The story was just "okay" for me. I have actually never read a Shalini Boland story but have heard great things. Maybe my expectations were just too high but the story really fell flat for me. I'll give another story a try, but this one just wasn't my favorite.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of A Perfect Stranger.

I am a huge fan of Shalini Boland books aa I really enjoy her writing style, the plot lines, suspense and twists she brings to her books and The Perfect Stranger brings the reader it all.

Two marriages, Three lies.
Told in the POVs of two people Emily and Dani who both lead very different lifestyles with their husbands.
Emily and Aiden are expecting their second child but their life takes a dramatic turn after Aiden makes a huge mistake and they have to run.
Marcus has secrets, Dani’s world falls apart when she discovers the real person her husband is.
Emily has the biggest secret of all but does it bring murder with it?

Absolutely fantastic read with lots of twists and turns. Keeps you guessing and knowing that there is more to the story than being spoken of. Highly recommend.

Normally I like her books, but this one was just kind of "meh" for me. The plot itself was okay but the ending was not very climatic and there was really no suspense or build up to it. I hate to say that because she's one of my favorite authors but I just didn't really care for this one.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

I always enjoy books from Shalini Boland and A Perfect Stranger was another great read. Always enough twists and turns to make you want to read the book in one sitting, this was what I did on the weekend.

Told from two POV's, Emily and Danni we follow the marriages of the two women. These women who never knew each other before will, along with their husbands be thrown together due to circumstances beyond their control. Secrets are being hidden which will eventually have massive effects on their lives. Things may not always be as they appear and this creates a lot suspense which along with a steady pace makes this a very good read. I would definitely recommend this to other readers who have enjoyed this author's work before and to anyone who has never picked up a Shalini Boland book.

Thank you to NetGalley , the author and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

A Perfect Stranger
By Shalini Boland
Release Date 07/11/2022

From the 📖
Two marriages. Three little lies. Someone’s going to die…
I hold my breath as my handsome husband walks through the door. I’ve planned the perfect surprise birthday party for him. Our friends are gathered and the champagne is flowing. But when I catch the look in his deep brown eyes, I realize I’ve got this horribly wrong.

From 🙋🏻‍♀️
Emily and Aiden seem to be living a fairytale life. On the other side of town, Marcus and Dani are living their fairytale.
Aiden and Emily are a young family with a young son and a baby on the way. Aiden has a gambling problem and has gotten into massive debt with the wrong people.
Marcus and Dani live in one of the wealthiest subdivisions in town. The one thing they don't have is children.
What do all these couples have in common with the other? Read this book to find out.
4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫S҉҉T҉҉A҉҉R҉҉S҉҉


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Shalini Bolands BEST book yet!!!! It had me glued to it from page 1, the characters were really likable and had great charatization, lots of twists I never saw coming and that ending OMG it was definitely a shock I never even considered it was fantastic!!!!! Highly recommend!

This is a new author that was recommended to me! I was pleased to read this book, it was fast paced, well written with interesting believable characters! Loved the unexpected ending too.

Shalini Boland’s books never fail to entertain me, and this was no exception!

Emily is married to Aiden, has a son, and is pregnant with their second child. She thinks things are going pretty well in their lives, even if Aiden has been acting a little strange lately. Her feelings change when Aiden tells her a secret he’s been trying to deal with…one that will have dangerous consequences.

Meanwhile, Dani is married to Marcus, Aiden’s boss at a car dealership. Rich and living the fabulous life, she has ALMOST everything she could ever want. Then, Marcus starts acting out of character. What is he hiding? What she finds out is something she would never suspect.

I haven’t had as much reading time as of late, and I have to say it almost physically pained me every time I had to set this one aside. The story is smooth and gripping, and the revolving POVs intrigued me at each and every chapter. However, I do wish the ending wasn’t so abrupt. I also don’t think the last “twist” chapter added anything to the story.

Still, this is a standout from Boland, and I think fans new and old will really enjoy the ride. It’s always a good sign when you want to rush through a book, and yet don’t want it to end. That was the situation here.

4.5 stars.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 7/11/22.

This was a gripping and engaging read that I couldn't put down. It was twisty, compelling, unpredictable and I was on the edge pf my seat the whole way through. A great read.

Let me start with this. As a fan of pyschogical thrillers, I love every book that Shalini Boland writes. There are very few authors I pre-order books for, but she is an author I follow for new releases. A Perfect Stranger is my favorite book of hers to date (and that says a lot considering I have read all of them!). It's the perfect mix of suspenseful twists, well-written characters, and a shocking ending. A Perfect Stranger will keep you awake at night trying to figure out what will happen next!I just finished reading it and have already told 7 close friends about the book.

A Perfect Stranger is the latest book from Shalini Boland and as always with her books I couldn’t put it down,Emily is married to Aidan and although they struggle for money they are happy enough with Josh their four year old son and one on the way they are content.But when Aidan becomes moody Emily suspects something is wrong but what Aidan finally tells her shocks to the core, and they have to make plans to make a fresh start elsewhere but that’s when their problems really start.Shalini Boland always delivers a great physiological thriller which you can’t put down which is problem sometimes when you have other things to do! She is rapidly becoming my favourite author now as she never fails to deliver anything other than great read,another brilliant book from Shalini Boland.

A Perfect Stranger
By Shalini Boland (via #netgalley)
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Oh boy! This one went from 0 to 100 in 1/7945th of a second. All truth be told, I struggled to get through the bulk of the story. At the beginning I had a hard time keeping track of who was who and there were so many scenes that didn’t add to the story. I felt there was very little momentum carrying me through to the end…until whoosh…it was an absolute free fall of plot twists.

There’s married couple Emily and David. Then there’s married couple Dani and Marcus. Emily and David have a 3 year old son and a baby on the way, whereas Dani and Marcus keep trying and failing to start a family. David works for Marcus, but they’re more intertwined than just that. Oh no, there’s plenty of secrets threatening to unravel all of their lives.

Thank you #netgalley for an ARC of A Perfect Stranger!

#books #bookstagram #netgalley #netgalleyreview #read #readmore

The prologue had me hooked! Shalini Boland expertly creates characters that I care about and forces me to become invested in their journey. The story is told from the perspectives of Dani and Emily. Each woman’s life has an underlying sense of foreboding and betrayal. Secrets may be deadly as truths are revealed. I enjoyed this twisty tale where things are not always as they appear. This domestic thriller hit every mark and I couldn’t put it down. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wished Emily was a stronger person, especially when it had to do with her husband. It would be so devastating to be in her shoes. I found Emily's constant worrying and anxiety a little bothersome. I felt that the story of Dani's obsession with having a baby was too long in the book. I did not like any of the characters and sometimes I felt lost and confused in terms of the story development. Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for allowing me to read this book and offer my honest review.

The start got me and it got better, I did get confused re some of the characters who I found out where just background to get the others to meet. This was a great way to spend an afternoon and I had to finish it. Dont want to say anything more as there are enough twists and turns to make it special.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

I felt the gene to this fell more into a domestic drama, people wanting more than they can have and going to extreme lengths to get it whatever the cost!

Told from two different perspectives of the socioeconomic scale, I did struggle at times to get engaged and felt frustrated in parts at the naivety of the characters which I struggled to invest in.

I mean for me it was an easy read (not the best I've read from this author) that was entertaining in parts but lacked the ompth for me.

Another fantastic read from this author, had me gripped from the beginning until the end with great well described characters.

I have read all books from this author and never been disappointed and this was definitely full of intrigue with plenty of 'hold your breath moments', all ending up with a great twisty ending which I would never have guessed. Perhaps there maybe a sequel to this, who knows.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this brilliant book.

Name of Book: The Perfect Stranger
Author: Shalini Boland
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: July 11, 2022
My Rating: 4 Stars

This is my seventh novel by Shalini Boland. I am a fan. My fav is The Family Holiday' which I read somewhat recently March 2022 and loved it ~ also loved an older one "The Girl from the Sea".

This story is from the POV’s of
• Emily who is married to Aidan and
• Dani who is married to Marcus.
• Unknown nasty person
Emily and Aiden have a secret that threatens to shatter their family. We readers discover that secret rather quickly in this story. I was on the edge of seat hoping they would get away!

Marcus works in the car trade and is Aidan’s boss.

Dani longs to get pregnant however, Marcus recently has been hanging around with suspicious characters. This situation is worrisome and also is putting a strain on their marriage.

I am a big psychological thriller fan. I go into each story with certain expectations.
 Expect twists and turns!
 Be suspicious of everyone!
 The most obvious person didn’t do it!
 There will be many secrets!

I was sure I had it figured out….WRONG!!

Shalini Boland does NOT disappoint!


Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for my honest professional opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July11, 2022

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A good read that is easy to pick up and read on holiday. Love this author and this book does not disappoint