Readers will be blown away by the bombshell revelations as this dramatic story unfolds. This story is gritty and intense. There are many plot twists that will keep the reader engaged and guessing as to who is the bad person pulling the strings. The writer has done a magnificent job with the plot by doling out information in small increments while still maintaining the interest of the reader. It is a dramatic page turner to the very end that is not to be missed.

Despite being a year apart, sisters Maddie and Alex have always been as close as twins. But that changes after the death of their aspiring actress mother. Maddie disappears to the Hamptons, abandoning her sister and her medical school dreams in the wake of a fight. Desperate to reconnect, Alex follows her. But instead of Maddie, she finds the Blackwells.

The wealthy family is full of secrets, lies, and guilt. And it seems everyone around her has more information than they're letting on, and no intention of revealing it. The narrative changes hands throughout, from Alex to each Blackwell, and even to Maddie herself in flashback, as a web of deceit begins to form. Why did Maddie disappear into the Blackwells' home? What are Blackwell patriarch James's actual intentions for her. Will Alex make it out of the Hamptons alive?

The majority of The Perfect Sister is enticing and intriguing, with an undercurrent of untempered grief as the sisters struggle with their conflicting memories of their mother. However, the build-up of the story is a bit hampered by an eleventh-hour twist that feels a bit unsatisfying, coupled with an in-the-moment monologue to justify it. While the central mystery of the book—what happened to Maddie and why—is compelling and well handled, the final confrontation feels like it doesn't blend with the rest of the book. A decent enough summer read, but the finale may feel people leaving a bit turned around.

Alex searches for her sister, Maddie who has suddenly dropped all contact while spending the summer working in the Hamptons. Alex soon discovers that Maddie has integrated herself with the rich and suspicious Blackwell family. This page turner dives into the underbelly of the Hamptons and the Blackwell family. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Alex goes looking for the sister who has cancelled her annual trip and not returning calls. Her search brings her to a beachside mansion in the Hamptons.

This was a pretty standard missing person story but with lots of twists and turns. I liked this one a lot because of the handful of different perspectives. There was the perfect amount to add lots of variety but also to not get confusing. There were also some horrible characters, some good characters, and some bad that redeemed themselves.

“‘Never forget how lucky you are to have a sister. Because that means that you’ll never be alone in this world. You’ll always have each other.”

The Perfect Sister comes out 7/16.

Alex and Maddie are sisters and Maddie goes missing. She was last seen at the Blackwell’s mansion and so many secrets are uncovered. This one was just ok for me and I found myself getting confused with the different POV’s being told. I did love the cover of the book. It’s stunning! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release. To be published July 16, 2024.

What happened to Maddie? This story of Alex's search for her missing sister is told from multiple POVs and in different time frames. It's a tale of bad decisions, deception, and rich people behaving badly. I liked the different POVs (except for the Wharf, which didn't work for me) because it added to mystery. The Blackwells, who own the property where Maddie was staying, are an unsavory group - who among them is a reliable narrator? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This wasn't as twisty as I thought it might be but it's a good read perfect for the beach.

This book was definitely a slow burn but it worked for me. It was very interesting to follow the story of Alex searching for her sister Maddie. There were several twists that I did not see coming. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

This one was a little bit too much of a slow burn for me, but once things picked up I really enjoyed it! I felt like I wanted a bit more action and a little less character build up, but I loved the Hamptons setting and the general "wealthy people behaving badly" vibes throughout. Definitely an enjoyable read for the beach this summer!

This was a slow burn thriller for sure! The author takes her time setting up the characters, giving the reader little tidbits here and there to hold their interest while getting to know them. Then once things get rolling, they really get rolling! It definitely held my interest and I did not want to stop reading for the last 20%! I had a lot of compassion for Alex and Maddie, knowing they had a rough childhood with a mom who adored them, but was going through her own struggles. It was interesting to see what lengths the wealthy will go to in order to keep things buried and hold their place in society. I will definitely need to check out more of this author’s books!

The Perfect Sister by @stephaniedecarolisbooks follows Alex, who has gone to the Hamptons to find her missing sister Maddie. What unfolds from there is a sinister story about what money can buy or cover up. The author did a really good job of making me think I had things figured out when I was actually way off base!

I started reading this book with high hopes. A book about sisters always grabs my attention. One sister, Alex, was looking for her sister Maddie after she canceled the annual weekly time they spend together.
It was a book that was full of a lot I did not see coming. If you are looking for a beach read, grab this one.
Thank you NetGalley, Stephanie DeCarolis and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of The Perfect Sister.
This is my personal review.

3.5, rounded up.

This story follows Alex on a search to find her sister Maddie. In the search Alex learns that sometimes the only person you can trust is yourself. This story ran a tad long for me. It took a while to get to the point and there was a lot of things repeated that dragged the story out. There was too much build up and mystery to the characters, that things felt at a standstill for some time. One minor character kept the story moving forward and we didn't get any follow up from her, just big chunks of info to move the story along.

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

The story begins with Maddie and Alex's early years growing up where the sisters are mostly having to take care of themselves since their father abanconed them, Maddie has gone to college and Alex is still at home taking care of her mother. The mother dies and Maddie returns for the funeral, the girls get into a fight and say things they don't mean.

Time comes for Alex's birthday, an event Maddie promised not to miss. The day comes and no word from Maddie. Several days pass with Alex not getting any response. Soom Alex decides to go to the Hamptons to find Maddie. Follow the story along as Alex searches and find out what secrets she learns about the family she had been staying with. The ending will surprise you.

First and foremost, this book leads you through a gripping and unpredictable adventure as Alex tirelessly looks for her sister, Maddie. I am a huge fan of Stephanie DeCarolis’s writing style. It was so easy to understand and made it effortless for me to get absorbed in the story. Lastly, the multiple POVs were a highlight for me, as I truly loved them all. It gave me a deep understanding of each character, which I appreciated, but it also made me highly suspicious of everyone. All in all, I loved reading this and I’m eagerly looking forward to more from Stephanie DeCarolis!

Alex goes to the Hamptons to search for her missing sister Maddie. She was staying at the Blackwells mansion when she went missing. Things seem amiss among the Blackwells. The dad acts like a creepy perv and the daughter seems a little off her rocker.
This was a great read and the first one I’ve read by this author. The characters were very interesting and the book was hard to put down.
Thanks NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for this ARC that will be released July 16, 2024!

Thank you to Bantam and NetGalley, for the free copy for review.

The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis is the kind of book that hooks you from the very beginning. The writing effortlessly lures me to follow Alex as she desperately searches for her sister Maddie's whereabouts. With each new clue uncovered, I question whether Maddie is still alive.

Both the protagonists and supporting characters have an air of mystery surrounding them, making it impossible not to get sucked into uncovering what they're all about. While some characters may border on cliché, it ultimately works to propel the plot further forward. And the twist? It's a genuine surprise that adds an extra layer of intrigue.

Overall, The Perfect Sister delves into the complexities of family expectations, hidden secrets, and the unbreakable bonds of sibling love. DeCarolis has crafted a gripping and suspenseful read that keeps you guessing until the very last page.

Many thanks to Novel Suspects Insiders Club and Penguin Random House Bellatine. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. Thoughts are entirely my own.

In this book we are following sisters Maddie and Alex. Maddie and Alex have been there for each other their entire lives. Then when their mother dies things change and Maddie goes to the Hamptons and ends up going missing. When Alex hasn’t heard from Maddie she decides to go to the Hamptons to find her. Alex discovers that Maddie has been staying with a wealthy family. The daughter of the family instantly befriends Maddie and decides to invite her to live with them. The longer Maddie stays the more she starts pulling away from Lilly and begins talking to James the father. Maddie shadows him at his job and both his wife and kids believe he is having an affair but in reality he is getting to know his long lost daughter. Lilly and her brother Theo are adopted and both seem to have issues that result in Maddie almost dying. James takes Maddie to one of his properties while she recuperates and ends up kidnapped by the sheriff and Theo. The sheriff is knocked unconscious and Maddie and Alex are reunited. Alex starts a new relationship and Maddie decides to go back to college and get her medical degree. Thank you so much to Novel Suspects for this amazing book.

Thrillers are my favorite. Finding GOOD thrillers by new authors is always a challenge, but this was GOOD.

I was generously offered a widget for this book, which I gratefully accepted. The premise sounded great and seemed promising.

The Perfect Sister is a thriller following a woman searching for her sister, who goes missing in the Hamptons after becoming entangled with a dysfunctional wealthy family harboring A MULTITUDE of dark secrets. Sounds great, right? I was drawn right in.
Unfortunately, the execution just didn’t really work for me. The pacing was absolutely miserable, I was so bored I actively avoided this book, and several things were unnecessarily repetitive. We were reminded of the deceased mother’s alcoholism and neglect so often I began to feel bleak myself. I desperately wanted to know what happened, because there were some great plot lines going on with all the various POVs, but they just took so long to come together.
There were also at least 3 large twists crammed right into the end that basically only served to make things entirely unbelievable, and perhaps I’ve just read too many thrillers, but I did predict several of them.

All in all, this book just really wasn’t for me. I would be interested in reading some of the author’s other work to see if it’s more my style, so I do plan to add them to my TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and the author for this ARC.
Publication date 7/16/24

good mystery about a family and secrets that they are keeping. slight romance and loved the different point of views