This is my third read from this author and it really didn’t meet my expectations. I think it is the weakest plot because it was so slow to get going, not much happened and I found the ending to be rather far-fetched.

The story takes place on an exclusive residential housing estate, Westford Park, which has been named as the safest place in England. Except it would seem that security is not as perfect as advertised, leading to suspicious events that the three mothers – Avril, Sandy and Lily – see as indications of something sinister going on that is connected to their past.

Boydell takes the time to introduce the three different families but I must admit, it did take me a while to settle into their different personalities, let alone remember whose child was whose. I liked the concept that the women have each come to Westford Park for a reason – not simply moving home – and the suggestion of secrets meant that even something innocent as a leafleteer, signified something more to these characters.

On the other hand, I grew to despise Lilly and her daughter, Poppy. They are both so self-centred and I hated the way Poppy treated her Mother. She certainly would not have got away with her behaviour if she was my daughter! Similarly, I sympathised with Bethany’s circumstances as well as why Micky keeps being moved from place to place. Each child clearly has some complex domestic situations.

Yet, I don’t think too much happens in this novel until the last third. The story opens with a newspaper report about Poppy’s disappearance but it takes a long time to reach this point. By this time, I had lost any sympathy for Poppy and her family, and could think of many reasons why she could not be found. Furthermore, during this disappearance, I thought the police investigation to be completely lack-lustre and unbelievable; I could not understand how more was not being done and how developments appeared to be instantly dismissed. This definitely lessened my enjoyment of the book.

This is more of a domestic suspense but lacking the thrills. There is drama between the families and this lessens the pace and impact of the plot development. The mothers are as flawed as the children and, as more is revealed about the different backgrounds, you can understand why. However, the final few chapters where some key answers are provided, were the most enjoyable and I think this was where Boydell’s writing was the strongest. It reminded me of her previous books and I enjoyed these twists… it’s just a shame these happened in the final couple of chapters.

Overall, this is not one of Boydell’s best stories. I liked the premise of such a safe neighbourhood being targeted and the secrets of the families, but I don’t think it was the most gripping and believable of plots.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Avril, Lily, and Sandy move into the new community of Westford Park, each woman think this is perfect place to start a new chapter in their families lives and from the outside looking in it is the perfect place to live.  Westford Park has beautiful houses with big gardens, a pool, a boating lake, extensive grounds and 24/7 security, what more could you want to go with lucrative postcode.

These three ladies settle into life in Westford Park, an become firm friends with each other, but each are hiding a little something from their past, and when one of the girls goes missing, for one family it seems like the past has caught up with them.

I really enjoyed the intricate life's we see of each family, their secrets being laid bare and the little thrill of it all coming together.

4 stars

The Perfect home follows 3 ladies (Lily, Avril and Sandy). They all move to a new housing development that seems like perfection. The ladies get to know one another and become best friends. Their children (Bethany, Poppy and Micky) also become best friends. I love the character development in the book. You really got to know everyone and their backstory. I felt like the book was a little slower paced than like in a thriller book. I would try this author again though.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 The Perfect Home by Natasha Boydell is an utterly captivating psychological thriller that will keep you hooked from the very first page. The seemingly idyllic Westford Park estate quickly turns from a dream to a nightmare as secrets unravel and suspense builds with every chapter. Boydell masterfully creates an atmosphere of tension and unease, making you question everything and everyone. If you're a fan of twisty, edge-of-your-seat thrillers, this book is a must-read. It’s impossible to put down, with surprises that will leave you breathless until the very end!

Natasha is one of my new finds of the year, and I can't wait to get into her books. This was another great read, and nothing like I expected it to be. Gripping, thrilling, and entertaining until the very end. Highly recommended.
TB

This was an addictive read that I couldnt put down. The tension was just brilliant. Not knowing what was going to happen had me glued to the pages to find out.

I really enjoyed the scene building first half of this, the families moving in around the same time, making friends and strengthening bonds. It's worth sticking around for this slower first half because seeing the bonds break and the tensions rise in the second half as the pace speeds up is even better. This builds to a satisfying conclusion and a quick, engaging read.

What am amazing book! So it's a domestic noir but the way it's written and the way the characters are created makes it all flow so naturally and almost relatable so it's that much easier to just completely get invested and let yourself get lost in the story. It had some really good twists and was plotted out well. The characters are just so perfectly brought to life though that it did feel like you're right there with the family. I really enjoyed it

This book pulled me in at the begging because the family was trying to start over and I can relate to that feeling sometimes. Overall it was an interesting book that was written well. There are some well developed characters for sure but teenagers make the book in my opinion.

The book does center around the Moms and the kids. They all feel that they have moved to the perfect neighborhood with extra security and everything they could ever want. Then, one of the teenagers goes missing and boy do the tempers flare. There are some twists that I did not see coming and at the end you just want to know what happens next. This one is a domestic thriller for sure. I think it would make a very good book club pick.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Five stars from me! I just loved this creative story by Natasha Boydell. The author develops the three main characters in such a way that the plot evolves quite naturally in parallel. A very subtle approach that helped hook you in to wanting read more and more!

Three mums move to a nice posh gated community and quickly and unusually become very close friends. The main themes are family, friends and relationships.

One of the main characters is Lily. What an incredible lady! She believes in total commitment to her friends and family. This is someone who takes command and is a skilled organiser. I was also impressed by how quickly the three ladies bonded. This is not easy under any circumstances. The fact that each lady had experienced different recent life traumas made this all the more impressive. I liked how each of the ladies cared enough to help each other whenever they faced a difficulty.

There is an element of mystery that carries through the plot. This meant that my speed of reading and turning pages continued to accelerate. I was very keen to find out more.

The ending was not in my thoughts at all. I reckon I should have got one of the two twists at the end. For some reason I totally failed. The ending was both sensational and satisfying.

This author is to be congratulated for producing such an impressive book. I look forward to reading more!

Oh my! Great page turner with lots of twists! Kept me reading until long into the night. Love her writing style along with the story.

I haven’t read a Natasha Boydell book before but this book blew me away. This novel is full of suspense and betrayal making it nearly impossible to put the book down. This fast-paced domestic thriller had so many twists and turns that are slowly revealed from multiple POV’s. What is the truth, what is a lie, you decide? I would highly recommend this wonderful book.

Fantastic read. Lots of secrets to share and a touch of thriller. The characters were very relatable and had great arcs/growth. There were little twists being revealed until the very end. Very much enjoyed this book!

The Perfect Home is a tense novel by Natasha Boydell, and it only took me a couple of days to finish it. It follows Avril, who is moving into her new home with her family, her husband, and her daughter, Poppy. The home is within an exclusive community called Westford Park and Avril feels incredibly lucky to have been able to buy a house there and it does seem as though it will be the perfect place for them to live. But from the opening of the novel, we know a girl goes missing and Avril’s dream turns into a nightmare.

Right from the outset it is clear that Avril is worried about her daughter. Avril is fretful of Poppy being out of sight. Soon some of neighbours begin to suspect that perhaps there might be something more going on to explain why Avril is like this with her daughter. I wanted to find out what was really going on behind the scenes, and what the reason was behind Avril’s decision to move to a new neighbourhood. It is clear to see there is tension between her and Poppy.

I really connected to Avril and I wanted to follow her journey. Natasha Boydell creates a tense atmosphere surrounding her relationship with her daughter, Poppy, and it really does feel as though everything is building up towards something terrible. Natasha Boydell does a brilliant job of adding a real sense of foreboding over the course of the book which kept me on the edge of my seat as I was reading. The characters are all really well drawn, especially the neighbours as well. We see this as Avril begins to make friends with them, and when the teenagers all begin to start forming friendships. Even this becomes a concern for Avril, especially as she is concerned about who Poppy might end up becoming romantically involved in. I really wanted to understand what was going on with Poppy.

Natasha Boydell draws out the tension really well as the book races towards its conclusion and the emotions the characters are experiencing pour out onto the page. The Perfect Home is the first book by Natasha Boydell which I have read, and I will definitely be checking out her other books. Psychological thriller lovers are in for a real treat.

A brilliant read about friendship, secrets and lies. Westford Park, a new exclusive housing estate. Three families, living the dream, whose lives become entwined. Twisted and exciting making you realise you never really know your neighbours.
It was a very addictive read that keeps the reader in suspense from the first to last page. A great page turner with an unexpected ending.

Absolutely unputdownable. Terrific suspense and keeps you on the edge of you seat. It's addictive and draws you in early on and I was not able to predict it at all.

This was an enjoyable, well-rounded read. I found the characters relatable and likable, barring Lily, who I could not warm to.

While I found Avril and Sandy pleasant, I'm not sure I would want to befriend Lily, I think the author could have softened her brittle and shallow edges a bit. Although I suppose with that husband of hers, you can't blame her. Actually... no. Scrap that. Her excuses were thin and ultimately destructive, these two ridiculous people were parents, after all. Anyway, who am I to judge? I suppose to each his own, sometimes people have a strange idea of what a good trade-off is.

On that topic, I do feel that we never got to know Poppy, which is a pity. I'm not sure why this is, I think it was a bit of an omission on the author's part, especially considering later events. I liked Bethany very much, she was relatable, and I think very indicative of your typical misunderstood teen, and one who in many ways had more common sense than some of the adults. (Which made Lily's behaviour even more abhorrent. If I were Avril I don't think I would have spoken to her again, not in a hurry).

I also liked Sandy and Clare, I think they added a bit of level-headedness to the inhabitants of Westford Park. Well, Clare more than Sandy for sure. But even that aspect is an insight into what it must be like to live with the memory of abuse. Awful, simply awful. The ending seemed a teeny bit rushed to me. I enjoyed the twist(s) in the tail, but I do think there were a few loose ends that needed more attention.

But don't let any of that put you off, it was a quick and easy read, enough to make me investigate Natasha Boydell's previous books, some of which sound quite appealing.

3 and a half stars rounded down.

With its gorgeous residences, security, pool, and boat house, Westford Park seemed to have all one could ask for in a neighborhood. Up until someone went missing and everyone's secrets were made public, everyone felt safe. Was it really as safe as it appeared?
Three families who lived in the idyllic Westford Park neighborhood were the subject of The Perfect Home. You nearly felt as though you could move there and take up residence as the fourth neighbor alongside Avriel and Stuart, Lila and Eric, Sandy and Clare, and all of their kids. It was that realistic. But it was like a cross between Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives, and The Stepford Wives!
I read this book in two days because I found it to be so engaging throughout and found the conclusion shocking—you never know who to trust. Without a doubt, I suggest this one!

Ooh these were such an amazing bunch of characters, all of them seemed so intense! The thought processes they had were so entertaining.

I love books that sweep you in with the perfect location and lifestyle and then turn you upside down with twists and be unable to hold back your suspicions, if you have similar tastes, this needs adding to your TBR.

I loved how the book demonstrates the difference in relationships between the mothers and how protective they are of there ‘own’ this is such a cleverly written book and I’m excited to read more by the author.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW.

Review for 'The Perfect Home' by Natasha Boydell

Well done Natasha on an absolutely tension packed and page turning thriller!!!

AN ABSOLUTELY UNPUTDOWNABLE, TENSION FILLED AND SUSPENSEFUL BOOK THAT WILL KEEP YOU UP LATE AT NIGHT UNTIL YOU TURN THE LAST PAGE!!

Wow!!! This book is fantastically written and had me hook, line and sinker from beginning to end. The descriptions were so in depth and vivid that the hair on my arms was standing on the ends and my heart was pounding throughout. The synopsis, title and cover were perfect for the storyline.

A HUGE success by the extremely talented Natasha Boydell!! This may be the first book I have read by this incredible author but it most certainly will not be the last! I absolutely loved this unique page turning explosive page turner. I was absolutely absorbed throughout this suspense filled thriller that is filled with tension, drama, family, suspense, secrets, paranoia, community and omg the ending!!! I DID NOT see the twists coming at all!!! Just when I think everything had been worked out and things were settling down BOOM came shocking ending!! A MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS Natasha!! It is getting harder and harder to shock me but by God you did that over and over and over!!! One of the most gripping unputdownable psychological books I have read this year!!! You have one hell of a talent and I cannot wait to get hold of your previous and future books. I cannot remember the last time I was so hooked by a book but you managed that big time!!! I loved that the book is told from different perspectives and each of their stories/chapters were perfectly weaved together to show us everything that is going on and how each of the characters are thinking and feeling throughout. The storyline is filled with shocks, suspense, tension, deceit, and everything you could ask for in a gripping thriller!!. There was so much going on and it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. It was one of those books that I was either reading it or thinking about the plot and itching to pick the book back up again as I just HAD to know what was going to happen next and at the end! Natasha's fantastic evocative descriptions ensures you are completely absorbed into the storyline with the characters coming to life all around you! This book is absolutely addictive and I read it in one sitting. It kept me on the edge of my seat, biting my nails with my heart absolutely pounding throughout especially at the end! I really am looking forward to the next book by this extremely talented author. A gripping, all consuming addictive page turner!!!

Clear your schedule before you start as I read this in one sitting as I could not put it down!! Absolutely hooked!! I would absolutely love to see this turned into a movie!!!!

The characters were all strong and realistic and thanks to Natasha's absolutely fantastic writing skills they all come to life when you are turning the pages. The storyline surrounds three main female characters called Lily, Sandy and Avril who are all mothers who become friends, as do their children Poppy, Bethany and Mick. Natasha clearly cares about her characters, even though I was not a huge fan of them but Ill come to that shortly, and she really brings them to life with her in depth descriptions and fantastic characterisation. Each of the characters are multi-layered with strong personalities. As I previously mentioned I was not actually a fan of them and this normally ends with me struggling with the book as I usually like to connect with the characters but in this case it didn't actually make a difference as I was completely invested in the storyline from beginning to end! Thanks to Natasha's fantastic writing skills she has managed to put extremely unlikeable characters in such a fantastic storyline that you can't help but be addicted to the book regardless of how you feel!!! I will stop here as I will give too much away if I say anymore and I really don't want to spoil it for future readers so I wont say anything else and let other readers make their own minds up about how they feel about the characters.. Regardless of whether you love or hate the characters they all worked perfectly together to make this an addictive and gripping storyline!!

Overall an absolutely fantastic, unputdownable and addictive page turning thriller!!

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