"You are just a woman-a woman with hate in your heart and darkness in your soul. You hate yourself, so you take it out on everyone else. You are scorned. Broken. Pathetic.

You will suffer at my hands.

I am going to ruin you...and I promise you won't see me coming."

*side eye glance reading the room*

Talk about an opening punch! I've had Shanora's books on my TBR for awhile now, but after reading The Perfect Ruin and loving it, I'll definitely be devouring more of her work immediately. Let's get this out of the way first: you will definitely need to suspend your disbelief while reading this one. Think of this story as a Lifetime Original Movie in terms of drama, but the writing isn't cheesy. There are twists upon twists and unlikable characters doing despicable things, but the author's writing is so accessible and binge-worthy that you won't be able to put this book down. Seriously, I read the second half in one sitting, not getting up once for sustenance or potty breaks. I have "post children bladder" so this is a real feat, my friends.) I don't want to even touch on the plot, just know that everyone is holding secrets close, and you won't have all the information until the very last page. Pick this one up when you need a slump buster and can cancel all your plans for the day.

Ivy’s childhood ended when a tragedy ended her happy family life, and now that she has a name for the person responsible, she gains wealthy socialite Lola’s trust and slowly infiltrates into her life, friendships, and marriage, on her missions of vengeance. Will Ivy’s obsession with revenge be her downfall? This talented author has done a wonderful job in weaving this psychological thriller, which is filled with lies, deception, revenge, secrets, betrayal, twists, suspense, mystery, and passion, which all leads to a riveting and addictive page turner which had me totally hooked and intrigued throughout. I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

This was a suspenseful thriller that had me hooked from the very beginning. I could not put this one down, reading it well into the night and diving right back in first thing in the morning before the kids woke up, just to finish it. It was about as un-put-down-able as anything I’ve ever read.

Ivy has just been given the name of the person who ruined her life. Instead of acting quickly and irrationally, Ivy takes her time with that information and hatches a plan for total destruction of Lola Maxwell, the woman who completely and utterly destroyed everything good in her entire world.

Lola is a mega rich socialite with a handsome surgeon husband and the perfect life. Ivy infiltrates her life and begins to, step by step, dismantle her beautiful world. She becomes her new bestie and causes rifts in Lola’s friend group. It’s when she gets caught up in a spicy affair with Lola’s husband Corey that things start to veer into the realm of uncontrollable.

But, with the life that Lola lives, it turns out that she may have ruined more than just Ivy’s life in the past… and Ivy will just have to get in line in the path of taking Lola down.

This book is dark and sexy and completely addictive. You will go through parts of this book not knowing who to root for or how to feel, but it is all part of the genius process of author Shanora Williams. This one will keep you in the edge of your seat from beginning to end!

This book is deliciously evil. Ivy is out to ruin Lola's life since she ruined hers. Her plan works well, but Ivy doesn't realize someone has outplayed her. The characters are vile, but the deceit is so cunning. The revenge is so calculating and precise. And yet Ivy still believes in some naive things and can't believe she was lied to. Sometimes it's a welcome change to read about villains and the depths of their deceptiveness.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

WOW, what did I just read!

The Perfect Ruin is a fast-paced psychological thriller and so very entertaining! The twists and turns of this novel come fast and furious. I was not sure if I loved Ivy and hated Lola or vice versa. One minute I sympathised with Ivy and then the next I want to throw the book at her; I also felt this way with Lola.

Ivy is supposed to be the victim who wants revenge on the person (Lola) who has caused her so much pain and loss in her young life. Since this traumatic event Ivy has been seen as someone who cannot be trusted, she is known as a thief and a liar...but would these things have happened if Lola did not disrupt Ivy's life?

Lola is the Queen of all. Everyone wants to be around her and loves her. She appears to have the perfect life, alongside her handsome devoted husband.

Then there is also the supporting characters in this story that will make you also question which side is the right one. They reveal secrets and twists that leave you turning the pages to learn more.

I think this was an awesome read and I cant wait for another thriller from Shanora now!!

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Haunting, Page-turner, Tragic, Twisted, Unpredictable

This book definitely has some of the Gone girl’s and Verity’s qualities in it!

The main theme, as I sensed it, was revenge, mixed with bitterness, envy and the stereotype of emptiness of the wealthy. I missed some depth and diversity of the characters, as they were mostly angry/revenge driven, payback oriented and taking advantage of others.

For all of those, who like the utmost brutal payback moments (that “the b**** gets what she deserves”, excuse my language), this book could probably do the trick.

I don't always pick up a thriller but I can't miss Shanora's. This one kept my interest, definitely intriguing. There were a lot of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I enjoyed it enough. It's not the greatest of the author's works, but it's still worth the read.

Shanora Williams writes an alluring narrative with a narcissistic cast of characters and a plot centered on revenge. She masterfully leads readers down a path of deceit, betrayal, and shocking secrets while at the same time twisting the very premise of the plot. Fantastic thrill ride! Loved it.

Thank you to #netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the ARC which was read and reviewed voluntarily.

#shanorawilliams #romanticsuspense #tbrstacks #bookrecommendations #bookish #igreads #bookstagram #bookblog #readreviewrepeat #ThePerfectRuin

Lola, a Miami socialite and charitable do-gooder, has it all; beauty, brains, the perfect life, and a rich husband but new employee Ivy comes with a past and bears a grudge, stopping at nothing to get closer to Lola’s life. This was an almost but a not quite for me. It had a mysterious quality, decent characters, and a modern insta-obsessed feel, however, I felt it took too long for the threads to come together about what the actual mystery was or even just the smallest hint at where it was leading so I could get invested. For the first 40 per cent, I felt like I was blindly reading as, while it was mildly entertaining, it was frustrating not having even the slightest hint at where it was going.

I devoured this book in one day! As a fan of phycological thrillers I was absolutely entranced by this book. The twists and turns in this book were a wild ride. My emotions and suspicions were all over the place. It was simply an amazing ride. I won't spoil the end but I do hope there is a sequel.. Well done Shanora!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This was an amazing read that grabbed me from the moment that I started reading. It moves along at a really nice pace making for an enjoyable read. It has interesting and unique characters that you cannot help but fall in love with and a story that will keep you reading and turning pages till the end. This book needs to be on your TBR list, no doubt about it.

The Perfect Ruin had a lot of potential. There was a good revenge story in there and conflicting narrators. It missed a little in the execution. The beginning seemed extremely shallow and often Ivy's moves didn't make as much sense as I would have liked. Georgia's POV helped get the story going again. Had the book gone back and forth more often it would have kept my attention longer. The long and drawn out explanation at the end brought everything to a screeching halt. There was no flow and the entire thing had so many holes...There is no way the perpetrator should have gotten anywhere close to getting away with it.

I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it. When I first started reading Ivy's story it felt like it had been done before, and that's why this story drug on and on for me. I also didn't like how desperate Ivy was for Lola's husband. Did she truly think she was THE ONE to get him to leave his wife?!

Thankfully things perked up when we get Georgia's side of the story. I thought it was funny that they were all scheming behind each other's back. Like I mentioned it felt like this plot has been done so many times before that it would be hard to make it original.

How far would you go for revenge?⁣ After Ivy’s therapist tells her she has the name of the person who killed her parents Ivy literally takes the name and runs out the door seeking her revenge. This kind of revenge story is not always my favorite. I enjoyed the first part of the book but as we get further in further into this revenge plot, it got a little too chaotic! The real kicker for me was the unlikable characters. Even so, this is a quick and entertaining story. If you like revenge thrillers with some steam, this is a book for you!

A brutal tragedy ended Ivy Hill’s happy family and childhood. Now in her twenties and severely troubled, she barely has a life—or much to live for. Until the day she discovers the name of the woman who destroyed her world: Lola Maxwell—the mega-wealthy socialite with a heart, Miami’s beloved “first lady” of charity. Accomplished, gorgeous, and oh-so-caring, Lola has the best of everything—and doesn’t deserve any of it. So it’s only right that Ivy take it all away. Little by little, Ivy infiltrates Lola’s elite circle, becomes her new best friend—and plays Lola’s envious acquaintances and hangers-on against her. But seducing Lola’s handsome, devoted surgeon husband turns into a passionate dream Ivy suddenly can’t control. And soon, an insidious someone will twist Ivy’s revenge into a nightmare of deception, secrets, and betrayal that Ivy may not wake up from.

Well wasn't this just a twisty little gem?!

The Perfect Ruin was an enjoyable and quick read. It's a thriller written from a few viewpoints. You primarily get your information from the main character, Ivy. However, there are some other insights thrown in periodically in order to give the reader additional tidbits that help in developing the storyline.

The story seems to be following a basic pattern for the most part and then a twist is thrown in at the perfect time. I suspected things might be going a little too "smoothly" so it was perfect timing for the "perfect ruin." Let's just say all isn't necessarily as it seems in this novel. There are definitely some surprises tucked away.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This was a new to me author.
This book conflicted me, as the premise was good, and it was well written. But I struggled to connect with the characters and the book felt long winded/drawn out. Which is a shame as it really did hold a lot of promise, and thrillers are my go to.
In saying all of this I did enjoy the end/plot twist, I just wish we knew what happened after that final bit.

3 stars
The Perfect Ruin
A Riveting New Psychological Thriller
by Shanora Williams

Well written and truly twisty. This book is going to appeal to all who love to read suspenseful thrillers.

Ivy lost her family young. In an accident. She has wanted to know who took them away from her for a long time. Her mind wants the information so she can make the person pay.

Lola is a woman who seems to have everything. Money, a mansion, a rich, handsome husband. She also has her house manager, Georgia, who lives in and takes care of them.

This book! Shanora Williams wrote, at the end of the book, that it was hard to write. There is so much happening, and so many twists and turns, that I completely understand why it would be difficult. I absolutely loved this book! It’s well written, thought provoking, and just an excellent read.

What I want to know is…. Will there be a second book? Cause it’s wide open for more at the end.

This book had an interesting premise but I don't think it worked for me. There were a lot of words describing stuff but it wasn't happening or the thrill factor wasn't as good as it could have been. There were no likeable characters for me and it felt like that was the point of the book - not to like anyone or anything.