Just wow! This book broke my heart into a million little pieces and then put it back together like one of those jigsaw puzzles you think can never be finished! Boyd's wry sense of humor captivated me from the beginning and propelled me back to my own past and the challenges of motherhood, raising daughters; as they turn into teens they can be sweet and saucy one day, and the next day sulky and sullen. Anna must deal with her daughter, Nell and stepdaughter Bay--and because she doesn't know the dark secrets that ties their childhoods together--she is at a crossroad when Nell is offered a modeling job at 15. Boyd speaks to so many themes: the challenges in marriage, lost love, jealousy, sacrifice, bottled-up emotions, body shaming, and sexual exploitation as young girls get sucked into fame and social media capitalizes on their vulnerability. Anna wants nothing more than for her daughters to be happy but where does one draw the line to keep them safe and yet let them experience life? It reminded me of a Moss Hart quote: "There is nothing like tasting the grit of fear for rediscovering that the umbilical cord is made of piano wire." This is one of the best books I've ever read (and I read A LOT)! I can't wait for her next one! This is one not to be missed!

This is a great read, a real whirlwind of a ride that drags you along from the first page! I loved it!

When Anna is faced with raising her stepdaughter, along with her two biological daughters, she is sure that she can make everything work. As time goes by and the girls grow up, a single decision will cause their whole family to unravel. Can Anna face the harsh truths about her daughters? What about when the stories differ? Anna must figure it out, at the risk of losing everyone she loves.
The Pretty One by Clare Boyd is an emotional rollercoaster. Throughout the book, I felt varying emotions for each character, except Dom, the husband, who I never liked. I found it very interesting that Boyd showed us Bay’s perspective. She could have easily been turned into the villain with no insight to her mind but Boyd took it the extra step making the book hard to put down. I truly enjoyed this book.

Title: The Pretty One
Author: Clare Boyd
Publication date: 26/02/2021

Description
Everyone in the village admires Anna because she’s a wonderful mother. Juggling family life with a small sewing business, she’s the one they turn to for a warm hug after a hard day. Her kind, polite daughters are a credit to her – even Bay, her stepdaughter, whom Anna loves as much as her own two girls.

But normal family life changes overnight when Anna’s middle daughter’s beauty catches the eye of a stranger in a café. As jealousy erupts between the siblings, Anna’s perfect blended family begins to unravel around her. A devastating secret about the dangerous game they played when they were little girls threatens to break the surface – and the bonds of this close-knit family forever…

To save her girls, Anna must rethink everything she ever thought she knew about love, motherhood and family. She must pick a side, an impossible decision for any mother, but believing the wrong daughter could be fatal.

Anna has already sacrificed so much for her family, but there are no limits to what a mother will do for her daughters…


The Pretty One is a stunning family drama that explores the dark consequences of sibling rivalry and the heart-wrenching emotional cost of keeping secrets from those you love. Perfect for fans of Big Little Lies, Little Fires Everywhere and My Dark Vanessa.

Review for 'The Pretty One' by Clare Boyd.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers.

Publication date 26th February 2021.

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I was originally drawn to this book by its beautiful eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 57 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in the UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture.

This book is written in first person perspective with the main protagonists being Anna, Nell and Bay. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are, as long as they are well written, it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on.

This book is very well written with the power to completely draw you in. The synopsis fitted the storyline perfectly. I believe the fact that Clare herself had experience of the modelling world really helped to show the true insight into what goes on.

The storyline is extremely powerful, addictive and eye opening. It was very fast paced and many times I wanted to scream at both Nell and Bay. I couldn't read the book fast enough and was flipping the 'pages' until early in the morning. I was not expecting what was found in the hospital and what Bay had done!! I won't say any more than that as don't want to spoil it for future readers but I was absolutely shocked!! It was fascinating to get an inside view of what goes on in the modelling world but quite scary too as I've heard many similar true stories about what goes on 'behind the catwalk'. I believe the fact that this storyline is so realistic will help draw many readers in.

The characters are absolutely solid and compelling. I had such mixed feelings about Nell from frustration to concern, she went through so much and it must have been so hard for her to decide what was best. How many people would give it a try when offered the right amount of money? When you are offered such large amount of money to stand and smile its easy to lose grip of reality and get lost in a different world. Bay really annoyed me and by the end I actively couldn't stand her!! I started off by feeling sorry on her but she seems such a selfish character. Anna is a mixed bag and although I'm pleased by the ending I did have some sympathy towards Dom. I definitely felt sorry for Iris.

The only negative thing , in my view, is that the book seemed to have a rushed ending. There was so much going and then it just felt like I hit a wall. I struggled over whether to give 4/5 stars for this reason but I thought as I enjoyed the rest of the book so much it was a bit harsh so I want to give it a 4.5. However, as you can't give 1/2 ratings I am giving this book a 5/5. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this very talented author.

Overall an addictive, eye opening and powerful insight into the reality of the modelling world and how it can destroy families.

Genres covered in this novel include Family Drama amongst others.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as anyone thinking of modelling and anyone looking for a fast paced addictive novel.

437 pages.

This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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What an amazing book! This one had me intrigued from the very beginning.
This was a whirl wind of a ride! Jealousy. Secrets. And long buried secrets don't stay hidden forever!
I absolutely loved this book. It was a fast paced thriller that held my attention amazingly.

#ThePrettyOne #NetGalley
I was hooked.
Anna because she’s a wonderful mother. Juggling family life with a small sewing business, she’s the one they turn to for a warm hug after a hard day. Her kind, polite daughters are a credit to her – even Bay, her stepdaughter, whom Anna loves as much as her own two girls.But normal family life changes overnight when Anna’s middle daughter’s beauty catches the eye of a stranger in a café. As jealousy erupts between the siblings, Anna’s perfect blended family begins to unravel around her. A devastating secret about the dangerous game they played when they were little girls threatens to break the surface – and the bonds of this close-knit family forever…
Narration of the story is good.
I'm doing more promotion on its release date among my fellow Authors Bloggers Family Friends and followers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me an advanced copy.

Great thriller that’s one of the best I’ve read. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this novel. Great characters and interesting story. Highly recommend!