Another fun thrill ride for Clare Boyd! She’s great at creating amazing characters rhad keep you interested in the book, and this one is no exception! It’s fast paced, thrilling, chilling, and shocking! Highly, highly recommend to my fellow thrill seekers!

The Pretty One by Clare Boyd is a psychological thriller with twists and turns that you won’t see coming. The book centers on Anna, who not only is raising her two daughters, but also, her troubled stepdaughter, Bay. The novel starts off when Anna’s daughter, Nell is chosen to be a model. Anna must become Nell’s chaperone and also, continue to parent Isis and Bay. Nell’s modeling career creates tension In the family, especially with Bay. The modeling world is explored, sex, drugs, and eating disorders. Nell must navigate it all. Not only must she navigate the dangers of the modeling world, but also, the danger of her stepsister, Bay. Is blood thicker than water? What will Anna do when faced with the horrible truths of what Bay has done all these years and to Nell’s modeling career? I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological thriller. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for my review.

I love that this book touches on a different topic. The rivalry between the siblings was excellent and so real. This was one that I found myself not wanting to put down at all. Great read!

Fifteen year old Nell is spotted by a model agency scout. Her mum Anna is reluctant to allow her to join up but she wants to support her daughter's dreams. Nell's stepsister Bay is hugely jealous. Can the family survive or is the price of fame too high?
The Pretty One shows the dark side of the modelling industry as well as stepfamilies. There are psychological thriller elements but the family drama aspect drives the plot. Sibling rivalry is taken to the extreme!
The book is written from three first person perspectives: Anna, Nell and Bay. There are also chapters from 2012 when Bay arrived with the family and charting her behaviour towards Nell.
Nell and Bay have a bittersweet relationship. They love each other and are desperate for the other's approval, yet resent the very existence of the other at the same time. I had much more sympathy towards Nell as it becomes clear that Bay's behaviour is dangerous and cruel. Yet Nell's own behaviour towards their mother is typical teen and she rebels against the rules.
Anna put her own life on hold to look after her mother. She gave up the man she loved who went off to New York but she has never forgotten him. I got soooo wound up by her husband Dom who rejects all sense of responsibility, controlled by his own feelings of inadequacy and unable to parent his children or support his wife.
The modelling industry is not portrayed positively and the book contains teen drink and drugs, sexual exploitation and body shaming that is thoroughly unpleasant. Stereotypical but probably accurate :(
The Pretty One is an intimate study of a dysfunctional family with a strong emotional pull for the reader.

The Pretty One by Clare Boyd is another fascinating character study from this author, this time delving into the complicated dynamics of a family, and offering a glimpse into the darker side of teen modelling.

Anna has two biological daughters, Nell and Iris, and is also stepmother to partner Dom's daughter, Bay. When beautiful Nell catches the eye of a modelling scout while on an outing with the family, an offer made, though unexpected, is rife with possibility. Convinced that the extra money that a modelling job would bring will help to ease the financial load the family is facing, Anna gradually comes around to the idea of allowing Nell to pursue the opportunity, though she worries how this change of circumstance will affect Bay. What follows is a chilling tale of sibling rivalry, and of a family forever changed.

While I would not classify this as an edge of your seat thriller, Ms Boyd admirably keeps the tension simmering, and I remained fully engaged throughout.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Bay came to live with her father Dom, Anna, his wife & two daughters. Although Anna is kept busy already with her demanding mother & by Dom's inability to be any use she has the bulk of smoothing her path. Bay has had a very unhappy time so Nell & Ivy do all they can to make her feel wanted. As the girls grow up Nell is turning into a beauty & she is spotted by a modelling talent scout. Anna is unsure about this, especially as Nell is coming up to exams. However Dom thinks it could be a great chance for her once he hears how lucrative it might be! Bay & Nell have a rather strange relationship- just how strange is revealed later on!

Told from various points of view this was a sad story of a crumbling family. Nell started out a lovely lass but the fashion world turned her into a real little madam. Bay had her problems & they did not improve as the tale went on. Dom was ghastly & nothing changed there! Anna attempted to please everyone & sadly failed. I got very cross with her at times as her desire to please people meant that when she needed to be strong it was too late. All in all it was a bit like watching a car crash- you knew it wasn't a good thing to do but couldn't drag yourself away.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is a story of sibling rivalry and a descriptive look at the world of teenage modelling. It is quite a difficult read in places thanks to the power/pressure of social media , but definitely worth reading.

Anna is a loving mom and wants to be the perfect wife. She insists that her husband’s abused daughter come live with them and she does everything she can to shower this child with love and attention.
As the children get older they become there own persons and have there own unique looks. Anna’s own daughter Nell is a beautiful girl and she is noticed by a modeling and photographer group.
Sparks and secrets and new secrets start to arise.
This is definitely a very riveting book that you wonder what is going to happen next.
I would recommend this book.

I received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and these are my willingly given thoughts and opinions.

First of all, I wanted to say a big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

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It wouldn’t be right to start another review without putting some trigger warnings in place. This book does contain some ableist remarks towards autism, mention of eating disorders, and, there is also a mention of attempted rape of a minor and peadophillia. If any of these are triggering to you, please be cautious when deciding whether to read this book.

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This novel revolves around Anna and her family. To outsiders they probably look like a perfect family, particularly after Anna takes in her husbands child and immediately takes her under her wing. However, her eldest biological daughter, Nell, is scouted by a modelling agency, this is just the start of the stormy events that follow. Anna is worried that Nell becoming a model will negatively impact Bay ( her step-daughter). Bay has a fragile temperament, becoming easily overwhelmed which can and has lead to disastrous consequences for the family. Bay becomes secretly obsessed with the idea that she is less loved than Anna’s two biological daughters, Nell and Iris which unsettles the family dynamic as they know it.

This novel primarily focuses on family and the trials and tribulations around raising teenagers. Everyone whose either raised or has been a teenager with siblings , knows it’s inevitable that fighting will occur, although the fights in this book are more on the morbid side.

It also heavily focuses on how hard it can be to be a mother to a teenager whose going through her rebellious phase, how hard it can be to try and juggle making them happy whilst also thinking about what’s best for their health, safety and future. I thought this area of focus was very thought provoking. As a teenager, you never really think about how difficult it must be to be a mum whose gone from protecting and shielding you from dangers, and having to watch you grow up, losing their ability to shield you from the dangers, subtle and obvious out there in the world. How utterly crippling it must be to watch your children(sometimes) pick the wrong path, the wrong friends etc. Watch them change in front of your very eyes and feel as though you’re losing them.

As the novel resides around Nell’s modelling career it does also touch on eating disorders that are often very rife in the modelling industry. I feel like it was an important aspect to include as many people are unaware of how much damage eating disorders can have not only mentally but physically too. It’s a hard thing to navigate once you’re in the belly of the beast, it’s hard to get out of that mindset and get back into a healthy relationship with food. Self-esteem also becomes intertwined with eating disorders, something Clare has really driven home. It becomes impossible to detangle the two from one another, which then becomes a slippery and dangerous slope.

This novel really expresses how a family navigates through crises’ whether it tightens their bond or breaks them apart.
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I found this book really easy to read, it’s really descriptive but I didn’t find it to drag. The narrative does switch between characters but it’s easy enough to follow, it doesn’t flip characters mid way through a chapter, each chapter may have a different narrator but it’s clearly stated. There’s also a dual timeline within the book, it switches between when Bay arrived, providing more background context around her and Nell’s relationship, and the present. But again, it’s clearly stated, making it much easier to follow.

I really enjoyed the development of the characters as they became more self-assured and confident within themselves and who they wanted to be.

It’s a very twisty novel, at first I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get into it but it quickly had me hooked and the ending wasn’t disappointing as some books often are! All the loose ends were tied up nicely, it didn’t feel rushed, I feel like it was a lovely way of concluding the novel.

Overall, if you’ve managed to read this far, well don’t you, I waffled a lot! I really enjoyed this novel and will definitely pick up more from Clare in the future!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Pretty One touches on a subject that you think isn’t well known, but sibling rivalry and abuse within is more common than you think. Which is quite sad. I haven’t read a book that features this topic before, so it was a whole new area for me.

Mum Anna tries to be a good mum. She took in her step daughter Bay and treated her just like her own two daughters Nell and Ivy. Bay could do no wrong in Anna’s eyes. Nell pays the price for this.

Anna gave up her career to bring up her three girls. I think deep down she was unhappy, being torn in many ways to keep the peace in the family. Her relationship with her husband, Bay’s dad is strained. He didn’t want emotionally damaged Bay to live with them.

One day while the girls and Anna are out shopping, 15 year old Nell catches the eye of a model scout. This is the start of lost innocence, disturbing scenes, jealousy, and a rollercoaster of emotions. As a reader, you are thrown into the murky world of teen modelling. It’s not as glamourous as you are led to believe. Keep your eyes peeled as secrets are exposed, which means life will never be the same for the family.

I really enjoyed The Pretty One by Clare Boyd. It was hard reading in places about a 15/16 year old girl being exploited in the dangerous world of modelling. The story was slow in a few places, but it made up for it in others. I was going to give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars but have decided to round it up to 5 out of 5, due to the unusual nature of the story pursuing sibling bullying and I know it’s a pretty harsh word, but torture as well.

When I was reading this book, I was literally carrying my kindle around the house. I took it with me to read while I waited for the toast to pop, I was reading which watching TV and yes, I even took it with me to the loo. I could not put it down.
So current and real, it will chill you.
Anna is taking her kids on a day out to a gallery in London. Her daughter Nell, her stepdaughter Bay, and the youngest Ivy. A little bit of culture and an opportunity to bond. She is so proud of her kids; they are all different and yet she loves them all with passion. Bay might not be her own biologically, but in every sense of the word she is hers. Bay is quirky and striking and likes to be different, and Nellie is classically pretty, the pretty one. Although at fifteen she isn’t aware of her looks and hasn’t grown into them. Ivy is just herself, too young to worry and happy to be with her big sisters. A strange man is following them, and it makes Anna uncomfortable. She decides that stopping for tea and cake might shake off their tail. It does the opposite though and the man comes up to them. He is a model scout and he has his eyes on Nell – the pretty one.
Read this book please …
I don’t want to give too many spoilers because I really want you to read this book. It is a fantastic read from author Clare Boyd. More than that it is a cautionary tale of modern times, and the power of social media, body image and peer pressure. Against Anna’s better instincts, Nell becomes a model. The money is amazing, and this could change their lives. It does change their lives, but for the better, and what about the past? What effect does the past have on the present and the future.

This was my first story by this author and it won't be my last.

This was an interesting take on family dynamics. It was compelling and a page turner that I didn't put it down until the end.

The chapters were short and quick which made it easy to read and get the story quickly.

Loved it!

Wow! This book is such a must-read. I was completely consumed by it and could not put it down.

There is so much to this book, it’s difficult to even categorise it. It’s dark and chilling and suspenseful, but it’s also a completely compelling account of the world of modelling, and the sort of scene that young girls get sucked into. After I had read the book I read an interview with the author, who explained that she’d been a model, and that really explains the feeling of authenticity that you get from this book.

Above all else though, it’s a totally intriguing and addictive read. The characters feel so real, and I liked some more than others. Anna, I liked, but I felt as though she had no confidence in herself as a mother. She didn’t seem to know where to draw the line, or how to say no to Nell. Having said that, she’s going through a bit of a crisis of confidence in general in her life, and questioning her life choices. She also has quite a complicated relationship with her own mother. I liked Nell, and could see how she’d be so easily drawn to the glamour and the money and the lifestyle when it comes to modelling. They live in a small village, and life in the modelling industry in London must have seemed to appealing to someone her age. Her relationship with Bay is complicated, and I had no idea what secrets from the past they might be hiding. When the secrets are finally revealed, they are shocking, and it explains so much about Nell. Bay is a bit of an enigma, quite a complex personality, though she has been through a lot in her life. I did find it a bit hard to warm to her though.

Be warned, once you start to read this book you’ll find it very hard to put down. It’s a real “one more chapter” book, and certainly kept me reading late into the night. I really enjoyed this one, and can’t recommend it highly enough.

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller - a seemingly perfect blended family comes undone as one of the daughters is being noticed for her looks. Tense and surprising!

In The Pretty One, back in 2012, Anna has three daughters, Bay, Nell and Ivy. Baby Ivy is the youngest, Nell is the pretty one, aged 6, and Bay is the eight-year-old daughter of Anna's husband, Dom Hart. Fast forward to the present day and the sisters are nine years older, meaning Nell is fifteen. Anna and her daughters are taking a trip to the Tate Modern in London. Having a break in the café, a man introduces himself as David and he is a scout for a modelling agency. Anna and Dom aren't keen on Nell becoming a model but the family could use the money so they relent, without realising that their worst nightmare is just around the corner...

Written with panache Clare Boyd delighted me with this polished psychological tale. The plot execution was first-class, as was the characterisation. There were no disappointments and I was completely gripped from the first chapter, loving the tension and twists.

Told from Anna's, Nell's and Bay's perspectives, characterisation is the prominent factor in the storytelling. Bay is a fascinating character and she has an extremely unpleasant side, to say the least. Anna is a people pleaser, determined to keep the peace. As occurrences manifested, the author certainly kept me on my toes in this immensely absorbing and chilling read with themes of jealousy, cruelty, manipulation and sibling rivalry. The Pretty One was everything I wanted in what was a stellar family drama novel, and I enjoyed how things panned out in the satisfying finale. This was my second read by Clare Boyd and I enjoyed it immensely.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

The Pretty One is a well written family drama that explores the lives of a blended family seemingly well adjusted but with so much more going on in the background. It explores the forces of outside pressures, money, hormonal teens, and temptations and how they can change and damage the bonds of family dynamics.

The author manages to maintain a sense of taut suspense throughout. We know something transpired between the stepsisters early on, but we're not sure of the extent of it. I was not sure this type of behind the scenes of modeling was cliché or real-life based, but when I read the author's letter to the reader, I appreciated that the story was informed by her experience.

There was good character development for the main narrators (Anna, Nell and Bay) as well as Anna's mom. I couldn't quite get a handle on the dad, which was telling in itself. And then there was the youngest daughter, Iris, almost non-existent as a character, but cued in to a lot of the family happenings. There were definitely some uncomfortable moments in the book, and kudos to the author for making us feel them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advanced reading copy for review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this Arc.
Having loved Clare Boyd's books I was really looking forward to this one. It definitely didn't disappoint. Keeping me on the edge of my seat I read it in one sitting. Definitely worth five stars.

A absolutely loved this book, it is a truly dazzling novel pitting the complexity of family dynamics against the murky world of the modelling industry. Boyd's vision is a satisfyingly complex one which dives deep into the way we manipulate and are manipulated in the name of love, she uncovers how secrets can scar us (literally and figuratively) and how appearances are never what they seem, a fitting concept for a novel which takes on the enormous subject of the dangers for adolescents lurking within the modelling industry. Written in first person from Nell, Bay and Anna's (the mother) POV (with flashbacks), this made for a gripping read, due to Boyd's deft writing, and the plot comes across as deceptively composed while under the surface trauma and a constant sense of threat bubble away. There is a constant sense of the situation detonating every step of the way and this made for addictive reading (NB certain scenes were hard to read about and could be considered triggering). I was highly impressed at how Boyd juxtaposed between being behind the camera (it is no chance that Bay prepares films and is always watching, observing and ultimately manipulating her material to tell the version of events that suits her in the same way that the modelling industry emphasise appearance). I was really engaged with Anna's trajectory as mother and wife too. A brilliant novel that does so many things at once!

First, I want to thank Clare Boyd, Bookouture, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Clare Boyd’s The Pretty One goes inside and shows you what the modeling world is really like. It is an extremely eye opening book that is incredibly dark.

There are so many important life lessons and important topics in The Pretty One. Some are self mutilation, rape, loosing your virginity, infidelity, etc.

Oh there was a point in this book where I was just livid. Nell was being told that her size was too big and they would have to promote her another way! A size 10 in the USA is not fat by any means. Putting someone down for their weight messes with their self esteem big time. I should know as I was once 303lbs.

Clare’s strongest writing has to be the very climatic ending of the book.

The Pretty One is broken up into sections of the book.

Like Nell Clare was into modeling and had her share of horror stories as well.

This family drama got my attention from page one and had me until the very last one. Not only I wanted to keep reading and know more about the story, but I found myself thinking about it while I wasn't reading.
I have nothing negative to say about the writing or about how the characters are built. Actually, I don't have anything negative to say about the whole book.
Perhaps the only thing I'd say, is that this might not be everyone's cup of tea. Mainly because it revolves around the drama and tension of this family and how everything changes bit by bit.. And I reckon, some might find this boring. But I'm definitely not talking from my point of view. Just stating this for others.