I've previously read and loved both JP Delaney's books - The Girl Before and Believe Me. The day I found out he has another book that will be released in August 2019 I was over the moon, and could not wait. I was convinced I would love The Perfect Wife as much as I did the previous books.

I guess you could say that I was proved wrong, and humbled into realising that perhaps an author can go a different route to what I am used to. This was something I wasn't expecting from The Perfect Wife and therefore I ended up not enjoying it as much as I thought I would.

In fact, it took me two attempts to be able to finish the book. I was completely thrown off the first time around due to author's choice of using second person narrative. Something I haven't actually come across before and COULD NOT get on board with.. I felt myself being dragged into a reading slump, so I threw the book out of my hand before permanent damage was made.

The Perfect Wife is also different in a sense that it involves a slight touch of sci-fi, a genre I don't generally enjoy anyway.

I've seen so many good reviews about this book, and with the friendly nudge from a friend, who insisted I needed to give it another try, I picked up this book again on the publication day.

Now I was prepared for the different narrative, the artificial intelligence and ended up flying through it with no problems and without the urge to throw the book across the room! Until the end. Where I am still one big "confused" as to what happened and who the "we" were in the context.

I will say that I enjoyed Abbie's development from realising that she's a robot to finding herself in her new reality. In the end, a Mother's love has no boundaries and they are willing to go to the end of the world to protect their children. And I can respect that.

Personally, I wouldn't class this a thriller, or suspense. I didn't get from it what I was hoping to get, the twists left me underwhelmed and the story left me confused.

Definitely not the worst book I've ever read, but I can confirm that Delaney's previous works were a lot more up my street. The Perfect Wife, however, was unfortunately not for me.

It’s hard to write too much about this book without giving away some fairly major spoilers, and although one of them is revealed very early on, I wouldn’t want to deny anyone the surprise I had when I read it. Suffice to say this is a bit of a departure for Delaney and fans of his previous books may be in for a shock, but the result is still the sort of fast-paced, readable thriller you would expect.

The novel centres around Abbie, awakening in a daze with no understanding of what has happened to her, with a man at her bedside who explains he is her husband, a tech mogul who has used every tool at his disposal to help her recover. As Abbie begins to piece together what has happened to her, a sinister story emerges.

I found elements of this hard to get on board with, but I was really intrigued by the plot and I think the overall concept was an interesting one.

This is the second novel I have read by JP Delaney and I enjoyed this one more than the first by some distance. It is unusual and cleverly plotted with several twists and turns, which came unexpectedly to me.

The story centres on Abbie and Tim, a married couple with a difference. Abbie wakes up after five years as a human robot, put together by her husband who is a high flyer in the tech world and AI. After the first chapter I thought this would be one of those books that I struggled to read. It was not. I was captivated. The couple have an autistic son, which adds pressure to their ‘relationship’.

Abbie, starts to believe that the original wife is not dead when she receives a text message from ‘Friend’. The plot then follows the cobot Annie as she endeavours to find out what happened five years ago when Tim’s wife supposedly had a surfing accident and died. Her body has never been found and Tim was originally charged with her murder although charges were dropped.

The story is told in the third person from two aspects, which worked brilliantly. Such a cunning book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Quercus Books and JP Delaney for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Brilliant read. Highly recommended.

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and publisher Quercus Books in exchange for an honest review.

I honestly never thought I would rate a thriller 5 stars. I gave If We Were Villains 5 stars at the start of the year and that is indeed a thriller but it is quite differently tonally than most I read. The Perfect Wife on the other hand is pretty much a traditional thriller, albeit with a neat sci-fi twist. And I absolutely adored it.

This is the story of Abbie, a woman who wakes up only to be told that she's not a woman at all. In fact Abbie is now a robot, built by her husband to replace his dead wife. As she tries to resume her life five years on, she realises that her memory is not quite complete and there are some things that her husband isn't telling her.

I wouldn't dream of spoiling anything else about this book. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was completely gripped by both the basic plot and the execution. Fascinating questions about AI and what it means to be a person are raised and, while this is nothing new in sci-fi, it is wonderful to see it explored within a thriller setting. I was not only surprised by the plot but I was surprised multiple times, and each one made me more excited to find out what happened next. This rarely happens for me with thrillers and so I was delighted to experience it here. I hesitate to mention twists in my reviews because I feel like if you expect them then they have less of an impact, but fans of thrillers won't be disappointed here.

The writing and characters are another strength. The story is told in dual perspective, with the chapters from robot Abbie's POV being told in the second person (an unusual choice but one that works really well) and the alternating chapters being told from the POV of an unknown narrator back when human Abbie first met Tim at his workplace. Every character is nuanced and I particularly love how Abbie is explored in such detail.

Overall, I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this thriller. It's unusual, gripping and has a plot I found really satisfying. I would definitely recommend checking it out if you like the genre and I'm so happy to have found a new favourite.

Overall Rating: 5/5

A very different read - clever, creepy and thought provoking. Meddling with nature and science. Very clever and thought provoking. Very well written and gripping

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I am a huge fan of this author's books. I was really excited to be approved for this title.

I found the premise of the book unsettling. A robot who is able to interact and do many things that humans can do. It is kind of creepy as I had just seen a video about a realistic robot which a tech company had created.

The book was really interesting with some surprising twists. It was not my favourite book by the author but os definitely worth the read. I eagerly await more books by this author.

DNF

This book is marketed as a thriller, suspense and mystery, reading the synopsis and it sounds like one too. To me it sounded very similar to Before I go to sleep by SJ Watson which I really enjoyed. In reality this book is nothing like the that should have been classified a Sci-fi and had I known more about the book it not one I would have picked to read.

Abbie wakes up after 5 years of being in a coma but she is no longer human but rather a "Cobot"or "companion robot"......and this folks is where I had to check out

This was written in second person but I didn’t read it long enough to work out who the narrator was.

Overall this was just too weird and bizarre for me.

Thank you the NetGalley, the publisher Quercus Books and author JP Delaney for the opportunity to read and review and early copy of this book.

Oh man where do I begin? Delaney’s writing it captivating, I get pulled in and I just can’t escape! This is one of those books where you have to stay up all night just to finish it!
The originality of this book is what I loved the most, yet I don’t want to spoil it for you. The Perfect Wife has definitely just kicked The Girl Before from the top spot by this author!

I’ll be honest I didn’t read the blurb for this book just saw the author and knew that I liked them so off I went. First few pages I was taken aback, This is not what I was expecting and I’m not a fan of sci-fi so I thought I was probably not going to enjoy this book, Kept on reading, kept on reading and then read some more and finished the book in a day! Wow it has totally blown me away!

I don’t want to say too much of the plot but briefly the book starts with the switching on of a robot with the ability to feel emotions and empathy. She has been created by Tim Scott who is a leading light in AI. His wife went missing 5 years ago and since then he has been working on a robot to replace her.

The writing style was confusing at first, flitting backwards and forwards and you were always wondering who the narrator was but as the story progresses you can understand why the author has chosen this way.

I don’t often give 5* to thrillers because I’m very hard to please but this is well worthy of a 5* review.

EXCERPT: 'Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds,' he quotes. 'Sonnet 116, remember? We read it at our wedding. Four lines each in turn. Then the final couplet together.'

You shake your head. You don't remember that, no.

'It'll come back to you.' You wonder if he means the memory or the sentiment. 'My point is, those weren't just empty words to us. You were always unique, Abbie. Irreplaceable. A perfect wife. A perfect mother. The love of my life. Everyone says that, don't they? But I really meant it. After I lost you, plenty of people told me I should move on, find someone else to spend my life with. But I knew that was never going to happen. So I did this instead. Was I right to? I don't know. But I had to try. And even just talking to you now, for these few minutes - seeing you here, in our house, hearing you speak - makes all the years I put into this worthwhile. I love you, Abs. I will always love you. Forever, just like we promised each other on our wedding day.'

ABOUT THIS BOOK: Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He's an icon of the tech world, the founder of a lucrative robotics company. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago, and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss. She is a miracle of science.

But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband's motives--and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what really happened to Abbie half a decade ago?

MY THOUGHTS: Fascinating. Creepy. Plausible.

This is not what I was expecting at all. It is unconventionally creepy on many levels, mostly because I can see it happening if it hasn't already done so. That woman in the restaurant who merely pushes the food around her plate? That person who seems too good to be true. How many times have you asked yourself if someone is even real? This book will have you asking that question all over again.

All this is tied in with a 'love story'. He is a visionary, a wunderkind. What Gates was to personal computers, Jobs was to smartphones, or Musk was to electric cars, Tim Scott is to AI. Abbie is a free spirit, artist, surfer. They are opposites who have attracted, who complement each other, two halves of a whole. Until they have a child who develops CDD. Tim sees Danny as a problem to be solved, he just needs reprogramming. Abbie wants to try every alternative therapy. Cracks begin to appear...

The story is told from two points of view, from that of an unknown narrator, and Abbie. Abbie's story is split over two timelines - Abbie now, and Abbie then. The identity of the unknown narrator is revealed at the end of the story, and came as somewhat of a surprise to me.

The story itself keeps the reader slightly off balance. Every time I thought I had something figured out, Delaney tipped me on my head. Her characters are unpredictable and thoroughly believable, even the AI ones.

And I want to applaud Delaney for not reducing the impact of autism on the family, for not stinting on her descriptions of autistic behaviour, and for including the joy that is taken from every little gain, no matter how small, no matter if it is never repeated.

This is an excellent read. An unconventional read. A read that will make you think about the role of robots (or, in this case, cobots - emotionally intelligent companion robots ) in our lives.

#ThePerfectWife #NetGalley

😍🤩🤔🤩😍

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: J. P. Delaney is the pseudonym of a writer who has previously published best-selling fiction under another name.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Quercus Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Perfect Wife by J.P. Delaney 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 Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

As I started reading this I was 'thinking what am I reading' however I was intrigued and had to continue reading to find out what was happening. I'm glad that I did, it kept me guessing and I loved how it also discussed autism and how it's perceived. I definitely wasn't expecting the ending!

After waiting a while year for this novel, I wasn’t disappointed. As always a brilliant, brilliant thriller. I love how they always start off slow then work up to a excellent ending. A well- earned 10/10 ! Loved it !

I did not know what to expect from this book but once I had started I was riveted. I wanted to know more about Abbie and why her husband had made an AI version of her. I wanted to understand more about their perfect love and marriage. I was bemused about some of the revelations about her which did not fit in with the narrative we were being given. I certainly did not expect the ending nor the choices made.

This book dealt with some interesting themes - the development of AI, the treatment of autism and the meaning of being ‘human’. I was made to think as I read.

A unexpected thriller - suspend your disbelief and then enjoy a cracking good read!

Couldn’t put it down. I always enjoys books with a scientific slant and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. The characters aren’t particularly likeable, and that adds to the suspense. Great summer reading

My thanks to Quercus Books for an eARC via NetGalley of J.P. Delaney’s ‘The Perfect Wife’ in exchange for an honest review.

When I started this book I had expected a conventional domestic/psychological thriller. Yet I was surprised and delighted when a few pages in its storyline took a completely unexpected direction.

Abbie Cullen wakes up disoriented in a hospital bed. Then her husband, Tim, breaks the news to her that she’s actually artificial, created in the image of his wife.

Tim Scott is a Silicon Valley tech genius, who has been working on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence and robotics for some years. While Abbie struggles to come to terms with this news, he calmly presents her with a FAQ that advises her that she is a ‘Cobot’, short for companion robot. “Only Tim could imagine that a list of factual questions and answers could help at a time like this.”

Finally Abbie sums it up: “‘You’re saying the real me died–what? Five years ago. And you’ve somehow brought me back like this.’ He doesn’t reply. You feel a mixture of emotions. Disbelief, obviously.”

Most of the novel is concerned with Cobot Abbie seeking answers about original Abbie’s life and death and coming to terms with her current situation. There is also another voice that provides an account of the origins of their relationship when Abbie was hired as artist-in-residence by Scott Robotics. No further plot details in order to avoid spoilers though it certainly took some unexpected avenues.

In short this novel blew me away. I quickly bought its audiobook edition in order to enjoy an immersive experience.

Delaney explores a number of themes that have long been associated with robots, androids, and artificial intelligence in science fiction such as what defines humanity. Ira Levin’s ‘The Stepford Wives’ is one of my all-time favourite novels and I was pleased that Stepford Wives was mentioned a few times in the text.

Quite appropriately the story of Pygmalion and Galatea is also referenced as a model for Tim’s desire to recreate his perfect wife with Cobot Abbie.

I loved it and found it totally unique and absorbing and plan on recommending it widely as well as accessing Delaney’s previous works.

Having read JD Delaney’s previous book I was delighted to be invited to read The perfect wife and this did not disappoint.

When Abbie wakes in a confused state, with no memory of how she ended up where she was, the man beside her tells her that he is her husband and that she has been unconscious for 5 years following a terrible accident. As she starts to build her life together things don’t seem to add up for her and she doesn’t feel that she can trust him.

Another cracking thriller, great characters and really well written.

Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

Having read J P Delaney's previous novels I was really keen to read this one.

The novel centres around Tim, a narcissistic owner of an AI company, and Abbie. Abbie begins as an artist in residence for the company, then becomes girlfriend and wife. They have a son together who becomes autistic due to having Heller's Syndrome. Their views differ on how best to care for their son.

I flew through this book and it's certainly a different idea! At the beginning, Abbie wakes up seemingly in a hospital so I wrongly assumed she'd had an accident. However, the reality is much more sinister and there are a lot of twists and turns throughout! I was reminded of Black Mirror in how futuristic it was.

I would definitely recommend this book and can't wait to read more by J P Delaney.

This was a clever, twisty and thought provoking book that I thoroughly enjoyed! Although I found The Girl Before difficult to read due to personal experience, I still found the idea behind it very interesting so I was very intrigued to read more from him.

Artificial Intelligence is a very current topic with examples of it being invented recently so I found it fascinating to read about the world the author has created in this book. What was especially interesting about the ‘cabot’ Tim invents is that it doesn’t seem like a robot that is normally depicted in science fiction films. Instead ‘Abbie’ seems like a real person who can think and act for herself. I found myself believing in her relationship with Tim and hoping that the story ends up well for them.

The plot is very clever with lots going on to keep the reader on their toes. I particularly liked the inclusion of Danny, Tim & Abbie’s son, who has degenerative autism which makes him become more and more withdrawn. I believe the author has an autistic son which has helped bring this character to life. He was a very endearing character that often made me smile.

This book gripped me from the start with the unusual plot and the fascinating world the author has created. The plot develops at a fast pace and there are lots of twists that kept me guessing as to how it would end which is always enjoyable. The ending took me completely by surprise and I loved watching everything unraveling. A brilliant ending to a completely original psychological thriller.

Huge thanks to Ella for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Quercus for my copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this unique book. An original concept that was intriguing and terrifying at the same time. I would love to see this story adapted for the big screen.

Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He's an icon of the tech world, the founder of a lucrative robotics company. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago, and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss. She is a miracle of science. 

But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins questioning her husband's motives--and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what really happened to Abbie half a decade ago? 

I enjoyed The Girl Before by this author so was looking forward to reading this latest book, this one is a thriller but with a sci-fi futuristic theme to it which drew me in and kept me intrigued throughout, although I have to admit to being slightly confused by the ending, the concept was good but it didn't blow me away, hence me only giving it 3 stars.

I'd like to thank Quercus Books and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon