Bree Bennett is obsessed with hometown author Ward DeFleur after Ward goes into hiding after the trauma of her daughter's kidnapping. Bree is determined to find Ward so she can writer the story, since Ward seems unable to produce another book in seclusion. Sprinkled in between is some teenage angst and some new romance for both Bree and Ward.

Despite the food porn overload (descriptions of every single meal these women ate!) I was enjoying the pace and suspense of Perfectly Famous. Almost until the end. And then something happened! The ending seemed rushed, because all of a sudden a bunch of things happened (no spoilers here) and the book ended with seems might be a lead-in to a follow-up story - at least I hope that's the intent because otherwise it's just a cliffhanger.

Ultimately, it's a quick, fun read, with a interesting characters and story-line that would have really wowed with a tighter ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advance reader's copy for review.

Perfectly Famous started off with a bang. I instantly wanted to know more about both Ward LaFleur and Bree. Alternating POVs is something I always love and Liebert used it here very well. The majority of this thriller was good. The twists and turns kept me hooked, even if the book was predictable at times. And then we hit the ending. It may work for some people but I wish I had stopped reading before those final few pages. Unfortunately, despite my enjoyment of the rest of the novel, those few pages are ultimately what determined the rating because of how disappointed I was.

*Disclaimer: I received an advance digital copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.5 Stars

**** REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS, PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK! ****

Wait. What? Oh ok, not what I expected. WAIT! WHAT! NOOOOO!

I devoured this book, then needed to go back and reread the ending. Was it what I expected or wanted? No, but Kudos to the author for making me still think about it. I found Bree, as a journalist, a little naive regarding her choices...in one instance she was bold and annoying then in another unaware and annoying. As a parent, I wanted to kick Bree in the seat of her pants! So many unanswered questions. Ware, as a writer, had her own issues, but being in the spotlight and having horrific things happen to her, was sympathetic ... until almost the ending. Can you say extensive therapy?

Overall, a good read...loved the storyline, and the reality of it. A good beach that will keep you reading, but may make you throw the book in the ocean. Read with a friend....so much to talk about.

Thanks to Ms. Leibert, Gallery Books and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Love the plot and story. Sometimes it was hard to follow the main characters' motivations but this read will definitely have you hooked from the first sentence.

Yep!! This is a good one. I loved the pace of this book, and how the story is split between more than one character. There's a bit of a mystery going on. There's also a few WTF moments, that, to me, always make a book worth reading. Liebert did it again in creating a story that I was immediately conflicted with and drawn into. I read this one in just a couple of sittings, and loved it. Even though this book has only been out for about a month, I'm all ready for Liebert's next one. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.

4.5/5 Stars

A bestselling author disappears after the murder of her daughter. Months later, a newly-divorced former journalist becomes obsessed with finding the author. She’s convinced she’s the right person to tell the author’s story, but someone wants her to stay away. Author Emily Liebert tries to convince readers to suspend their disbelief in the unbelievable, poorly executed novel Perfectly Famous.

Even though her divorce has just become final, Bree Bennett can’t complain. Her husband let her keep their gorgeous home and is a perfect gentleman. They share custody of their teenage daughter, Chloe, and Bree needs the help. Chloe is a handful, and since the divorce she’s become even more moody and difficult to manage. Bree knows she should give Chloe time, but her husband was always the disciplinarian. Without him around, she knows her parenting isn’t what it should be.

It doesn’t help that now Bree feels at odds with her life in the suburbs. She left her exciting career in national-level journalism in New York City to become a mom. Now that she’s single again, it’s about time she gets a job and starts moving back toward the profession she loved.

The best she can do, though, is the local newspaper run by a nervous man who doesn’t know anything about running a news outlet. Bree convinces him she knows what she’s doing by covering a few community events, and she’s going to need the credibility because she has an idea for an investigative series. She knows, though, that it’s going to be a hard sell.

Bree wants to find and interview high-profile crime novelist Ward DeFleur. The previous year, Ward’s daughter, Stevie, was murdered on the night of one of Ward’s book signings. No one in the public eye has seen or heard from Ward since. Bree feels sympathy for the woman, also a single mother. Chloe was the same age as Stevie, and Bree thinks this makes her and Ward kindred spirits of sorts.

As she tentatively starts to navigate her dating life and tries to balance that with her articles, Bree finds herself stretched in too many different directions. The more she tries to look for Ward, the more pushback she receives from an unknown source. Someone is trying to warn her off Ward’s trail, and that just makes Bree more curious to find her.

Author Emily Liebert’s story starts on fairly firm footing but devolves into incredulous territory. Bree’s obsession with Ward is justified by the fact that on the night of Ward’s fateful last book signing, Bree’s husband told her he wanted a divorce. After his news, Bree goes to the signing and collapses into tears in the arms of the confused author who had never met Bree before or since. Nevertheless, in Bree’s mind that’s enough to forge a connection between her and the crime writer.

Although Bree seems keen to restart her career in journalism, she doesn’t spend that much time reporting. Not where readers can see, that is. Passing references are made to the stories she’s filing for her boss, and these along with random meetings with him are meant to convince readers she’s good at what she does.

In some ways, it’s a relief to see Bree good at her job because her character arc doesn’t give her room to be good at anything else. She’s a completely inept parent, enduring Chloe’s teen tantrums and angst with tearfulness and even more leniency. Also, while she says she can’t stop thinking about Ward, nothing about her actions rings true to the investigative journalistic spirit. She makes a few phone calls and visits the publisher who put out Ward’s books. A crucial piece of information in her “investigation” comes from her boss.

What, then, is Bree doing for most of the book? Balancing her time between two men. One she meets as the result of a blind date. The other has connections to Ward. Bree seems more determined to land one of them than she does to keep her job, parent her child, or find Ward. Her best friend, a practicing psychologist, eggs her on, and her ex-husband shows up occasionally to shake his head in disappointment at Chloe’s antics. Bree’s mother censures her over the phone from Florida, and while her dialogue might grate on the nerves it also seems to ring truer than anything else.

Incomplete subplots, unexplained details (the most frustrating tied directly to Ward’s disappearance,) and an ending that will confuse readers all make this a sure miss. I recommend readers Bypass Perfectly Famous.

The plot of this mystery/suspense is complicated and at times totally illogical. Ward DeFleur is a famous author whose daughter Stevie was savagely murdered while she was on a book tour. Following this devastating event, Ward goes into hiding and says that she is done with writing. Bree Bennett is a divorced housewife just beginning a career in journalism and is determined to find Ward and write her story. Bree has a teen daughter, so there is a theme running through the book about mother-daughter relationships. The atmosphere was dark and dangerous at times, and since I’m a mystery buff, I liked that part. What I did not like were the numerous coincidences which took away from my ever calling this book a clever whodunit. The characters were mostly not believable or likable to me. The pacing of the book was good and the ending was a surprise, but it absolutely defied logic and made me wonder why that was the conclusion. Since Stevie’s killer was never caught, Bree’s dogged determination to find Ward puts her squarely in the middle of a murderer’s desire to stay hidden. Ward has secrets that are another reason for her to stay reclusive, and Bree’s determination to uncover those secrets just did not work for me. There was no real reason given for why Bree wanted to find out where Ward was and to write her story. She just wants to do it was not a good enough reason for me. That seemed to be a loose end that the author never tied up. Anyway, I read lots of mystery/suspense book and this one was mildly entertaining but not the best one I’ve ever read. On the plus side, it wasn’t the worst either and the character of Bree’s mom was delightfully humorous. In fact, she was a favorite character in a book filled with shallow characters that did not seem to be very well-developed to me.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I want to start out by saying that I did enjoy this book and found it to be interesting. But I really had a hard time identifying with the main character. I found her behavior erratic and I couldn't make sense of it. Word for self made choices that I found difficult and Bree's interest in Ward wasn't as in-depth as I would have liked to explain the tenacity of her investigation. I also felt that we needed more background on Bree's daughter, Chloe. It read kind of vanilla and gave me a Mary Higgins Clark feel to it, which isn't necessarily a good thing, considering that Mary Higgins Clark churned out her books one after another. I feel that this book had a lot more potential. Overall, I did enjoy it.

Thank you to Emily Liebert, Gallery Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book and exchange for a fair and honest review.

So excited to have gotten this one! I’ve heard great things and it didn’t disappoint at all!! This is the first book I’ve read by Liebert. She’s fantastic and I’m definitely reading more of hers!

I received an ARC copy of Perfectly Famous and as much as I was excited to read this I wasnt thrilled with it. I didnt care for the characters and didnt feel a connection. There were parts of the book that were interesting that kept my interest to keep reading it but I can only give it 3 stars. I do like though that it was fast paced and had short chapters. It started off great but ended not so great. Thank you though Galley Books for sending me a copy for a review.

While I enjoyed PERFECTLY FAMOUS, some of the plot points were so unrealistic that it diminished my enjoyment of the book. Newly divorced Bree decides to revive her journalistic career by trying to write the story of Ward, a famous author who has become a recluse since her daughter was murdered. Both characters are well drawn, but the idea that a reclusive would author would ever allow a nobody to write her story simply wasn't plausible.

Ugh, this book was shaping up to be a four star read for me...until the very end, which lost at least a star if not more from me. I really enjoyed the first 75% of this book, despite a few issues that I was willing to overlook – but that ending made me SO angry. Not only did the last 25% or so of the book feel extremely rushed to wrap things up, but the final page really did me in. It raised so many questions and created some weird plot holes I just can’t quite reconcile.

Perfectly Famous started out as a fun, easy read that had me interested in the story and mystery. As it progressed, it just became kind of meh to me. The characters are extremely unlikeable and the ending just kind of blew it for me.

Murder, death and unsolved mysteries. This book will keep you guessing till the end and following so many "leads" you won't be able to catch up. There is a killer on the loose and a women in search of her favorite author, but could this author be the killer that is still on the loose?

“No one-they think-deserves to shine forever, to eclipse all the others who are just as worthy of recognition.”

Holy cow! Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down. There’s nothing “perfect” about being famous. I know the reviews are mixed on this book but I enjoyed it despite the obvious lack of strong character development. It’s not your typical mystery thriller which I believe contributes to the mixed reviews. It is not a “thriller” but more of a suspenseful mystery. Once I reframed my perspective I was able to enjoy the book.

Bree Bennett and her friend Maggie attend a book signing for the renowned author, Ward DeFleur for her latest book, “Mysterious Stranger”. Coincidentally, there are several “mysterious strangers” who enter their lives.

The story alternates narrators mostly between Ward and Bree. It provides the scenario in which their two lives become tangled. When Ward receives an urgent message regarding her 15 year old daughter missing, she immediately cancels the rest of her book tour. She’s a single working mother doing very well as an author living in m affluent Connecticut gated community. Her daughter, Stevie, has always been her priority so when discovers that she went missing from Lily’s house she becomes frantic to find her daughter. Unable to cope with the loss and all the publicity Ward goes into hiding.

About 6 months later, Bree is still trying to find her new “normal” after her divorce from Jeremy. With her 16 year old daughter Chloe becoming rebellious she is at her wits end. She happens upon a news article reminding her of the tragedy with Ward DeFleur and how she and Maggie happened to be at the book signing the night Stevie went missing. Bree feels a connection with Ward since the book signing and being a single mother of a teen.

In order to get her life on track she applies for a job with the Fairfield Chronicle. While she is working on a temporary basis, she begins fascinated with Ward DeFleur and her mysterious disappearance. Needless to say, Bree enters reporter mode and begins to investigate this as a possible story to relaunch her writing career.

Things become messy and dangerous for Bree as she goes snooping into the history of Ward DeFleur whose real name is Laura Whitney. Bree’s mother provides comedic relief with her sassy self centered comments. People are not always who you think they are and often naïveté does not serve Bree well. Again, like most of the other reviews, just as it seems to be resolving most of the questions, the book ends with the most provocation sentence. Trust me even if you read the sentence you wouldn’t understand unless you read the entire book. And then, you ask why?!!

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is a slow burn mystery with some family and relationship drama that I really enjoyed. There were a lot of emotional ups and downs that will keep you reading.

A famous author and a housewife/journalist meet in this tale of betrayal and revenge in the most unlikely way. Ward is the author and Bree is the up and coming journalist, out to make her first real story a whopper. Bree becomes obsessed with her prey, in a purely journalistic style. The backstory of these 2 women, along with the supporting characters, make for an interesting read. It’s a slow burn thriller with an unrealistic twist at the end, unless this is book 1 of 2, because those last few pages simply need expounding on. Is there more to this story as the ending would suggest? I guess we shall see. The alternating chapters lend a hand in making this story progress as it needs to, but that ending really threw me. Just read it already!

Well written novel from a different perspective. Ward DeFleur is a successful author with a lovely teenage daughter. At a book signing she meets the journalist Bree who is obsessed with her. It is the same night her daughter Stevie is taken. The trials and tribulations of these two women and the remarkable journey to resolution was intriguing.

Well, that was disappointing.

I had planned to rate this book four stars up until the very last page. While the story brought nothing new to the suspense genre, I really enjoyed the characters (especially Bree's mom), and the plot kept me engaged throughout.

And then I read the final paragraphs.

Ummm...what was that about? I'm never a fan of "left-field" twists, but this particular twist went went completely off the field, and up into the nose-bleed section of the stadium. It was so silly, so without logic, and opened up so many plot holes within the story...I'm honestly surprised it made it past the editor.

I had to deduct a star for such a nonsensical conclusion.

I thought this was being published on July 8th, but it appears it's already available on Amazon. 🤷‍♀️

**My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my review copy.

Ward DeFleur, a famous author, goes to grounds shortly after the abduction and murder of her teenage daughter Stevie Bree Bennett, newly divorced and looking for a project to take her mind off her rebellious daughter who's the same age as Ward's, feels a particular connection to the writer, whom she met at a book signing the night that Stevie was kidnapped. It's not long before she realizes that a true crime series kicked off by the DeFleur case could give her job as a reporter for the local paper could be a real career boost - if she can track down the. missing writer. But between her responsibilities to her own nearly delinquent daughter Chloe and the two new men in her life, her efforts to find Ward are stymied. And then the threatening texts appear, warning her off her search just as she gets help from an unexpected source - the missing woman's brother. There are no surprises in this book - clichéd trope of women in peril, stereotypes that stand in for character develop, and a plot as thin as paper