Told from 2 perspectives, very well written book. Fast paced page turner with plenty of twists that i didn't see coming. Highly recommend.

This domestic thriller was actually so good. It had a manageable amount of memorable characters, so many surprises, and a dual POV that wasn't confusing to keep track of. I flew through this one. Without spoiling the ending, it felt like there was a plot twist within a plot twist within a plot twist. My only piece of feedback is that it was a bit unbelievable how the main character just went along with her husband telling her they have to move away, change their names, etc. If that was my hubby I would have some serious questions!

I listened to the Audible version. Narrated by two women and a man with a very creepy voice.

Emily and Aidan are married with one child and another on the way. Aidan works at a luxury car dealer. Marcus is Aidan’s boss and his wife Dani wants to be pregnant. They have been trying a long time.

Emily and Aidan’s marriage has become stressful as Emily finds out a huge secret that he has been sharing. They made a decision that is life changing.

The two families lives are so entwined that things happen that I never saw coming. Well done Boland! She is a relatively new author for me, and I cannot wait to read some of her older novels. I have read three and plan to read more.

#audible, #audiobook, #shaliniboland, #bookreview, #bookstagram, #stamperlady50, #booksconnectus

I always enjoy Shalini Boland books and here was another one. I'm so glad the two characters intersected in the end and it was quite satisfying to see what happens when their paths cross.

This book starts out with a prologue in which someone's husband is murdered. The rest of the story is told from the point of view of Emily and Dani as they go through the events that lead up to the murder. Dani's and her husband are rich and own a car dealership at which Emily's husband works. Emily's husband gets into trouble with the wrong people and they have to go into hiding. They are many twists and turns along the way and the ending was surprising. I guessed part of it but the very ending was surprising. Although the middle of the book was a bit slow with a lot of unimportant details, it was a good read. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ACR of this book.

This was another gripping psychological thriller by Shalini Boland who is one of my favourite authors. Her books never disappoint and are always fast paced page turners that keep you reading to the very end. This was a very enjoyable read full of suspense with a few twists I didn't see coming.

I inhaled this book! A truly gripping read that I couldn't put down.
Two couples seemingly unrelated apart from the husband of one couple working for the other couple.
Straight from the prologue, we know there is a death but we have no idea why. Even two thirds through the book, I couldn't predict the reason, and it was stunning. I actually gasped when the penny dropped.
I finished this in only a few days, it was a really compulsive read that I couldn't wait to get back to when I had to put it down.
My new favourite Boland book!

How well do you know your husband? Emily is pregnant with her second child when her husband drops a bomb that completely changes their lives. Dani is suspicious of her husband’s new colleagues and suspects he is hiding secrets from her, but can she unravel the secret before it’s too late.

A Perfect Stranger was a bit slow for me and overall I found it a bit underwhelming although I totally wasn’t expecting the twist at the very end.

I am so late to the party, but I recently discovered this author after I read “The Girl From the Sea,” which was awesome by the way! When I saw, “A Perfect Stranger,” was coming out, I knew I had to read it right away. The prologue of this book is shocking, and I was immediately hooked. The story centers around two women, Dani and Emily, who are from very different socioeconomic backgrounds. Dani is rich, and married to a man named Marcus who sells high end cars. Their marriage is going smoothly until Marcus starts bringing a rowdy group of people around their house. Emily, is pregnant and working as a receptionist. Her husband Aidan has been acting really strangely, and completely zoning out from family life.

Without giving anything away, the characters lives all come together in a very mind blowing way. This book is a fast, you can’t put it down type of psychological thriller. The tension was intense, and the ending caught me by total surprise! I loved it! Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this honest review in exchange for a copy of the book.

Told from the perspectives of two youngish women, Emily and Dani, one pregnant and one not, this is another typically racy Shalini Boland read. Why are both husbands behaving so strangely? Why do the main characters take such apparently silly life decisions? Why do they ask themselves quite so many questions about why they are taking such apparently silly life decisions? Though the plot stretches the bounds of credibility it keeps you hooked on a sunny afternoon or two

BOOKWORMS REVIEW:
I can't count the number of books from Shalini I've read but she's a guaranteed page turner and this book can be added to that title. Told from the point of view of the 2 leading females
Emily and Dani,this book will keep you gripped,for its secrets,lies and drama. With good characters and a great plot you'll not stop till you know the truth. Thanks to Shalini Boland,Bookouture and Netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

BOOKWORMS RATING: 📕📕📕📕

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really not the opportunity!

I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

Told in dual perspective, the story centres around the families of Emily and Dani, both of whom are connected in some way.

I found the book a slow starter allowing you to get an insight into the characters and their lives.

Boland's books never disappoint, this was intriguing, exciting and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what was happening.

It makes you question just how much can you trust someone, especially when that person is your husband.

With complex characters, a broken promise and an isolated cottage, A Perfect Stranger is a suspenseful, tension filled read, full of twists and turns and comes complete with an ending that blew me away!

Many thanks to Bookouture for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Emily is married to Aiden, who works at a car dealership for Marcus, who is married to Dani. Emily throws Aiden a surprise party, but he is acting strangely and secretively. He then tells her he is in trouble and they need to run and change identies.
The story weaves through the two marriages, as Marcus and Dani have secrets too, as Emily fights to find the truth. Who are the strange men around Marcus? How did Aiden get into trouble, and how will they get out of it?
Superb writing, Shalini Boland is always amazing, and an excellent twisty ending that I truly didn't see coming! Hooked from the first page! This is a great read for all suspense fans.

“She trusted her husband…She shouldn’t have…”

Shalini does it again! Should I be surprised? She has that uncanny knack of sweeping you up into a twisted and often chilling nightmare in a seemingly normal family in an innocuous setting usually in the picturesque Dorset (well, picturesque to me anyways) and dragging us along with the protagonist through all their inner turmoil. And then...even after she shocks with a big reveal, she delivers a final twist like a knife in the back of her victim. And usually one we didn't see coming.

Opening with a mysterious prologue that will have the reader pondering its relevance, we then meet Emily and Aidan and their three year old son Josh, who are struggling financially and live in a cottage in a village they could only dream of affording to buy there. Emily works as a receptionist at a local GP practice and is pregnant with their second child whilst Aidan has a successful job as a luxury car salesman.

One night, Emily throws a surprise birthday party for Aidan at a local restaurant inviting all their friends including his boss Marcus and his wife Dani. But the moment Aidan walks in the door, Emily sees his face and she knows she has made a grave mistake. Although it was meant to cheer him up, this is not what Aidan wants; not a big lavish party with friends and colleagues. And then when she gives him the present she lashed out on for him, his response is not what she expected. Something is terribly wrong. What is Aidan hiding from her? Becoming more worried by the second, Emily coaxes her husband to confide in her. She fears the worst...but nothing can prepare her for what he is about to tell her. And just how much their lives are about to change.

Wealthy couple Marcus and Dani want for nothing. Marcus is the successful owner of the luxury car dealership where Aidan is one of their top salesmen. His wife Dani spends her days at her expensive health club or lunching with friends. Her husband provides for her in every aspect she could want...except for one thing. Dani longs for a baby of her own and despite several years of trying, they have remained unsuccessful. She knows Marcus will do anything to make her dream come true but she is unaware of just how far he would go and how low he would stoop to achieve the one thing she desires. When Marcus begins inviting suspicious characters back to their home, letting them roam freely about the place and splashing about in their pool, Dani begins to worry about the company he is beginning to keep and that they may lure him into something dodgy. Each time she attempts to voice her concerns, he brushes her off flippantly as nothing but it soon becomes a strain on their marriage.

Until one day, Dani decides to do some snooping to find out what these dodgy characters may have on her husband in an attempt to free him of their grip. But she has no idea what she is about to uncover...

Then just as you think you have it all worked out - you don't! Because along comes Shalini with yet another twist to throw into the mix, shocking readers with the untold secret.

Just wow! I wasn't sure in what direction A PERFECT STRANGER was going at first but it didn't take long for the pace to pick up and lead us on a merry chase in our quest for answers. The plot is complex, without being complicated, and the multi-layered story intense and even chilling. The short snappy chapters keep the pace moving seamlessly as the narrative alternates between the two women - Emily and Dani - with the random inclusion of an anonymous character watching events unfold and plotting their own endgame.

As the plot builds before taking proper shape, the reader may wonder just how Dani factors into Emily and Aidan's story...aside from being the wife of Aidan's employer. And as the tension builds so does the unfolding story with the pieces slotting neatly into place by the book's end. Two marriages, numerous secrets and an abundance of lies - the lives of these two women are intricately woven together with a climatic revelation that explodes to the surface, leaving them reeling from shock and disbelief. The reader too.

Shalini drops little clues throughout - nuances I picked up and pondered - until I joined all the dots in perfect symmetry...with the exception of that final twist that I didn't see coming or even suspect...not even a little bit. We are kept on our toes throughout with all the twists and unfolding drama and loads of tension right up to the end. As layer upon layer, the secrets and lies continue to build.

This is the umpteenth thriller I've read by Shalini Boland and she never ever fails to impress. She is quite honestly the queen of the killer twist, delivering a final surprise within the final pages with impeccable skill.

A PERFECT STRANGER is a perfect collision of worlds, lives, secrets and lies. A must-read for Shalini's fans that will not disappoint.

I would like to thank #ShaliniBoland, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #APerfectStranger in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I'm so thrilled to share my thoughts about A Perfect Stranger as part of the book tour hosted by Bookouture. Thank you for my spot on the tour, and for the advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪

I was chomping at the bit to read this book because anything from Shalini Boland will be epic. A Perfect Stranger was filled with suspense, twists and turns to throw me off track repeatedly, and plenty of tension. I felt myself automatically turning the pages (flicking my kindle screen) as the author racked up the tension to THAT ending. Brilliant.

The story is told from the perspectives of Emily and Dani. Two very different women, who don’t even like each other. I liked Emily but couldn’t warm to Dani. I simply could not shake the feeling that Aiden was a wrongun from the outset and that meant I couldn't connect with the character, so empathy escaped me.

Overall, this was a thrilling read, which kept me up way too late. Would I recommend this book? In a heartbeat! I gave A Perfect Stranger, by Shalini Boland, five stars, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

#ad #gifted #aperfectstranger #shaliniboland #bookouture #thriller #booklover #bookstagrammers #johnsbookshelf #bookstabloggers #bookreader #blogtour #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookshelf #bookaddict #igreads #bookblog #readabook #johnsbookshelfblogs #bookaholic #fortheloveofbooks #goodreadschallenge2022 #bookpost #blogpost #johnsbookshelfreviews #johnsbookshelf #honestreviewsonly

This is my second book by the author, and I am surprised she isn't getting more buzz.  She writes easy to read, entertaining, twisty books that reminds me a little of a Freida McFadden or Kiersten Modglin.

I was drawn in by a potential murder before we flash back to see how we got there. There are likable characters that are relatable, and their flaws make them real.  Two couples who seem to have not a lot in common other than secrets.  The further you read, the more intertwined they become.  And of course, twists that you do not see coming.  After the last book, I just read the story and don't even try to figure out what the outcome is.  And trust me I never would have.

We go back and forth between the two wives POVs along with a chapter here and there thrown in by a bad guy.  Not many chapters are his but they are just perfectly placed to keep feeding you a little info.

Shalini has become a go to author for me and I highly recommend this book.

This was a really good thriller. Overall I really liked it and I would suggest. It had eveything I was looking for in a thrller.

“She trusted her husband…She shouldn’t have…”

Shalini Boland hits the ground running with an absolutely gripping prologue in this dramatic and clever psychological thriller. The back and forth between the ‘mostly’ two-person narrative does a great job at unfolding a suspenseful story of marriage, lies and secrets with twist after twist. This is the seventh book I’ve read by Shalini Boland, and I’ve enjoyed every one of them.

The story is told by Emily, Dani and an ‘other’. Emily is married to Aiden, they have a son and she is pregnant. Everything seems to be going well – until Aiden drops a bombshell of a secret that he’s been keeping that changes everything for the both of them. But is he the only one keeping secrets? Well – I can’t tell you because that would totally ruin the surprise!

Dani is married to Marcus, Aiden’s boss at a car dealership. They live a charmed and extravagant life – poles away from Emily and Aiden’s life on a budget. But, they do have one thing that Dani and Marcus can’t seem to obtain! I can’t tell you anything about that either though – Sorry!!

Marcus begins acting strangely and out of character. Dani can’t understand the change in her previously charming and adoring husband. What is he hiding? … You guessed it – I can’t possibly say – You really should just buy the book to find out! Dani is determined to find out though, although when she does, she may wish that she never did!!

With shocking twists throughout, this book does a great job at intriguing you and making you want more. A definite page-turner – something that I can confirm!

My thanks to the author and Bookouture for my advance copy to review via Netgalley. Out now!!

Reading Between the Wines book review #59/135 for 2022:
Rating: 3.5 🍷 🍷 🍷 1/2
Book 📱: A Perfect Stranger
Author: Shalini Boland
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: What would you do if your husband told you he had a devastating secret that caused you to have to go into hiding? That is exactly what Emily had to do. Aiden and Emily are on the run but what exactly does it have to do with Dani, his boss’s wife?
This book is told by Emily, Dani, and a mysterious/unknown person’s POV. It is a quick read with a few twists along the way. The last twist in the last chapter was very surprising but I feel like I should have guessed it. I love Boland and all her books and look forward to her newer releases.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @Bookouture for an advance copy of @APerfectStranger.

#APerfectStranger #ShaliniBoland #Bookouture #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #GeneralFictionAdult