Well, this was amazing! I have a particular penchant for books that have elements of disturbing/dysfunctional family relationships and The Good Sister has it in spades.

The story is centred on twins Rose and Fern who are as dissimilar as can be. Rose is the responsible, married sister with a high-flying job while Fern is a quirky librarian with a sensory processing disorder. Rose spent much of her childhood protecting none-the-wiser Fern from their sociopathic mother until the day she overdosed and they were sent to foster homes - but just before that happened, Fern did something very bad and Rose has spent the rest of her life guarding her sister’s secret and continuing to protect her into adulthood. However when Fern decides to help Rose achieve her sought after dream of a baby, she starts to uncover some of Rose’s own secrets, secrets that throw everything she’s known and relied on up in the air.

This book really touched me, I think because I really empathised with Fern as a character. Due to her sensory processing issues, she can’t live a typically ‘normal’ life and has relied on Rose since they were children. When that very close bond begins to crack, Fern’s carefully structured life starts to unravel and it was painful to read her warring thoughts when she is questioning the loyalty of the sister she has held in such high esteem for so long.

I really enjoyed that the story was written from both Fern in her monologue and Rose in the form of journal entries, the conflict between the twins’ personalities and characters was so intriguing. At first I was absolutely convinced that Rose was a good sister and was always looking out for Fern but as the story unfolded, I started to doubt Rose and her motives. Naturally I rooted for Fern as she is portrayed as the underdog but is clearly such a genuine and honest person and I loved the careful relationships she formed with the people in her life - especially Wally/Rocco and her library colleagues.

I think this book is beautifully written - it’s heartbreaking and there are twists at every corner that took my breath away but it thankfully ends on a high. From the fast-paced tension to the tender, sweet moments and everything in between, The Good Sister was a definite 5 star read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Plot:
I found it really refreshing to read a thriller that didn’t have an obvious crime to solve or a ‘whodunnit’ that needed to be uncovered. This was a creative storyline and one that I really enjoyed. At certain points I wasn’t quite sure what was going to happen or where the story was leading to, but the characters definitely helped in this situation, as I was invested enough in them to see it through (in fact I could have happily just read a day in the life of Fern). The dynamic surrounding sisters is something that is definitely 'thriller-esque' and I thought that this book negotiated the complicated relationship between siblings and the rivalry they can harness beautifully. I also enjoyed the dual-perceptions within this book as the author used these to delicately-place information that became the foundations of suspicion and distrust.

Characters:
For me, the character description and development were the highlight of this book. All of the characters were eerily realistic, and it was obvious that the author took a lot of time and care when researching their characters. Fern was adorable! I don’t know if I have ever rooted for a character more, but her view of life was the refreshing tonic I needed. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters throughout the story as they added humour and stability for both Fern and the book overall. I definitely felt uneasy around a certain character throughout this book and this did ring true in the end. However, I was I was still shocked at the twists throughout and I really didn’t see them coming. Although this book did not seem to have an ultimate ‘whodunnit’ I did go back several times to re-read extracts as there were many twists and half-truths to negotiate and take into consideration.

Ending comment:

This was a book about perception and how easy it can be to obscure your own memories, as people will always see themselves as the ‘good guy’ when they only listen to their side of the story. Simply put, I really enjoyed reading this book and I did not want to put it down. It is very rare that you find a comfortable read in my genre of choice and this was definitely that. I found myself smiling at almost all of Fern’s interactions and I was really looking forward to being immersed in her world again every time I opened the book. This will definitely be one of my reads of the year.

Wow, what a fantastic read this was.
Two sisters Rose and Fern, twins but totally different. Fern is on the spectrum and has sensory issues.
Rose is always trying to protect Fern and at times this does annoy her. Something happened when they were children and Fern believes it was her fault.
Fern realises that Rose cannot have children so decides to get pregnant and have a child for her.
This is so cleverly written as we feel how Fern deals with her life, her job and emotions.
Rose's part is written as a journal.
As I work with children with SEND it was very insightful to how they process everything. It really makes you think how they deal with everyday life that we take for granted.
I loved the ending, a total surprise.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder&Stoughton for the ARC

What a superb read. I was suckered in from page one. This starts as the story of two sisters, their upbringing and how they look after each other. Rose comes across as a kind sister who is always looking out for her sister’s wellbeing. Fern comes across as a lovely young lady who can be easily manipulated due to the fact that she obviously has some form of autism/Asperger’s. This is a brilliant read and I couldn’t put it down. The ending did not disappoint either!!

A great book that had me feeling a mixture of different emotions suspense and frustration at times I found myself having to take a break from reading to calm down I was that engrossed

I found this a refreshing and interesting read. Twins Rose and Fern are so different. They are wired so differently, see their pasts in such different ways and live their present lives with a different code of conduct. This gives us not only an observance of human nature but also an element of a psychological thriller.
From the start I really took to Fern. She is refreshingly different and likeable. I found myself rooting for her from early on and so want a good life for her. The book is not long and I read it in two days. Most enjoyable!

This book kept me guessing until the end so much do I stayed up very late to finish it! I loved the twist in the story and I got really invested in the characters. Such a clever plot and I’ve already recommended this fantastic book to friends, family and my book group. Thank you for the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Rose and Fern are twins, and close. Fern is single and works in a library and goes to dinner at her sister’s house three times a week. Rose is happily married with a beautiful home and successful career, but she can’t seem to have the one thing she really wants – a baby.

Can Fern be a surrogate for her sister in return for everything Rose did for Fern growing up? Of course, she has to find a potential father first.

Lots of twists, turns, and an unexpected ending kept me gripped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

'The Good Sister' tells the story of Fern and Rose, a pair of fraternal twins who had a troubled upbringing, from the POV of Fern, as well as Rose's diary entries.

Both perspectives strongly hint at a dark secret from the girls' childhood, which resulted in a dead body. Consequently, Rose is still protective of Fern well into their adult lives, but their normal lifestyles are turned upside down when Fern decided to become pregnant so that she can carry a child for Rose, and secrets are unearthed.

The story was mostly well-paced, and it definitely kept me turning the pages at the start and towards the end. However, by about 60% through the book, I did start to wonder what the book was actually about and whether anything dramatic/exciting was actually going to happen. Luckily, the final third of the book introduced a twist which kept me interested for the rest of the novel.

The characters were fairly likeable and somewhat relatable, so readers would be definitely be able to empathise with them (although some more than others). Like all good thrillers, the characters' flaws were revealed more and more as time went on, which kept the plot moving forward.

Overall, this was a great read and I will definitely recommend this book to our library users. The only disappointing factor for me was that the story seemed to be tied up too easily and conveniently, but that didn't detract from the storyline.

The Good Sister is the first book I’ve read by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. I didn’t expect to enjoy it quite as much as both the title and the blurb seemed quite mediocre, with many similar books in this genre currently on the market. However, I devoured the first three quarters as I loved the characters, the writing, the humour and the underlying current of foreboding and unease. The last part of the book was a little disappointing as the big twist was predictable, over explained and clumsily executed. At this point the story matched its run-off-the-mill title and the blurb.

Gosh I don’t know where to start as so many other reviewers have said it already. So to back them up I agree with the sentiment of not only the majority but all reviewers. This was an excellent, satisfying read about twins Rose and Fern. Rose, an interior designer has a charmed life with a loving husband and a successful business. To the outside world she has everything but appearances can be deceiving. What they desperately want is a child and that is where her sister Fern comes in. Shy quiet, Fern spends her days hiding behind the safety of her job at the local library. She sees a chance to give back all the protection and caring that she has received from Rose, recruiting new friend, Rocco or Wally, who, is going to help her to do that. This was certainly an original storyline which I thoroughly enjoyed. Miss Hepworth can’t go wrong and always delivers.

This was a really quick domestic thriller to get through and I do enjoy books with sisters in but I did find it a tad predictable and saw the twist coming from quite early on. I would recommend this more if you are new to the genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I saved this book for a duvet day.
I’d read and enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s other novels and knew I could count on her for a good, undemanding page-turner. Sometimes you need a novel that you can just dive into immediately to forget all the difficult stuff that everyone’s going through at the moment.
The story is told by twins Rose and Fern. Alternating accounts can be a problem - sometimes you find yourself forgetting who’s speaking - but not when the characters are so different. Fern is a charming character who owes much to Eleanor Oliphant. She is kind but unworldly and appears to be too reliant on her practical sister Rose, who even took Fern on honeymoon. You worry that Fern is ruining Rose’s life when Rose complains that Fern has turned her hair grey.
Fern is desperate to repay Rose for everything she’s done for her and plans to have a baby and give it to Rose, who has premature ovarian ageing.
But Fern knows she cannot be trusted with a baby, as at the age of 12 she did that terrible thing, that only Rose knows about ...
We all enjoy a good twisty suspense novel, and the twists in this book are very satisfying, upending all our expectations. There’s also the bonus of a romance in which two people who struggle with social acceptance find the perfect match in each other.
I have to say that I prefer darker thrillers but this light read is perfect for a day off.

There are some books you cannot put down, this was one of them. If you like dysfunctional, toxic, old fashioned good versus evil The Good Sister is a great book for you! Sally Hepworth has cleverly captured two very compelling personalities in the sisters Rose and Fern as their story unfolds. No spoilers, you need to read this to the end that you won't see coming!

A decent domestic drama concerning fraternal twins, Fern, a librarian who is on the autism spectrum, and bossy Rose, an office space designer. Rose keeps a diary chronicling memories of an unhappy childhood with their unpleasant mother, Fern's memories however, are very different, so which set of recollections are accurate? A fast read, enjoyable, a little twisty, engaging but not too heavy and I loved the character of Fern, 4 stars. Thanks Netgalley.

Sister relationships can be very complicated and are not usually something I enjoy reading about, as I prefer a plot with a wider lens rather than an intense focus on just two females and ideally a novel with an evocative, glamorous setting. I am glad, however, that I made an exception for Sally Hepworth’s latest novel ….as this exception was well worth it!

'The Good Sister' is about Fern and Rose, non-identical twins in their late twenties who each deal with serious issues. Rose, a diabetic, has become her sister’s protector because Fern struggles a sensory processing issues that leave her unable to cope in many day-to-day situations, although she is highly thought of and appreciated in her librarian job. As well as looking out for her sister now, we learn that Rose also covered for Fern during a terrible childhood event that neither sister has yet recovered from, and that both girls are traumatised by their dysfunctional childhood at the hands of their hostile, narcissistic mother. But was the past exactly like the sisters make out and is the present really like Rose describes it in her journal?
Even if you would not normally consider a domestic thriller, I suggest you pick up this one – you may well find you are hooked! Thank you to the publishers and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for this honest and unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this book. Rose and Fern are sisters. Fern is clearly on the autism spectrum and Rose takes good care of her. Fern works at the local library and lives independently,. When she discovers that Rose is unable to get pregnant, Fern decides that she will have a baby for her. She just needs to find a father! This is a good read which will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Thoroughly enjoyed this and how twisted it was, well worth reading as you will get sucked straight into the story!

The good sister is a brilliant emotive domestic thriller that will draw you in and keep you guessing right until the end!
The power and intensity of fraternal twins bonds, one twin having a sensory processing disorder the other being the protector, where do these roles end and start??
Fern and Rose are twins that have a very intimate, close almost suffocating relationship forged from childhood due we are led to believe from their upbringing! Now as adults Fern is functioning well,working, sticking to her routines and rituals but Rose who likes to be needed,wanted is faltering and needs to come up with a plan to make Fern ever more reliant upon her!
What follows is a twisty, emotive, thrilling read that will enthrall you to the end!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

When I saw that Sally Hepworths new book was available on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read it early! I loved The Mother-In-Law and was hoping for another great read. I wasnt diasappointed, whilst being totally different to The Mother-In-Law it is another cracker! When it first started I really struggled to recoginse it as being by Sally Hepworth, it was so different to its predecessor but it was equally as good. I immediately loved the character Fern; her sensory issues were so interesting to read about and her relationship with her sister Rose was fascinating. The way the diary of Rose is interspersed throughout the story to describe the twins childhood is great but the twist at the end was so unexpected!

I gave this book four stars as it was thoroughly enjoyable!