I *almost* did not finish The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll. Here are the problems I had with this book: 1) it is slow to take off (at least for me); 2) there were so many women I couldn’t keep them all straight on who was who; 3) some of the characters were not developed well which contributed to remembering who was who; 4) the reality tv backdrop (I didn’t like it, but it could have been a VERY effective device if the story were told better); 5) I didn’t understand how these people knew each other in real life (I watch all of The Real Housewives and they are all friends in some way off the show); and 6) the preachy feminism, almost man-bashing, that occurs constantly throughout this book.
But, I didn’t quit this book, so here’s what I liked about the book: 1) Layla, who is totally adorable if a little too good to be true, 2) the reality tv backdrop (while I didn’t love this story against this backdrop, in my heart of Hearts I LOVE reality tv); and 3) the huge twists in the last 25% of the book.
Yes, you have to slog through a lot to get to the payoff, and honestly, I’m not sure the pay off is worth the time and effort, but sometimes a little payoff is better than none at all. Definite 3 Stars for me.
I received an advanced copy of this book by the publisher for an honest review.
