Book Review for My Sister's Only Hope by Alison Ragsdale

 My Sister's Only Hope by Alison Ragsdale 

Published:  August 27, 2025 by Bookouture 

 

Taken from Goodreads:  ‘Will you help me become a mother?’ My sister whispers, her hands clasping mine. ‘You’re my only hope…’ 
 
When my sister asks me to help her have a child, I already know I will say yes. She has always dreamed of being a mother, and this might be her last chance. 
 
Not long after the embryo is created, my sister is killed in a tragic hiking accident. The grief of losing my best friend is unbearable, but in the days that follow I realize there is a shimmer of I can still fulfill her dream, and bring her baby into the world. 
 
But no matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about my sister’s last words to me. On the day she died, she said there was something she needed to tell me. And when my brother-in-law finally tells me what my sister was hiding, I can barely breathe. 
 
My heart breaks as I realize I may not have known my sister at all. But now I know her terrible secret, do I have the strength to be the mother of her child? 
 
An emotional and unputdownable story about what it means to be a mother. Perfect for fans who love Kate Hewitt, Jodi Picoult and Diane Chamberlain. 

 

My Thoughts:  This is a heavy book.  The characters are very real with their reactions to all that life is throwing at them.   The decisions they are forced to make were hard and emotionally driven.  Kenzie is the main character and she makes decisions that not everyone will understand or agree with but they are her decisions and she stays true to what her heart says.  

 

My Sister’s Only Hope is a wonderfully emotional read.  I was invested in Kenzie’s choses, whether I agreed with them or not.  It was her life to live and she made the choices that worked for her, I respect that.  There were things I would have done differently or choices I would have made differently.   The ending threw me off, I am not sure I would have been able to follow that path but it worked for Kenzie.   

 

Thank you to the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.  

 

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Meet the Author (taken from her website):  A proud Scots lass, I was born in Edinburgh and the connection to my homeland has never left me. Consequently, my novels are set in the stunning Highlands and islands of Scotland. 

I’ve had what could be termed a varied career. I trained as a professional ballet dancer and worked in the field of dance for many years. When an injury called a halt to that, I eventually became a marketing executive. After two decades in that world, I started my own health-services business but it took too great a toll on me so my husband encouraged me to focus on writing, as I’d always dreamed of doing. 

I took the leap of faith in 2014 and dived into my first full-length novel TUESDAY’S SOCKS. It was a scary feeling, putting my ‘baby’ out there, but I was delighted when readers fell for my sweet protagonist, Jeffrey Mere. TUESDAY’S SOCKS soon became an Amazon bestseller. My second novel, THE FATHER-DAUGHTER CLUB, came out at the end of 2014. I was thrilled when it too made it to an Amazon best seller list, receiving a wonderful review from Kirkus Reviews, and going on to win the 2016, IPPY Bronze medal for Best Regional Fiction – Europe. 

My third Amazon best selling novel, FINDING HEATHER, was released in October 2016 and my fourth, A LIFE UNEXPECTED, won a 2018 IPPY Bronze medal in the Popular Fiction category, then become an Amazon best seller too. 

TTHE ART OF REMEMBERING, released in July, 2019 debuted as a best seller. It has since been included in BookBub’s 2019 Best Book Club Book list, was honored as a finalist in the 2019 American Fiction Awards, was shortlisted in the 2019 CIBA Somerset Award, and was a finalist in the 2020 Eric Hoffer Award. 

THE LIAR AND OTHER STORIES is my first collection of short stories and was released in May, 2020. 

My seventh book, DIGNITY AND GRACE, was released in July, 2020 and is an Amazon #1 bestseller. 

My eighth book, HER LAST CHANCE, was released in April, 2021 and is an Amazon #1 bestseller. 

SOMEONE ELSE’S CHILD, was released in January, 2022 and is an Amazon bestseller. 

THE CHILD BETWEEN US, was released in September 2022 and is an Amazon #1 bestseller. 

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE was released on June 7th, 2024, and is an Amazon #1 best seller. 

MY HUSBAND’S CHILD was released on March 4th, 2025, and is an Amazon UK #1 best seller. 

MY SISTER’S ONLY HOPE releases on August 27th, 2025. 

While I didn’t set out to be an author, it has always been a dream of mine and now, thanks to my incredibly supportive husband and the forces of the universe, that has become a reality. 

I hope you enjoy reading my books as much as I loved writing them.