Review: The Favorite Sister Jessica Knoll

Print Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (May 15, 2018)

From Goodreads.com: When five hyper-successful women agree to appear on a reality series set in New York City called Goal Diggers, the producers never expect the season will end in murder…

Brett’s the fan favorite. Tattooed and only twenty-seven, the meteoric success of her spin studio—and her recent engagement to her girlfriend—has made her the object of jealousy and vitriol from her cast mates.

Kelly, Brett’s older sister and business partner, is the most recent recruit, dismissed as a hanger-on by veteran cast. The golden child growing up, she defers to Brett now—a role which requires her to protect their shocking secret.

Stephanie, the first black cast member and the oldest, is a successful bestselling author of erotic novels. There have long been whispers about her hot, non-working actor-husband and his wandering eye, but this season the focus is on the rift that has opened between her and Brett, former best friends—and resentment soon breeds contempt.

Lauren, the start-up world’s darling whose drinking has gotten out of control, is Goal Diggers’ recovery narrative—everyone loves a comeback story.

And Jen, made rich and famous through her cultishly popular vegan food line plays a holistic hippie for the cameras, but is perhaps the most ruthless of them all when the cameras are off.

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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The synopsis of this story had me so intrigued, that I put this novel before several others on my to-be-read pile, only to be let down. To begin with there are so many different characters (and they are all introduced in rapid succession), that even at the end, I was still referring back to the synopsis on who was who. It became overwhelming, and to be honest, confusing. I found myself having to read the same passages more than once in some spots as I tried to figure out what was going. It quickly became tedious. 

The story does pick up a little more than halfway through, but  by then the damage was done. I couldn't connect with any of the characters, and to be honest I wasn't invested in any of them enough to really care about the outcome. There are a lot of 4 and 5 star reviews though, so I'm probably in the minority. 

I will say there were some laugh out loud moments, and the author does have a solid writing style, I'm just not sure this story was for me. Overall, I am sure this story may still appeal to those who enjoy reality shows, and/or this type of novel. I would give this author a second chance.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

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                             The Favorite Sister is available from Amazon.com