Book/Story: ⭐️⭐️.5️
Book Cover: ⭐⭐⭐️

TRIGGER(S): INFIDELITY, FERTILITY ISSUES, CANCER, DOMESTIC VERBAL/PHYSICAL

POV: Dual, First Person
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Trope(s): None
Spice: None
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Debut Novel: Yes
Safe or Dark: Dark
Release Date: January 7, 2025

I don’t think I can ever view couples on home renovation shows the same ever again. Not that I watch HGTV anyway.

Ben and Erin Napier, Bryan and Sarah Baeulmer, Dave and Jenny Marrs, and Chip and Joanna Gaines are as happy as they appear. *Narrows eyes in thought*

I had to google who those people were.

It’s no secret that the media twist stories to their advantage. Only showing us what they want us to see and working hard to get us to believe a particular narrative. This book only reinforces that idea. I just loved that this story played on the idea that not everything we see on television is the truth.

A little personal tidbit: I absolutely adore the name Wyatt. WHEN my husband and I wanted kids (many moons ago), it was in the running if we had a boy. Well, at least it was on my list.

I apologize to anyone who might be personally offended by this. But Harlene is the worst name I have ever heard. Every time I read it, I cringed. I felt legitimately mad for Wyatt and Dawn’s daughter since they named her that. Harlene Mae, to be precise.

Ah, yes, the societal pressure that is put on women to be babymakers. A tale as old as time.

The idealism that a woman's choice to not have children or those who have no maternal instinct are less of a woman in general.

As a female who is childfree by choice, I didn't appreciate the parental “I want grandkids before I die” guilt trip, the idea that our parents deserve to have grandchildren and we need to give it to them mindset, or the couples who don’t have little spawns are useless and lonely vibes. I get that those were things that were needed to progress the plot of the story. But it still gave me the biggest of icks.  

“What good are you to your parents if you don’t make something of yourself before you die?”

My husband and I are far from being lonely and lead a very fulfilling life without children. I knew what this book was about going into it. I just didn’t think that the first half would hit such a personal nerve with me.

Please know that I’m not heartless. I love kids! I adore my nieces and nephews to pieces. I don’t ever fault people for wanting to have children, even if I might not understand why, and I absolutely can sympathize with couples/individuals who have trouble conceiving.

*Takes deep breath and calmly sips coffee.* Okay, I’m going to get off my soapbox now.

The Dawn being a “plain Jane” and Wyatt being a “hot hunk of man meat” thing was way overdone as well. Why did the fact that Dawn was a “regular girl” have to be brought up so often? It almost felt insulting to not only the character but to women in general. Shouldn’t the focus have been less about the couple's looks and more about the dynamics of their marriage?

I honestly had a super hard time getting invested in any of the characters in this story. I didn’t care for Dawn or Wyatt. Dawn's woe is me attitude got on my nerves rather quickly. I wanted to sympathize with her, but she made it difficult. I often found myself being more frustrated with her than I was with Wyatt. Dare I say at times I was on his side!? I tried hard to build a connection with both of them, but alas, it just didn’t happen.

I couldn’t stand Alice and Victoria. For people who were supposed to be Dawn’s closest friends in the world, they sure did do her dirty. They took Wyatt’s side over hers and consistently allowed him to gaslight them into thinking Dawn was the bad guy in this situation. I’d rather have no friends at all than two friends like them. They were just... yuck.

“And what is friendship, really? An unsigned agreement, voluntary siblinghood.”

I will say that the first half of the book progresses much slower than the second half. Although we hit somewhat of a lull in the middle of the story, the latter part of the book worked better for me.

As for the ending, it felt rushed, and things were wrapped up in a neat little bow. I would have liked more from it. More turmoil. More struggles. More issues. Just more.

The good thing about this plot is that it’s an original idea. Not one I’ve seen done many times. With the addition of the home renovation concept, it was an interesting twist on the “you never know what happens behind closed door”/”not all couples are as perfect as they might seem” narrative. Props to Daniel Kenitz for that one. The fact that the writing was easy to follow and the chapters were short didn’t hurt either. All in all, it was a quick read despite the slower start.

“Dawn once told me a life well lived ends with an empty tank of gas.”

TLDR: A DOMESTIC THRILLER/DRAMA WITH UNLIKEABLE CHARACTERS! STILL MIGHT BE WORTH A READ!

As always, please remember that reading is subjective, and that’s what makes it so great. 😊

I would like to thank Scribner and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.

This is my voluntary, unbiased, and honest review.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! I admit to being addicted to home Reno shows. I’ve also wondered, while watching them, what the couple are truly like in real life. This book is great for people into home Reno and thrillers as there are several twists that made it a fun read. First, the main characters and how the story is told by alternating points of view was done well. You see Dawn and her gratitude journal as she and her husband navigate their show business jobs and try to conceive. Then you see Wyatt, who sucked her into this lifestyle and job as he struggles with his infertility. Cue an experimental drug with some wild side effects and BOOM twins. I enjoyed the overall story and connection to a reality Reno show and the twists and betrayals (at least one of them actually had me gasping). While I didn’t find all of it realistic, I did appreciate the general thriller aspect of the book. I could see this one being a major beach reach next summer and a book club pick. FYI profanity, talk of emotional and verbal abuse, struggles with mental health issues, and infidelity

The perfect home is a reality television home remodel show with married couple Wyatt and Dawn. The camera loved Wyatt and is swayed by his smile and charming personality too bad it is all fake. You feel for Dawn as all she wants to do is protect her children and in order to do that she has to take them away. Wyatt sways everyone to believe she will harm the children and that she needs help.

Wyatt was a chameleon and most people fell for the act.

Thank you net galley and publisher for this ARC. I enjoyed this story and how fast paced it was. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre.

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★ ★ ★ ★
𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: January 07, 2025
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪:

I am keeping this short and sweet but this was a thrilling wild ride. If you want a book that has you hanging off the end of your seat, that has you turning page after page to see what’s going to happen next—this is for you. The writing was fantastic, the backdrop for this story, the characters…there’s nothing that I can say I didn’t enjoy or love about this. How far would you go to have a baby…we find out just how far and what unfolds in this book with Dawn and Wyatt. I don’t want to give much away with this so I will leave you with this tidbit. I love a dual perspective as well and you get that here. I loved to see this made into a mini series or a show FOR SURE that’s what I’m hoping happens and considering that this book is about two married stars of a hit series called The Perfect Home I can’t see why it’s not PERFECT enough of an idea haha! I can’t wait for everybody to grab this book when it releases!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!!

I really enjoyed this book. More than I thought I would. I liked the characters! Great writing style and I liked the storyline. This book kept me guessing. I finished it in one sitting.

The concept of this book seemed unusual to me so I was glad I had a chance to read it. There are some wonderful twists and the modern social media/celebrity hungry setting made it a fascinating read. There were moments I got a wee bit annoyed with Dawn for being somewhat clueless but I liked her strong mother tiger to her twin babies character. This is a good, diverting read and perfect for your beach bag or curled under a blanket on a cold winter day.

I was given an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Dawn and Wyatt are televisions fixer upper couple. Think Magnolia home. This book details their relationship from the honeymoon phase to their demise. This is a story of manipulation, betrayal, abuse. This was a very easy read if none of the context is triggering to you. I was expecting this book to be a bit more thrilling but it fell a little flat for me. I loved the alternating perspective which really propels you through a plot. Over all it was just very straight forward story telling with dark content I was expecting a huge twist but did not find it. Super easy read.

3.5 rounded up

I was really excited about this book especially with mentions of Gone Girl meets HGTV. I feel like that was kind of a stretch… Gone Girl left you speechless, not knowing what will happen next. This book, really wasn’t similar to that at all. I felt like the writing was too in your face especially with Wyatt’s obsession over Kat Cameron. It felt really forced and that it was inserted later to tie up the story. Same with her Dad being the detective that was called…it didn’t flow as well as it could have. I wish there was a little more build up to Devon leaving - it felt really abrupt. Devon isn’t a likable main character either - she makes silly decisions that aren’t fully thought through. It was an okay read but the flow of this book just felt off.

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.

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!!!