Rival Sisters

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. The review I'm leaving is being done voluntarily and contains my own thoughts, views, and personal opinions.

3.5 stars rounding up.

I can't lie, I hated both of these characters. I persevered because I saw the promise in the story, but I did so with clenched teeth. However, when the book was over, I realized one of the reasons I kept going is because of how much I didn't like the characters. That might not make sense, but let me backpedal a step. One of the major selling points of this story is the fact that it's about everyday people with everyday problems. Sure, they aren't the most typical of problems, but they felt real and genuine and it was surprisingly easy to put yourself into their shoes. It was a refreshing read because it felt like you were diving into a real family and watching them unravel then find a way to come back together again.

The author's writing featuring these two sisters who have a strained relationship after the death of their mother. They each have damaging secrets in their lives and come back together in this character driven story. This was a pretty good read.

Angsty family drama about sisters driven apart by tragedy. Full of the feels you find yourself cheering for both sisters because at the end of the day they're family. Can they get past what happened and come together to face the demons they both battle. Or will the secrets they both harbor become too much and completely drive them apart. A must read. Happy reading!

This one had be sobbing uncontrollably, I was drawn to the characters like a moth to a flame. There were similarities in both books Rival Sisters and A Life Worth Living by the same author, particularly in character personalities, but this one was easily my favourite. The plot more smooth and the characters more likeable.

In Rival Sisters, Hannah and Nat are sisters that have grown apart after tragically losing their mom as teenagers. Hannah has thrown her self into her job as a risk assessor and keeping her own family safe. Nat want to chance the world, one homeless person at a time. Hannah over-does it, Nat under-does it.
I think I am in the minority, but this book was just okay. I thought the story was predictable and I couldn't identify with or care about any of the characters.
Thanks to NetGalley, Louise Guy, and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me to access Rival Sisters by Louise Guy in exchange for my honest opinion.

#RivalSisters #NetGalley

Rival Sisters begins with important background information as to why Hannah's and Nat's relationship is quite fractious.
Hannah is portrayed as controlling, - she controls all aspects of her life - her family, finances and this even spills into her relationship with her sister.
Nat comes across as flighty, unable to hold down a job, home or relationship.

The family dynamics in Rival Sisters is richly described and it is only towards the latter part of the book that bigger events take over the story and we see some repair in their relationship.

I enjoyed this book by Louise Guy and I look forward to more of her work.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
Unfortunately, I didn't much like this book. I found Hannah and her sister Nat annoying, When they were young, they were close, but when their mother died they drifted apart and can't help sniping at each other as adults. Hannah is uptight, rigid and successful, but Clare is totally different. She's had one job after another, gives all her money to the needy and ends up jobless and homeless.
She moves in with her grandmother and gets involved in online gambling. Hannah gets an unwelcome phone call that threatens her marriage.
I found the sisters' decisions stupid and selfish and didn't really care what happened to them.

Set in Oz I expected a warm fuzzy book with comedy elements to a relationship between sisters however it was very slow going and slow paced there wasnt too much action to keep you gripped. The stereotyoed opposite portrayals of sisters with one uptight and one free spirited was a bit of a cliche but works every time to create a happy ending. The mystery of the investment side was also predictable but at least added a bit of drama to a slow paced narrative. The most interesting bit was the celebration of life festival and it did stir some emotion. It wasnt a bad read just not terribly exciting but I will try more of Louise Guys books because of the setting.

Rival sisters was a good read, the story of two sisters who lost their mother and their way with each other. Both very different, Hannah the oldest married with a daughter, in control of her life, risk assessing every decision. Nat single broke going from job to job. Events bring the sisters together in a very unusual way, a story of gambling, deceit and lies unravels can they resolve their differences and bring their family back together?? The story was predictable in parts but enjoyable.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t relate to the sisters and the lying was more irritating to me than a good story line. i felt like the characters could have been developed a little more, they were flat for me. I also felt like some of the story lines were either confusing or irrelevant.

This book was a gem! I love a good story about sisters and this one really hit home. Nat and Hannah are both incredibly relatable characters and Phyllie is everything I hope I am at 89. Though these two sisters go through a lot of ups and downs, none of it feels "too much". I thoroughly enjoyed every second!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC!

Hannah and Nat are less rival than just very different people. They've never quite healed from the death of their mother, which only exacerbated their differences. Now, though, they've got to put that aside. They both have secrets and there is also a family secret. No spoilers. There's some drama but isn't there always within families? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. it's a good read.

This beautifully rendered story is told through the eyes of Hannah and Nat, two very different women with very different lives who are bound by grief, strength of character and sisterhood. The author does a remarkable job in immersing us in the day to day life of her characters who are funny, engaging and have very human flaws. Tragedy lies beneath the lightness and what starts as an highly enjoyable narrative becomes imbued with an increasingly dark edge that points to reasons behind the dysfunction.

When I read the blurb for this novel, I was intrigued by the story-line premise. Lots of potential here for a gripping page turner. The story itself is that. Intrigue, secrets long hidden, and truths that are maybe years too late in arriving. Lots of twists and turns, and unexpected happenings. As well as an ending that surprised me. For this alone, I can recommend the book. Rival Sisters has it all – engaging narrative, relatable characters, clever psychological insights and a rich engrossing mystery. I can highly recommend.

Rival Sisters by Louise Guy is a novel centered around two siblings, Hannah and Nat. Hannah is regarded as the responsible, data-driven, control freak while Nat is the free-spirited, irresponsible mess. The writing shows how a tragic death in the family can result in two very different responses either trying to control or avoid. However, at times this dichotomy became a bit unrealistiic and also made the two women difficult to like. Both sisters have a lot of secrets yet you can tell they are not to hurt others. It was an interesting story, but I think making the characters a bit more likeable and realistic may have made the writing stronger for me. However their grandma, Phyllie, was a delightful character. Overall I recommend this book for those that enjoy reading plot-driven novels about family bonds.

Many thanks to the publisher Amazon Publishinng UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A heartwarming and exhilarating story of two sisters who were drawn apart by the tragic death of their dear mother. Each of them having their own way to deal with their grief.

Hannah, the older sister, kept a secret from her husband for 12 years in order to protect him, however, she was repeatedly blackmailed which eventually compelled her to tell her husband the truth.

Nat, the other sister, had made some bad choices which resulted in her being addicted to online gambling in order to pay off her debts, this didn't work out well for her and resulted in her being in deeper financial woes.

The characters in the book are easy to relate to and in some instances, capture and hold the reader's attention together.

Summary: An easy afternoon read which is rather enjoyable, may result in a roller coaster of emotions and uncovering family secrets, some of which may be best kept hidden.

A very enjoyable story about two sisters who clash in a whole host of ways! I really liked the pacing of this book, and thought the storytelling was of great standard. Found it difficult to put down and became very absorbed in the sisters' lives while I read! I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoy stories about complex characters and intertwined relationships. A great read.

Lovely book. Thanks for the e-ARC NetGalley. The characters were so profound and gripping, looking forward to read more books by the author.

I enjoyed this book as well as this author's other book on Netgalley, "A Life Worth Living." Good beach-blanket books.

Hannah and Nat are sisters that once were close. But the sudden death of their mother sent them walking through different paths. Several years had passed and their personalities are almost opposed.
Almost not knowing about each other's troubles, they're both going through difficult times when something unexpected happens. Will they find the way to mend things between them?
Rival Sisters is a well developed story, the pace is good and the characters are real. I specifically enjoyed reading the lovely Phyllie.
Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

✏️ “Stay true to who you are and don’t won’t worry about other people. Good things will come to you if you’re patient, you mark my words.”
✏️ “You should never make assumptions about another person’s life. You have no idea what they might be going through.”
~Louise Guy, Rival Sisters
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Told from the POV of two sisters Hannah and Nat, this was a heartwarming family drama which I must admit brought a tear or two to my eyes towards the end. Hannah and Nat, once very close, can’t seem to be in the same room for too long before rubbing the other the wrong way. Each of them has been dealing with the tragedy of losing their mum in very different ways and after her death they stopped really communicating with each other. Their knowledge of each other is based on what they “think” and not on what they know. I can’t say that I loved either of the two sister’s characters, but I could understand some of the actions they took even though I didn’t agree with all of them. I did however love their grandmother Phyllie’s character. She saw who they really were inside as many a grandmother would. It was a good read. This was the first book I read by this author, looking forward to reading the others.
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Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Hannah and Nat are sisters but are polar opposites which is exacerbated by the death of their mother when they are teenagers. Hannah is married and has a young daughter and her live revolves around risk assessments which she not only does for work but brings it home as well, she is very anal about doing the right things and being very critical of others.

Nat is a bit of a free spirit and is very devoted to her work with the less fortunate and has a habit of not being able to keep a job because she takes pity on people and wants to help them out even if it means breaking the rules. Consequently she has little or no money and is kicked out of her shared accommodation because she can't pay her share of the rent.

White night Phillie is their 89 yo grandmother and offers Nat a proposition to live with her which will get Hannah off her back about moving into supported accommodation because of her age. Nat agrees but very soon is drawn into a gambling addiction which threatens to take over her whole life and the lives of her family.

Louise Guy tackles some pretty interesting topics throughout this book - gambling, addiction, control, adoption and family

An interesting and sweet family story. The characters are well developed and engaging with lots of good imagery.
On the whole, a good book.

Loved this book. I did not know what to expect as this is a new author to me, but, I was pleasantly surprised good story, well written and definitely recommend a read

Rival sisters

This book is about a family. The heart of the book is about two sisters, but we have a cast of supporting characters. The sisters mother dies 10 years earlier. Their father has since remarried and they all live in Australia where the novel is set.

Nat is the younger sister, a little wild, led by her heart. Hannah is quite the opposite in there every situation has a pro and con list, a right and a wrong way of doing things. After the death of their mother, their relationship is fractured and doesn’t seem to recover. Hannah does her best to control everyone and Nat is a free spirit. In adulthood, Nat is trying to figure out how to manage her life and manage a growing gambling addiction, while Hannah is trying to keep a secret hidden of her own.

I have said this before, but I love a book where a sister relationship is at the heart of it. Sibling relationships can be so complex and interesting and I love the way the author depicts the push and pull between Nat and Hannah as they navigate their delicate relationship.

Aside from the conflict between sisters, there was so much going on in this book it was kind of ridiculous at times. The author kept putting up different obstacles and creating new conflict so often that the characters didn’t get a chance fully develop. There was no space or breathing room. They were constantly in reaction to external circumstances. It was a way to move the story along, because I was invested. But, I felt the book would have benefited from fewer conflict, and more character development.

There was a character, the grandma, who was in early stages of dementia. That struck a chord with me because I’m familiar with that, having a close family member experience the same thing. I just had a hard time connecting emotionally to the characters because there was just so much going on.

Loved the realness of this story. I went through a cycled love-hate relationship with each character, which, I think, speaks to the truth of this plot line! Difficult topic and so well written.

An interesting book which tackles and focuses on a tough topic. I enjoyed reading this and I like the author’s writing.

I really enjoyed this book....Nat and Hannah both lost their mum in their teens, and rather then bring them closer, their relationship is fractured....now adults they are brought back together. Really lovely story with well written characters.

Very much enjoyed this read!!
I loved the relationships and the ups and downs not only between the sisters, but with the rest of the family as well. Great read!

Rival Sisters tells the story of two sisters Nat and Hannah who since the death of their mother when they were teenagers, they once close relationship has turned bitter. I enjoyed the fact that neither were as perfect as they first appear and they learn more about themselves and each other as the plot unfolds.

I have moved Guy's other novel A Life Worth Living that I got from Netgalley to the top of my TBR list and have high hopes for.

Highly recommend!!!!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Nat has a problem, her sister Hannah....these two couldn’t be any further apart, yet through a strange twist of internet activity, they become each other’s confident and actually strike a friendship.
This story is a light read with serious themes which makes it a book hard to put down!
The characters are in twined in a way the reader can see but the plot doesn’t elude to, until much later in the book, this keeps the reader interested as they are the ones joining up the dots.
A story of differences, feuds and friendship.

I really tried to link this book, but it just wasn't for me. I thought the plot was interesting, but the characters needed a little more development. This was a DNF for me.

This was definitely a hard book to maintain interest in. The saving grace for this book was the grandmother. She was extremely special and offered so much to her family. I did not care for either sister and felt that the plotline was extremely predictable and just completely dragged on and didn't really go anywhere. The con was just dumb and I could not understand anyone with any sense falling for this. This just made the whole thing not plausible. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.