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Two Sisters

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A warm, laugh-out-loud funny, poignant novel about sisterhood and finding your place in the world from the author of I Love You, I Love You, I Love You.Leonie and Nora couldn’t be less alike.

Leonie is brave and bold. She left the Isle of Pitte behind in search of adventure and swore she’d never return. Nora prefers the cosy embrace of home. And besides, one of them has to take some responsibility.

When her reckless lifestyle catches up with her, Leonie returns home to Pitte to recover in the comforting, cloying care of her younger sister. Instead, she's surprised to find reliable, steadfast Nora is just as lost as she is.

Leonie and Nora have spent their lives certain they've nothing in common, but it seems they each have exactly what the other needs. And there's no one who can heal you – or hurt you – quite like a sister.

Praise for Laura 'Bursts with energy' Matt Haig

'Just DELICIOUS' Kirsty Capes

'What a book!' Giovanna Fletcher

'Extraordinary' Lindsey Kelk

'Wonderful' Sophie Ellis-Bextor

'Glorious' Salena Godden

'Transporting' Sophie Dahl

'I loved it, I loved it, I loved it!' Dawn O'Porter

315 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 4, 2026

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About the author

Laura Dockrill

45 books171 followers

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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for AmyJ_booktok.
287 reviews25 followers
June 24, 2026
3.5⭐️

Nora and Leo weren’t just sisters when they were younger, they were best friends; but as they grew up they both chose different paths. Leo, the party girl who works at an exclusive club, loves all things luxury and designer - couldn’t be further from Nora. Nora lives an easy life; works where her nanny used to work, in the town she grew up in with her daughter. Both grieving their nanny in different ways and going through their own issues. Then it all falls down for Leo and she ends up back in Pit living with Nora. Can they reconnect again, maybe they can fix each other..

I really enjoyed this. It felt real and raw. The growth between both sisters was incredible. The representation of real world problems and mental health was done so well, that anyone would find it hard not to relate. This also had many funny moments and I do love when a book can make me laugh!
Profile Image for CrazyCatLadyReadsBooks.
224 reviews3 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
March 22, 2026
Leonie and Nora are sisters... and complete opposites. Leonie is adventurous and unafraid. She left the Isle of Pitte to find her next quest and she wasn’t ever planning to come back. Nora, however, is more of a homebody and ‘the responsible one’. When Leonie does actually return, she wanted her sister’s calm and soothing persona to help her recuperate. Unfortunately, what she finds is her sister feels just as astray as Leonie does!
Can the sisters help each other or will they be the ones to hurt one another the most, like family can do so well...

The Pros:
1) The book focuses on two sisters who are complete opposites and each have their own issues
2) Mental health rep
3) You get cozy, small island vibes
4) There is a kitty called Sunflower
5) There is a sub plot of romance

The Cons:
1) I hate to say it, but I wasn’t a fan of the writing style. I try not to compare author’s other stories, but it is written completely differently to I Love You, I Love You, I Love You - I honestly wouldn’t have guessed it was the same author. Part of it was that it didn’t feel immersive enough to me.
2) It didn’t feel like much happened and I did get bored at points :(

The Quotes:

1) She’s sick of being observed like hot milk in a pan.

2) Nanna used to believe in the power of rest, she used to say that doing nothing was like a scab - from the outside it might look ugly and useless but it’s when all the magic healing is taking place.

3) ...there are no days off in Motherhood. Even when she has the flu she still has to do the bare minimum. Sometimes she fantasises about breaking her leg so she could get a rest in bed but she knows that in reality she’d just be boiling pasta for everyone with a broken leg.

The Summary:
I had high expectations of the story, as I adored the authors previous book. But perhaps that impacted on my reading of this one... I didn’t find Two Sisters immersive enough - to me it just felt like words on paper. I did get bored at points too as it didn’t feel like enough interesting things happened for me. On the positive side though, I liked the sisters (even if Leonie was a bit entitled...) and how their relationship was shown, the character arcs and the cozy island vibes. The sub plot of romance was also a welcome addition.

Summed up in a sentence?:
Leonie heads back to sister Nora to recuperate

I rated the book 3.5 stars - rounded down to 3.

A big thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.
1,251 reviews54 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
April 21, 2026
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

I have two of Laura's books already - I Love You, I Love You, I Love You, and What Have I Done - but this is the first I've read.

I'd read a few thrillers before this so I was after something a bit more light-hearted - but this wasn't actually all that light-hearted. It's not quite as severe as the thrillers but it does touch upon some quite difficult topics

Leo and Nora are such opposites, and yet at times, very similar. They are sisters and they fight and snap and you want to knock their heads together. Leo was harder to like initially, for reasons I won't spoil. It took a while, she had to work hard, but she did win me round by the end. Whereas Nora I loved almost immediately. I could see myself her in Nora a lot, but not in Leo. But as it went on, I realised I was a bit of both.

There's not a whole lot of plot. But that's not a negative in my view. I prefer characters over plot any day of the week. There is a plot of course, and it's enjoyable, but for me this was all about Leo and Nora and their relationships over the years, and whilst they weren't always likeable, they were very interesting to read about.

One thing I will point out - and this is less about the book itself but something I've noticed about a few books. When a book is billed as "laugh out loud hilarious" and I don't get it. Now, I don't mind not finding a book funny. I wasn't necessarily expecting this book to be funny and I don't think it was particularly funny, but that's not a bad thing. If the humour hadn't been mentioned, I wouldn't think I was missing out on something and so wouldn't have ever considered it. Humour is so subjective that I'd rather a book didn't mention it, and then if I do find humour in it, then that's all the better. But maybe that's just me.

It's not all sweetness and light and rainbows. It explored some very difficult topics, particularly around mental health, which are handled very well. But if you're after a relaxing read, this probably isn't it. It is very good and thoroughly enjoyable, well written, and I really liked it, but it is tough going at times.
Profile Image for Kiera.
116 reviews2 followers
June 4, 2026
Two Sisters follows sisters Leo and Nora, who couldn’t be more different. Leonie is ‘wild’, and Nora is ‘responsible’. While they are complete opposites, they share one thing in common: they both are lost. This book navigates the uncertainty of life and the places or people we always come back to.

I thought Two Sisters was a great read. As a sister myself, it felt very true to life with the close yet distant dynamic between Leo and Nora. I enjoyed getting to know each of these characters separately and diving deeper into who they truly are, the further into the book I got. I loved Nora’s relationship with her daughter Heidi, and how Leo fit back into their lives as a sister and an aunty plus how she built a life of her own. This being said, I appreciated that it wasn’t easy for Nora or Leo and that you could really feel the growing pains Leo had moving back home from her more exciting life in London and the ways Nora had to accommodate her sister, even when she didn’t want to. I also really enjoyed getting to know their relationship with their grandmother, who influenced both of them so much. My favourite aspect was how imperfect all the characters in this story were, especially when it came to the sisters. Neither of them was the perfect person or sister. While on the surface Nora seems perfect, she’s condescending, and while Leo seems careless, she actually feels incredibly deeply. While there wasn’t a lot of plot (this is definitely a window into people’s lives kind of book), I enjoyed the format of the seasons being sections of the story and felt this moved the story along in an interesting way.

If you enjoy a book that peeks into the lives of people, deals with the uncertainty of life and complicated sister dynamics, I’d recommend you read this!

Thank you, HQ Stories, for the finished copy of Two Sisters by Laura Dockrill! ★
Profile Image for Chrissie Patterson.
177 reviews8 followers
June 8, 2026
Having loved I Love You, I Love You, I Love You last year, I was really excited to pick up Laura Dockrill’s latest adult novel.

Two Sisters follows Nora and Leonie, sisters who seem completely different but are forced to confront old wounds, family expectations, and their own struggles when life brings them back together. At its core, this is a story about sisterhood, mental health, self worth, and the complicated relationships that shape us.

This is a much slower, more character driven story than I expected, but Dockrill’s writing is just as evocative and distinctive as ever. There is a nostalgic millennial quality to her voice that I find incredibly relatable.

The real strength of this book is its characters. Nora and Leonie are both likeable and frustrating in equal measure. They make mistakes, hurt each other, and often refuse to do the sensible thing, but that is what makes them feel so real. I loved watching their relationship evolve as they slowly realised they were more alike than either wanted to admit.

My only real criticism was that Leonora’s chapters did not work as well for me as the sisters’ perspectives, and I would have liked some of the supporting characters to be developed further.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this. It will not be for everyone, particularly readers looking for a fast paced plot, but fans of emotional, character driven fiction should definitely pick it up.
Profile Image for Ani.
53 reviews5 followers
June 20, 2026
I've been going on and on about how I loved Laura Dockrill's 'I love you x3' for a while, so I was delighted to get this eARC from HQ via Netgalley.

The novel is about two sisters, Leo(nie) and Nora who have spent their lives believing they have little in common. Leonie's recklessness forces her to return to the Isle of Pitte, in their beloved grandma's cottage, where she hopes Nora will help her recover; but Leonie discovers that her younger sister has her own struggles too. As the sisters reconnect, they realise they may hold the key to helping each other heal.

I am an only child, so some of the complicated bonds between sisters weren't relatable to me, but I have a cousin with whom I was very close growing up, and when I was reading the parts about young Leonie and Nora spending time with their grandma, Leonora, I kept reminiscing about my own grandma Luba (who I miss every day sonce she died in 2006).

I enjoyed the novel overall, though not as much as 'I love you x3'. I found some parts in Two Sisters a little slow, but Dockrill's writing is so beautiful, even in its slow moments, I found it hard to find fault with it. I would recommend this book if you want to enjoy evocative writing about sisterhood, identity, family bonds and a small love story too (LOVED Bruce - Leonie's love interest - he's the best!)
48 reviews1 follower
June 19, 2026
Read if you like...
🦩stories about sisters
🦩family stories
🦩second chances
🦩starting over
🦩small town vibes
🦩special connections

This was a great read. Funny  heartwarming and emotional in parts. It made me sit and think about families, relationships and even had me nodding along at times - and gasping at others!

Leonie and Nora are the two sisters whose lives took different paths but while they seem very different, I think they're still very much the same in more ways than one. They both have some similar worries and insecurities but which neither is aware the other one has. One lives the high life in London, while one never left the Isle of Pitte, but both often thought about what ifs. When Leonie is forced to return to Pitte, the journey of self discovery the sisters find themselves on is one neither on them was expecting.

I think Laura Dockrill has written a beautiful story, with a good mix of humour and emotion and a strong family element running through it. What the sisters learn from their own mum tells us a lot. I love the choice of names and where they came from too and a special mention has to go to Mrs Boyce, now there's a character!

'...there's no one who can heal you - or hurt you - quite like a sister.'

I definitely recommend this one and it's out now.

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Profile Image for Madeleine Black.
Author 7 books88 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
March 27, 2026
A warm, laugh-out-loud funny, poignant novel about sisterhood and finding your place in the world from the author of I Love You, I Love You, I Love You.Leonie and Nora couldn’t be less alike.

Leonie is brave and bold. She left the Isle of Pitte behind in search of adventure and swore she’d never return. Nora prefers the cosy embrace of home. And besides, one of them has to take some responsibility.

When her reckless lifestyle catches up with her, Leonie returns home to Pitte to recover in the comforting, cloying care of her younger sister. Instead, she's surprised to find reliable, steadfast Nora is just as lost as she is.

Leonie and Nora have spent their lives certain they've nothing in common, but it seems they each have exactly what the other needs. And there's no one who can heal you – or hurt you – quite like a sister.
Profile Image for Jen Grá.
317 reviews1 follower
June 4, 2026
⭐️3.5 stars rounded up⭐️
Laura Dockrill's last novel "I Love You, I Love You, I Love You" was one of my favourite novels of last year. Therefore, I went into "Two Sisters" with high hopes, most of which we met.
Leo is the older sister, who in the midst of a breakdown returns to her younger sibling, Nora. From the bustle of London to the compact island on which she grew up, Leo has to rebuild her mental health and her relationship with her sister.
The time passes fluidly and no quick fix is offered. The relationships take their time and it works, though I will admit that it took me longer to get into at the beginning. I found the ending beautiful and a real testament to complicated maternal bonds.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Vicki (chaptersofvicki).
721 reviews17 followers
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
June 1, 2026
I’d been looking forward to reading this after really enjoying the authors previous book.

Leonie and Nora are sisters, who are total opposites in every way. I really liked Nora, she was a homebody and finds herself with Leonie living back with her. I wasn’t so keen on Nora though, but I did find I liked her more as the story progressed.

I really enjoyed reading about both of the sisters and the journey they went on. It was such a lovely read.

Thank you to HQ for sending me an early proof copy.
Profile Image for Vix S.
359 reviews11 followers
March 30, 2026
One million stars for the use of the phrase “bum chums” which I haven’t heard/used since Year 8, and WHY (I ask myself) the heck not? Going to try to bring that one back into circulation.

Bum chums aside, this book was a really cosy hug of a tale. It’s a little bit grittier than your run of the mill Libby Page or Beth O’Leary, but still has that safe and comforting feel where you know/hope that nothing will go drastically wrong. Would recommend!
Profile Image for Alexandra Yeo.
69 reviews1 follower
June 5, 2026
I went into this with high expectations as I love you, I love you, I love you was so incredibly funny and brilliant - these books are completely different in content.

This book was still a really enjoyable read. The relationship between the sisters is fascinating and by the end, really wholesome.

I did really enjoy the informal, colloquial tone and narration to this story, which is similar to her previous book, as it made the characters more relatable.
128 reviews
July 4, 2026
I really enjoyed the nostalgic vibes and the style of writing in the authors previous book, I Love You x3, so I was looking forward to this one.

Two Sisters is surprisingly about two sisters! Leo and Nora may be sisters but they are complete opposites. The contrast is there right from the start. Leo is a nightclub host in an exclusive club in London. She is definitely living her best life with no responsibilities. Meanwhile younger sister Nora is a single mum still living on the island they grew up on. Responsible is how I would describe her.

Leonie suffers a mental breakdown and returns home to the island of Pitte to recover and spend time being looked after by her sister. The book is told over a year and even though they have nothing in common they discover they are exactly what each other needs. I thought the relationship between the sister was really well written and reminded me of me and my sister.

This actually took me a lot longer to read, 8 days compared to my usual 3 or 4 days, but there was nothing wrong with the book. I would say it’s a lot more character driven than there being a massive story. I would recommend this one.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews