From the moment I read the blurb I knew this would be a hit.

The Perfect Girlfriend is a psychological thriller which follows a woman named Lauren with a hidden past. One day she meets a man at a music festival and somehow becomes his girlfriend. Well, things are about to get real fun after that. Turns out Jay also has secrets and the more Lauren tries to uncover one by one, more confusion unearths.

Personally I would say this was a roller-coaster ride in which I often switched feelings and moods when I read this. Sometimes it was all mysterious and thrilling but there are chapters that felt a little boring. But thankfully I stayed. Because the plot twist was there and I like it. In terms of characters I had a hard time accepting Jay. He's a gaslighter, manipulative guy. The way he treats Lauren just makes me mad. I didn't understand why Lauren puts up with him but after finishing this I understand why. I think the narrative was purposely made in Lauren's to surprise the reader, to conceal the real intention behind every secrets that has been buried.

The writing makes it even more perfect. It was unsettling, terrifying even. I cannot stop reading even though I got bored in the middle of the book. Turns out at the 80% of the book things become really interesting in a dark way. Let me just say this; if I ever saw someone like Jay in my neighbourhood, I would move far away. He's just straight up creepy. Every dirty secrets he keeps locked away was bizarre. But I had a hunch about that. But the execution got me startled. I was expecting it but still got so surprised when it comes into play. The author did a great job at writing an unsettling, dark psychological thriller.

Overall, I think this book deserves a praise. I hope one day this book can be adapted in a movie or a tv series cause it would be a hit!

Lauren meets Jay just when everything is falling apart the married man she’s been dating since she was 15 broke up with her her best friend is said to have died by her own hand and she lost her apartment so a week after meeting J she moves in with him although his home is a little disappointing it’s a dirty cottage that needs a makeover and a lot of TLC and it doesn’t have Wi-Fi or a great heating system. So when she starts to enjoy living off the grid and feels like she is falling in love with J she is still hesitant because she has an alternative reason for being there but then again so does he! When reading a book are usually look for where the title came from and I’ll go I did get it because that is with Jay was looking for but I do feel like it was a little misleading because I definitely thought it was about something else especially given the summary but having said that this author rarely disappoints and she did not with the perfect girlfriend I love the few books I have read by her and enjoyed this one as well there was nothing better than win a great twisted domestic thriller ends in a happy ending… Love that and her books usually do this is a great twisty thriller and one I highly recommend. I want to thank NetGalley and Bookoucher for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

The Perfect Girlfriend
by Hayley Smith
Pub Date: 20 Jul 2023

What a thrilling book of secrets and suspense from the beginning to the end! The first part of the book starts out slow and you are a little confused why the main character appears to be so needy and clueless, but once you get to the middle of the book you are totally shocked at the story's progression. The pace picked up and left me satisfied and wanting for more!

Synopsis:

Warm in Jay’s arms, I can persuade myself it’s ok that he disappears for hours when he thinks I’m asleep at night, returning the next morning, glittery eyed and tense. And I don’t mind that he likes to be in charge of our money, our time, of me. He’s just looking after me, keeping me safe from the outside world, because he loves me.

I won’t question him, I can’t challenge him. I need our relationship to work. Because I have secrets too. Jay thinks he knows me, but he doesn’t have a clue.

All I have to do is play my part, and pray he never discovers just how far from perfect I really am…

Many thanks to #ThePerfectGirlfriend #NetGalley for an E ARC of this book.

This is a really excellent read and I was hooked from beginning to end. It’s a psychological thriller that is full of secrets and everyone seems to be hiding something or other. When I started the book I was completely confused as to why one of the main characters made a certain decision early on I was like shouting out ‘No this is a bad idea. However more things became clear as the story progressed . Gripping and twist from start to finish, For a debut book this one is top class. 5⭐️

Oh. My. God. This is by far my favorite read of 2023 so far! The title “The Perfect Girlfriend” was a little misleading to me, or rather, didn’t quite capture what the book was. This book was perfect, it had the perfect plot twist and I truly loved the main character, Lauren. I thought the book was written incredibly well and I absolutely cannot believe that this is Hayley Smith’s debut novel! She has become an auto bug author for me and I cannot wait to see what else she publishes (hopefully soon). The only critique I have is that I would have liked to have seen a little more of Damien because he seemed like an important character in the story and then it’s just nothing. Radio silence. Never to be heard from again. I wish he had had more of a role in the ending of the book. Otherwise, this book was perfection and I finished it in one sitting. I absolutely devoured it due to the suspense.

This book starts in such a way that you know it is going somewhere, but you just can't see the forest through the trees until midway through, and then it all becomes clear and the danger is imminent.

This story had a sinister edge to it as we follow Lauren and her new boyfriend. There are so many things I would like to comment upon, but you really should go into this blind for the full psychological effect of this twisted plot.

There were moments where I questioned Lauren's motivations and failure to act, but the author did a wonderful job of setting up her characterization to account for those perceived flaws.

This was a great debut and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. Lastly, a side note to check trigger warnings as there are some sensitive topics within these pages.

I read and reviewed an advanced eARC of this book thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley. All honest opinions are my own.

This book grabbed me from the very beginning and was a super suspenseful thriller with some great character development too.

Lauren, a musician, got caught in a whirlwind of a romance with Jay. They now live together. Is Jay little controlling? Absolutely. But it makes Lauren feel safe because she has secrets too, so she tries to be the perfect girlfriend to him...
This is a thriller, and this author's debut novel. The premise was interesting, but it fell a little flat. I feel the main characters motivations are wobbly, and some of the twists really come from left field (you do not see them coming, which, kudos to the author, but there was no real clue that they were coming, so I felt cheated). I did like that it was a quick and fast paced read and that the characters were all well rounded up.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lauren meets Jay at a music festival and they quickly move into his countryside home together. Slowly, Lauren starts to think there is a whole other side to Jay, one that could be dangerous.

This book was super trippy! I'm usually really good at figuring out thrillers but this one had me guessing for a while.

The setting: This book has a really cool and unique setting. The cottage they live in is out on its own and they attempt to live off the grid. It gives the whole story a nice isolation feel to it.

The twists: About halfway through this book, the twists start coming and they don't really stop. I was genuinely shocked at the first big twist. I did not see it coming.

This was a really good thriller. I wasn't entirely thrilled with the resolution but it is definitely worth the read for thriller fans!

This was a great fast paced book that kept me interested throughout. The twists I did not see coming and felt like the book didn't delve into the mundane details too much, which made it really gripping. I personally don't love the unreliable narrator trope but that's a personal preference, that being said I think it was excited well regardless and would recommend this book for a fast paced summer read!

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Perfect Girlfriend’ written by Hayley Smith in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Lauren and Jay meet at a music gig and are immediately attracted to each other. Two weeks later she moves into his home, a semi-derelict cottage in the middle of nowhere that he rents from his friend Rick’s mum, and has no phone signal, internet or neighbours. Lauren knows he’s the one for her despite being controlling by selling her music system and car, and she’s only allowed to leave the cottage when he says so, but it’s only because Jay’s looking after her. Lauren’s convinced he’s keeping secrets from her too but she won’t say anything as she’s keeping a secret from him too.

‘The Perfect Girlfriend’ is a gripping psychological thriller of hidden lies and suspicions. The characters are so well-described that you either love them or hate them, I didn’t like any of them except for Lolly and wanted to shake Lauren out of her inertia and make her do something. The story is interesting and easy to read and although I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it the plot soon got under my skin and I couldn’t stop reading as the twists and turns materialised and the reasons behind Lauren wanting to be the perfect girlfriend soon become apparent. As I approached the conclusion the final twist gave a perfect ending to an enjoyable story.

Lauren is a troubled character, recovering from a difficult past when she meets Jay, and is instantly attracted to him. She moves in with him, in his very remote cottage, where she becomes more and more deeply involved in his own troubled past. This book was exciting and thrilling, and also quite disturbing, as Lauren appears to become more influenced and besotted by Jay. It would appear that Jay is hiding a few secrets, although perhaps so is Lauren herself. An exciting read….you won’t be disappointed!

Thank you @netgalley. Thank you @bookouture. Thank you @hayleysmithwriter for the chance to read and review this Advance Readers Copy.
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𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯: Lauren's life is basically a wreck; her best friend just passed away, her boyfriend just dumped her, she recently lost her job, and she had to move out of her flat. She meets Jay at a festival, they instantly click, they were perfect together, however, there is no such thing as a perfect fairytale. She settles in Jay's home. Things begin to unravel, and it appears that her best friend didn’t commit suicide after all but was murdered. 😮‍💨

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: I'm honestly surprised that this is the author's debut book because it is totally enjoyable and nicely written.
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the plot, the twist, the ending. whew! This is a good book to read, absolutely gripping and i recommend for thriller lovers. 😮‍💨😮‍💨👏

Love this authors style of writing.
The story was easy to follow without an overload of characters, yet it kept me gripped throughout and needing to find out more.
I also like how this book has a realistic setting and storyline. This always me makes it more relatable in my opinion.
Just when you think you have it sussed out, I bet you don't! The twists are shocking and unpredictable which is always a bonus in a thriller.
Highly recommended reading this book. I will definitely be searching out more of Hayley's thrillers

The description sounded very good but sadly I didnt think the book lived up to it. Sorry, this one wasnt for me

The book is suspenseful and I liked the ending, but this novel was not my cup of tea. I didn’t find the characters likable or relatable and there was so much dysfunction and negativity.

'Black is the colour - the words sing out from the stereo and the music drowns out the rain - 'of my true love's hair"

Wow !!!! By the end of the book I think I may have decided to dye my hair blonde … it was wild !!!! A psychological thriller about a young woman finding herself in a relationship that seems perfect but the secrets run so deep, they threaten to ruin it all. Nothing could have prepared her for what she found hot about this seemingly perfect guy she starts sharing a house with, Jay and his darkness. The narrative was quite fast paced, the mystery was thrilling and it made me more invested in the story and its possible development. The characters were absolutely a marvel and I loved every second of reading this book and experiencing all they actually experienced. At the very beginning, the author gives you this confusing excerpt of some scenes you can’t quite figure out. But from moment one you see there is something wrong about the whole thing. Even though throughout the book you’re not sure you’re putting the pieces in the right place. There is always something leading you astray and when you think you have it all figured out … you still would rather believe it is different. I loved that about this book!!! I’m very grateful I got the chance to read it !!!

Lauren and Jay meet at a music festival. They instantly click and they decide to move in together. Lauren packs up and moves into a remote, middle of nowhere cabin with a guy she just met. What can go wrong? Nobody is as they seem...

The book starts off throwing information right at you, but not a lot of backstories on characters (main or referenced). The writing style was pretty good, not a difficult read really. I just had a hard time getting sucked in and maintaining interest. For a debut author, this book definitely has a lot of potential. It was easy to get frustrated with the characters and their choices haha, but overall, I liked this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for being my first ARC read and review :)

The Perfect Girlfriend had so much potential but couldn't deliver what it promised. I was missing the intensity of a good thriller and I was getting quite bored towards the end of the book.

The first half wasn't the most captivating read either and when the big twist came, it turned out to not be that big to begin with. I wasn't invested in the story or the too quickly developed relationship, which make me not care for the twist either.

The main heroine confused me profoundly. I wasn't sure what she wanted. Was she in love or on a mission to find her best friend's killer? I'm not sure even the writer knew and if she did, she didn't make it clear to the reader.

Overall, The Perfect Girlfriend wasn't anything new or exciting in the genre. Maybe I read too many books like this one and I'm hard to impress but for me, this is a quick holiday read and not much more.

This would be a wonderful book to add to your home of school library. I would highly recommend this book.

This really sounded like it was going to be a good book but unfortunately it disappointed me a bit. The characters were hard to connect with and fell flat for me.

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