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.

A story of family drama, sibling relationships and deep held secrets and resentments. Mickey and Arlo are sisters separated by a father who abandoned one and fiercely loved another. Yet when he dies and leaves Mickey his money, on the condition she attends therapy with her half sister, it opens wounds left to fester.

This was one of the best portrayals of alcoholism and it's social implications I've ever read. There's the generational trauma, the functional alcoholic who still goes to work and tries desperately to hide their addition, and there's the ripple effect of loved ones having to deal with the fall out and care of said addiction. I liked the dynamics between the sisters. Both of them have so much in common beyond a shared parent, yet they don't see it at first. To see them work through their issues without actually knowing who the other is was an interesting way to introduce their relationship, The secondary characters also helped flesh out the sisters, give them a backstory and more substance and complexity to them beyond the central themes of family and addiction.

I'm amazed this is a debut, given how nuanced the characters were. An emotional and thought provoking read that deals with hard topics in a sensitive and interesting way.

Michelle is a kindergarten teacher, she and her mother were abandoned by her father when she was a child, he was an alcoholic and abusive. She learns of his death through the obituary in the paper, and she later gets a call from a lawyer who is handling the estate that her late father left her 5.5 million but she has to meet conditions in order to inherit the money.

Charlotte is a therapist, who ideally should have all the tools to handle her father's death, but she is struggling, and when she learns her father left her nothing in the will she spirals. But little does she know her father had a plan for her after his death, and coming face to face with her half sister may be the key to them both finally healing from the devastation their father left in their lives.

I think the author did an incredible job of writing very flawed and broken people. Both Michelle and Charlotte were absolutely awful people, and I hated them for practically the whole book. I had a lot of trouble relating to them and did not feel sympathy for them which was my main problem with the book. The author also really nailed the therapy portion of the book, and how is takes rock bottom to really recognize you need to make a change. The book just did not invoke any emotion from me.

Morgan Dick’s novel about two sisters who discover each other after the death of their alcoholic father is a compelling story packed with interesting characters and thought provoking issues.
It's a great debut novel that tackles the age-old issues of messed-up families and the damage they can cause. It's an intriguing tale about complex lives, and it manages to be both darkly funny and deeply unsettling.
While I didn't find the plot entirely believable, it was an enjoyable read.
With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC.

This book is whip-smart and unflinchingly raw in the best possible way. It’s a story that understands brokenness with such clarity and humor that it never feels heavy, just honest. Every page walks the tightrope between grief and sarcasm and somehow never loses balance. I loved it for its voice, for its sharp observations, for the way it let hurt exist alongside the possibility of connection. It was cathartic, clever, and just completely unforgettable.

A novel full is misunderstanding. Mickey has lost her father twice - once when he ran out on her and her mother when she was seven years old, and then more recently when he died and unexpectedly left her a lot of money - but on condition of attending therapy. Which is something she definitely needs, being an alcoholic kindergarten teacher with people issues. But when she gets to therapy, the therapist isn't all that she seems.

This is a very dark, very funny and also very disturbing view of the impact close relationships have on vulnerable people, and how help can come from unexpected places.

Half sisters Mickey and Arlo share the same father however have never met. Their father, an alcoholic, walked away from Mickey and her mother when Mickey was seven years old. Mickey's feelings towards her father are nothing but hatred, and when she reads of his death in an obituary she simply shrugs and carries on with her life as a nursery teacher. Mickey is herself dependent on alcohol, carrying a bottle of vodka in her bag most of the time. Arlo, a qualified psychotherapist, nursed her father in the final months of his life, caring for his every need. Both girls are shocked to learn it is Mickey who has inherited a substantial amount of his money, whilst Arlo has been left nothing. There is a catch however, Mickey must attend seven therapy sessions with Arlo before she can receive the cash. With neither girl knowing the true identity of each other this is a car crash waiting to happen.

I struggled with the writing style of this novel initially, finding it difficult to warm to either protagonist or any of the other characters introduced at the beginning of the story. Whilst I understand the need for the author to introduce the reader to each character I felt the first few chapters were a tad disjointed making it hard to find any sympathy for the plight of either girl. In fact to start with, I didn't like either of them very much. Receiving an ARC means you need to persevere and I am so pleased I did. I became more and more invested in their lives and the decisions they were making, alternating between despair and delight as they careered toward the inevitable revelation of their familial connection.

Morgan Dick includes some interesting and thought-provoking themes including ethical dilemma, dysfunctional families and their dynamics, the impact of alcoholism on families, mother/daughter and father/daughter relationships, parental abandonment, grief and inheritance. Ultimately I found myself fully invested in both girls and their emotional challenges. This is a deeply perceptive and (after the first few chapters) compelling read with a satisfactory ending that would make a fabulous book club choice, with many interesting discussion points.

If you enjoy complex and chaotic family dynamics with slightly quirky humour this is for you.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Viking for my advance reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased opinion

I loved this story, Mickey doesn’t need her father and hasn’t needed him since he walked out on her and her mother, but on his death she learns she is due to inherit a large amount of money on the proviso she has counselling. The counselling is with her half sister Arlo, who has been cut out of the will, but neither of them realise they are related.
A great read with good characters and a good story.

This was an easy and enjoyable read, despite the heavy themes it explores (grief, alcoholism, child abandonment, childhood poverty). The author uses dry humour and creates brilliantly chaotic characters, who you're not supposed to particularly like. The plot was clever and though at times it felt unrealistic, the witty writing for me meant that Dick had a bit of creative license with the plotline! It just works and I'll definitely read more from her and recommend this to others.

Life, it can be challenging, whether you're a therapist by profession or not. Favourite Daughter weaves plausible characters with wit and issues. Having watched (perhaps discovered it quite late), In Treatment, this book intrigued me and feels very real with a rather different take on family drama.

Life, it can be challenging, whether you're a therapist by profession or not. Favourite Daughter weaves plausible characters with wit and issues. Having watched (perhaps discovered it quite late), In Treatment, this book intrigued me and feels very real with a rather different take on family drama.

Dick crafts a narrative that delves into the psychological depths of her characters, presenting them as deeply flawed human beings. Aren't we all?. The novel's strength lies in its raw portrayal of complex emotions and the ethical dilemmas faced by the characters. While some readers may find the characters' actions challenging, the story offers a thought-provoking read about the impact of family dynamics.​

Overall, Favourite Daughter is a promising debut that combines personal and family struggles. It's a compelling read for those interested in character-driven stories that don't shy away from the messiness of human relationships and complicated family dynamics.

When kindergarten teacher Mickey learns of her father’s death through an obituary, her reaction is one of indifference. At 33, her life is relatively simple—aside from a fondness for vodka and secret binges of Bridgerton. So when her father’s lawyer unexpectedly reaches out, she’s blindsided. After all, it’s been 26 years since he abandoned her and her mother. The real shock? He’s left her a substantial inheritance—one with significant strings attached.

Circumstances soon draw Mickey into the orbit of Arlo (also known as Charlotte), her half-sister and a psychologist. What begins as a reluctant connection becomes a tangled emotional journey, with both women confronting truths they'd long buried. One is a therapist, the other a reluctant participant, but both are searching—for answers, for reconciliation, for something solid to hold onto. Will their bond survive what they uncover?

This novel is deeply emotional, beautifully written, and thought-provoking. It explores the raw terrain of grief and the many ways it manifests, while also diving into the intricacies of familial relationships—particularly the complicated bonds between parent and child. These dynamics evolve throughout the story, sometimes painfully, sometimes with glimmers of hope. The author handles these shifting tones with grace, taking readers on an emotional rollercoaster—at times intense and chaotic, like witnessing lives derail in real time.

What stands out most is the sharp, empathetic characterisation. These are flawed, hurting people, yet they’re rendered with such care that you can’t help but root for them—even when they sabotage themselves. Mickey, in particular, is a complex mix of vulnerability and resistance. At times I wanted to hug her; other times, I wanted to give her a firm shake. The interactions between Mickey and Arlo are especially powerful—tense, raw, and emotionally charged as they attempt to make sense of their shared past and uncertain future.

The ending strikes just the right note, offering a sense of resolution and the possibility of healing after so much turmoil.

Overall, this is a moving and memorable read, one that pulled me in completely. A compelling, heartfelt novel delivered with wit, depth, and emotional authenticity.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy

This was a great book that delved into topics such as father/daughter relationships and addiction. It was quite heavy at times but I was very emotionally invested and it was very well written highly recommend