The Perfect Father, Charlotte Duckworth. 3/5. 👩‍🍼

After a difficult pregnancy Esther is grateful that Robin agrees to become a stay at home Dad so she can return to her successful career, but she soon realises leaving daughter Riley is tougher than she realised and as old relationship issues resurface, Esther really begins to question her decision. One evening Esther returns from work to find Robin has vanished and taken Riley with him, as the police step in it becomes clear that nothing about this modern day set up is quite as it appears to be.

My second Charlotte Duckworth book and another filled with a group of very unlikeable people. As with most domestic thrillers, there isn’t many people to root for here, but isn’t that what we all love about this genre? This one flashes back and forth as it builds suspense to that final moment. Throughout the novel Duckworth drops explosive bombs of truth about this family.

Duckworth is cementing herself as a solid in the domestic thriller genre.

After enjoying the author's previous title “Unfollow Me”, I was keen to read her latest offering and it most certainly did not disappoint. If you are looking for a fast-paced, well written, psychological thriller, then this is one for you.

The story begins in the present-day when Esther receives a text message from her husband, Robin, with just one word “Sorry”. In an instant, she knows something is wrong and her fears are confirmed when she returns home to find Robin and daughter Riley are missing. We’re then taken back three years to when Esther discovers she is pregnant. They are elated at the news, having almost given up hope of ever having a family of their own, although both have reservations – especially as Robin is a self-employed comedian who is yet to “make it big”. Their delight is soon washed away as Esther suffers from debilitating hyperemesis gravidarum.

After Riley is born they make the decision that Robin will stay home to care for her and Esther will return to work as she is the main earner. Whilst this suits their financial situation, it leaves Esther feeling guilty and fearful that she is not around enough to make an impact on Riley’s life. Whilst Robin is at home in his role of “The Perfect Father”, Esther feels she is the exact opposite in her role as a mother. As the story unfolds, we begin to see that Robin may well be the perfect father but he isn’t the perfect husband as events and actions from his past come to light, casting a shadow over their lives.

Charlotte Duckworth is a talented writer who, in addition to writing excellent psychological thrillers, also tackles difficult subjects. In the case of this book, it was hyperemesis gravidarum and I certainly felt I understood more about this condition from her writing.

I enjoyed “The Perfect Father” immensely – it is well written, fast-paced, has great characters, and thoroughly thrilling throughout. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Many thanks to Charlotte Duckworth, Quercus Books, and NetGalley

This is a unique read, which starts out seeming pretty straightforward but shifts gears and throws twists at you once you get about a third of the way through. The book opens with Robin kidnapping his daughter, Riley, but the reader doesn't know why. The rest of the book is told primarily from his wife Esther's point of view, both in real time and flashbacks, as we work our way to what happened in the prologue. This is a style of writing I enjoy.

The first part of the book is just a little slow- I couldn't figure out what the mystery was. It picks up after that and provides a unique twist on a story that you think you've seen before. This is a psychological thriller, through and through, but also touches on parental bonds and friendships, making for an overall satisfying read.

I struggled a little bit with understanding Esther and Robin's marriage, and do wish a little more attention had been paid to what drew them to each other to begin with. We are told that Robin is this great dad who was willing to stay home with their daughter while Esther is the primary breadwinner. but I didn't really see their connection, or what it was that made Robin so great that Esther would suffer some injustices in order to keep him.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and thought it was a well-thought out story that mixed mystery and emotion. I have read all of Duckworth's books and think this one was another hit. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I just didn't connect with either of the main characters in this book, I don't have to like characters in a book, but it does help me to enjoy it more if I like at least one of them. The plot was okay but not as original as I had hoped, and it just didn't work for me.I hope other readers enjoyed it more than I did.

The Perfect Father by Charlotte Duckworth is a story using the view point of Esther and another from her husband, Robin. Robin is supposed to be the perfect father or is he? He is the doting father that becomes a stay at home father who takes care of their child Riley. On face value, Robin IS the perfect father as he takes care of their daughter while Esther works. However, as the story goes on you realize that Robin is not what you think he is. The story begins with Robin taking off running away with Riley.
I enjoyed the book and was kept endgauge with the change in viewpoint in each chapter. I felt the pain that Esther went through with her pregnancy and the guilt of what she needed to do to survive. I definitely would recommend this book.
Thank you #NetGalley and #CharlotteDuckworth for giving me the opportunity to read and review #ThePerfectFather

Esther and Robin are a seemingly happy couple who decide to start a family.

This novel hits it’s first massive twist about a third through and from there you are spiralling.

The premise is great although I found both Robin and Esther quite unlikeable. I think this book aspired to be a little more shocking than it actually was, I found it a little formulaic and whilst I like domestic thrillers I wasn’t surprised or shocked by anything but the first twist.

Robin- the perfect husband. The perfect father. The perfect liar.

To the outside world, Robin and Esther have the perfect, progressive marriage. After two years of trying for a baby, they finally get pregnant. Fast-forward three years and they have a beautiful, intelligent daughter, Riley. Esther has spent many years working her way up the career ladder and Robin is a freelance comedian, so he feels it would be best for him to take some time off to care for Riley at home. Esther appreciates her loving, doting husband and defends his decisions to those who do not approve of their unusual, forward-thinking arrangement. Everything seems perfect, until Esther comes home to an eerily quiet house after receiving a text from Robin. A single word. "Sorry."
Everything about this book had me hooked from the start. I loved the snippets of present-time events sprinkled in with flashbacks from each Esther and Robin's perspectives. I despised Robin with a fiery passion, instantly suspicious of his overbearing, "loving" nature and sick to my stomach reading his inner thoughts and page after page of toxic behaviour. I was blown away at the huge twists and reveals through this story and did not expect the tumultuous, emotional roller-coaster that led to a fitting end for all of these well-written and dimensional characters. I will definitely be reading more of Charlotte Duckworth!

Wow! The Perfect Father has it all! On the surface, Robin and Esther have a picture perfect life. Esther has a job she loves with a salary that reflects the hard work she puts in every day. Since Robin, a struggling comedian and writer, has free time, he’s decided to be a stay-at-home father to their daughter Riley. There are some very deep cracks in this picture perfect lifestyle.

Robin is tall, handsome and blonde with a devilish sense of humor and a happy-go-lucky charm. Esther, more serious and not as outgoing as her vivacious friend Viv, falls for Robin and accepts what he tells her about his life. This is a mistake because, as this dark, twisted thriller begins, we learn that Robin and Riley have disappeared. Esther immediately alerts the police but she’s careful not to reveal everything she knows. The plot then veers back several months as Robin and the Esther narrate how their lives unraveled.

The Perfect Father will keep you guessing! Just when you think you understand what’s happening and settle down for a quick few pages, there’s another surprise. With well described characters and shocking plot twists, Charlotte Duckworth has created a compelling, fast paced read. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quercus Books and Charlotte Duckworth for this ARC.

Author of 2 books this year that I have loved ‘Unfollow Me’ and ‘The Rival’, I wondered if it was to be a ‘hat trick’with this new book
It was 😎
Although I have to say not an immediate ‘fall in love’ with book this story ‘got me’ and I was invested in it by a quarter through
Esther and Robin are married and to their relief Esther finds herself pregnant, she then suffers with ‘Hyperemisis Gravidarum’ which when I have read about it before ( even with Kate ) I kinda thought was just ‘a touch of bad morning sickness’, reading about it in this book has opened my mind and you can only admire any woman who can cope with this, the emotional torment and physical symptoms she endures are horrendous, but she does and well, to say anymore would be to ruin the plot but Robin and Esther have their baby
And then the chaos starts
Robin goes from being a very UN funny comedian and a bit of a wet lettuce tbh to a narcissistic monster but subtly, if that makes sense?, he never physically harms Esther but harms her and manipulates her in every other way
Yet, he is the ‘Perfect Father’
Various back stories become apparent and other characters seen as ‘extras’ suddenly step out and you realise why they are there and it really, for me, turned into a very enjoyable psychological ‘battle’ thriller with an unexpected sadness added via one character that until then had really disliked, a real revelation in how you can change your view of a character with one sentence
Well written and taut, the odd ‘far fetchediness’ forgiven as was so good
Broaches difficult subjects and unusual ones, all done without ‘going over the head’ of the reader
Superb

10/10
5 Stars

the husband from hell rob is underhand ,a liar and an all round creep ,saying anymore would give away the plot of this novel .to be honest i found it a bit unsettling and at times a bit far fetched but overall a good read .

Charlotte Duckworth's latest psychological thriller kept me awake through the witching hour. It really is unputdownable. I just couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
Esther and Robin want a child. When Esther becomes pregnant she is subjected to the horror of hyperemesis gravidarum. What happens next is both terrifying and extraordinary.
The writing is pitch perfect and there are some very clever twists in the plot. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes edge-of-their-seat thrills.

This is the first of Charlotte's books that I have read and it won't be the last. This is definitely one of those books that keeps you reading late into the night. While the reader knows pretty much from the outset that the Father is going to be less than perfect, this is one of those books that really keeps a reader's interest all the way through.

I had never heard of hyperemesis gravidarum before and found that an interesting side-story. Yes, some of this story is predictable, but I didn't find that spoiled any of my anticipation to get to the end to see what happens.

After wishing for a family of their own for a long time, Esther and Robin are finally blessed with their adorable daughter Riley. They decide to switch up the roles and after Riley’s birth, Esther goes back to her much loved career while Robin becomes a stay-at-home dad which initially works well but gradually brings bitter feelings to the surface. Esther arrives home from work one day to find both Riley and Robin missing. Esther is terrified, for more reasons than the obvious one, and as the police begin to investigate, it appears this at first glance normal family aren’t all they seem to be...

A compelling and fast-paced read for me! In all honesty, the storyline is pretty implausible which usually I struggle with BUT Charlotte Duckworth wrote this story so well that I was swept along with the plot. I really enjoy books that are told from multiple POV’s - this one being told from both Esther’s and her husband Robin’s over a varying timeline. I think it’s refreshing and mixes things up and again, Charlotte has done this well.

I despised Robin’s character which I assume was the intention and surprisingly found myself rooting for Esther, even though I had my reservations about her to begin with. I can honestly say that I didn’t expect the ultimate turn of events - a good feature with any story - and was quite shocked at some of the revelations. Although this wasn’t quite a book that I ‘just couldn’t put down’ it was very suspenseful, full of drama and a super easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley & Quercus Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brilliant, suspenseful, twisty story indeed. I loved reading this story and didn’t want it to finish! Very well written, easy to follow and I’m certainly recommending to others! Just great.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Things I liked about the book:
- good setup, I love domestics thriller that opens with a text message from a husband to a wife "sorry". The characters had layers, they are not what they're portrayed in the beginning. The book had a good tempo.

Things I am iffy about: I found some part of the plot unbelievable. And the motive that leads to the ending isn't plausible in my humble opinion.

It's a really very interesting thriller about the relationship between Robin and Esther and their daughter, Riley. Things not always are what seems to be, and parenthood is complicated when appears Kim, who has an important role on it.
The story swings between past and present and its focussed on Robin's "strange" behaviour, till facts from past are unravelled.
I really liked it. Maybe expected a story more "creppy", but anyway it's very well written and solved.

Twisting Domestic Noir....
Twisting domestic noir. When Esther returns to work following birth and husband Robin stays home to father Riley things don’t go exactly to plan. What is Robin - is he the perfect father or something entirely different? Good narrative, told from differing perspectives and a tense storyline. A solid read.

I enjoyed this!! After reading “unfollow me” I knew this author would be one to watch. Though I felt some of the story was a bit unrealistic, I really loved the vibe. It kept my heart pounding, which is exactly what I want in a thriller!

The Perfect Father

Hooked from the start! The Perfect Father is a breath of fresh air compared to other thrillers on the market!

Great opening chapter, set the scene perfectly, Introduced characters and drama! A little disappointed to see “three years earlier” as the start to the third chapter. Authors this is so overdone in thrillers! I’m sick of reading “three years earlier”...why is it always three years? Argh! For my complaining there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this book. The three years ago part made me totally forget about the present day section!

I didn’t like Robin from the start, I found him selfish, lazy and unmotivated. BUT....he’s a great character, fantastically layered, I loved reading his point of view.

The worst part of this book was the fact it ended! I would happily spend lockdown reading a never ending version of a The Perfect Father! This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I’m telling you YOU HAVE TO READ THIS! 5/5.

Well, this was a twisty, toxic tale.

Esther and Rob are a married couple, desperate for a child, then when they think it's too late, Esther becomes pregnant. She suffers from terrible morning sickness, to the point where she is hospitalised.

Then, baby Riley arrives and Rob is smitten, happy to be the stay at home dad whilst Esther returns to her fulltime, busy job. So far so happy family, then we get the first twist...

Loved the big twist in the middle of the book, I actually had to read it three times, but no, it was there, just planted and boom, it went off!

As characters you could tell Rob was going to be an arse, only time would show what an actual arse he was. I didn't especially warm to Esther, but by the end of the book I was firmly in her camp,

Another great suspense filled novel by Charlotte Duckworth.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.