You hit the ground running with the crazy in this story - there's no easing you into it! No-one in this story is likeable, and I do feel that the author has done well with this. However, I felt that no-one was redeemable & it just turned into a story about horrible people foing horrible things to each other. It also takes quite some time before we find out the exact details of why Ivy wants revenge on Lola, and I found this frustrating.

Wow! This book is the definition of "the long game." It was fun, well planned, juicy, sexy and wild. I really loved how nasty some of these characters could get, almost to anti-hero status. This was a super fast beach read thriller, and I highly recommend it.

When I first read the premise, I thought of a more malicious story similar to the great movie (imo) Ingrid Goes West. I consumed this book so quickly. It is thrilling, spicy, and filled with unlikeable after unlikeable human beings.

Ivy is in her 20s, has suffered a tragic past, doesn’t have the healthiest grip on reality, and is out for revenge. She moves to Miami to befriend and destroy a billionaire Miami socialite, Lola Maxwell. Lola is beautiful, the most well paid woman of color in Florida, has a rich and handsome husband, has her own very successful charity, and what seems to be living the perfect life. Ivy is convinced that Lola is the reason her life was ruined since she was in her early teens so she makes it her sole mission to ruin Lola’s life. This book is filled with suspense, lies, and some spicy adultery (not my go to but fun nonetheless).

I kind of disliked every character. They were all catty, fake, and self serving characters but I don't think they were supposed to be likable and it made the drama that much more interesting. I think I would’ve loved more instances of sabotage but the twist in the end was pretty good.

After her family was blown apart when she was a child, Ivy had little interest in life. Then she finds the woman who destroyed her family and Ivy has one purpose – to destroy Lola Maxwell. Lola is viewed as an angel by the people of Miami, a woman who does everything for those less fortunate. Ivy won’t stop until she has ruined Lola’s life, from turning her friends against her to stealing her husband. But Ivy may find herself caught in a trap of her own making in this glitzy novel of revenge and seduction

This was a wild story of revenge. If someone took everything from you and you had the chance to ruin their life, would you?⁣
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Ivy lost her parents when she was a teenager. She has never been able to move on from their deaths and has never known who was responsible for the car accident that killed them. During one of her therapy sessions, her therapist informs her that she now has the name of the individual who killed her parents, but worries sharing the name with Ivy will set her back. Ivy convinces her therapist she is strong enough to handle this information and that it will finally give her some closure. However, Ivy knows that when she learns their name- whoever this person is, he/she will suffer…she will make sure of that. ⁣
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Stories about obsession and revenge are hit or miss for me. I really liked the first half of this book, but then it just became a little messy for me. Additionally, this story is full of awful characters…every single one of them. I enjoyed it, didn’t love it, but I think it’s a quick and entertaining read. ⁣
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Thank you Netgalley and Dafina Books for this advance reading copy. This book is available 7/27/21.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-copy ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

The author was a new one to me, and I was surprised when I looked her up and saw that she had several titles, but all romance. I don't read many books like her other titles, and I was curious why she decided to try a thriller - and a little worried about the cross over.

Overall, I could tell this wasn't the author's first book because it was well written, the character development had a nice pace and felt well developed. But the thriller portion was a little lacking. I didn't ever really care for any of the characters, and some of the 'thrills' weren't as 'thrilling' as others I've read. But for a first attempt at a thriller, I thought it was a good book. I would certainly look for other thrillers by this author to see how she grows as an author. So this may not be the best for the die-hard thriller/suspense reader, but for someone who is starting out with the thriller genre, I think this would be a good fit.

I did like the book, so I'm going with a 3 star rating. It kept me coming back, but didn't blow me out of the water.

The Perfect Ruin
A Riveting New Psychological Thriller
by Shanora Williams
Kensington Books
You Like Them
Dafina
Mystery & Thrillers | OwnVoices
Pub Date 27 Jul 2021 | Archive Date 02 Aug 2021

I love a great Psychological Thriller. I know this writer primarily writes romance so I was curious to see how this one would be. It just wasn't a hit for me. I hope it will work out better for other readers. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC.
3star

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

The Perfect Ruin is a slow burn thriller that left me satisfied in the end.

The Perfect Ruin follows Ivy as she plans to infiltrate and ruin the woman’s life who ruined hers. Readers are not privy to the reason the narrator’s life was ruined at the beginning of the novel, but it’s obvious if you read between the lines. The reveal isn’t anything ground breaking or exciting compared to the end.

The Perfect Ruin as I mentioned previously is a slow burn novel. Readers watch at Ivy carefully inserts herself into Lola’s life. These moments were slightly boring at times, but were important to understanding both Ivy and Lola’s motivations. These moments also have You by Caroline Kepnes vibes. Readers are unaware of how far Ivy is willing to go to enact revenge and proves herself to be an unreliable narrator.

The end of the novel hits readers fast and furious as there are so many twists and turns in the final reveal. At first, the reveal didn’t feel earned but as the explanation continued I couldn’t pick up my jaw from the floor. I did not see the reveal coming and is what ultimately led me to rate the novel four stars instead of three.

Overall, The Perfect Ruin is full of twists and turns that readers won’t see coming. If you’re looking for something similar to You by Caroline Kepnes, buckle up because Williams will take you on a wild ride.

Ivy has a goal of destroying Lola’s life. She sets out to insert herself into Lola’s life and bring her down. This was an unbelievable tale of revenge, hurt and anger. The characters were unlikeable and simply horrendous.

Before I request an ARC, I do a bit of research on the author. When I was looking up Shanora Williams, I noticed she primarily writes Romance Novels, so I was surprised and intrigued as to what made her want to write a thriller? However, I AM SO GLAD SHE DID !!!

What a wild ride! I absolutely loved this book!!

Ivy once had a wonderful childhood until her entire family was murdered. As an adult she is still haunted by that fateful night when she lost everything. Now, she is out for revenge .

This book definitely had me begging for more. It was narrated perfectly and I was thoroughly impressed with the transition from romance to thriller. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good suspense novel

Ivy believes Lola ruined her life and she has a plan to ruin hers. Who has planned the perfect ruin? This is a highly entertaining, wild ride on the overly obsessed crazy train.

This book had an interesting premise but it didn't work for me, too wordy, not enough happening and way too over dramatic. no one likeable and it felt like what was the point

What a deliciously, entertaining, page-turner that is perfect for your summer beach reads! I welcome Shanora Williams to the psychological thriller genre.

The Perfect Ruin is set in Miami, FL and it is filled with messy, flawed characters that are unlikable, but written so well that you want to root for them in some sort of way. This book captures a side of women that can be ruthless and out only for themselves, but that’s what made me like this story and the twists it took me on. The beautiful and successful women of Miami and all the secrets they hide behind each of their facades.

Ivy is a woman that has learned through her therapist the name of the person who is responsible for her unhappy childhood. Since this person turned her life upside down, she will seek them out and plan The Perfect Ruin. She sets out to Miami where she meets Lola, a highly successful socialite that has made it her life's mission to have a surface perfect life while "helping" less fortunate/pregnant women. And Ivy's plan is to get as close to her as possible. Whatever it takes. She has a plan for everything from A to Z, so be prepared for ANYTHING!

'Gain her trust, then ruin her.'

Lola and her group of friends/hanger-ons are just as unlikable as everyone else that had been introduced in the book and I kind of loved that. I usually want at least one character that I find likable in my thrillers, someone I can relate to, but I honestly didn't need it. It was just fun to see who I could even remotely maybe like and perhaps commiserate with.

Shanora Williams created a world filled with beautiful people that did horrible things to the people around them. And she did it well. I liked how she centered the story through letters and had the narrators "talking" to their recipients. It made it feel like they were writing to me and telling me all the secrets of what was happening and I was here for it. I could see these crazy antics by these obsessive women.

If you want to get in the head of some truly devious women and be utterly entertained, this book has it all for you. Unlikable and unreliable narrator(s), entertaining thought processes of the characters and seeing how the rich may live. In excess and without too many cares. Revenge and obsessive characters will be knocking at your door. While Ivy has planned to ruin her target, expect the unexpected and to have a few twists thrown your way toward the end.

'Hate is an emotion you carry in your heart. It's a burning, gnawing sensation that burns in your veins, one that you can't escape or get rid of. Hate is an emotion you wish you could release because it has so much control and power over you.....Hate is loyal. It's here to stay.'

I really enjoyed this book. It is about a girl who is looking to get revenge for something that happened in her past and ruined her life. She is trying to get revenge against a famous social media influencer by befriending her and making her way as a part of her life in order to slowly destroy her and her family

The Perfect Ruin by Shanora Williams has a great premise, but I just found that it couldn’t keep my attention. I was forcing myself to keep reading and waiting for something to happen. This one fell flat for me, but I’m sure others will enjoy. I just needed more to catch my attention from the start.

I went into this with big, big excitement, but it just didn't click for me. Hoping it's a hit for other readers!

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 💫 3.5/5 stars

I easily read this book in a few hours by my pool. The Perfect Ruin is a fast-paced, entertaining tale of revenge with all of the over-the-top twists and turns.

The Perfect Ruin is about Ivy, a troubled girl who cannot move on from the death of her parents. When her therapist gives her the name of the person responsible for their deaths, Ivy becomes obsessed and determined to get revenge. As she gets to know the source of all of her pain, Lola, she decides to take everything the woman holds dear - her husband, her money, and her life.

Stories of revenge and obsession demand to be read by the pool/beach and this one is a great book for a summer day. It is quick, twisty, and, most of all, fun. It is not the most original story, but all I ask is to be entertained and this book accomplished that. I read that the author has written many romances, so I will definitely be checking those out!

Fans of Tarryn Fisher and Shari Lapena will love this fun thriller!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Ruin by Shanora Williams features Ivy, a rather unlikeable, strong-willed type of character. She seemed so real! I don’t actually mind these types of characters because in life, there are people like her and sometimes, characters like her are more interesting to read about.

Synopsis:

A brutal tragedy ended Ivy Hill’s happy family and childhood. Now in her twenties and severely troubled, she barely has a life–or much to live for. Until the day she discovers the name of the woman who destroyed her world: Lola Maxwell–the mega-wealthy socialite with a heart, Miami’s beloved “first lady” of charity. Accomplished, gorgeous, and oh-so-caring, Lola has the best of everything–and doesn’t deserve any of it. So it’s only right that Ivy take it all away…

Little by little, Ivy infiltrates Lola’s elite circle, becomes her new best friend–and plays Lola’s envious acquaintances and hangers-on against her. But seducing Lola’s handsome, devoted surgeon husband turns into a passionate dream Ivy suddenly can’t control. And soon, an insidious someone will twist Ivy’s revenge into a nightmare of deception, secrets, and betrayal that Ivy may not wake up from…

This book will have you taking sharp turns and there are twists and it’s evil and fun! Dont miss this one, due out on July 27.

I couldn't put this one down! I don't know where to begin with this thriller thrill ride. Twists and turns, surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. Shanora Williams knows how to keep readers engaged and revenge.