Big Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Luana Lewis for providing me with the opportunity to read this book!

I requested this copy because I was intrigued by the synopsis and because I love psychological thrillers. The writing is very good, fast-paced and easy to read. Short chapters are always a bonus.

I do feel that there was something missing in this book. It didn't give me that "wow" feeling. The ending was very unsatisfying, unfortunately - hopefully this will turn into a series because there is too much left unanswered.

Overall, it was a good read and I'm looking forward to reading more books from this author.

"The Perfect Patient" by Luana Lewis is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the very beginning. The story's intriguing premise, with the protagonist questioning her own involvement in a murder, creates a suspenseful and thought-provoking narrative. As secrets unravel and memories resurface, the plot takes unexpected twists that leave readers guessing until the very end. Lewis masterfully weaves a tale of trust, deception, and the search for the truth, all set against the backdrop of a therapy session that holds the key to unravelling the mystery. With its well-drawn characters and skilful storytelling, this novel is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers.

The Perfect Patient:

Minor synopsis: As I walk into my therapist’s office, I’m finally ready to answer the question on everyone’s lips… Am I a murderer? It’s been six months since I woke up next to the body of the man I’d chatted to in a bar the night before. I still remember the metallic scent of his blood, the stillness of the room, and the panic that rose in my throat when I realized he was dead. I remember him buying cocktails. We talked. We went up to my room. And then… nothing. But I know I didn’t kill him. Now, as my whole world is picked apart by the police, the only hope I have of clearing my name is with my therapist, Dr Tara Black. As soon as we meet, I feel at peace. Her kind, dark eyes make me want to talk for hours, and she tells me she can help me access my memories of that night. But it soon becomes clear there is more to my past than even I remember… Why does a flicker of recognition cross her face as I talk about the crime scene? And why do my parents look scared when I tell them I discussed my childhood with Dr. Black? Did I put my trust in the wrong person? And how far will I have to go, to prove I’m innocent?


Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Emojis:

Thoughts:
From the first line I was drawn into the story, finding it extremely interesting that Jade woke up covered in blood with no memory of the night prior. My first thought was that maybe she was a victim of attempted date-rape by Carl, but as the novel progressed I'm suspicious that her dad set her up for the fall of the cop who was murdered. The end shocked me simply because it wasn't set up well throughout the novel. I was able to predict most of the twists including who Jade's father was, and I feel that the dissociative identity disorder was not explained enough to use it as the plot twist at the end. All my thoughts are below.

@ 10% through the novel, I was annoyed by the short sentences to the point that it was somewhat distracting to me.
@ 28% through; I was very suspicious that Ray and Sandra killed Paula to get legal custody of Jade.

Random questions I had:
Not sure why we need to know how Jade's parents met but we will see. Could the cop be her Paula's (older sister) BF who hit her?
Why would he only bring medical records from age 9 +?
BOMBASTIC SIDE EYE he absolutely banged his wife's sister.

My biggest complaint is the way the novel was written did not match the way the synopsis was, and I feel like the story told had almost nothing to do with Jade as we didn't see her perspective through the majority of the book. If the synopsis was rewritten to better match the story of the novel, I would increase my rating.

The Perfect Patient was a pleasant surprise of a reading experience!
Being a debut novel, I had my reservations about reading this ARC, but Lewis proved that she is well deserving to be in this space.
A therapist with secrets of her own endeavors to discover the truth of a murder supposedly committed by a teenage girl. Each character falls beneath the shadow of doubt; the reader is torn who to empathize with — two elements of a great psychological thriller.
Though slightly longer than most psych thrillers I read, The Perfect Patient never once lost my interest. I barreled through as each chapter led each piece to fall to its perfect place.
The writing style was smart yet easy to read. One of my favorite aspects of Lewis’s writing is the poignant color symbolism she uses throughout.
I fully recommend The Perfect Patient and look forward to hearing more great feedback after its release!
Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the advance copy, this one was a pleasure!

I thought the story was clever and well executed, and I loved the twists and turns that came toward the end. It seemed like the author was writing from an experienced background, so that gave the plot some credibility. Overall, very well done!

This psychological thriller was interesting. Jade a 17 year old girl woke up on a hotel room with a dead body that has been stabbed to death. She had blood all over her with no recollection of what had happened.
Dr. Tara Black has been hired to figure out what happened that night. There are many twists and turns that had me reading well into the night.
The ending was different and I’m hoping there is a sequel with more details. I really enjoyed the characters. Great book.

From the first chapter, I was intrigued. The author was able to come up with a creative storyline that I have yet to read in other books. The ending did leave me pondering one small thing but gives an implication of an answer. This is a great mind twist.

I enjoyed this engaging psychological thriller. I was pulled into the story and characters very quickly and it was hard to put down as I was invested in the plot and was eager to find out what happened next. I find amnesia fascinating and always love a book that has a character with some form of it. Overall a good read and the only thing keeping it from 5 stars was that the ending was a bit abrupt for my liking. But overall, it was a good ending, the book was well written and I would definitely recommend reading it to all my fellow thriller lovers.

The Perfect Patient by Luana Lewis
Pub date 28.09.23

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you NetGalley, Luana and Bookouture for the ARC!
I love psychological thrillers, especially when written by a psychologist like this one is! Luana has 20 years experience and you can tell. I was hooked from the beginning always telling myself one more chapter. I loved the short chapters and how fast paced it was. The character development is fab, each of them had a dark past and you didn't know who to trust.
It would have been a 5 star for me but the ending left me with more questions than answers. Maybe there will be a book 2 to give us the answers we NEED? 🤞

Awwww Ziggy 🐶 Nothing better than a dog best friend ❤

Review will be posted to my bookstagram before pub day @booksbooksbooksxoxo

This high profile murder mystery had me hooked from the get-go!!! Loved all of the different elements of and personalities of the characters, it kept me guessing from chapter to chapter! Great read that kept me coming back for more, couldn’t put it down!

Thank you to NetGalley for my latest thriller read!

The Perfect Patient had me hooked from the prologue and while I did find things slow moving at times, I certainly never lacked investment in finding out what really happened the night of Carl Ress’ murder. Tara as a character fell a little flat for me at times - I think this book may have worked better in a first person narration, but the vibes of this read are great for a cozy/spooky fall TBR, and the ending was worth it for me!

I couldn't wait to see how this captivating tale turned out and how Dr. Tara would untangle the "perfect patient." There were some slow scenes and some predictable twists, but for the most part this wad quite interesting.

Is Dr. Tara Black in over hear head when she agrees to take on Jade Jameson's case?

Jade wakes up in a hotel room with the dead body of Carl Ress - she cannot remember anything that happened. Dr. Black is to figure out if this amnesia is real or not. This case brings up a lot of personal feelings for her. How is she going to help Jade when her overprotective parents stand in the way of her interviews?

Overall, the story had a great pace and was very fascinating. There was an addition of one character that I didn't really understand as there was never a resolution to that side story.

Luana Lewis has been a psychologist for over 20 years. The way she takes this experience and puts it into her writing makes for fantastic stories. I cannot wait to read more from her.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for the review.
The Perfect Patient is to be released September 28, 2023

A teenage girl wakes up in a room with a corpse, but she has no memory of what has happened. The premise of this psychological thriller appealed to me from the very first moment. Once I started it, I was surprised to see that the book is not written from the teenager's point of view, but from that of a psychologist who has to determine whether her amnesia is real or not.

The plot is well constructed, it is interesting, but there comes a point at which, as a standalone book, it is just too much. The end has confirmed my fears, there are many things (very relevant things) that remain unresolved.
But even so, it was a pretty decent book to read. It is a psychological thriller that easily traps you between its pages.

I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.

Is Jade Jameson a murderer or a victim of circumstances? Is she being protected or is she a prisoner not able to reveal the truth? The premise of this psychological thriller sparked my interest. I was gripped immediately and raced to the twisty, surprising conclusion. The characters are complex and drive this absorbing, intense, fast-paced plot. I was invested in Jade’s journey of seeking the truth behind the mysterious murder. The tension increased as pieces of the puzzle came together and secrets were revealed. This is the perfect cure for any reading slump. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Unraveling memory and morality, Luana Lewis' 'The Perfect Patient' offers a suspenseful journey through the enigma of a young woman's amnesia after waking up next to a murdered man. Dr. Tara Black's efforts to reconstruct the truth from fragmented memories lead to a tangle of medical ethics and the pursuit of perfection. While the premise captivates and character depth shines intermittently, pacing inconsistencies and predictable moments hinder the psychological thriller's full potential. Lewis' exploration of the human psyche and the medical field's complexities prompts thought, yet the execution leaves room for a more immersive experience, resulting in a work that, while engaging, doesn't fully transcend its genre.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC of The Perfect Patient by Luana Lewis. When I first started this, I was struggling to feel engaged in what I was reading. But, I am glad I continued on because this was quite an enthralling read. I really liked the fact that the chapters were shorter. After I got through the beginning and started enjoying it, it was a very fast paced read and found I was struggling to put it down! I would definitely recommend this one and read more by this author!

One morning, 17-year-old Jade Jameson wakes up in her father’s hotel. It’s a nice suite she chose to sleep in, but she’s not sure why she spent the night there. When she gets out of bed, she sees something on the floor. That something is a dead man named Carl Ress. The man over twice her age has been stabbed to death, and Jade has no idea what happened.

Dr. Tara Black is brought in to help with the case, and to see if Jade’s amnesia is real. This slight, sweet girl doesn’t seem like someone who could stab a man eleven times - she doesn’t even seem like the type to have a strange man in her hotel room. What happened that night, and did Jade’s family have anything to do with it?

Unfortunately, it looks like I’m an outlier with this one. I thought it was too cumbersome with characters who weren’t needed, and it was a slow burn, which I don’t care for. The writing was good, the actual premise for the plot has been done but is also good, yet something in this was lacking for me. I just didn’t care about any of the characters, not even the teenage girl who can’t remember if she’s a killer.

The book felt washed out in some places, generic in others, and overall was a miss for me. It looks like I’m in the minority though, so other crime/mystery fans may like it more! Three stars.

(Thank you to Bookouture, Luana Lewis and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on September 28, 2023.)

Extraordinarily good this one is going to stay with me for a long time.
This delves into the darker recesses of your mind and the world in general and does not hold back from the controversial or tougher areas.
The overall psychological theme is immensely strong and probes deep into the mind of a young girl accused of, what appears to be and open and shut, case of murder. The background and backstory of the psychologist hired to aid her defence is complex and draws its own parallels, making this a deeply immersive story.
The writing is superb and the darkness pretty much oozes from the pages in waves, I’m not entirely I’ll sleep well for a while.
The overarching theme, which I’m not disclosing as it’d be a spoiler, is very thought provoking and the uncertainties pushed at the reader overall add to the unsettling feel and mystery.
Absolutely unmissable, I’m gutted I’ve finished this and wish it continued.

Really enjoyed the story, the characters were interesting, I was a little confused by the ending, no spoilers but maybe there will be a sequel?