Member Reviews

Ward DeFleur has a perfectly good life.
She lives with her teenage daughter, Stevie in a beautiful house in
Connecticut. She is a successful author starting her latest book
tour when the unthinkable happens. Stevie is found brutally beaten
and dies. Ward, consumed with grief, disappears leaving her friends,
fans, and life behind.


Bree Bennett is a former journalist,
recently-divorced, and trying to get her career and life back on
track. She becomes obsessed with Ward's tragic story and is
determined to find out where Ward has gone. What starts as an
article for her newspaper, quickly turns into a game of cat and
mouse. But who is the cat and who is the mouse? To Bree, nothing, not
even the fact Stevie's killer hasn't been caught will stop Bree
from finding Ward.


I loved the alternating chapters
between Ward and Bree. As Bree searches for Ward, we get to see into
Ward's past and what her life looks like now. Chapters are short and
I flew through this book, almost as obsessed as Bree to find out what
happened to Ward. Bree's daughter was an enigma to me, but she was a
minor character and overall, she didn't dampen my enthusiasm for
Perfectly Famous. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the ending and if
this ended a few pages sooner, it would have been an almost perfect
read.

Was this review helpful?

All👏🏼of👏🏼the👏🏼stars!! I loved this suspenseful tale and sat riveted throughout. This is THE book you don’t want to miss this summer! It’s the book that everyone is going to be talking about because THAT ENDING!! 🙌🏼⁣

Author Ward Defleur has it all...until the night her daughter is abducted and brutally attacked. Now she’s hiding out in isolation and grieving her loss. Bree Bennett is recently divorced and looking to get back into the writing game. She goes searching for Ward, certain that she can help her get her story out into the world. These mothers have different agendas, and with a killer still on the loose...everyone is in danger.⁣

Perfectly Famous is character driven and very well written. The twists are amazing and had me whispering “woah”, as I never saw them coming. Readers are either going to love or hate this book because of the ending BUT it’s definitely going to have people talking this summer! I absolutely loved this book and give Perfectly Famous the full five stars. Thank you @gallerybooks for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

When I finished reading this book last night, I cursed.

Not delicate, ladylike cursing. More like foul, throw-the-book-at-the-wall cursing. Because, seriously.

For 90% of the book, I was with it. It was a solid thriller with an interesting mystery. Sure, I figured out that someone was quite villainous pretty early, but hey, I was still enjoying the read. And, yes, occasionally I wanted on of our main characters to act with a little more logic. But still…enjoying it.

But somehow, the author managed to simply destroy the book in the last 10% or so.

We have a follow up to a rather dramatic scene that is…weird and wrong and a simply different voice and tone from the rest of the book. I started reading that scene. Stopped for a moment in complete confusion and then finished it, shaking my head. It was bad, but not book destroying…yet.

Until we get to the last couple of pages of the book. This…this is a masterclass in how to destroy a book in a couple of pages. What happens is silly, ridiculous and so far out of left field and it simply makes no sense at all. It was awful.

I’m reading/reviewing this in March and the book is out in June. For God’s sake, there’s still time!

I was going to give this one star (it got that bad), but to be fair I did enjoy most of the rest of the book. 2 stars, but it can still be saved. Just delete that part…please?

*ARC Provided via Net Galley

Was this review helpful?

A quick, fast, simple read. Perfect for those of us scavenging for reading material while we're all under self quarantine. The character actions are not believable, and it wraps up tidily

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

I liked it! Like a grown up Pretty Little Liars meets a twisted Younger. Though I figured out the twists early on, I still had a good time reading it.

Was this review helpful?

***Thank you to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of PERFECTLY FAMOUS by Emily Liebertz in exchange for my honest review.***


Holy plot twist, Batman.

I thought I knew the bad guy from early on in PERFECTLY FAMOUS. Emily Liebertz seamless writing had me breezing through chapters, engaged with both narrators.

Ward/Laura’s palpable grief had me rooting for her to be able to return to some semblance of life, a new normal with more manageable mourning. I didn’t blame her for isolating. I loved Bree and her uncomplicated divorce, though neither parented their daughter effectively. For being an amateur investigative journalist, she lacked curiosity and fact checking over things she shouldn’t. She couldn’t set a boundary if her life depended on it. Still, something about her made me hope she’d be heroic.

Liebertz created so many plausible twists and turns that I hadn’t imagined. The action didn’t stop until the very last sentence. I now what to read everything she’s written.

Domestic mystery and thriller lovers will enjoy PERFECTLY FAMOUS.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for the opportunity to read this. I will be posting a full review to Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram.

Was this review helpful?

Perfectly Famous by Emily Liebert had a LOT going on compared to your typical thriller. The reader was taken in multiple ways, and the storyline builds throughout the novel in a curious way. I have some questions upon finishing but overall, I enjoyed this book. Some things could have been spelled out a bit more, but I also enjoy when authors leave somethings to the imagination.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

A fantastic suspense with that little element of thrill thrown in. Emily Liebert expertly tells her story with well-defined character which she slowly builds with depth and creativity. The plot is strongly character based and plays off the strengths, or relative weaknesses, of each to deliver a perfectly balanced story. Absolutely loved it!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #PerfectlyFamous which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

Was this review helpful?

This book was interesting and enjoyable but I found it really difficult to understand either main character's behavior. Ward makes choices I can't reconcile and Bree's interest in Ward wasn't strongly supported enough for her tenacity in investigating her to make complete sense to me.

I also needed to understand Bree's daughter, Chloe's, motivation better; it seemed like more than teen angst.

There are a handful of handy coincidences and an inordinate amount of shiesty people with secrets, all of which combined to give the book something of a Mary Higgins Clark feeling.

Bree's mother is so absolutely hilariously terrible, and so relatable for me, that she earns the book an extra star! I laughed out loud every time I read any dialogue with her in it.

Thank you to Emily Liebert, Gallery Books and Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Perfectly Famous is a thriller with dark twist and a strong plot line. Definitely recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Bree Bennett wants to write a book and is in search of Author, Ward DeFleur. Ward has disappeared from the public eye and doesn't want to be found. Lots of suspenseful fun and stunning surprises with this story. A great read. Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This book is filled with suspense, drama and tons of action. There’s absolutely nothing that you would not like about this book. This is a must read for any fan of thriller genre who wants to be kept on the edge of their seat

Was this review helpful?

Ward Lafleur is a successful author who lives in a beautiful home with her 15 year old daughter Stevie. She has a base of loyal fans who show up for her book signings and the first of what is planned to be a 15 city tour is no exception. While she is at this first appearance however her daughter disappears and is later found beaten and is reported to have died. The author disappears from public life, disconnecting her phone and deactivating all means of communication.
Bree Bennett is a former journalist who is recently divorced and flailing with how she is going to move forward. She applies for a job at the local newspaper and is assigned stories that give her a foot in the door but are dull. Bree had attended Ward’s last signing on the night her daughter was missing and she becomes obsessed with finding her and telling her story.
Ward has gone to great lengths to not be found and Bree might be leading someone else to her door.
This author is new to me though I have had her previous novel “ Pretty Revenge” on my TBR list for a long time now. One thing that jumped out at me was how much this book talks about food! There are some really delicious meals described.
I never truly understood what it was that made Bree so obsessed with finding Ward. I have favorite authors and would not dream of stalking or tracking them down in the way that was described in this book, especially not one who had suffered a loss. Bree might have benefitted from a few sessions with Maggie, her best friend who was a therapist. The reveal of the villain was not really surprising and it seemed abrupt and along with the ending was a little unsatisfying.
I seem to be in the minority though as I have seen many glowing reviews. “ Perfectly Famous” is due out June 2nd. Thank you to #netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Was this review helpful?

Emily Liebert is one of my favorite authors and this book is just another reason why! Filled with suspense, drama and a little love there is nothing not to like about this one.
Told from the perspectives of Ward & Lee we delve into each woman’s life and how they intertwine with an ending I did not see coming!
Thanks to Netgalley for my advanced ebook copy!

Was this review helpful?

Ward was at the height of her writing career when her daughter’s Stevie was brutally murdered. She retreated to an undisclosed location, and no one has seen her in years. Bree is a returning journalist determined to find Ward and write Ward’s life story. This could be the story of the century, and Bree would tell it. 

There is always a mysterious element to this story. There are the obvious questions of why and who murdered Stevie? Why would Ward go into hiding? Why does Bree want to write Ward’s story so badly? Then there’s this natural element of just a story without the buildup of a mystery. This style of writing helps this story flow naturally. Without giving away the storyline, there was a point when something about Alex (Ward’s college boyfriend) made Ward extremely upset. However, this was never explained and furthermore the character seems to forget it all together. This I thought was strange to leave this big notation open. The ending…wow. This is a must read! Emily Liebert’s style of writing is evolving. She still keeps her style of empowering women’s storyline; however, now with a twist and a dash of mystery. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this fabulous ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked Pretty Revenge by Emily Liebert and was super excited to read Perfectly Famous. Look at that eye-catching cover!

Take a look at the plot:

As a mother and a famous author, Ward DeFleur has it all. She lives in a beautiful estate in picture-perfect Connecticut, along with her teenage daughter, Stevie, where nothing can go wrong. Until, one night, when Stevie is brutally murdered and Ward’s entire world is shattered. Consumed by panic and grief, Ward vows never to put pen to paper again.

Enter Bree Bennett.

Bree is a recently-divorced, former-journalist-cum-housewife, desperate to fill her days with something other than Pilates classes and grocery shopping. So she decides to start writing for the town newspaper. What begins as Bree’s effort to tell Ward’s tragic narrative turns into a fixation with finding her favorite author. Unfortunately, Ward doesn’t want to be found. Even worse, Stevie’s killer is still on the loose…

I really enjoyed this book and got into it right away from the first pages. She lays the groundwork for excellent suspense that twists and turns in many directions.

Emily’s writing is smooth and flowing and the reader is immediately swept up in the life of Bree and Ward DeFleur. Bree is convinced that she needs to tell the story of Ward who suffered from the loss of her daughter and stopped writing. What really happened on the night that Stevie died? Who was responsible? And is the killer still out there, watching and waiting?

This is a well-constructed story and written from different points of view. It kept me guessing as a good mystery/thriller should. I will absolutely be looking for whatever Emily writes next!

Due out on June 2! Order here.

Was this review helpful?

Whew...I am tired from this book! There was so much going on! Old love, new love, badly behaving children oh and let’s not forget the reclusive author this all centers around. As Bree and Laura’s lives begin to intersect we realize everyone has secrets and not all secrets are determined to remain hidden. A breathless run away story that I read in 2hrs because I could not put it down!!

Was this review helpful?

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Last year I read Pretty Revenge and really enjoyed it so I was excited to see another suspense thriller coming out from Emily. The writing was fantastic and kept you evenly paced throughout the book. There was alot of information and characters chasing secrets, so it didn't really get super suspenseful until 3/4 of the way through. I do wish it would of had some more twists and turns before then and I did figure out what was going on about halfway thru but it was still a great and fun read.

Ward is a bestselling author with an almost perfect life until the day that her daughter is brutally murdered. She disappears and stops writing. Bree is a recently divorced journalist who is trying to get back into the game. She becomes obsessed with finding Ward and telling her story. It is told from both their POV and switches from past to present. Stevie, Ward's daughter who was murdered's killer is still on the loose. Will this draw Ward out of hiding or will it put Bree in danger? What really happened? Grab your copy to find out.

Was this review helpful?

This book will grab you from page 1. Ward DeFleur goes missing after her daughter is brutally murdered during a book signing.
Bree, a new divorcee, is obsessed with finding Ward. However, how far will she go to find someone who doesn’t want to be found.

The writing is flawless. I’m not sure how Emily does it. Just when you think you figured it out, you haven’t.

Was this review helpful?