From Sandie Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick The Other Woman, comes The Half Sister; a compelling new domestic suspense novel about a family who is forever changed when a stranger arrives at their door. Meet the half sister, and unravel the ties that blind us. THE TRUTH Sisters Kate and Lauren meet for Sunday lunch every week without fail, … and Lauren meet for Sunday lunch every week without fail, especially after the loss of their father.
THE LIE
But a knock at the door is about to change everything. A young woman by the name of Jess holds a note with the results of a DNA test, claiming to be their half sister.
THE UNTHINKABLE
As the fallout starts, it’s clear that they are all hiding secrets, and perhaps this family isn’t as perfect as it appears.
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Sisters Kate and Lauren have been drifting apart for years. Lauren is jealous of Kate’s jetsetting lifestyle, while Kate longs for just one baby, to Lauren’s three.
Kate is still mourning Harry, their father who died less than a year ago, but Lauren’s relationship with him was strained. Thus, when a young woman claiming to be Harry’s third daughter shows up at a family Sunday dinner, their reactions are vastly different. Lauren doesn’t doubt Jess’s claim, while Kate searches for another explanation. At the same time, Lauren’s marriage becomes more problematic, and for the first time, finally pregnant Kate doubts her own husband’s fidelity.
Sandie Jones is one of the best suspense writers publishing today, but THE HALF SISTER was not as mind-blowingly shocking as her previous books. Or maybe I’m getting used to her style. Even if I wasn’t completely blindsided by plot twists, I still couldn’t put the book down and it helped me forget the bleak world we live in for a few hours. I’m grateful for that. #TheHalfSister #NetGalley
Kate and Matt have been trying for some time to have a baby with no luck. Her sister, Lauren, is married to Simon and has 3 children. The sisters’ Dad died a year ago and is greatly missed. They enjoy having Sunday dinner at their Mum, Rose’s house.
One Sunday, a girl calling herself Jess stops by to see their Dad saying she is his daughter. She said she was put up for adoption at birth by her mother. The family is shocked and and Rose is furious at the girl for coming to their home. Kate does not believe her, but Lauren is more open to finding out more about her.
Thus begins a back and forth between sisters and their mother about the past when they were children. There is a difference of opinion of the sisters about their father with their mother insisting he was a perfect man.
Kate takes it upon herself to investigate Jess’s story and begin to find some cracks all around. Is it true what she says? If so, what happened?
The sisters arguing with their mother and each other gave me a headache. I was quite bored with the whole thing by the time we got to the ending which I felt it seemed forced. I have read this author’s books before and enjoyed them, but this was certainly not a favorite.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Family secrets and jealousy, brought to light by a DNA match, pit sisters against each other when one brings to light a half-sister that shows up during Sunday dinner, shocking almost everyone. Lauren and her father had a contentious relationship, dating back to her teen years. Her sister, Kate, was the Daddy’s girl and is convinced there is another explanation. The journalist in Kate goes to work trying to uncover the truth, while Lauren accepts Jess without question.
Having read other books by Sandie Jones, I knew there was more to the story than the simplest answer and I was right. So many family secrets to unpack as Kate and Lauren move toward understanding each other and finding a relationship that they should have had over the years.
I enjoyed THE HALF SISTER. It kept me engrossed and turning pages. I liked the twists as each secret was explored and the intricacies brought to light and the ending was a satisfying wrap up. I started it at the perfect time and was able to read through it quickly. It will make you think twice about submitting DNA to the genealogy sites.
Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.
#TheHalfSister #StMartinsPress #SandieJones
The Half Sister by Sandie Jones is about this girl that randomly shows up to a families Sunday lunch at their home claiming to be the daughter of their late father, the half sister to the two daughters.
The storyline jumps right into it all within that first chapter, although it did take me a little bit to get into it at first, about half way through it really picks up and you question and think you may know what’s happening. The story does seem to slowly takes its time working up to the main point but once it does you’re hit with a ton of information. This family seems to keep a lot of secrets from each other and it all comes out in the end. I was able to figure out what was happening but I really thought I should have been able to figure it out sooner than I did.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would give it 4 out of 5 stars.
I always look forward to a book by Sandie Jones as they are twisty, psychological thrillers. Her latest novel, The Half Sister, fits the bill. The story follows Kate and her husband, Matt, who are both journalists and trying desperately to conceive. It also follows Lauren and her husband, Simon, who have 3 children, but a volatile relationship. Lauren and Kate are at odds with each other, each thinking that the other leads an idyllic life. Their mother, Rose, is still grieving over the sudden death of her husband, Harry, a year earlier.
At Sunday dinner, the family is surprised when there is a knock at the door. They open it to find Jess, a 22-year old woman who claims to be the child of Harry. Lauren believes her, but Kate is suspicious.
As the story unfolds, we find that there are many reasons why Kate and Lauren have a tense relationship with each other, and why they each felt differently about their parents.
Kate, the journalist, seeks to find out Jess’s real story. There are many holes in her story about being adopted and her credentials. Everything comes to a head, ending with a surprise about who she is and why she came searching for them.
This is a very quick and enjoyable read. I did suspect something, having read Sandie Jones’s previous novels, so I wasn’t completely surprised by the ending.
#TheHalfSister #SandieJones #BookishFirst
This book had a really interesting premise, but the execution of the story was very disjointed. I know I should not compare books but this story felt nothing like the writing that Ms. Jones gave us in The First Mistake.
Kate and Lauren are sisters who are shocked one day when a woman shows up at their parent’s house and proclaims she is their half sister. Initially they as well as their mother seem very shocked with this news, but the longer the story slogged on, the more obvious it became that none of these women were surprised at all, each of them having secrets from the past that get revealed along the way.
There are twists and turns throughout that Kate, who is a reporter, investigates with the determination of a bulldog. But the way they are revealed to the reader just felt so nonsensical, and I had a hard time getting on board with most of this story. It felt like it dragged along for quite some time, until things finally ramped up and got a little bit exciting at the end. Like the very end, really, which felt like a little too late.
I predicted the ending pretty quickly in the book, and it felt like a chore almost to make it to the end to see if I was correct. I’m bummed that I didn’t enjoy this story as much as I did The First Mistake, but this will not deter me from looking forward to the next release from Ms. Jones.
Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
The Half Sister is a book full of lies, secrets, jealousy and love
Jess knocks on the door at a family dinner and claims to be Lauren and Kate’s half sister.
Nothing is the same for that family from the moment on. Lauren believes her , Kate is suspicious.
Lauren and Kate are different as two sisters can be.
There is way to much more to this story than meets the eye.
Who can you believe, who you can your trust.
Twists and turns will keep you reading as fast as you can.
Then there is the final twist . I did not see that coming.
Don’t miss out on this entertaining read!
Thanks to Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for a an intriguing read.
I love Sandie Jones and domestic suspense books! Her new novel, The Half Sister was another good and twisty story that I enjoyed. What would you do if a stranger appeared at your door claiming to be your half sister?! That’s what happens to Kate and Lauren, and boy were they in for a shocking surprise! This book was filled with lies deceit, and deep dark secrets. It kept me guessing the whole time, and I will say I was surprised at the end. This book was well written and I would recommend reading it!
Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martins Press and the Author Sandie Jones for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is the third book I have read from Sandie and it did not disappoint.
It was a little all over the place, but once I got to know the characters it all came together.
This book really gives new thoughts to those DNA tests.
It definitely kept me guessing and had a surprise ending.