4.25 Stars

Her Perfect Life is a great reminder that everything isn't always what it seems. In this case Clare appears to have it all: successful writing career, money, fame, and loving husband. When Clare, is found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot, she leaves behind a sister who has to question everything she thought she knew of her sister's life.

Eileen combs through her sister's last book, which was a critical darling but not loved by the author's fans, in search of clues that might explain her sister's actions. Her Perfect Life draws the reader into Clare's life as far back as a teen and the tragedy that framed the rest of her life. Clare is not drawn as a saint nor a villain just a woman that misread her youthful dreams. I loved how the mother of a young Clare did her best to protect her daughter but also it wasn't the wisest move. Eileen as the sibling so jealous of her sister's success, fails to see the pain beneath all the accolades.

A solid domestic drama that reminds the reader that everyone is going through something. A reckoning with ones past, when looked at honestly, can also have a devastating impact.

"Her Perfect Life" unfolds the story of Eileen, a busy mother feeling overwhelmed by the demands of her family life, particularly her absent husband and three children. Her sister Clare's apparent suicide leaves Eileen and Clare's husband Simon grappling with the question of what drove Clare to such a tragic end.

The narrative shifts between the perspectives of Eileen, Simon, and Clare, spanning decades of their lives leading up to Clare's death. As secrets unravel and past events are revealed, the characters' complexities and struggles come to light.

Each character is distinctively portrayed, their voices and personalities shining through in the narrative. Clare's evolution over the years is particularly poignant, highlighting the impact of her experiences on her psyche.

The setting transitions between California and Colorado, with Clare and Simon's home serving as a fragile backdrop that mirrors the characters' emotional turmoil.

Despite the dark subject matter, the ending offers a glimmer of hope, providing a sense of closure and resolution to the story.

Overall, "Her Perfect Life" is a compelling and well-written exploration of family dynamics, secrets, and the search for understanding and redemption. The characters' journeys resonate deeply, leaving readers with a sense of empathy and reflection.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Great debut book. I will definitely read more by this author in the future. Her Perfect Life was a fun read. I expected it to be a thriller, but it was more of a women's fiction.

Such a good thriller and so close to being 5 stars! Really engaging and gripping throughout, with strong characters and an intriguing plot.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5 stars

a DNF for me at 25%.. not my cup of tea, but it may work for someone else.a DNF for me at 25%.. not my cup of tea, but it may work for someone else

A fast thriller read that certainly was a page turner. Lots of twists and turns but nothing that totally blows you away. I enjoyed it.

DNF - did not finish. I decided not to keep reading this thriller, it was not for me. Thank you, publisher and NetGalley for the early title!

I really enjoyed this book. While I guessed the twist, I found it to be an interesting story that didn’t seem similar to anything else I had read.

This was a quick read with likable characters that are "real" and present sensitive issues.
There are twist and turns--however they were predictable. This was an OK story.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was an easy read. Kind of a popcorn thriller. But non the less a good book.
Pros- Fast read
Cons- Not a hugely exciting story

I loved this one! This was one of those books that grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let go until I finished it! It was well written, with absolutely wonderful characters, and absolutely unputdownable. It had so many twists & turns, lies, cheats, suspense, chills, and many thrills! I highly recommend it

I've had this on my Kindle for a while and finally decided to read it. I shouldn't have waited so long! Even though it's basically a sad story, it was really well written and the characters were extremely relatable. I've mostly been on a light reading kick lately and decided to dig into something a little deeper and I truly enjoyed this book, staying up way past my bedtime to finish it. I would highly recommend this.

Loved the book! Quick read. Thank you for the advanced copy. Can't wait to read more by Rebecca Taylor

I personally found some of the themes of this book to be triggering (especially suicide), and although it was handled with class, I couldn't finish this book. This is no reflection on the author, her writing style, or anything else-- only on myself.

After reading the summary again I don’t feel like this book is for me anymore. I look forward to other books from this publisher in the future but for now I am shelving this book for a later date.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I couldn’t put this one down. I had to know what was going to happen next. The ending was a touch predictable but it didn’t take away too much from the experience. I would recommend this one.

This was the first time I’ve read anything by this author. This was a great read. The story was told by 3 of the characters point of view. This is a story about, grief, love and the loss of someone close to you.

This was a decent read but I feel that it was miscategorized as a mystery/thriller. It was really more of a women's fiction book with very little mystery involved, and no elements of a thriller. It centers on Eileen, who has a strained relationship with her rich and famous author sister, Clare. When Clare dies of an apparent suicide right after the release of her newest novel, Eileen is shocked to the core. The book goes back and forth between Eileen's current POV and Clare's history as a teenager and into her 20s.

This book held my interest but there was really no mystery here- the story takes you through the things that happen that led to Clare's demise but in a way that doesn't hold an element of surprise. There was one twist that I saw coming from miles away. That being said, I liked Eileen and she felt believable as a character, and I liked the way the story turned out for her.

One thing that bothered me a bit about this book is that there were a couple times where a short story from Clare was inserted but it read just like the author's voice throughout the rest of the book. I found this jarring and wish that the author would have done a better job differentiating Clare's voice in these excerpts.

All in all, decent read that kept me interested despite it's lack of surprises. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.