Member Reviews

While I was unable to read this one before it was archived, I am a huge fan of this author. Her book, The Drowning, is one of my favourites. Kept me up until I finished it. Five stars for this author and her talent at creating suspenseful, page turners.

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Everyone in the family has a secret.  Whose secret are the worst?

Thomas and Viv Adler, a picture perfect family with a nice decorated house in nice neighbourhood, with two children, Eli and Tarryn.
However it's not as perfect in the inside. Thomas, has to deal with someone blackmailing him about the night he went out for bachelor party.
Viv, while trying to build up her business has to deal with her "new unexpected habit".
Eli, decided to drop out from college and moving back home; and Tarryn - what does she do every night in her room will surprise you.

No more peace inside the Adler house when someone starts terrorising them by egging the car, slashed the cars' tyre, burn the hedge.
Whose secrets caused this terror?

An enjoyable suspenseful read that made me staying late to finish the book. It's page turner but the ending feels flat compared to her other two novels. Overall, I enjoyed the reading while trying to finding out the culprit, however there are also a couple of things within the story that I feel a bit unrealistic.
Still, I'm looking forward for more from this author.

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I zoomed through this book, which is usually a sign that I am enjoying it. However, I think it was more in frustration than anything else, and wanting it to get better. Yes, there were lots of twists and turns, but ultimately I absolutely despised three of the four main characters. As I was nearing the end of the book I was pleased there was some closure and positivity so I was feeling like the frustrations the story led me through were resolving themselves and the little journey was worth it. Until the last sentence. I wanted to throw my iPad at the wall. The last sentence changed this very simply written, easy to read book from a 4 star to a 2 star rating. Maybe this is a bit harsh, but that’s how I am feeling. Probably a good book if you’re a reader that likes quick and short paragraphs, it’s easy to pick up and read from where you left off. Thank you to the publisher Simon and Schuster for providing me with an ARC, and sorry that my rating is low - I am just being 100% honest. Unfortunately this book didn’t live up to my expectations based on the marketing hype that piqued my interest.

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Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Atler family have been targeted by who they thought were young kids but as the attacks become more intense and sinister they realise that it may not just be kids but someone with a serious grudge. The problem is that every member of the Atler family has a secret from not only the world but the rest of their family and each secret no matter how small has a consequence. Each member thinks that their secret is the reason for the attacks but are not strong enough to come forward to the rest of the family and talk about it.
The Atler family have the facade of being the perfect family but they are anything but that and the secrets they keep are a testament to that. As the attacks escalate so does the paranoia of every one of them until the end when the outcome was nearly death for one of them.
Interesting read and the twists at the end were not something I expected. Overall none of the characters were very likeable as they were very much only concerned with how they would be perceived by others and how to protect their facade.
I will be looking at reading this author in the future.
3.5 stars

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I would rate this book 2.75 out of 5 stars.

I was a little disappointed with this one. It was very slow and, honestly, not a whole lot happens.

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This one was just ok- so far fetched I struggled to keep up with what was happening and why. Good amount of suspense but I felt the ending was a bit ridiculous.

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Book blurb…
‘A roller-coaster ride ... For fans of Celeste Ng, Gillian Flynn and Liane Moriarty.’ Booklist (starred review)

The bestselling author of The Party explores what happens when a seemingly perfect family is pushed to the edge by cruel, vindictive and increasingly dangerous attacks.

Thomas and Viv Adler have a picture-perfect family. Affluent and attractive, with two well-mannered kids almost out of the nest, they live in a beautiful house in a well-to-do neighbourhood. Their jobs are fulfilling; their children are thriving; the world is their oyster.

Until one morning, when they wake up to find that their house and car have been pelted with eggs. Thomas dismisses it as the work of a few out-of-control kids, but when a smoke bomb is tossed on their front lawn, and the tires on their BMW are punctured, he begins to worry. Unable to identify the perpetrators, they are helpless as the assaults escalate. The police assure them that this is just the work of bored teenagers, but no one in the Adler family believes it. After all, each of them has a secret – kept not only from the outside world but from each other.

As the Adlers grapple with their guilt, fear and shame, the assaults grow deadly. Their ‘perfect’ façade is crumbling, and it may be too late for any of them to do anything about it.

‘Robyn Harding is at her twisty, devious best ... A propulsive, constantly surprising read that both entertains and chills.’ Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here

My Thoughts…
A favourite storyline for me is the slow implosion of what might seem like a perfectly happy and normal relationship/family. This novel is one such example and the storytelling is very well done.
Structure is most important in this type of story. When and how to drop clues and information is crucial. A difficult, complicated story to tell with complicated people, but really well done.

This story kept me reading because I found it fascinating that a family could be so secretive, when the truth would have solved all their problems. Good messaging.

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Kept the pages turning but a lot of this story I couldn’t connect with. Usually love this author’s work so not sure what happened here. This one just didn’t do it for me!

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3.5.

There was mystery, there was crime (although it was tame with serious topics glossed over), but The Perfect Family was more soap-opera drama, than suspense or thriller.

The Adler family of four’s home – parents Thomas and Vic, their college-aged son Eli and high school junior daughter Tarryn – was being plagued by bouts of vandalism – eggs thrown at their window, dog poop on their front door handle, paint-filled balloons, fruit attacks, and smoke bombs.

It’s kid stuff right?

Or, does it have something to do with the secrets they’re keeping?

Whatever the reason, it’s clear the Adler family are hated.

So maybe they deserve what’s coming to them…

Even though I was gifted an e-ARC I ended up listening to the audio on my morning walks, and I found it a fun, easy read that passed the time. Can’t say it was my favourite Robyn Harding though, and I struggled to take it seriously. Not even sure it was meant to be taken seriously? I found it hard to view ‘pranks’, such as ‘attack of the killer tomatoes’, as threats, and even when the vandalism ramped up in severity I never really felt like the Adlers were in any real danger. I realise their anxiety was compounded by their hidden secrets, but their fear and trauma still felt like an overreaction.

I failed to guess the mystery, but found the big reveal somewhat underwhelming. I did appreciate the ironic ending though – that final line sure was fitting and deserving – but given a choice I’d prefer Robyn Harding to stick to writing books with darker tones like The Swap and Her Pretty Face.

Would I recommend The Perfect Family? Yes, there are people in my reading circle who I know would enjoy it more than me. So, if my synopsis and review intrigues you, and/or you’re in the mood for a light entertaining family drama/thriller, then either the print or audio version would be perfect for exercising, driving or public transport, hairdressers or doctors office, or anywhere you’re trying to read that’s noisey or you’re likely to be interrupted or distracted.

I’d like to thank Netgalley, Simon & Schuster Australia, and Robyn Harding for the e-ARC.

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A fast paced thriller that kept me reading. The Adler family from the outside appear perfect. The narrative alternates between the points of view of the four family members. Thomas is in real estate, his wife Viv has a design business, son Eli is at a posh college and daughter Tarryn in high school and they live in a very nice neighbourhood. But in reality they all have secrets, from each other, friends and society. Then vandals start attacking their house, eggs are thrown, tomatoes, and it escalates. Each member of the family suspects different people and things just pile up and get worse. I found the hyper silliness of a lot of it made it an enjoyable lightish read even though there are some serious things happening and the way it it is all brought together is done in a satisfying way. I do wonder what’s next for the family though!

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This story is told by many narrators. It was engaging but I found that I was a little disappointed and wanted more. The ending wasnt really that good and that played a huge role in my rating.

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After accidentally locking myself out of Netgalley, I'm now able to write this review in exchange for an ARC of this book.

The Arrangement by Harding was one of my favourite reads of 2020. I ended up giving it a gift to my sister-in-law for Christmas as it was one of my favourite books for the year. I was very excited to read this book as Harding is a fantastic author. However, I'm not sure why, but this book did not hit the spot.

I love a book that involves "stalkers" but I found the characters to have unbelievable reactions to the events in this book. It may have been due to having high expectations since admiring Harding's previous work.

I apologise that my review is basic as I wanted to allow the opportunity for all to read and see for yourself.

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I enjoyed this. It’s a page turner and I read it in under 24 hours. There was a lot going on with each family member. I didn’t particularly like any of them or care too much if something bad happened to them… not sure if that’s a good thing or not?
But it was an entertaining read, perfect for a holiday read.

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I was hoping for a good mystery-suspense story with this book but it did not capture my attention.
The premise of the story, the picture-perfect US family dynamic where each and every member was living a lie and the blurb did interest me, but the characters themselves just did not. Whether this was due to my mindset or the writing style I could not completely figure out, all I new that reading this book was becoming a chore and not enjoyment.
The characters seemed shallow, insincere and their struggles to deal with their issues just did not engage my interest. I struggled through trying to get involved with the characters and their troubles, but after 66% I decided to give the book a miss and stopped reading.

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A gripping story of secrets being revealed while a family is under attack from a mysterious source. Every family member has secrets that could be the trigger for the attacks, which escalate while the family unravels. I liked the plot, the pace and the ending, a good read.

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There is no such thing as a perfect family, and The Perfect Family shows you just that. For each member of this family has a secret. Secrets that are becoming too much for them to handle alone. So which secret is causing the target on their house?

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This book was good but it did not seem to entirely grip me. Saying that I did still enjoy it, as thriller reads are my favourite and this one had some gripping moments.

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While this was a fun thriller, it didn't seem to grip me like Robyn Harding's other books have. I really liked the premise and the writing style plus there was some great family drama that kept things interesting, however there was a little something missing for me. I do think that if you're looking to ease into the thriller genre, this would be a great one to pick up.

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The Perfect Family is a twisty tale of secrets, lies and family breakdown. Narrated in the first person by each member of the Adler family. Thomas is a real estate agent, Vivian an interior decorator, Eli a college football star, Tarryn a moody teenager.

We learn early in the book that each character has their secrets that are tearing at them and making their actions hurtful to others.
The family home is targeted with what seems like random acts of vandalism but each family member thinks these attacks are brought on by something they did. As each person agonises over their secrets, and the problems they may be causing, the family unit is further broken down.

Everyone in this book made me angry. Thomas was an idiot, Eli a coward and Tarryn a hypocrite. I didn't mind Vivian, her secret was a bit humorous and, although she wasn't doing a real good job of it, she was trying to hold her family together.

I think if the attacks on the family had have come first in the book, before I knew all their flaws, I may have felt more empathy as the attacks were quite terrifying. Although I didn't connect with the characters and found it mostly unbelievable the story did actually hold my interest and I was eager to get to the final conclusion.

No spoilers here, but that ending was just wrong!

The Perfect Family is a compelling family drama centred on peer pressure and standing up for yourself and what is right.

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A very interesting book that I found it full of mystery, twists and turns and certain situations seem to be not real and not really sure on what’s going on for the perfect family.
The perfect family are they really perfect as they seem to be.
Secrets they all have and are they really as happy as they appear to others. Events occur, and due to previous actions they accuse others but what’s really going on. A book for those who like to read about family dynamics mystery.
#ThePerfectFamily #NetGalley.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster Australia via NetGalley for my honest review of the book . The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own thoughts, feelings and viewpoints of the book.

Review run date was set for 28 July 2021 for Netgalley, my health became an emotional roller coaster so here I am today 14 October 2021 review will be post on my WordPress blog, Facebook blog, Instagram, LinkedIn, Amazon.com.au, goodreads, along with the non-linked retail online stores that sell the book is at:

My WordPress blog link is http://bluefalkon95adorationofallgenres.wordpress.com I have 27 followers
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