The book centres upon a couple who are wealthy but waiting for that last big deal to
Make them millionaires. But money doesn’t mean happiness as the book explores. Slow burning at times but a good read which keeps you guessing throughout. The book introduces the characters well and allows you insight into how they have got to where they have

3.5 stars
This is a good thriller that kept me guessing until the end.
It’s a bit of a slow burner as at least half the book is scene setting. I would have liked more happening during the first half of the book as it all seemed to develop in the second half of the book.
Heather is asked to help her Dad with the gardening at their neighbour’s home when her Mum is called away to help a sick relative.
Elizabeth and Lucas lead a complicated life and with Heather and her Dad working there each day it soon comes to light that Heather and Lucas have a past together.
Elizabeth is made to feel inadequate by Lucas but how much of what he says about her is the truth?
Another good read from Claire Boyd.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A slow moving domestic drama of a rich couple. There is no plot except for the last one third. I am not sure what the author wished to convey in the first half.

This one gave me the chills, honestly! Such an excellent read that I could not stop reading! The storyline was top notch and I will recommend this to everyone!

“Smoke and mirrors” is how Lucas Huxley describes his life. A beautiful house with a soaring copper roof and floor to ceiling glass walls. Two perfectly behaved children. Elizabeth, the perfect wife. What more could he want? That question is answered when Heather, the daughter of the estate gardeners, who grew up next door, returns home to help her father.

My Perfect Wife deserves to be read slowly. Summarizing the plot would give too much away. It is enough to say that the story encompasses several weeks surrounding a holiday party and its aftermath. Clare Boyd brings each character to life in a carefully crafted series of flashbacks. Lucas, Elizabeth, Heather, her father Gordon and the Polish couple, Agata and Piotr, nanny and handyman on the estate, all dance around one another in a plot where things are never what they seem. Only the walls are transparent. The devastating conclusion will leave you wondering what really was true.

A psychological thriller that is also excellent literary fiction is a rare find. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Clare Boyd for this ARC.

Lucas and Elizabeth Huxley have it all, attractive, wealthy with two beautiful children, but appearances are not always what they seem!

Heather is the daughter of the Huxley’s gardener who has returned home to help her father with his business and now is working for the Huxley’s.
Heather and Lucas have had a past liaison when Heather was a teenager but she isn’t at ease with either of the Huxley’s.

Lucas is controlling, or so his wife leads us to believe. Elizabeth has previously tried to kill herself and is recovering from mental health problems. Can she or can we tell the difference between her thoughts and reality?

The tension builds throughout the book as you question who is crazy, who is telling the truth and who is manipulating who. As the story unfolds it keeps you on the edge of your seat and reading late into the night. You will not see the ending coming!

This is the first book I’ve read by Clare Boyd but if definitely won’t be the last!

I'm going to step away a bit from my usual review style as starting by giving my own synopsis of the plot would actually be a disservice as it's much too complicated to reduce to a paragraph. Simply pick this one up and read what is essentially a slow simmer tale of domestic suspense that builds tension with every chapter. I thought I had this pretty much all figured out after the first couple of chapters. In a way I did -- but the way this author breaks it all out is quite masterful.

The characters -- well, I'm not going to lie -- I didn't care for any of them really. Emotional, unstable, indecisive, trusting, naive, willful, obstinate, weak, and strong. Definitely unreliable narrators who alternate chapters telling their version of the story and the reader is unable to figure out whose is accurate. Lots of secrets and lying going on of course as usual in psychological thrillers and both Heather Shaw and Elizabeth Huxley are complex packages of longing and desire. Whose version of Lucas Huxley bears out after all? NO SPOILERS.

Did I mention that it's a slow burner? That bears repeating because it seemed to take forever to get to the rising action with lots of what appeared to be irrelevant detail and description. But, hang in there as the last third of the book brings all the drama to the forefront and it's quite hard to guess what will happen next. I found it all quite satisfying and read it all in basically a single sitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend.

Clare Boyd does it again with a suspenseful domestic noir. Told from two points of view by Elizabeth and Heather and the very different lives they lead both while loving the same but very devious man.

Lucas can put on the charm when he needs to and or wants to. Both women are never quite sure they are on even footing when it comes to him. And they are justified in questioning all their decisions with regard to him. A man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

The book was almost poetic in its writing. The feelings that the author invoked in the reader makes us wonder if we’re even understanding the motivations and actions of Lucas. One minute we might think we know what’s unfolding before our very eyes; the next the same doubt and confusion of Elizabeth and Heather is also felt by the reader. It’s been a minute since I’ve felt I could be either character at any time during the story. You are that drawn into the lives and events of both main characters.

You’re never quite sure and this tension is taut with emotion and foreboding. Love and hate are intertwined and the journey is well worth the price of admission.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Bookoutre for this intricate take on two lives lived in a most curious time and place.

This book is set at the mysterious Copper Lodge in Surrey, owned by prestigious couple Lucas and Elizabeth Huxley. Lucas inherited the land on which Copper Lodge is built from his parents when their previous home stood upon it. He went on to have the new structure built in impressive materials and design so that it stood out from its neighbours. Lucas is all about appearances and how people rate him in society. Behind closed doors, wife Elizabeth is a bundle of nerves, always having to live up to Lucas's exacting standards, but instead of letting people see this she makes out that she is a capable, strong woman and because of this comes across as being stern faced and impersonal.

Next door neighbours Gordon and Sally work in the grounds of Copper Lodge, keeping the gardens and property maintained to the highest standard while their own property gets neglected. They don't like extravagance and are strident supporters of the local soup kitchen, providing food and emotional support to the local homeless community. This belief that they should not over indulge has been drummed into their daughter Heather all her life so when she gets called back to her childhood home to support her father when Sally has to go away from home to support her sister in her last weeks, her sense of duty means she cannot say no.

With flashbacks to Heather's childhood throughout the book we get a glimpse into Lucas and Heather's younger years. Lucas certainly seems to have had a big influence in Heather's formative years but the extent of this shocked me. Lucas has a reputation to maintain in the world of international business and he pressures all his employees to make sure that everything is absolutely perfect for the garden party he is hosting to - hopefully - celebrate the union of his and international businessman Walt Seacart's companies. This will be a major coup, but only Elizabeth knows just how important it is to Lucas. Can she cope with the pressure?

"Smoke and mirrors" is the name of the game in Lucas's world and he needs to portray a certain lifestyle to the Seacarts in order to seal the deal. Luckily for him Elizabeth's brother can help him out here. But is he willing to? The more we find out about Lucas as the book goes along the more I disliked him. He stands for everything I dislike about the world of big business and the secrets that lurk under the surface. Heather has the scales torn from her eyes and is shocked to hear very unsavoury things about her parents' neighbour who has been such a big part of her life. She is torn between the evidence she has been shown and the man she thought she knew. But if this is all true then why have her parents shown him so much loyalty over the years?

There are shocks and revelations throughout and the impact of Lucas's actions send ripples across the lives of many. I switched allegiance between the characters as the different versions of the truth came out so I was definitely kept on my toes with the plot in this book. Clare Boyd is definitely a master of mystery writing.

I have to say that I was quite disappointed with this book. This book is definitely not a thriller by any means. The storyline was all over the place and I couldn't figure out what the direction was supposed to be. The characters made no sense and had no likeability whatsoever. I was bored throughout my reading, but I was determined to finish the book.

I enjoyed this insightful and thrilling novel very much. The storyline flows at a great pace, and the characters are well fleshed out. Highly recommended!

This book wasn't for me. It was really slow but my biggest issue is the characters. For me, it's not about likeability (which they aren't btw), rather the characters are non-sensical. They have no clear direction or purpose, so just bounce around and do random things. None of their actions seem even slightly realistic. In addition, the dialogue feels clunky.

Wow wow wow! I’ve never read any books by this author but In future I will be the first to buy any new books she releases. Incredibly well written and I was hooked from page 1. The story was told from different characters view points and like heather I didn’t know who to believe but I was praying she would make the right choice. With so many twists and turns you’d struggle to not enjoy this book

Described variously as “heart-stopping” and a “page-turner” I fully expected to devour this novel. It began as a bit of a slow burn, but by halfway through it was picking up and by the time my Kindle indicated 75% it was well away!

Written in alternating chapters (one in first person, the next in close third person) the writing style was pleasant and avoided the American style short chapters with short sentences so beloved of this genre. Working out quite who was the unreliable narrator (or, should I say, the most unreliable narrator) kept me guessing. A satisfying read with most of the loose ends tied up by the finale.

I dithered in my rating - it's a solid 3 1/2 stars. I would read more by this author.

I would like to thank the publishers, Bookouture, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel in return for an unbiased review.

Lucas and Elizabeth Huxley lead a perfect life, or so it seems. Elizabeth has mental health issues and Lucas is controlling and manipulative. Heather has come back home to help her father with the huxley’s garden as her mother has been called away to look after a sick relative.
This book was hard work, nothing much happens for the first 50% of the book. The characters were unlikable with no redeeming qualities. The ending was also a little disappointing as you are left not really knowing who was being truthful. This was a toxic relationship that made the characters bring out the worst in each other.

Looking from the outside in Lucas and Elizabeth Huxley have it all. But under the surface things are not as they appear to be. Elizabeth suffered a traumatic childhood and now has mental issues. Her husband is controlling and manipulative thus putting a lot of stress on her to prove that she is better now. He has asked her to plan a large party that will allow him to firm up a business deal that will make them multi-millonaires. The Shaws are the gardeners and the daughter is asked to come and help get the grounds ready. Heather Shaw, the daughter has history with Lucas from before he was married. There was jealousy all around and this is when things become complicated.
This is a good physiological read and will keep you guessing until the very end.

Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read this arc for my honest review.

This is a well written thriller on the whole. It did lose its way at times and I nearly didn’t finish it. I’m glad I did though as it was a decent read on the whole.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of My Perfect Wife.

Unfortunately I had to bow out of this one early... I got to 57% (I know I should just keep going) but there was nothing intriguing about the book... I was bored and wasn’t excited to read it. I was reading more just to get through it so I could move onto the next book. It’s probably not necessarily a bad book but just not my cup of tea. I like thrillers that start with the suspense from the very beginning and at 57% there was nothing thrilling so far.

Overall, this is a good suspense novel. I have to be honest, I struggled with whether or not to finish this book most of the way through. Not much happened until about 75% of the way through, but I did finish this book so that tells me that it was just enough to keep me reading.
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The story alternates between the characters of Heather and Elizabeth. I found that both of them were repeatedly frustrating me. It really does have a good plot but the story moves very slowly with not enough revealed to keep it all that suspenseful.
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I wasn’t wild about this book, but it was still good and I can see how other people would really like it.

Wow I could not put this book down as the author kept me guessing literally until the end of the book. Following the story of two protagonists Elizabeth and Heather it makes you question if not everything is truly as it seems. The characters were well developed and believable and the plot moved quickly. I found myself questioning who I believed many times. This domestic thriller is one you won’t be able to put down. Thank you netgalley and publisher for the early read. I give this five out of five stars