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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I’ve read quite a few books and seen TV series based on the concept of two siblings getting to know each other after their father‘s death. I enjoyed the way this novel’s story was set up one sister estranged from her father learns with his death from his lawyer who announces that she will inherit his entire fortune of £5 million if she attends six counselling sessions with a psychologist of his choice. Of course, the psychologist of his choice turns out to be his other daughter from his second family after he leaves his first marriage under the influence of alcoholism
The author has a clean clear easily read flowing writing style which made the novel a pleasure to read. The novel clip along a day Joan T pace and had my attention right from the start. I read it in one sitting.
The author has the ability to create entirely real three dimensional characters and I loved the way that we learnt more about the characters from the way they experienced their acute life event of losing their father . We gradually get to know more about their relationships of the two sisters with their father and how that this has influenced the way they grew up both sisters have been damaged by this damaged alcoholic father and we get to hear more of their lives gradually throughout the novel. As a sisters develop a relationship and themselves it becomes clear there father’s choice was inspired.
The novel is set in the USA, but the experiences of the novel could easily have occurred in this country
I read a copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an honest review, it had been on my to be read list for quite some time for no obvious reason
The book was published in the UK on the 1st of May 2025 by Penguin general UK
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, StoryGraph, and my book blog bionicSarahS books.wordpress.com. It will also appear on Amazon UK and Waterstones.
2 main female characters. Both are awful in their own right. Barely a likable character in the book
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This darkly funny debut throws you headfirst into the messy lives of half-sisters Mickey and Arlo, who are strangers until their problematic father's death. Mickey, abandoned years ago and harboring a deep-seated resentment, is stunned to inherit his fortune - with the bizarre condition that she attend therapy sessions. Unbeknownst to her, the psychologist her father handpicked is her own half-sister, Arlo. Arlo, who devoted herself to her father in his final days, is blindsided to discover she's been cut out of the will. Determined to uncover the truth, she agrees to treat Mickey, unaware of their familial connection.
What unfolds is a compellingly awkward dance between therapist and patient, two unlikeable yet undeniably watchable women circling each other. Mickey is a trainwreck you can't look away from - a flawed kindergarten teacher with a seemingly good heart constantly sabotaging her own life. Arlo, on the other hand, feels almost too perfect, her curiosity about the will outweighing any apparent anger.
While the concept is intriguing and the plot moves swiftly, the sheer number of coincidental character connections felt a little too convenient. The lawyer, a particularly unsavory character dabbling in both meditation and dubious dealings, and a potential romance with a student's uncle add layers that the novel doesn't fully explore. Despite these sprawling threads, the sharp dialogue and raw emotions kept me hooked, even if I didn't particularly root for anyone. This is a book with a promising premise and enough dark humour to keep you turning the pages, even if you find yourself observing the chaos from a distance.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
What unfolds is a compellingly awkward dance between therapist and patient, two unlikeable yet undeniably watchable women circling each other. Mickey is a trainwreck you can't look away from - a flawed kindergarten teacher with a seemingly good heart constantly sabotaging her own life. Arlo, on the other hand, feels almost too perfect, her curiosity about the will outweighing any apparent anger.
While the concept is intriguing and the plot moves swiftly, the sheer number of coincidental character connections felt a little too convenient. The lawyer, a particularly unsavory character dabbling in both meditation and dubious dealings, and a potential romance with a student's uncle add layers that the novel doesn't fully explore. Despite these sprawling threads, the sharp dialogue and raw emotions kept me hooked, even if I didn't particularly root for anyone. This is a book with a promising premise and enough dark humour to keep you turning the pages, even if you find yourself observing the chaos from a distance.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
#netgalley
What if your inheritance came with a side of mandated therapy… led by your half-sister… who doesn’t know you exist? That’s the deliciously dysfunctional premise at the heart of Favourite Daughter, a twisty story soaked in grief, vodka, and complicated family ties, underpinned by daddy issues galore.
Mickey, a jaded kindergarten teacher with a taste for Russian Standard and a streak of self-destruction, learns she’s been left $5 million by the father who walked out when she was five. But there’s a catch: she must complete seven therapy sessions to unlock the cash. And the therapist? Arlo, her half-sister, utterly unaware of the connection, who adored the very man Mickey loathed.
It’s messy. It’s murky. It’s morally dubious. And honestly, it works—to an extent.
This isn’t sharp satire or slick thriller; it’s more of a poolside read with a darker emotional pull. Addiction, abandonment, and inherited trauma bubble beneath the surface, wrapped in sharp dialogue and unexpected tenderness. Mickey’s voice is unfiltered and painfully honest. Arlo’s grief is complicated, blurred by professional boundaries and personal blind spots.
Does it land the emotional punch it promises? Almost.
The premise is strong, a dramedy - fresh, clever, full of promise, but the execution doesn’t quite deliver the emotional depth it reaches for. It’s grand, in that very Irish way: solid, engaging, just shy of something special.
Overall, a debut with bite, booze, and a bruised heart. If you like your fiction messy, complicated, and lived-in, this one’s for you.
Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read via NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own. Favourite Daughter is available now.
What if your inheritance came with a side of mandated therapy… led by your half-sister… who doesn’t know you exist? That’s the deliciously dysfunctional premise at the heart of Favourite Daughter, a twisty story soaked in grief, vodka, and complicated family ties, underpinned by daddy issues galore.
Mickey, a jaded kindergarten teacher with a taste for Russian Standard and a streak of self-destruction, learns she’s been left $5 million by the father who walked out when she was five. But there’s a catch: she must complete seven therapy sessions to unlock the cash. And the therapist? Arlo, her half-sister, utterly unaware of the connection, who adored the very man Mickey loathed.
It’s messy. It’s murky. It’s morally dubious. And honestly, it works—to an extent.
This isn’t sharp satire or slick thriller; it’s more of a poolside read with a darker emotional pull. Addiction, abandonment, and inherited trauma bubble beneath the surface, wrapped in sharp dialogue and unexpected tenderness. Mickey’s voice is unfiltered and painfully honest. Arlo’s grief is complicated, blurred by professional boundaries and personal blind spots.
Does it land the emotional punch it promises? Almost.
The premise is strong, a dramedy - fresh, clever, full of promise, but the execution doesn’t quite deliver the emotional depth it reaches for. It’s grand, in that very Irish way: solid, engaging, just shy of something special.
Overall, a debut with bite, booze, and a bruised heart. If you like your fiction messy, complicated, and lived-in, this one’s for you.
Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read via NetGalley. As always, all opinions are my own. Favourite Daughter is available now.
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes