluence and influence. However, as Alex becomes a guest of the Blackwells, their peculiar behavior sparks her suspicions, adding layers of mystery and suspense.

This story draws you in from the very beginning with a spellbinding narrative that weaves multiple points of view and timelines. While I narrowed my list of suspects early on, the tale was much more than a whodunit.

Thank you to the author and Bantam Books for the opportunity to read this ARC via NetGalley. My opinions are entirely my own.

#ThePerfectSister #StephanieDeCarolis #NetGalley #BantamBooks #Ballantine #RandomHousePublishing

A suspenseful mystery as Alex tries to find her sister, Maddie. It seems Maddie got herself involved with a powerful and wealthy family, who will do anything to protect their image. However, dark secrets and desires monopolize this story, and Alex is desperate to learn the truth.
Thank you, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this book.

Epically twisted and realistically driven, this tense psychological domestic thriller is a mile a minute ride. I think you’ll love the flawed characters, the fast pace and the unexpected ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

I went into this book kind of "blind". The description was a little vague so I didn't really know what to expect but wow...probably one of the better books I've read this year. This is not a crazy, twisty thriller, it's more of a slow pace mystery but it will definitely keep you at the edge of your seat. Fun summer location, privileged rich people and a good mystery. Perfect summer read that's hard to put down. I highly recommend it.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When Alex’s sister goes missing, she goes searching for her in the Hamptons. During that search we learn about their poor dysfunctional family and meet a new rich dysfunctional family. Not one normal, run of the mill, character in this book. But everyone is given their own point of view chapters so that you can get to know them each better, and dislike them even more. Well, except the sisters… they are somewhat likable characters. The book is definitely full of twists and turns – just when you think you figured it out, something happens or is said to change your mind. It’s all pretty far-fetched, but the author keeps you pulled along at a pretty good pace. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a good read. And in the author’s acknowledgments there is mention of movie and TV rights so maybe there’s more to come.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bantam Books, and Random House for the complimentary copy of this book. As always, the opinions expressed within this review are completely my own.

This book was the PERFECT summer read! It included all the beach feels, as it takes place in the Hamptons mostly in and around a beach house. PLUS it has all the thrilling mystery webs of lies that you could possibly imagine!

I really liked Alex's character. She is the main character and grew up alongside her older sister and their eccentric mother. The bonds these sisters have is an important piece of the entire book and carries through every page. The older sister, Maddie, has left home to pursue her own dreams but when she goes missing, Alex drops everything to find her.

But what Alex thinks about her "Perfect Sister", isn't what she finds in the Hamptons when she arrives. She has to deal with the rich Blackwell family where her sister Maddie was staying and that family is right out a creepy horror movie. I loved how the author slowly peels away the layers of this family and leaves you haunted by the behaviors of each family member.

Several times I found myself screaming in my head "Alex... run NOW!" There are so many eerie situations that had me questioning Alex's sanity for staying there. BUT she was dedicated to her sister and was going to do anything to find her or at least find out what happened to her.

The perfect summer read that's sure to have you leering at those fancy beach houses when you drive by, wondering exactly what's going on in those places...

3.5 stars.

I always enjoy a good red herrings, but I don't love when every character is written so that they seem suspicious. That doesn't feel authentic to me. There was some good mystery and intrigue to the story and a few twists I didn't see coming, but overall, I didn't like most of the characters behavior and choices. The writing was lacking just a little bit of finesse but overall it was still a solid story.

Sisters before misters! What would you do for your sister? Alex Walker drops everything and scours the Hamptons for her missing sister Madison (Maddie). All she has to go on is a photo of Maddie outside The Lobster Shack wearing the restaurant logo. Alex begins her search there and is soon visiting Blackwell Manor. DeCarolis uses multiple narrators to tell us the story of the search and what happened before. Included are Alex, Maddie (Before thread), and all the Blackwell family members. From the beginning we know the Blackwells know more than they are letting on. As we follow Alex on her search we will discover a web of deceit and lies going back decades.

While I enjoyed the many ways the sister theme was played out, I was not a fan of the debauchery that peppered the plot and events get a bit convoluted and OTT as we near the final chapters. The ending was, however, a much better outcome than I expected. Quite the page-turner.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. Happy Publication Week!

Alex goes to the Hamptons searching for her missing sister Maddie. Alex stays at the same place her sister was last seen. The family was nice at first but slowly starts to be a little suspicious.
I generally liked this book. It had a pretty decent twist in it even though I guessed a lot of the plot I still liked it.
This book is told in multiple pov but there was one pov that I wasn’t exactly sure who it was and even now that I’ve finished the book I’m still not exactly sure who it was but I do have a guess. The ending I felt like was a little rushed and I really wanted more of an outcome or possibly an epilogue.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-arc

So many layers!!! Every time something was revealed I thought I knew where this was going only to be shaken up with the next revelation. This book was incredibly well developed as were each and every character. The storyline had me second guessing my second guesses and I never got it right.

Alex and her sister, Maddie, have a falling out. Maddie disappears. Alex goes in search of her and finds out she was last seen by the Blackwell family; in whose pool house she had been staying. The Blackwells are a super-rich Hamptons family. I have read a lot of similar stories, and this one is pretty good. There are a lot of POV's to keep up with and the author did a good job of tying them all up. The atmosphere was very real. I could easily picture this upscale beach town as if I were there. Nice twist and a lot of "aha" moments. I would like to read more from this author.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Stephanie DeCarolis and Bantam Books for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I will post my review to Amazon, Facebook and other retail and social media sites upon publication of July 16th.

The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis, is a family drama mystery. Alex’s sister, Maddie, goes missing, and Alex sets out to find out what happens to her. When Alex arrives in the Hamptons, Maddie’s last known location, she finds people willing to help her…but do they really care about her or her sister?

This story dragged a little bit for me. It just felt like there was a lot of extra information that didn’t really add much to the story. I read a lot of mysteries and thrillers so this story seemed on the simple side to me. If you don’t read a lot of thrillers or don’t like super intense gory thrillers, you would probably really enjoy this book!

Alex and Maddie have a falling out after their mother dies. When Alex doesn’t return home for her annual trip and stops answering the phone, Maddie travels to her sister’s last known whereabouts to find her.

Set in the Hamptons, this is the perfect summer thriller. You have rich kids behaving badly, lots of family secrets, multiple people with suspicious motives, and a few twists. Despite being a slow burn, the multiple viewpoints kept it interesting as each chapter revealed little details. The ending was a surprise and I liked where it ended up going.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantine for the book #ThePerfectSister by #StephanieDeCarolis. Maddie and Alex are sisters and they spend one week a year together. They always have until this year when Maddie cancels. Unable to get ahold of Maddie, Alex goes looking for her. Alex’s stays on the Hamiltons with the Blackwell family, who Maddie had been staying with. But looks can be very deceiving.