The last trip I went to included a stop in the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides. While I was there for a (photographical) hunt for a basking shark, I did drive by plenty of crofts and farms on the way to the boat that would take me on my fruitless (in terms of spotting a basking shark) journey. I left a piece of my heart in the Isle of Lewis and promised myself I would go back there to retrieve it.

Then the pandemic struck and I have been following all the precautions dictated by the CDC which means that travel is not anywhere near my radar just yet. However, one of the things I discovered during the lockdown days was the show This Farming Life which took me on a vicarious journey that included Scottish crofts in the Isle of Lewis.

This is just to say that I loved the fact that parts of this book is set in a rural area of Scotland, a place I have come to respect and admire. I also enjoyed the plot. The exposition could have been edited down a bit, but once Ava arrived in Scotland, it was hard for me to put this book down.

Many thanks for the advance copy of this - I DNFd about a quarter of the way through. There's a fine line for me between making the main character endearingly annoying or downright irritating, and Ava crossed it, I'm afraid. I think I'm perhaps a little too old for the intended demographic, but it grated on me - self confessed stationery geek Ava but it's spelled 'stationary' (perhaps something proof reading will pick up before publishing), the cruel way Ava finds out about her half sister, which no-one seems to really care about, and the fact the place she goes to in Scotland doesn't exist.
I understand why you would do that, - perhaps because you haven't visited Scotland very much, or because you wanted the place in your head to be written down from its composite parts which don't exist in real life, but it's sp set in our world in other ways, I didn't understand why a real place in Scotland wasn't chosen instead,
Thanks for the copy and I know lots of people are loving this - it just wasn't for me.

Oh my! I absolutely loved this book!! It was such an easy fun read and the characters were hilarious.
I didn't see where the end was going which I loved, meaning it wasn't predictable, but I did have a feeling Ava would do what she did. But didn't expect the rest of it. The way Abigail described the characters really helped me picture them in the setting they were in and I could imagine how well they fitted in. I adored Ava's positivity as fresh eyes to the farm and knew she would make the difference. And the love between Ava and Moira, real sister love, the similarities they had. I can't write too much without giving it away but buy this book. Read this book. And feel good when reading this book as you won't be able to help it.
I couldn't put this down and finished in a day.
This is definitely going to be a re-read for me.

When Ava discovers she has a long lost sister her life takes a complicated turn. She sets off on a journey to discover her past only to realize her sister might not be happy to discover this news. A thoroughly funny and entertaining book, perfect for entertaining you .

A very sweet and charming story of a woman who finds out she has a half-sister, then goes on a quest to Scotland to find her.

I enjoyed how Ava navigates finding Moira, especially as she found her own purpose and joy in life at the same time. There was an interesting backstory, that although slightly predictable had a little surprise twist which added a great dimension. Overall, it is a lovely light story that will make you smile.

Oh...one thing that really nagged me, I hope people don't get the impression that Surrey is in London!

Thank you HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review.

3.5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, One More Chapter and Abigail Mann for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love love LOVED this story! It is such a cute and quirky story, and the characters are so much fun! I cannot even imagine discovering I had a half sister, and trying to figure out who that makes me!

Set in a quaint Scottish town, it is so easy to get lost in this cast of characters and the unique setting. I love the city girl goes to the country and helps out on a farm vibe, and I also love that it wasn’t made to be an easy time! So heartfelt, full of life and real issues, I can not recommend this book enough. Can I give 7⭐️s??? Seriously could not put it down, thought about it when I wasn’t reading it, and stayed up past my granny bedtime to finish it haha. A story I will revisit again and again.

This book was pure joy, excellent Covid escapism and the sister dynamic was near and dear to my heart. I miss my little sister now that she's moved to another state and I loved this connection to her via this book!

This book is a sort of rom-com, although more comedy than romance, is that a problem? No it’s not as it's a funny and comic book about Ava's experiences on the farm in Kilroch. Of course, the story about the livestream and how she discovers that she has a half-sister is revealed first. In the first few chapters you get to know Ava, and her mother, her best friend and also her mother. By the time Ava is in Kilroch you will know more about Ava's background. Short flashbacks are woven through the story and give you a good feel of Ava. When Ava then comes face to face with Moira, she does not dare to identify herself and she keeps quiet. You just know that this has to go wrong at some point, in the meantime Ava is busy helping Kian, the owner, on the farm with his daily tasks.

The story from the moment Moira knows who Ava is and vice versa go very quickly, on the other hand it took endlessly before, in my opinion, the real story began. But all in all, a wonderfully cheerful and humorous book.

Characters = 7 | Atmosphere = 8 | Writing Style = 7 | Plot = 8 | Intrigue = 6 | Logic = 7 | Enjoyment = 7 | Score 7.14 = 4*

'The Sister Surprise' by Abigail Mann is about Ava, a London journalist who has never known her father. As part of a project for work, she gives some DNA, only to find out about a half-sister she never knew about... live on camera. This spurs a trip up to Kilroch in Scotland to meet her sister and do some journalistic digging about her past, her journey dotted with adventures including runaway sheep, feisty chickens and a hot local priest.

The story in 'The Sister Surprise' is pure and heartwarming throughout. I thought the relationships between characters was a real highlight, including Ava and her mum, the bonding sisters, Ava and Moira, and the aforementioned hot local priest. There were some revelations about Ava's past later in the story which were a nice reveal and brought a slight element of drama to a largely predictable narrative.

Whilst I enjoyed the novel, the pacing was the main issue for me. Moira, Ava's half-sister, does not make an appearance until 40% into the book, endless descriptions of Ava's angst about her family ancestry discovery and daily farming activities taking up much of the 'action'. Considering Moira is present constantly following that, I do not buy that it took her so long to drop by the farm and meet Ava. The slow start also means that the last section of the book, with all its revelations and solutions, seems very rushed and convenient.

Overall, a heartwarming and cosy story. However, it is on the theme of quite a few books coming out at the moment - I would recommend you pick up 'Leave it to Fate' by Beth Corby or 'The Summer Job' by Lizzy Dent instead. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Hilarious and heart warming!

It took me some time to get into this tale, but when I did I didn’t look back!
Abigail Mann has a wicked sense of humor with some wonderful 'in girl' jokes that kept me chortling.
Our central character Ava Is the sub-editor of Snooper, an online media program. She's been brought up by a hippie type, Eco warrior mother who never mentions who Ava's father is—so when the opportunity comes Ava takes it. Imagine her shock when she not only finds out where he's from, a small coastal village out of Inverness but during the live streamed media program, Ava discovers she has a halt-sister!
Very Bridget Jones!
Now the program wants her to write a blog type expose on meeting her sister. Nothing simpler! Right? No problems here--a quick whip in, reconnoiter, say Hi to the lost "blood blister" and return to London!
What follows is deception, hilarity, village characters worthy of a Vicar of Dibley / Hamish McBeth crossover, complete with a dishy minister (I keep thinking Granchester), amongst them.
Joyful and funny dealing with issues around believing in yourself, of self determination, of taking chances, of finding you way, of trust, and growth, and love.
An upbeat read with lots of on the edgy moments. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Thanks to HarperCollins via NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this fun read.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

This book just didn't hold my interest. It would often feel like I missed important pieces of information & I don't know whether that's because I wasn't engaged with the book or because the author really skipped over things. The pacing was also off. Ava's early days in Scotland went on for too long & then towards the end all of the conflicts were resolved very quickly. Ava was extremely annoying & at times quite shallow. Her coworkers at Snooper were downright cruel.

Very cute story! I enjoyed it just as much as Abigail Mann's first novel, The Lonely Fajita. I was able to easily visualize many of the characters in my head, and most of them made me chuckle with their silly antics. I really enjoyed this book!

*I was generously provided with a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
The Sister surprise is an entertaining and funny story about Ava, a journalist living with her mom in London, who finds out during a live broadcast by her employer Snooper (with an audience of thousands) that she has a sister living in a small village in Scotland… Needless to say that this was not the results she was expecting when looking into her lineage.
Looking for answers, Ava goes to Kilroch to meet her sister, Moira. She finds an ad for a ranch hand in exchange for free boarding, which she quickly takes up. Her boss decides this would be the perfect opportunity to get more online traffic for Snooper and asks that she send blog posts as well as a video of them meeting for the first time essentially for click bait.
Kilroch, turns out, holds more secrets than she knew about her family’s past. From chasing pigs, to flirting with a priest, this book has it all. I would definitely recommend The Sister Surprise for those who like to read romantic comedies.
Overall, this book was very well written. I loved the sisterly interactions between Moira and Ava. I also adored Kian’s character and how goofy and nerdy he was. The friendship bonds were great, and the book contained many hilarious moments where I found myself laughing out loud. The only reason why it was a 4 star and not a 5 star for me was because I found it to be a slower/medium pace in the farming scenes, which is not something I typically like in books.

The Sister Surprise was such a great read. Abigail Mann’s second release is even better than her first (and I liked her first!).

Ava was raised by her single mother and has always wondered who her father was. Mum’s not talking, so when Ava’s job is doing a piece on DNA testing, she volunteers. Of course, she doesn’t expect the news she has a half-sister to be released while live on air, nor the following emesis, but life is full of unexpected moments.

She tracks her half-sister to a tiny town in Scotland but the only place that has any accommodation available is a farm looking for volunteers. She’s a city girl living in London, what could go wrong?

The Sister Surprise was both fun and light, yet introspective. Ava’s journey to meet her sister also becomes a journey of self-discovery. The relationship she forms with her sister is worthwhile and a joy to read.

I loved the side characters so much. They are all well rounded and well written. Her farmer landlord Kian, her sister Moira, her mum, and everyone else felt important to the story.

The Sister Surprise was uplifting and enjoyable. Another great read by Abigail Mann.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy!

Such an incredibly lovely and sweet book! It's incredibly heartwarming and is as cozy as a warm blanket and hot cup of tea. I loved this book. This book is about Ava who has grown up with her single mother and does a live stream (she works at an online news thing similar to Buzzfeed) to reveal her DNA test results - at which point she finds out she has a half-sister (Moira), she throws up on live stream and goes to Scotland to meet Moira. I loved the characters - I think Ava and her mum have a very interesting relationship. I adored the people in Scotland. And there were a few twists I didn't see coming. If you need a really delightful book, this is for you.

Thank you NetGalley, Abigail Mann and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the ARC of The Sister Surprise.
This is my personal review.
I was grabbed by the title of this book and knew it was one I wanted to read. I enjoyed every word of this book.
What a way to find out you have a half-sister! And then to get sent to blog about the adventure of meeting her half-sister for her first big assignment as a journalist without telling her who she is and why she is there. The journey of connecting for them is wonderful.
A story of sisters – family and motherhood is a sweet way to spend a few hours.

I'm giving 3 stars to The Sister Surprise. This was a light and quick read but felt slow at times.

Ava grew up as an only child with just her mom and now works as a journalist for Snooper, an online magazine. When she gets the results of a DNA test she took during a live stream Ava discovers a sister she never knew existed. Before she knows it Ava is on a train to the Scottish Highlands to find her sister and document the journey in a series of articles for Snooper. She volunteers on a farm while searching for her sister and along the way finds romance with the town minister. Ava learns about her father and brings together her newfound family.

I liked the premise of the novel and it had its funny moments. My biggest complaint was that it took forever for Ava to find her sister and there were chapters and chapters were it felt like nothing was happening. Just a lot of sheep and a semi bland romance. Once Ava actually finds her sister there's some misunderstandings but it all works out in the end. I enjoyed Ava as a character and her adventure in Scotland was a promising plot. The overall plot is fairly slow moving with bursts of action. The side romance was dull and didn't add anything to the story for me, it felt like an after thought. The relationship that forms between Ava and her sister is sweet and the highlight of the book for me. I also liked Kian as a side character and the work Ava did to help his farm was great.

I thought this was a lighthearted story but it was too slow moving for my taste and I found the book to be just ok.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley, One More Chapter and Abigail Mann for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eager to learn more about her roots, we meet Ava who is about to get her DNA results live online to thousands of people. Discovering she has a half sister she had no idea about, Ava's boss decides it's the perfect opportunity to boost their online presence and sends her on the way to a little village in the Scottish highlands. Undercover as a volunteer on Kian's farm, she meets Moira who has no inkling this city girl is her half sister either - how long can Ava keep up the act of farmer's helper before revealing the real reason she's there?

I enjoyed this one! A cute, easy read that was funny at times and had great character development for all. I really liked that my thoughts on Jacqui came full circle by the end of the book.

I loved that there wasn't nearly as much drama (there was just enough!) as I expected from a plot with hidden family members; it made for a heart-warming and uplifting read!

I also think Ava and Moira's friendship really helped them to embrace their new found sisterhood and I loved the reflection on The Earth Mamas and their link to the story. I think I would have read a book purely based on them too!

3/5 - if you're looking for a sweet and cheerful Spring read, then this is due to be published 25th March 2021.

Ava travels to Scotland after a DNA test reveals she's got a half-sister she knows nothing about. She blogs about the trip for her employer's journalism site—but when she meets Moira, it's not just a news story. She wants to get to know her sister without the eyes of the public on them. But how can Ava reveal the truth without bringing up painful family secrets that could drive Moira away?

This book is so much fun. It's warm, funny, relatable, and more than a little cheeky. I loved the characters and the sometimes chaotic small-town life. While the book has got a sweet romance subplot, it's not the focus. The book is mostly about the sisters getting to know each other, and Ava trying to save the farm where she's boarding.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Ava works for an upcoming digital platform who jump on the bandwagon of the ancestry trend and sign up their workers to find out about their heritage. Ava has never known her father, or his heritage, and her activist mother gives nothing away. Normally Ava writes uncredited pieces for the website but is asked to participate in a live video for the unveiling of her results, and unknowingly she agrees before it's revealed in front of millions that she has a secret half-sister living in rural Scotland. Her first big assignment following this is that she must track down her sister and report on their reunion, but of course, it's not so straightforward.

The Sister Surprise was overall lighthearted and sweet but I found that there were moments where I just wanted more and it failed to deliver. I found the comedic elements to be forced which just made the whole thing feel a tad strained. I was expecting it to be like [book:Cow Girl|49082737] or [book:My Not So Perfect Life|30821598] from its synopsis but unfortunately it does not compare.

I found the character of Ava to be slightly too awkward and irritating for my liking and found her difficult to engage with but I did love some of the other side-characters in the rural Scottish village and the dynamic between Ava and Moira is charming and likeable. I do think it's a bit of a slow-burn story, and my interest definitely piqued in the latter half of the story as Ava adjusts into Scottish farmlife.

*Thanks to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the review ARC