"I'm beginning to realise that there's more to him, a lot more, and I have only uncovered the top layer."

The easiest 5 stars I have ever given and one of the best thriller novels of 2023. I cannot believe that this book is a debut novel from Hayley Smith, this book is a phenomenal read that had me hooked from the prologue to the very last sentence.

This book is about Lauren who meets Jay at a music festival and then moves in with him aiming to become the ‘perfect girlfriend’. Lauren has her own demons that she is trying to forget but this new adventure is just what Lauren needs to escape these. Jay has an interest in self-sufficiency and Lauren begins to enjoy this way of living. Love is really in the air until the story progresses and you realise Jay has a few of his own secrets.

I devoured this book, although at some points I did find it hard to connect with some of the characters due to the poor decisions made at which point I wanted to scream “JUST LEAVE ALREADY!”. I knew these were poor decisions, but it did not stop me from reading more as every chapter left me wanting more and that is exactly what Hayley's intentions were.

I found the descriptions of the environment and characters were the perfect amount and really painted a picture of the world the book was in which made me feel like I was also inside the book watching events unfold. The book was very creepy throughout and I did not see all of the twists coming although I did expect a few but maybe this is due to me reading thrillers often.

Trigger warnings included in this book are abortion, drugs, physical abuse, death and abusive relationships.

Overall, a must-read psychological thriller for any reader. This book captivated me with the well-written plot and the dark twists and turns. This book left me wanting more and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I cannot wait to read more from the amazing Hayley Smith.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoture for the ARC and trusting me to review this brilliant thriller but an even bigger thank you to Hayley Smith for writing this masterpiece.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Lauren meets Jay at a festival. After a whirlwind few days, she leaves everything behind and moves in with him. They embrace the life of self sufficiency and secret kisses. Lauren feels like Jay is hiding something(s) and is determined to get to the bottom of it all.

From the start I hated the Jay character. He was written so well as a controlling boyfriend. Credit to the author.

This book teased out secrets slowly and I couldn’t put it down. A great read.

I was surprised by this book. One, that it is from a debut author. The writing and story is great and doesn't feel like a debut author! Second, I thought the book was about one thing and it wasn't at all. I love that! The story is fresh, creepy, a little odd and very well written. The characters are fleshed out which doesn't always happen in books. The story is twisty and fast and I kept knowing something was coming but just couldn't put my finger on it! What a great reveal! (Or 2 or 3 reveals) I highly recommend this!

The title of this book had me thinking this story would be something completely different to what it was. The story is filled with multiple unexpected twists and turns (none of which I guessed correctly) and grabbed my attention within the prologue.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The summary of this book made me want to read it, and it did not disappoint. As someone who had never read anything by this author before, I had no idea what to expect. However, I was surprised by what I found within its pages.

The story follows Lauren, a 30-year-old woman, who meets Jay at a music festival. From the moment they first crossed paths, I could sense that something was wrong. There was an undeniable tension in the air, lingering throughout their initial encounter and the night they spent together before she followed him back to his place. Jay had a way of manipulating her, playing with her emotions, and she unfortunately fell right into his trap.

The book is filled with secrets, and the author masterfully builds tension among all the characters, particularly with Jay. His aggressive, gaslighting behavior and constant anger were clear red flags from the beginning. The mask he wore only served as evidence that there was something deeper going on.

The revelations at the end of the book completely caught me off guard. I did not expect such a twist, and it genuinely surprised me. The author skillfully wove together all the secrets, leaving me to uncover the truth.

One aspect of the book that I enjoyed was its creepiness. It had an unsettling atmosphere that kept me engaged throughout. However, it did take some time for the story to fully grab hold of me. The frequent time jumps in the chapters were a bit irritating and felt unnecessary. At one point, I even considered not finishing the book, but I decided to give it a chance nonetheless.

In conclusion, this book managed to captivate me with its intriguing plot, well-developed characters, and unexpected secrets. I'm glad I stuck with it. It was an intense and thrilling reading experience that left me wanting more.

Thank you Netgally and the publishing ageny to provide me with an arc.

Lauren meets Jay at a music festival. Lauren's life is quite the mess when she meets him. She had been dating a married man who dumped her, her parents basically disowned her because she brought such shame to the family, she's not getting along with her sister, she lost her job and her apartment and is living with a friend who can't wait to see Lauren go, and she also lost her best friend to suicide. A week after meeting Jay, she moves in with him. He lives in a dilapidated cottage with no wifi or phone service miles away from civilization. However, there is a lovely garden and Jay is into self sufficiency and Lauren begins to enjoy this new life.

Jay, however, is hiding a lot of secrets. For that matter, so is Lauren. From the title of this book, I thought this was going to be about something totally different. I'm glad it wasn't. Hayley Smith is an extremely talented author who brought the characters to life. The book was creepy and thrilling. I did not see all the twists coming. The twist at the end was amazing. I was literally anxious while reading this as everything played out. Once I started reading, I could not stop. I believe this is a debut novel and if so, it is just amazing. I highly recommend it. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it.

This is the first book I’ve read by Haley Smith and it won’t be my last.
Wow!
Talk about a twisted tale. I loved the relationship Lauren has with Lolly. That for me was a big positive of this story.

There are times where you may think ok…..where is this going but when you start really putting things together it’s pretty sick and twisted but you still have to read on.

I loved this book and can’t wait to read more of this author.

Sometimes, when I read stories about crimes in the paper, I wonder how people can do those things to other human beings. 

Sometimes, I also think: how do they even think they can get away with this sob story about their unhappy youth or a traumatic event?

The fact is that I don't know those people and I don't realise how they suffered under abuse or loss and how it really can affect you deeply. 

When you have physical wounds, they are often easy to see and to cure, but what about mental injuries? Are there even cures for and how difficult is it to find out which kind of care people need?

So yes, people sometimes cannot help themselves and are not always aware of what they are doing.

The prologue of this book already put me on the edge of my seat. Then the story begins with Jay and Lauren meeting. Jay is kind and loving, but he can be very controlling too. Lauren follows his lead. Jay thinks he has her where he wants her. She plays her part with one goal in mind...

I thoroughly liked this book. Lauren is submissive on the one hand, but can be very feisty when needed too. I sometimes held my breath thinking which can of worms have you open now, girl. :)

The author has quite some surprises hidden in the book for us to discover and enjoy. 5 stars

Thank you

A debut novel? Really??
I was sucked into this story from the off. Well written characters and a well thought out storyline.
Plenty of twists to keep me guessing.
Loved every bit of this book which i read far to quickly.
Keep them coming Hayley Smith i cannot wait for the next one.

My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Right away I waa invested in the main character. I wondered what was going on while I was not reading. This book maintained a delicious eerie feeling throughout the entire book.
Great book that wasn't overly descriptive. Just the right amount of characters. The story line really flowed.

This is a debut novel by an author who I will definitely look out for in the future.

The storyline was very fast paced with twists and turns all along the way. There are lots of surprises along the way and it became more of a page turner the further I got into the book.

A psychological thriller that starts at a music festival and moves to a secluded cottage on the edge of a forest. It goes to some creepy places throughout the story and is very atmospheric. The writer has described all the scenes perfectly, and this made me more engrossed the more I was reading.

Lauren and Jay are the two main characters both of them who have secrets from each other which make the book, especially the second half, a very addictive read. They are both described in such a believeable way. There were twists that I did not expect at all and this book was such a fast read from start to end.

I would definitely recommend this book, which I received as an ebook from Netgalley.

"The Perfect Girlfriend" by Hayley Smith is a well-crafted and engaging psychological thriller that held my attention from start to finish.

The book follows Lauren, a 30-year-old woman with skeletons in the closet. Her past is filled with bad decisions, and the present isn't any different. She meets a guy named Jay at a music festival and moves in with him, trying to be the "perfect girlfriend". They live in a little house on the edge of a deep forest, where there’s no internet, no phone signal, and no close neighbors- just what Lauren needs to escape her traumatic past.

At first, love is in the air, and all is well in their corner of paradise. However, Jay has secrets of his own that slowly unfold as the story progresses. Lauren's idyllic new life soon shatters as those dark secrets in both their pasts reveal the snake in paradise.

I enjoyed the book very much, although I had a hard time connecting with Lauren. She made many dumb decisions, some of which caused me to roll my eyes, and many the times I wanted to shake some sense into her. The unsettling atmosphere and feeling of dread grew the more you read. Like witnessing a car accident where you can't look away, I couldn't stop reading as she made one stupid choice after another.

The author keeps the readers on their toes and encourages them to read the next chapter to find out what is really going on. The plot moves at a steady pace, and the author does a wonderful job of providing just enough detail to paint a clear picture of the characters and settings. The characterizations are interesting, and the suspense is nicely maintained until the climax at the end.

The book is loaded with surprises, dark twists, and creepy moments. The story grabbed me right from the beginning with rich storylines and some well-drawn characters. Lauren grew on me, and I rooted for her, but one of the secondary characters, Lolly, was my favorite.

I liked the writing and the way the story unfolded before my very eyes. The author doesn't give us all the information at once. Bit by bit she uncovers more and more pieces from the past and fills up the dots. I have to admit, some of Lauren's choices demand a suspension of belief (surely no one can be that stupid), but it all makes sense as the plot unfolds.

I debated between giving it 4 or 5 stars, but the spectacular ending caused me to give the book full stars. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy psychological thriller novels with a bite and like reading about a character's ability to overcome their own life struggles.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved this book. I was completely drawn into the story from the start and could not put it down. It was fast paced with lots of secrets along with many twists and turns which had me hooked. Highly recommend this to everyone who loves a thriller book.

This read more like a YA book. The decisions made by the characters was frustrating. It was hard for me to connect or care. The entire time I was thinking “just LEAVE”.

****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

This talented author has written a page turner. Realistic characters move the story quickly. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and author. Perfect girlfriend? I think not.

I absolutely loved reading this book. I was completely drawn into the topic and could not stop reading it.

The Perfect Girlfriend is a hooking and engaging [psychological thriller. I loved the fast pace and tense atmosphere that was created as we find out all the secrets plus extra twists and turns. Overall this is a really addictive thriller you won't want to put down.

Lauren meets Jay and they start a relationship. After moving in with him she realises he is hiding things. Is he the only one with secrets?

This starts off strongly and the pacing keeps up for most of the book. The characters are well written and I found myself not knowing who to trust or what was going to happen next. There is a creepy undertone throughout the whole book which I really enjoyed. There were a few small surprises but I did work out a couple of things beforehand. Overall this was a fun, engaging read and I will definitely be looking to see what the author writes next! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review

When Lauren meets Jay and moves into his cottage everything seems idyllic until she discovers that he is also hiding secrets.
The Perfect Girlfriend is a great read that have me invested from the star with a pace that speeds up in sync with the events of the narrative. The main characters with their complex lives are fascinating and the secondary characters like Lolly are an asset to the book.
All this makes it a recommended book for lovers of psychological thrillers that reads in a heartbeat.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it definitely won’t be the last. I couldn’t put this book down. Every character is so well developed and the scenes are very detailed. This book has all the twists and turns that make for an amazing thriller.