When Lily learns that, only a year after her mother’s death from cancer, her father plans to marry Maria, she is upset. After all, Maria was her mother’s friend, the salon owner who visited every week to fix her hair and give her a special beauty treatment. Lily knows she should be happy for her father and her little sister Emma because they adore Maria but she suspects there is something wrong. She is right but she has no idea of the danger she is facing.

Maria, as it turns out, does have an idea. She has spent her life running from and trying to atone for a terrible decision she once made. Nothing is ever truly hidden and when Maria’s past clashes with the present, she must decide how to save her family.

The Perfect Stepmother is a suspenseful read with slowly building tension. Both Lily and Maria are sympathetic characters for their love of family. The exciting conclusion is totally unexpected. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Karen King for this ARC.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Perfect Stepmother’ by Karen King in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Lily and her five-year-old sister Emma are shattered when their mother Ruth dies of cancer leaving their grieving father Gareth. It comes as a shock when Gareth starts dating Maria the owner of an expensive beauty salon who became friendly with Ruth while giving her beauty treatments. Although Maria appears very attached to Emma, Lily can’t help feeling there’s something not quite right about her and thinks she’s keeping a secret, which she’s even more convinced of when Maria starts receiving letters written in red ink hand-delivered through the letter box. Is Lily right to mistrust her?

This is the first novel I’ve read by Karen King and I’m pleased that ‘The Perfect Stepmother’ has turned out to be as I’d hoped, a gripping and very tense thriller with twists and turns that’s kept me reading well into the night. The plot may not be unique but it’s well-written with lots of suspense, drama and intrigue as I’ve tried to decide what it is that Maria is hiding from them. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this thriller which I’ve read in twenty-four hours and am looking forward to the author’s next one.

Maria is facing mountainous obstacles. For one thing she is about to marry Gareth, the husband of a client of hers that passed away from cancer. Gareth's daughter Lily is truly unhappy with her father's choice to remarry. Her mother has only been gone a year, and Lily does not trust Maria. More than having to win over Lily and her younger sister Emma, Maria is hiding a secret from her past that would ruin everything - her impending marrriage and her exclusive salon - if exposed.

Will Maria and Gareth marry without Maria's secret being exposed? It doesn't help that Lily consistently proves her lack of trust in Maria, talking to her father and boyfriend Seb nonstop about the doubts she has about Maria. Five-year-old Emma has already lost her mother. What if her father's new marriage doesn't work out, what will happen to Emma then?

In this thrilling novel by Karen King events of Maria's past slowly begin to reveal themselves. Is Maria to be trusted? While it is clear she loves Gareth, and Emma as well, does her unusually protective nature prove that there is something about Maria that gives rise to the feelings Lily has about her?

There are shocking things that happen in this riveting story, While it is more than obvious there was something about Maria, I couldn't put this book down. I just had to know what happened in her past, whether Lily was onto something, and would Emma be safe and other concerns.

The reader will know that Emma disappears, that is from the very first page. However, the story is told in timeline fashion as to what led up to Emma's disappearance. As the time got closer and closer to what happened to Emma was very intriguing, making The Perfect Mother an excellent read from beginning to end. With excellent pacing, a couple of shocking plot twists and a surprising conclusion, this is a book that I definitely would recommend.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinon.

The Perfect Stepmother by Karen King 🌟🌟🌟

A domestic psychological thriller. Emma and Lily's mother has recently died. Lily happens to spot their father with a woman who turns out to be his new girlfriend. Lily immediately has a bad feeling about her but everyone puts this down to the relationship starting soon after her mother's death. Unfortunately the plot becomes stilted and repetitive as Lily continues to unearth details which further arouse her suspicions, but again her concerns are dismissed and she is accused of trying to destroy the relationship. The story is well constructed, there are a few fairly good twists, the characters are well developed and all the loose ends are tied up, but overall it felt a little cloying and predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After Lily's mother passes away from cancer, she is shocked when her father announces he is getting married again. Maria, Lily's new stepmother, seems overly protective of her sister Emma. But when Emma goes missing, Lily can't help but think Maria must have been involved in her disappearance.

I recently finished The Perfect Stepmother, which was a quick read suspense novel. It wasn't the most original book and the ending was a bit of a let down however it did keep me intrigued throughout.

Published: June 17, 2021
Bookouture
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Karen King is a multi-published bestselling author of fiction for both adults and children. She has also written several short stories for women's magazines. Currently published by Bookouture and Headline. Karen writes about the light and dark of relationships. Her debut psychological thriller, The Stranger in my Bed, was published by Bookouture in November 2020 and her second one, The Perfect Stepmother, will be published in June 2021. She is also contracted to write three romance novels for Headline, the first one, One Summer in Cornwall, will be published on 29 April 2021.

“YOU DON’T DESERVE TO HAVE A DAUGHTER.”

Lily is reeling from the loss of her mother. She is determined to be as supportive as she possibly can be for her father and little sister, Emma. So when Lily spots her father on a date with the woman who gave her mother beauty treatments and learned they had be seeing each other, Lily is hurt. Lily is angry. Lily is positive there is something wrong with the situation. Maria runs a high-end beauty shop and volunteers her time and talents to women battling cancer. Maria dedicates much of her time to do whatever she can to try and help others. So when Maria and Gareth announce they are getting married after months of dating, Lily is more shocked. This picture-perfect family May just be ripped apart by another tragedy.

This was the first book I’ve read from this author, and overall it was okay. I found the buildup rather slow and slightly repetitive. The character development was pretty good, though predictable.

While entertaining, I figured out the twist halfway through the book. I knew who did what and why, I figured out the big revenge motivation, and I knew how things would end.

I don’t love being right about the ending. I always think I know where a book is going, and when I’m wrong, and the authors surprises me, I love that.

Overall, the book was well done. The plot was full, and the story arc was complete. There was a slow build to a fast spiral as the twists brought the book to a close. It was a decent read, with a pretty well-done twist.

The Perfect Stepmother is my first read by author Karen King. A thoroughly enjoyable family drama with twists and turns coming at just the right intervals. Well written and engaging - I am looking forward to my next read with this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Many thanks to #netgalley and #bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

When I read the blurb for this, I was so intrigued!
Since the days of Cinderella, the stepmother has always been that evil figure, the woman who turns the father’s head but does not fool the children! So I dove into this book with the hopes of reading a compelling thriller with a wicked if not downright evil stepmother.
Unfortunately it was not quite what I got! Although not a bad book, it just didn’t live up to the usual thriller standards and was just way too predictable!

Lily is still trying to come to terms with losing her mother to cancer a year ago, when her father announces his wedding to the woman who gave beauty treatments to her mother in the last phases of her life. Shocked by how quickly the relationship is proceeding and how little everyone knows about her new stepmother, Lily decides to investigate. But nobody seems to know anything about her stepmother’s past!

The book started off well with Lily’s 6 year old sister going missing, then we travel back eight months and discover how everything led to this awful moment.
I thought there was a lot of unnecessary information that could have been left out. For 60% of the book all we get is the family’s daily routine, without much else happening, except for Lily’s constant and paranoid suspicions. I actually skipped a few pages because it was almost repetitive.
The final part of the book was better, but I predicted the ‘twist’ early on in the story so was a tad disappointed that l was actually right!

By the very end it felt more like a Hallmark movie than a thriller. I obviously can’t say more without giving away too much!
So if you’re into books revolving around family drama with a nod to thrillers, you might love it!

Pub date: June 17th, 2021

The Perfect Stepmother is a book with plenty of twists that will keep you turning the pages.
Lily has a younger sister who is nearly twenty years younger than her, they are left devastated when their mother dies from cancer. Lily struggles to adapt to the idea that her dad is dating only a year after her mother has died. Within two years he has married Maria and lily thinks it is too quick although she has to admit her father is happy and Emma who is only four has taken to her. Lily thinks there is something about Maria that she doesn’t trust but her boyfriend doesn’t agree but when Emma goes missing they have to agree.
This was a book of two halves for me, the first being quite slow and I thought very repetitive at times especially with Lily going on and on about how her father had moved on too fast and how Maria was hiding something. The second half was totally different with a good pace and twists making you wonder who to believe.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this Arc I received in exchange for an honest review.

After having thoroughly enjoying Karen's debut psychological thriller "The Stranger in my Bed" , I was excited at the prospect of her latest. But THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is more than just a thriller - it is domestic drama built on secrets, lies and mistrust. It also examines how a person is defined by their past and how the choices made as a youth can haunt those for the rest of one's life. The story was not what I expected and while it holds the promise of a thriller, it is also a moving story that had me in tears by the end. With so many twists, the story leads to a surprising yet satisfying ending. And I enjoyed every minute of it.

The prologue opens with the disappearance of five year old Emma Metcalfe from her backyard. But it's not your usual "missing child" trope so don't be fooled by it. There is something far deeper at play beneath the surface. Something that will shock Emma's family to the core. But first we must go back to when it all began...seven months ago.

Lily always had a simple dream: to be as happy as her parents were. Always content in their suburban home, life was good for Gareth and Ruth Metcalfe and nothing phased them...not even when a surprise pregnancy resulted in their second child Emma, twenty years after daughter Lily. But their love story was tragically cut short when Ruth succumbed to breast cancer when Emma was just four. Sadly Emma doesn't remember a time when her mummy wasn't sick while Lily's memories go back further to the days they were happy.

Still grieving the loss of her mother, Lily is shocked to discover her father canoodling in a cafe with another woman, even moreso when he announces they are to marry barely a year after her mother's death. Believing her father to be going through the stages of grief and feeling lonely, Lily tries to convince her father to slow the speed of their relationship down. But no sooner has he made the announcement than Maria moves into the family home and the date of their wedding is set for the the following month. Lily is so enraged that her father could disregard the memory of her mother so quickly for the woman who had been her beautician until she died, she voices her concerns to boyfriend Seb who, at first, shares her doubts but accepts the fact that it's her dad's life and his happiness.

No one appears to be listening to Lily and her concerns about Maria, who appears to be perfect and can do no wrong. Her father and his new wife are so obviously in love and Emma adores her new stepmother. Despite her father's pleas, Lily cannot make peace with his decision and is sure that Maria has an agenda; that she has manipulated her father and wrangled her way into his life for the perfect husband, the perfect house and a ready-made family. But it's her over-protectiveness of Emma that makes Lily uncomfortable and soon Emma begins to display signs of a nervous child under Maria's care. And when she offers to take Emma for a sleepover, Maria curtails those plans with her own citing that she, Gareth and Emma need time to bond as a family. But Emma is her little sister! And yet little by little, Lily feels as if Maria is slowly shutting her out of her own family.

Unable to trust her new stepmother, Lily then makes a surprising discovery: there appears to be no trace of Maria beyond ten years ago when she set up her exclusive beauty salon. Why is that, she wonders? And why does Maria reveal nothing of her past? And whenever asked she is quick to change the subject? What is it that she is hiding? For she is hiding something, of that Lily is sure.

So one day when she is called to collect a sick Emma from school, she does a little snooping in Maria's things and comes across an old photo of a couple face down in a drawer. Are these Maria's parents? And if so, why keep their photo hidden away and not on display? She quickly snaps a photo on her phone and forgets about it...until the day it leads to an even bigger discovery. And the truth about Maria's past is finally revealed. But not before Emma disappears from her walled backyard whilst in the care of her stepmother...

Intriguing from the very beginning, the story unfolds through the eyes of Lily and Maria throughout. And although I enjoyed capturing both sides, I feel it removed the element of mystery of Maria a little, where the reader would be left questioning Maria's motives. On the surface, Maria appeared to be perfect. When she wasn't working in her salon, she was involved in various charities, taking part in fun runs to raise money and devoting one day a week to give free beauty treatments to cancer patients...which is how she met Lily's family. How could someone so perfect be hiding a guilty secret? Unless they were trying to atone for a mistake in their past? But no matter how perfect Maria seemed to be, Lily was sure she was hiding something and because of that she worried for her father and her little sister. There were times Lily appeared to obsess a little too much about Maria, but then had I been in her shoes I probably would have felt the same. After all, no one really knew anything about Maria as she was such a private person...the question is, why? Especially when innocent questions about her past were practically ignored and the subject changed. Then one would have reason to be suspicious.

But as the story unravelled, so did the mystery of Maria as the truth is gradually revealed. And although hints had been dropped throughout, the secret is a somewhat tragic tale that one can't help but shed a tear.

While secrets and lies feature heavily in this book, so too does mental illness (though not till towards the end). THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is more than secrets, more than lies, more than deception...it is about regrets and redemption and moving forward. It is thrilling, it is touching and also a little bit sad. You cannot read this book without going through a whole range of emotions.

THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is an intriguing story that is surprising and emotional...and certainly not what you would expect when beginning the book. It is a mix of psychological drama, domestic thrills, mystery and suspense...all with a surprising and clever end.

This is one of those books I cannot recommend highly enough. It's gripping and emotional and leaves you wanting more. THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is a fantastic read that does not disappoint.

I would like to thank #KarenKing, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ThePerfectStepmother in exchange for an honest review.

The story is fast paced, gripping and it keeps you wondering what could’ve happened 22 years ago. It is told in both Lily and Maria’s POVs, which allows you to get to know both characters and the way they think but giving you just enough information to keep you guessing all the way to the end. I found myself puzzled as to who to believe and trying to connect the dots.

Well-written, short chapters and a stepmother that seems too good to be true…this one had me on the edge of my seat!!

If you enjoy mystery stories, I think you’ll enjoy this one!!!

✨Thank you Karen King, @netgalley and @bookouture for providing an eARC in exchange of an honest review. All opinions are my own. ✨

This review will be posted on my Instagram account on pub day. @bm.bookish.girl

✨Book Review: The Perfect Stepmother by Karen King✨

📖: When Lily and Emma’s mom passes away from cancer, Lily is shocked to find that her father is marrying again so soon. Maria seems like the perfect stepmother but Lily senses secrets. And when Emma goes missing, only Maria can be to blame. What’s the truth, and what’s an accident from years before have anything to do with it?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: This was my first Karen King book and now I need more! King’s writing style was easy to follow and gave great pull to keep you intrigued. I really like that the beginning told you what was going to happen but not HOW it was going to happen. The story flowed well and had blurbs sprinkled throughout from a mystery person that really kept me guessing. I kept trying to figure out the secrets but was shocked to learn the truth. I wouldn’t say this was an “edge of your seat page turner” but it definitely kept my attention and had me wanting to figure out the end!

For more of my reviews, visit Instagram! @TheMom.Who.Reads

I quite enjoyed this book , it flowed quite nicely . Really felt for Maria the central character and was pleased with the ending . There were a few surprises but not enough of an interesting story to give it 5 stars . It was an ok book and I’d recommend it but not one of my favourites this year

Lily and Emma, lost their mom from cancer and a year later their dad decides to marry Maria. Maria was used to give beauty treatment to her mum when she fought her cancer. As an eldest daughter, Lily feels that her dad is in a rush about getting married to Maria, as Lily still hasn't gotten over her mum's passing, and more that she feels something is missing about Maria's past. As Maria seems making her dad and her sister happy, Lily finally comes to accept Maria, but still with her suspicion.
When Emma was kidnapped, they finally come to know Maria's past.
I enjoyed reading it despite it's predictable and too flat.

Very enjoyable story which was well written and engaging. Would read this author again. Many thanks

3-4 stars, an okay read, but didn’t really blow my mind or get me in a way that I loved. I felt that it was written well enough, would tell others to definitely give it a try, as I’m a moody reader and tend not to love missing kid books, unless they completely blow my mind. Had a decent amount of thrills, chills, and shocks!

4.5 stars. This is a new author to me but I will certainly be looking out for more by her. I found this to be a gripping psychological thriller which was full of surprises and kept me hooked from start to finish. I thoroughly enjoyed this book

Your child goes missing! What could be worse? This book kept me glued till the end. It appears Maria has lots of secrets that Lily is determined to find out what they are but then Emma goes missing. Mental illness plays a huge part too. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published June 17, 2021.

First, thank you to the publishers at Bookouture and Netgalley for this e-ARC of The Perfect Stepmother.

The Perfect Stepmother is about a family of four living a happy, charmed life. Then Lily’s mother, Ruth, is diagnosed with cancer. During her cancer treatments, she begins seeing a woman named Maria, the owner of an upscale beauty salon, who, out of the kindness of her heart, donates her Fridays to cancer patients, giving them access to her services for free.

After Ruth passes away, Maria ends up becoming a staple in her client’s family’s life, becoming a stepmother to older Lily and younger Emma. But while Maria may seem a saint, she’s holding a dark secret that she can’t let escape. But somebody knows and is willing to expose her at any cost.

Told in alternating viewpoints between Lily and Maria, we can see how strained their relationship is. While Emma and Lily’s father, Gareth, love Maria, Lily thinks she’s holding something back from them all. Determined to figure it out, Lily goes searching for anything she can find to figure out just who Maria really is.

This is a quick paced thriller that will have you on your toes. Just when you think you’ve figured everything out, you realize that you haven’t. Is Maria truly the bad guy, or is there something more sinister at play? The Perfect Stepmother releases June 17!

I actually couldn't finish this book because the characters were just too unbearable. I really did not like them.. .