The perfect family - is it really possible? I liked that this story was told via four different viewpoints (mother, father, son and daughter).
Each short chapter flowed into the next very well, giving a slow but suspenseful reveal of the family dynamics. Appearances can definitely deceive and each member of the family thinks their secret might be the worst of all.
A real page-turner!
My thanks to NetGalley, publisher Simon and Schuster Australia and the author Robyn Harding for an advanced copy.

This is my first novel by Robyn Harding and it was a compelling domestic/family drama with loads of twists!

The Adler by all appearances is perfect. They have the perfect home, the perfect lives.

But Viv is a kleptomaniac.
And Thomas is being blackmailed.
Terryn is a cam girl.
And Eli is running from some pretty hectic demons he left behind at college.

As if things weren't broken enough the Adler's have become the targets of juvenile deliquency- What was first eggs being thrown at their house grows much darker.

But who are they targeting? And why?

I was impressed by how complex each character's storylines was. The reader is really kept guessing for the entirety of the book which makes it hard to put down.

I had some issues with Terryn as a character. She was not a believable seventeen year old in my opinion and grated on me a little bit.

The ending wasn't satisfying for me! I either wanted a cleaner ending or I wanted to be given more information!

If you're a fan of a good family drama/suspense story this one is for you.


Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for a complementary e book.

Robyn Harding, The Perfect Family, Simon & Schuster, 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing me with this uncorrected proof for an honest review.

What a wonderfully smart writer I have found in my first reading of a Robyn Harding novel. Usually, I feel reluctant to accept the short comings of a character and resist becoming thoroughly involved in their world. Each of the characters in The Perfect Family is flawed, sometimes egregiously so, but with this author’s deftness, sense of humour and good plotting I found them too enthralling to consider whether they are likeable.

The perfect family, the Adlers, comprises mother, father, son, and daughter living in a nice suburb in a substantial house which has been recently renovated to provide even more pleasurable living. Viv is an interior decorator, and she also assists Thomas in his real estate work by staging his houses for viewing. Their son, Eli, has been accepted into a prestigious school, and although he has returned home claiming he will not return, his parents believe that this is temporary. Tarryn, at seventeen is going through a phase, unpleasant, but her school results remain satisfactory. So, with small glitches, the family is perfect, living in a perfect suburb with a perfect house. Well, so we are led to believe as Viv ruminates while she does her gratitude pose six weeks before the prologue.

In the prologue a hooded figure with a fuel filled can lingers by the perfect hedge in front of the house. The figure also ruminates on the family inside – with rather different observations from Viv’s about their behaviour. To the figure, who on later occasions will appear only as a grainy shadow on the newly installed security cameras, the Adlers are all reprehensible. The figure cares little where the fire lit in the hedge jumps - burning the house and its occupants is an acceptable option.

In alternate sections Viv, Thomas, Eli and Tarryn lead the reader into their lives and thoughts. These are so well drawn, with the women’s stories contrasting in style and structure from those of Thomas and Eli. The darkness in these, hinted at over a longer period create tension and almost frustration – what have they done? In contrast, glimmers of comedy battle with desperation, in Viv’s and Tarryn’s stories. We know what they are doing almost from the beginning.

There is a reason for the difference in plotting the stories. Tarryn’s situation, where her contacts are blamed for the childlike egg throwing which disrupts Thomas’s morning, and therefore Viv’s gratitude pose, is ironic when compared with the way in which she spends her nights. The early exposure of Tarryn’s behaviour allows for the contradiction in her conduct and her parent’s assumptions to illustrate their shortcomings as parents, while developing the reader’s understanding of her despair. In Viv’s case, the juxtaposition of an almost light-hearted approach to a serious problem maintains light and shade in a novel in which the prologue foreshadows danger.

I shall put aside my disappointment about the last sentence of this book. For me, the concluding idea moved the novel from an example of this genre which had been so noteworthy in its demonstration of what a writer could do with the psychological thriller, to a familiar pattern. The Perfect Family is such a very smart and intriguing read that despite my hesitation over the end, I am glad to encourage others to read it, and very willingly give it four stars.

Not my favourite book by this author unfortunately. I found the characters very unlikeable and was frustrated by all the secrets kept. But a good twist at the end, and I must admit I couldn’t stop reading!

I hadn't read a novel by this author before so wasn't prepared for the crazy dysfunction of her 'Perfect Family'! The four members of this family, parents and two teenagers, each had a grubby secret (or two). They were all unlikeable in the extreme as were almost all the other characters in the book. It was a quick read (and sort of fun), with very short chapters, told in first person by each member of the family in turn so the reader was privy to their secrets (up to a point!) . I definitely wanted to turn the page to the next chapter! The plot was simple; which family member with their nasty little secret was the target of the rotten eggs thrown at the house, and the escalating abuse of the family after that? I did not guess the ending. It became fairly silly by the end, but never mind, it was a light-hearted romp through the trials of a dysfunctional family. Makes one very happy with the family one has!

Thank you to the publisher and the Netgalley for this ARC in return for an honest review.

The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding is a psychological thriller about a family who is being targeted by vandals and they have no idea why. As the attacks slowly increase in intensity, each family member starts to wonder whether their secret is the one causing their family this heartache.

I enjoyed this book and it kept me reading page after page, however I was a little disappointed with the ending. i felt like it was a little bit of a letdown and could have been so much more.

Oh what a fun and twisty ride this was. I flew through it!!
A ‘perfect’ suburban family living in a beautiful home, with a happy marriage and two great kids. But all four members of the family are hiding shocking secrets, so when their house becomes target to constant vandalism, just who is the sordid acts directed at?
This book gave nothing away throughout, it kept me guessing. There were no clues as to who the culprit was or which family member’s secret was the reason behind the terrible things happening to them. When all was revealed, I could never have guessed it.
This was an action packed thriller, full of twists and turns, and a lot of fun to read. I highly recommend it!!

The Adlers seem like the perfect suburban family - but they're all hiding secrets from each other and the world. Suddenly their house starts being targeted by random attacks - egging, poop on the door handle, slashed tires. Things are escalating- but whose secrets are haunting the whole family? And how far will it go before things come to light?

I think we would call this a "domestic drama" and I admit those words have always made me think "boooooringggggg" - but this was definitely not boring. In fact, I found it completely addictive. It is told in short chapters from alternating perspectives of the whole family - dad Thomas, mum Viv, 20 year old Eli and 17 year old Tarryn. In this way we catch tantalising glimpses of the secrets they're all keeping and the way things are unravelling. The writing is easy and relatable, and I found it very hard to put down from start to finish.

I admit though, that I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. I kind of felt like something big was being built up to, but then it all just petered out and the big thing never happened. The ending also deliberately leaves some loose threads to leave the reader guessing. If you like a book that has everything neatly tied up at the end, this is definitely not it. I read the last sentence and was just like... ummm, what???

I can't help but feel a little unsatisfied - and yet I was totally compelled while reading it. I'd recommend to anyone who likes domestic drama with lots of secrets and who doesn't need a clear resolution.

NOTE: ELI IS NOT A MILLENNIAL! Sorry this is a pet peeve of mine. The youngest millennial is 25.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Australia and the author, Robyn Harding, for the opportunity to read The Perfect Family in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I really enjoy reading books that take you on an unpredictable journey and no discernible outcome.
Unfortunately, this book did not take me there. Not a book for me.

What a tangled web we weave. There was a lot going on in this tale of secrets and revenge. Easy to read and enough red herrings to keep me guessing. However I didn't relate very well to the characters and without giving spoilers I will just say there were a few too many coincidences to make the storyline fully believable. All the same I liked the way it made the reader think about the ethics and consequences of people's choices and the ending was fairly satisfying.

I received this arc from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

The perfectly imperfect family.
Robyn Harding builds good characters, sometimes you like them, sometimes you don’t but she allows the reader to see them, warts and all. Seemingly this is the perfect family, but as we delve into the book, we learn differently. They all have their secrets, so when someone starts targeting their house they all internally wonder if it’s their fault. As the story unravels, we are guessing and re-guessing who the perpetrators are.

It set a great pace until about 95% in - then it just fell flat. There was no big build up, or heart racing climatic scene - it just kind of wound up. Sort of. I didn’t feel satisfied with the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC - I have given my honest opinion.

The Adler's. Picture perfect. A beautiful and stately home, a thriving marriage, a son away at college and a daughter in high school. But all is not what it seems. Soon the Adler's find themselves under attack, escalating vandalism and attacks on their home leave them all unnerved. It turns out each of them is hiding a secret, the question is - which secret could put them all in danger?

I LOVE Robyn Harding and was so excited to receive this ARC. For most of the book I was hooked. It was so well written, I loved all the different storylines and the mystery that had me enthralled. The ending however, was a let down. There wasn't really a big thrilling twist, the reveal was not all that exciting or shocking.

The Adler's seem like a perfect family from the outside - Thomas and Viv have successful careers, and have two well-behaved children. However, not is all as it seems - their relationships are strained and they each have secrets that, if revealed, could change their lives. When their house is targeted by a series of attacks, they each think the culprits must know their secret. The police aren't being helpful, so they take it into their own hands to figure out who is behind the attacks to avoid their secrets from being spilled.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If I could have read it all in one day, I would have. It was a captivating and thrilling read. The short chapters really helped with that.

I loved that the story was told from four different perspectives. It kept it interesting and ensured it was never clear (at least to me) who the culprit was behind the attacks.

I also really enjoyed the ending. It's one of those endings that you will either love or hate - I loved it. I thought it perfectly fit this type of book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for providing me with an ARC of this book.

The Adlers, who live in Portland, Oregon, seem to have it all. Thomas is a real estate agent and his wife Viv is an interior stylist. They have two children, Eli and Tarryn. One day their perfect home is vandalised by a group of kids. But it's not just once and the vandalism continues with the police being quite ineffective. The vandalism escalates and each member of the family wonders whether their particular secrets might be the cause of the situation.

Told from multiple perspectives this story quickly engages the reader however the plot is not particularly original or complex. It's competently constructed and easy to read but ultimately forgettable.

Wow this book is a roller coaster ride with some twists and turns I simply did not see coming.

The story is told through the perspective of the four main characters Viv, Thomas, Eli and Tarryn. When the family's home is targets by vandals the secrets start to emerge as each family member wonders if they are to blame for the attacks. An interesting plot device that works really well in this novel.

The suspense is relentless as you speed through the book in a race to discover all the secrets and the reason behind the attacks. The characters are deliciously flawed and that only adds to the enjoyment of the novel.

Harding can spin a tale there is no doubt about that. Part triller, part family drama this book is a must read.

Many thanks to Netgalley the publisher and the author for a chance to read and review this book

You know when you see those TV shows or movies where someone is walking through a random house, and there are photos of the family all over the walls? I imagine the Adler family had photos like that on their walls, hiding the cracks underneath, keeping up the facade. The Perfect Family is my first Robyn Harding book, and I’m bookmarking her other books to read as well. So yes, this book was a satisfying and entertaining read.

On the surface, the Adler family seem perfect, living in their beautiful house with their beautiful garden and their beautiful children. But perfection is a lie. This is the “idea” we are given to think about by Robyn’s introduction to the woman of the house, Viv Adler. One by one, the Adler family are introduced and eventually, their dark secrets are brought to the forefront in a deliciously intricate way. Robyn Harding is exceptional at building intrigue and providing just enough detail before moving onto the next family member.

The main gist of the book is the Adler family seem perfect on the surface, but as you read on, you realise they are anything but. Each Adler has their own dirty secret, some dirtier and uglier than others. Morals and ethics come into play and the claustrophobic way each character suffers through their personal pain. Sometimes you feel like you want to lend a hand and reach out, and other times you almost want them to suffer. It’s incredible work on behalf of the author to turn these questions onto the reader somehow. “What would you do if you were in this situation?” Thankfully, most people in the real world wouldn’t experience as much turmoil in their lives as the Adlers, but their suffering seems real enough, but perhaps their reactions, not entirely so.

While I am not a huge fan of reading each character’s point of view as separate chapters, this structure works incredibly well for The Perfect Family. The deeper you descend into each character, the more you want to see (or not, as the case may be).

The Adler family are Viv (the wife), Thomas (the husband), Eli (the son) and Tarryn (the daughter). Robyn’s descriptions are concise, and you will soon have an image in your head of how each member of the Adler family would look and, eventually, how they will act. This is the tricky bit of the book because each family member has their own drama going on. Some of it is predictable, and some of it is weird and twisted, which of course, is the type of stuff that makes a good thriller. You want to be excited about something you know nothing about, and you want these characters to give you the pieces to their crazy, twisted puzzle. And as with every book you read, you will begin to draw comparisons to each family member and eventually come up with one you favour above the others. Or you may feel supportive towards whoever is causing this family to disintegrate from within.

The main gist of the book is the Adler family seem perfect on the surface, but as you read on, you realise they are anything but. Each Adler has their own dirty secret, some dirtier and uglier than others. Morals and ethics come into play and the claustrophobic way each character suffers through their personal pain. Sometimes you feel like you want to lend a hand and reach out, and other times you almost want them to suffer. It’s incredible work on behalf of the author to somehow turn these questions onto the reader. “What would you do if you were in this situation?” Thankfully, most people in the real world wouldn’t experience as much turmoil in their lives as the Adlers, but their suffering seems real enough, but perhaps their reactions, not entirely so.

The Adler’s nightmare begins with a little innocent “egg-throwing” against the house. And the Adler’s don’t really think too much of it. The abuse against their house continues and becomes more and more aggressive and dangerous. It eventually gets to the point where each of the Adler’s is either blaming themselves for what is happening to their family or blaming one another. The book’s pacing is critical during these events because it helps to build tension and uneasiness in the reader.

Each ugly event is described in detail by the author, so it’s a lot easier to imagine what is happening and what it would look like to an outsider looking in. It’s just enough detail to keep you intrigued and to keep turning those pages.

The Adler family seem extremely dysfunctional, and you’re looking for something good to happen once you get closer to the end of the book. Something has to give; it can’t all be this bad, can it? Robyn feeds you little sprinkles of hope that you cling onto until the very end. But you’re not given any clues as to how things will pan out. “Will they or won’t they make it?”

The only slightly minor annoyance with the book is the ending. While the main twist doesn’t seem too predictable, it feels that way, as if you knew in the back of your mind. There are several of these twists in the book, most of them minor but still important to the story’s progression.

Robyn Harding’s The Perfect Family is a well-written gem of a book that will fit in right next to other big hitters in the thriller genre, such as Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects and Gone Girl.

I really enjoyed this book. I always love stories that incorporate twisted families hiding all kinds of secrets. This family really has issues but I found myself turning the pages and not wanting to put it down. I will definitely read more books from this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. Five stars.

'The Perfect Family' by Robyn Harding follows the Adler family of four who live in Portland Oregon, USA. Viv and Thomas seem like the 'perfect' parents. They work in white collar jobs, their son, Eli, is in his first year of an economics degree in a prestigious college, and teenage daughter, Tarryn, is a top student. They live in a beautiful house in a posh suburb and drive high-end cars. The parents work hard to look and act the part with their boutique clothes, wife's hair and makeup to the nines and posh mannerisms. They appear even to themselves at times as being superficial and shallow, which is certainly the view held by their offspring; not to mention neighbours and friends.

As the blurb tells us, the Adler family is encountering 'cruel, vindictive and increasingly dangerous attacks'. The police surprisingly takes no action. Friends and neighbours are sniggering. Each family member harbours potentially self-destructive secrets, and faces issues verging on mental health problems – of which they are in total denial. The author points to each Adler's secrets as potentially causing the threats and aggression. Someone is going to get hurt or killed, before the police intervenes.

Robyn Harding has portrayed well the duality of the appearance of people's lives against the reality of their stresses. Life is stressful enough, without the added strain of keeping up appearances by stretching limited resources. Eli and Tarryn have made odd behavioural choices and decisions for their age and circumstances. The children's lives are starting to tilt towards disaster, with seemingly oblivious parents, who are doing nothing to help. Though seemingly-loving and caring parents, if only Viv and Thomas had spent more time trying to understand their children and help them through the pressures they are going through, instead of being so self-absorbed.

This is a fly-on-the-wall, reality show of a read, making it all too easy to sneer at Viv and Thomas. However, their painted flaws lessened this reader's morality stance.

The writing makes for a fast-flowing read, the basis for a different type of psychological mystery (although some of the secrets are not for the squeamish!). Towards the middle third of the novel, the plot revolves on the same details of each character's secrets and their resulting fears. There doesn't seem to be much character or plot progression until the last 20 pages. I was a little let down that there wasn't a complete resolution, which the hanging ending exacerbated.

Still, a good entry in the crime genre. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia for the ARC.
This review also appears in netgalley.com, https://thereadersvault.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-perfect-family-robyn-harding-4.html and https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4014635733

I really enjoyed reading ‘The Perfect Family’ by Robyn Harding. It seems the Adlers, by all accounts a perfect family, have a perfect storm brewing that will uproot their lives and leave a mess behind.

From the start we are introduced to our four POV characters, Viv, Thomas, Eli and Tarryn, The Adler Family. Each member of this family is holding on to a dark secret that may hold the key as to why the family is being increasingly harnessed. From innocuous eggs thrown at their window to smoke bombs and knife wielding figures in hoodies caught by surveillance tapes Robyn Harding ups the pressure on this poor family.

I really enjoyed seeing this story unfold from multiple viewpoints. Harding did a wonderful job in creating distinct ‘voices’ of these characters. The Adlers certainly felt like a real family that were pushed to the edge.

It’s a slow boil at times by a twisty well paced reveal make up for the wait. Recommend for any thriller lover.

i haven’t read an adult book in forever. all the ones i’ve read recently are ya, so i felt this would be a bit refreshing (and it wasn’t fantasy or sci fi). i went into the perfect family completely blind as to what was going to happen. the description sounded interesting enough, and i was looking for a thriller/mystery. unfortunately, i didn’t read much like a thriller. there was mystery, however i felt that if the main characters communicated properly, there wouldn’t have been any mystery to begin with.

as always, i like to start with the characters.

i quite liked the parents. granted, they had issues, but they seemed like nice enough people. rich people. stuck up themselves people. but nice enough. obviously the relationships with their children weren’t very good, but with a little bit of communication, i felt they would’ve been the “perfect family”.

tarryn was your typical feminist type teenager. she was angry at the world, clearly felt she was better than everyone else, the typical teenage feminist.

her brother, eli, on the other hand wasn’t. he was respectful enough, but he has a dark past that actually gives him something to be upset about. out of everyone in this book, eli was the only one i felt was deserving of his feelings (the anger and the upset).

none of the characters were that likeable. some were alright, some reacted in ways that i thought to be funny. but none lead me to the conclusion of the book. it was a twist that i wasn’t expecting, but it also was disappointing. to put it simply, the whole book felt anticlimactic.

the family were being harassed by someone who clearly didn’t like them. of all these “traumatising” events, none of them really felt that bad, until the very end. most of it was minor pranks.

the best thing about this book is the writing style. it flowed. it wasn’t particularly fast paced, but it was so easy to read. i just kept going, and going, and going. i don’t think i’ve every read a book that was so easy to read. i’ll definitely be checking out the authors other works.

overall, if it wasn’t for the anticlimactic ending, i would definitely have rated this book 5 stars, but i just felt like it wasn’t enough. if you’re looking for something that’s easy to read, then the perfect family is definitely the book for you. and if you want to read about rich people’s houses getting egged, then go hard. unfortunately, i went into this book expecting something darker.