
Member Reviews

This one was a little all over the place for me, I think it needed to pick a lane and stick with it instead of toeing the line. At times it felt like I was reading a romance book with toxic drama and then others it felt like I was reading a good case suspense novel.

I have mixed feelings on this book. I really enjoy the author duo’s writing style and was interested in the story a majority of the time but I felt the character development wasn’t as strong as their first book and the mystery element was a little predictable. I also wasn’t a fan of the romances in this book and wasn’t compelled to root for either, though I do think the authors write about toxic/complicated relationships very well. Like with their first novel, I liked the social commentary and how it was woven into the story. And though this book wasn’t my favorite, I will continue to read from these authors and look forward to picking up their future books! I recommend this book for readers who like romantic suspense and social commentary.
*Thank you to the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for providing an eARC for review!*

This kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through! I highly recommend this to any thriller book clubs out there!

I felt like this book was pretty genre-confused. Felt more like a twisted romance than a thriller.. The "twist" can hardly be classified as such as I saw it from a nile away. It was entertaining enough but honestly didn't stick out to me and I'll likely forget everything about it

Thank you to Net Galley and Graydon House for the ebook copy of this ARC.
This book had such an interesting premise. A woman, whose father has been in prison for most of her life for the murder of her mother and her last ditch effort to free him. Simone is sure her father is innocent. She believes the father of her childhood best friend and former neighbour is the murderer who had gotten away scott free. She is trying to build a case to get her dad out of prison and meanwhile a true crime documentarian is on her case and believes her dad is the true murderer.
This book had promise but it was only okay for me. At times it was hard to tell if the book was a spicy romance or a mystery. It was too long. I really liked the old diary entries from Simone’s mother before she was killed. I hoped for more around the documentary that was being made. Simone was a good detective and I enjoyed her sleuthing work.
If you like spice and mystery and don’t mind the overlap between genres, this could be for you.

The novel deviated significantly from my expectations, initially lured in by the enticing premise of a daughter determined to clear her wrongly accused father's name. The potential for a gripping narrative was evident from the outset, but alas, the execution left much to be desired. The struggle to establish a coherent genre identity hindered the overall impact of the story, vacillating awkwardly between a dark romance and a domestic thriller.
Despite my initial enthusiasm for the compelling plotline, the narrative faltered in its attempt to find a balance between a gripping legal drama and a more intimate exploration of familial relationships. The inclusion of gratuitous sex scenes and the cringe-worthy love triangle detracted from the overarching suspense, diluting the potential for a truly immersive experience. Furthermore, the convoluted sentence structures, albeit possibly exacerbated by the fact that English is not my first language, added an additional layer of complexity that hindered the overall readability.
The protagonist, Simone, emerged as a particularly challenging character to connect with. Her incessant tendency to mirror the unjust judgments her father faced onto every individual she encountered painted her as an unsympathetic and hypocritical figure. The absence of concrete evidence in her claims mirrored the injustice her father experienced, but it also rendered her character less compelling and more difficult to root for.
The portrayal of an age gap between Simone and Hunter, beginning when she was nine and he was fifteen, introduced a nuanced layer that may be a matter of personal sensitivity. The undertones of a budding affection between the characters, while possibly subjective, added an uncomfortable element that left me questioning the dynamics presented in the story.
In conclusion, the novel, despite its promising premise, struggled with genre coherence, excessive romantic elements, and a protagonist whose characterization left much to be desired. The intricate balance required to navigate themes of justice, family dynamics, and romantic entanglements seemed elusive, ultimately hindering the full realization of the novel's potential.

I really struggled with this book. While I enjoy romance books, I am definitely a true thriller reader. This book was scattered and just didn't flow well. When it started I thought I was reading a spicy romance vs a thriller book.
Not at all what I expected.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this arc.

This book just wasn’t it for me. It seemed to be all over the place. I thought it was supposed to be a thriller but a lot of times it seemed like a toxic romance instead. I saw what as coming the whole time and it didn’t seem like a twist by any sense.

This was an excellent thriller that kept me guessing the whole time! It was unexpected and fresh. I would definitely recommend this book!

3.5 stars. This book wasn’t sure if it wanted to be a super spicy romance novel or a thriller. I suppose if you’re an equal fan of both you will really enjoy this book. I would prefer for my thrillers to be more of just a suspenseful page turner. However, minus all the spicy scenes the storyline was good and I found myself not being able to put the book down. There was tons of neighborhood drama, family drama, and betrayal. The killer was a bit predictable, but I still enjoyed reading how everything played out. Would recommend for those that enjoy a domestic thriller, especially if you also like romance.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Graydon House for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Perfect Little Lives follows Simone as she tries to unravel her mothers murder, trying to prove her dads innocence with the help of her childhood friend, Hunter.
I hate to say it but this book just didn’t do it for me. I’m not a fan of romance books but this romance especially seemed uninspired to me. The mystery aspect of it didn’t keep me wanting to know what happened. The twist felt predictable too, which doesn’t always ruin a book but I just wanted more here.
I would still give these authors another chance! This book specifically just didn’t do it for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Someone Had to Do It was one my favorite reads but this one was a lot different for me. The writing stye was very descriptive and made the story hard for me to get into. There was a too much romance for me and I wasn't invested. While this wasn't for me, I look forward to the Brown's next story and hope it's more along my line!

This one was a little all over the place for me, I think it needed to pick a lane and stick with it instead of toeing the line. At times it felt like I was reading a romance book with toxic drama and then others it felt like I was reading a good case suspense novel. (Super light on the suspense) The failure to distinguish between what it was trying to do lost me unfortunately, but despite debating putting it down I did finish it. That always makes me think there’s something about the authors writing that kept me captivated so gotta give credit there. The suspense aspect fell flat for me as well as I found the twist to be predictable and easy to see coming. I did like the way the author discussed race in relation to criminal cases and found their observations and commentary to be sharp but overall this just wasn’t for me.

I would love to say this was the fun, gripping thriller it was advertised as, but the truth is much more mundane than that.
The very first chapter of the story begins with an admittedly sort of funny rant about women hating her body hair because of men and how the patriarchy sucks and she is such an anti-feminist for utilizing hair removal devices... blah, blah, blah... In case you're wondering, the rest of the book doesn't get a whole lot more interesting.
As a big fan of thrillers, this was a disappointment. I am not anti-feminist or pro-patriarchy. I just think Perfect Little Lives skirted a little too close to being named Annoying Little Complainers.

Perfect Little Lives is about a woman Simone trying to prove the innocence of her father in the murder of her mother. She enlists the help of her former neighbor Hunter who was her best friend growing up, a black family in a privileged almost all white neighborhood. He reveals that his father and Simone's mother had an extramarital affair.
This book isn't the usual psychological thriller that I usually read. There was far too much romance or sex scenes that really didn't enhance the plot.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Simone is an amazing character and super strong. I really liked her plus this plot was very original. I loved feeling like I could relate because of the book reviewing. I loved the descriptions of New York (my mother is from there) I do feel like the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more but it’s ok either way. I gave it a 4 out of 5

I thought I was going to enjoy this book. A woman is murdered and her husband is accused of it. Her daughter knows her dad is innocent and tries to prove it. Some weird sexual romance in this when I didn’t feel like it fit. Liked some of the story so that’s the 2 stars.

The story line is so all over the place that I didn't know if I was reading a thriller, or a romance, or a messy thrown together mix of both. I STRUGGLED to get through this book as an ARC. The story line was so messy, the wording was blah, and the characters were half developed. I would have DNF this book had I not done it as an ARC. The format was awful, the spacing errors were awful, I know it’s an ARC but it made it very difficult to read.

"Perfect Little Lives" by Amber and Danielle Brown is an engaging read, offering a mix of drama, murder mystery, and romance. The storyline is fun and entertaining, but I found it somewhat predictable. While I enjoyed the book, I could anticipate the ending, which took away some of the suspense. The collaboration between Amber and Danielle Brown is impressive, and I look forward to their future works. If you're a fan of light mystery/thrillers, you'll likely find this book enjoyable, though it may not offer many surprises for seasoned readers in the genre.

I wanted to like this one! Not what I expected. Too much sex - grooming??? Thought I would like that it was written by 2 authors but it was quite clearly written by two different people. Left me wanting more!! Tough to finish. Wish I had a better review to share...