Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Perfect Home.

I was excited to read The Perfect Home since the premise was intriguing, a dark version of Fixer Upper, but I wasn't captivated by the story.

There was nothing original or fresh about the premise; a young woman named Dawn is drawn by the charismatic and very handsome (as always in books) Wyatt Decker.

When Wyatt's personality undergoes a dramatic shift soon after the birth of their twins, Dawn discovers there's a lot she doesn't know about her husband (another popular trope) and she must do everything necessary to protect herself and her children.

I liked the dual prospective narrative but there was nothing new I haven't read before in similar domestic thrillers:

Wyatt gaslights Dawn and her friends; he's a manipulative, scheming adulterer and Dawn (like nearly everyone else) has fallen for his charms.

I couldn't help feeling the toxic masculinity the author was trying to convey was not so subtly being downplayed and the black market drugs he was using was an excuse for his psychotic behavior.

There's nothing twisty or exciting or suspenseful about the narrative, nor did I like Dawn or anyone else. I didn't dislike her.

I just didn't care about her or what happened.

I would describe this as a psychological thriller, a little beyond belief with lots of gaslighting. Wyatt and Dawn are stars of a home renovation reality show. Wyatt can charm the pants off anyone while Dawn is his eye-rolling straight counterpart. As the show goes on, Wyatt is trying to discover new ways to keep America interested and to expand. Dawn is happy with the show as it is. Her worries center around the death of her mother, the lack of her father in her life and infertility issues. The use of illegal infertility medication leads to twins which are soon in grave danger. I give thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary digital ARC. This review is my own opinion.

Had a really hard time with this book. Had to push through it and finish, I do not like to DNF, however, if DNF did not make me feel so guilty I would have. It just was not good enough to hook me in. I wish it could have hit the mark, but it did not.

4.5 very solid stars! I loved this book! I couldn't put it down and if I didn't have a job and a kid and other obligations, I probably would have binged it in a single sitting!

If you're an HGTV fan, you absolutely must pick this book up. I loved the fact that it was centered around a home improvement show and a husband and wife duo were the protagonists. It also added so much that we heard from both Wyatt and Dawn so we got both sides of the story. Pretty quickly, some theories I had about the storyline were debunked because of this and I actually really appreciated that!

What made this novel unique was the ASB, a drug that is illegal in the US but proven to increase fertility. It was interesting to see Wyatt's character shift after taking the ASB, learn of his past, and see the ramifications of quitting the ASB cold turkey. I liked that we had a reason/culprit for the troubling behavior and it added a lot to the story because it made me question my instincts about certain characters.

Dawn was a relatable character for me. She felt authentic and I appreciated her relationship with her mother, the challenges she faced trying to be a good mom to her twins, and her struggle with fame.

Overall, I really loved this book and very highly recommend. It was very well written, the plot and pacing were stellar, and it was surprising without ever being over the top. Grab this one if it's not on your radar!!

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the copy.

Thank you Netgalley for this Arc that hits stores January 2025! I thought this was a good thriller is drama in the beginning but it took a turn and I just didn’t find it that thrilling. It was a good plot line and I liked the main characters. I thought the husband was nuts and couldn’t wait till everything was uncovered on him but it just kinda fell flat. I feel like so much more could have been done with this one. I was hooked and interested but just expected so much more. This one definitely can be bumped to 3.5 ⭐️s for me! I’d still check out anything this author published for sure!

👹 M O N S T R O S I T Y M O N D A Y review 👹 featuring “The Perfect Home” by Daniel Kenitz!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Dawn and Wyatt Decker are the dynamic renovation duo on your television screen and star in a popular show called The Perfect Home.

On screen this married couple seems to be picture perfect, but behind closed doors things are fraying at the seams. Wyatt loves the spotlight and cares about status, while Dawn prefers to stay behind the scenes.

A lot of the recent strain stems from infertility issues and against Dawn’s wishes Wyatt starts taking a sketchy experimental drug. The lies about the medication are an issue … until Dawn finds out that she is pregnant with twins!

But when Wyatt stops taking the drugs cold turkey rather than weaning off of them … a dark side starts to come out. Dawn stumbles across some sinister plans of Wyatt’s to harm their family in order to bump up their celebrity status. Dawn decides to take the twins and RUN … and soon finds out that even those she trusts most are blinded by Wyatt’s charming facade 🎭!

The family drama and piping hot tea in this book is JUST SO GOOD! I love a southern setting and themes of reality television shows! This book is dark and twisted and filled with manipulation, cruel intentions and a sinister power struggle!

Thank you kindly to Daniel Kenitz, @scribnerbooks @simonschusterca @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review. This action packed debut thriller releases on January 7, 2025!

The Perfect Home is the perfect read for those late night, thrilling binge reads--just don't think too hard on the plot...

While Kenitz's debut domestic thriller is practically unputdownable, it lacks those necessary twists and turns that made the aforementioned Gone Girl so delightfully disturbing (and somehow, poetic?), and instead delivers more questions than answers.

If you're just here for a good time, though, have at it--and try out Gone Girl too, when you're finished.

3.5 stars. Thank you to the publisher for this e-arc!

2.75. I have a lot of mixed feelings about this. I did not hate it, it just needed a lot of work and more editing. I will say I read most of it in one day, and it was really gripping and conceptually unique. It had the potential to be a really great thriller. But there were problems. Transitioning and character development were odd and often lacking. The book’s beginning chapters read as contemporary fiction, if I never saw the cover or read the description there would be absolutely no absorption of what tone it would eventually take. Wyatt’s character is horribly developed, especially initially, and this is the same for other various characters. Things that were meant to be twisty and shocking were introduced very abruptly and unnaturally, my brain having to be like “oh… alright I guess that’s happening” more times than not. A lot of Dawn’s decisions were confusing, though I do understand a good amount of them. What Alice does makes no sense and even when it is acknowledged later on, I still feel that not enough was done to develop her extremely rash and by the way totally illegal actions. I didn’t say this in a public review but: She has literal knowledge and proof before and after everything transpires, she literally was a therapist and did serious harm… why was kidnapping them and bringing them to Wyatt her first choice as a health professional? Also did she drug Dawn before taking the twins to Wyatt because it really seemed that way and was brushed aside. It could have been believable but it just wasn’t enough. Victoria’s appearance at the end served no purpose and her character is just a mess. I think this really could be such a star of a thriller and just needed more editing power.

Book Review: The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz

The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz starts with a really cool idea. We’ve got this picture-perfect suburban neighborhood that seems like the ultimate dream, but, of course, there are some pretty creepy secrets lurking underneath. It tackles themes like conformity and obsession, which is always interesting.

But honestly, while the premise hooked me, the book didn’t quite hit the mark. The pacing felt all over the place, and some of the characters didn’t get as much depth as I hoped. The plot had potential, but I was missing those twists that keep you on the edge of your seat.

All in all, The Perfect Home is a decent psychological thriller. It gives you a peek into the darker side of suburbia, but it didn’t quite deliver the chills I was looking for. If you’re into the genre, it’s worth a read, but don’t expect to be holding your breath the whole time!

Thank you, Netgalley and Scribner, for a free advanced copy for my honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @Scribner for this ARC. Wyatt and Dawn Decker are America's Sweethearts with a hit home remodeling show. From the outside, this couple has it all but the truth is, they are having trouble. When Dawn finds a disturbing file on Wyatt's iPad, she runs. This book had a lot of build up but the ending was really good. #ThePefectHome #DanielKenitz #Jan2025 #Scribner

What if Chip, charming husband of Joanna Gaines and co-host of HGTV's mega-hit Fixer Upper, absolutely lost his shit? That's the plot of Daniel Kenitz' The Perfect Home. This is an incredible premise and The Perfect Home mostly sells it.

Dawn and Wyatt Decker, co-hosts of renovation hit The Perfect Home, have everything. Almost. All that's missing is the laughter of a child to brighten their perfect home. Unfortunately, Wyatt is infertile and incredibly self-conscious about this to the point that he is 1) unwilling to even consider adoption or other options and 2) actively taking illegal, unregulated fertility supplements with some wicked side effects including full dissociation, homicidal thoughts, and hallucinations! What could go wrong?

In the beautiful backdrop of Nashville, Dawn Decker is getting worried her perfect life is spiraling out of control. Shortly after the birth of their twins, her hunky, adored-by-millions-of-fans husband is getting weird. So when she finds a note on his tablet suggesting he's going to straight up murder his family, she does the sensible thing - she leaves. That's about where Dawn's good choices stop.

She doesn't even make a copy of the note before she flees with her and she doesn't tell anyone about his weird behavior. She sets herself up for absolute failure by struggling to Gone Girl correctly and rapidly becomes the target of her husband's televised smear campaign.

I wanted to love this book and it gets points for pacing, concept, and a handful of likable (and hateable, in the case of Wyatt) characters. Where it stumbled for me was in the execution of characterization. Plainly, the women in this book are caricatures and much of their behavior is unbelievable to the point of confusion. Where this could have been fun a la Gone Girl or A Simple Favor, it just felt like reading a B horror film where you're screaming at the onscreen characters asking what they're doing.

I sped through this book for the first 75% but twists toward the end left me finishing purely to close it out. And like a rushed HGTV renovation, a compelling concept fell short when it came to craftmanship.

Dawn and Wyatt Decker are married and hosts of a very popular home renovation project show. Whereas Wyatt reels in viewers with his looks and golden retriever mannerisms, Dawn is full of sarcasm and quips, keeping her husband and the watchers on their toes. When they have twins, the world views them as a First Family of sorts. As most things in life we refer to as "perfect" it isn't that. Dawn becomes instantly demonized when she disappears with her twins, and everyone assumes she's to blame. After all, she IS the one always getting Wyatt's goat.
This was instantly intriguing- the style of writing is quick, easy, and simplistic in terms of keeping up with the plot. Wyatt was indeed terrible to the point that I sometimes had to double read the things he read/ thought of his own wife. I found this to be an interesting take on Hollywood, celebrities, and always being "on" for the public. On the cons side, this should have been shorter. I think it was a great effort although I'd possibly have labeled this a different genre?
Thanks so much to Netgalley for the chance to read this prior to publication.

THE PERFECT HOME
Daniel Kenitz

They had THE PERFECT HOME, and it wasn’t long before the networks thought they would make the perfect show. Their marriage, far from perfect, would act as a third character on the show as they highlighted home improvements in and around the state of Tennessee.

Wyatt was set up to be the rock of the relationship, the Mr. Fix It, the charming one. If you let her tell it, Dawn was often featured as the sarcastic one, with brooding behavior and little home improvement skills. Her darkness, counter parted the light and warmth of his sun.

Struggling with infertility, Wyatt takes it to heart and into his own hands. He decides to try an experimental drug which leads to more than one complication. Somehow to make their twosome a family, he gets redirected, and the family suffers in the end.

They do eventually get pregnant. The twins arrive healthy and happy. But shadows from his decision so long ago threaten their marriage, their TV show, and their family.

I left some things out of the synopsis. I always do. I feel like the one for this book gives away far more than it should. I advise you to read it with caution. If you do decide to read it, know there may not be much left to surprise you.

I enjoyed this concept more than what it ended up being. The storyline got a little ridiculous and very far-fetched. There was nothing it did wrong specifically, there was just a lot it did in general.

It felt like a debut novel, trying too hard to fit into the landscape that is the thriller genre. Trying to say everything there was to say. Not leaving anything up for interpretation, not allowing the characters to behave in any reasonable fashion. It was forced and felt like it.

As hard as it tried to be unique the storyline ended up being the basic plot for almost every other domestic thriller out there.

This one was a three for me. It was close to a waste of time. And with so many great titles coming out in the new year, you could easily skip this one and not miss much of anything.

Thanks to Netgalley and Scribner for the advanced copy!

THE PERFECT HOME…⭐️⭐️⭐️

I found this book was very slow moving for me. I pit it down a few times and had a hard time finishing it. I considered giving it 2*. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

DNF at 36%

I think this book is described fairly, but I was expecting the thriller part to be a little lower stakes / the focus more on the reality show aspect of the description. The plot felt heavy with suspense in a way I was not anticipating and didn’t enjoy. The writing is definitely quick, but it’s certainly darker than I was expecting.

very thrilling! did not see the plot twist coming at all. the book kept my attention all throughout. the plot was very interesting and the characters were likeable. no complaints! will read more from this author

I thought this book kept up a steady pace. The author did a great job of kept me wondering what could happen next as the story moves quickly and I just couldn't figure out how Dawn was going to get out of the terrible situation she was in.

This domestic thriller immediately caught my attention and held it the whole way through. Dawn Decker is the less beloved half of the celebrity couple behind the reality show A Perfect Home. Everyone adores Wyatt and his easy smile and charming personality. She's less comfortable in the spotlight, less adept at manipulating public opinion. When she finds handwritten notes outlining his plans to exploid a family tragedy - one that hasn't actually happened yet - she packs up their newborn twins and runs, knowing that she's instantly recognizable and that the public will be firmly on Wyatt's side. I loved this book. The plot might not be plausible, but it was definitely entertaining.

I dooo like me a mindless renovation show every now and then so this book had appeal. I appreciated the comparison to “Gone Girl” but it made me anticipate the book might be more complex than it really is. It delivered on the fast-paced, easy reading, entertaining promise but lacked a bit in the “psychological” thriller department as I found it a bit on the predictable side. I enjoyed the character of Dawn and found her realistic in her imperfections. She does need to find some better friends! The friend department in this novel highlighted the male author for me! Wish I could give this a 3.5 stars. Thank you for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.This is beach-reading at its best and if that’s your expectation, it won’t disappoint.

dnf @50%

“fixer upper meets gone girl” is not at all what i got from this. it’s definitely more of a domestic/family drama than thriller and the home reno show was barely part of the book other than to establish that they were known as tv personalities. i just wanted more from this and i wasn’t interested enough in where it was going to finish.