EXCERPT: CATHERINE
At the last moment I kick off my flats and swap the staid, dark trouser suit for a short, black dress. Full of flattering Lycra, it hugs my bust and hips, showing I still have a waistline, unlike Joanne . . . I stop myself. To want to get one over her on such a day - what sort of monster am I? I start to peel the dress off, but then let it fall. I am digging deep just to make it out of the house. And what are clothes anyway, but camouflage. Something to hide inside. I sway as Rob shimmers at the back of my mind, model-handsome, whether in tatty shorts and flip-flops, or the close-fitting blue suit that, back in the day, I used to tease made him look like a wannabe film star, and he'd laugh in that easy way that showed me we still had that connection. Deep down, beneath all the other stuff.
Th dress is for parties, not funerals. It needs proper shoes. I pluck out my smartest black heels from the pit of the wardrobe, spitting on them and rubbing with a tissue to heighten the shine. My bare feet, hot from the sorrow and the day's mounting heat, fight the tight, black patent leather. Squeezed inside, my pinched toes throb, but to be uncomfortable feels right, somehow. A reminder that I should feel lucky to be alive. Or something. A wisp of eyeliner, a dab of colour on the mouth. Tissues. I pluck a fistful from the box on my dressing table and shove them into my handbag, and then gaze at my reflection in the full-length mirror pinned to the inside of the wardrobe door. I see a good-for-her-age forty-seven-year-old with long, wavy auburn hair and big, scared blue eyes, her slim legs looking unsteady in towering heels. I see a small person trying to look taller. A scared person trying to appear brave.

ABOUT 'THE TWIN': A splintered childhood.
A family divided.
An ugly past resurfaces…

From birth, twins Cath and Rob are inseparable. When their mother dies, their bond deepens as their father hastily remarries a woman with a volatile temper whose sole focus is her own baby – Oliver – who arrives nine months later.

When, aged 47, Rob tragically dies, Cath’s world begins to crumble. Her grief compounded further by Oliver’s out-of-the-blue decision to attend Rob’s funeral, opening old wounds after three decades of estrangement.

Thrown together, the half-siblings are forced to confront a past that sends shockwaves through both their lives due to the huge discrepancies in their respective recollections. But could both their versions of the truth be correct…?

MY THOUGHTS: I liked the premise of The Twin, but it ended up falling a little short of my expectations.

We meet the main character, Cath, going to her brother Rob's funeral. Although she knew he was dying of cancer, she has not accepted his death and is inconsolable and angry, mostly at Rob's wife Joanne who she sees as Robs gatekeeper - the person who kept them apart - but also with Oliver, her estranged half-brother, who attends the funeral uninvited. Let's just say it does not go well.

Not only is Cath estranged from Oliver, but also from her father and the woman he married after her mother's death. Oliver is an unwanted reminder of this time in her life.

Cath spends a lot of time being angry with everyone, whether they deserve it or not. There aren't a lot of nice characters in this read apart from Oliver, and Al - Cath's partner.

The family dynamics are really screwed up and it takes a while to unravel all the tensions and see what is actually going on. Normally there is nothing I like better than a family drama with screwed up dynamics but, for some reason, I just didn't feel at all invested in this. Cath being an unlikeable character really didn't help. I think if I could have felt a bit of sympathy for her, I would have enjoyed this read much, much more. I felt Cathy was acting very much like Diane, her hated stepmother, had.

The best characters were Belle and Bobby, the dogs.

The Twin is very much a character driven novel about estranged families and the damage not resolving issues causes. I found myself rooting for Oliver, not Cath who was in need of the help of a good psychotherapist.
I closed the covers on this read feeling not much at all, a veritable disappointment since I have loved other books by this author. Unfortunately, unlike Patricia Scanlan, I didn't find this especially poignant nor unputdownable. It was just okay . . .

⭐⭐.7

#TheTwin #NetGalley #familydrama

MEET THE AUTHOR: AMANDA BROOKFIELD - I have two elder sisters and a twin brother who is much quieter than me and with much longer legs. Our Dad was in the Foreign Office so we spent our childhood living in far-flung places like Shanghai and Stockholm. In fact, until the age of 32 I had never spent more than 3 years under the same roof...it's left me with the opposite of 'itchy feet'.
I fell in love with writing aged 11 when my class was asked to write a ghost story - that thrill of being able to make it all up! Studying English at Oxford was a dream come true, but then real life got in the way and I started a career in advertising, climbing the greasy pole for four years, helping sell washing powder and cold remedies.
Aged 25, I got the chance to go and live in Argentina. I left advertising, set myself up as a freelance journalist and wrote my first novel. I haven't stopped, or looked back, since.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Sisters and Husbands by Amanda Brookfield for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Having enjoyed Amanda Brookfield’s previous work, The Twin did not disappoint. This psychological thriller delivers plenty of suspense and emotional depth, with her trademark ability to create complex, relatable characters. The twists kept me hooked, and the pacing was spot on. A solid addition to her growing collection of gripping reads.

This book was heavier than anything i’ve read in a while, and it took me some time to get into it.
The fmc was flawed and wasn’t likeable to begin with but definitely grew on me.
Was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster!

Loved this book. It absolutely had hold of my emotions. I am still thinking about it and will never stop recommending. It has believable characters and situations. I can't recommend this highly enough. Brilliant.

Really good book which I will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

The Twin by Amanda Brookfield, twins K and Rob arrived home from visiting their grandmother their world is nothing like it was before they learn on the ride to their London flat that their mom has died and their American neighbor Diane is going to help their dad take care of them. Little dude the twins no life will never be the same again. The book is mainly about Rob passing away K who isn’t very likable trying to wrap her head around it Oliver her half brother who has reached out for years shows up for the funeral and K is having none of it but yet she complains about the way Rob‘s wife is to her. it seems Oliver and K have two different versions of how childhood was with Diane in a few months after Rob and Kay’s 18th birthday Diane their dad and little Oliver moved to America and seemingly never looked back. in Kay’s version they abandoned them but in Oliver‘s version K and Rob were nothing but troublemakers and acted as if they didn’t want them around in the first place. Oliver wants a relationship with his only sibling but again as I said K wants none of it is there a way both versions of their childhood can be true and can they find a way to be a family or will they forever be separated by anger and their own imperfect memories. OK I am not going to lie I thought this was a thriller and when Diane opened the door for the seven-year-old twins I immediately thought she must be the murderer but OMG was I wrong. This is a really heartfelt story about a broken family and although I didn’t like K that much I truly could see how she turned out the way she did I thought Oliver was such a standup guy and truly rooted for him in every aspect of the book. This is really a great book and if you like stories that may or may not make you cry then you may enjoy this story despite thinking it was a thriller I still really enjoyed it. #NetGalley,#TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #AmandaBrookfield, #TheTwin,

BOOK: THE TWINS
AUTHOR: AMANDA BROOKFIELD
PUB DATE: JULY 2025
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
Unfortunately, I have to start with what I didn't like in the book. I felt it was too long and slow, unnecessary information, and the book could have a hundred pages lighter. I also felt like the issues Catherine had were too deep seated to be settled without professional care.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
Anyway, I'm glad Catherine went through a much needed character development and admitted her flaws. I'm glad that Oliver too went back to his childhood and discovered that the twins also went through a lot of trauma at his mother's hands. I liked the last couple of chapters and the ending. It gave the necessary closure.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
I understood Cath's bad character because of her traumatic upbringing, but it was too much sometimes. There were just some things I didn't like about the characters in the beginning. Oliver was okay, but he was blind to the failures of his parents.
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦👨‍👩‍👧‍👦
This book touched aspects of grief, dysfunctional family, and its consequences. It was not my favourite, but it was kinda okay

Thank you to Amanda Brookfield, Boldwood Books, and Netgalley for the ARC. My opinion is voluntary and all opinions are mine.

This book took me awhile to read. Sorry for late review. It was story of Catherine having lost her twin brother Rob. It takes us through her actions and reactions dealing with grief. Initially she was an unlikeable character.But found her to be just another person and their way of dealing with grief. With several side characters that were well written and kept my interest going!

A beautifully written, emotionally gripping family drama about grief, sibling bonds, and long-buried truths. When Cath loses her twin brother Rob, she’s forced to confront the past—especially when their estranged half-brother reappears at the funeral. Told in “before” and “after” perspectives, this story is raw, honest, and deeply human. A slow-burn read with powerful emotional payoff.

Perfect for fans of character-driven stories with a touch of mystery.

This is my first time reading a novel by this author and it won’t be the last.

The characters were flawed, well drawn and complicated but all had their own epiphanies in the end.

A brilliant drama about extended families and how they can really mess up their respective kids. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars

The Twin is a very heavy book. There is a great deal of sadness and familial angst.

Sadly, I was not fond of the FMC, initially. Though I understood that her life had not been easy her stances made me understand why some of the people in her life may keep her at arms length. There was significant character development throughout the book and in the end the only character I did not like was the deceased twin (and the stepmom).

It was interesting to see the past from two different perspectives. An important reminder that your perspective may not always be the truth.

This was an interesting book. I have never read anything by this author, but I would happily read more of her work.

If you like women’s literature, especially those that tug at your heart strings then you should definitely consider this book.

This is a book which will bring you through a wide range of emotions, perfectly showing the perks and downside of families.

Now, I completely got Catherine as a fellow twin and daughter of a shi*ty father who left abandonment issues as their legacy 😂. Yes, she was too much to those around her, but I completely got why. She may have gone about things the wrong way, but her intent was with love and wanting to protect those around her.

Now, the people around her -
Joanne - couldn’t stand her, not even the clips of Rob redeemed her (Belle 😡😓) yes, she was grieving and she knew what Rob wanted but she could have had more sympathy for Catherine - twin bonds are on another level.
Diane/dad - both god awful people, however I loved Oliver and was glad to see him and Catherine becoming on better terms.

This is a heartwarming read and should be on your TBR.

The Twin by Amanda Brookfield was a beautifully written book from start to finish, It was an emotional read so you will need lots of tissues, like I did, so have these handy especially at the beginning of this book.

Cath and Rob are twins and they are so close, But, they have got closer since their mum passed away when they were only 6 years old. Their father quickly remarried their neighbour who has become a narcissistic step mother.
Now, 9 months later, she has given birth to a son and they call him Oliver, But she only focuses on Oliver and does not care about Cath and Rob, luckily they both have a great bond between them and look after each other.

Many years, go by. . . . Cath and Rob are adults, Sadly at 47 Rob tragically dies from cancer.

Cath’s world begins to crumble all around her. Her grief is compounded further by Oliver’s out-of-the-blue decision to attend Rob’s funeral, which opens up old wounds even after three decades of estrangement.

Now, thrown together, the half-siblings are forced to confront their past that sends shockwaves through both their lives due to the huge discrepancies in their respective recollections.

But could both their versions of the truth be correct?

Will they ever become close?

This book was a hard read but I am so glad I read it. I need to restock on tissues now. 😂

Great holiday read but you need to wear your sunglasses 😎 so no one can see you cry. 😂

Twins Rob and Cath have been close, especially since their mother passed away when they were 6yrs old. Their father remarried quickly to a narcissistic neighbour and they were sidelined when a half brother was added to the family.
But now Rob has passed away from cancer and Cath needs to refind herself.
Oh dear, I had such a hard time with this book. I really didn’t like Cath much at all, I felt it was all about her and started to question whether she also had a narcissistic nature to a point. Sure, she had a hard time accepting Rob’s death but she never helped herself, pushing everyone away and blaming others for the position she was in.
Maybe I felt this way because we are mostly only told Cath’s side/feelings, interspersed with chapters regarding her half brother Oliver as their relationship is rekindled, who incidentally I liked and felt he endured a lot too.
It’s not until the last few chapters that we get a new understanding some things, which I liked as a wrap up.
I’m glad I read it but it was difficult to get through.
Thankyou to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

Not my best read. It is definitely emotional and some twists and turns, to me it was a pretty slow read. I had hoped for better after reading the plot.

The Twin was such an emotional rollercoaster of a read. Cath and Oliver are our two main characters, with the story being told from their perspectives in before and after timelines. This is very much the retelling of all the negative things that happened to them over the years and how they each grieved in their own ways. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read an ARC of The Twin by Amanda Brookfield, in exchange for my honest review.

A tragically realistic portrayal of grief. This was a hard read, not because it wasn't a great story (it was), but because it was so on-point. So much so, that it reinforces that we all grieve and react differently; that time brings clarity and a sense of peace.

Amanda Brookfield captured grief and its intricacies so perfectly.

I look forward to reading more by Amanda Brookfield.

Gosh, this was a heartwrenching read. After losing their mother at a very early age to cancer, Rob and Cath get a step-monster! They had been adored children and then they weren't. Now they have a half-brother, Oliver, and a step=mother who isn't motherly at all. Once Rob and Cath turn 18, their father and step-family move to the United States, and they are adrift again. It seems like Rob and Cath can't get a break. The book revolves around all the bad things that happen.

Told in chapters of 'before' and 'after' by Cath and Oliver and we learn that Oliver had issues as well. So much drama! Gosh this whole family is disfunctional!

I had a hard time finishing this book, although as you move through the pages, I think you learn a bit about how Cath and Oliver learn to handle grief or at least understand how to move forward. That kind of thing kind of spills over into what is happening in your own life.

Not my favorite book this year, but probably one I needed to read.

This is an emotional family drama. Cath's twin brother Rob has died and his wife wants nothing to do with Cath, but Cath can't leave them alone. The fact that their step-brother showed up at the funeral didn't help her state of mind. The past is traumatic for her and forgiveness isn't something she's capable of. All her anger threatens her relationship with her partner, while Oliver, the step-brother is also having marital issues.

As Cath and Oliver start responding to each other, they discover that they have very different memories of their time growing up from their different perspectives in relation to Oliver's mother.

This book is heavy on the emotion. It was a really good book if you can handle the family dramas that take place as the main focus of the book.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the copy. All thoughts are my own.

I was kindly provided with the arc of this book by NetGalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review, thank you ✨

4⭐️

This book was so heartbreaking and full of emotions and so healing at the same time, the story is about grief but also about self reflection, I just can’t imagine being a twin and have to go through what Catt had, how that situation affected her personal life and how resilient she had to be to finally accept her new reality 🥹❤️‍🩹

I enjoyed this story a lot✨