At last, a rock music novel that is believable, down to earth and relatable. The ‘Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits’ draws the reader into the lives of the two vastly different siblings, time-arching between their legendary career zenith into their ordinary present day lives, gradually revealing the reason why they are both hiding themselves away from the world after a shattering tragedy at the height of their fame makes it impossible for the band to carry on.

An entertaining and engaging novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

For me, this was an easy four star read. I do always enjoy the downfall of the rich and famous storyline, and this is one of the best that I’ve read.

Cassie and Zoe - one desperate for stardom and one incredibly talented but really doesn’t want it.

I really felt for both sisters, and the plot felt very believable, I absolutely devoured it.

One little annoyance I had though - in 2024, Cassie’s outfit would not have been as written…we are body positive after all!

My thanks to Netgalley and Rachel Quinn Marketing for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Griffin Sisters were one the the groups of the day. They had a large following and even now they are remembered with affection.
One day it all vanished and the sisters never spoke or saw each other again. Zoe married and had a family whilst Cassie disappeared .
Zoe's daughter Chloe enters a talent competition unaware of her mother's past. She unwittingly finds out and is determined to find out more so goes in search of Cassie in the hope of getting her to mentor her for the final of the competition.
Soon though secrets that have been hidden for twenty years are revealed and the sisters must face each other and face their actions.
Will they ever sing again?

unfortunately i DNFed this book. I got about 50 pages into the book but couldn’t gel with the writing or any of the characters.

One of the strongest themes in this novel is the double-edged sword of fame. On one hand, fame offers power, money, adoration, and escape from ordinary life. On the other, it consumes privacy, magnifies insecurities, and turns real people into public property. This contrast is beautifully woven through Zoe and Cassie's divergent experiences.

That brings me to one of my main frustrations with the book: the way Cassie’s appearance is handled. It felt like the narrative couldn’t stop reminding us how "unattractive" she supposedly was, That message was hard to stomach at times, especially given how layered and emotionally rich her character was. She deserved better—from the people in her life, and honestly, from the story itself.

Still, this book has a lot to offer. It captures the highs and lows of stardom, the complexities of sisterhood, and the reckoning that comes with growing older and looking back.

Lovely story about Zoe and Cassie following their successful career until they break up. Zoe's daughter Cherry wants to pursue a career in music but her mother tries to dissuade her, so Cherry sets out to find her mothers sister Cassie who has disappeared.
What follows is a riveting story of what happened between the sisters and how Cherry tries to get them back together, loved the characters stories and background.
Would highly recommend.

I loved this book. It had exactly the right amount of intrigue, sisterly drama and pace to keep me reading well past normal bedtime.

The characters were well drawn, flawed but all likeable - and the live music circuit was a great setting for it all to play out.

I know it’s been likened to Daisy Jones and the six (which I also enjoyed) but I think it stands in its own. A journey into the joys and perils of fame at a young age and the lifelong effects it has.

Completely immersive and unexpectedly emotional. As I read the final pages I was desperate for the story not to end while battling to focus through the tears. (The emotional stuff comes out of nowhere, right at the end - be warned!)
The best book I’ve read this year, and easily as good as the hype. Daisy Jones is a worthy comparison and well-earned.
The characters, particularly Cassie, are so relatable. Russell (the love interest) is an absolute angel, and don’t even get me started on how cute Wesley the dog is.
It deals with autism, gaslighting and the importance of the ‘Me too’ movement with sensitivity and empathy.
Such a great story. I flew through it.
If you’re looking for a book that gets you out of a reading slump, look no further.
Five big ones from me, with thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a chance to read an ARC.
The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits releases on 8 May.

LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS!!!

This is a story of two sisters who make it big for one incredible album, before tragedy strikes and their music careers end.

Zoe is a heartbreaker - all American girl who is beautiful and craves fame. Her sister Cassie hates the limelight but has the musical talent and voice of an angel.. The Griffin Sisters are an instant hit.

Years later, Zoe's daughter Cherry has her own quest for fame and is determined to find the Aunt she knows nothing about, and uncover the story of what happened.

The book flits from past to present and is heart breaking at times. When I picked it up I was worried that it was going to be an imitation of 'Daisy Jones' but it just wasnt - it was fabulous.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Zoe and Cassie, are the Griffin Sisters a singing sensation after being discovered at a Battle of the Bands competition.
Thrown into fame and stardom, which Zoe loves and Cassie doesn't brings a whole set of problems. 20 years on and we find out what happened at the height of fame and why the 2 sisters no longer speak.
This was a truly amazing book.

I adored this book, everything about it was brilliant and well developed. Just brilliant and could not put this down. In the same vein as Daisy Jones & the Six with a dash of complex family drama.

Thank you to NetGalley & publisher for the book.

An instant hit in the 2000s, the Griffin Sisters had it all - if all you wanted was fame. Zoe revelled in it, but sister Cassie, who Zoe knew was the real talent, did not, When Cassie disappeared, the Griffin Sisters ended, and in the modern day, Zoe still does not know where Cassie is. Zoe's daughter Cherry is determined to be a star, and needs her Aunt Cassie's help - can she track her down and reunite the family?

Lots of emotive subject matter - including desperate ambition, jealousy, love, family - is covered in the book, with multi timelines and multi storytellers. Whilst I appreciated Cherry's ambition, I did feel a little uncomfortable at the way she used her Aunt, I couldn't warm to Cherry's character at all. I did however love Cassie and her dog, and her hiding away due to a misunderstanding was tragic. Overall, an enjoyable read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7477189789

This was sold as a Taylor Jenkins Reid-alike, i.e. a fun read that would also hit some big themes, and I don't think it quite delivered.

Yes, it was a light, easy read, and a page turner, but I struggled to care about any of the characters and none of them really rang true to me as people (e.g. are we really supposed to root for the niece who tries to bully/trick her highly anxious, possibly neuro diverse aunt into singing live in a TV talent show with her, purely for the sake of her own career??).

And while the book does to some degree touch on #metoo themes, they felt to me a bit shoehorned in to help with marketing.

So for me a decent holiday read but probably not one that will leave a lasting impression.

Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

Loved this book, it read more like a memoir than a work of fiction. Gave me Daisy jones and the 6 vibes which is one of my favourite books. The story follows 2 sisters Zoe and Cassie as they make it big in a band which all falls apart with jealously lies and death thrown in as well. The characters were very believable and really enjoyed the writing and descriptions. I will be recommending to others and looking out for more from this author. Five stars!

Jennifer Weiner returns with an emotional and layered story in ‘The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits’, a novel that sings with family drama, ambition, and the power of music to both unite and divide.

Told in a dual-timeline format, the novel follows sisters Cassie and Zoe Grossberg — polar opposites in personality and appearance, but forever bound by their shared love of music. Cassie, immensely talented but riddled with self-doubt, is reluctantly pulled into the spotlight by Zoe, whose charisma outshines her actual talent. As the two rise to fame in the music world, their bond fractures over ambition, betrayal, and heartbreak, especially when love enters the picture and becomes a pawn in Zoe's relentless pursuit of stardom.

Fast forward twenty years, and the story picks up with Cherry, Zoe’s daughter, who inherits the same passion for music. But Cherry has never met her enigmatic Aunt Cassie, now estranged from the family. As Cherry follows her own dreams of fame to California, she becomes the bridge between the past and the present, determined to unravel the secrets that splintered her family and possibly repair what was broken.

Weiner’s writing is as sharp and insightful as ever, with characters who feel heartbreakingly real in their flaws and longings. You’ll want to hug them one moment and yell at them the next — a testament to Weiner’s skill in capturing the complexity of human relationships. The narrative balances emotional depth with a fast-paced, almost nostalgic glimpse into the messy reality behind stardom, creativity, and familial ties.

Poignant without veering into sentimentality, ‘The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits’ is a moving exploration of identity, legacy, and the long road to healing. For fans of music, sisterhood, and redemption arcs that don’t take the easy way out, this book hits all the right notes.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This book had a tv series/film vibe. Zoe craved fame as a youth and nothing would get in the way of her pursuit of this. Zoe had the looks but her cripplingly shy sister had the raw, magnetising talent. .

The book is multi-perspective, told through the eyes of Zoe, Cassie (then and now) and Zoe's fame seeking daughter Cherry (now).

This was an interesting premise and though enjoyable it didn't quite hit the mark for me, perhaps because there were too many unknowns.

Cassie & Zoe ❤️

🎹Sisters born so close in age, it shocked their parents, Zoe was the slim beauty who had confidence in spaces. Younger sister Cassie was the social misfit, awkward and gawky.

🎹In a twist, Cassie’s prodigy-level musical talent was discovered at a young age, causing the balance in their family to be tilted. As young adults, Zoe is desperate for fame while Cassie would prefer to stay in the shadows.

🎹When their musical talent is discovered, their rise to fame is swift, but it also brings out the jealousy between the sisters. The fame tears through their lives, leaving chaos in its wake.

💫This is the second book of Jennifer Weiner’s I have read, and I enjoyed reading it as much as the first, That Summer. While I get the strong link to Daisy Jones, it’s mostly because of the effects of fame echoes, and not so much the era, since this story harkens back to the early 2000’s. This lovely study of sisterhood shows real life up close, warts and all. Hurting those we love, maybe beyond repair. The things we do when we are too young to properly understand the consequences.

My rating 4.5/5 - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

In 2024 sisters Cassie and Zoe are estranged and haven't spoken in years. However, in the early 2000s they had the world at their feet, creating what would end up being a 'one-hit wonder' album that changed their lives. This creative fictional story jumps between the past and present and unpacks what went wrong as the narrative unfolds. Bit by bit we experience the story from the perspective of different characters, including Zoe's daughter Cherry who has musical aspirations of her own. There are a few narrative missteps, but there's enough charm and intrigue to keep the pages turning.

An enjoyable and easy read that is sure to appeal to a wide range of readers. Think Taylor Jenkins Reid and similar authors. At times it seems to confuse itself as to whether it wants to come across as a piece of fictional music journalism or something that focuses more on the emotions and actions of the characters from a more personal perspective. The hybrid dynamic just about works well enough.

Ultimately, the story is about family, motherhood, fame and forgiveness. Can the sisters find each other and find music again? It's this question that lingers in the background and haunts all the characters. Regardless, I added an extra star for the boygenius reference that came towards the end. You cannot go wrong with that.

This is a dual time line family drama. The Griffin Sisters at the top of their musical game and then it all ends.

One sister disappears.

The other unsuccessfully tries to start her solo career.

The plot delves into how their star rose, flew and crashed. And in the middle is a man.

This novel is a five star read for lovers of this rag to riches to rags glossy familial drama. But I'm not giving it five stars as the fat shaming that goes on is appalling.

One pretty, thin and less talented sister. One very talented, beautiful and heavy sister. Both of them jealous of each other but the way Zoe thinks about her sister, and her partner. And the way Cassie sees herself as rubbed me up the wrong way.

The novel is more than the Griffin Sisters its about love and redemption. I really wanted to give this five stars but the fat shaming got me. Its still a very healthy 4 stars.

Really loved this story of a fictional band whose reputation and music lives on long after their sudden split. Added to the mix is Zoe’s daughter who desperately wants to break into the music industry much to the horror of her mother. I loved the different chapters of the band and their differing perspectives and views on how the music industry treats young hopefuls. Cassie’s neuro divergence makes her all the more vulnerable. Engaging but also a timely reminder of the way fame negatively affects those young hopefuls not able to deal with it.