From start to finish I loved this book because Fern and Wally were such likeable characters.

The book was written from both twin sisters perspective and was well written.

I never expected the twists and turns. I was happy with the ending.

Highly recommend - 5/5 stars

Fern and Rose are fraternal twins; Fern is a high functioning, neurodiverse librarian who relies on her married sister when things get tough, as their mother is brain damaged in a nursing home. Rose wants a baby, but her diabetes means she can't have one so Fern decides to help. This story is written from both Rose and Ferns' perspective, it is hard to go into too much detail as this would spoil the plot! Certainly worth a read.

Two sisters, one good one bad. How the upbringing with their mother as told from two different sides, made them into the people they are. Can one be born bad and the other inherently good?
Good characters, that kept the story moving well until it's climatic ending

Unfortunately I struggle with this author’s books. I think the writing is good and storylines are clever, but it’s just not for me. However I can see why people like this authors books.

This was the first time I was reading a book by sally hepworth. The writing was very good and flowed well. I enjoyed the storyline. I also look forward to reading more by this author.

Really enjoyed this book, a few twists and turns and an interesting examination of sibling relationships!

This book wasn't what I had expected at all but I really enjoyed it. I really loved the character of Fern, who was quirky and interesting, and the contrast between her personality and the diary entries of her twin sister Rose.

There is a good build-up throughout the book to the eventual ending, which I found satisfying and finished off the novel perfectly.

Fern was a unique and quirky character, and this really helped the book rise above the usual standard thriller. Enjoyed it!

I absolutely loved this book! So well written, the characters so well portrayed. How can twins Rose and Fern be so different? - in appearance and character. Rose appears to be the twin who is so 'normal' while Fern is so quirky and suffering from sensory problems. When people talk to her she takes what they say literally and struggles to understand. She works at the library and avoids contact with people as much as she can but she recommends books to people and has a wonderful empathy with children. She doesn't know it but she is very popular
Rose has always been the strong one and looked after her and solved her problems so when Fern finds out Rose and Owen would love to have a baby but can't conceive, she decides to put aside her phobias and have a baby for her sister.
This book contains wonderful humour and a fascinating insight to people's problems. A joy to read.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Sally Hepworth/Hodder & Stoughton for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

'The Good Sister' is the first of Sally Hepworth's books I have read, and it certainly will not be my last. A tale of suspense and manipulation, the story follows twins Fern and Rose in the past and present. In the present, Rose is unable to have children and so Fern cooks up a plan to support her as a surrogate. Alongside this, through Rose's diaries, we catch a glimpse into the twin's traumatic childhood. As both narrative dip and weave around each other, we are constantly left questioning, what is a 'good sister', and can either of the twins truly be labelled as such?

We mainly follow Fern, a character I felt was developed with great nuance. She has sensory issues and so has her own way of coping socially. It was wonderful to see her working in the library and truly thrive in her working environment. She also has a romance with Rocco (aka Wally), their relationship being so heartwarming - I loved this element of the plot. We greatly sympathise with Fern's poorly thought out plan to have a baby for her sister, glimpses into the twin's awful childhood convincing us perhaps Fern's plan is not so bad after all. However, what seems like a fairly straightforward story is not all it appears... so read between the lines and be suspicious of everyone!

Overall, Hepworth manages to develop the characters whilst also weaving a psychologically twisted narrative which I thoroughly enjoyed. A real winner! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars
This was a very entertaining book from start till the end.
Fern & Rose are fraternal twins – Fern is dependent on Rose for some parts of her life, but she also senses that there are 2 Roses – the Rose she can rely on and the other Rose. When Fern notices that her sister is trying to have a baby with some medical help she decides that she can have a baby and Rose can be the mother. Fern thinks she is not fit to be a good mom, because of what happened when she was a kid – Fern did something terrible when she was a kid.
Fern works in a library and meets Wally aka Rocco, she starts dating him. She likes having him around, he understands her better than others. The story is told from two points of view – one from Fern in the present and then there’s some bits of past and some extracts from Rose’s journal.

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of the Ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This book has broken my heart and really give me food for thought, I’m just how much some people can struggle in life. We all have our own struggles and some more than others, some people are on the spectrum and some are not. Some are diagnosed and some are not. I am one of the undiagnosed

I understand and resonate with Fern so much in this book, I love her!! I want to be her BFF. She is undiagnosed but clearly on the spectrum and the higher end at that. This book shows just how hard it is to live with such a condition, especially when it comes to noticing how people around you are acting.

Mental health was a big thing in this book, from the innocent side to mental health to the not so innocent side. And WOW it was an amazing, thrilling read but it really does make you think about it afterwards.

Rose – the twin sister I never really took too, but I believed her. Every word she wrote, I believed. Maybe that is because I am also on the spectrum or because that is the way the book is intended to be read but would love to hear anyone else’s thoughts on this!!

However, Wally did know! He could see right through The Twin and at first I just thought he was jealous. But clearly I was reading it all wrong.

This was a fantastic book, very educational as well as thrilling. I would definitely recommend this book.

It took me a long time to get in to this book. Described as a psychological thriller, it felt neither psychological nor thrilling until a good way through the story and I could not figure out how this seemingly mundane description of two sisters’ lives would reach an exciting pinnacle.

However, I am glad I persevered.

This is not the type of thriller that is necessarily shocking but seeing where the story is going makes it so much more compelling. The more the story progressed, the more uncomfortable I felt reading it and I wanted to scream at the characters. I ended up so invested, desperately hoping for a certain outcome and stressed worrying that things were not going to turn out as I hoped because there is so much manipulation and tension that is developed.

Fern as a character is so well-developed and I became really interested in seeing her battle with her own perceptions of her abilities versus how others saw her. The growth that she has as she learns to open up to others and realise that other people are willing to make accommodations to help her, rather than simply seeing her as strange or different, is really lovely and well explored.

Ultimately there is more to this book that simply being a thriller. The exploration of familial relationships, particularly considering the complicated bond between the twin sisters, gives the story a different, and compelling, element.

Despite a slow start, I ended up really enjoying this book. An excellent domestic thriller with the focus on the characters rather than on having lots of plot twists.

dark... creepy... and just what you might do for the one you love. without realising the possible repercussions...
Gripping.

From the beginning I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, some of the themes seemed too dark and the characters unlikeable. I'm glad I persevered. Whilst there are some elements that felt uncomfortable to read it all added to the depth of story telling and characters. A very well thought through and different book. Definitely one to make you think!

What a thriller! I got totally immersed in this, it was exactly what I needed.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.

Overall rating : 4*
Writing skill : 4*
Pace: 3*
Characters:5*
Thrilling: 2*

I was super confused how this was classed as a thriller….until the final 15%. This book is such a grower and the character building in this is fantastic. Fern and Wally are up there as my favourite fictional couples, ever! Rose however can get in the bin. Didn’t like anything about her character, but I think we’re supposed to feel that. This was my first Hepworth experience and I’m very impressed and seeking out more of her work going forward. Solid 4* and fantastic read!

I really found my interest drifting with one, took ages to finish it. I do love Sally Hepworth's books but this one didn't work for me.

Rose and Fern are twins, but they couldn't be more different, in more ways than one. They look different. They act different. However, they both had a very difficult childhood.

This is my first book by Sally Hepwroth and... wowza. What an intense and intriguing book this one was! I was hooked from the first two chapters and didn't want to put it down which is always a sign of a good thriller!

The story is told from two POV's, Fern and Rose. Fern is a librarian (love it) and she adores her job. Fern's character is likeable and I enjoyed reading the chapters from her POV. Rose is an unlikeable character. She is manipulative and constantly holds the event of their childhood over Fern.

The writing is amazing. It is written in a way that keeps the reader hooked and constantly wanting to read 'just one more chapter' and I stayed up waaaay later than I should've done to finish it!

If you love drama, suspense and mystery then I highly recommend this book. I can't wait to dive in to more of Sally's work very soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the Mother in Law so I was expecting to love this and i did!

Fern works in a local library , she has a very structured life and lives by her routine . Her twin sister Rose cannot fall pregnant and Fern wants to have a baby for her to pay her back for looking after her throughout her life, however Fern becomes to realise that maybe her upbringing wasn't what she thought.....

It's not a thriller as such but more of a domestic suspense sort of read focusing on sibling dynamics but it works and is very addictive! The characters are real and relatable and I'm sure the subject matter is one which many will relate to .
Already looking forward to what Sally writes next, the queen of domestic suspense in my opinion!

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I have LOVED all of the Sally Hepworth novels that I have read so far, so I was thrilled to be invited to read her newest release. Let me tell you this might be the best one yet! This book is SO good that you will ignore everything in your life in order to keep reading. Clear your schedule as you will not stop for anything! THANK YOU so much for allowing me to read this. I'm already counting the days to her next release although I'm not sure she can top this!