rounding up from 3.5 stars

The Wrong Sister starts out with a bit of action, but fizzles down to a slow burn for awhile until the pacing picks back up near the end again. There is a lot of suspense, but unfortunately there were parts that just dragged on for me. I enjoyed the last 25% of the book the most.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you for the ARC. This was my first book by this author. It sounded interesting by the description.

When Alice offers her Venice apartment to Tasha for a getaway. While in Italy, Tasha begins experiencing strange occurrences, and back home, tragedy strikes when Alice’s husband is found dead in Tasha’s house. What unfolds is a layered domestic thriller with twists, secrets, and deception.

Certain parts felt a bit rushed but overall, good premise. I didn’t realize this author’s from the UK so some terms I’m not as familiar with such as “wellies” but I figured it out.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this ARC! I was hooked pretty immediately into this book, however I felt that it was rushed at the end. I did find the this story line to be original and enjoyed the ending overall.

I am not 100% sure how I feel about this book. Some parts were terrific, some were more meh. I liked the mystery and it kept me on my toes. Pacing, however, was all over the place. Parts felt rushed, some things were never explained (or I missed it?), some things were over explained, and some issues that I thought should have held more space were overly simplified and brushed over. Were there too many things going on in one book? Were there too many coincidences? End result is that I liked the basic book but I think I wish it had been presented/edited differently so that it was more cohesive and evenly paced.

I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure why I picked The Wrong Sister by Clare Douglas on NetGalley. My guess is that I was exploring the thriller and mystery category and read the description and liked it, and decided to check it out without checking into the authors or publishers too much. But I’m glad I grabbed this one, because it was a fantastic change of pace from the horror heavy books I’ve been reading lately.

This marks Clare Douglas’ tenth novel, and it was inspired by a real-life story from a friend about a “life swap” between sisters. The story centers on Tasha and Alice, two sisters living very different lives. Tasha is a mom of twin girls living in her hometown with her high school sweetheart, while Alice is a career-driven woman recently married to a wealthy tech entrepreneur. The dark twist? As children, their youngest sister was kidnapped and never found.

When Alice offers her Venice apartment to Tasha for a getaway, while Alice and her husband offer to watch the twins, things quickly unravel. While in Italy, Tasha begins experiencing strange occurrences, and back home, tragedy strikes when Alice’s husband is found dead in Tasha’s house. What unfolds is a layered domestic thriller with sharp twists, secrets, and deception.

Douglas expertly weaves a multiple point of view narrative that keeps the pages turning. The story balances red herrings, unreliable characters, and a fast-paced plot that fans of psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, and mystery novels will enjoy. Think The Girl on the Train or Dark Places, but with a unique sisterly bond at its center.

My only (minor) critique? The UK English had me googling a few terms (like “pram”), but that hardly detracted from the overall experience.

Is The Wrong Sister Worth Reading?
Absolutely. If you’re a fan of domestic thrillers or looking to dip your toes into the genre, this is a fantastic entry point. It’s suspenseful, emotional, and hard to put down. As someone who was a bit burned out on horror, this worked as a perfect palate cleanser and reignited my desire to read.

This book started out strong then sort of slowed down. I still enjoyed the characters, the twists, and the story in general. It is a slower burn to me with mystery triller aspects.

Thank you for my copy of the book!

This book was so good, it was a lot of twist and turns through out the book. You never see the ending coming, and you will never forget it! I truly enjoyed reading this book, and the opportunity to read it early!

I love thrillers, they are my favorite genre and so I guess I expect a lot from them. This book took me a VERY long time to become interested. The characters were ok but I didn’t love and of them and most of the twists didn’t wow me. There were also a couple of random things thrown in that did absolutely nothing for the book and were just kind left there. I will say, the final who done it did catch me a bit off guard.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial for my copy!

The Wrong Sister by Claire Douglas
This was a very entertaining read that kept me wanting to read more. When two sisters, Tasha and Alice, decide to swap living places for one week, it was supposed to be a break for both sisters. Tasha and her husband Aaron wanted to use their time in Venice as an opportunity to reignite their marriage and Alice and her husband Kyle would have a more domestic life staying in Tasha’s home while babysitting her nieces.
Unfortunately, things take a turn when Alice and her husband are attacked. Tasha and Aaron must rush home to find out what happened and why they were attacked. When Tasha returns home she discovers a chilling letter which states that the attack was meant for her.
There are a lot of past family secrets and drama that are uncovered as the story progresses. It is not clear why Tasha was targeted and the secrets from the past begin to unravel. The story explores secrets between families and the lengths that they will go to protect each other.
Overall I really enjoyed the book. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers. Thank you Netgalley and Harper Perennial. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. I enjoyed this book. Good fast paced thriller.

SYNOPSIS
-Tasha and Alice are sisters but live totally different lives. Tasha’s a stressed-out mom of twins. Alice is a glamorous scientist who travels the world.
-When Alice offers to watch Tasha’s kids so she and her husband Aaron can get a break in Venice, Tasha’s hesitant but agrees.
-While they’re away, they get a call no one ever wants. Alice and her husband Kyle have been attacked. Kyle’s dead. Alice is in the hospital.
-Then Tasha finds a note waiting at home: It was supposed to be you.
-From there, everything unravels.
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MY THOUGHTS
-This one was super easy to read with an interesting premise. A slow burn.
-The story blends family drama with mystery in a way that feels really natural. You’re not just guessing who did it, you’re also watching old wounds get ripped open.
-It’s mostly told from Tasha’s perspective, but there are chapters from Alice, their mom Jeanette, and another woman named Bonnie.
-There are so many secrets. Some I saw coming, others caught me totally off guard. I liked the twists, even when they got a little wild.
-I wasn’t in love with the ending. It got a little dramatic and didn’t fully come together for me. A few things were left hanging.
-Still, I stayed hooked the whole time. It’s emotional, suspenseful, and full of complicated sister energy. Messy but entertaining.
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TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫3.5 stars.Twisty, tense, and full of family secrets. Super readable with great pacing, but the ending felt a little over the top. Still a solid mystery.
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THANKS: Thanks to Harper Perennial and Paperbacks | Harper Perennial and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on August 5, 2025.

Two totally different sisters, but they would trust each other with their life. Tasha and her husband need a break so Alice and her husband volunteer to come to their house and watch the kids. Then there is a terrifying phone call from home. Alice and her husband have been attacked in Tasha's home. While police are trying to put all the pieces together and note arrives, "It was supposed to be you". I guess some families have deadly secrets. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Wrong Sister
Author: Claire Douglas
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: Penguin/Harper

The Wrong Sister is a captivating case study that delves into the intricate dynamics of a family. The competition between sisters is always present, but it intensifies when the youngest sister is abducted from her pram. The race to be the sister who supports grieving parents through such a profound loss is fierce. Beyond the family dynamics, the story explores themes of wealth, social class, murder, infidelity, and loss. The pacing is excellent, drawing me in from the very beginning. However, I will avoid discussing the plot in detail to preserve the surprises. I recommend avoiding the “write-up” as it reveals too many spoilers. I eagerly anticipate more works from Claire Douglas.

@netgalley @harperperennial @penguinrandomhouse @clairedouglasauthor #TheWrongSister #mystery #thriller #AdultFiction #fiction #serious #twists #redherrings #netgalleyreviewer #WeAreBookish #bookreviewer #ARCReader #netGalley #clairedouglasauthor

I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

Tasha and Aaron are in need of a romantic getaway. Her sister, Alice, and brother-in-law, Kyle, step in to watch Tasha and Aaron’s twins. While they are away, Kyle is killed and Alice is attacked. Tasha and Aaron return home and there are no answers as to who did this and why. A few days later, Tasha receives an ominous note and begins searching for answers.
This was a five star read for me. I was on the edge of my seat from the start and the suspense did not let up. The characters were multilayered and it seemed like everyone had a secret. The plot was excellent and there were no loose ends at the end of the story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this arc!

The suspense was strong in the beginning of the story, but quickly faded. Similar to Douglas' other books, it is a slow burn, but I felt this lacked intensity. The twists were obvious and the ending felt rushed. While the simple writing kept me engaged, I would have like to see more mystery and complex characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fast paced thriller surrounding two sisters, a murder and secrets.

In the beginning of the book Tasha and her sister Alice decide to “swap lives.” Alice is a wealthy scientist and Tasha is a mom of twins who works an everyday job. Tasha stays with her husband in Alice’s swanky Venice apartment to get some rest and relaxation and Alice and her husband Kyle come to stay in Tasha’s home in England with their two twin girls. While they are gone the unthinkable happens. Someone breaks into the home killing Kyle and harming Alice. Who could have done this horrible violent crime? The sisters start unraveling a mystery that will take the reader on a twisty conclusion.

I enjoyed this thriller. It had short chapters that kept you engaged. I would probably call this a popcorn thriller. I feel like I use that term a lot but this one you just had to eat up. I would read from this author again.

Thank you to Harper Perennial for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

"IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE YOU" - that's enough to get my interest. This was a fantastic family drama with lots to twists and turns. This book kept my interest all the way to the end however I must say the ending was a little bit disappointing. I am still not sure what to think about it.

Overall it was a good and entertaining thriller.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Perennial and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my second book by Claire Douglas. It had a good premise and some suspenseful moments, but it didn’t grab me the way I hoped. I really hoped to enjoy this book a lot more than I did. It was a slow burn with a lot of characters to keep track of and I found myself easily confused. The ending was very different and left me scratching my head even more! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release.

Thank you @harperperennial #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

Claire Douglas has officially earned a permanent spot on my thriller TBR! The Wrong Sister was my second read by her (both just this month!) and it was fo sho a wild ride. If you’re into books about sisters, secrets, and totally unexpected twists...then look no further my friends.

Alice and Tasha are total opposites which adds a nice dynamic. Alice is living overseas with her husband, while Tasha is back in their hometown, married with twins living a very middle class life. When Alice offers to switch lives for a bit (awwww so thoughtful) so her sister can take a break and get back in touch with her and her husbands relationship, it seems like the perfect idea. That is until a break-in happens leaving them left with one less person (eek) and a very tragic ending. Not only that, but a creepy note appears that says, “It should have been you.” 😳 From that point on, the story takes off and doesn’t let go. Tasha is left wondering what that note really means and who was it for?

This book is packed with family drama, mysterious pasts, and so many twists I gave up trying to guess what was coming next. It’s fast-paced, compulsively readable, and I binged it in one day. The ending wrapped up a little quickly in my opinion but it still left me feeling totally satisfied.

I highly recommend this one if you’re looking for a sharp, twisty summer thriller that keeps you on your toes!

Tasha’s older sister Alice and husband Kyle offer their vacation home in Venice so that Tasha and Aaron can have a holiday while the twins stay home with their Aunt and Uncle. A tragedy occurs when Kyle is murdered and Alice is knocked unconscious during a break-in. When Tasha and Aaron rush back home, Tasha finds a cryptic note saying she was the one who was supposed to die. Lots of red herrings in this engrossing thriller. Don’t miss it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.