The perfect family on the outside: nice house, new cars, successful careers.... is really not so perfect. The Adler family believes they are being targeted when what started as eggs being thrown at their windows turns into a smoke bomb on their lawn and more. Everyone in the family has a secret, but it seems like they will do just about anything to keep the other family members from finding out about their secret.

I had high hopes for this book. I love a good domestic thriller. I love an unreliable narrator. Secrets? I'm in. But this book just didn't really do it for me. There were some plot holes throughout the book that just didn't seem to get cleared up in the end. The "secrets" didn't seem to come full circle. Things that were played up to be a big deal throughout the book were kind of brushed off in the end. I was left feeling a bit confused.

I did enjoy the short chapters and that each chapter was from the perspective of one of the family members. I loved that Tarryn, the teen daughter, was all about sex positivity and feminism.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books. I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book started out like it was really going to be great but it soon fell flat for me. The characters were very
unlikeable and the story line had holes in it. I had to really work to get through it and usually I really enjoy this author's work..

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There is nothing perfect, especially this family. Thomas, the husband, and father is a real estate broker and attended a bachelor party for his assistant’s finance. He ended up so drunk, he cannot remember the evening. However, it was captured on film. Vivian, the wife and mother, stages homes. She also has a bad habit of picking up things while she is in someone’s home. The daughter, Tarryn, has become extremely hard to live with and retired to her room at night doing online video chats. Nothing she wants her parents to know about. Eli, the son, states he is not going back to college. He is not sharing his part in a hazing incident. Each member of the family holds on to their secrets. When vandals begin showing up destroying property, each person wonders if they are being targeted. There are a lot of secrets and twists and turns in this book. It kept me guessing and I never expected the outcome.

On the outside, the Adler family appear like they have it all. However, behind closed doors, every single member of the family, including their 2 teenagers have secrets from each other. Their house is under attack by the way and each person tries to figure out who would have an enemy to target them. None of the characters are particularly likable and they don’t even seem to like each other. Everyone seems like roommates rather than a family. It was interesting enough with the 4 characters point of view and my curiosity of the ending but it was a slow read.

I had high hopes for this book, but it got less and less believable as it progressed. Maybe other readers had more success with overlooking the plot holes and could somehow convince themselves this is a plausible story. I was, unfortunately, not one of those readers and could only give this book two stars.

Everyone has secrets. Thomas and Viv Adler, and their two children Eli and Tarryn, are no strangers to secrets. The family becomes the target of increasingly aggressive (and messy) attacks on the home which leaves them all wondering if they are the cause of the harassment. With no help from the police and no support from each other, they each must come face-to-face with their deepest fears and come clean to end the attacks. That’s what it will take, right?

The whole point of the book, The Perfect Family, was that everyone thought they were… perfect. It becomes clear that nobody within the characters’ social circles think they’re perfect and normal. Only the characters themselves believe that others perceived them as perfect. So, there goes the book description… Let’s talk about the vandalism pranks. Eggs, tomatoes, even animal excrement was plastered on windows and door handles. The cops were called to the scene numerous times and were basically useless. Fine, I can believe that part. But when Thomas installs security cameras to cover the yard, they only get low-quality and grainy images that could be easily figured out by the suspects. At one point, the vandals get so good that they don’t even trip the cameras because they learned the range of view. I mean, come on. It’s 2021, everyone has a Ring doorbell and they have pristine picture quality! And let’s not gloss over the fact that not a single person was harboring a secret that was even that bad and certainly didn’t warrant the kind of harassment the family was receiving.

I felt the author was using a sort of success recipe she had seen done before. Without going into too much detail, the Adlers end up exhausting all options and that blows up in their face just for sake of getting a reaction out of readers. I’m not one for liking shocks and twists just because it’s missing from the “success recipe”. Also, I wasn’t getting with the author’s use of Tarryn as a means of social commentary. I felt like that aspect was an afterthought. Most of what the author artificially injected into the story was, to me, unnecessary and distracting from what could be a somewhat entertaining novel.

To sum up the author’s writing style, I will leave you with this prime example. “It confirmed what Thomas had told me about her upcoming nuptials. My suspicions might have been assuaged if Thomas hadn’t acted so strangely.” My best guess is that the author looked up synonyms for “marriage” and “alleviated” and thought “yup, that’s how normal people talk!” It was just weird and made the reading all the more difficult.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! This book is set to be published on August 10th, 2021.

4.25 Stars

Meet the Adlers, the family’s public persona reminiscent of a kind of LEAVE IT TO BEAVER dynamic. But behind closed doors, the Adlers present a much messier version, one more in line with the flawed characters from MARRIED WITH CHILDREN.

Because each family member harbors a secret, each assumes blame for the escalating threats perpetrated by a mysterious vandal. The story unfolds through multiple points of view, which succeeds in giving the reader a more intimate connection with each family member. While some may find issue with the characters’ somewhat pedestrian shortcomings, the mediocre defects grant the novel a level of believability.

As other readers have stated, I, too, found the ending a bit too cryptic and open-ended; perhaps the author plans a sequel. Regardless, I wholeheartedly recommend THE PERFECT FAMILY to those who enjoy a generous serving of family drama with a side of mystery and suspense. Much appreciation to NetGalley, the author, and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

The Perfect Family is anything but the perfect family. The Adler family; dad Thomas, mom Viv, son Eli and daughter, Tarryn all have secrets, secrets they do not share with anyone. Seemingly without reason they seems to be under attack by "kids" who deface their house. Each one believes it must be because someone found out about the secret and are in revenge mode. The story is told in chapter by each one of the Adlers. I really enjoyed the story and each turn it takes! Thank you #NetGalley#ThePerfectFamily#GalleryBooks

I normally race through a Robyn Harding book but I struggled with this one. Well written, but not my favorite

How do you feel compassion for 4 unlikable characters? Each one is horrible in their own way for a variety of different reasons. Thomas seems to be the standard privileged white male; Viv is the perimenopausal bored wife with a major mid-life crisis. Their offspring are not much better and there is no end in sight to their drama.

The Adler Family gives off the impression of the perfect all American family but as the story unfolds, you slowly learn each member of this family has a big secret. A secret that could be behind the recent, and escalating, attacks on their house. This story seemed to move painfully slow and felt as though it was dragging and the minute details were weighing everything down. As more time was spent with each character being consumed by the guilt of 'what they had done', the characters felt frantic and erratic. Usually a fan of slow burns with a fast paced ending, The Perfect Family, lost me with how slow the plot line read for the majority of the story. Typically a fan of Harding's writing, this one fell a little short for me.

I knew from about 10% through this book that I would rather not read it, but I powered through just in case, and because I was grateful to receive a copy and wanted to give it a fair shake.

The premise- a troubled family where everyone has their own secrets - is very popular right now but I was still interested. The Adler family, Eli, Tarryn, Viv, and Thomas, all have a secret or two they would rather keep buried, but when their house starts getting vandalized, it is clear that they are being targeted. But which Adler? Who found out about which secret? There is an atmosphere of suspicion and suspense instead the house while increasingly frightening events take place outside of the house, while all the characters try to figure out of their secret is out and to blame for the damage.

While the premise was interesting there were a few things that took a toll on my rating.
First, the writing: instead of displaying who the characters were, discovering their personalities through interactions with other family members, friends, or coworkers, I feel like I was reading a mini character description of who they were supposed to be. "This is Bob. He is mean, hot-tempered, and likes beer" (not an actual quote from the book but this is the style.)

My other main complaint, and possibly just a personal preference is that all the characters ranged from borderline to extremely unlikeable. There were some victims that were mostly off screen, but there was no hero, no redemptive character arc. The family doesn't especially like each other, the kids think poorly of their parents, and the parents often refer to their kids as moody, difficult, and unkind, which on both sides is not untrue.

The sinister, thrilling pieces of the story were mild, and I predicted more than one reveal.
I may be in the minority here, because I would put this book in a stack with Ruth Ware and Shari Lapena: both authors that other readers seem to enjoy, and both that I would skip over!
Thank you again to NetGalley for the copy!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced copy.

Robyn Harding is becoming one of my favorite authors! Her books never disappoint!

Thomas, Viv, Eli and Tarryn, dad, mom and children. Every single one of them have secrets and when someone starts terrorizing their house each one thinks it has to do with them. I very much enjoyed each chapter being told in a different POV…..getting to know each character. It was very much on the edge of your seat but I didn’t think the “twist” was a super OMG moment, I still very much enjoyed the book and will continue to patiently wait for the next one!

This is the first Robyn Harding book that I’ve read and I’m not entirely sure that I will read another one. All of the characters were so unlikeable that I didn’t really care what happened to them. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thomas and Viv Adler are a successful couple, with their college-aged son Eli and high school junior daughter Tarryn. So when they wake up to their house being egged, they chalk it up to bored teenagers. But the vandalism quickly escalates and the Adler wonder who is behind it. Each of the Adlers are hiding a secret and wonder if they are the reason for the attacks.

Oh my goodness, this book had me hooked so fast and I could not put it down! I literally finished in within 24 hours and I can't remember the last time that happened. Each chapter is told from a different Adler's POV so we get to see their secret from them. The chapters are short and fast-paced so it's way too easy to read "just one more". Harding writes each character so well and believably. Sometimes I think teenage girls are written so cliche and there was none of this with Tarryn.

I can't praise this one enough! It was a wild ride for sure. One of my favorites that I've read recently.

Do not miss this when it comes out! Available August 10, 2021

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Adler family appears to have it all. A perfect family living in a beautiful home in a great neighborhood. Thomas is a successful real estate agent and his wife Viv has a successful business staging homes for sale by decorating. Their son Eli appears to be on the right track - he is an athletic soccer goalie at a prestigious college. Tarryn is a surly teenager.

All four of them have a secrets which I can't reveal without spoilers. This is important to know because their home is the target of nightly attacks such as egg throwing, feces smeared on a porch hand rail, tires slashed and more. Who is behind this escalating vandalism and why would their family be targeted?
Thomas, Viv, Eli and Tarryn begin to wonder if the attacks are a result of their secrets and the situations they are dealing with. I can say Thomas is being blackmailed and Eli was warned off by his soccer mates about a repulsive incident at college. That's not a spoiler.

I was quite surprised by one of the culprits and found this to be an enjoyable quick read. This is my first experinence with the author Robyn Harding and I think I will keep her on my radar for her previous books.

Publication date August 10, 2021 by Gallery Books. Genre: Mystery, Thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book. I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

⭐⭐⭐.5 Stars!!
Aww This is my third Robyn Hardy novel.
The book description for this story states ~
<i> Thomas and Viv Adler are the envy of their neighborhood, attractive, successful, with well-mannered children and a beautiful home </i>
We soon find out that the only true statement in this is the beautiful home.

Wasn’t sure we were going with the story but these people are strange and certainly not perfect!
Their home is being vandalized; it seems by kids being kids or it just might be something more serious.
Each family member has good reason to believe they are the target. But, of course, no one lets on and they blame each other.
Story is told from the POV of each family member and each reveals to us their secret or a strange hobby.
Thomas the dad had an embarrassing situation at a bachelor party.
Viv the mom is kleptomania and doesn’t really remember stealing things.
Son Eli has dropped out of college because he was a bystander in a serious hazing and did do anything
to stop it.
Teenage daughter Tarryn is camming.
They don’t have a pet but if they had a cat, I am sure that kitty would be out stealing the neighbor’s socks.

I am not a fan of nasty language ~~ true nasty things are going on!
However!!! I could NOT put this down! I had to play this mind game and I was determined to hang in there and figure it out. Ha-ha!
I can't say that I liked or enjoyed this bizarre family drama; but certainly not sorry that I read it!!!

This story is more than 3 stars but (to me) not 4!

Want to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for this uncorrected eGalley.
This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for my honest professional opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 10, 2021

A very twisty read! I really enjoy Robyn Harding's novels and this was no exception. It has so many twists and a few that I didn't even see coming. It's a story about how secrets can seriously destroy a family and also about the healing effects of finally opening up to those that love and care for you.

This was my second Harding book, and now an author I feel like I can read and enjoy whatever she writes. This was part thriller, part family drama and secrets. I found myself constantly wondering what I would do if I was put in their situation. (Their house constantly gets vandalized and they have no idea who is doing it, or why, or how to make it stop.) This was entertaining and left me guessing until the very end about what exactly was going on. I enjoyed the alternating view points between the parents and their teenage children too. If you like this genre, then you’ll enjoy this one!

Robyn Harding did it again. Another fast paced thriller that I couldn’t put down.

The Perfect Family is a multi-POV familial thriller that follows all 4 people in the seemingly perfect Adler family. Thomas Adler, the father and high powered real estate agent, Viv, the mother and owner of her own interior design business, Eli, the 20 year old college athlete/college drop out and Tarryn, the 17 year old daughter with a secret evening hobby. Everything seems to be going perfectly until someone starts harassing them. It starts out innocent enough with someone egging their house, but it keeps escalating until they fear for their lives. Who is doing this to the family? Each of the family members are hiding secrets that could be the cause of the harassment, but will the truth make it stop?

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this domestic thriller. Full of twists and turns that I did not see coming! Loved the POVs in the story. If you enjoy slightly damaged characters or completely dysfunctional ones you’ll sure like this one.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Everyone in the Adler family has secrets, so when egging of their house escalates to things like slashed tires and rocks through windows, each of them wonders if their secret is responsible for the unbearable stress in their household, wondering when the next attack will happen.

This is relentlessly fast-paced and fun in a dark-ish way.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 10, 2021.