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We Were Sisters
I turn to where I left my baby in his pushchair and pull up short. With a racing heart, I look around wildly, fear gripping my stomach. I only looked away for a moment. The pushchair and my baby are gone.
Kelly is taking her twin daughters to their first day of school, ushering them into the classroom, her heartbreaking to think they might not need her anymore when she turns around and sees that her newborn baby is gone.
As a desperate search ensues, baby Noah is quickly found – parked in front of a different classroom. But when Kelly reaches forward to comfort him, she finds something tucked beside his blanket. A locket that belonged to her sister Freya. A locket Kelly hasn’t seen since the day Freya died.
And then Kelly’s perfectly-ordered life begins to unravel…
We Were Sisters is a heart-pounding suspense thriller that will grip you until the very last page. Fans of Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to stop reading this incredible book.
Kelly is taking her twin daughters to their first day of school, ushering them into the classroom, her heartbreaking to think they might not need her anymore when she turns around and sees that her newborn baby is gone.
As a desperate search ensues, baby Noah is quickly found – parked in front of a different classroom. But when Kelly reaches forward to comfort him, she finds something tucked beside his blanket. A locket that belonged to her sister Freya. A locket Kelly hasn’t seen since the day Freya died.
And then Kelly’s perfectly-ordered life begins to unravel…
We Were Sisters is a heart-pounding suspense thriller that will grip you until the very last page. Fans of Behind Closed Doors, Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to stop reading this incredible book.
306 pages, Paperback
First published August 5, 2019
935 people are currently reading
1397 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Clarke
24 books225 followersWendy Clarke has had over three hundred short stories published in national women’s magazines. With a degree in psychology, and intrigued with how the human mind can affect behaviour, it was inevitable she would eventually want to explore her darker side. What She Saw is her debut psychological thriller, published by Bookouture. Wendy lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
August 12, 2019
EXCERPT: Noah is getting restless, squirming in my arms. Quickly, I place him back in the pram, but as I tuck the blanket around him, my hand touches something cold. Picking it out from the covers, I see it's a locket.
My first instinct is that it's mine. That the clasp must have come undone and the necklace fallen into the pram as I picked Noah up. My hand rises to my chest, but immediately my fingers make contact with the telltale shape of the locket beneath my jumper.
I stare at the one in my hand, not understanding. It looks just like mine.
Easing my thumbnails into the crack, I prise the two halves apart. Even though I know it's not possible, I half expect it to contain photographs of my children, but of course it doesn't. Both sides are empty.
I turn the locket over, a feeling of unease creeping up my spine. On its smooth surface, someone has scratched a word.
Sister.
The necklace slips through my fingers onto the tarmac. I know this locket. I haven't seen it in fifteen years. It's the one Freya was wearing the day she died.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Kelly is taking her twin daughters to their first day of school, ushering them into the classroom, her heartbreaking to think they might not need her anymore when she turns around and sees that her newborn baby is gone.
As a desperate search ensues, baby Noah is quickly found – parked in front of a different classroom. But when Kelly reaches forward to comfort him, she finds something tucked beside his blanket. A locket that belonged to her sister Freya. A locket Kelly hasn’t seen since the day Freya died.
And then Kelly’s perfectly-ordered life begins to unravel…
MY THOUGHTS: I never really got into this book. I didn't like the main character, Kelly, at all and felt quite sorry for her poor husband, Mitch. Nor did I like Freya.
We Were Sisters was slow and drawn out with a lot of unnecessary introspection on Kelly's part. The book lacks suspense and as I read on, I became more and more frustrated, both with the characters and the lack of plot development.
The story is set over two timelines, Kelly and Freya's childhood together, and Kelly's adulthood. Some chapters are interspersed with letters: we don't know who has written them, or who they are to, until later in the book.
Overall, I thought the plot was poorly developed, the supposed surprises very hit and miss. This certainly isn't the heart-pounding suspense thriller that the blurb promised.
This is the second book I have read by this author, and my reaction to both books is almost identical. I think that this author's writing style just doesn't suit my tastes, but I know that a lot of people will enjoy this read so, if after reading the EXCERPT this book appeals to you, please pick up a copy and read it.
Lovely cover.
#WeWereSisters #NetGalley
🤔🤔.5
THE AUTHOR: Wendy Clarke has had over three hundred short stories published in national women’s magazines. With a degree in psychology, and intrigued with how the human mind can affect behaviour, it was inevitable she would eventually want to explore her darker side. What She Saw is her debut psychological thriller, published by Bookouture. Wendy lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of We Were Sisters by Wendy Clarke for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
My first instinct is that it's mine. That the clasp must have come undone and the necklace fallen into the pram as I picked Noah up. My hand rises to my chest, but immediately my fingers make contact with the telltale shape of the locket beneath my jumper.
I stare at the one in my hand, not understanding. It looks just like mine.
Easing my thumbnails into the crack, I prise the two halves apart. Even though I know it's not possible, I half expect it to contain photographs of my children, but of course it doesn't. Both sides are empty.
I turn the locket over, a feeling of unease creeping up my spine. On its smooth surface, someone has scratched a word.
Sister.
The necklace slips through my fingers onto the tarmac. I know this locket. I haven't seen it in fifteen years. It's the one Freya was wearing the day she died.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Kelly is taking her twin daughters to their first day of school, ushering them into the classroom, her heartbreaking to think they might not need her anymore when she turns around and sees that her newborn baby is gone.
As a desperate search ensues, baby Noah is quickly found – parked in front of a different classroom. But when Kelly reaches forward to comfort him, she finds something tucked beside his blanket. A locket that belonged to her sister Freya. A locket Kelly hasn’t seen since the day Freya died.
And then Kelly’s perfectly-ordered life begins to unravel…
MY THOUGHTS: I never really got into this book. I didn't like the main character, Kelly, at all and felt quite sorry for her poor husband, Mitch. Nor did I like Freya.
We Were Sisters was slow and drawn out with a lot of unnecessary introspection on Kelly's part. The book lacks suspense and as I read on, I became more and more frustrated, both with the characters and the lack of plot development.
The story is set over two timelines, Kelly and Freya's childhood together, and Kelly's adulthood. Some chapters are interspersed with letters: we don't know who has written them, or who they are to, until later in the book.
Overall, I thought the plot was poorly developed, the supposed surprises very hit and miss. This certainly isn't the heart-pounding suspense thriller that the blurb promised.
This is the second book I have read by this author, and my reaction to both books is almost identical. I think that this author's writing style just doesn't suit my tastes, but I know that a lot of people will enjoy this read so, if after reading the EXCERPT this book appeals to you, please pick up a copy and read it.
Lovely cover.
#WeWereSisters #NetGalley
🤔🤔.5
THE AUTHOR: Wendy Clarke has had over three hundred short stories published in national women’s magazines. With a degree in psychology, and intrigued with how the human mind can affect behaviour, it was inevitable she would eventually want to explore her darker side. What She Saw is her debut psychological thriller, published by Bookouture. Wendy lives with her husband, cat and step-dog in Sussex and when not writing is usually dancing, singing or watching any programme that involves food!
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Bookouture via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of We Were Sisters by Wendy Clarke for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system, please refer to my profile page on Goodreads.com or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
August 15, 2019
Wendy Clarke has written a tense complex story that kept me invested throughout. There really was a lot going on in this book. Told entirely from Kelly‘s perspective bouncing between past and present. Kelly is now seemingly living the perfect life a lovely home, a devoted husband, two beautiful twin daughters, and a baby boy. But Kelly’s life is really just one wrong move away from falling apart. Kelly also had a bit of a tragic past. Parents who never truly loved her and a foster sister Freya who has forever haunted her. However as much as I sympathize with Kelly throughout this book the girl frustrated me so much! And I try not to get all judge mental when it comes to parenting, but Kelly could’ve use my expert advice, LOL! OK well maybe not my advice, but there were some major red flags. One of her twin daughters Sophie was scared of her shadow and the other one was a bit of a bully. Then on more then one occasion rather than taking baby out of the stroller and bringing him with her, she left him outside the classroom or the store and went in? I had a baby and a kindergartner at the same time and all I’m saying is I would have taken my baby out of the stroller and brought him in with me, a lot of the drama in this book could’ve been avoided had this been done! As I said the girl frustrated me! And it wasn’t just this....
This is not to say I did not like the book I found it compelling and it definitely kept my interest. Kelly‘s past was devastating and her relationship with Freya was interesting. Kelly‘s relationship with her husband was also interesting, he did some questionable things that I’m still not quite sure what to make of. I liked how the story unraveled. I had many theories, none of them right. All in all this was a well told thriller with characters I wish I liked a little bit more, even the kids got on my nerves a bit.
*** thanks to Bookoutur for my copy of this book ***
This is not to say I did not like the book I found it compelling and it definitely kept my interest. Kelly‘s past was devastating and her relationship with Freya was interesting. Kelly‘s relationship with her husband was also interesting, he did some questionable things that I’m still not quite sure what to make of. I liked how the story unraveled. I had many theories, none of them right. All in all this was a well told thriller with characters I wish I liked a little bit more, even the kids got on my nerves a bit.
*** thanks to Bookoutur for my copy of this book ***
July 25, 2019
I absolutely loved What She Saw by Wendy Clarke so I was excited to read another book by her. We Were Sisters had a great story but it fell flat for me. It was slow and drawn out and the secrets were not shocking or surprising to me. The main characters were all a bit meh for me, I was hoping for more and for them to develop into people that I could connect with. Unfortunately it did not happen. I did enjoy the story but it could have been better.
Kelly has a perfect life or so it seems. Married to Mitch and the mother of twin girls and baby boy it appears she has it all. But on the day that her twins start big school things start to get weird. Things from her past start appearing and memories of her not so pleasant childhood come back to haunt her. With alternate chapters between the present and the past we learn about Kelly and her foster sister Freya. The ending was a bit disappointing for me, not as intense or shocking as expected.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
Kelly has a perfect life or so it seems. Married to Mitch and the mother of twin girls and baby boy it appears she has it all. But on the day that her twins start big school things start to get weird. Things from her past start appearing and memories of her not so pleasant childhood come back to haunt her. With alternate chapters between the present and the past we learn about Kelly and her foster sister Freya. The ending was a bit disappointing for me, not as intense or shocking as expected.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.
July 28, 2019
Kelly is taking her twin daughters to school. She has her new baby son, Noah in the pram. She lets go of the pram for a second to see the girls go into their classroom, but when she turns back round, the pram with Noah in it is missing. Panic ensues, but Noah is found safe and well outside another classroom. But there is a locket tucked into the pram. It had belonged to Kelly's sister Freya.
Kelly suffers from OCD and anxiety. We are told the story from Kelly's point of view, In chapters that are set in "now" and "before". The "before" chapters tell us her unhappy childhood and the strange relationship she had with her foster sister, Freya. What a thrilling and mysterious read this is. It's a bit of as low burner to start with but stick with it,you won't be disappointed.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Wendy Clarke for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Kelly suffers from OCD and anxiety. We are told the story from Kelly's point of view, In chapters that are set in "now" and "before". The "before" chapters tell us her unhappy childhood and the strange relationship she had with her foster sister, Freya. What a thrilling and mysterious read this is. It's a bit of as low burner to start with but stick with it,you won't be disappointed.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Wendy Clarke for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
My full tour post can be seen at https://abookwormwithwine.wordpress.c...
We Were Sisters by Wendy Clarke was such a lovely, unexpected surprise and I really enjoyed it.
What it's about: Kelly has a lot on her mind when she takes her twin daughters to school for the first time. Her newborn is colicky so she's running on very little sleep, and she is stressed about letting the girls out of her sight for the first time. She walks into the school to drop them off and when she comes back out the pram and her baby have disappeared. She quickly finds him in front of another classroom, so she caulks it up to stress and very little sleep. But as more strange things start to happen to her, she feels like she might be going crazy. Also, what about the locket she found in her baby's pram at the school? The locket that belonged to her dead sister Freya, that she hasn't seen since she died... Life as Kelly knows it is about to unravel, and she is going to have to deal with the darkness from her past.
We Were Sisters was such a fast read, and it didn't even take me 4 hours to finish. This could easily be a book you could read in one sitting, and the chapters are also wonderfully super short. Everything is told from Kelly's point of view and the book switches back and forth between past and present time, past being when Kelly is growing up. Her past was pretty heartbreaking, and this might be a bit of a tear-jerker for some. Her parents made me angry and I did a lot of cringing throughout the book.
The mystery surrounding Kelly and Freya's past was really intriguing, and I liked the way the author slowly unraveled their history until you find out just what happened. I also thought Kelly seemed like a bit of an unreliable narrator which kept things interesting for me. Kelly's husband was a piece of work, and he wasn't really my favorite character of all time, but I did mostly like Kelly and empathized with her.
There were a lot of things going on in this book, and for the sake of not giving anything away, I will keep this review short. I think it will be a good choice for people that like fast reads that deal with heavier subjects.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Apologize by Timbaland & OneRepublic
Final Thought: The ending of We Were Sisters really surprised me, and kind of left me a bit open-mouthed. It was very unexpected for me and I loved that. This book has a great mix of drama and mystery that was able to hold my attention the entire time. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more by Clarke!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
My full tour post can be seen at https://abookwormwithwine.wordpress.c...
We Were Sisters by Wendy Clarke was such a lovely, unexpected surprise and I really enjoyed it.
What it's about: Kelly has a lot on her mind when she takes her twin daughters to school for the first time. Her newborn is colicky so she's running on very little sleep, and she is stressed about letting the girls out of her sight for the first time. She walks into the school to drop them off and when she comes back out the pram and her baby have disappeared. She quickly finds him in front of another classroom, so she caulks it up to stress and very little sleep. But as more strange things start to happen to her, she feels like she might be going crazy. Also, what about the locket she found in her baby's pram at the school? The locket that belonged to her dead sister Freya, that she hasn't seen since she died... Life as Kelly knows it is about to unravel, and she is going to have to deal with the darkness from her past.
We Were Sisters was such a fast read, and it didn't even take me 4 hours to finish. This could easily be a book you could read in one sitting, and the chapters are also wonderfully super short. Everything is told from Kelly's point of view and the book switches back and forth between past and present time, past being when Kelly is growing up. Her past was pretty heartbreaking, and this might be a bit of a tear-jerker for some. Her parents made me angry and I did a lot of cringing throughout the book.
The mystery surrounding Kelly and Freya's past was really intriguing, and I liked the way the author slowly unraveled their history until you find out just what happened. I also thought Kelly seemed like a bit of an unreliable narrator which kept things interesting for me. Kelly's husband was a piece of work, and he wasn't really my favorite character of all time, but I did mostly like Kelly and empathized with her.
There were a lot of things going on in this book, and for the sake of not giving anything away, I will keep this review short. I think it will be a good choice for people that like fast reads that deal with heavier subjects.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Apologize by Timbaland & OneRepublic
Final Thought: The ending of We Were Sisters really surprised me, and kind of left me a bit open-mouthed. It was very unexpected for me and I loved that. This book has a great mix of drama and mystery that was able to hold my attention the entire time. I will definitely be looking forward to reading more by Clarke!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
August 6, 2019
A casual read that didn’t really cause any emotion either way if I am
honest
Kelly is desperate for a Sister and all her dreams come true when her parents foster Freya, will they become close Sisters and best friends?
Freya comes with a troubled past and it seems a troubled present/future too awaits her!!
Tragedy strikes and Kelly and Freya are separated and never see each other again...
And now present day we find Kelly struggling with 3 infants and a past she wants to forget.....of course though that past is intent on re-appearing and will the truth of the ‘Sisters’ be known, once and for all?
Some very good descriptive writing of the Mum and how she treats her daughter in comparison to her foster daughter and the reasoning behind this
The OCD that Kelly suffers with is described well and you can feel the frustration this is causing her
The characters were in the main unlikeable though and the ending was lacklustre and kinda ‘oh’ instead of ‘OHHHHHH’
Not a bad read just an average one
5.5/10 3 ( just ) Stars
July 27, 2019
This is really a lower rating for me, however I rounded up because the idea of the storyline was good. I could see exactly where the author wanted to go and was trying to go, I just don't feel she delivered on it. It was dry, slow and fell flat for me. And I hate to say that, I really wanted to like this book. The characters are very bland and one dimensional, there's not any depth to their development and they make the story just drag on. And that's a shame because like I said before, the idea of the storyline is great. And even with the characters I could see who the author wanted them to be, she just didn't get there with them. And had she fully developed these characters better, this book would have been a grand slam. All the pieces were there for it to be an awesome thriller that had you on the edge of your seats, it just didn't come through in delivery. For me, the story is slow and not fast paced the way a thriller should be and I found myself bored at many points. The secrets and twists are nothing shocking, anticlimactic or ones that make you scream "What just hapoened?!". And there was the ability for this to happen had the storyline been more developed. It's disappointing because I could see the potential.
Even though I wasn't crazy about this book, I will probably check out the authors other book because it gets rave reviews.
My thanks to Wendy Clarke, Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Even though I wasn't crazy about this book, I will probably check out the authors other book because it gets rave reviews.
My thanks to Wendy Clarke, Bookouture and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 10, 2019
Kelly is walking her twin daughters to their first day of school. It is not a pleasant experience. For one thing Kelly has OCD so the walk is wrought with problems - such as counting to a certain number while a light changes from red to green. Meanwhile, one twin is over-exuberant about her first day, while the other twin is terrified, thus leaving Kelly's nerves extra raw. Along for the walk is Kelly's baby Noah.
Kelly parks Noah's pram near the door to hand over her daughters to their teacher. After only turning her back for a moment, she realizes Noah is gone. She flies into a panic, but then notices his pram a few classrooms down. When she reaches in to comfort Noah, she grasps a locket. The locket belonged to her sister Freya. How could this be? Freya died years ago and Kelly has never seen the locket since.
With Kelly already being frazzled, Noah's pram apparently being moved, and the locket being discovered makes matters far worse for her. However, despite having a good relationship with her husband, Kelly feels she can share her fears and concerns with him. Instead she tries to focus on caring for the baby all while helping the girls adjust to school.
This story goes back and forth from past to present. Kelly had a very unhappy childhood, and was always seeking the love and approval of her parents. Meanwhile, her mother seemed always looking for something, or someone, and thus Kelly had various foster siblings when she was a child. Kelly really hoped that Freya, when she came into her home, would be her real sister. Why then, after leaving home many years before, does Kelly suddenly find Freya's locket in Noah's pram?
Things become rather sinister in this story. What happened with the locket was only the start of rather terrifying things for Kelly and her family. This was indeed a thrilling book, one that I read in one sitting. I was eager to know what the mystery was with Freya and also wanted to know the depths of Kelly's emotional problems and whether or not they would impact her role as a wife or a mother.
Wendy Clarke did a fantastic job holding my attention from the very first page. I loved the mix of family drama and mystery. The inclusion of mental illness was handled gingerly and respectfully..The conclusion was thrilling, thus rounding out a very well-written story.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
Kelly parks Noah's pram near the door to hand over her daughters to their teacher. After only turning her back for a moment, she realizes Noah is gone. She flies into a panic, but then notices his pram a few classrooms down. When she reaches in to comfort Noah, she grasps a locket. The locket belonged to her sister Freya. How could this be? Freya died years ago and Kelly has never seen the locket since.
With Kelly already being frazzled, Noah's pram apparently being moved, and the locket being discovered makes matters far worse for her. However, despite having a good relationship with her husband, Kelly feels she can share her fears and concerns with him. Instead she tries to focus on caring for the baby all while helping the girls adjust to school.
This story goes back and forth from past to present. Kelly had a very unhappy childhood, and was always seeking the love and approval of her parents. Meanwhile, her mother seemed always looking for something, or someone, and thus Kelly had various foster siblings when she was a child. Kelly really hoped that Freya, when she came into her home, would be her real sister. Why then, after leaving home many years before, does Kelly suddenly find Freya's locket in Noah's pram?
Things become rather sinister in this story. What happened with the locket was only the start of rather terrifying things for Kelly and her family. This was indeed a thrilling book, one that I read in one sitting. I was eager to know what the mystery was with Freya and also wanted to know the depths of Kelly's emotional problems and whether or not they would impact her role as a wife or a mother.
Wendy Clarke did a fantastic job holding my attention from the very first page. I loved the mix of family drama and mystery. The inclusion of mental illness was handled gingerly and respectfully..The conclusion was thrilling, thus rounding out a very well-written story.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC to review in exchange for my honest opinion.
dnf
November 11, 2019*thank you to Netgalley, Wendy Clarke and Bookouture for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
DNF
This personally was a very hard read for me. I struggled with the chapters that were from Kelly's past as I could relate to them in a negative way. For that reason this was a huge challenge to get through what I managed but because of the issues it brought up for me, I needed to stop reading. I really wanted to push through with this but if I did I know that would have been too much for me to cope with and I'm learning that I need to put my mental health first. Which is a struggle and I do deeply apologise to the author and publishing company for not being able to finish this.
From what I did read, which was roughly half of the book, the story was interesting and I felt that it flowed rather well. The author knows how to write.
One day I'll come back to this when I'm more stable in the far future and give it a proper review. Again I apologise.
DNF
This personally was a very hard read for me. I struggled with the chapters that were from Kelly's past as I could relate to them in a negative way. For that reason this was a huge challenge to get through what I managed but because of the issues it brought up for me, I needed to stop reading. I really wanted to push through with this but if I did I know that would have been too much for me to cope with and I'm learning that I need to put my mental health first. Which is a struggle and I do deeply apologise to the author and publishing company for not being able to finish this.
From what I did read, which was roughly half of the book, the story was interesting and I felt that it flowed rather well. The author knows how to write.
One day I'll come back to this when I'm more stable in the far future and give it a proper review. Again I apologise.
September 23, 2020
I'm going to keep this review short, because this just wasn't the book for me.
Unreliable narrator - check
Ghostly creepy "sibling" - check
Suburban life drama - check
We Were Sisters had all the makings of a good suburban thriller, one I should've enjoyed, but I found myself pushing myself to turn the pages. The action is slow, the suspense lacking, and the thrill and twists predictable. I never found myself attached to any character and ultimately I finished this one purely to say I finished it.
Unreliable narrator - check
Ghostly creepy "sibling" - check
Suburban life drama - check
We Were Sisters had all the makings of a good suburban thriller, one I should've enjoyed, but I found myself pushing myself to turn the pages. The action is slow, the suspense lacking, and the thrill and twists predictable. I never found myself attached to any character and ultimately I finished this one purely to say I finished it.
July 31, 2019
What a roller-coaster ride this book was. Kelly is the product of a lot of childhood issues centered around her parents always hosting foster care children in their home. Her husband, Mitch, is the product of an unhappy childhood in the foster care system. They have 3 young children and all of a sudden memories start to resurface from Kelly's childhood as well as strange events begin happening. Plenty of twists and turns in this book! Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this fantastic book which was a real page-turner that I thoroughly enjoyed.
August 1, 2019
Not only was this a twisty thriller but I found it full of emotions. The author really has a gift for making the words on a page come to life with such FEELING.
This is a story with so many twists and lots of heart.
Thank you #Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.
This is a story with so many twists and lots of heart.
Thank you #Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.
August 10, 2019
A twisty kind of a read where the author Wendy Clarke kept my brain swirling trying to figure out what was happening. I read the prose carefully, the lines and in between the lines to get to the hidden secrets. The author was clever in keeping them so deep in the psyche that I really didn't know what was the truth.
Kelly lived with her twin daughter, son, and husband when she felt that there was someone watching her. Her OCD increased due to stress, and it was really hard to see her struggling all alone dealing with everything. She couldn't seem to share any of her past with her husband. Her past and the present made it difficult. I liked how different facets of her character were etched.
Written in dual timelines from her own POV, Kelly now and Kelly then provided me enough red herrings to keep my attention strictly on the story. A sense of someone following her and trying to scare her was well written. What started as psychological games soon showed that it was something more, you could say, a warning of how the past and present were welded together.
Wendy Clarke has done a good job keeping the fear and insecurity alive. A little cohesiveness in the prose, depth to the characters, and more thrill would have made it a perfect read for me.
Overall, it did keep me from sleeping and made me want to keep reading till the end. At the end, I realized the story ultimately did resemble the symbol for zodiac sign Gemini ♊. Two lives running parallel both connected in the past and the present.
Kelly lived with her twin daughter, son, and husband when she felt that there was someone watching her. Her OCD increased due to stress, and it was really hard to see her struggling all alone dealing with everything. She couldn't seem to share any of her past with her husband. Her past and the present made it difficult. I liked how different facets of her character were etched.
Written in dual timelines from her own POV, Kelly now and Kelly then provided me enough red herrings to keep my attention strictly on the story. A sense of someone following her and trying to scare her was well written. What started as psychological games soon showed that it was something more, you could say, a warning of how the past and present were welded together.
Wendy Clarke has done a good job keeping the fear and insecurity alive. A little cohesiveness in the prose, depth to the characters, and more thrill would have made it a perfect read for me.
Overall, it did keep me from sleeping and made me want to keep reading till the end. At the end, I realized the story ultimately did resemble the symbol for zodiac sign Gemini ♊. Two lives running parallel both connected in the past and the present.
August 13, 2019
So first of all, this book was creepy! I love horror movies and I rarely get that same scared feeling from a book but this one delivered. I had to stop reading it some nights - it was that good!
The story flowed back to the main character’s (Kelly) past life with her foster siblings and her current self as a parent of her own. Something happened with her odd foster sister Freya, and the past is coming back to haunt her and her family.
This book was a solid 5 star for me throughout. I was so intrigued and every twist I thought I had figured out was completely wrong. My only problem is the ending! I was so disappointed in the final reveal and I feel like it lessened the rest of the story. I’d honestly give the ending 2 stars but this book was so well written I had to give it 4 overall. Definitely worth the read but don’t get too caught up in the ending.
The story flowed back to the main character’s (Kelly) past life with her foster siblings and her current self as a parent of her own. Something happened with her odd foster sister Freya, and the past is coming back to haunt her and her family.
This book was a solid 5 star for me throughout. I was so intrigued and every twist I thought I had figured out was completely wrong. My only problem is the ending! I was so disappointed in the final reveal and I feel like it lessened the rest of the story. I’d honestly give the ending 2 stars but this book was so well written I had to give it 4 overall. Definitely worth the read but don’t get too caught up in the ending.
July 5, 2019
We Were Sisters is told from both the past and the present which enables the reader to learn more about Kelly, the main character, and why she is OCD and over protective of her children.
Kelly is a new mom and also has twins so when strange things start to happen you can understand why her husband Mitch puts it down to Kelly being sleep deprived.
The story also tells the tale of Kelly and her foster sister Freya: " she lied she died " is on the cover. Her parents are beyond nasty to her.
I really liked this book, I know some say it is slow to start but I didn't find that at all. The author takes her time to let you to get to know Kelly.
Secrets and lies all add up .
I will be thinking about this book for awhile to come.
Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read We Were Sisters
Kelly is a new mom and also has twins so when strange things start to happen you can understand why her husband Mitch puts it down to Kelly being sleep deprived.
The story also tells the tale of Kelly and her foster sister Freya: " she lied she died " is on the cover. Her parents are beyond nasty to her.
I really liked this book, I know some say it is slow to start but I didn't find that at all. The author takes her time to let you to get to know Kelly.
Secrets and lies all add up .
I will be thinking about this book for awhile to come.
Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read We Were Sisters
November 13, 2020
I recently realized that part of the reason why I was in a pretty long reading slump was that, well… I have too many books to choose from… and I know how that sounds, trust me, I am not saying that to complain about how hard my life is :) just to explain my thought process :) I am a mood reader, so while I usually can pretty confidently say if I am in a mood to read contemporary romance or a fantasy novel and so on… I got to the point when I have too many books to pick from within each genre… so I decided to ask my lovely sister J for help with the situation and now she’s picking my books for me :) from the giant stacks I already own in all sorts of formats :) and the reason why I am telling you all this is because this is the first book she chose for me :) and it was a smashing success :)
I came to her yesterday and told her to pick me a thriller, cause I was in a mood for that kind of story… to be perfectly honest, I didn’t have the highest expectations going into it… majority of the books I own on Kindle I got on sale… and yes, I have found some gems before, but with brand new authors, especially with stories I have never heard about, I am always hesitant… but damn, it was good :) I read it in one evening, because I was unable to put it down, and that is the best kind of compliment I can give a book, especially a thriller :) I won’t spoil you anything, just say that everything shared in the synopsis happens in the very first chapter and then you are in for a ride :)
We follow two timelines, one “now” which is written from the perspective of our heroine and we are inside her head… so all the sentences are like “I went somewhere, I saw” and so on… then we have the second one “before” when from the third perspective we also follow our heroine but years earlier, when she was a child… and because it’s written in a way “Kelly went and she saw'' and so on, it makes it a lot easier to not forget in which timeline you are :) also, it was a fucking brilliant move :) the “before” timeline feels like watching a movie… a horrible movie, because you know that something bad will happen at the end of it… and the “now” part, with us being in Kelly’s head was amazing… she has a lot going on with her life and deals with quite a few issues, so you are not exactly sure how reliable she is as a narrator… did something happen or did she just imagine it? :) I loved it ;) the writing style was definitely my favourite part of the book… because I was on my edge and nervous the whole time about what will happen next… the atmosphere was phenomenal… and that is all I want from the thrillers I read… I want to be kept on the edge of my seat, preferably the whole time :) I liked the ending, although I am not sure it will work for everyone… if you want to know more about it, send me a PM here on Goodreads and I can talk more about it there, cause I don’t want to spoil anything here :) all in all I gave this one 4,5 stars and I am definitely interested in picking up other books by this author in the future :)
XOXO
A
I came to her yesterday and told her to pick me a thriller, cause I was in a mood for that kind of story… to be perfectly honest, I didn’t have the highest expectations going into it… majority of the books I own on Kindle I got on sale… and yes, I have found some gems before, but with brand new authors, especially with stories I have never heard about, I am always hesitant… but damn, it was good :) I read it in one evening, because I was unable to put it down, and that is the best kind of compliment I can give a book, especially a thriller :) I won’t spoil you anything, just say that everything shared in the synopsis happens in the very first chapter and then you are in for a ride :)
We follow two timelines, one “now” which is written from the perspective of our heroine and we are inside her head… so all the sentences are like “I went somewhere, I saw” and so on… then we have the second one “before” when from the third perspective we also follow our heroine but years earlier, when she was a child… and because it’s written in a way “Kelly went and she saw'' and so on, it makes it a lot easier to not forget in which timeline you are :) also, it was a fucking brilliant move :) the “before” timeline feels like watching a movie… a horrible movie, because you know that something bad will happen at the end of it… and the “now” part, with us being in Kelly’s head was amazing… she has a lot going on with her life and deals with quite a few issues, so you are not exactly sure how reliable she is as a narrator… did something happen or did she just imagine it? :) I loved it ;) the writing style was definitely my favourite part of the book… because I was on my edge and nervous the whole time about what will happen next… the atmosphere was phenomenal… and that is all I want from the thrillers I read… I want to be kept on the edge of my seat, preferably the whole time :) I liked the ending, although I am not sure it will work for everyone… if you want to know more about it, send me a PM here on Goodreads and I can talk more about it there, cause I don’t want to spoil anything here :) all in all I gave this one 4,5 stars and I am definitely interested in picking up other books by this author in the future :)
XOXO
A
June 4, 2020
We Were Sisters is a suspenseful novel featuring Kelly, her husband, Mitch, their twin daughters and their infant son, Noah. Mitch just does not get why Kelly is so closed to discussing her past. She does not talk about the multitude of foster siblings she had growing up, or why she refuses to talk to her mother.
On the first day of school, Kelly drops off her twin daughters at school and then notices her stroller containing little Noah has been moved. She discovers a locket that matches her own locket in the stroller.... and little by little she starts unraveling.
It is hard to tell if she is paranoid and losing it, or if someone is really stalking her...but it all revolves around a very specific foster sibling named Freya. She and Freya were close but their relationship ended in tragedy.
The book was pretty well written though I am not so sure enough detail was spent on the ending, which fell flat for me.
On the first day of school, Kelly drops off her twin daughters at school and then notices her stroller containing little Noah has been moved. She discovers a locket that matches her own locket in the stroller.... and little by little she starts unraveling.
It is hard to tell if she is paranoid and losing it, or if someone is really stalking her...but it all revolves around a very specific foster sibling named Freya. She and Freya were close but their relationship ended in tragedy.
The book was pretty well written though I am not so sure enough detail was spent on the ending, which fell flat for me.
July 2, 2019
Kelly wishes for a sister and on her birthday that wish comes true with the arrival of the elusive Freya who her parents are foatering. Tragedy strikes and Kelly leaves her childhood behind and marries Mitch. Three children later Kelly is struggling with lack of sleep with her young baby and strange things are happening. Who’s in danger?
I loved Wendy’s first book and was over the moon to read the second and it did not disappoint. Brilliant work. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
I loved Wendy’s first book and was over the moon to read the second and it did not disappoint. Brilliant work. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
August 20, 2019
We Were Sisters was a Class A read for me, written by new-to-me author, Wendy Clarke. This book created a whirlwind of emotions as I connected with many of the characters, experiencing all of their highs and lows.
This book was about a sisters' bond that couldn’t be broken in spite all the lies and deception that had occurred in the past. They were two souls who remained closely bonded through tragedy and heartache. Wendy Clarke's characterisation was perfect and there were people you wanted to hate but also felt empathy for in the end. I just never knew who could really be trusted or whose motives were pure. This book had so many twists that I never knew what was coming next and I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter to find out. This book dealt with some difficult issues such as fostering, mental health and childhood trauma and it really highlighted the complexity of human relationships.
We Were Sisters was a jaw-dropping thriller that kept me on my toes, gave me chills and had a mind-blowing back-story, taking it to the next level. Well worth five stars.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
This book was about a sisters' bond that couldn’t be broken in spite all the lies and deception that had occurred in the past. They were two souls who remained closely bonded through tragedy and heartache. Wendy Clarke's characterisation was perfect and there were people you wanted to hate but also felt empathy for in the end. I just never knew who could really be trusted or whose motives were pure. This book had so many twists that I never knew what was coming next and I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter to find out. This book dealt with some difficult issues such as fostering, mental health and childhood trauma and it really highlighted the complexity of human relationships.
We Were Sisters was a jaw-dropping thriller that kept me on my toes, gave me chills and had a mind-blowing back-story, taking it to the next level. Well worth five stars.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
July 6, 2019
I couldn't put this book down. I started reading it and didn't stop reading until 2 am. It was impossible to put down. This was my first time reading Wendy Clarke and I became a fan after the first few chapters.
We Were Sisters follows a woman named Kelly who is dealing with her past. Secrets from her younger age have stayed with her into adulthood and when she feels her past creeping back into her life it causes panic and anxiety that she never wanted to feel again.
We get to see Kelly's perspective in the now and in the past. It added a great dynamic to the story that allows readers to get a sense of what she is feeling and the reasoning behind it.
I loved this thriller because it kept me guessing and wondering what was going to happen next. I had the chills and goosebumps many times while reading. When we met Kelly, she is bringing up the idea of getting a new sister. That sister is a foster girl named Freya. She is quiet but not when she and Kelly are alone. She frightens Kelly because she says many things that normal kids wouldn't think of saying. I admit that Freya frightened me too. The way she acted around Kelly's parents was sketchy and manipulating. As I kept reading, I think Wendy Clarke did a fantastic job of making readers feel different emotions. I was definitely on an emotional rollercoaster. I felt sad for Kelly because I felt that she wasn't loved by her parents as one should be. Freya was always the one getting all the attention and I felt Kelly's jealousy and hesitance to trust Freya.
When it comes to Kelly's adult life, she has the perfect family. She has a husband and kids that love her, but her past starts to catch up to her. When she starts noticing little things here and there like a pram being moved and a locket things get even more intense. She has never let anyone in on her secrets and is scared that it will be too real if she vocalizes her thoughts.
It was thrilling and mysterious the entire way and by the end, my jaw dropped. The ending wasn't something I expected at all, but that what I loved most about this book. I thought I had these characters figured out, but Wendy Clarke turned all that upside down.
I give We Were Sisters 5 stars. It was a jaw-dropping thriller that kept you on your toes, gave you chills, and had an awesome back story to push it to the next level. I highly recommend this book to any thriller/mystery lover who enjoys a wild ride filled with INTENSE moments.
We Were Sisters follows a woman named Kelly who is dealing with her past. Secrets from her younger age have stayed with her into adulthood and when she feels her past creeping back into her life it causes panic and anxiety that she never wanted to feel again.
We get to see Kelly's perspective in the now and in the past. It added a great dynamic to the story that allows readers to get a sense of what she is feeling and the reasoning behind it.
I loved this thriller because it kept me guessing and wondering what was going to happen next. I had the chills and goosebumps many times while reading. When we met Kelly, she is bringing up the idea of getting a new sister. That sister is a foster girl named Freya. She is quiet but not when she and Kelly are alone. She frightens Kelly because she says many things that normal kids wouldn't think of saying. I admit that Freya frightened me too. The way she acted around Kelly's parents was sketchy and manipulating. As I kept reading, I think Wendy Clarke did a fantastic job of making readers feel different emotions. I was definitely on an emotional rollercoaster. I felt sad for Kelly because I felt that she wasn't loved by her parents as one should be. Freya was always the one getting all the attention and I felt Kelly's jealousy and hesitance to trust Freya.
When it comes to Kelly's adult life, she has the perfect family. She has a husband and kids that love her, but her past starts to catch up to her. When she starts noticing little things here and there like a pram being moved and a locket things get even more intense. She has never let anyone in on her secrets and is scared that it will be too real if she vocalizes her thoughts.
It was thrilling and mysterious the entire way and by the end, my jaw dropped. The ending wasn't something I expected at all, but that what I loved most about this book. I thought I had these characters figured out, but Wendy Clarke turned all that upside down.
I give We Were Sisters 5 stars. It was a jaw-dropping thriller that kept you on your toes, gave you chills, and had an awesome back story to push it to the next level. I highly recommend this book to any thriller/mystery lover who enjoys a wild ride filled with INTENSE moments.
August 21, 2019
3.5 stars
Despite not having read Wendy Clarke before, I was excited to bury myself into WE WERE SISTERS as it sounded positively enthralling! And it was...until the end.
We begin with Kelly walking her twin daughters to school for their first day, an anxious time for every parent, but for Kelly it is even moreso. Suffering from severe OCD and anxiety, Kelly finds herself counting cars, steps and everything in between to ensure her girls have the perfect first day as they walk with baby Noah in his pram. Isabella, a gregarious and outgoing girl, is jumping with excitement and exuberance at the new adventure whereas twin Sophie, quiet and withdrawn, is hanging tightly onto her mum in tears and is terrified the prospect.
Upon arriving at the school, there is the usual confusion and hubbub with finding the right class and introductions with the teacher and trying to prise Sophie from her, that when she walks back out of classroom Kelly finds that Noah's pram is not where she left it. Flying into sudden panic, Kelly searches frantically with teacher Mrs Allen's help, finding baby Noah happily gurgling in his pram at the door to the next classroom. Maybe Kelly went to the wrong classroom is the given explanation but Kelly is not so sure. Even more so when she reaches in to comfort her baby, she finds a locket beneath him. It's not her locket but an identical one...belonging to her sister Freya, who was wearing this very locket the day she died when she was a teenager.
Despite having a wonderful relationship with her husband Mitch, Kelly feels she cannot share her fears or concerns with him for fear that he may think she was delusional. Instead she tries to focus on Noah and enjoying time with him while helping the girls adjust to school.
But then things start to become rather sinister. Noah's pram and the locket was only the beginning of more terrifying things to come for Kelly that she can't explain. Symbols drawn in the condensation on the window; waking to find the back door wide open; things being moved or appearing from nowhere; newspapers not ordered are delivered with her horoscope or Freya's circled. It all begins to get too much as she starts losing time whilst Noah lays screaming and she stares into nothingness. And then there are the nightmares. Of the Gemini tree in the woods near where Kelly grew up; of finding Freya hanging from that tree.
When she tries telling Mitch, as predicted, he thinks she is imagining things. She hasn't been herself lately and the pressure with three month old Noah is making her delusional. That's what he thinks anyway. But Kelly knows different. And no amount of counting is helping to ease her anxiety.
Parallel to the present day, we have Kelly's story from her childhood to unravel, which is not a happy tale at all. As an only child, her mother takes in foster children in an effort to find "the perfect child" that will make her husband happy. A dysfunctional concept, to say the least.
On her 8th birthday, Kelly wishes for a sister which comes true just moments after blowing out her candles with the arrival of the strange and elusive Freya. Kelly's mother busily fusses over the new arrival whilst simultaneously dismissing her daughter and ordering her around. Her parents are fostering the 10 year old but Kelly still refers to Freya as her sister for which her mother continually admonishes her. But ever since her arrival, Freya has remained silent refusing to utter a word. But Kelly doesn't let that dissuade her. She is just happy to have a sister at last and hopes that this one stays. However, Kelly's childhood is not a happy one and is somewhat dysfunctional...so it was no surprise that things were inevitably going to go wrong.
Then when tragedy strikes, Kelly's life falls apart. For her, it is so unspeakable that she moved away and now keeps that chapter of her life firmly closed. Not even Mitch knows the story...but we are privy to her memories as we watch both stories unfold.
Told in the past and present from Kelly's perspective, we discover that both Kelly and Freya hold a minefield of secrets between them. The mystery surrounding their past is intriguing and as the story unfolds their secrets gradually come to light, sending shockwaves throughout the tale.
I found myself becoming impatient with Kelly almost from the start. Actually, from the second page. Her constant counting drove me mad. I don't know how someone with OCD really copes with their condition as to an outsider it really is frustrating. And I guess I found Kelly frustrating throughout much of the story and yet I also empathised with her. She was an unreliable narrator which added to the mystery surrounding her and Freya, as well as her parents. It left you wondering what really happened and was Kelly really seeing it all for what it was? Or was she just imagining things? I switched between liking and disliking her throughout, she was that frustrating. But I can tell you, from the beginning, I did not like or trust Freya. AT ALL. Everyone else just sort of blended into the story, as well as being mostly unlikable. In fact, I'm not sure I like anyone particularly in this story.
A tense and complex plot that showed promise, WE WERE SISTERS is thoroughly engaging throughout but I was disappointed to find it fell a little flat by the end. I felt there had been so much tension, so much build-up, so many questions that by the time I reached the end it was all a little anti-climatic. I was like, really? That's it? The ending really didn't do the rest of the story justice, in my opinion, because the rest of it was so sinister and atmospheric it was really an enjoyable read. I guess I felt a tad cheated at the end. As someone else described it, the ending was kind of more "Oh" rather than "OHHHHHHHH!!!"
I did guess some of the reveals and with others I was way off but as always it never ruins the story for me. I just enjoy the ride. But in this case, as shocking or as heartbreaking as some of the reveals were, the end result - in my opinion - just didn't live up to the rest of the story. But don't let that deter you. WE WERE SISTERS is an intriguing and engaging story which I did enjoy for the most part.
I would like to thank #WendyClarke, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #WeWereSisters in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
Despite not having read Wendy Clarke before, I was excited to bury myself into WE WERE SISTERS as it sounded positively enthralling! And it was...until the end.
We begin with Kelly walking her twin daughters to school for their first day, an anxious time for every parent, but for Kelly it is even moreso. Suffering from severe OCD and anxiety, Kelly finds herself counting cars, steps and everything in between to ensure her girls have the perfect first day as they walk with baby Noah in his pram. Isabella, a gregarious and outgoing girl, is jumping with excitement and exuberance at the new adventure whereas twin Sophie, quiet and withdrawn, is hanging tightly onto her mum in tears and is terrified the prospect.
Upon arriving at the school, there is the usual confusion and hubbub with finding the right class and introductions with the teacher and trying to prise Sophie from her, that when she walks back out of classroom Kelly finds that Noah's pram is not where she left it. Flying into sudden panic, Kelly searches frantically with teacher Mrs Allen's help, finding baby Noah happily gurgling in his pram at the door to the next classroom. Maybe Kelly went to the wrong classroom is the given explanation but Kelly is not so sure. Even more so when she reaches in to comfort her baby, she finds a locket beneath him. It's not her locket but an identical one...belonging to her sister Freya, who was wearing this very locket the day she died when she was a teenager.
Despite having a wonderful relationship with her husband Mitch, Kelly feels she cannot share her fears or concerns with him for fear that he may think she was delusional. Instead she tries to focus on Noah and enjoying time with him while helping the girls adjust to school.
But then things start to become rather sinister. Noah's pram and the locket was only the beginning of more terrifying things to come for Kelly that she can't explain. Symbols drawn in the condensation on the window; waking to find the back door wide open; things being moved or appearing from nowhere; newspapers not ordered are delivered with her horoscope or Freya's circled. It all begins to get too much as she starts losing time whilst Noah lays screaming and she stares into nothingness. And then there are the nightmares. Of the Gemini tree in the woods near where Kelly grew up; of finding Freya hanging from that tree.
When she tries telling Mitch, as predicted, he thinks she is imagining things. She hasn't been herself lately and the pressure with three month old Noah is making her delusional. That's what he thinks anyway. But Kelly knows different. And no amount of counting is helping to ease her anxiety.
Parallel to the present day, we have Kelly's story from her childhood to unravel, which is not a happy tale at all. As an only child, her mother takes in foster children in an effort to find "the perfect child" that will make her husband happy. A dysfunctional concept, to say the least.
On her 8th birthday, Kelly wishes for a sister which comes true just moments after blowing out her candles with the arrival of the strange and elusive Freya. Kelly's mother busily fusses over the new arrival whilst simultaneously dismissing her daughter and ordering her around. Her parents are fostering the 10 year old but Kelly still refers to Freya as her sister for which her mother continually admonishes her. But ever since her arrival, Freya has remained silent refusing to utter a word. But Kelly doesn't let that dissuade her. She is just happy to have a sister at last and hopes that this one stays. However, Kelly's childhood is not a happy one and is somewhat dysfunctional...so it was no surprise that things were inevitably going to go wrong.
Then when tragedy strikes, Kelly's life falls apart. For her, it is so unspeakable that she moved away and now keeps that chapter of her life firmly closed. Not even Mitch knows the story...but we are privy to her memories as we watch both stories unfold.
Told in the past and present from Kelly's perspective, we discover that both Kelly and Freya hold a minefield of secrets between them. The mystery surrounding their past is intriguing and as the story unfolds their secrets gradually come to light, sending shockwaves throughout the tale.
I found myself becoming impatient with Kelly almost from the start. Actually, from the second page. Her constant counting drove me mad. I don't know how someone with OCD really copes with their condition as to an outsider it really is frustrating. And I guess I found Kelly frustrating throughout much of the story and yet I also empathised with her. She was an unreliable narrator which added to the mystery surrounding her and Freya, as well as her parents. It left you wondering what really happened and was Kelly really seeing it all for what it was? Or was she just imagining things? I switched between liking and disliking her throughout, she was that frustrating. But I can tell you, from the beginning, I did not like or trust Freya. AT ALL. Everyone else just sort of blended into the story, as well as being mostly unlikable. In fact, I'm not sure I like anyone particularly in this story.
A tense and complex plot that showed promise, WE WERE SISTERS is thoroughly engaging throughout but I was disappointed to find it fell a little flat by the end. I felt there had been so much tension, so much build-up, so many questions that by the time I reached the end it was all a little anti-climatic. I was like, really? That's it? The ending really didn't do the rest of the story justice, in my opinion, because the rest of it was so sinister and atmospheric it was really an enjoyable read. I guess I felt a tad cheated at the end. As someone else described it, the ending was kind of more "Oh" rather than "OHHHHHHHH!!!"
I did guess some of the reveals and with others I was way off but as always it never ruins the story for me. I just enjoy the ride. But in this case, as shocking or as heartbreaking as some of the reveals were, the end result - in my opinion - just didn't live up to the rest of the story. But don't let that deter you. WE WERE SISTERS is an intriguing and engaging story which I did enjoy for the most part.
I would like to thank #WendyClarke, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #WeWereSisters in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
June 26, 2019
I want to thank NetGalley, Wendy Clarke and Bookouture for an Arc of we were sisters. I was definitely intrigued when I saw the cover and it said she lied, she died. Psychological thrillers is one of my favorite types of books to read. When I read the story plot it seemed a lot different then what I had imagined but it still sounded really good.
The story starts out with Kelly taking her twin daughters to school. She has her newborn Noah with her as well in the stroller. She turns away for a moment to see her twins off and turns around to find Noah gone. Panic ensues and Noah is quickly found in front of another classroom unharmed but there is a locket tucked into the stroller with Noah that belonged to her dead sister Freya. From here Kelly's life starts to unravel.
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was filled with a really good amount of twists and secrets to make you keep turning the pages. Check this one out!
The story starts out with Kelly taking her twin daughters to school. She has her newborn Noah with her as well in the stroller. She turns away for a moment to see her twins off and turns around to find Noah gone. Panic ensues and Noah is quickly found in front of another classroom unharmed but there is a locket tucked into the stroller with Noah that belonged to her dead sister Freya. From here Kelly's life starts to unravel.
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was filled with a really good amount of twists and secrets to make you keep turning the pages. Check this one out!
June 28, 2019
Haunting psychological suspenser which tells the tale of damaged children who grow into damaged adults. There are surprises and twists but mostly it's a human story about love and loss and the need to belong.
September 6, 2019
Second book by this author, enjoyed the first a bit more.
I like the way this author writes and develops her characters. She deftly maneuvers the story from the present to the past slowly layering details along the way.
There are some surprises. Some I saw coming, and others not so much. Kelly is an interesting character, unreliable and suffering from OCD and sleep deprivation after having a new baby.
The conclusion was okay. It wasn’t horrible, really more sad. It was a strange but entertaining story.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a review.
I like the way this author writes and develops her characters. She deftly maneuvers the story from the present to the past slowly layering details along the way.
There are some surprises. Some I saw coming, and others not so much. Kelly is an interesting character, unreliable and suffering from OCD and sleep deprivation after having a new baby.
The conclusion was okay. It wasn’t horrible, really more sad. It was a strange but entertaining story.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Bookouture for a copy in exchange for a review.
March 3, 2021
Kelly never talks about her childhood. She doesn’t talk about the indifference and distaste her own mother had for her. She doesn’t talk about how her father ignores her. She doesn’t talk about how unloved she felt for her whole childhood. And she never talks about her sister, her foster sister who swooped into her life until tragedy took her away. There were a lot of foster children that stayed in the best bedroom with the view of the meadow that Kelly would never have. Until Freya came and she thought she would have the sister she’s always wanted, the one that stayed.
Kelly has her own family now; two twin little girls, and baby Noah. She hasn’t spoken or seen her parents in years; she’s happy in her own family and thoughts of the past with her parents only bring her pain.
But life after Noah is hard. He is more difficult and time consuming than the girls. And she feels she is losing her mind as strange things start to happen. Messages on the window sill, someone moving Noah’s pram, the feeling someone is watching and has been in her house. She’s just so tired, is it all on her imagination or is something else happening.
This year I have branched out a little and have read books by authors that I had never read before and am discovering great thriller authors that I have been missing out on. While it’s over 300 pages, I found it to be a quick read and a book full of surprises. There were things I was so sure of, but I was wrong. I will be looking for more of this author’s books. This one was little bit creepy, a lot gripping and very much enjoyable and thrilling.
Kelly has her own family now; two twin little girls, and baby Noah. She hasn’t spoken or seen her parents in years; she’s happy in her own family and thoughts of the past with her parents only bring her pain.
But life after Noah is hard. He is more difficult and time consuming than the girls. And she feels she is losing her mind as strange things start to happen. Messages on the window sill, someone moving Noah’s pram, the feeling someone is watching and has been in her house. She’s just so tired, is it all on her imagination or is something else happening.
This year I have branched out a little and have read books by authors that I had never read before and am discovering great thriller authors that I have been missing out on. While it’s over 300 pages, I found it to be a quick read and a book full of surprises. There were things I was so sure of, but I was wrong. I will be looking for more of this author’s books. This one was little bit creepy, a lot gripping and very much enjoyable and thrilling.
August 5, 2019
A great psychological thriller from Wendy Clarke.
The story is told from Kelly’s perspective, in the present and in the past.
We learn that she once had a sister who was a foster child, and who also liked to manipulate others.
Freya was a troubled child and her time with Kelly and her family definitely had its ups and downs.
Kelly never felt close to her mum and dad so left home at the earliest opportunity.
She’s now got a family of her own and whilst she loves them dearly, she’s struggling to cope with the sleepless nights.
Things start to happen around Kelly and she’s desperately worried for her family.
This one made my heart race towards the end and had me on the edge of my seat.
This is a really good psychological thriller and I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The story is told from Kelly’s perspective, in the present and in the past.
We learn that she once had a sister who was a foster child, and who also liked to manipulate others.
Freya was a troubled child and her time with Kelly and her family definitely had its ups and downs.
Kelly never felt close to her mum and dad so left home at the earliest opportunity.
She’s now got a family of her own and whilst she loves them dearly, she’s struggling to cope with the sleepless nights.
Things start to happen around Kelly and she’s desperately worried for her family.
This one made my heart race towards the end and had me on the edge of my seat.
This is a really good psychological thriller and I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
July 4, 2019
I will rate We Were Sisters by Wendy Clarke a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars. While the book is categorized as a psychological thriller, I did not find it thrilling at all. It was an interesting read, but it did not play with my mind as the psychological thrillers that I am used to reading have in the past. This book confused me in parts, but I shall dabble in that a little later in this review. The story is about Kelly who had a foster sister named Freya that was two years older than her. They met when Kelly was 8 and Freya was 10. Both girls were quite lonely and came from broken homes. While Kelly resided with her parents, she did not receive the love and attention that a child should receive from their parents and she and Freya bonded over this fact. As an adult, Kelly is a paranoid, stay at home mother that is suffering from postpartum depression. On the day of her twin daughters first day of school, someone moves her son's stroller and places a locket inside. The locket that Freya was wearing when she died... After that... Kelly goes even more berserk.
What I enjoyed about this book:
It kept my interest for awhile as it shifted back between Kelly being a child and Kelly as an adult. I enjoyed reading about Kelly's past life with all the foster siblings she had over the years and how she tried to find solace, friendship and sisterhood inside of Freya.
The story was well written to the point where I could follow along. That's probably the most I can say about this book. The storyline was interesting, but it still confused me in parts as to why the entire story was surrounded by a lie about Freya. I feel like there could've been a better reasoning behind this story than that lie, but I did read this story to the end, despite of it.
What I did not enjoy about this book:
As I mentioned before... This was not a thriller. It is more so an easy going read. The only psychological reference I could find was that Kelly was off in the head. She suffered from paranoia and anxiety to the extreme where she was scaring her children and alienating her husband.
I didn't like how Kelly's parents treated her. Especially her mother Karen. It ticked me off that her mother treated all of the foster children better than her own child and when the twist at the end of the story was revealed as to why, I was not shocked. I had already came to this conclusion early on. It still did not help how I was feeling throughout the story about how Kelly's parents neglected her though.
The story was rather infuriating to read at times from Kelly's adult point of view. The paranoia and anxiety that she displayed were enough to drive me up the wall in frustration with her character.
I honestly did not fancy any of the characters at all. Not a one and that is highly unusual for me while reading. Freya was a manipulative, lost soul. Karen was a depressed, ugly, mean spirited woman. Mitch was an awful husband to go behind his wife's back as he did within the story. That irritated me greatly. I did not like Mitch's friend, Maddie, one bit. She should have placed boundaries within their friendship. Mitch was a married man for Heaven's sake! And... You already know how I feel about the protagonist, Kelly...
Thank you Bookouture and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book for the exchange of an honest review.
What I enjoyed about this book:
It kept my interest for awhile as it shifted back between Kelly being a child and Kelly as an adult. I enjoyed reading about Kelly's past life with all the foster siblings she had over the years and how she tried to find solace, friendship and sisterhood inside of Freya.
The story was well written to the point where I could follow along. That's probably the most I can say about this book. The storyline was interesting, but it still confused me in parts as to why the entire story was surrounded by a lie about Freya. I feel like there could've been a better reasoning behind this story than that lie, but I did read this story to the end, despite of it.
What I did not enjoy about this book:
As I mentioned before... This was not a thriller. It is more so an easy going read. The only psychological reference I could find was that Kelly was off in the head. She suffered from paranoia and anxiety to the extreme where she was scaring her children and alienating her husband.
I didn't like how Kelly's parents treated her. Especially her mother Karen. It ticked me off that her mother treated all of the foster children better than her own child and when the twist at the end of the story was revealed as to why, I was not shocked. I had already came to this conclusion early on. It still did not help how I was feeling throughout the story about how Kelly's parents neglected her though.
The story was rather infuriating to read at times from Kelly's adult point of view. The paranoia and anxiety that she displayed were enough to drive me up the wall in frustration with her character.
I honestly did not fancy any of the characters at all. Not a one and that is highly unusual for me while reading. Freya was a manipulative, lost soul. Karen was a depressed, ugly, mean spirited woman. Mitch was an awful husband to go behind his wife's back as he did within the story. That irritated me greatly. I did not like Mitch's friend, Maddie, one bit. She should have placed boundaries within their friendship. Mitch was a married man for Heaven's sake! And... You already know how I feel about the protagonist, Kelly...
Thank you Bookouture and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book for the exchange of an honest review.
July 28, 2019
After years of her parents fostering children, Kelly gets the sister she has always wanted. Soon Kelly realizes she will never measure up to her new sister Freya in her parents eye but is Freya really as great as she seems? Now as an adult Kelly suffers from OCD and anxiety but has the life anyone would dream of. Twin 5 years old girls, a newborn so. And a husband who adores her. The twins Isabella and Sophia have recently started Kindergarten and suddenly things start to happen that Kelly can’t explain. When she begins to tell her husband what has been going on he tells her not to worry it is just her forgetfulness d the anxiety she has been facing after the birth of their son. See the problem is there are things from her past that Kelly has kept from her husband Mitch and now she is having a hard time explaining her worries without giving up her past secret.
I enjoyed this thriller although some parts were a bit slow, the ending was great!
Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for my advanced copy!
I enjoyed this thriller although some parts were a bit slow, the ending was great!
Thank you @netgalley and @bookouture for my advanced copy!
July 25, 2019
First, I’d like to thank @netgalley and @bookouture for exchanging an ARC of “We Were Sisters” by Wendy Clarke for my honest review.
In the beginning, I did not enjoy the writing style. I found a couple typos, and it made it seem like the book was translated into English (but I don’t think that is the case). The book was told in Kelly’s perspective, both when she was a child and when she is an adult. It provided the readers an opportunity to connect to Kelly’s character and understand her obsession about counting and her overall paranoia. The plot seemed somewhat unclear at times, but the twist towards the end of the book was unexpected. I’m torn between giving this book 3 or 4 stars, but I think I will settle for 4. I was entertained while reading the book and would recommend it to other readers.
In the beginning, I did not enjoy the writing style. I found a couple typos, and it made it seem like the book was translated into English (but I don’t think that is the case). The book was told in Kelly’s perspective, both when she was a child and when she is an adult. It provided the readers an opportunity to connect to Kelly’s character and understand her obsession about counting and her overall paranoia. The plot seemed somewhat unclear at times, but the twist towards the end of the book was unexpected. I’m torn between giving this book 3 or 4 stars, but I think I will settle for 4. I was entertained while reading the book and would recommend it to other readers.
July 5, 2019
This was my first book by Wendy Clarke and she surely did not disappoint. This book had a world wind of emotions in it for me. I really connected with all the characters and laughed and cried with them. I can’t say enough good things about this book.
This book was about a sisters bond that couldn’t be broken even through all the lies and deception that took place in the past. They were two souls bonded through tragedy and heartache.
I want to start off by saying that the characters really made this book. I was able to identify with Kelly and all her anxiety and OCD issues that she had in her life because of trying to deal with her past trauma. I also liked in the end that Kelly overcame some of these issues and started to forgive the people that caused her all this heartache over the years. I also liked the other sister Freya. The author wrote her as a character who you wanted to hate but also felt bad for her in the end. You just never knew if she could really be trusted or if her motives were pure. These sisters had a bond like no other and it truly showed in the end. This book had so many twists you never knew what was coming next. I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter to find out what happened next. I just couldn’t get enough of this book and stayed up all night reading. I absolutely loved this book.
Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
This book was about a sisters bond that couldn’t be broken even through all the lies and deception that took place in the past. They were two souls bonded through tragedy and heartache.
I want to start off by saying that the characters really made this book. I was able to identify with Kelly and all her anxiety and OCD issues that she had in her life because of trying to deal with her past trauma. I also liked in the end that Kelly overcame some of these issues and started to forgive the people that caused her all this heartache over the years. I also liked the other sister Freya. The author wrote her as a character who you wanted to hate but also felt bad for her in the end. You just never knew if she could really be trusted or if her motives were pure. These sisters had a bond like no other and it truly showed in the end. This book had so many twists you never knew what was coming next. I couldn’t wait to get to the next chapter to find out what happened next. I just couldn’t get enough of this book and stayed up all night reading. I absolutely loved this book.
Between the plot, characters and all the twists in this book it made it an easy and fast read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
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