Would you plan on helping your sister become a mother by carrying her embryo since she can't carry the child herself? I believe not many sisters would, but this is what Kenzie must decide to help her sister, Olivia! And then while deciding, Olivia is killed in a tragic hiking accident! What will Kenzie do then, still decide to carry the child in memory of her sister, for her own wellbeing? That's the riveting storyline Alison Ragsdale weaves in My Sister's Only Hope!
This was a very emotional, heartwrenching story with a romantic touch, well worth reading with twists and turns that kept me spellbound and kept me reading past my bedtime. The characters were very believable and shows what it takes to becoming a family. Many readers will enjoy My Sister's Only Hope by Alison Ragsdale!

Sometimes you learn things about your family that you didn't think was possible until the facts slap you squarely in the face. When you find out that what you've grown up knowing as true isn't really, it's bound to be a shock. Kenzie's parents died tragically in a mountain climbing accident, so she and her sister have become especially close over the years as the only members left of their family. Set in the Scottish Highlands in the shadow of Ben Nevis, the mountain where her parents died, she is constantly reminded of what she lost, and her dream is to make sure their family line continues by helping her sister have the baby she's always wanted. This story is so well-crafted. The events are not predictable, the way is not easy. Alison Ragsdale has a knack for storytelling, finding the nuances within every character and relationship. She can tell the story from each perspective leaving you with the same quandries as the characters face. There are no "bad" characters. There are no "sides" to take. These are just normal people trying to figure out what is best for them and those they love. It seems that just as things are mellowing out, a wrench is thrown into the works, and the story takes a different direction that the characters, and you, didn't anticipate. Loved, loved, loved this book, and I had a hard time putting it down long enough to even sleep. This is one of those "just one more chapter" books, the kind I really like to read. Pub date August 27, 2025.

This was a beautifully done novel, it had that element that I was wanting and enjoyed from the description and genre. The overall feel worked with what I was looking from this type of book and enjoyed the overall journey in this book and enjoyed the overall feel of this. The characters were realistic and was invested in what was going on. Alison Ragsdale was able to weave a strong storyline and characters that I wanted and cared about.

Review: My Sister’s Only Hope by Alison Ragsdale

‘Will you help me become a mother?’ my sister whispers, her hands clasping mine. ‘You’re my only hope…’

Kenzie Ford’s life was going according to plan, but how does she cope when the unthinkable happens—again? Can the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood withstand the impacts of having placed someone up on a pedestal and long-kept family secrets? How does she keep promises made and try to honor the wishes of the sister she has lost?

You will want to read this book if you are up for
* Family drama
* Everything it means to be a sister
* Deep emotions
* The impact of long-held secrets
* Growing into your true self
* A twist you won’t see coming

I was drawn in by the title and the concept of Kenzie helping her sister reach her dreams. While I found the first half of the book to be slow, I was engaged by how the choices made were going to work out in the end—and not how I expected! There is a lot of emotion in this book and insight into how Kenzie feels and what she believes to be true about everyone in her family.

Thank you so much to Bookouture and NetGalley for gifting me an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kenzie and Olivia are sisters who at a very young age lost their parents to a mountain climbing accident. Kenzie refuses to ever mountain climb again but Olivia still belongs to a club and continues to climb. Kenzie has never wanted children and when she married they decided that neither of them ever wanted children. Olivia desperately wants a child and is unsuccessful in getting pregnant and can’t afford further treatment. Kenzie willingly wants to give her sister the gift of her eggs but not everyone is happy about the decision and after the egg retrieval Olive is in a tragic accident and doesn’t survive. What will Kenzie do with the eggs….
Excellent story
Thank you for the ARC of this book

“Happiness needed space to get in, and the only way to create that space was to clear our anger, disappointment and regret. She believed that acceptance was the final, golden ticket to healing.”

WOW! I read this book in a day. I did not put it down! What an emotional rollercoaster ride of a journey. I felt as if I was on that rollercoaster with them. The raw emotions, grief, the secrets that they had to come to terms with. A story that was centered around the bond, relationship of sisters Kenzie and Olivia.
I loved the setting and the gorgeous landscape descriptions had me totally captivated, Ben Nevis, mountains, lakes. Picturing them in my mind as I read.
Compelling, thought provoking, heartbreaking, hidden truths, pulled at my heart strings. Keep the tissues close, I had tears running down my face.

Thank you NetGalley, Alison Ragsdale and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this powerful story.

The author did a great job with book. It is beautiful story about the ties that bind and what it really means to be a family……this book is about two sisters who are very close. Kenzie is ok with not having children but her sister Olivia has longed for them and that’s when Kenzie agrees to help but shortly after her procedure Olivia is killed , this leaves Kenzie with a choice to carry on and have her sisters baby….
It’s a thought provoking novel with some moral dilemmas that do indeed leave you thinking a lot! I highly recommend this beautiful book.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC….

My Sister's Only Hope by Alison Ragsdale will tug at your heartstrings from beginning to end. This is a beautiful novel about the ties that bind and what it really means to be a family.

Kenzie and her sister Olivia have always been close, particularly after losing both of their parents to a tragic accident. Living with their husbands in their childhood home, Kenzie knows that she would do anything for her older sister, and that claim is put to the test when Olivia asks for her help to have a much longed for baby by donating her eggs. Kenzie obliges, knowing that she never wants children of her own, and husband Arran is in full agreement. But a tragic accident will change the course of multiple lives, and a new and heartbreaking reality will test even the strongest of relationships as Kenzie finds herself facing an unexpected and uncertain future.

I love the writing of Ms Ragsdale, and her powerful, gut-wrenching and evocative novels are automatic reads. Add this one to your TBR. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

oh i cant even begin with this book! shall i just hand you a mug of my emotions and tears to tell you what it did to me? becasue wow. it pulled at every heart string i have and sometimes tugged a bit harder. what a fantastic book! read this book its truly superb but be ready as it got so much heart wrenching moments you do need to ready yourself.
this is such an emotional depth of a book. right from the start can you ask yourself the question 'what would you do if you sister asked you to have her child?' and bam your right there feeling it already. we delve right into the bond between someone you love with a nod that is often indescribable. and it told of loss, secrets and how you put one foot in front of the other or if you even decide to do that.
the book gives us Kenzie and her sister Olivia. these are a close pair and we can feel that as readers. Kenzie is fully ok with her decision not to have children. but her sister has longed for them. and that is when Kenzie agrees to help. but shortly after the procedure Olivia is killed in a hiking accident. leaving them devastated but also leaving that embryo too. but this leaves Kenzie with a choice, one she feels she needs to fulfil and carry on and raise her sisters baby. but this comes at a cost. and when a further secret is revealed it sends shock waves through her.
you are in so deep with this story and the characters. their dilemmas, the way what they were going through was described. the completely relatable aspects of family, love, grief and what would you do or what would you feel if..?
its a thought provoking novel and deals with some moral dilemmas that do indeed leave you thinking, thinking lots and lots. i felt so much for the characters and i really ended up caring about where this book would lead and how all would fare.
the storytelling was on point and it captured me in and didn't let go from the first until very last moments of the book.

"My Sisters Only Hope" is a book about 2 sisters who both live with their husbands in their original childhood house which has been made into 2 seperate sections. Olivia dreams of being a mother but after bunerous failed attempts of IVF she is starting to give up hope. Kenzie doesn't want kids, it's not in her plan so she decides to offer help to her sister as an egg donor. Then a tragedy happens and Kenzie is left to pick up the pieces and make life altering decisions which have knock on effects for her marriage...
I loved every chapter of this book because it's written with such raw emotion and turmoil that it kept me turning pages faster than usual. It's suspenseful as well and the ending is everything I wanted it to be! Another brilliant book by Alison Ragsdale!

Thank you to publisher Bookouture and NetGalley for sending me the ARC of this book which comes out in August. It is an emotional story, yet easy to read. Here are my favorite lines:

"I'm a wimp. So, I'll need the big guns. Epidurals. Acupuncture. Witchcraft. The works."
"Happiness needed space to get in, and the only way to create that space was to clear out anger, disappointment and regret. She believed that acceptance was the final, golden ticket to healing."
"Just don't try to handle everything alone. We humans weren't designed to be islands. Support saved me, and you'll need some too."

What would you do if your sister asked you to help her become a mother?
I think that would be a request that would break my heart, and I would love to do everything I could to make her wish come true. I just don't know if I would be as brave as Kensie is towards Olivia.

I truly admire Kensie. She sees it as nothing more than normal, given their past, and I can fully understand that. When you have such a deep-rooted bond together, you probably don’t have to think long about it.
The only question is: was the bond really that strong...?

I am very aware that you can become incredibly angry when everything you believed in suddenly falls apart and you’re faced with facts you cannot change. Your first reaction may not be the best one, and once you’ve had enough time to process everything, you often see things much more clearly. That can lead you to change your future plans—which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, or worse than before.

The author has created very human characters. They all have clear perspectives and opinions, and I found it admirable that they were able to talk about everything like adults, without getting into fights. Honesty was clearly a top priority for them, and that’s something to be admired—or at least, in most of them.

If everyone had had that same attitude, there would have been less heartache.

This heartwarming yet heartbreaking story is about loss—but also about love, family, friendship, and finding new paths.

Kensie faced a difficult decision, and I found it brave that she stood her ground. I just don’t know if I would’ve followed the same path. I think probably not.

Great story, wonderful characters. 5 stars.

Thank you.

My Sister’s Only Hope is a compelling and poignant novel that gets to the heart of the emotions that bring a family together, as well as those that threaten to tear them apart. Familial relationships—siblings, spouses, parents and children—are inherently complicated, and never is that more true than in the pages of this book. There are secrets, there is history, there are hard choices that must be made, and there are the consequences of those choices. Each of the characters is finely drawn, with all of their complexities, their opinions, their foibles, their strengths, their mistakes, and, mostly, their ability to love. Because despite all the hardships that the characters face, there is always love, and willingness to forgive and understand.

This story was quite an emotional journey for me as well as the characters. Kenzie and her sister Olivia are best friends living in the same house with their husbands. After Olivia is killed in a hiking incident Kenzie finds out Olivia had many secrets and did not share them. She thought they shared everything. We follow her as she grieves and makes life changing decisions many of which affect affect other people as well. As always Ms Brennan has written a heart felt and memorable book. I’m still wondering if I would have made the same decisions if I was in the same situation. If you like heartfelt women’s well written and emotional fiction you will very likely be glad you read this book. Keep tissues nearby. I received a copy of this book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Brilliant from the beginning until the end from one of my favourite authors, just great storytelling all the way and with a lovely ending, I wasn't sure how it would go but everything was brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

All the characters were good, each with their own stories to tell I cannot speak highly enough about this book and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this brilliant ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a couple of books by Alison Ragsdale and have always loved the emotional storylines. So when I saw this one I knew I had to give it a try. Especially as it was about sisters!

“My Sister’s Only Hope” is another wonderful example of Alison's beautiful writing and emotional story telling. It was a compelling story that explored the relationship between sisters, the pain of loss, hidden truths, and the intricate nature of love and self-discovery.

I loved the glorious setting. Alison's descriptions of the landscape and the gorgeous locations in Scotland are truly captivating. You really feel like you are there looking out of the window at Ben Nevis and the stunning lakes and mountains. You can feel the surroundings, the sights, the sounds. I also liked that we went through the full seasons experiencing the fabulous locations.

The story centered on Kenzie and her sister Olivia. We also met Kenzie's husband, Arran, Glenn who is Olivia's husband. We also met a couple of side characters, Colm and his young daughter Nora. We learned their stories, tragedies, difficult decisions. The story of life was played out for the reader. I was engaged with the characters and the stories. I really liked Nora. She br0ught some lightness and humour to the novel and I really enjoyed that.

Alison Ragsdale’s writing style is really comforting and familiar. Her characters are relatable. The stories are both heartfelt and uplifting.

“My Sister’s Only Hope” was a moving and thought-provoking story that delved into the powerful bond between sisters, the heartache of loss, and the journey toward self-discovery. If you enjoy emotionally layered, family-focused dramas that explore moral dilemmas you will love this one.

A story centered around sisters? Count me in! As soon as I read the premise of “My Sister’s Only Hope”, I knew I wanted to give it a try. The plot instantly caught my attention, and since Alison Ragsdale is a new author to me, I was excited to finally check out her work and couldn’t let this one pass me by.

“My Sister’s Only Hope” was filled with emotion. It was a compelling story that delved into the bonds between sisters, the pain of loss, hidden truths, and the intricate nature of love and self-discovery.

The story centered on Kenzie and her sister Olivia, who shared an incredibly close bond. While Kenzie and her husband, Arran, had decided not to have children, Olivia longed deeply to become a mother. When Olivia was unable to conceive, Kenzie, despite some initial tension with Arran, offered to donate her eggs. Tragically, shortly after the embryo transfer, Olivia died in a hiking accident, leaving behind a single embryo and a devastated family. Determined to honor her sister’s dream, Kenzie made the life-changing decision to carry and raise Olivia’s baby. But as she stepped into the role of a mother, Arran pulled away and Kenzie uncovered a secret her sister had kept hidden.

Alison Ragsdale’s writing style felt comfortingly familiar. It was gentle, emotionally rich, and grounded in everyday relationships, yet the story’s premise brought a fresh and original twist that set it apart. Her ability to blend relatable characters with morally layered dilemmas made this narrative both accessible and deeply affecting. Although the story was deeply emotional and heartfelt, some parts felt a bit predictable, and the heavy subject matter occasionally made it feel overwhelming.

Overall, I really enjoyed Alison Ragsdale’s latest novel and now feel eager to explore more of her earlier work. “My Sister’s Only Hope” was a moving and thought-provoking story that delved into the powerful bond between sisters, the heartache of loss, fertility challenges, and the journey toward self-discovery. It’s a great fit for readers who appreciate emotionally layered, family-focused dramas that grapple with tough moral choices.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

I received a free copy of, My Sister's Only Hope, by Alison Ragsdale, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Kenzie and Olivia are sisters, one wants a child and one does not. Kenzie donates her eggs to her sister Olivia, so she can have the baby she always wanted, then tragedy strikes, and Olivia passed away. Secrets and lies are found out, how well did Kenzie know Olivia? This was a heavy read. I don't know that I would make the same decisions as Kenzie though.

This story touched my heart. The losses suffered by the families are raw and emotional. The author went into the depths of how secrets and lies can have rippling effects on many in each person’s extended circle. I felt every experience the characters endured and it was nice to see how new people can come into your life and help ease the pain even when it doesn’t ever go away. We all learn how to move on in a new chapter and learn how to overcome challenges and fears. I thought the ending would be different after Colm and Nora moved in and was surprised and happy by the way things turned out for everyone involved ~ Kenzie, Arran, Glenn and Jack.

A story about grief, growth and family !

Living in a world mainly encompassing each other, the Grey sisters were each other’s best friend, the better half of one another. And when Olivia had abruptly died, Kenzie’s tight knit family - her version of picture perfect family was shattered.

The characters are undoubtedly flawed, there’re secret and lies that tainted the whole experience but that only makes it even more daunting yet inspiring for what Kenzie had went through.

The background characters; ngl Colm, Nora and my man Glen (rooting so hard and loud for him !!) have my heart squeezed by happiness.

You’d frown, you’d grin, you’d be frustrated but it will be worth it ! The pace was just right, and def an easy read.