the husband from hell rob is underhand ,a liar and an all round creep ,saying anymore would give away the plot of this novel .to be honest i found it a bit unsettling and at times a bit far fetched but overall a good read .

Charlotte Duckworth's latest psychological thriller kept me awake through the witching hour. It really is unputdownable. I just couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
Esther and Robin want a child. When Esther becomes pregnant she is subjected to the horror of hyperemesis gravidarum. What happens next is both terrifying and extraordinary. 
The writing is pitch perfect and there are some very clever twists in the plot. I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes edge-of-their-seat thrills.

This is the first of Charlotte's books that I have read and it won't be the last. This is definitely one of those books that keeps you reading late into the night. While the reader knows pretty much from the outset that the Father is going to be less than perfect, this is one of those books that really keeps a reader's interest all the way through.

I had never heard of hyperemesis gravidarum before and found that an interesting side-story. Yes, some of this story is predictable, but I didn't find that spoiled any of my anticipation to get to the end to see what happens.

After wishing for a family of their own for a long time, Esther and Robin are finally blessed with their adorable daughter Riley. They decide to switch up the roles and after Riley’s birth, Esther goes back to her much loved career while Robin becomes a stay-at-home dad which initially works well but gradually brings bitter feelings to the surface. Esther arrives home from work one day to find both Riley and Robin missing. Esther is terrified, for more reasons than the obvious one, and as the police begin to investigate, it appears this at first glance normal family aren’t all they seem to be...

A compelling and fast-paced read for me! In all honesty, the storyline is pretty implausible which usually I struggle with BUT Charlotte Duckworth wrote this story so well that I was swept along with the plot. I really enjoy books that are told from multiple POV’s - this one being told from both Esther’s and her husband Robin’s over a varying timeline. I think it’s refreshing and mixes things up and again, Charlotte has done this well.

I despised Robin’s character which I assume was the intention and surprisingly found myself rooting for Esther, even though I had my reservations about her to begin with. I can honestly say that I didn’t expect the ultimate turn of events - a good feature with any story - and was quite shocked at some of the revelations. Although this wasn’t quite a book that I ‘just couldn’t put down’ it was very suspenseful, full of drama and a super easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley & Quercus Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brilliant, suspenseful, twisty story indeed. I loved reading this story and didn’t want it to finish! Very well written, easy to follow and I’m certainly recommending to others! Just great.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Things I liked about the book:
- good setup, I love domestics thriller that opens with a text message from a husband to a wife "sorry". The characters had layers, they are not what they're portrayed in the beginning. The book had a good tempo.

Things I am iffy about: I found some part of the plot unbelievable. And the motive that leads to the ending isn't plausible in my humble opinion.

It's a really very interesting thriller about the relationship between Robin and Esther and their daughter, Riley. Things not always are what seems to be, and parenthood is complicated when appears Kim, who has an important role on it.
The story swings between past and present and its focussed on Robin's "strange" behaviour, till facts from past are unravelled.
I really liked it. Maybe expected a story more "creppy", but anyway it's very well written and solved.

Twisting Domestic Noir....
Twisting domestic noir. When Esther returns to work following birth and husband Robin stays home to father Riley things don’t go exactly to plan. What is Robin - is he the perfect father or something entirely different? Good narrative, told from differing perspectives and a tense storyline. A solid read.

I enjoyed this!! After reading “unfollow me” I knew this author would be one to watch. Though I felt some of the story was a bit unrealistic, I really loved the vibe. It kept my heart pounding, which is exactly what I want in a thriller!

The Perfect Father

Hooked from the start! The Perfect Father is a breath of fresh air compared to other thrillers on the market!

Great opening chapter, set the scene perfectly, Introduced characters and drama! A little disappointed to see “three years earlier” as the start to the third chapter. Authors this is so overdone in thrillers! I’m sick of reading “three years earlier”...why is it always three years? Argh!  For my complaining there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this book. The three years ago part made me totally forget about the present day section! 

I didn’t like Robin from the start, I found him selfish, lazy and unmotivated. BUT....he’s a great character, fantastically layered, I loved reading his point of view.

The worst part of this book was the fact it ended! I would happily spend lockdown reading a never ending version of a The Perfect Father! This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I’m telling you YOU HAVE TO READ THIS! 5/5.

Well, this was a twisty, toxic tale.

Esther and Rob are a married couple, desperate for a child, then when they think it's too late, Esther becomes pregnant. She suffers from terrible morning sickness, to the point where she is hospitalised.

Then, baby Riley arrives and Rob is smitten, happy to be the stay at home dad whilst Esther returns to her fulltime, busy job. So far so happy family, then we get the first twist...

Loved the big twist in the middle of the book, I actually had to read it three times, but no, it was there, just planted and boom, it went off!

As characters you could tell Rob was going to be an arse, only time would show what an actual arse he was. I didn't especially warm to Esther, but by the end of the book I was firmly in her camp, 

Another great suspense filled novel by Charlotte Duckworth.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

The Perfect Father by Charlotte Duckworth is another compelling read from an author who sets the bar high and then shatters all expectations.  This one is fast-paced and suspenseful from the outset, and I was kept guessing until the very end.

Esther and Robin have longed for a child of their own and are finally blessed with a daughter, Riley.  Esther is progressing well in her career, and as Robin is floundering a bit in his aspirations to break into comedy, the couple decide that he will be the one to commit his days to Riley's care.  It is a selfless act, and Esther feels blessed by her good fortune.  But soon tensions arise in the relationship, and resentments on both sides start to creep in.  When Esther returns home one night to find that Robin and Riley have gone missing, her world will be shaken to the core, and she will question everything she thought she knew about the man with whom she shares her life.

This is a gripping read, full of palpable tension and intrigue.  Well played Ms Duckworth, you have done it again.  4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this ARC.

I had such high hopes for The Perfect but unfortunately, the ending ruined things for me. Although neither were particularly likeable, I was intrigued by the main characters of Robin and Esther and their relationship. I liked that chapters alternated between the two of them, allowing the reader access to their thoughts and feelings. The cast of supporting characters including Viv and Kim were interesting too. But it felt like there was this massive build-up from the beginning of the book, leading to a lacklustre ending which as other readers have stated, felt all too convenient and unrealistic. It was unsatisfactory and disappointing (dare I say even lazy) and really fell short of what I had been hoping for after the appealing blurb.

I enjoyed Charlotte Duckworth's Unfollow Me, so I was excited to read The Perfect Father, and it did not disappoint! All the characters were very well-written, and I found it really easy to emphasize with Esther...the author did such a great job describing Esther's "horrific pregnancy" that if I had wanted to have kids, this book probably would've changed my mind. I liked that the story was told from both Esther and Robin's perspectives, and I had a hard time putting it down...I couldn't get enough of all the secrets and lies and couldn't wait to see how it would all turn out. I highly recommend The Perfect Father, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read it. : )

Fairly good story.  Decent characters.  Easy to follow.  I would read more by this author.  While it was an enjoyable read, it, unfortunately, wasn't too memorable.  But overall, I liked it.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for an early copy of The Perfect Father.  This was nothing like I thought it would be, it was so much Better! I disliked the dad immensely but the other characters were real good. What a different ending than I expected.  I just Loved the book, really great plot and writing.

Meet Robin and Esther. A happily married couple. After many years of trying to have a baby of their own, Esther is delighted when she finds herself pregnant. She experiences terrible sickness throughout the early days of her pregnancy, and is often bed ridden due to her sickness.

While they go to a party hosted by Esther's good friend, Esther walks in on her husband Robin kissing a young and beautiful woman named Kim. Devastated, Esther is heartbroken. Can their marriage be saved? Can Esther forgive her husband for his lapse in judgement, and be able to move on?

I enjoyed the suspense of the novel as the chapters unfolded. I especially enjoyed how the novel was told from alternating POV's. Parts were told from Robin's perspective and parts were told from Esther's perspective. We learn right from the beginning of the book that one day Esther comes home from work to find that Robin has just up and left without a trace with their daughter Riley. What unfolds is a whirlwind that will have you hooked as you flip through the chapters to unfold the story of what happened.

I also enjoyed how this novel was told from alternating timelines, from past to present, as it gives us some buildup of Esther and Robin's relationship, both when they first started dating, to when they had Riley, to now while he was on the run with her.

A novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

I absolutely loved and inhaled Charlotte Duckworth's previous books, Unfollow Me and The Rival, so I was excited to read The Perfect  Father.  This one didn't capture me me the way the previous books had but it was a quick and easy read.

Esther gets a text message from her husband that just says Sorry.  She races home to discover that he has gone, taking their young daughter with him.  And then the police arrive at the door. The story then jumps back and forward from the points of view of both Esther and Robin.  We learn how they get to this point and about their fractured relationship.

None of the characters were particularly likeable and some of the twists predictable.  It is a good psychological thriller, focusing ore on the characters and their actions.

Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. .

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlotte Duckworth and the publisher for the ARC. I have read both The Rival and Unfollow Me so was excited to get my hands on The Perfect Father. Charlotte Duckworth has an ability to write about current topics in such a relevant and absorbing manner. I have been struggling of late to focus on reading novels, too much news to scroll through, so was surprised by how quickly this gripped me.  I thoroughly enjoyed The Perfect Father. It was a  psychological thriller with a heart. The phrase 'plot twist' can put me off a little now as so many are gratuitous and unnecessary. The twist in this novel was anything but. I already know that I will be putting this one under the tree for a couple of family members.

I love this author's books so was looking forward to reading this  but sadly didn't enjoy it as much as the others. It was quite slow paced although did have some twists and turns and shocks but I personAlly struggled to get into it and it didn't grip me.