This was a good read for a few chapters and then I got lost, and missed the story. Will read her other books, will look into them.

Usually when I read a scary stalker he's male, Juliette was crazy.
I had to start this book over after putting it down a little freaked out.
If you're looking for a unique psycho thriller with a female lead that you may like or at least feel sorry for then this is your read. I think I'm still shocked but I look forward to seeing what else this author writes.

The Perfect Girlfriend is a fabulous new novel by Karen Hamilton. Juliette wants to have the perfect life - with her perfect boyfriend, Nate, and she wants the perfect wedding with the fairytale ending. She's not going to let the fact that he broke up with her 6 months ago stop her. She has a plan and the first step is already in place - she has become a flight attendant for the very same airline, pilot Nate works for. The depths Juliet will go to to ensure she attains her goals are extraordinary and scary! Her past is slowly revealed which helps to understand Juliette's manipulative and psychotic behaviour. A thoroughly enjoyable and compelling thriller - I couldn't put it down. An excellent debut novel and I certainly look forward to more books by this author.

With comparisons to The Girl Before and Anatomy Of A Scandal, I fully expected Juliette, the first-person protagonist of The Perfect Girlfriend, to turn out to be an unreliable narrator. It’s obvious there is a tragedy in her past when the book opens with the accidental drowning death of her young brother, but the extent to which her past defines her present takes almost the whole book to become truly apparent.

We first meet the adult Juliette as she is in the final stages of training for her new job as a flight attendant. It isn’t long before we discover Juliette has made a career change (and a name change) deliberately to put herself in the path of Nate, her ex-boyfriend with whom she is still deeply obsessed. Slowly, her plan to win Nate back unfolds, and though she has a few overly obsessive tics, like letting herself into his apartment when he is away, it’s quite easy to relate to her desperate desire to win back the man she loves.

The thing is, Juliette isn’t an unreliable narrator at all. She doesn’t necessarily reveal everything immediately, but she hides nothing from the reader, letting us in on all her dark little secrets and the lies she tells to everyone else around her. The reader is the one who sees the whole truth, the good, the bad and the ugly.

It’s easy to see where Juliette goes wrong - throughout the story, several opportunities present themselves for her to change her path and find a more fulfilling life, but it never even occurs to her to take them, and once her full backstory is revealed, I could see that the choices she made were actually inevitable. In her situation, any one of us might do the same thing.

I have to wonder if the author plans a sequel; the ending is ambiguous enough, with enough plot threads left untied, that it’s quite possible. If not, I guess I’ll forever be wondering just how high Juliette can build her house of cards before everything comes tumbling down.

Five stars for a fantastic debut novel, filled with authentic detail and an anti-heroine you’ll understand even while you want to strangle her.

Book blurb...
Karen Hamilton's THE PERFECT GIRLFRIEND is a frightening depiction of unbridled obsession, where love and pure hatred grapple on a knife edge.
Juliette loves Nate. She will follow him anywhere. She's even become a flight attendant for his airline, so she can keep a closer eye on him.
They are meant to be. The fact that Nate broke up with her six months ago means nothing. Because Juliette has a plan to win him back.
She is the perfect girlfriend.
And she'll make sure no one stops her from getting exactly what she wants.

My thoughts…
The Perfect Girlfriend is fiction that could easily be fact and given the plot of this psychological thriller THAT concept is terrifying. I was so drawn into the world of the girlfriend and discovering just how entwined love and hate can be. To that end, I remain unsure if this character in this novel loved or hated the man of her dreams.
Written in first person, the author gives us a very good look at the girlfriend's life and her absolute cunning.
A great read for 2018, but a warning if stalker stories are not your cup of tea.

Part way through this novel - I stopped to ask, "Is it wrong that I am hoping all of this planning comes off and everything works out for Juliette?"

I was completely drawn in by the first person perspective. When I would stop and reflect, there were clear signs of delusion and dangerous thought patters, but in the thick of it, everything seemed perfectly reasonable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller - told from the perspective that you aren't normally privy to. The details of a flight attendant lifestyle and the easy way the narration flowed kept me hooked and drew me fully into Juliette's world.

The only part of the novel that disappointed me was the ending - it was not the complete tying up of loose ends I had been hoping for, but perhaps something more realistic. Maybe that just shows how invested I had become in Juliette's goals.

I would definitely recommend The Perfect Girlfriend to others, particularly if they enjoy psychological thrillers, or just enjoy the idea of an unreliable narrator.

Sadly, I do not recommend this book. I feel there was no actual climax or conclusion to the storyline. There was just a bunch of events thrown in together. Definitely no actual suspense and the ending was a no shock factor.

The Perfect Girlfriend starts innocuously enough but it’s not long before you find yourself wondering just how mentally unbalanced Lilly/Juliette really is as she executes her careful plans to make Nate love her. The slow build of tension through the story kept me engrossed. From one angle everything seemed perfectly plausible and from another utterly appalling and yet it is so easy to see just how a situation such as the one Nate finds himself in could come about in real life. This story kept me guessing throughout.

Elizabeth/Lily/Juliette Price doesn't take no for an answer when she and her boyfriend Nate split up. Instead she spends a year planning how to get him back on a permanent basis. Nate is a pilot so she becomes a flight attendant. She learns to drive. And she sells the family home so she can live close to Nate. While she is definitely a creepy protagonist, her backstory is indeed very sad and while not an excuse for her behaviour, does provide a reason why she has become so warped in her view of the world.

Hamilton has plotted this well and presented a real page turner right from the start embedded with a level of unease that persists throughout the book.

‘I really, really hate being ignored.’

Juliette is obsessed by Nate. She’s trained as a flight attendant, just so she can work on the same airline. Juliette knows that she and Nate are meant to be together for ever. And the fact that Nate broke off their relationship six months ago just means that Juliette has to work that little bit harder to show him how much happier he will be with her. After all, Juliette knows that she is perfect for Nate, and she has a plan to get him back. Whatever it takes.

‘You can’t change a mistake. Ever.’

We accompany Juliette on her obsessive journey, and as her perspective is the only one we get, it became quite claustrophobic for me. I wanted to shake Juliette, tell her to move on, to stop ruining her life (and others). I disliked Juliette, I couldn’t believe that she was getting away with so much. Then, as we learn more about Juliette’s past, aspects of her motivation, the reasoning behind her behaviour became clearer.

‘And with knowledge comes power.’

This is one of those books that is easy (and quick) to read but hard to leave behind. It’s funny in places, sad in others and there’s plenty of tension as Juliette puts her plan into action.

I finished this novel with my own obsession: thinking about what Juliette might do next, wondering where her obsession might end. I felt trapped in Juliette’s perspective. While I could recognise why (and how) she developed her obsession, I wanted her to let it go. For me, Juliette is utterly unlikeable and yet I still felt some sympathy. It’s a rollercoaster ride with more than a few twists and turns.

This is Ms Hamilton’s debut novel, and I certainly hope that she writes more.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I’d like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Unfortunately, my review won’t be positive but I believe honest reviews are welcome as well. Also my opinion is just mine, and someone else will find this book more interesting than me.

I must say that some parts of the book had a good initial idea, but at some point it all becomes over the top….

For me ‘The Perfect Girlfriend’ lacks sanity, realism, and any meaning. It doesn’t feel like a thriller or a mystery either.
At first, I was feeling sorry for Elizabeth/Juliette but it turned into huge annoyance. You need to be a masochist to finish this book and it doesn’t really lead to any quality ending. The only question I was repeating over and over again while reading was ‘why’.

I think ‘The Perfect Girlfriend’ can be a good self-help guide for needy, unconfident girls with a touch of mental illness. Although, people with mental illnesses have more sense than Elizabeth/ Juliette.

This book is all about what to do to become unhappy and completely ruin yours and other people’s lives.

I really wanted to like ‘The Perfect Girlfriend” but unfortunately it’s getting 1* out of 5* for me.

Ok, here I am, fingers poised on the keyboard, and finding myself speechless. The Perfect Girlfriend was one of the strangest books I have read in a long time. And I mean that in a good way. In fact, this was such a fun read for me! Narrated in the first person by our main protagonist Juliette (aka Lily, aka Elisabeth), the story drew me in immediately as it became clear that there were some very unusual dynamics at play here. Juliette’s boyfriend Nate may have ended their relationship, but she is not that easily dumped. According to her, the two of them are “meant to be”, if only she could make Nate see sense. And Juliette will not stop at anything to get her point across. From breaking into Nate’s apartment to leave his favourite muffins in the freezer for him, to changing careers in order of getting a job with the airline he works for, to even installing a spy app on his phone to keep track of his every move, this is a girl who knows what she wants and who is determined to get it!

Extremely well written and compelling in its storyline and no-nonsense narrator, The Perfect Girlfriend took me on a rollercoaster ride of conflicting emotions. I sometimes felt like I was in a game of twister, one leg on disbelief, the other on humour, with one hand on horror and the other waving frantically around in an effort to come up for air. For most of the book the palette of emotions congealed in a kind of morbid fascination as I breathlessly watched events unfold, knowing that nothing good could come of Juliette / Lily’s actions.

Juliette is a most unusual character. Whilst not quite as blunt as Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor, Juliette is quite frank about her bordering-on-sociopathic thoughts and emotions. It is obvious that she has a problem, and that her actions veer into crazy territory, and yet anyone who has ever been cheated on, slighted or bullied will gain a certain satisfaction from her well thought out plans of revenge and her total lack of boundaries. At times her rationale was quite humorous and cynical, and made me laugh. Does that make me crazy, too? I really wanted to see Nate and Bella get what they deserved – most of us have had a character like that in our lives at some stage, the privileged person to whom rules don’t seem to apply, who bully and wheedle and get their own way, sailing through life on the expense of others. I hated them both, knowing that Juliette was probably not the most reliable judge of character. And despite everything, I never stopped rooting for Juliette, which to me highlights Karen Hamilton’s skills as a writer to elicit such empathy in the reader that they are willing to justify or simply overlook and forgive Juliette’s crazy actions.

As far as psychological thrillers go, it is difficult these days to find one with an original premise that has not been done a million times before in various shades of grey. Hamilton somehow managed that difficult trick, and it really paid off for me. From the airline setting, which was unusual and interesting, to a character who defies all stereotypes of your typical young air hostess, I couldn’t tear myself away from the story. I won’t give any more away in terms of plot, because I don’t want to spoil anything for other readers, just to say that the story managed to shock and surprise right up to the end. Points for the most unusual and original psychological thriller of the year so far! Did it thrill – yes. Surprise? Yes! Shock? Definitely! It even made me question my own sanity as I secretly cheered Juliette along in her mission.

If you are looking for an unusual psychological thriller with a somewhat crazy but likeable heroine, then I urge you to give this one a go! The Perfect Girlfriend is Hamilton’s debut novel, and I really hope she will write more. I look forward to seeing what she will come up with next!

Karen Hamilton writes psychotic very well (too well??). I might think twice about attending a book signing (joking....)

We open with Lily reinventing herself as Juliette and training to be an air steward. This is done solely with the intent to get herself nearer Nate, a pilot, who she had a relationship with but it ended when he wanted space. The career change is part of her plan to eventually win him back. The story follows Juliette's quest to achieve her goal.

I loved the fact that this story made me feel uncomfortable all the way through. And despite Lily/Juliette's back story being slowly revealed so that we understand things that have shaped her psyche, I never felt sympathy for her.

A totally addictive read that you won't want to put down.

This book's proper title is 'The Perfect Girlfriend' but it's more a case of being the furthest removed of anyone's idea of a 'perfect' girlfriend. Bunny boiler springs to mind! The book wouldn't have been half as much fun or gripping if it hadn't been though.

Elizabeth/Lily/Juliette (she changes her mind according to which 'persona' she is being at the time) is crazy, to say the least. Manipulative, controlling, creepy, judgmental and obsessed are other ways of calling, all the above with a sprinkling of 'stalker.' She is infatuated with 'the one that got away', pilot Nate. He broke up with her saying he needed 'space'. She gives him seven months of space and now feels she has waited long enough to win him back, starting with training to become an air hostess so she can be with him when he's travelling with work. Nate, of course, has no clue as to what she is planning nor of what she is capable but the reader, bit by bit, sees her evil intentions. Add to the mix Nate's sister, Bella, who Juliette hates with a passion (unbeknownst to Bella!), Bella's fiancé, Miles (Juliette has plans for him too) and her new friend, Amy (poor gullible Amy.)

This book had a great mix of characters and a few overlapping stories and timelines. Elizabeth/Lily/Juliette is a deeply troubled young woman who carries emotional scars from an incident in her childhood. This storyline is a sad one but it's hard to feel sorry for her as she is so manipulative and not a particular likeable character. She is however a fascinating character and the pages just kept turning until I had read the book in less than 24 hours! As an added bonus, I enjoyed finding out about what life as an flight attendant entailed. This is certainly a gripping story and I fully understand why early reviews of it are comparing the book to 'Gone Girl' and 'The Girl on the Train.' A brilliant, gripping psychological thriller.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Hachette Australia for this advance copy of #ThePerfectGirlfriend

For each ARC I get, I promise a fair and honest review. This book is not my normal genre and I am sorry to have to say I did not enjoy it. What I will say is that it was well written and if you like stalker kind of stories you will probably enjoy it.

For fans of Peter Swanson, this is the book to read. It draws you in quickly and never lets up. The characters are the type you care about and enjoy going on the ride with. 2018 is off to a good start with this title.

Juliette; or Elizabeth, is a strange character. She has an obsession with her ex boyfriend Nate whom she is going to make Hers.
The steps that Juliette’s pshyc take her to are unbelievable; yet in another sense real. She is a manipulating person that only sees one result- her and Nate together at all costs.
I like the book. Juliette has mental issues to do something as deranged as stalk her ex; but in saying this, once you read through to the end; there are twists that come together.
I would love to read a follow up to this story from the author and send praise out for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

What stays in Vegas? Juliette/Lily will get her man in the end even if it means going to extreme lengths. Nate needed space from Lily as she wanted too much from him and he was hoping that she would have let go already. But Lily is madly in love with him and she has been planning their future from way back. But what will Juliette really do to get her way? Nate can't believe that she even joined the airline to be close to him, he has no idea how mad she actually is. She goes to get lengths to become part of his life, she has spy ware on his computer, spare keys to his flat and she has made it her mission to cause as much pain as she can to the ones that Nate loves. She has been planning this trip down to the last little detail and Nate will not know what has hit him until it is too late. They are now married and Nate will do anything to get rid of her, he only has some memories of the night, he has no idea that Juliette actually drugged him. But she will fight tooth & nail to be a part of his life. How can Nate get rid of her or will he fear for his life eventually? Juliette will get her revenge on Nat and his friends as they caused all this and they will all pay. She become so lost as a young girl and they set her insanity in motion and they just have no idea how much she will do to them even if it takes murder to get her happy everafter. What an intense read. Juliette/Lily is pretty hardcore, she has been hurt badly and she does get her revenge and I felt for her as the teenage years are the worst for anyone. But she has really lost it as she doesn't care about anyone but herself. Poor Nate he needed to be stronger felt for the guy. I was lucky to receive a copy via Netgalley & the publishing house in exchange for my honest review. A page turner for sure.

Here is a review by Shane: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2282521516

The Perfect Girlfriend presents initially as something done before: obsessive, bunny-boiler type girlfriend that will go to any lengths to get her man. But it's well-written and peppered with unique backstory revealed at the right moments to add surprises and keep readers entertained.