I thoroughly enjoyed this book and although I ‘thought’ I had some idea of where it was going, Hank was able to trip me up! I really appreciate the way Hank is able to take a plot, drop some hints and then spin it so you have to keep guessing! Her writing style will continue to pull me in and keep me guessing and that’s way she is an auto buy for me!!!

This feels like a written for TV drama. It's a great story plot, two award winning journalists investigating an informant who is investigating them. A formally dependable source suddenly becomes a threat. TV perfect, right? Hank Phi;;ippi Ryan has developed Lily's character to such a point that you would recognize her from your own evening news. She's hard charging and trustworthy.....maybe. Her perfect life maybe built upon some shaky ground. It's really an excellent thriller, it took me awhile to figure out the reveal and I didn't quite have it right, but it was a great end to a great story. Maybe I'll watch it when they make a movie!!!!

Lily Atwood seems to be perfect: she's beautiful with an adorable daughter, a lovely home, a successful career. As a journalist, she knows the importance of maintaining the appearance of perfection, so when her anonymous tipster reveals himself to be a private investigator with knowledge of aspects of her life she'd rather not be made public, Lily panics.

Decades ago, Lily's older sister, Cassie, disappeared. Everyone discounted seven-year-old Lily's claims that Cassie had told her she'd done something bad. Cassie is presumed dead, but Lily begins receiving lilies from someone named Cassie. She needs to know the truth: is her sister still alive? And what did she do that made her go into hiding? How badly will it hurt Lily's perfect life if her fans find out?

Hank Phillippi Ryan writes incredibly taut suspense novels. There are no extraneous character (thank goodness; I despise struggling to keep 30 characters straight in my mind), no unnecessary scenes. Even the dialog is tight and abbreviated, the way people really speak. Even if I can't relate to having a perfect life like Lily, I still was immediately drawn into this story and didn't put it down until I finished it. #HerPerfectLife #NetGalley

I enjoyed this book and flew through reading it!! I would have liked if some of the characters were a bit more fleshed out but will definitely read from this author again!

"They saw her close up and constantly. No wonder they felt like they knew her. But Lily, on the opposite side of the TV camera, could never see whose eyes were on her. What strangers heard her every word."

Such chilling words make Her Perfect Life by renowned thriller author Hank Phillipi Ryan a compulsive reading thriller.

Lily is a popular TV reporter who is loved and respected by her viewers. She even has her own trending hashtag #PerfectLily. Her success is due to an anonymous source, known only as Smith, who seems to always have the correct inside dirt on everyone. So correct that when Smith starts telling Lily the secrets they know about her that no one else knows she knows she is in trouble. There are things no one can find out or Lily's life as she knows it may be canceled for good.

Tied into all the secrecy is the mysterious disappearance of Lily's sister Cassie almost 30 years ago. Seems Smith has some inside info on that too. So what is Lily willing to do to save her career, maybe her long lost sister and, most importantly, her life? These questions make this thriller a necessary keep reading all night book.

I was not prepared for some of the ending twists which is what I look for in an enjoyable thriller. I will admit I was not a fan of Lily. I found her self centered and self serving with most of her decisions. Then again I never had her perfect life to lose.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book has everything that I love in a thriller: multiple POV’s, lies, deceit, twists and turns, and an ending that left me shocked. The entire book I was questioning who to trust, and if everyone was what they seemed.

Lily's daughter Rowan was my favorite character. I loved getting to see her cute little personality, and her obsession with penguins.

I also loved getting a peek behind the curtain of the rich and famous, and what life is like being in the spotlight and maintaining that #PerfectLily image.

Her Perfect Life, Hank Phillippi Ryan
Pub Date: October 14/21

“Perfection is the perception.”

Oh, how this fallacy ensnares many who are under the illusion that perfection is attainable and should be sought after no matter the cost to self or others. Hank’s newest novel, Her Perfect Life, seeks to explore what lies beneath perfection, the costs associated in keeping up the illusion, and it’s destructiveness.
In Her Perfect Life, Lily, the quintessential ‘perfect’ crime reporter and TV personality, works hard both on and off the screen for everything to be perfect, working steadfast to keep her anything but perfect past buried. The repercussions of the past coming out could end her career and shatter the image she has tirelessly crafted. Yet, much like all of us, Lily can’t outrun, outsource and outwit her past, not when she might finally learn what happened to her sister who mysteriously disappeared when she was a child. Lily will have to forge alliances with people she was set to never reconnect with in order to learn the truth, keep those she loves safe, and learn the most valuable lesson - no one is perfect, least of all her.

This is a twisty turny family-based thriller that draws in part from Hank’s own career and experiences as an Emmy award winning and notable crime reporter (on top of being a best-selling author!) I was fortunate to have been part of an author chat with Hank who was so charming and captivating. Hank’s passion for investigation and being curious comes through clearly in Her Perfect Life and our book chat really added so much to the reading experience.

My thanks to Hank Phillippe Ryan, Netgalley and Macmillan - Tor/Forge for my advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.

Summary:
Everyone knows Lily Atwood—and that may be her biggest problem. The beloved television reporter has it all—fame, fortune, Emmys, an adorable seven-year-old daughter, and the hashtag her loving fans created: #PerfectLily. To keep it, all she has to do is protect one life-changing secret. Her own. Lily has an anonymous source who feeds her story tips—but suddenly, the source begins telling Lily inside information about her own life. How does he—or she—know the truth?
How much will she risk to keep her perfect life?

Thoughts:
This was the first book I read by Hank and it will not be my last! I need to go back and read all her other books now. I don't read as many thrillers as I would like to so I am glad I got the opportunity to read this one! Reading the book with our book club and chatting with the author made it even better!
I loved the investigative journalist theme which is a reflection of Hank's full-time career. I enjoyed how it surfaced the perspective that life as a celebrity isn't "perfect" as it may seem to everyone around. Often a lot of sacrifices go into having a certain kind of life and career. I also kept guessing till the end, there were lots of twists and turns! The characters weren't likable but I guess in a thriller that's the point. This book releases today September 14th!
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Thank you to Hank Phillipi Ryan and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Hank Phillipi Ryan’s books always go towards the top of my TBR pile upon receipt. Her Perfect Lie jumped to the top and did not disappoint!

Lily’s image and name are synonymous with fame. She can’t go anywhere without being recognized. So, when she begins receiving news tips from an anonymous source, she thinks nothing of it. That is until the caller begins to know too much about her personally.

SPOILER ALERT:

Her Perfect Lie seems ordinary until the reader discovers that everyone in Lily’s world has a reason to dislike her – envy, jealousy, fame, etc. That gives all of them a motive to complicate her life when it is going so well. She has managed to keep her sister, Cassie’s, disappearance 20 years before from the public. Now, someone has discovered that secret and more. This person(s) aims to let the world know that Lily’s life is not as perfect as is believed.

This writing is good. It is captivating and easy to read. It switches between Cassie and Lily as narrators but works. The characters are real, whether likeable or not. Rowen is adorable.


I received an ARC from Macmillian-Tor/Forge Books through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

The latest twisty thriller from this author was a propulsive read from start to finish. As is always the case, there are multiple storylines that leave you wondering how they will cross. But, they always come together in interesting ways, which is one of the reasons I always enjoy this author's works. This novel is told from three different perspectives in two different points in time. In the contemporary storyline are Emmy-winning journalist, Lily, and her producer, Greer. The chapters set in the past are narrated by Lily's older sister, Cassie, whose mysterious disappearance during her first year of college has never been solved.

I found the tension in Lily's and Greer's relationship interesting, as neither woman seemed to completely trust the other despite their successful work partnership. I also found it interesting that Lily's chapters were told in third person and Greer's were told in first person. I think I connected more with Greer as a result but did wish she'd been more forthcoming with Lily as they investigated what happened to Cassie based on the tip they received from an anonymous source they referred to only as Smith. I was drawn deeper into the story once Cassie's voice was first introduced and found myself reading "just one more chapter" to find out what happened to her all those years ago. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers that blend mysteries from the past and present, this would be a great pick for a quick escape.

This review was based on the digital ARC I received via NetGalley. Many thanks to Forge and the author for the chance to read this one early!

If you’re looking for your next roller coaster, “I can’t put this one down read,” Her Perfect Life is the book for you. This was my first book by Hank and it certainly won’t be my last.

Her Perfect Life definitely kept me on my toes. There were so many plausible theories I had while reading the book and it seemed like there was a new one after every chapter. Speaking of chapters, I thought they were the perfect length. Not too long, not too short and dang could Hank get you with a cliffhanger. There were so many times I had to stop reading for some reason or another and it always left me wanting to pick back up immediately. While one of my theories did end up being correct, I didn’t have enough confidence in it that I was still surprised when it was revealed I was correct.

As much as I loved the fast paced, twist and turns I did have a few things I didn’t care for. The most trivial being the use of the word, “mumma.” I don’t know why, but it felt like nails on a chalkboard inside my head every time it was used. It got to the point I was skipping over the word while reading. The other thing that bothered me is the characters just weren’t like-able aside from Rowen. I thought she was a precious little girl (apart from calling Lily mumma). Normally I don’t mind, and even enjoy unlikeable characters, but in this case I don’t think that was the authors intent. For various reasons I won’t go into in order to avoid spoilers, they weren’t the smartest cookies. The parts of Cassie’s story at 18 were especially frustrating. I may be a decade plus removed from being 18, but I don’t think I would of made the same conclusions as she did. Other than “Smith” the mysterious inside tipster to Greer and Lily, the characters seemed oblivious and naive.

Overall though, the writing is absolutely fantastic, and I enjoyed reading this one. I’m so very glad to have had the opportunity to read this one in advance, and will certainly be recommending it to other thriller/suspense lovers.

Sharply written, though slow to begin, "Her Perfect Life" by Hank Phillippi Ryan, is, well, almost perfect. A slow burner at the beginning, it held my attention and had me guessing throughout, sometimes right and sometimes wrong. It was the guessing challenge for me.

Told from multiple points of view, this dramatically written family drama had many twists throughout. There’s a lot more to this book than you think at first glance—multiple mysteries, secrets, kidnapping, jealousy, and a dual timeline, all adds up to winning thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️️

The Prologue was enough for me to devour
this book. Hank Phillippi Ryan’s new book is suspenseful, emotional and surprising. The protagonist is not quite as perfect as her fans believe and her secrets could bring repercussions to her seeming crafted perfect life. I received an advanced copy from the author. The review and comments are my honest opinion.

This one is a quickly unfolding family drama featuring a tv reporter who, despite the stories she's been able to uncover professionally, has never found out where her older sister disappeared to many years earlier the author's history as an award winning television journalist lends credibility to her main character's career!). Readers will quickly figure out that Cassie's disappearance was a little complicated, but the author has a lot of surprises in store along the way. Pick this one up if you like suspenseful family stories.

Lily Atwood seems to have a perfect life. At least that is her public persona, and as we all know, social media doesn't lie. But underneath all the glitz, glamour, and adulation befitting an Emmy award-winning TV reporter, she is hiding more than one secret. When one of her confidential informants suddenly seems more interested in exposing her secrets, rather than helping her, she must make a choice. Just how far will Lily go to protect her perfect life?
So for me, I am always trying to figure out who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. I was so sure that I had this book figured out, and let me just say, I was totally wrong. I went back and reread the book description before writing this review, and almost everything I wanted to say could be considered a spoiler. I can say there are more than a few twists and did I ever yell at my Kindle when some of the characters kept making some dubious decisions. This definitely made me consider the fact that just because you can look good on camera and report the news, doesn't make you a good investigator. I am looking at you Lily and shaking my head.
I am not sure if I ever really felt sympathetic towards Lily, but her sister Cassie, who disappeared many years ago, truly made me feel sad for everything that happened to her. It was an intriguing mystery, and though this week was too busy to get to the beach, it was a fast-paced backyard read.

🎉Happy Pub Day Hank 🎉

@hankpryan has become a part of the #overbookedbookclub family at this point & we wouldn’t have it any other way, we adore her!

Our book club was fortunate enough to do a 2nd zoom with her this year to discuss “Her Perfect Life” that comes out today!

We were even the first LIVE group chat that she attended for this book, so we were beyond honored!

📝: Lily Atwood is the epitome of perfection. She has it all—or so it seems. For she’s a successful TV reporter, has a BMW, gorgeous house, a wonderful seven year-old daughter Rowan, what would seem to most as living the dream.

“Perfection is the perception.”

You’ll soon learn that no one is flawless & Lily has secrets, quite a few of them, & she’s done everything in her power so they don’t come to light. But, that doesn’t mean no one will find out & this information in the wrong hands could cost her everything she’s worked so hard to build.

“Fame, Lily knew had two conflicting sides. The glory. And the danger. The power. And the spotlight. The raging relentless spotlight.”

When Lily was just a kid her sister Cassie went off to college where something horrible happened within the first few months & she was never seen or heard from again. The case went cold & their Mother died without ever knowing what happened to her first born. But that case is about to be blown wide open by an unknown source named “Mr.Smith” & I’m sure you can guess who they’ll use for leverage.

“The world isn’t perfect Lily. Even you can’t make it be. And the more you try to force it, the more it laughs at you.”

Told in alternating perspectives & flashbacks: both Lily & her producer Greer in the present & Cassie in the past, this is a whirlwind thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Is Cassie still alive after 12 years? Who is the anonymous person on the phone? Can Greer be persuaded to turn her back on her boss? You’ll have to read to find out!

Hank likes to trick the reader once, & then do it again just for fun!

One of my favorite things in a thriller is a well executed game of cat and mouse and this book delivers. Lily is a news reporter, single mother and her sister went missing when she was a child. She feels she is always under scrutiny and must remain perfect in the public’s eye. Greer, her assistant, feels underappreciated and is trying to show Lily this. Mr. Smith is feeding terrific stories to Lily, but wants to remain anonymous.

As the plot unfolds, the book is narrated from Lily and Greer in the present, and Lily’s missing sister before she went missing in the past. This seems to be the hot trend of the year and in this book it is easy to follow as all the chapters are labeled with the narrator.

While I am not a huge fan of a lot of the book’s characters, I was in love with Lily’s daughter Rowen. She is smart and very entertaining. I love how she is able to talk her way into things, but still has all the qualities you’d expect in a child. And I feel you don’t necessarily need to like every character in the book if they or the storyline are compelling enough and you want to know more about them. I am analytical by nature and was able to catch on to some, but not all, of the twists in the book.

If you are looking for a good cat and mouse game, you should enjoy this book.

A pleasant surprise for fans of Alex Michaelides and Gone Girl. It was a thrilling read and more, and Ryan does a great job at every twist and turn.

Lily appears to have the perfect life….an award winning tv journalist with a 7 year old daughter who attends a private school and has Petra to watch Rowen when she is busy with work.

Is everything perfect though. The reader will be taken on many twists and turns as the author unravels the story of Lily’s missing sister, Cassie and Rowens father. Be prepared to read in one sitting as you are so engrossed in the book that you do not want to stop reading!!!

I received an early digital copy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💭What I thought would happen:

I figured it was going to be about a battered woman who lived a perfect life on the outside but is far from that image.

📖What actually happens:

Lily Atwood has it all: fame, fortune, an Emmy, the perfect daughter and dream job. However, Lily is desperate to find her long lost sister while simultaneously wondering who her mystery source is whom aids in her excellent journalism reporting.

Greer is Lily's executive producer whom is the shadow, support and "smarts" behind Lily's fame and success, the ultimate teammate...who isn't even the tiniest bit jealous....

This book is a wild ride until the bitter end

🗯Thoughts:

I liked the way this book flowed and the multiple POVs. I can say with certainty that I had no idea what was going to happen until the end.

If you’re looking for a great thriller for spooky season, I 10/0 recommend this little nugget!