A dark, emotionally raw story about addiction, grief, and the messy ties that bind us, this novel follows two estranged half-sisters navigating the fallout of their father’s death—and his devastating final betrayal. Mickey, a bitter, self-destructive alcoholic, and Arlo, a self-righteous therapist with a blind spot for her father’s flaws, are both deeply unlikable yet strangely compelling. The book doesn’t shy away from difficult themes—ethical failures, abandonment, and the damage done by those we trust most—making for a disturbing but thought-provoking read. It’s uncomfortable, complex, and hard to look away from.

Inheritance, Abandonment, and Sisterhood:
Morgan Dick’s debut novel, Favorite Daughter, explores themes of loneliness, addiction, and the complex interplay between nature and nurture, all within the framework of a fractured family dynamic. Told through the perspectives of two estranged half-sisters, the novel unpacks grief and inheritance in a way that is both thought-provoking and emotionally layered.
The story follows Mickey, a woman abandoned by her father at a young age, and Arlo, her half-sister who grew up in his shadow. Upon their father’s death, Mickey unexpectedly inherits his wealth—but only under the condition that she undergoes therapy. Unbeknownst to her, the assigned therapist is none other than Arlo. This setup provides rich ground for exploration, as both women wrestle with their shared yet vastly different experiences of the man who shaped their lives.

In my opinion, while the book effectively raises compelling questions about family bonds and personal identity, its pacing can feel slow at times, making it difficult to stay fully engaged. But those with half-siblings, I think will find this a fantastic book as I am sure many of the feelings discussed in this book would make it a compelling read

If you like gritty realistic 'warts and all' family drama then this will be for you but I didn't really like it.
Mickey's father left when she was young leaving behind a mountain of debt. When he was there, he was often drunk a d abusive. In his new relationship he had another daughter, Arlo, who was Daddy's little girl and she nursed him devotivally when he was ill. Imagine her shock when their father leaves all his money to Mickey rather than Arlo but with a condition: Mickey must have 7 therapy sessions using vouchers bought by the dad and the therapist is Arlo.
The story is told alternately by Arlo and Mickey and at first, they don't realise they are Michelle and Charlotte spoken about in the will. Arlo (Charlotte) realises at first but doesn't tell Mickey(Michelle). This was a huge sticking point for me as it's a conflict of interest for a therapist. The other is that Mickey is a functioning alcoholic and has issues making relationships. Consequently, she made some questionable decisions.
The mothers of the sisters weren't likeable either. And 5he plot was slow at times.

So... I think this was a well-crafted, well-written book, so like in terms of the book's merit, it would probably get a 4-star and I can see why people would enjoy it. And I did enjoy it for a period of time. However, this is the most stressful, anxiety-inducing read ever! The characters continually make the WORST possible decisions, which just make their lives get worse and worse. Also, I was unaware that Mickey was an alcoholic (TW for that in a major way) and I have never read from that perspective before... and I never wish to again. That's not to say that that isn't an important perspective to read from, but I personally just never want to read from that perspective again, because the second-hand anxiety it gave me was not fun. I was sort of expecting this story to be like kind of funny and dramatic, with these two sisters eventually figuring out who the other one was and coming together, but instead it was just stressful and honestly a little boring. So, the book is probably a 4-star if this is your sort of story, but for me, I did not have a good time and I rate based on enjoyment, so a 2.

unfortunately this book just really wasn't for me. I could see what the author was trying to do but the incessant cliches, 'coincidences' and insufferable narrators I just couldn't do it. I do reckon some people would really enjoy this, i just clearly wasn't the right audience.

This is a debut novel and it is one that I enjoyed, it kept me intrigued with the family dynamics/drama. Mickey is in her early 30s and a kindergarten teacher. She loves her job, she loves her pupils but she had a drinking problem. When the end of day bell goes she hits the vodka. She and her mother were abandoned by her alcoholic father when she was about 7 and she hasn’t thought about him a lot since until she reads his obituary. Then memories awaken of not only the father who caused her heartache but also the father who impersonated Tigger, who swung her around and had fun with her. Out of the blue her father’s lawyer contacts her and this man who she has had no contact with since she was 7 has left her a lot of money but there is one condition. Mickey has to attend 7 therapy sessions already pre-booked first. No therapy, no money. Arlo is the daughter from Mickey’s father’s second marriage. She is a psychologist and expects to inherit her father’s money. She has spent the last few months nursing her dying father so of course he is going to give her the money and so her reaction when told that she is not mentioned in the will is as you would expect. Both girls have a lot of emotional baggage, both experienced the alcoholic side of their father but both also had good times with him when he was sober. This is a novel of chaos, of moral dilemmas as the two girls have never met - yet. It is also a novel about love and grief and abandonment as well as fighting demons day after day because just when the girls think they are on top, they get knocked back down and have to pick themselves up again. I listened to this on audible and the two voices came across excellently - I had fun with this one

A poignant look at how our childhood shapes us and who we choose to become.

Micky’s father left when she was young, leaving her and her mother up to their eyeballs in debt. Arlo was daddy’s little girl, he was there through it all and she nursed him through sickness. Now their father is dead and Micky is left with Arlo’s entire inheritance, on the one condition that she receives therapy, unbeknownst to her it’s with Arlo, the sister she has never met. Their father moulded their lives while he was alive, who will they be in his death?

I really really enjoyed this. It was sensitive, thoughtful, insightful and unflinching. It confronts selfishness really head on. The characters in this book are neither heroes or villains, they flawed and they’re wonderful. Arlo and Micky both felt real to me.

A huge formative part of the character’s stories takes place before the narrative and it’s a testament to the writing how smoothly that’s accomplished. The reveals are excellently paced, any frustration I had as a reader was in sympathy with the characters.

This book is really introspective, it asks a lot of bigger questions about ourselves and our core beliefs. It has a cast of just interesting enough characters, with just enough subplot.

I would highly highly recommend!

Thank you #vikingukbooks and #netgalley for my #arc

A really clever premise but I struggled to enjoy this one. The characters, particularly Mickey, were so unlikeable that I found it hard to care about them. There were few moments of light and positivity - some people think there is plenty of dark humour but it all seemed so bleak. She does write really well about addiction and grief but it wasn’t for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me early access in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a bit of a miss for me. Whilst I like the overall plot of the book, I found the characters on the side of too dislikable, which meant I couldn’t connect with them. It took away, what should have been, my pity for them and the complexity of their issues they were dealing with.

The pacing at times was also too slow, which made it at times a boring read for me that made me struggle to pick it back up.

I couldn’t seem to get into this book. I didn’t like the main characters which didn’t really help. I found the premise really interesting but it wasn’t fast paced enough for me. I found my attention drifting.

This was a clever story of family, of grief and loss and of ultimately recovery. I liked the dual perspectives and the gradual unravelling to a realisation about their relationship. Funny and moving, it’s a lovely read.

Mickey’s estranged father has died and left her a large legacy on the condition that she receives therapy. The therapist is Arlo whose rich father has also just died, leaving her nothing. It is revealed early in the book to the reader that Arlo and Mickey had the same father, but the sisters themselves take considerably longer to find out,

I think this book would work well as a film, I hope it gets made into one!

Favourite Daughter is a fun yet thought-provoking debut that I found very readable. Although the characters could be irritating at times, I believe this was a true reflection of their personalities, and it made their redemption arcs more effective. The plot was a little unbelievable at points - but the basic premise is somewhat outlandish to being with, so I could get over this with a few eye rolls. It’s a great exploration of what it means to be a “good” person, whatever that means.

This is a story about loss and grief and it's also about relationships .Micky and Arlo are sisters but have never met each other or known about each other ,their Father dies and leaves a huge amount of money to the one who he is estranged from not the one who has cared for him during his illness. The story explores some tough themes like grief and alcoholism, I found it quite heavy going in places .Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC .

Definitely 5* for this one –devilish humour, with scouring insight and tremendous characters and a witty, literary exploration of Philip Larkin’s observation: ‘They **** you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they do. They fill you with the faults they had And add some extra, just for you.’
A truly terrific read.

A really clever story - an inheritance that can only be claimed if Mickey undergos therapy and not just with anyone but a specific therapist. Mickey's estranged father has died and she learns she has been left millions. However, there is a catch and at first it doesn't seem that complex but as she starts her therapy sessions, things get out of hand. A slow unspooling tale that explores families, division, addiction and loss. Thoroughly engaging.

A beautiful and dynamic book, the characters felt so real and earnest. I think the pacing could have been a little faster, but I was never bored.

This was a really beautiful story of family, grief and life troubles. Both sisters are so brilliantly written, you can see the differences and similarities between them. Whilst not a huge amount happens in this, it's beautiful and poignant, particularly as someone who was the second daughter. Highly recommend this!

Mickey is a kindergarten teacher, a good one, dedicated to her career. She realises she is too dependent on alcohol but knows it doesn’t affect her work. She gets word of the death of her father, who walked on his family years earlier, just as she reaches a crisis point at work. But is more surprised by the news delivered by his lawyer that she, rather than her estranged stepsister, has inherited his sizable estate subject to an unusual condition.
Favourite Daughter is an interesting read. A well worked debut with not only an unusual plot but plenty of entertaining subplots for good measure. The story is related alternately by both Mickey and her half-sister Arlo as they struggle through the damage inflicted on them by their alcoholic father and the conditions imposed by his will, each, at the same time, distracted by the other events in their lives. For Mickey, involvement with her pupil Ian and his family and for Arlo, a career crisis, all underpinned by the unusual and colourful activities of Tom, the lawyer.
There is plenty happening at every turn, and the characterisations are so good that its impossible not to root for both Mickey and Arlo, despite their many questionable decisions and actions.
Highly recommended for entertaining and absorbing reading.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I went into this book completely blind and I couldn’t put it down.

It’s a book that encompasses found family and deals with struggles of mental health and addiction in a well written way.

The book follows two half sisters, Michelle- who goes by Mickey, and Charlotte- who goes by Arlo. One is a kindergarten teacher and the other is a therapist. Mickey got abandoned by her father at a young age, he raised Arlo- but it’s Mickey who gets the money in his will.

There is confusion, anger, and all sorts of emotions flying from both of them. Then they meet without realising and things start to shift.

I think I liked Mickey better, she’s the underdog of the two. It upset me when she was put on suspension from her teaching job as you can tell from reading that she loves it. Her struggle with alcoholism was well told and I stuck to the story because I wanted and hoped she would be able to fight it and make herself well.

Addiction is a topic I haven’t read a lot of and I felt it was handled well, and not just for story telling purposes. It felt real.

Arlo- she grew on me. But I wasn’t a fan- she’s privileged and it shows. Her character development was great though.

As much as there are other background characters, the focus is on the sisters and I liked that. Things happened in their lives but it always came back to them.

This book is unlike anything I’ve read before and I was committed to the story and couldn’t put it down.

4/5 stars.
I can’t give it a 5 because of the topic of addiction as I know that can be a trigger for some people.