Heartfelt and really well written, it took me a while to read as it was hard hitting in places. I liked that it was believable in that there was no neatly wrapped up ending.

Thanks to Net Galley and Atlantic Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Enjoyed this book, it’s a family story, about relationships and the dynamics within Cassies’s family. Cassie was adopted as a 3 year old by Tom and Grace who are over joyed to have this precious little mixed race girl as their daughter, and a few years later they have a 2nd daughter of their own, Erin, the two girls are much loved and they have as tight a bond as blood sisters.
Who then is the forgotten sister?
Cassie at 17 seems to have everything, but she has a desire to find out about her birth mother and where she came from. This leads to finding not her birth mother but a forgotten sister, Leah. The story then tells of the turbulence this brings to Cassie’s home, the effect it had on her, discovering that her parents whom she loves have lied to her, Erin feels shut out by Cassie and a little jealous of Leah, but remains fiercely loyal to her big sister, Tom and Grace have no idea what is going on, as Cassie has been meeting Leah in secret. Leah is hurting that she was forgotten, left behind and missed out on having a sister for many years. The story comes to a head when both Cassie and Erin are involved in a car accident and Cassie’s boyfriend was the driver of the car.
The story is emotional, well written and believable. Will definitely look out for more books by this talented author.

This book will make an impact on every reader. Not the usual looking for lost family story, it is very poignant and the reader can identify with all the main characters feelings. Very sad story and the ending does not come to a 'neat' conclusion but leaves the reader hoping...

A book which shows how different paths taken in life impact on everyone's future. An adopted daughter struggles to find out about her past, discovering lots of secrets and lies along the way.. Quite distressing at times but a realistic storyline and interesting characters kept me reading along.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

I read this shortly after reading 'the second child'

This story follows Cassie, who is determined to find out more about her birth mother. In her quest she discovers she had a sister, Leah who she has never been told about.

Do you tell your children everything? Are there some things that you shouldn't tell?

The story weaves in and out as Cassie and Leah begin a relationship, but everything isn't as it seems.

I really enjoyed this and will be looking out for more work by Bond.

The Forgotten Sister is the story of Cassie, who was adopted by her parents when she was two. She’s had a happy, safe life with them but she is beginning to wonder about her birth mother. This leads to secrets and lies being uncovered and life as Cassie knew it could be about to be destroyed.

This novel is told predominantly in the present day, with some flashbacks to a few years previously. It opens with Cassie’s parents getting a phone call that she’s been hurt and then goes back to four months previously. I was gripped by this novel right from the beginning. The characters are all so real and believable and I was intrigued by how they got to where they were.

Cassie is such a great character. She has a normal relationship with her parents, and a close relationship with her younger sister Erin. She has a boyfriend who her parents don’t fully approve of so there is some normal teenage sneaking around but on the whole she’s honest with her family. Then one day she realises she wants to know more about her birth mother but when she asks her parents she senses that they’re not telling her the whole truth. Her parents do go down the route of trying social services to see if her mother can be found but in the meantime Cassie takes things into her own hands. Cassie now has secrets and she becomes very determined to do what she has to to find her birth mother. She develops quite an attitude at times, but whilst I could see how reckless and naive she was at times I never stopped sympathising with her.

I can’t imagine what it’s like to be adopted and to not know anything about your birth parents. The moment Cassie has the realisation that she doesn’t know if there are any illnesses in her family was startling to me, and I really felt for her as she reacted with shock at all the things she doesn’t know, and might never get to know.

I did feel for Cassie’s parents too. They made a decision when they adopted Cassie and have had to live with that ever since. I was shocked at the way they behaved at times but over the course of the novel I could see that they had done the best they could with the place they were in. What initially seemed like a cut and dry situation actually had many degrees to it, and this is what gave this novel its strength.

Ultimately, this is a novel that explores what makes a family, and how keeping secrets – even with the best of intentions – will always have consequences down the line. I felt that this novel was a very real, and emotional look at adoption from many angles and I really appreciated the insight it gave me.

The Forgotten Sister is a powerful and emotional novel that is very readable; it will linger in your head long after you’ve finished reading. I recommend it!

What a really captivating book this was to read. Excellent characters/storyline that you really wanted to read to see where the book was going to take you. My only criticism was how the book finished, it seemed to leave the story up in the air somewhat, hence giving it 4 stars.

This is the story of a young girl called Cassie and her attempt to find out more about her past and her biological family. It's also a way of shining the spotlight on the inadequacies of an overburdened system and the children who get lost in the system.

In general a lot of people like to think that an adopted child or person should be eternally grateful, especially when they have been raised in a loving environment by their adopted parents. That there shouldn't be any questions about their lives before the adoption, because it looks as if they are betraying the new family. When the natural instinct to know who you are and where you come from arises, it can cause a lot of conflict.

It probably explains why Grace and Tom think their 17-year-old is just going through a difficult hormone induced period of difficulty. Her choice of men is dubious, she defies the rules and in general is quite combative. It doesn't even dawn on them that the problem could lie elsewhere.
The truth is Cassie wants to know more about herlife and family before life with Tom and Grace. She has been experiencing flashbacks that suggest there were moments of comfort, love and caring in between the more frightening ones. What does that mean? She really has so many questions.

For me the real crux of the issue is when Tom and Grace make a choice that determines the lives of not just their family, but also that of an isolated, abused and neglected child. How many people do that without a second thought, because dealing with a difficult child, well it is easier to just turn around and forget they ever existed, right?

Bond brings a couple of things to the table in this story; the complexity of adoption, the bond of sisterhood, despite a lack of blood bond or because there is one. The author also mixes, albeit it quite subtly the issue of race, skin colour, racism and colour bias into the story.

It's a complex mixture of emotions and the reader is invited into the great entanglement that exists in this small family. I can imagine opinions may be swayed on a few things, but that's not a bad thing. It's a contemporary read, an emotive and hard-hitting one. An eye-opener of a story.

This is the well-plotted story of Cassie, who was adopted into a warm and loving family, and has a close bond with her younger sister who is a natural child of the parents. Reaching the age of seventeen and starting to explore her sexuality she is asked questions about her parents at the birth control clinic which starts her off on a search for her birth mother. Her mum and dad do not tell her the full truth so she gets into a difficult situation when she eventually traces her sister. Her boyfriend and sister remain loyal but there is a rift with the parents. The end of the story is realistic and truthful.

This is a beautifully written emotional book that explores family life and the consequences of keeping secrets, especially from your own family. It's a heartbreaking story but keeps you enthralled right to the end. It's very realistic and emotional.

I loved this book. It tells the story of a 17 year old who was adopted as a toddler and a member of her birth family comes back into her life. This is a very emotional story from all of the character's points of view. I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This intense story initially goes back in time from a couple moving through the difficult subject of childishness followed by a search for fulfilment through the adoption process into what they believed would be a happy ever after ending. Except fifteen years on and after we are brought up to the present day the real story is just starting. A loving family, a perfect childhood, a beautiful girl on a trajectory for a successful life,. Then why suddenly is our protagonist disturbed by frightening nightmares of a long forgotten period. Parents, brought up in a time before Facebook and the internet are convinced the past can stay buried. They have little comprehension of the ease in which a sheltered and protected teenager can trace, using technology, access to a hidden past. Be careful what you wish for. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Yet our headstrong girl is hell bent on finding answers as the blood ties beckon, erasing the family bonds that have tied securely this family in love and safety for so many years. A sheltered upbringing gives no preparation for the risks awaiting her as the strengths and weaknesses of this family are revealed . The stark terrifying events unfold in this tragic story where it is impossible to believe there can be any winners. Not an easy read but a gripping well written story that hints at a possible redemption.

The Forgotten Sister is an emotionally charged slow burner. This is a skillfully crafted novel about adoption. It is raw, thought-provoking and a definite must-read.

I really felt for each of the characters as Caroline Bond explores the impact of adoption for all those involved; the family adopting, the adopted child and those left behind. I’m not going to lie, I shed a tear at the end, especially as the ending is so subtly powerful but also hopeful.

Seventeen year-old Cassie has always known she’s adopted but it has never been a big issue for her. Then something happens and she starts having dreams and flashbacks of being loved and cared for as toddler. Yet these flashbacks do not marry up to the story her adopted parents have told her; the story of being neglected by her birth mother.

As she becomes more withdrawn from her adopted parents, Cassie secretly posts an online appeal to find her birth mother. It is Leah that makes contact telling Cassie that she is her sister. Yet a sense of menace surrounds Leah; she is volatile and her hatred for Cassie’s adopted family is visceral.

As Cassie attempts to forge a relationship with Leah, she realises that her adopted parents have been lying to her all her life. Why the lies? Why does Leah feel so much hatred? What does Leah really want from Cassie and how far will she go to get it?

For me my favourite character is Leah. That may seem controversial, but she is a complex character that tore at my heart. Her hatred and lack of trust powerfully conflicts with her feelings for Cassie. There is bitter jealousy between Leah and Erin, Cassie’s adopted sister that creates a raw tension. That, adding to never quite trusting as reader what Leah and those around her will do gives the novel a menacing edge. And the exploration as to why Cassie’s adopted parents lied and continue to lie further adds to the emotional family dynamics.

Published on 2nd May 2019, The Forgotten Sister is one read that you cannot afford to miss this summer. Just remember to keep your hankies close by!

Thank you to NetGalley and Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for my advance copy of The Forgotten Sister. Thank you also to Anne Cater for inviting me to take part in the blog tour of this poignant read.

Cassie and Erin are really close. They're sisters in everything but blood - Cassie is adopted.
Throughout the book you follow Cassie's search for her birth parents and feel her emotions as she comes to find out that not everything is what is seems and unearths a secret that jeopardises her whole family.
I thought this was a great read - very engaging and I really invested in Cassie and wanted everything to work out for her. Would definitely recommend.

17 year old Cassie is adopted and wants to find the truth about her real mother. There are so many questions she wants answers to – who is her birth mother and why did she give her up being two of them. After some difficult searching, she finds her sister, Leah. She also finds that the truth is not always what you expect and her adoptive parents haven’t been completely honest about her past.

This story is all about adoption and the difficulties that arise, particularly when the birth family are found. It’s very sensitively written but may prove upsetting if you are adopted yourself. The story does begin slowly, but the pace increases the further into the story you get. It’s quite a dark read with a sad feel running through it, but it does have some lighter moments at times. The characters were a mixture of likeable ones and one you know you just shouldn’t like! I quite enjoyed the ‘unlikeable’ ones, Leah in particular, and yes whilst she was manipulative and just plain nasty, her character added a dark edge to the story which sets the scene so well.

It was a really difficult book to read in places due to it having a very realistic slant to it, but it was mesmerising and threw so many different emotions at me whilst I was reading it that I just couldn’t put it down. The ending was unexpected, but was absolutely perfect for this book, leaving me with a small sense of satisfaction, and a big amount of wanting to know more. A powerful, thoughtful and emotional read which I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Anne Cater, the author and the Publisher, Corvus Books for organising the tour and providing me with a copy of the book!

I started this book and felt I knew where it would go – how wrong was I. The story weaved in a very different way than I thought it would and that was really interesting. It shows you can always be surprised. The story itself was very moving and I am sure that how the family is portrayed with their many issues is so true to many families in these circumstances and I feel sure if people in the same circumstances read this they would get comfort and know that things do turn out for the best. It is a lovely story and I really enjoyed it from start to finish.

Well written with a lot of feeling. There is a lot of emotion in this story. It is a good and believable read. When Cassie finds out about Leah she wants to connect with her and spend time with her. The characters were well thought out and well described. I have given this book 3 stars as I kept expecting there to be more to the story.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Cassie has always known she was adopted but now at seventeen has become more curious about what happened. She discovers she has an older sister, Leah, and feels betrayed by her adoptive parents that they have kept this form her. Cassie comfortable family life is shattered and she feels she needs to explore her relationship with Leah. She has some happy memories of her early childhood bit these seem at odds with what she has been told.
I felt there were some loose ends within this plot which made it a little weak. It moved fairly quickly but I had trouble engaging with some of the characters including Cassie - but maybe that was the point.

When Grace and Tom finally adopted Cassie aged.3 they thought their.lives couldn't get any better. Then Grace.became.pregnant and their.family was.made.complete.with a.second.daughter, Erin.. When Cassie starts having flashbacks of.her early childhood.she remembers not only being scared but also.nurtured by someone.she..thinks must be her mother but Grace and Tom.are.reluctant to.share.all.they know.leaving Cassie no.alternative than to.try and find her birth mother alone. Using social.media Cassie posts a photo in the hope someone will.recognise her mother. Someone does and Cassie"s life is turned upside.down.with news she wasn't expecting.
I absolutely loved this book A.story that shows the heartache and joy of adoption but also the impact of.all.family members including those left behind. No spoilers from me but I definitely did not see that twist at the end coming.

Thought provoking and tragic.
Two sisters who had had the same start in life. Separated as children, leading totally different lives.
Nature or nurture is the question this book asks over and over again.
A beautifully written yet hard to read book.