Calling all HGTV fans! Daniel Kenitz’s The Perfect Home follows a married couple who starred in the hit show “The Perfect Home (think Chip and Joanna Gaines). Wyatt and Dawn seem to have the perfect life -perfect home, perfect friends, perfect marriage except they can’t get pregnant. Wyatt is obsessed with having it all and has worked diligently to perfect his online and TV image. He knows that a family is the next step in cementing that image. The problem is he has a low sperm count and can’t get Dawn pregnant. Wyatt convinces Dawn that they need to try a German drug, not approved by the FDA, and it works but neither of them is ready for the side effects.

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. It was one of those books where I told myself to slow down but then read one more chapter. 5 stars and will definitely put Kenitz on my author-to-read list. Highly recommend. Thank you, NetGalley and Daniel Kenitz for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed reading The Perfect Home. I took me a little while to get into it but once I did I couldn’t wait to get back to it. It is quite a thrilling story about a reality tv couple. I felt I was watching from behind the scenes. There were so many twists and turns I finally had to keep reading until the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes good mysteries and thrillers!!

Home renovation is literally in my blood so I snatched this book up. This was a new author for me and I thought it was very entertaining and easy to read. The couple, Dawn and Wyatt, are caught up in the flurry of fame and notoriety. Having their own TV show is just the beginning as far as Wyatt is concerned. Dawn isn’t as self-serving as Wyatt, her goals and needs are less auspicious. Wyatt wants more, bigger, brighter, better than. As Wyatt’s demeanor takes a dark, downward spiral, Dawn has to make a life changing decision to protect their children. She finds the public perception soon ostracizes her and believes Wyatt’s lies. It’s an interesting take on how the public perceives TV stars. A reminder that everything you see on TV, social media, etc. must be taken with caution. Celebrities are just people and not everything we see is based on real life.
Simon & Schuster Scribner provided an Advance Reader Copy (via NetGalley) of “The Perfect Home” by Daniel Kenitz, , publication expected 01/07/2025. The honest personal thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine given without compensation.

One of my favorite niche plot lines involves reality-tv show characters, and I think as someone who has read many of the books in this area, this one was unique. First, it focuses on a Chip and Joanne Gaines type couple who have a home renovation show. However, things quickly turn from Magnolia to Gone Girl. Fun, quick, and just twisty enough, I recommend for thriller fans.

I devoured this book. This modern thriller is a unique story using real life against media perception. What you see isn’t always what you get.

Wyatt and Dawn Decker are the married stars of The Perfect Home, a hit tv series about home renovations. While Dawn doesn’t love being in the spotlight, Wyatt thrives on it. After all, he’s funny, fun-loving, handsome and all the women adore him. But when Dawn sees a different side to Wyatt, the world will always view Wyatt by his on-screen persona. Who will win over the public when the dust settles?

Great characterization, perfect plot pace, and the added bonus of seeing media plotted against real life. What else could a reader possibly want? I would recommend this to thriller readers and women’s fiction readers both, or anyone who needs to disappear in the pages of a good book for a day or two. Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner for the eARC of this 5-star book.

Loved this book! It was a cool combo of reality TV home makeover shows and the suspense mystery! It was very well written and fast paced. I got through this book quickly and enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this ARC!!

This book reminded me a bit of Verity but was much better overall. Wyatt was truly creepy in the end, like run away from as fast as you can. I loved Dawn though, she seemed so normal and relatable as a character.

Dawn and Wyatt Decker are the husband and wife team of a reality TV show The Perfect Home. On the surface, Wyatt is the charismatic star and will do anything to draw attention to himself and push up the ratings. He even takes a non-FDA approved drug to increase their dwindling chances of having a baby, despite the side effects. The drug works, the couple has twins, and Wyatt’s personality takes a dark turn. However, Wyatt maintains his TV persona and good looks and seems beloved by all. When Dawn discovers a horrific plan Wyatt has written on his tablet to further his celebrity status, she takes the infant twins and leaves. Predictably, Wyatt goes public and accuses Dawn of being dangerous. This book is well paced and told from both Dawn and Wyatt’s perspective. Once you are engaged by the story you will be hooked and unable to put it down. I read it in one sitting. Highly recommended. With thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

My students are reality tv obsessed, so I think they will enjoy this book. The first part focuses on behind the scenes of a home renovation show, behind the perfect home, the perfect couple. When the wife discovers who her husband has become, she escapes and most of the rest of the book is her trying to get away and a media battle for who is right. A fast read, lighter than the topic might call for

Wow. I read this over the weekend, not intending to finish it so fast! I loved the story, the writing, the suspense. Who can resist a story about a TV couple remodeling homes? Reality TV can never be truly reality TV, as we learn here. I was also intrigued about the fertility treatment part of the story (no spoilers) and still don’t know if that was pure fiction from the author’s imagination. But aside from this being an intriguing plot, the story, told from both the husband’s and the wife’s point of view, is so well written that you are pulled way in to the story. The characters are real and everyone has met someone who was so “good” at PR that they can get anyone on their side, regardless of the truth.
Thank you, Daniel Kenitz, for making a fun weekend of reading. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC but I would have readily paid for this one! I am so looking forward to the next book by Daniel Kenitz. I am an instant fan.

When a book is described as “Gone Girl mixed with home renovation show Fixer Upper”, it’s a combo too enticing to pass up! I enjoyed THE PERFECT HOME. It delivered on the Fixer Upper angle mixed with sprinklings of GONE GIRL vibes. The characters were rough to read - both MC were despicable on their own and together. While I should have disliked the husband more, I was constantly frustrated with the wife! For someone on the run, desperate to make a case against her husband, she kept making foolish mistakes that kept putting her and her children in further danger. There’s one thing that she did not once, but twice that made me lose her respect and root for… the husband. Yikes! Overall, a fast paced entertaining story with a somewhat predictable ending with characters that all drove me up the wall.

Another one that made me lose sleep when I couldn’t put it down. A couple who star in a home-renovating TV series have more than your basic marital problems. Hard to say much without giving a lot away. But read it!!!

I love that this is a domestic thriller that is based on home improvement shows. There were twists and turns that I was not expecting. However the main character was annoying to me throughout the book in her rash decision making.

The Perfect Home follows a couple on a house projects show. All seems so well in their lives until Dawn, the wife, has twins, and her husband (fame whore) Wyatt goes off the deep end. As it turns out, the drugs Wyatt took to pump up his virility may just be causing him to go crazy, and poor Dawn is on a joint mission to both keep her twins safe from him and prove that it is he who is insane all while he’s disparaging her to the press.
The Perfect Home is listed as Women's Fiction by the publisher. Still, this gripping novel is undoubtedly a thriller, filled with taut suspense that builds to a crescendo until its powerful conclusion. This book would make a fabulous movie. I'll be interested to see if that happens. I'll be looking for Kenitz's next novel. Don't miss this one! Highly recommended.

This isn't the kind of book I would normally pick but I requested it because my husband and I are extremely into DIY/renovating our home. Not to mention we love HGTV. So of course this one intrigued me!!

"There's so much to say about the subtext of the plot, and its sad commentary on the destructive power of the media and its ability to gaslight and sway the public to see things in a certain light, devoid of facts or truth." This is so incredibly true. This book highlights that not everything is perfect behind closed doors - and especially the way media portrays it.

This was a fun thriller!

"The Perfect Home" is an engaging and suspenseful read that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Daniel Kenitz expertly crafts a story filled with twists and psychological depth that examines the dark side of fame and family dynamics. The dual perspectives of Dawn and Wyatt add a unique layer to the narrative, allowing readers to understand both characters' motivations, strengths, and flaws.

Dawn's character resonates deeply; her resilience in the face of adversity is both inspiring and relatable. The challenges she faces as a mother navigating the treacherous waters of her husband's manipulative tactics made for a gripping journey. Conversely, Wyatt’s charismatic yet sinister nature exemplifies the dangers of unchecked ambition and the façades that often accompany celebrity culture.

Kenitz’s writing is sharp and gripping, with a pace that keeps you turning the pages as the tension builds. The exploration of themes like trust, betrayal, and the complexities of parenthood is handled thoughtfully, elevating the story beyond a simple thriller.

I highly recommend "The Perfect Home" to fans of domestic thrillers and psychological dramas who enjoy stories packed with suspense and emotional complexity. This novel provides a compelling look at the costs of fame and the fierce instincts of a mother. Daniel Kenitz has delivered a thought-provoking and entertaining read that will linger in your mind long after you finish!

The premise of this book is interesting. I’ve never watched one of those fix-your-house-up shows, but I can see that the dynamic between handsome, media savvy Wyatt and his wife, Dawn, an everywoman (more than one female fan says to her something to the effect of, “How did you snag someone like Wyatt?”) The implication being that she’s not pretty enough.

They struggle to conceive, and Wyatt takes an experimental pill to combat his low sperm count. Dawn becomes pregnant—with twins—but then she stumbles on a plot of Wyatt’s. He wants more fame and more money, and his ideas on how to get there are diabolical.

I thought that part of the story was original and interesting, but I hated just about every character in the novel, which lessened my enjoyment of it. People who were supposed to be Dawn’s friends were charmed and conned by Wyatt’s lies.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which releases January 7, 2025.

First of all,
Thank you so much for this ARC. I was asked to read this and I am so grateful.
Second of all,
I knew this book was going to be good. The Synopsis got me and the story kept me. I feel like I read this book really fast. I gobbled it up. So excited to put this on my shelf.

First-time author Daniel Kenitz has a winner in this interesting thriller. Married couple Dawn and Wyatt are hosts of a home improvement reality show. When they have difficulty conceiving, he secretly uses an illegal fertility drug that works but appears to alter his personality and behavior. When Dawn begins to feel that she and her new babies are in danger, she takes steps to keep them safe. I found myself warming up to Dawn as the story moved along, which I think was the author's purpose. Thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for providing an ARC.

This was an entertaining read; although I will say I was expecting more of a suspense thriller than it was. It held my interest, but I never fully connected with the story, I’m sorry to say. I see that I’m an outlier, though, and most have rated this book very highly.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.