Well, that was a S L O G. This book potentially could have been right up my street, messy family secrets and sister drama but somehow it managed to take all that juicy potential and turn it into a slow plodding, yawn fest. I felt myself clicking the kindle to the next page just one too many times. I kept reading thinking 'surely something is about to happen' and then many pages later I still was waiting. The characters were meh, leaving me not rooting for one nor the other, the twists were more like gentle nudges, and the suspense was just poor. By the time the big reveal rolled around I was actually totally checked out.

That being said, the premise was genuinely interesting, I can totally see why I picked it up in the first place but unfortunately the execution did not deliver.

Final verdict - flat like a Diet Coke.

I loved this book. Just what I was looking for and it came at the right time. I devoured it in a day.

Favourite Daughter by Morgan Dick is a captivating novel that I found utterly gripping from start to finish. It felt like I was watching real life unfold in front of me, with each and every turn of the page.

Favourite Daughter unfolds through two distinct character, that of Mickey and Arlo (Charlotte) - two estranged half-sisters reunited by their father's surprising last wish outlined in his will. We see the impact of their father's final wishes on the sisters' lives and in their relationship. Such a cleverly written book, filled with raw emotion, and characters that feel incredibly real.
Mickey, a kindergarten teacher, is clever and practical, participating in seven therapy sessions for the pure reason to secure her inheritance. This is the only reason she is attending. Despite battling alcoholism, Mickey showed that she cared greatly and she did everything in her power to support a child in her class. I really liked Mickey. Mickey's battle with alcohol addiction was portrayed powerfully, making me hope that she would resist taking that next drink. I was rooting for Mickey all along.

Then we meet Arlo who is a therapist herself and the therapist! Through their sessions, not only does Arlo discover she has a half-sister she did not know about (due to them being known by nicknames) but that she had also been left out of her father's will. Arlo struggles with this and does not understand why, leaving her feeling both confused and very hurt. Arlo cared for their father in his final days, while Mickey had been estranged from him since she was young. It did not make sense to Arlo.

This was the start of Mickey and Arlo's fathers plan to get them together and to start talking. He knew exactly what he was doing when he put the clause in his will.

Mickey and Arlo's complex relationship, with misunderstandings, secrets, and lighter moments, creates an emotionally engaging and captivating read.

The setting is very personal, taking place mostly in the therapy room and I felt like I was an invisible person in the room witnessing everything that was said and watching their reactions. It was an incredible read.

This book is a very hard and raw read but there are lighter moments too. The challenging themes of abandonment, grief, alcoholism, addiction, and trauma are addressed with such incredible skill and sensitivity. But it is a book that shows that even in life's darkest moments, you can discover resilience, regain hope, and forge a path to recovery and healing.

I loved how the story explored identity and belonging, as Mickey and Arlo reconciled with each other, who they were themselves and their understanding of what family means to them. Families are so complicated, sometimes filled with love, often there is conflict, and there can be moments that shape our lives in unexpected ways and moments that can change us forever.

Such a thought-provoking book which I highly recommend. An incredible debut and I look forward to reading more by Morgan Dick.

Thank you to Penguin Books and Viking for my advanced copy. This review is based on a NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.

@currentlyreading__
Book 17 of 2025


Thank you to the author, publisher and @NetGalley for sending an advance copy ahead of publication on 1st May. This book was utterly DEVOURED on my sun lounger and I am bereft it’s over. I deliberately didn’t re-read the premise of the book and from the first chapter I was HOOKED. Mickey (Michelle) receives a call to notify her that her estranged father has died. Devoted Arlo (Charlotte) is devastated by the death of her father; after all she has clipped his toenails, mopped up his vomit, researched the most nutritious food for him and met with palliative care staff. It wasn’t enough - he died and with him, part of Arlo has died too. Mickey and Arlo are brought together in the most unusual of circumstances - Arlo as Mickey’s therapist (although both women are unaware of their true identities). In order to claim her sizeable inheritance Mickey’s father has arranged seven sessions of therapy (as he left when she was seven)… How kind!

This book spoke to me on so many levels. The portrayal of grief was raw, on point and the fact that this had a dual PoV was brilliant in delving deeper into the psyche of these chaotic unknown to each other sisters. I love the fact that the dad Adam Kowalski plays such an integral role in the story and he is dead before the story even starts.

There are heavy topics, all of which are dealt with sensitively and with real heart - alcohol addiction features heavily as well as co-dependency. It doesn’t sound like a holiday read when I mention the heavy issues but believe me when I say that this is amazing and Morgan’s characters will live with me for a long time.

#bookworm #iamreading #bookreview #kindle #bookreviews #bibliophile #bookreview #mustread #bookobsessed #bookrecommendations #booksofinstagram #bookstagram #morgandick #favoritedaughter #favouritedaughter

Mickey hasn’t seen her father since she was a young child, she is astounded to learn after his death that he has left her a large amount of money in his will.
Arlo has been loved by her father her whole life and is devastated to learn that after caring for him in the last few months before he died that he has left her out of his will.
Two half sisters who have never met now struggle to cope with the death of their father.
A story about family, relationships and forgiveness.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK, Fig Tree for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. At it's core is a story of the trauma of loss, grief and addiction which could be really hard going, but Ms Dick, while acknowledging the sadness and fraught relationships, manages to inject humour and optimism and the possibility of redemption and forgiveness of self and others. I look forward to reading more of her work
Thank you to netgalley and Penguin Books for an advance copy of this book.

Brilliant book. Well developed characters. I really enjoyed it and would use in the classroom. Beautiful plot.

People are so complicated.

THIS BOOK, I could not put this down. These characters felt so real to me, Morgan really made me feel like I was living inside the brain of both Mickey and Arlo. I felt every inch of pain that they felt, and I resonated so much with some of the thoughts and emotions that came up.

The plot was so unique and unlike anything I’ve read before. This kind of writing style is what I live for, I love books that make you feel human. This validated so much for me, it honestly felt like therapy, in the best way.

Five stars, Morgan Dick is one of my new auto-buy authors for sure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)
A sharp and unflinching look at family dynamics, rivalry, and the burden of being “the good one.” Morgan Dick delivers a voice that’s biting and honest, with emotional beats that land hard. Complex, compulsively readable, and perfect for fans of family-driven fiction with an edge.

Favourite Daughter is a raw and emotionally charged novel about trauma, addiction, and the lasting scars of abandonment. After the death of her estranged father, Mickey must attend therapy sessions with Arlo—unaware Arlo is her half-sister. I appreciated the dual perspectives, which gave depth to both women’s pain. Most characters were unlikeable, but still evoked empathy. The writing was choppy at times, jumping abruptly between scenes, which made it hard to stay fully immersed. A compelling premise, though the execution didn’t fully deliver for me.

3/5

I enjoyed this from the complexity of characters and relationships to the darker themes of death, addiction, friendship and values. Well worth a read.

A fascinating story about family, grief, mental health, addiction and recovery told through the eyes of Mickey and Arlo. These two estranged sisters are thrown together when their father dies and their lives change forever. This book has great characters and dark humour, and I found this complicated family intriguing.

A story of 2 dysfunctional half sisters from a toxic family background, dealing with death, grief, mental illness, addiction and abandonment. I found the two sisters to be deeply unlikeable characters. The novel is well written, albeit with a somewhat contrived storyline. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy

I would say a definite emotional and provoking read. Really enjoyed it and became totally immersed in the life of the two sisters, rooting for them. Fantastic debut and looking forward to seeing what else she writes in the future, would recommend the book!

Loved this story of Mickey and Arlo who have the same dad but have never met until their dad died and left everything to Mickey as long as she attended seven sessions with a therapist.
When Mickey visits Arlo and starts to talk about her father Arlo realises that she is her sister who her father left everything too even though Arlo looked after her father when he was dying. Mickey has anger issues as her father walked out on her and her mum when she was seven which she feels is why she does not trust any man.
This is a story about two sisters who find a way through their problems while dealing with difficult mothers and emotions a brilliant read.

I really enjoyed this book told from the points of view of two half sisters whose alcoholic father has brought them together after he died by disinheriting one and giving his first daughter the money but with provisos. Both the women have been damaged by their relationship with their father and his departure in their lives. This book looks very closely at what shapes people, what is grief, what does love look like. I imagine this book could be triggering to some people but I really appreciated Morgan Dick’s honest portrayal of a family in crisis.

Such an interesting book about addiction, families & to a certain extent, abuse. I didn’t particularly like the central characters but through the course of the book I found a certain empathy for them. The description of addiction was powerful and helped the reader comprehend what the addict was feeling & why they were compelled. It was very sad in many ways too. Enjoy might not be the right word but did appreciate & would recommend

The story is about two sisters, who share the same dad, but have never met. Micky’s dad left and never returned. He then went on to have another wife and his daughter Arlo.

After the death of their father brings them together, without them even knowing. Will the reality of their lives bring them together or tear them apart.

This book deals with some serious issues with family relationships and addiction. It is such a good read

Half sisters, Mickey and Arlo have never met. When their father dies, he shockingly leaves his fortune to Mickey, the daughter he abandoned as a young child when he met Arlo's mother, but with the condition that she attends counselling with Arlo.

My expectations: A gritty, family drama, maybe with a bit of a twist and some dark comedy,

vs. reality: An alcoholic and a spoilt brat who discover they're sisters after a very drawn out narrative. A solicitor who, despite dealing with a multi million dollar estate, sleeps in his office and gets way too involved in the personal lives of both women.

Most of the story focusses on Mickey's alcoholism and it didn't grip my attention.

2 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A nicely crafted book - not a lot of surprises, but the relationships between the various characters are cleverly developed. I found it hard to put down.