Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟 💫 3.5/5 stars

I easily read this book in a few hours by my pool. The Perfect Ruin is a fast-paced, entertaining tale of revenge with all of the over-the-top twists and turns.

The Perfect Ruin is about Ivy, a troubled girl who cannot move on from the death of her parents. When her therapist gives her the name of the person responsible for their deaths, Ivy becomes obsessed and determined to get revenge. As she gets to know the source of all of her pain, Lola, she decides to take everything the woman holds dear - her husband, her money, and her life.

Stories of revenge and obsession demand to be read by the pool/beach and this one is a great book for a summer day. It is quick, twisty, and, most of all, fun. It is not the most original story, but all I ask is to be entertained and this book accomplished that. I read that the author has written many romances, so I will definitely be checking those out!

Fans of Tarryn Fisher and Shari Lapena will love this fun thriller!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Ruin by Shanora Williams features Ivy, a rather unlikeable, strong-willed type of character. She seemed so real! I don’t actually mind these types of characters because in life, there are people like her and sometimes, characters like her are more interesting to read about.

Synopsis:

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…

This book will have you taking sharp turns and there are twists and it’s evil and fun! Dont miss this one, due out on July 27.

I couldn't put this one down! I don't know where to begin with this thriller thrill ride. Twists and turns, surprises to keep you on the edge of your seat. Shanora Williams knows how to keep readers engaged and revenge.

Wow, wow, wow! What a read! One of those that will have your brain thinking about it for days after you finish! Unique, realistic, well written, and fast paced, sure to keep you up all night flipping pages! One of those books that has the characters nailed, which hooks you into the story! Lots and lots of twisty turns, thrilling thrills, chilling chills, and gasp worthy shocks! I highly, highly recommend!

Will make sure to buzz around platforms and use my low Amazon reviewer number on release date!

Ivy Elliott lives for one thing - to get revenge on the famous Lola Maxwell for ruining her life. The problem? Lola has no idea who Ivy is, but Ivy knows everything about Lola. Told initially from Ivy's point of view, it grows a little tiring listening to her kind of inner dialogue, but once the story changes perspectives, the real intrigue begins. The twists are done so well. I initially wanted to read this book because it was recommended by Tarryn Fisher, but the ending of this book sold itself with no big name recommendation needed. Holy Cow! You will not regret reading this book.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! I highly recommend this book and author to all!

The Perfect Ruin is written by Shanora Williams and follows the story of Ivy. We first meet Ivy when she has an appointment with her therapist - Marriott. In that same appointment Ivy finds out information she has been dying to know. A name of the person who ruined her life. That name is Lola Maxwell. Ivy runs out of her therapy session wanting an answer she has been wanting to know. Who is Lola and why did she ruin her life. Ivy starts making calculating plans for revenge and getting herself into Lola's wealthy world.

I loved that this story was written in the first person as a letter written to her Therapist, Marriott. Ivy is telling her side of the story - the story of revenge and the lengths she goes through. I do enjoy a good revenge thriller and this one is no exception. This book is fast paced with a lot twists and turns. If a revenge thriller is up your alley than this book is one for you. It is being published on the 27th July 2021.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for the advanced copy for an honest review.

When I learned this author was writing a Thriller book, I thought to myself, how freaking talented is this author! Is there nothing she wont tackle in writing?

When I read thrillers, I expect to gain that feeling of....will I figure this out before the author lets us figure it out? I thrive on looking for the little details that are frequently missed then remembered once the thrill is over.

The Perfect Ruin, had me stumped throughout. The twists and turns, second guessing, then the ah-ha moment. I honestly don't think there were any weak characters in this book, they were all evil! LOL. Its the many layers a person will desperately go through to get revenge!

Closing this book, I am 100% convinced that this author has found her calling! Each book I've read from Shanora WIlliams has been one I would recommend. This thriller, The Perfect Ruin, will be on my list of books to recommend for sure.

Holy hell, this book was one wild ride! It was so twisty and fun that I couldn’t put it down! I especially loved how the characters were developed, showing all sides of them. I loved the diversity in the book, I’m so tired of the same old blonde white woman in these mysteries. This author rocked it and had a wonderful cast of characters! I’m so happy that I got to read an ARC of this book! It was honestly so very well done, a twisty masterpiece. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc in exchange for my honest opinion! Read this story, it’s seriously worth everything!

If you enjoy a good revenge story I highly recommend this one. All the characters are awful human beings, but the book had so much girl drama and juiciness that I could not stop reading. I had to find out how Ivy was going to get her revenge. There was some good twists and turns that I did not see coming and overall a very enjoyable read. Great pacing, great story line, and a fun ending.

This is a silly, messy, entertaining book. The plot felt very Tyler Perry-ish. It shares the good aspects of Perry’s plots- it’s entertaining and fast paced. Unfortunately, it also shares the bad aspects: it’s ridiculous and ill-conceived. The writing is not great. The characters are over the top and one dimensional. The dialogue is, at times, unnatural.

Ivy is an unstable young woman who experienced a horrible tragedy. The book takes a long time to reveal exactly what this is, and there’s no pay off. It’s frustrating as a reader to be given fragments of the story with no grand reveal or pay off.

Ivy’s therapist Marriott (sometimes spelled with one “t” and other times, two) gives her the name of the person responsible for ruining Ivy’s life: Lola Maxwell, a wealthy and famous socialite. It’s remarkably easy for Ivy to position herself in Lola’s world and she soon becomes her best friend. All the while, she is planning to execute her revenge. She decides she is in love with Lola’s husband and becomes obsessed with the idea of splitting them up.

Parts of this story require a serious suspension of belief, but it still manages to be a fun book. Despite all the flaws this book has, it wasn’t a terrible read. But it could definitely use more editing.

Ivy Hill grew up in foster homes after a car accident killed both of her parents. Thrown from a happy family and childhood into a world of foster homes and never fitting in, Ivy grew up resentful and troubled. She has been in therapy for years with Dr. Marriott Herald by court order. Shortly after her 21st birthday and the upcoming anniversary of the date of the accident that changed Ivys’ life forever, her therapist reveals to her that she has learned the name of the person who caused the accident. It was Lola Maxwell.
Lola Maxwell is beautiful, wealthy, is married to a handsome and successful plastic surgeon and runs a charity called “ Ladies with Passion”.
Ivy becomes fixated on revenge and begins plotting to become part of Lolas’ inner circle and take everything. Lola may not be the charming woman she appears as to the public though and Ivy may end up with more than she plans.
This was a fast paced read with twists that I did not see coming. The characters in the book are awful but you can’t help wanting to follow along and do end up feeling empathy for Ivy. I would have liked to see more from Lolas’ POV or to know her backstory.
This is scheduled for release on July 27th and is a perfect beach read. Thank you to #netgalley and Kensington Publishers fir the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is a little different than Shanora’s normal romance books. But still intense and fast paced. Very intriguing. I didn’t want to put the book down. I wanted to know what happened next. Very addictive. Great job Shanora!

Very grateful to the publisher @kensingtonbooks for my review copy

When you see Tarryn Fisher’s name on a book, I for one, wouldn’t want to miss reading it. And what a read this book was! 

From the first chapter I got a very strange feeling of what’s going to happen in this story and I couldn’t understand why the main character was acting like that. Revenge can twist people’s mind and emotions in the worst possible way and here I wasn’t missing all the wtf moments at all. 

It’s been a while since I’ve read anything like this book and that ending was definitely unexpected. 

I had my theories as to who, or better said, why Ivy was writing those letters and thought it was more of her grieving process and also part of her revenge plan for the woman who killed her family. But I was so wrong, and the author has revealed that twisted moment of truth at the perfect time. 

I didn’t like any of the characters; they were all selfish and egocentricity was coming out in waves from their dialogue and actions. 

So yes, it’s a must read, twisted, page turner story that many readers will enjoy.

Shanora Williams is a new author for me, but I grabbed The Perfect Ruin because I was looking for something different.

This book was fast paced, intense, insane, and addictive. I did get a little frustrated with some of the characters and the plot at one point. But I still really enjoyed it!

Lola Maxwell has it all; money, fame, career, and the picture-perfect marriage. She is the adoration of friends and her community for her charitable work with single pregnant women. Ivy Hill is a young woman battling her own demons and when she enters Lola’s life by happenstance, Lola takes her under her wing to help the young woman whom seems so much like herself. Dark secrets loom that begin to creep to the surface and threatens to ruin all Lola and her husband Corey have worked for.

If you don’t make amends for your past, it can come back to haunt you. The Perfect Ruin is a domestic suspense infused with a psychological thriller that will take you on a journey of ploys, suspicions, and revenge served up through vintage wines, five-star meals, and all the trimmings of the lifestyles of the rich. We would have loved to remain in suspense about certain aspects until “the ruin” began to come down. We feel this would’ve given it the power punch to blow the reader away. Still, the twisty takes in this novel will send you on a tailspin that will leave you a bit shook.

Thank you NetGalley for this book and we are voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This was the perfect edge of your seat read for the beach. I was sucked into it and had to know what came next. I think people will really enjoy this one. Don’t sleep on it.
Thank you for letting me read it

After more than a decade of living in the dark, Ivy discovers the name of the person who killed both of her parents and ruined her life: Lola Maxwell. And now she is intent on ruining Lola’s perfect life as revenge by assuming a fake identity, infiltrating Lola’s nonprofit, and - this was unplanned - stealing her husband. Lola gets sidetracked when she nearly kills Lola’s close confidante, Keke, and when she begins falling a bit too hard for her husband, Dr. Maxwell, so it isn’t all smooth sailing. Little does Ivy know that her efforts are all going to be overshadowed by someone who is seeking revenge even more than she is...
This was a fun plot and, although at times a little bit predictable, keep me on my toes. It was very fast moving and just the right amount of peripheral characters. I also appreciated the change in perspective; toward the end the narrator is shifted between Ivy and Georgia. And of course the ending was great — I hate when things get tied up neatly, and this was quite the opposite. This is the author’s first non-romance book, and although you can tell her roots are in the romance genre, this was a really solid and fun thriller!
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a classic Shanora book With fast moving, page turning action and a strong willed heroine. I absolutely love her style of writing. Her books are very richly drawn with strong characters and intriguing plots, and this one is no exception.
It's a Rollercoaster ride into the crazy town without any seat belts folks. You're in for the surprise of your life or shock of your life, depending upon whose side you're on. And you WILL pick a side, like Tarryn Fisher says. It's hard not to sympathise with the victim, in this case- Ivy Elliott and the alleged Pepetrator who's ruined her life, the most famous housewife in Miami- Lola Maxwell

"Lola loved sad women. Crazy, but true. She loved women she could build up and make stronger. She liked to treat women like me, Xena, and Keke as projects. A smile from one of us made her proud."

Ivy starts as a woman possessed and obsessed. No one ever trusted Ivy. She was a rebel, a liar, a thief, and a con-artist. She could steal from babies and not feel any remorse. And all the while conning people into thinking she had Post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar tendencies, even her therapist.
Her mission in life is to seek revenge!!

"Do you know what you did to me?
Do you realize what you’ve done?
Do you know who I am?
You ruined my life, you know that!
I hate you!"

As you go deeper in the book, the various threads start to come together weaving into a web of lies, deceit and greed. Lola, Keke, Georgia, Ivy, Faith, Arabel and Marriott are all flies in the web, each playing a mysterious role in aiding Lola's charity - Ladies With Passion.
But Lola is the ultimate Queen Diva. She floats on air, seemingly perfect in personality, living a dream life with handsome Cosmetologist Dr Corey Maxwell. She demands loyalty and commands camaraderie from people around her.
The house of cards, so carefully built on shaky ground is waiting for a gust of air and it'll all come tumbling down and that brings attention to the question- who or what will be the ultimate catalyst to bring it all down?
WHO? HOW?? & WHY???
Sensational secrets that hide behind the polished veneers threaten to tumble out of the closet. The escalating tension on every page makes it a hair-raising, thrilling experience only shanora could deliver so intelligently in her indomitable style.
You're sure to be left with a gaping jaw, a "what did I just read" expression and a massive hangover when you're done.
I hope she writes a sequel cause I want more!!
5 stars Bonds Of Hate

Money - it can solve a lot of problems, but what Ivy wanted was revenge! As a teenager, Ivy had gone through an awful tragedy and years later was still in therapy. Then one name came up and Ivy knew that this was her chance . She meets up with mega millionaire Lola and works her way into Lola's circle of friends. She has a plan and is determined to see it through, taking everything she can from Lola to make up for all that she had lost.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book and could get right into the story.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.