Lily - a high profile reporter in Boston who guards her image of perfection as much as she hold a secret of her past.

Greer - Lily’s producer whose only life’s purpose is to protect and embellish Lucy’s perception of perfection so it will be everyone’s reality . She is also the only character to use first person.

Cassie - a missing sister whom Lilly desperately but may also never want her found.

Walt - a detective with ties to them all, and harbors a long dark secret of his own.

Rowan - Lucy’s darling seven year old daughter who brings sunshine to everyone she loves.

Ryan, with her usual gift and genius of pulling us in, not only to the twists and turns to the story, but to the characters. Many readers are disappointed if not able to connect and relate to certain characters.
While this did not happen for me in this book, I found it even more interesting and intriguing. All are flawed, even Lily of course, and most ( I say most) have something redeemable in their lives and motives. It’s the unraveling of all that that makes Her Perfect Life such a fascinating read. Ryan has once again gifted her readers with another winner . Brava!


Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This book was ok for me. It didn’t really hold my interest and I didn’t connect with the characters.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

This was a book that kept me up because I didn't want to stop reading. The main character, Lily Atwood, keeps people at arms length in order to keep her past from being exposed and ruining the present life she has built for herself and her daughter. This story is filled with suspense, twists, secrets, and subterfuge. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

This book fell somewhat flat for me. Overall I would give 3 stars but only because all the way to the last 1/3 of the book it kept me guessing.

The characters were unlikable and far too naive for the time period they were written into. Most problems could have been solved with a Google search or simple check of Facebook. If this book were written as an 80s crime thriller I would have been more forgiving and understanding.

Hank Phillipi Ryan is a wonderful writer but this book seemed rushed. Like there was a deadline to meet and she didn’t have anything solid so, she just said here have this first draft. The editors and publisher also dropped the ball throughout with the repetitive phrases and situations. It was like most of my 7th grade science projects; thrown together last minute with only half the information and, little research if any done.

Fantastic. I had issues with Cassie being so clueless and guilty at first but then remembered she is only 18 and this was 20-25 years ago. I was quite innocent at 18 also. I believed whatever I was told. A sweet look at mother and daughter relationship. Interesting looking at the story from the viewpoints of various characters. Some surprises. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Her Perfect Life will grab you from page one right up to the end. Youll keep trying to figure out who to believe and who to trust. The characters are so real, you'll feel like they are your friends or your enemy.

Lily Atwood is a reporter, mother, and a woman with secrets! Her life is perfect and she will do whatever it takes to keep it that way. That is until a man who goes by Smith begins to threaten exposing Lily's secrets from the past! Can Lily hold on to her perfect life or will her world be completely destroyed?

This was another great Hank Phillippi Ryan novel. It is full of twists and turns and you'll find yourself quickly flipping through the pages. I was not expecting the ending at all. It blew me away and I was pleasantly surprised by it. If you're looking to add a great thriller to your list, grab yourself a copy. You will be happy you did!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) on September 14, 2021.

I did not finish. I couldn’t get into it. I apologize. I think many others would enjoy it but I just think it wasn’t for me.

Such a chilling thriller! Loved the authors point of view. I have never read a book by this author before but I really loved it. I also really enjoyed the thrill of not wanting to put this book down. Overall, great book and great writing.

Hank Phillipi Ryan can do no wrong. This book is another hit out of the park! I was flipping pages as fast as I could to see what would be happening next. The alternating chapters between Lily, Greer and Cassie were written so well that I was not confused with the alternating pov’s as I usually can get. I had an inkling about who shouldn’t be trusted and who could be, though I definitely did not see that exact ending coming to light.

Thank you to Forge books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio version of the latest thriller by Hank Phillippi Ryan - 4 stars for an enjoyable twisty tale!

Lily Atwood is the perfect "talent" on a network news channel as well as single mom to 7-year-old Rowen. Lily has a confidential informant who has given her news tips before that have panned out, so when "Mr. Smith" starts getting a bit too personal about his information, Lily is concerned. Suddenly she finds out that someone is investigating a cold case about the disappearance of her older sister, Cassie, over 20 years ago. The secrets that could come out have the potential to blow up the perfection of LIly's life.

Told in 3 points of view - Lily, Greer (Lily's work producer), and Cassie (from in the past) - there's lots of twists and turns in this story. I really liked learning Cassie's story - it's easy to understand her position as a naive college freshman. Lily and Greer are seasoned newscasters though and sometimes were a bit too quick to believe everything they were told. While I thought I had figured some things out, some came as a complete surprise.

Another great story by this author!

I could not put this book down ! Her perfect life was that everyone should read! Thank you so much to
Netgalley and to Forge Books for this ARC! Lilly Atwood is perfect. Lily is a Emmy - winning news reporter in Boston. But Lilly has many secrets she hides from all of her fans. She has a sweet little girl she hides from the public. When one day Lilly's confidential source turns on her and threatens to expose her little girl and all of her secrets. I

Pub day: Sept. 14, 2021

Thank you to @forgereads and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Lily Atwood is living the dream as a beloved TV reporter and mother. But behind the glamorous facade, she’s hiding big secrets.

I love Hank Phillippi Ryan’s writing. The short chapters are snappy and the dialogue is tight. The investigative journalist angle is one of my personal faves and I really enjoyed the unique take in this book. And I eat up anything that explores the dark side of celebrity and privacy.

Cassie’s story was my personal fave and I was hooked waiting to find how what happened in the past and present. And Rowen is in the running for fave child character!

A fully entertaining read. I’m ready for your next book, Hank!

Lily has the perfect life. As a public figure, mom with a beautiful daughter, nanny, gorgeous home…she has it all. But what skeletons are in her closet and are they ready to jump out and ruin her perfect life?
Lily’s sister, Cassie, disappeared when she was 18 years old. They never heard from her again. Her body was never found. It was a total mystery to Lily and the rest of the world. When there is a chance to reconnect with Cassie, Lily has to decide if she is ready to face what made her sister leave to begin with. Add in that her daughter’s father wants to come back into the picture and you have a perfect storm to unravel all that Lily has worked hard to protect.
This was a great read…I didn’t put all the pieces together which I always appreciate in a book. If a thriller can keep me from figuring out everything then I am majorly impressed!

Perfect mystery/thriller. Well developed characters - expertly told.

Definitely a page turner - could not put it down!

When Lily Atwood was seven years old, her sister Cassie came home from college for winter break, but barely left her room...until the day she disappeared. Now Lily is an award-winning investigative journalist and she still wants to know what happened to the sister she had idolized years ago. However, “Perfect Lily” as the media refers to her, learns you need to be careful what you wish for.

This story is narrated by Lily, Lily’s producer Greer, and Cassie. Lily and Greer have been getting tips from an anonymous source that have ended up in fantastic stories. However, when the tip from “Mr. Smith” gets personal, the story really takes off. The characters aren’t always easy to connect with. Lily is intelligent and beautiful but can be snobby and too worried about appearances. Greer is also smart and works hard, but all of her talk of not being at all jealous of Lily seems to be a case of her protesting too much. Cassie makes terrible choices, but she was young when she made them. My favorite character in the book is Lily’s young daughter Rowen, who is smart and fun and not bratty in spite of her privileged upbringing.

The book is an intriguing page-turner but some parts are a bit over-the-top. It gets off to a great start, but toward the middle, the plot becomes convoluted, but picks up again towards the end as some unexpected twists are revealed. The book demonstrates the issues of fame, appearances on social media, and how difficult it is for celebrities to keep their personal life private, especially when children are involved. Overall, I enjoyed this interesting standalone thriller.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of Forge Books. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Her Perfect Life is the perfect title for this read. Lily Atwood, a television reporter, seemingly has the perfect life. A daughter Rowen, a successful career, a nanny…and an assistant named Greer who is soooo very envious. Lily is hiding secrets that have haunted her for years until threats are made to disclose them. This read definitely held my interest, but I did find the plot convoluted and the character’s actions unbelievable. I didn’t form any connections with any of the characters although Rowen was a charming child. The ending was enjoyable. Many thanks to Hank Philllippi Ryan, Forge Books, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this book, soon to be published.

I really enjoyed this one. I couldn’t put it down. It had a lot of twist and turns. Characters were well developed. It did start slow to me but it picked up.

Her Perfect Life.
By Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Her Perfect life is the latest release coming up by Hank Phillippi Ryan.. And it's a really good book....
This book has short chapters which makes it a very fast read..

Lily knew things could be taken away. her big sister was one of those things. Only 7 years old the last time she saw her sister. gone off to college never to be seen again..

25 years later. Lily has the perfect life.. Award-winning journalist.. An adorable daughter life couldn't get any better..

Soon the layers to the past start Unraveling.. And one never knows who will show up.. Or who was honest and who wasn't who died and who didn't.. So many unanswered questions.. Who's lying and who's telling the truth.
This is definitely a page Turner one you will not want to miss. my 1st read by this author and I absolutely loved this book. I highly recommended..

A wonderful tense thriller about Deceit...

A unique storyline following a successful Emmy winning reporter who naively follows a 'source' into an impossible and almost dangerous situation. This story was neatly woven but lacking in believability. It was frustrating to watch a woman who has achieved so much blindly follow along. I like my female characters strong and independent. Unfortunately, Lily is dependent on her nanny (who I wish played more of a role) and her producer, whose job is more important than her ethics and alliance to Lily.

Overall, a quick read with a tightly woven plot and unlikable characters. I wanted to like them, but the only one that I enjoyed was Rowen, the seven year old precocious daughter.