The book was so good that was this woman who needs a roommate and things turn out not to be everything they seem

I really enjoyed this book. It was quite slow to start, and I felt it dragged in places, but the last 100 or so pages were so fast paced and it all really came together. I loved the ending and felt the snippets of Pip & Sofie’s pov were really interesting. I was glad Tabitha got answers in the end.

Oh Lord!! This was crazy!! Emily needs a roommate. She is nearly broke as she is recovering from surgery and unable to work. She doesn't want to lose her San Francisco condo. It is tiny, but hey a decent place in a good area doesn't grow on trees. After no one suitable has applied, enter Pip. They hit it off right away and Pip moves in. With her teenage daughter. What?? This wasn't in the agreement, but hey, desperate times are desperate times. Then there's the murder. Things just go downhill from there. Emily wants her place and her life back but finds out there is very little they can do. Seems farfetched, but squatters' rights are actually a thing. I Googled it. The two women end up being each other's alibis. Who is playing who? This was a wild ride!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Rebecca Hanover and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Although the beginning of the book was the epitome of "deal with the consequences of your own actions" and was quite frustrating, it definitely started to improve around the 40% mark. It was written very well, I liked the authors writing style and the way she worded things. Some of the plot was slightly predictable but the end actually wasn't. I wouldn't call it like a crazy twist ending but more of like a "oh, didn't see that coming." I do feel like the ending was a little rushed and maybe not every loose end was tied up but it wasn't a bad book at all. Would recommend for thriller enjoyers.

A well written suspense filled with twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
A quick and fun read that I finished in a few hours.
The characterization was superb, the writing pacey and flowing, and the tension delivered in a series of shocks and twists along the way.
This is a tightly written story, with well developed characters and enough suspense to keep you reading.

The characters in this book are a true example of the phrase "desperate times call for desperate measures". 'Seems Perfect' serves up a healthy dosing of psychological thriller with antagonists that are wonderfully irksome and a protaginist who is desperate enough to get her life back that she'll make intriguingly questionable decisions.

I cringed so often reading this, but Emily's situation was such a trainwreck that I HAD to keep reading to see how she resolved the situation. It has something to say about high cost of living areas and the housing crisis, which ends a more relatable element to the mystery the increasingly high stakes.

Emily desperately needs a roommate in her small apartment. She is recovering from surgery and unable to work and basically broke. She finds Pip via Craigslist and the woman moves in….with her surprise teen daughter. Manipulations, subtle and overt, begin almost immediately. Shortly after gaining her new nightmare roommates, Emily’s neighbor is found dead. The police begin taking a close look at Emily due to Pip’s lies.

Parts of this book gave me anxiety!!! Pip lies about paying rent and Emily is too dumb to figure out what is going on until it is too late. The situation ramps up. Hanover does a good job of making Pip and her daughter Sofieinto unbearable roommates.

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this book.

This book made me uncomfortable in the best possible way. I was right there with Emily as she navigated her terrible roommate situation. I'm still kinda creeped out thinking about it.

God, I hate this book so much. It's so unrealistic and the supposedly thrilling parts were not so thrilling. One star for wasting my time

If you’re looking for a relaxing read, Seems Perfect definitely isn’t it. It’s the kind of novel that will trigger all kinds of anxiety in readers. But it’s a tense dark thriller that’s sure to hold readers in suspense as it builds to its conclusion.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

Seems Perfect written by Rebecca Hanover was a WILDDDDD RIDEEEE!!!!!!! Ladies and gentlemen, get your popcorn popped because this book is filled with twists and turns that you will NOT see coming. I just absolutely love that cover, it's so beautifully detailed, mixed with the purple and blue, but anyways, when I first saw that cover, I knew I had to get my hands on this book and I'm so happy that I did because Seems Perfect was such a thrilling thriller. I love when authors write about things that happen every single day around the world, such as in this situation, SQUATTERS. I won't lie, this book did give me the heebie jeebies because just think about some random person living in your house/apartment without paying you a single dime. I know this book is a work of fiction, but I love that Rebecca portrayed the message that there are still amazing people in this world who will do anything to help out strangers despite being taken advantage of. Seems Perfect did hit a little to close to home because I know what it's like to help out people with the kindness of my heart only for it to backfire and make me realize that when people don't need you anymore they will just throw you to the curb. I can't recommend this book enough, please do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this novel immediately, I feel like so many can resonate with this story in so many different ways. Mark your calendars for February 25th, 2025 for the release of Seems Perfect written by Rebecca Hanover.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND LAKE UNION PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!

"Get you detective hat on, Nancy Drew, cause we are going for a riiideee".

"You are adulting. Suck it up. Everything happens for a reason, doesn't it?"

"Being considered normal was a valiant goal".

"It's one thing to rely on friends for support. It's quite another to burden them".

Emily Hawthorne is a thirty-two year old San Francisco native, she has a plant based lifestyle and she's a yoga teacher. Emily decides to put up an ad on Craigslist looking for a roommate because she's in debt way over her head and she wants to save the condo she inherited from her aunt Vivian that she's been living in for the past sixteen years. Despite being a yoga teacher, Emily doesn't have the funds to pay for rent because she's out of work due to her meniscus being repaired. Emily broke up and canceled her engagement to Seth because she thought he deserved better than what Emily could have given him. Emily's parents both died when she was just sixteen years old, so her aunt Vivian took Emily under her wings, but now Vivian is living in a senior citizen special care facility. Emily's whole identity revolves around radical self acceptance, she also suffers from severe anxiety. Penelope "Pip" Stone is a diamond in the rough among a sea of frogs. Pip has two jobs, she's a children's tutor and she runs a consulting business. Pip is sophisticated and absolutely gorgeous, but she's not racking in enough money despite working two jobs. Pip also has a twelve year old daughter, Sofie that she forgot to mention to Emily before signing the lease to live in Emily's condo.

Pip is dishonest, a gaslighter, and a master manipulator. Pip has had money issues since she was pregnant with Sofie, but would never tell anyone. Pip is a bonafide con artist that uses her daughter to play victim with good hearted people. Pip and Sofie are full of dark secrets. Sofie was cute and sweet, but it was all just a game to take advantage of Emily. Emily and Pip wanted to be more than just roommates, both of them wanted to actually form a friendship, but boy do these shocking twists just keep coming. Pip and Sofie are basically taking over Emily's condo and living there for free despite making all of these promises to pay Emily the rent money. Pip and Sofie go through Emily's pantry, throwing everything with coconut away because of Sofie's "allergies" while Emily was sleeping. Pip and Emily soon become each other's alibi after a murder scene took place in their apartment complex. Despite their hatred and emotions running high towards one another, Emily and Pip must put that aside to work together and vouch for each other the day the murder took place. I see why Pip wanted to protect her daughter, because that's every mother's instincts is to protect their precious babies, but the excuses Pip made up were just complete bullshit. I definitely wouldn't want anyone like Pip and Sofie living in my house, that's for damn sure. It breaks my heart that kind hearted people get taken advantage of despite doing good things for strangers around them.

In a society set up with no safety net, where do you turn when your life has no other options? Maybe Craigslist for a possible roommate… seems perfect… huh, get the title? But Pip, as she likes to be called, shows up with some unexpected baggage.

If you liked stories like Single White Female, this is a little bit that vibe. Except our main character is pretty much a moron. The reader finds out within the first 30 pages of this story every reason why Pip and the unexpected baggage shouldn’t stay but she kept her around. And I mentally rolled my eyes if I could put up with an almost 300 page story of this level of intelligence. When the main character finally starts using her common sense, the flow of the story starts to pick up a little and a mystery intertwines them even deeper. But it takes about 30% to get there.

With the lack of character build up and likability, it left the mystery feeling mid at best, due to not really caring about all those involved. Unfortunately there were some claims made by the author that could have been corrected with research, or left out entirely, that I couldn’t get passed. Trigger warning for bad mental health representation- saying you have anxiety without displaying any of it up to this point, should not be included; then throwing in a panic attack and abandoning the description completely. This book would have benefitted from more character development and some research from the writer.

Nope not perfect at all. Emily thought that renting part of her condo to Pip and her daughter Sofie would ease her financial problems but it doesn't work out that way in this thriller that leans in on the anxiety Emily quite rightfully feels. Pip is a grifter and a squatter but is she also a murderer? No spoilers from me! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.

3.5 stars. This tense thriller was almost too tense at times. I was so genuinely stressed out for Emily and by everything life (and her new roommate) threw at her that it was hard to enjoy at times. The author did a great job of creating an anxiety-filled atmosphere and I (mostly) enjoyed the ride.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Holy crap. This is the first thriller in a LONG while that I actually...dare I say, enjoyed?! I don't remember the last time a thriller made my stomach uneasy, made my anxiety go through the roof, and genuinely made me uncomfortable and not uneasy. I know my three-star rating probably says otherwise but I did enjoy reading this fast-paced and short and sweet thriller!

The story follows Emily Hawthorne, a 32-year-old yoga instructor who is in debt. A lot of it. She lives in her Aunt Vivian's condo but is on the brink of losing it when she fails to pay her bills. Desperate, she puts an ad up on Craigslist looking for a roommate who can pay rent and help out with the bills. Enter Penelope "Pip" Stone and her 12-year-old daughter Sofie. Emily takes them in, but the condo she's lived in for half of her life is slowly taken away from her as Pip and Sofie make it their own. Increasingly aggravated, Emily tries to make do with the new living situation, especially since Pip fails to pay her the rent she's owed. When one of their neighbors is murdered, they're forced to attempt to keep the peace as the investigation is ongoing.

I think the story made me so uneasy because the plotline seems wholly mundane but could legitimately happen to anyone. I don't remember the last time I felt genuinely nervous reading a thriller and had that "I'm on the edge of my seat" feeling I so desperately wanted from any thriller I read. As Emily started to spiral and go crazy trying to beat Pip at her own game, I felt like I was also going crazy. I will admit that I had an inkling of what the plot twist was going to be and who the murderer was (because I don't trust anyone), but the backstory behind why was NOT what I expected at all. The ending was all kinds of effed up in the best way possible and despite me having my own gripes with Emily (more on this in the next paragraph), I was rooting for Emily to win and get out of the situation she dug herself into. I also liked the chapters from Pip's POV; there weren't a lot but it provided some much-needed context behind why she is the way she is.

The only thing I took off stars for in my rating was Emily herself. I debated between making my rating either 3 stars or 4 but settled on a 3.5 at the end. Emily makes a lot of stupid decisions throughout the story. A lot of the plot is driven by Emily's boneheaded decisions which made for a good story, but I couldn't get over how naïve she was and how she lacked any sort of common sense. I know I joked about this in my pre-read thoughts, but I genuinely think her very first mistake was putting a roommate advertisement up on Craigslist. Her second mistake was not doing a background check on all of the people who responded to her ad. I get it, money is tight and beggars can't be choosers, but at the very least have some common sense and meet with your potential roommates before you willingly hand them a lease. Throughout the story, Emily is constantly giving Pip the benefit of the doubt whenever she says something about why she can't come up with the payments yet, why she threw out Emily's groceries, or whatever the case may be. I also didn't understand her stance and relationship and what she thought about Nathan? They were a two-night stand and she claims to not care about what he does in his free time but she also has this attitude that no one else can date him except for her because what they had together--again, for TWO NIGHTS--was special to her? Like, she's kind of possessive of him for no reason and it rubbed me the wrong way.

Overall, if you're looking for an exciting, fast-paced, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller, this may be the book for you! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this.

3.5 stars (rounded down to 3)

Take a deep “Emily” style yoga breath and don’t take this one too seriously. This is a fun, easy popcorn thriller that flies by. I read and listened to it, and the audiobook was a standout—light, youthful narration that fit the characters perfectly. But I also love the book cover, so my recommendation? Get both!

When Pip moves in, I understood why Emily reacted the way she did, but as someone who doesn’t shy away from conflict, it was hard to relate. She procrastinates, avoids confrontation, and second-guesses herself constantly. It got a bit repetitive, but I also empathized with her and cheered when she finally started standing up for herself.

The pacing felt a little slow at times, but the buildup was necessary—and the twist got me! By the end, I wanted more of Pip’s story. Loving a good villain as I do, I would’ve happily stuck around to see what happened next. Maybe we’ll get a “20 years later” sequel? I’d read it!

Thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for access to this audiobook ARC and Lake Union Publishing for access to this eBook in exchange for my honest review

Thank you, Lake Union Publishing for the copy of Seems Perfect by Rebecca Hanover. I knew how this was going to go whenI read the book description. What I ddn;t expect is how bad off Emily was and how long it took her to catch on to what was happening. I guess when you’re in desperate straits you try to do whatever you can to survive and that includes grasping at straws. But some of the most basic things someone who is renting to a stranger would do Emily failed to even think of. It was annoying that she was so negligent and at some point I kind of checked out. The conclusion was clever and I never even considered it but it fell flat for me, maybe because there was so much background. 3 stars

When a debilitating injury and subsequent surgery leave 32-year-old yoga teacher Emily Hawthorne unable to work or pay her utility bills or her mortgage, she decides to advertise for a paying roommate to share her one-bedroom apartment. Penelope ‘Pip’ Stone answers the ad, and Emily can see that she seems perfect. Pip is affable, friendly and hard-working.

But then Pip moves in too much stuff and a preteen daughter, Sophie, that Emily knows nothing about. With her only living relative, Aunt Viv, living with dementia in an assisted living facility, and having broken up with her fiancé, Seth, out of fear that she might die of cancer as her parents did, Emily is all alone. She is fair game for Pip who quickly begins a devious game of manipulation and gaslighting, taking worse liberties.

Will Emily ever be rid of Pip? Will she get her house back?

The story is written in the first person PoV of Emily, besides occasional 3rd person PoVs of Pip and Sophie. The 3rd person PoVs were the author’s way of humanizing Pip and explaining why she is the way she is, but I hated her all the same.

Right away we know that Pip spells bad news, but Emily ignores all the red flags. She comes across as naïve. She has the most basic password on her wi-fi. I dislike stupid Main Characters, and Emily was just that. She kept making allowances for Pip’s wrongdoing, and that made me want to tear out my hair.

But of course, if she wasn’t stupid, we’d have no story. But it would have been better if there had been some other way in which Emily had found herself sharing her home with Pip.

Breaking up with her fiancé because she fears dying of cancer is another weak angle. Today there are tests that can reveal one’s risk profile for cancer.

I strongly wanted to DNF this book. Emily was just so annoying in her naivete. Even when she takes action to reclaim her home and her life, the solutions she comes up with are rather daft. The only reason why I kept reading was because I felt invested in the situation. Emily only pulled up her socks at the 27% mark. Even then, there was no explanation for why she didn’t confide in best friend, Ally, or her ex-fiancé, Seth.

At one point, she tells us that Pip has isolated her from her best friend and fiance, but that is not true. Emily herself takes the decision to resolve the problem by herself.

The author has a tendency to overwrite a point long after it’s been made. Towards this end, she provides too many details over and over again.

Emily describes herself as a yogi. The right word is yogini. A yogi refers to a male practitioner of yoga. Also, yogic breath is not a thing. Yogic technique of breathing, or even yogic breathing, would be more accurate.

This book keeps you guessing, has great plot twists and is a very entertaining story. I liked this one a lot.