Glamour, wealth and beauty surround the graceful Huxley family on the cover of the magazine.

Lucas has everything he ever wanted, beautiful wife, cheeky children, expensive house with a grand garden, obedient help. The last thing he longs for is a business deal that can make him rich as a Rockafeller. And to seal the deal - he needs a picture-perfect event. As people say - it's easier said than done. The sabotage of the deal is in the works, and behind it stands a woman Lucas trusts the most. You would ask: what has his fellow done to deserve this pitiful treatment? Just remember - it always takes two to tango.

Great read, with multiple twists that make the reader question every story and every fact. I wish the ending was stronger and more detailed. Liked the characters, I think it would be great if Agatha's character was one of the narrators as well. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture publisher for a free and advanced copy of the novel.

A good domestic thriller. Two narrators with a house and a man in common. A real head spinner of a tale with twists all the way. Lots of characters with backstories that come out creating doubt in all. A good, unique read.

I finished this book a few days ago and have moved onto others, but I am still trying to figure out this one. The author does a great job of building and maintaining suspense throughout, and the characters are (for the most part) realistic. I am not sure about relatable, as there is some serious messing with minds going on, but it made them interesting and worked for the plot. I thought there were a few moments that were a bit too much, and there were a few loose ends. But overall, I would highly recommend this twisty domestic suspense in a heartbeat. For a full review, please visit my blog at Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.

This book was okay. I had high expectations, and the letdown was hard. It couldn't keep my attention. Just fell short of a great mystery.

Well... that was nuts! I’m not even quite certain how to process it all quite yet. Clare Boyd you sure do know how to spin a wild crazy ass story. A book filled with unreliable, unlikable, unhinged characters. This book kept me on the edge as my loyalties bounced between characters. I had no idea who to trust and if I’m being honest I still don’t! Told in third person from the alternating perspectives of wife Elizabeth and girl next-door Heather. Elizabeth is living her life walking on eggshells trying to prove to her husband Lucas that she is a worthy mother and wife. Heather has returned home to help out her parents and seeing Lucas Sparks her childhood crush. What follows is a story of miss direction, miss trust, deception, manipulation, secrets, and lies.

Neither Elizabeth or Heather were tremendously likable or sympathetic characters. Elizabeth clearly has major issues in her marriage to Lucas, but is it real or is it all in her head? Is Heather a femme fatale or a naïve girl? And is Lucas really a good guy or a manipulative predator? Not to mention Heather‘s father, what is up with him? My head was spinning throughout the story I didn’t know what was what. The story kept zigging and zagging twisting and turning until it came to a satisfying conclusion.

This book in emojis 🌼 🏊‍♀️ 🌸 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I do love an unreliable narrator! And that’s exactly what Elizabeth Huxley is. Living in the lap of luxury, it looks like she has everything her heart desires: a gorgeous, attentive husband, Lucas, two adorable, perfect children, a magnificent home, with enough help to ensure that she barely needs to lift a finger to do anything. But Elizabeth’s life is everything but the perfect picture that it appears to be. Behind the facade, she lives a life of endless tension and stress, forever trying to prove herself to her husband and attempting to stay one step ahead of the black dog of mental illness that is constantly snapping at her heels.

But then there’s our other narrator, Heather Shaw, who grew up in the shadow of the Huxley’s beautiful house. Of course, back then there was no Elizabeth and Lucas was a lot younger and living with his parents. Heather’s own parents have always been employed by the Huxleys, working in their gardens, seeing to the landscaping and reminding Heather at every opportunity they had, that they were just serfs to the landowners and should always know their place.

But now Heather is back, and things are very different. She and Lucas are much older, and she certainly has a much better understanding of the ways of the world, although her father is still intent on reminding her that they are purely servants in the world of people like the Huxleys. It’s immediately obvious that there’s history between Heather and Lucus. Just what that is, we’re not quite sure but as the story unfolds it becomes clearer. The tension makes for an uneasy undercurrent as Elizabeth is tested to her limits with arranging the party of parties for Lucas’s new business partner that will launch him into yet another stratosphere of wealth and position. Can she do it? She thinks she can … she’d like to … but there’s that gnawing, niggling doubt. And now that Heather has appeared, it’s really put a spoke in the wheels.

How well do we know those who are closest to us … those who are meant to keep us safe and protected? And when we judge a situation … do we always trust ourselves to get it completely right? What if we’re entirely wrong? And what if it leads to calamitous results?

In The Perfect Wife, Clare Boyd brings all these questions to the fore. It’s a 4-star read and an intelligent and masterful look at social justice and family responsibility that will possibly make you re-consider the way you consider the situations you’re faced within your own life. Ask yourself if you’ve chosen to surround yourself with the most appropriate people to suit your lifestyle and your sense of morality. You may be surprised!

My Perfect Wife involves a rich family and the people who work for them. Mr. Huxley seems from the outside to be this perfect handsome husband that would be anyone's top choice. His wife seems to be a bit deranged. She thinks her Husband is basically out to get her and having affairs with every woman he comes in contact with on a daily basis. As it turns out, things aren't as they seem. As you get further into the plot, more revelations come about. Although it was an interesting read, I felt that the story was very disjointed with too many side stories that seemed mostly pointless to the plot. It did keep you guessing but only because most things didn't seem to make much sense. I only gave this title a 3 star rating because of this. It was definitely interesting but I wouldn't recommend it as a first choice read.

My first time delving into the work of this author and I couldn't be happier....
This novel has everything you want when you sit down to read a psychological thriller...
It is dark, pretty intense and deeply chilling....
It ticks all the boxes doesn't it....
We meet the main character Elizabeth in this one and she seems to have it all. She is married to Lucas and they have two lovely children, the nice house and the money....
So what are the Huxley's hiding?
Something isn't adding up between these two...
I loved how this story is told through the eyes of Elizabeth and Heather the daughter of the Huxley's gardener who is on the outside of this marriage observing and looking in..
The lies in this story, the twists and turns will just keep you riveted....
I couldn't figure it out at all if I'm honest, it had me engrossed.
I didn't want to believe any of them in this story......
Her characters are solid if somewhat unstable..
Not hugely likeable either...
Well worth taking the time for this one....
I think you will enjoy it.

I struggled to get into this thriller but around half way I was hooked,,;

I was guessing until the end!! The webs and lies spun by a manipulative person is brilliantly portrayed throughout the book. If you’re looking for a light twisty thriller then this is definitely the book for you.

When you’re in a relationship with a manipulative person you question every thing and that is exactly what the characters in this book do!! Lucas is the classic narcissist, Elizabeth his wife loves him very much but questions his love for her. Heather is also under his spell and has never forgotten the times they shared even though he choose to marry someone else!

Will the woman realise who he truly is ? Or will his charm and his questionably love win them over.?

A brilliant insightful read which explores how we can perceive circumstances in entirely different ways. Definitely a book to stick with as the ending ties up all the loose pieces in a breathtaking way.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this thought provoking book .

4stars

Lucas Huxley got it all. He is handsome wealthy and has the perfect wife.
When Heather's father offered her a temporary job to help him with the gardening at the Huxleys' she couldn't refuse because first, she needed the money and second because she still feels guilty about what she did as a teenager with Lucas.
But nothing is what it seems. Literally nothing.
I would say it's more of a family drama, with a psychological twist.
Ok, the beginning was really a slow burner but not in a bad way, it got a lot of romantic passages, and I had to recheck the synopsis to be sure it's a thriller. I've read at the end that the author couldn't help falling in love with Lucas, it's a guilt reliever because I did too.
It sort of gave me of a 1995's romantic movie (Sabrina) vibes: Heather the gardeners' daughter's coming back home to be near her teenage first crush.
The novel is well written and the characters are well developed, but I guess what bothered me the most was the ending, I personally couldn't figure out the culprit until the last chapter. I've finished it last night and I still woke to wonder what really happened and had to reread the last chapter 🤷.
Would I recommend it? Yes definitely I really enjoyed it.
Thank you Netgalley and bookuture for the opportunity to read this arc and give an honest opinion

The Perfect Wife, from the description had me very interested but I have to say it wasn’t my favorite read. I found myself skipping through pages to just find out how it ends.

The story hopped all over the place and I could never really get into it. The description is great but the book was not at all what I expected and a bit of a letdown.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy for my review.

This book started very slowly and was only an OK read. Not as good as the previous books from this author.

Mostly an easy read. I found parts of this book hard to read. I thought that it was a bit predictable and too long in places as well. Overall though, it is a good thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Rating: 3 🔪
Author: Clare Boyd
Publisher: Bookouture
Release Date: Out Now!
 
(Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the free copy!)
 
Synopsis:
I finally have everything I ever wanted. A home with floor-to-ceiling windows, a devoted husband who dazzles everyone he meets, and two angelic children I adore. But as I watch my husband chatting with the girl next door, I wonder if anyone can see the sadness in my pretty pink smile, or hear the scream behind my straight white teeth?
I know I’m crazy to think there’s a hint of desire in his eyes.
I know it's madness to see a flicker of fear in hers.
I know all this, because I’ve been wrong before.
And if I’m wrong again, he’ll try to take my children away.
The party is my last chance to prove to my husband that I’m on the mend, that I can handle something as simple as a drinks reception without snapping under the pressure. It’s all going perfectly, until I see something in the swimming pool that changes everything. But if I can’t trust myself to believe it’s real, who will?
A totally unputdownable page-turner about the darker side of love and what really goes on under the surface of perfect-looking lives. Clever and unexpected, this book will have you gripped from the very first page until the dramatic final twist. Fans of The Wife Between Us and The Mother-in-Law will be hooked.
 
My Thoughts:
 
This book is one of those books that I pick up out of boredom and the next minute I know I've finished the whole book. It was literally unputdownable, as in once I'd started it I quickly found I'd finished it. It wasn't though, by any means one of those books where I don't want to put it down. For me, this book was simply enjoyable. It was interesting enough to hold my attention for a few hours on a windy, stormy night when sleep evaded, but it wasn't a book that I'd rave about. Good but not great. Interesting but not gripping.
Essentially a book with a personality to match its leading lady - interesting but empty inside. Does that make sense?
Now, I wouldn't by ANY means say this was a bad book, if a book can keep you turning the pages for several undisturbed hours then it's GOT to be good, and it did and it certainly is. Unfortunately, I wouldn't rush out to my friends and family and insist they read it, I probably won't think much about it again and I am unlikely to reread it.
I'd recommend it, as a good quick read that keeps you interested especially if you like a domestic suspense. Which is in fact very popular right now. It's a good book with an interesting few twists and turns.

I am a fan of this author, this book took me a while to get into. A slow read for me, not terrible by any means, but not this author's best work in my opinion.

I read Clare's previous two books and I enjoyed them, so I had high hopes for 'My Perfect Wife', which is her third book. Whilst I did enjoy the book, it isn't my favourite of her books for reasons which I will explain in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that I didn't feel a connection with any of the main characters as every one of them irritated me in some way. In each case, it was a combination of their personalities, their behaviour and the way they spoke to people. In fact I ended up not really caring about what happened to them.
It took me a while to get into this book for one reason and another but mainly because I was very tired and in pain when I started to read and not intended as a criticism of the author. I was only able to read this book in bursts rather than in one long continuous reading binge because things like life got in the way. Once I started reading, I immersed myself in the story and I had to know how the story concluded. I had my own suspicions as to what was going to happen and so I had to keep reading to see if my suspicions were correct or not. In some aspects I was on the right track but in others I was on the wrong path entirely.
'My Perfect Wife' is well written, although as I mention above it isn't my favourite of Clare's books to date. She has written a tight plot and the characters are multi layered but as I mention above, the characters didn't endear themselves to me and I wasn't really that bothered as to what happened to them.
In short, I did enjoy reading 'My Perfect Wife' but it wasn't my favourite of her books to date. I will definitely read more of Clare's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a deserved 3* out of 5*.

I accidentally found this author last year and I am so glad I did. So when My Perfect Wife by Clare Boyd came out I had to request and read it. WoW what a brilliant book this was. I loved it!
It's a A domestic thriller and I was hooked within the first few pages and I could not put it down. It was a great page turner throughout. The Perfect Wife is written from both Heather and Elizabeth's perspective, whilst alternating between both for each chapter. But, who is telling the truth?

Elizabeth is married to Lucas and tries her hardest to be a perfect wife to Lucas, she tries to keep their home clean and tidy and to be a great mother to their two children, everything is perfect!

Lucas seduced Heather Shaw was she was a young girl, she then finds herself working for him, her father is working alongside lucas. Lucas is a landscape/caretaker on his estate. He needs everything in his social life, his marriage, children, wife and all around him to be perfect in everyway. But Things change quickly for everyone involved. Lucas is desperate for a big business deal to go through and to continue leading the perfect life he presents to the world.

The only problem. It's all based on lies. Slowly things around him. start to fall apart...............will the truth come out?

We Lucas loose everything around him and his perfect family?

Does Heather still love Lucas after all these years?

I highly recommend this book.............It is full of twists and turns that will have you hooked especially as I wanted to find out if Lucas can hold everything together in his perfect little world!!!!

Thank you NetGalley, Clare Boyd and Bookouture for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an review; all opinions are my own.

Review on Goodreads, Amazon UK and FB page,

My Perfect Wife is a domestic thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.

This book is filled with lies and truths and plot twists. It keeps you wondering who is telling the truth and who to believe.

It is a multi-perspective book, told from the views of Elizabeth and Heather. Both are different but it makes the book more interesting than the usual.

It is a good psychological domestic thriller and if you are looking for a light and twisty thriller to read, then pick this one.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book.

Great book with an interesting plot and enjoyable storyline. Highly recommend, must read! Looking forward to more from this author.

I had a hard time connecting with the characters in Boyd’s domestic thriller. The protagonist, Heather, is a recently laid off swim instructor who has returned home to her parent’s to help support their gardening business. Her parents work at the house next door which is owned by Elizabeth and Lucas Huxley. Lucas is an extremely wealthy businessman and Elizabeth stays at home to run the household. We get the story from Elizabeth’s point of view as well as Heather’s.

We soon find out that Heather was having a physical relationship with Lucas when she was fifteen one summer. As soon as they see each other again, those feelings reignite. Lucas and Elizabeth are not as perfect as they seem on the outside, as they are having marital problems and Elizabeth has recently had mental health issues. The story turns into a mess of the reader trying to decipher who is manipulating who with Heather sliding back into old habits with Lucas. It was a slow burner with a couple of small twists. 3 stars for me because I found Heather and Elizabeth’s logic to be askew in multiple instances and I just like to believe that they wouldn’t be that naive.