"Blood Is Thicker Than Water - But Secrets Are Stronger Than Bond"

Alice and Holly were always close - but after years of jealousy and competition they slowly grew further away from each other. When a body is found at a local apartment demolition, Holly is panicked, worried that her past may come back to haunt her. Alice tries to bring back the closeness between her and Holly but new partners and old grudges prove that re-uniting is harder than they could imagine.

The Perfect Sister unfortunately isn't the perfect narrative. Neither of the characters were very compelling - both of them quite average within their intertwined storylines, even when they should have been full of gusto and excitement. It was a struggle to get through the first part of the book, nothing really happened - just lots of backstory and build up, which made it really drag. It only really ramps up halfway through the narrative and by then it had already lost quite a lot of the interest that had been there previously. The final portion of the book however, was full of intrigue, and Zoe Miller managed to grasp back some of the suspense to end the story with a bang. It was interesting how the narrative dipped in and out of the past - handled well and made clear which timeline was currently running in each chapter. Although the ending wasn't too hard to predict, even when you did work it out, it didn't ruin the remainder of the story, it instead helped to ramp up the tension while you were waiting to get to the end. There was no pretence, and some tough subject matters were broached, but it was handled delicately and not glorified just for the sake of drama.

 I received this copy as an audiobook, which I do think impacted my experience of the narrative slightly. The narrator (Clare McKenna) threw me off a bit as she isn't a natural storyteller. There were no differing accents and at multiple points, strange intonations - putting emphasis on the wrong words, which overall made it quite a hard book to get through. I would recommend this - but as a standalone read, rather than as an audiobook.

Thanks to NetGalley and W.F. Howes Ltd for my advanced reader copy! 💕

The perfect sister by Zoe Miller is a domestic drama based in Dublin.

Sisters Alice and Holly become estranged, Alice living the sensible life after splitting from her husband she shares custody of their young daughter and she lives and works in the city. Holly began living the high life then suddenly; she and her husband moved to the country and rarely see much of Alice now. News of Holly’s old flat being demolished stirs unease in Holly and Alice starts to date someone who is interested in the building, the link brings the sisters back together but secrets are unearthed that many would rather be buried.

The narrator Clare McKenna is excellent, she brought the accents alive and portrayed all the characters well.

The story was told from the point of Alice, she was an average woman who could perhaps like to sit on the moral high ground. Holly’s story was told from the past and how her life was when they lived in the nice apartment. They weren’t really interesting or exciting enough to want to get to know either of them although I was happy for Alice when she started dating someone.

The plot was a little slow to start with and quite a bit of repetition, yet when we started to find out things that happened in the past the story line was interesting. Realistic situations happened that are kept secret which does make this a more believable story yet also more pedestrian. I was hoping for something more shocking.

Overall, this was an ok read 3*. I liked the setting, the narrator and the realistic nature of the plot would probably appeal to many, more of a drama than a thriller though.
Thanks to W.F. Howes Ltd and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a slow burn mystery and although I did ultimately enjoy it, I feel that the pace was just too . The story itself was intriguing, though sometimes confusing. It felt much more like a family drama than a thriller. I liked Alice but wanted to scream at her sometimes to get on with it!

I loved the narrator's voice - her Irish accent was lovely - but I felt she didn' make enough effort to distinguish each seperate character.

Loved the narration of this book.

The story was a slow burn to start with but then got really engrossed. So enjoyed the family dynamics and the unfolding.

Not going to go into the plot as that will just spoil it and done so much better by the publishers.

Fully do recommend this audio version.

I was given an advance copy by the publishers and netgalley but the review is entirely my own

A good story, just a little bit too obvious who the culprit was . Holly’s character also went from being a strong and independent woman to really really wimpy and pliant which was totally at odds from the holly at the beginning of the story.
The recording isn’t consistent, can be tinny, echoey and far away from microphone at times. There’s a lot of sniffing, smacking of lips, teeth sucking and sharp inhalation’s . With a little editing and re-recording could be a much more enjoyable listen.

Absolutely Loved it, the story flowed well, unfolded perfectly and was excellently narrated. Would recommend.

This is my second audiobook experience and it was not all that good. The narrator's accent and intonation didn't suit me. So, I felt like this book dragged on forever. Plus the book was also a slow burn thriller, making it all the more tedious to listen to. But finally after a long time, I finished it.

The perfect sister was about 2 sisters, Holly and Alice. While Holly was charming and sauve, Alice was mature and calm. Alice always felt that she was boring compared to Holly. While Holly was jealous at every turn that Alice achieved something in her life. Their lives were ultimately intertwined.

The mystery element comes half way through the book and by that time, the plot has lost steam. At this point, Holly and her husband Luke have lost their money. Their living a simple life. Alice has divorced her rich, lawyer husband. There is a new man, Damien who tried to befriend Alice.

Holly's past catches up with her and in turn affects Alice as well. Will they all survive the past? Read to find out.

The ending was predictable but by that point. Overall, it was a one time read.

Holly and Alice, once close sisters, have been driven apart by resentment and secrets. Secrets which are about to resurface and bring the protective wall that each sister has built around their lives crashing down.

A great read/listen. I enjoyed seeing the story evolve from the perspective of both sisters. This is a really enjoyable book with it's fair share of twists and turns. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook as a pre release.

I’ve tried to listen to this book a few times over the last couple of weeks. The story sounds engaging, but I’m struggling with the narration. It’s just not right, but I’m not sure why. I haven’t progressed far and I don’t want to give an unfair review of a story which sounds promising. I’m not completing this review of the audio title, but thanks for the review copy.

An easy enjoyable story.
Alice and Holly are sisters , the story explores their relationship and the fallout of an incident that happened years before.
The story is a slow burner , although the writing makes it easy to listen to and left me wanting to find out who was behind the previous event.
The relationship between the sisters is well defined and left me wanting to give Alice a nudge to get on with her life.
I liked the setting of Dublin and the narration with an Irish accent it completed the story.
An overall enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and W.F. Howes Ltd.

I would never expect such a good mystery! That was brilliant. I have to admit that I suspected almost everyone in here, cause there were so many different leads to solve this crime.

A lot is going on in this book. Two sisters and their lives. Their relationships, problems, bad decisions, and consequences to face. Sounds normal. Typical. Alice thought that as well, but everything changed than her perfect sister, Holly, is lost.

Not only Alice is looking for her. Police, detectives, her ex-husband, and her new friend are really interested in talking to her about something what happened years ago...

Secrets, hiding, lies. The past came back and asking for the truth.

That is perfect. I found it involving, entertaining. I have an audiobook so I spend long hours with the headphones on looking for an actual killer. And you know what? I would never guess who it was. That was a shock and real surprise. I didn't see it coming. What only makes this book even much better.

That my first book of Zoe Miller and I definitely need to catch up on the other one. Hope to find it as gooood as this one.

I am afraid to say I did not complete this audio book - I feel it was the narrator’s voice that I found difficult to relax and enjoy - it might have different if I had actually read the book rather than listen. Apologies

Found this a bit slow to begin with but overall I enjoyed the read but as an avid thriller fan by half way through I had guessed what had really happened but it didn't spoil the book for me

I have read a couple of Zoe Millers books and like her style . I listened to this on audio via Net galley and as it was set in Dublin and read in the Irish accent it really fitted the book
The book features around two Sisters Alice and Holly and the differences in their lives once they are grown up
Once close as they settle into married lives they grow apart and Alice blames Holly's controlling husband Luke.
As time goes by Alice leaves her wealthy husband and starts to build her own life with her daughter when
she meets a nice guy who seems to be exactly what she needs to move on but there is a link to Alice's new man and Holly and she has been keeping secrets.
Can the two sisters ever be close again after the secrets, lies and betrayals are revealed?
Has the secrets destroyed Alice's new relationship?
You will need to read the book to find out

Thank you to Netgalley and W.F.Howes for a copy of the audiobook of The Perfect Sister.

The story was really compelling, and I feel as though I would love the book. However, I feel as though the narrator of the audiobook wasn't the right choice. On more than one occasion, I lost track of which character was speaking, and apparently they were arguing - I only realised after the fact. The narrator didn't portray this in the best way.

The Perfect Sister tells a story of just that, the perfect sister. The bond between two sister’s, that always manages to bring them back together. This story is intriguing and filled with unexpected twists that you would not expect.
I found myself enjoying the story looking forward to the next chance I would get to listen to the audiobook. The author tells a gripping story that keeps you guessing, and eager for more. Unfortunately, I battled with the narrator. Having messed around with a bit of voice-over work myself, I could not help but pick up on every little glitch throughout this recording. I got the impression that the recording had not been edited. I would have to recommend a copy of the book instead of the audiobook in this case. The author did a great job.
Alice has spent her entire life putting Holy first, always looking after her no matter what is happening in her own. Having drifted apart, the two sister’s are no longer in close contact, but still, Alice will always put Holy first.
Alice meets Damien, a good looking man who she decides to take a chance on after her disastrous marriage. When she discovers that he is related to an old friend of her sister’s that suffered an accidental death she is quick to put her guard up. When Holy’s old apartment building is demolished and the police discover new evidence causing them to re-open the investigation into Damien’s cousin's death, Damien speaks to Alice and suggests that Holy might have been involved. Alice refuses to believe her sister guilty of any wrongdoing.
Will Holy come between Alice and Damien? Is Holy guilty? All Alice knows for sure is that her sister has not been completely honest with her and she is determined to find the truth, no matter what.
This story is full of surprises. I found I could not wait to get back to the audio despite my disliking of the narration. I have to suggest the book instead of the audio. For once, the audio did not do the book justice.
Alice is a selfless character and at times I found myself annoyed at her habit of putting Holy first. The author created a remarkable big sister and by the time I reached the end of the story I wished I had a sister like Alice. She was brilliant – there is no other word for it.
Loved the story! The author managed to keep me curious from start to finish.
This book offers a lot more than just mystery, it’s a deeply moving story that will be enjoyed by woman’s fiction and romance fans – it’s not a Mills and Boon story – so if you are into that kind of hardcore romance – don’t reach for this…..
I will recommend the book, unfortunately, I would advise avoiding the audiobook version. I did not enjoy the audio, sadly.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. The story was quite slow - I got to 30% and nothing had happened. I would’ve kept going had I liked the narrator; no intonation which made it hard to work out which character was which. I would definitely give it another go with another narrator.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.

An ok read though I felt it took until half way through to get going. It was only in the second half of the book that the storyline came to life. I found the sisters rather unlike able too as Holly was completely spoilt and Alice was walked all over by her which I found to be annoying! I also found it far fetched in places which ruined it a bit for me

Narrator 1 star
I can't believe I'm giving a narrator 1 star. I dont think that has ever happened. This narrator is truly terrible and if this book has any chance of surviving you have to re do it ASAP.

Story 2 stars
Due to the narrator I struggled to get into it. This would have been better in paper form.

**due to the low rating I won't be leaving a public review on social media platforms**

I have gone straight down the middle with this one as it didn’t keep me hooked.

I actually listened to the audio and I felt it was done quite amateur. There were (many) times where you could hear the narrator swallow and suck her lips so I just couldn’t Get past that...

Whilst I liked the narrator’s voice, I wasn’t so keen on her reading style. She didn’t even change intonation when changing characters which made it confusing as to who was speaking. There were also no breaks between scenes which threw me in a couple of spots.
The book, however was good. I really got into the story and thought the characters well written. Sadly I had guessed the twist’ maybe it was a little too obvious, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment. In fact I loved the ending.