This is an emotional family drama. Catherine’s twin brother Rob has just died from cancer and her estranged half brother Oliver showed up at the funeral. Life was difficult after her mother became ill and then died when she was six years old. Her father’s quick remarriage and the preferential treatment of Oliver did not help, which led to her taking it out on him until her and Rob were left behind in London after they turned 18, and the others moved to Seattle.

A somber and emotional study of the effects of grief and trauma, and the unsteady path we walk toward healing. The characters in this book are some of the most dynamic characters I have read in some time. Their feelings, their choices, and every action resonate with authenticity. And because of that, reading this book was exhausting - but very rewarding. ‘The Twin’ is a smartly-written and engrossing journey of love, loss, relationships and self. My thanks to NetGalley, and Boldwood Books for the invitation to read this deeply moving novel.

The Twin
by Amanda Brookfield
Pub Date: Jul 03 2025

The Twin was a very sad, emotional and heart wrenching read told through the perspectives of two half-siblings forced into an uncomfortable relationship. This is an emotional story which may appeal to readers who enjoy stories about family dynamics and domestic drama. The writing was excellent, the characters were very descriptive. All in all it is a good read if your into this kind of book.

Synopsis: 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 48, 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.

Many thanks to #TheTwin #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for providing me an E-ARC of this book.

A compelling read about complicated family dynamics.
I felt sorry for Robert and Catherine because they had a spiteful, and cruel stepmother. I didn’t blame them for cutting off their half brother for years after the hell they endured.
I also thought Al was too impatient with Catherine, expecting her to put away her mourning according to his timetable.
I liked Faith better than Joanne.
Catherine definitely had a lot of issues to work through.

A very interesting read that had me engaged from the very first page. Following the lives of Catherine and Oliver, step siblings who experienced very different upbringings, even though they lived in the same house for 12 years. After the death of her twin Rob, Catherine struggles to move on and reconnects with Oliver. Their relationship is explored in depth with some surprising outcomes. There was no way of knowing how this was going to develop and I did find myself surprised at how some things had been perceived by others. Family dynamics play centre stage in this and are very cleverly woven into the story. It is also an emotional rollercoaster of a read and there are some moments that are so tender but also so heartbreaking. An excellent thought provoking read by a favourite author of mine. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

As a fan of this author's previous books I looked forward to reading this but sadly found it difficult to get into and to stick with. It was sad and affected my mood negatively. I think I just wasn't in the right frame of mind for this story at the moment and might return to the book at a later time. Just not for me at the moment. My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for my honest review.

When their mother died and their father remarried everything changed for Rob and Cath. Now decades later Rob died and Cath is heartbroken. Her half brother Oliver wants to connect again but they all have their own issues with what has happened. Can this family connect and really go on?
What an emotional family story, everyone had their own past and a way to handle it. Entertaining.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

This was not an easy read with the content being heavy and emotional. It shows brilliantly how perception on situations vary and it was a very thought-provoking read. There were many sad events throughout, involving family matters. This would not be my typical read but it was good and certainly got me thinking about family dynamics and different points of view. I think it would be a good book club book.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Amanda Brookfield’s latest novel, The Twin, delivers a deeply moving exploration of grief, memory, and fractured family ties. At its core are Cath and Rob—inseparable twins whose lives shift dramatically after the tragic death of Rob at age 48. Their half-brother Oliver’s unexpected attendance at the funeral reopens wounds shaped by decades of painful misunderstandings.

It is a deeply emotional read and may trigger grief in some readers. Brookfield uses shifting views from both Cath & Rob as well as Oliver to work through thought provoking dynamics.

Thank you Net Galley, Boldwood, and the author for this eARC.

The Twins by Saskia Sarginson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the first book I've read from this author. I wasn't sure which direction the story was going but it intrigued me. I will check out more of her books in the future.

The Twins each tell a different side of the story. One of present day and the other the past till they meet in the end.
It's a thriller with a heart for love, hurt and family.

It's a book where you will either love it or hate it but give it a chance. Read it for yourself regardless of the reviews.

A story jammed packed with emotional chapters. The death of Catherine’s twin and Oliver’s half-brother brings to the surface the strife, anger and deeply held emotions of both Catherine and Oliver. The story traces their journeys to wholeness, a journey rife with intensity and coldness. A powerful story of how a very dysfunctional family seriously impacted its members.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Amanda Brookfield delivers a deeply moving and emotionally resonant family drama in The Twin—a powerful exploration of grief, memory, and trying to figure life out without a manual or genuine adult to guide you. Cath, whose life is shattered by the loss of her twin brother, Rob and her inability to see the downside of their intense codependent relationship, forged from childhood truama. What follows is a beautifully layered narrative that deftly peels back years of silence, misunderstanding, and fractured family history.

It’s about reconciliation, resilience, and the ways we carry childhood pain into adulthood. The writing is elegant, the pacing just right, it has warmth, wisdom, and the kind of insight that lingers long after the final page.

I have read and enjoyed a few of this author's previous books and really enjoyed the so expected a more similar work. The book started well and I felt that I had to keep reading as there must be more to the story. Sadly, I found this book a bit slow after the first few chapters, there didn't seem to be any direction. Could have been a little more creative in parts and I struggled with this book, not what I expected and admit find it hard to finish.
This my personal viewpoint.
Many thanx to NetGalley, the author and publishers for allowing me to read and review this ARC

Cath and Rob are twins who were sent to live with their grandmother while their mother was ill. When their dad returns for them, their mother is dead, and dad is with another woman. Their father is not at all affectionate or caring, and the stepmother only has love for their son together. When Rob dies at 48 of cancer, Oliver returns for the funeral, but Cath wants nothing to do with him. As she grieves Rob, she does so in an inappropriate way. Trying to catch a glimpse of her nieces after Rob's wife Joanne asks for time. As things get worse, Al, Cath's partner leaves telling her she needs help. When Joanne eventually comes to talk, Cath learns the difficulties Rob had. Oliver asks that she speak to her dying dad over Zoom and she finally does. It was a tough read but full of emotion. I received an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest review.

The Twin is an emotionally powerful and deeply perceptive novel about grief, identity, and the intense, complicated bond between twins. Amanda Brookfield explores how a lifetime of love, protection, and silent resentment between Cath and her twin brother Rob shapes their lives—and how Rob’s death leaves Cath unmoored.

Told with raw honesty, the story unpacks the aftermath of loss as Cath spirals through grief, clashing with her stepbrother Oliver and jeopardizing her relationship with the kind-hearted Alastair. Brookfield paints a vivid picture of a fractured family history, showing how pain lingers through generations.
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It is a poignant and challenging read, The Twin is a beautifully written exploration of sibling love, buried trauma, and the hard-won path to healing.

I really enjoyed this story and the different paths it went down as you got further into the book. This kept me hooked in and invested in the story from start to finish.

The Twin is a compulsive read with complex characters. I wanted to like the story but it was difficult to get through. Thanks NetGalley for an arc.

“The Twin” is by Amanda Brookfield. This is a family drama and it deals with a lot - family drama (but what family isn’t full of drama?), death of a twin/sibling and dealing with the emotional aftermath (and family), estrangement, and learning to go from a child’s perspective of a relationship into an adult one. There’s a lot of introspection in this book - from Oliver’s rather cool and calm to Catherine’s emotional rollercoaster. It also reinforces how different perspective in relationships can, sometimes, both be accurate.

I just finished a good book. The Twin by Amanda Brookfield is available soon and is one you should put on your list.

The bond between twins is famously strong, and Cath and Rob were no exceptions, bonded together even more tightly by the loss of their mother at an early age.

After their father remarries and produces a baby with his new wife in short order, the twins feel shut out of what should be their own family unit, deepening the already close ties between the pair.

But when Cath loses Rob at the age of only 48, she is cast adrift from her emotional moorings. Even more so, when their father's third child, whom he had with their stepmother, shows up Rob's funeral and shares a very different take on their childhood with Cath.

As the film Rashomon ably demonstrated, there can be not just two, but many points of view on any given situation. And Cath and her half brother Oliver must now decide how much veracity resides in each...

This is an emotional and thought provoking story which will appeal to readers who enjoy stories about family dynamics and domestic drama. It gets 3.5 stars.