The Perfect Wife was a great domestic thriller that made me think that perhaps nobody’s lives are perfect.
Lucas and Elizabeth Huxley appears to have the perfect life, a house to dream of, perfect children, perfect lives and are able to employ people to take care of the house and garden and children. Heather Shaws parents work for the Huxleys and she too joins the team but as the book advances we learn that something went on with Heather and Lucas years ago and also that Elizabeth has suffered from an illness before so this leads to a nail biting read as information is revealed and do you really believe Elizabeth? This was a great read, the chapters were alternated by Elizabeth and Heather and worked well, I did feel Elizabeth was a more developed character than Heather but it didn’t interrupt my enjoyment of this thriller.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Lucas and Elizabeth Huxley-they are wealthy, attractive, and have two adorable children. They have it all, or so Heather thinks. Heather is the daughter of the Huxley's gardeners and had fallen in love with Lucas when she was a teenager. She has returned home for the summer to help her parents with the garden. But as the days go by, She begins to suspect that something is not quite right with the Huxleys.

Elizabeth Huxley is a devoted wife and does everything that she can to keep her husband happy. She is working hard to make their summer party a success and is desperate to prove to Lucas that she's not sick anymore and will not snap under pressure. But everything changes when she begins to suspect that Lucas is a liar and not who he pretends to be. Lucas reassures her that she is just ill and imagining things. But Elizabeth knows what she saw, or does she? Can we trust Elizabeth, a woman who has a history of not being able to tell fact from fiction?

I enjoyed this domestic thriller by Clare Boyd. Although slow at times, it did manage to keep me guessing until the end. Told from the perspectives of Heather and Elizabeth, this story has one of my favorite thriller tropes- the unreliable narrator. Elizabeth paints herself as a victim of her controlling husband but is she really? I thought her character was well-developed and the author did a great job of making the reader question whether they should believe her or not. Heather's character fell a bit flat for me and I found it hard to connect or care about her. But I was proud of her for the decision she made in the end. This story had many twists and turns and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the reveal. The culprit was not a surprise but I thought the conclusion was satisfying. If you enjoy thrillers centered around family drama and dysfunctional families, then I definitely recommend checking out this book.

I received an ARC from Bookouture through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Well written story of the perfect couple, at least that’s what it looks like. But looks can be deceiving, and they definitely are in this twisted story. Their home is beautiful, their children are beautiful, but their marriage is anything but. Mental illness and infidelity are just the beginning of the story of this dysfunctional family. Written from different points of view and different points in time, this book explores the darker side of relationships.

An ARC of this novel was sent to me by NetGalley for reviewing purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is an extremely well done psychological thriller- the beginner had me hooked, and the characters were really well written. The author did a great job writing, and I look forward to reading more from them in the future.

This was a very good psychological thriller. The protagonist returns to the site where she grew up and relives her relationship with Lucas a man she had fallen in love with when she was a teenager. Lucas was a wealthy man whose wealth had diminished and he is trying to land a deal with a wealthy enterprise to restore his own wealth. The characters are well developed and you root for first one and then another. There is a lot of blame amongst the characters and you don’t know who to believe. The novel has many twists and turns and you don’t know until the very end who the antagonist is. That is the sign of a great thriller. I throughly enjoyed this novel and read it in one sitting. This was an ARC from NetGalley and Bookoutre for my honest review.

I'm not sure why I'm drawn to books about the messy, complicated, and darker side of marriage--maybe because I'm grateful for my own mostly-un-complicated one! Elizabeth and Lucas are a wealthy couple who appear to have it all--a lovely home, two wonderful children, and housekeeping and gardening help. But as we know, appearances are often over-rated as secrets simmer beneath the surface of many relationships. When the gardeners' daughter, Heather joins the team and we realize she had a previous liaison with Lucas, red flags are everywhere. Adding to it is Elizabeth's precarious mental state and a warning that she's previously been "ill." As the novel progresses, we see the disparity of wealth and privilege versus poverty and inequity as things begin to fall apart. It's a lovely and powerful novel, albeit painful to read at some points as your heart will break for these flawed but oh-so-human characters!

I really enjoyed this book as every time you think you’ve reached a conclusion the author throws a curveball in the makes you rethink it all. The basic premise is Elizabeth and Lucas are a happily married couple and Lucas is working on a deal which will set them up for life. Enter into the picture Heather who is helping her father to do the garden at the luxury home of Lucas and Elizabeth. Elizabeth becomes concerned that Heather is after her husband. This is a book where no one is what they seem and as more of the characters personality and history are revealed you’re not sure if anyone is a good or bad guy.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next book!
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#NetGalley #ThePerfectWife

On the outside the Huxleys seemingly have the perfect life; wealth, looks, and adorable kids. But there is something sinister simmering under that flawless veneer. Elisabeth and Lucas Huxley are hiding many things, and once you find out what they are, it's quite shocking. This is a domestic portrait of a family about to implode from the weight of all the secrets they are carrying. Told in Elisabeth Huxleys POV and that of Heather's, the Huxleys gardener's daughter, who also has a blurred history with Lucas Huxley. In the end, no secret can stay buried forever. A solid read. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this ARC.

I say this a lot, but there was a lot going on here. Heather is back to her parents' home to help her dad as a gardener at the neighbor's fancy home. Lucas and Elizabeth have a seemingly happy marriage, but behind the scenes it's all manipulation and mental health struggles. This was another book that I really couldn't stand most of the characters and finished more out of spite than enjoyment. It wasn't terrible, but I didn't really enjoy it. The whole "who is telling the truth/who is crazy/who is being manipulative" thing gets old sometimes. 3 stars.

Trying to determine the truth makes for interesting reading and a whirlwind journey. Who to believe? Is Elizabeth really crazy? Is Lucas really evil? Is Heather delusional? One or all or none could be the answer. Very detailed story which comes at you like a speeding truck and doesn't let up until the twisty end!

This is the story of Elizabeth, Heather and Lucas. Elizabeth is married to Lucas, and they appear to be happily married. Heather, who has recently become their neighbour has history with Lucas. The big question is can Lucas be trusted? He appears charming and very likeable, but is all this a show, or is it his wife, Elizabeth who is the one you shouldn’t trust?

This book gives us a multitude of unlikeable characters!! I honestly struggled to work out who was lying and who was telling the truth, which is really unusual in a book like this as you can usually find one character that you can side with! The author perfectly wound up the tension and suspense and kept this high throughout the book.

Told from Heather and Elizabeth’s perspectives, this story makes you work for your money. Right from the beginning, the scene is set with the promise of secrets being revealed. It certainly doesn’t disappoint with little hints and clues being dropped into the storyline, bit by bit, until it’s time for everything to come tumbling out!!

This was, most definitely, a deliciously dark and twisted thriller which will keep you guessing until the very end. Concluding with an ending which you will never guess, it leaves you wanting so much more and, if anything like me, will send chills straight down your spine!! The author has done a fantastic job of making you doubt everything and everyone with so many lies, mistrust and deceit! Even after finishing it, I’m still not sure who I should believe!! Would definitely recommend!!

This book was awesome!!! This was a very different book. Normally I know which characters are good and which are bad. With this book it kept me confused (in a good way) on who was the bad character until the end. I felt very conflicted on the happenings in this book. At first I thought the husband was abusing the wife then I changed my mind when I found out the wide had mental problems. Then I changed my mind again and thought the husband was bad. This was my mind throughout the book. Then the neighbor in the book was just as confused as me. The husband was romantically after the neighbor throughout the book. At the end she had the choice of being with him or moving off. I feel she made the right choice. This book was very good through out the whole but but at the end I literally could not put it down because things stuff happening. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery.

Elizabeth and Lucas Huxley have the perfect life to the outside world. A wonderful home. Money and staff.
Two of the staff are Gordon and his wife who live next door. They have maintained the gardens for years. However, then stellas sister is seriously ill, she goes to look after her. Leaving Gordon short handed . They call upon their daughter Heather to step into the breach and help out. She is desperate for the money.
During that summer we discover that Lucas and Heather have history. Everyone’s lives take on a twist. Who is lying who is telling the truth.
The underlying feeling of this book is abuse. In whatever form it takes.
The book started very slowly but you then got dragged in on a tidal wave.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc in return for an honest review.
#myperfectwife #clareboyd #netgalley

My Perfect Wife is a domestic thriller and it's quickly apparent that Elizabeth Huxley's life isn't all that it seems on the surface. There's plenty of suspense to keep turning the pages, but I found it a bit of a slow starter with too much information in the early chapters. I enjoyed the book, but I wasn't hooked.

Elizabeth and Lucas Huxley appear to have the perfect house and the perfect life, but when gardener Heather looks closer, that may not be the case.

I'm afraid I didn't love this one. I found the first 60% extremely slow going and nothing of interest really happened up to about that point. I understand the need for scene setting and character introduction but unfortunately I was just a bit bored.

The second half did pick up a bit and I became quite fascinated to find out who was telling the truth, but even that was a bit underwhelming in the end as the book left a lot of unanswered questions.

I am still not sure what to think about this book. It has left me with quite conflicted feelings. I enjoyed it but also felt a bit disappointed too.

It is a domestic thriller about a well off married couple called Elizabeth and Lucas Huxley who have in their employment staff for the maintenance of their designer house and grounds and also for help to look after their two children. Their life appears to be picture perfect, but is it? Elizabeth has a history of mental illness and worries her husband will take her children away from her. The book is written in her POV as well as Heather’s.

Heather is the daughter of the Huxleys’ gardeners and she has some history with Lucas. She returns temporarily to help her parents with their work.
Eventually a story comes together based on lies, secrets and betrayal and you try to work out who is telling the truth.

The book was very well written and so detailed that you could picture the house and its garden so clearly in your mind. It also had brilliant character development and there were many times towards the end when you wondered who was the person in the wrong but a lot of the excitement did not really happen until about 70% in. Previously to that point I just felt like I was reading a family drama and not really the thriller that I was expecting.

Overall it was just an ok read for me but I do think this will appeal to lots of readers who may appreciate it more than I did and who prefer domestic dramas.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for letting me read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Had a hard time sticking to this one. Out but down so many times had to make myself finish it. Nothing really kept my attention. It was just an ok read for me.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a real page turner that will have you guessing all the way through as to who is telling the truth. Would recommend.

Having read some disappointing thrillers, I went into My Perfect Wife with low expectations. I was, however, shocked when I was completely hooked by the first chapter. My Perfect Wife is addictive and I couldn't wait to get back reading each day. Boyd manages to pull together character development and suspense excellently (something I find rare in today's psychological thrillers) and this pulls My Perfect Wife apart from the rest. In a time where the thriller market is saturated, Boyd has successfully managed to create a psychological thriller above the rest. If I was to give a comparison, I'd say the book compares to The Wife Between Us and any fans of Greer Hendricks should pick this up immediately.

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

I was very disappointed in this book. The characters of Elizabeth, Lucas and Heather were unlikable. Lucas seemed to be a spoiled, manipulative brat, Elizabeth was just confusing, and Heather was very annoying. A major disappointment, as I liked Clare Boyd's other books.

I almost did not finish this, and ended up skimming pages towards the end. The ending was just strange, and a bit unfinished. What happened to Agata and Piotr? What happened to Heather's father?