This was an intriguing read. It kept me guessing from the start. I loved it & would recommend it to anyone.

I really liked the intriguing plot of this book – the contrast between Elizabeth and Heather, the two women at the centre of this book was really fascinating. Elizabeth with her fancy life and the apparently perfect husband and Heather with the fantasy of what could have been – they give two sides to the same story and at times it’s difficult to know who I believe. I loved the focus on these two women, both strong in their own way and both dealing with their own issues. They are simultaneously at odds with each other but also struggling with the same things and I loved this contrast. It was different seeing them having to battle to work together, so the power struggle between them was excellent.

The plot moved at a great pace – it was fast and kept me hooked but there was enough time spent on some of the details and dramas. The psychological thriller elements of this book are a great addition, Elizabeth is hard to follow and her disorientated thoughts make this even more fascinating and interesting. The mind games between Elizabeth and Lucas are one of my favourite elements of this book, it’s full of twists and turns and unexpected elements and the action really builds throughout.

I feel like it’s hard for me not to give too much away but honestly this is a compelling book full of intrigue and twists throughout. The characters are strong and I never knew who to trust so it was really difficult to put the book down at times. The ending is really good, the suspense and drama simply doesn’t let up and Boyd manages to keep an element of uncertainty right until the end. I would absolutely recommend this book.

I love this author and was super excited about this book. It certainly didn’t disappoint!

It’s a really complex psychological thriller. I had no idea who could be trusted and whether Elizabeth was all that she seemed.

All of the characters had aspects that made them appear genuine and trustworthy, but then it all twists, and you’re not sure if they are in fact, someone completely different.

The pace is perfect, with suspense building all the time, then picking up in urgency towards the end.

The setting is one of wealth and beauty, but there’s a sense of it all being, as Lucas says in the novel, smoke and mirrors. Even the sultry weather contributes to the atmosphere.

This is such a page-turner, I couldn’t put it down. It totally draws you in right from the start and will leave you stunned. Excellent.

This book was very intriguing. The author did a spectacular job of weaving a story, and developing characters in a way that I couldn't put the book down. I was changing my mind about who was crazy right through to the end. The characters were disturbing, and it really got into my head. I enjoyed the author's suspenseful style and ability to keep me engaged and interested in her storyline. It really made me frustrated that there are scenarios like this going on around us.....

(I receive an Advanced Readers Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest review of the book)

I always enjoy Clare’s books, and, yet again, this is one which had me gripped, guessing until the end who is telling the truth and who can be trusted.
Elizabeth and Lucas Huxley appear to have it all. A perfect family life in their idyllic home. Their longstanding neighbours, Sally and Gordon, do not have it all. They work as gardeners for the Huxleys. When Sally needs become a carer for her sister, their daughter, Heather, returns to her childhood home to step into her shoes and don her gardening gloves. How will being back at the family home impact on Heather? Will Heather be able to remain an adult in her childhood home? Is the Huxley’s perfect life all that it seems? Who can be trusted to tell the truth?
An excellent read which has me guessing until the final page.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Heather Shaw returns to her family home to help her dad with the neighbour's luxurious garden while her mother cares for a sick relative. She isn't prepared for the onslaught of emotions that seeing her first love Lucas will cause.
Lucas is in a very unhappy marriage to Elizabeth and is trying to close the deal of a lifetime. Can their marriage survive Heather's return and the pressure of work...?
My Perfect Wife is quite unique in that it repeatedly changes our opinions of the lead characters. We are led to make assumptions which are then turned on their head.  My sympathy wavered according to the point in the book. But the conclusions are devastating for them all...
There is plenty of tension in all of the relationships in the book. I felt that Heather's dad's behaviour towards her was awful and had no idea why she still wanted anything to do with him. Lucas and Elizabeth are desperately unhappy together but hiding it as best they can. Heather has an awkwardness with her neighbours due to her past with Lucas and the pressure of being in their employ. Agata and Piotr are separated from the others by language, money and status.
The style of the narrative is interesting. Heather's parts are written in the first person so we see more of her emotional state and thought processes, whilst the rest is in the third person and mainly tells of Elizabeth's experiences. We see Lucas' character through their eyes and this leads to the uncertainty about his true nature.
There is an unpleasantness in the book and I feel that we as readers are also manipulated into our assumptions about the characters. Important topics are covered including gambling, mental health and unequal sexual relationships. Whilst I don't feel a trigger warning is required, I do think it is important to note that sensitive subjects are included.
My Perfect Wife is certainly an intriguing read and will have you both confused and entertained as the relationships and events are unpicked over the course of the book.

Gordon and Sally are gardeners to a successful young couple Lucas, his wife Elizabeth and their two young children. When Sally has to go and look after her sick relative they ask Heather, their daughter, if she will come home and help her father with the gardening. Heather has reservations about returning as we discover that her and Lucas had a relationship when she was a teenager. We find that Elizabeth is mentally unstable but as Lucas is desperate for a big business deal to go through to continue their perfect life she is organising a big party to prove that she is capable but with Heather returning, as she is aware what happened between them, everything begins to fall apart. The book is told in chapters from Heather and Elizabeth’s point of view and we then have to decide who is telling the truth Heather, Elizabeth or Lucas. I’m afraid I was a little disappointed with this book as I didn’t like any of the characters and found the plot a little predictable.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Wow! This is one crazy thrill ride of a book ! Lots of things in this story that will keep you reading until the very end. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a quick, suspenseful, domestic thriller.

Highly enjoyed this very well written book and look forward to reading more from this writer in the future !!

Took me a while to get into this - and to be honest as far as domestic thrillers go it was average! I found it hard to relate the the characters and in a pool of similar it didn’t shine for me.

I have always enjoyed Clare Boyd’s books and this one wasn’t exception although it was much slower especially in the first chapters. It managed to keep me guessing though and luckily, the final chapters were faster, twisty and much more entertaining. In addition, if you love a good, unreliable narrator then you are in for a treat. The story had me suspecting all the characters in this book. I kept wondering who was lying, delusional, truthful and course, who was the real baddie was. I think this book will especially appeal to fans of slow-burn thrillers.

An enjoyable read and great book. Thank you to both NetGalley and bookoutre for giving me the opportunity to read this book

The Huxley's live in a beautiful house. Money is not a problem. They have two lovely children, help in the house & garden. However Lucas is overworked & trying to pull off a big investment deal & entertaining is a big deal. His wife, Elizabeth wants to do him proud but she is recovering from an unspecified illness & struggles with even minor things.

Heather grew up close by. Her parents are in charge of the gardens & when her mother needs to go & look after a sick relative & she is struggling financially she agrees to go home to take up her mother's duties in spite of her often stormy relationship with her father.

The story is told from Elizabeth & Heather's point of view. Neither are particularly likeable (none of the characters are!) It keeps the reader constantly guessing & wondering what is really going on.

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I really enjoyed this book! A great story line that kept me hooked and excellent main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

This has not been my favourite book I have read lately, and perhaps the book was 'tainted' by the fact I have read some very good ones lately and this felt a bit too predictable to live up to them. So whilst it was well written, it just wasn't my favourite storyline. I don't want to say too much to give away much of the plot but it felt familiar plot rather than new and exciting.

I found this book confusing - there was no character introduction, and it was often hard to tell whose point of view the story was from, as it flipped between Heather and Elizabeth. I didn’t truly like any of the characters nor root for anyone. By the end, the truth was still confusing and I still didn’t know who was honest or the real story behind the events. I would not honestly recommend.

This was a mostly DNF, skim for me. I was just absolutely uninterested - I felt like not enough details were revealed early on, and I wasn't invested in finding out more of the story. I wanted to know the ending, but not enough to continue reading.

My Perfect Wife by Clare Boyd is a thriller full of twists and turns. The author knows how to present a idea and keep the readers guessing. Till the very end, it is really tough to be sure who the real antagonist is.

The idea that not everyone is all good, and that there is always a little bad in everyone, is presented really well. The characters are believable one moment, and I found myself doubting them the next. Kudos to the author for the character development.

The book is a slow read though. The setting of the scene itself spans around half the book, which can be a real deterrent for the impatient readers.

All in all, this book left the reader in me in a conflicting state of mind. It has a slow beginning, but once you get through it, the twists and turns are worth the while.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: One time read

The Huxleys! Even the name sounds perfect! Elizabeth and Lucas Huxley are a wealthy, attractive, and charming couple that have it all, or so we think! Told from the viewpoints of Elizabeth and Heather, the gardeners' daughter, we learn how twisted a seemingly perfect life can be. Elizabeth lives in a beautiful home and has two lovely children. She starts doubting things but then we learn has mental challenges so, what's really true? Heather brings lots of history with the Huxley family, particularly Lucas who she knows well from a childhood crush.
As the story develops, more and more situations create conflict amongst the characters. The Polish couple living on the property to help out, create more doubt and confusion. The story peaks with a summer party hosted by the Huxleys. Things start to unravel quickly for everyone at the party.
I enjoyed the book and would like to read more by Clare Boyd. The book starts a little slow but ramps up quickly and keeps you captivated to the end.
I received an ARC from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

Great book, fab plot which kept me engaged and wanting to know more. I couldn’t put this one down. This is my first read by this author but definitely won’t be the last.