A very enjoyable story about two sisters who clash in a whole host of ways! I really liked the pacing of this book, and thought the storytelling was of great standard. Found it difficult to put down and became very absorbed in the sisters' lives while I read! I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoy stories about complex characters and intertwined relationships. A great read.

A heartwarming and exhilarating story of two sisters who were drawn apart by the tragic death of their dear mother. Each of them having their own way to deal with their grief.

Hannah, the older sister, kept a secret from her husband for 12 years in order to protect him, however, she was repeatedly blackmailed which eventually compelled her to tell her husband the truth.

Nat, the other sister, had made some bad choices which resulted in her being addicted to online gambling in order to pay off her debts, this didn't work out well for her and resulted in her being in deeper financial woes.

The characters in the book are easy to relate to and in some instances, capture and hold the reader's attention together.

Summary: An easy afternoon read which is rather enjoyable, may result in a roller coaster of emotions and uncovering family secrets, some of which may be best kept hidden.

Rival Sisters by Louise Guy is a novel centered around two siblings, Hannah and Nat. Hannah is regarded as the responsible, data-driven, control freak while Nat is the free-spirited, irresponsible mess. The writing shows how a tragic death in the family can result in two very different responses either trying to control or avoid. However, at times this dichotomy became a bit unrealistiic and also made the two women difficult to like. Both sisters have a lot of secrets yet you can tell they are not to hurt others. It was an interesting story, but I think making the characters a bit more likeable and realistic may have made the writing stronger for me. However their grandma, Phyllie, was a delightful character. Overall I recommend this book for those that enjoy reading plot-driven novels about family bonds.

Many thanks to the publisher Amazon Publishinng UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

This beautifully rendered story is told through the eyes of Hannah and Nat, two very different women with very different lives who are bound by grief, strength of character and sisterhood. The author does a remarkable job in immersing us in the day to day life of her characters who are funny, engaging and have very human flaws. Tragedy lies beneath the lightness and what starts as an highly enjoyable narrative becomes imbued with an increasingly dark edge that points to reasons behind the dysfunction.

When I read the blurb for this novel, I was intrigued by the story-line premise. Lots of potential here for a gripping page turner. The story itself is that. Intrigue, secrets long hidden, and truths that are maybe years too late in arriving. Lots of twists and turns, and unexpected happenings. As well as an ending that surprised me. For this alone, I can recommend the book. Rival Sisters has it all – engaging narrative, relatable characters, clever psychological insights and a rich engrossing mystery. I can highly recommend.

I am sorry but this book was not my cup of tea. I didn’t like the characters and quickly lost interest.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Hannah and Nat are less rival than just very different people. They've never quite healed from the death of their mother, which only exacerbated their differences. Now, though, they've got to put that aside. They both have secrets and there is also a family secret. No spoilers. There's some drama but isn't there always within families? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. it's a good read.

I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn’t get into it. I couldn’t relate to the sisters and the lying was more irritating to me than a good story line. i felt like the characters could have been developed a little more, they were flat for me. I also felt like some of the story lines were either confusing or irrelevant.

Rival sisters was a good read, the story of two sisters who lost their mother and their way with each other. Both very different, Hannah the oldest married with a daughter, in control of her life, risk assessing every decision. Nat single broke going from job to job. Events bring the sisters together in a very unusual way, a story of gambling, deceit and lies unravels can they resolve their differences and bring their family back together?? The story was predictable in parts but enjoyable.

Set in Oz I expected a warm fuzzy book with comedy elements to a relationship between sisters however it was very slow going and slow paced there wasnt too much action to keep you gripped. The stereotyoed opposite portrayals of sisters with one uptight and one free spirited was a bit of a cliche but works every time to create a happy ending. The mystery of the investment side was also predictable but at least added a bit of drama to a slow paced narrative. The most interesting bit was the celebration of life festival and it did stir some emotion. It wasnt a bad read just not terribly exciting but I will try more of Louise Guys books because of the setting.

Rival Sisters begins with important background information as to why Hannah's and Nat's relationship is quite fractious.
Hannah is portrayed as controlling, - she controls all aspects of her life - her family, finances and this even spills into her relationship with her sister.
Nat comes across as flighty, unable to hold down a job, home or relationship.

The family dynamics in Rival Sisters is richly described and it is only towards the latter part of the book that bigger events take over the story and we see some repair in their relationship.

I enjoyed this book by Louise Guy and I look forward to more of her work.

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC.
Unfortunately, I didn't much like this book. I found Hannah and her sister Nat annoying, When they were young, they were close, but when their mother died they drifted apart and can't help sniping at each other as adults. Hannah is uptight, rigid and successful, but Clare is totally different. She's had one job after another, gives all her money to the needy and ends up jobless and homeless.
She moves in with her grandmother and gets involved in online gambling. Hannah gets an unwelcome phone call that threatens her marriage.
I found the sisters' decisions stupid and selfish and didn't really care what happened to them.

In Rival Sisters, Hannah and Nat are sisters that have grown apart after tragically losing their mom as teenagers. Hannah has thrown her self into her job as a risk assessor and keeping her own family safe. Nat want to chance the world, one homeless person at a time. Hannah over-does it, Nat under-does it.
I think I am in the minority, but this book was just okay. I thought the story was predictable and I couldn't identify with or care about any of the characters.
Thanks to NetGalley, Louise Guy, and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me to access Rival Sisters by Louise Guy in exchange for my honest opinion.

#RivalSisters #NetGalley

This one had be sobbing uncontrollably, I was drawn to the characters like a moth to a flame. There were similarities in both books Rival Sisters and A Life Worth Living by the same author, particularly in character personalities, but this one was easily my favourite. The plot more smooth and the characters more likeable.

Angsty family drama about sisters driven apart by tragedy. Full of the feels you find yourself cheering for both sisters because at the end of the day they're family. Can they get past what happened and come together to face the demons they both battle. Or will the secrets they both harbor become too much and completely drive them apart. A must read. Happy reading!

The author's writing featuring these two sisters who have a strained relationship after the death of their mother. They each have damaging secrets in their lives and come back together in this character driven story. This was a pretty good read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. The review I'm leaving is being done voluntarily and contains my own thoughts, views, and personal opinions.

3.5 stars rounding up.

I can't lie, I hated both of these characters. I persevered because I saw the promise in the story, but I did so with clenched teeth. However, when the book was over, I realized one of the reasons I kept going is because of how much I didn't like the characters. That might not make sense, but let me backpedal a step. One of the major selling points of this story is the fact that it's about everyday people with everyday problems. Sure, they aren't the most typical of problems, but they felt real and genuine and it was surprisingly easy to put yourself into their shoes. It was a refreshing read because it felt like you were diving into a real family and watching them unravel then find a way to come back together again.