The Perfect Family- Robyn Harding
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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I really enjoyed The Perfect Family, until literally the last sentence of the book. I literally whispered to myself, pardon the language, wtf... 😳. It had great drama and the story kept adding new elements that made you wonder who was trying to destroy this family. Each member of the Adler family has a secret to hide and somebody is targeting them. But who is it? Or is it all of them? Are they the perfect family? I have enjoyed Robyn Harding’s previous book The Swap. I felt the ending of this book just fell very very flat and the cliffhanger just didn’t make sense. It was a quick read for me and I really enjoyed it until the last page.

I left some clues in my picture, what does one earring, a lipstick and nail polish have to do with the story? You better get this book when it comes out to find out.
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Thanks to @netgalley and @simonschusterca for the arc!

#NetGalley #simonandschustercanada #bookarc #bookstagram #booklover #readersofinstagram #read #february2021reads #robynharding #mysteryandthrillers

Release Date: August 10, 2021

Earrings: @youfancyhuhjewellery

I was super into this for the first quarter, and found the characters and their individual secrets intriguing. Unfortunately, the intrigue fell away pretty quickly. It became super repetitive, with nothing really happening.

It also became predictable: either we'd be reading 1) about another person's perspective on the same incident, 2) about the guilt someone felt (once again) over their secret, or 3) about another incident occurring against the family... then triggering more of the same of number 1 and 2.

Too many plot holes, unbelievable scenarios, and repetition for me. Plus don't even get me started about the "big twist". Just. No.

Addictive, full of deception, betrayals, secrets, and lies..lies..lies! This book has it all and I LOVED it!! I am a huge fan of Robyn Harding and once I heard about her latest novel THE PERFECT FAMILY I knew I had to get my hands on a copy ASAP so was thrilled when I received this via NetGalley.

The Adler family is trying to keep up with appearances, just like everyone else. When everything on the outside looking in seems perfect and just so, not all is always as it appears to be. The perfect looking family might not be quite so perfect after all. I love how this novel starts off with someone lurking in the shadows at night, approaching the house with bad intentions for sure. The following chapters then alter to 6 weeks prior to that night and is told from alternating POV's. Some parts are told from Vivian's (Viv's) POV, the mother of the family. Some parts are told from Thomas' POV, the father. Some parts are told from their daughter Tarryn's POV and other's told from their son's Eli's POV. I love a good book told from various POV's as we get to hear the story from each side and from each character and see the world through their eyes. It adds to the character development, enriches the storyline and makes for a great book and I loved that about this novel. Each character in this story has their own share of secrets and lies they are with-holding from everyone around them. They all have something to hide, something to lose, and I loved reading about all of their secrets and half-truths. No one in the family is perfect, far from it, but they try and keep up the illusion that they are.

Vivian feels her husband growing distant from her, even though they have two children together, a beautiful home, and have been married for 22 years. She feels it in her gut that he is cheating on her. She has no proof, just this gut wrenching feeling inside. Her husband Thomas has a secret of his own - something happened on a guys trip he attended some time back and even his wife doesn't know about it. Then there is their daughter Tarryn - she has a secret life that comes out at night, when other family members are sleeping. Finally we had their son Eli - he has a secret of his own that makes him sick to his stomach when he thinks about it... a secret that is so awful that he dropped out of College for and returned to live at home much to his parents' disapproval and dislike.. 

When it is clear that someone or some people are targeting their home, and their home is attacked and vandalized, who is responsible and what are they trying to prove? When all family members are keeping their own secrets, are one of them the target and the reason why they are under attack? Are they all partly to blame? Why would they be targeted, especially when they are the "perfect" family?

I loved the family dynamics of the Adler family and reading about their individual deception and lies. Such a great recipe for a great book and I devoured this book. 

Well done Robyn! I loved this book and definitely recommend you add this one to your TBR right now! You'll love it! I'm looking forward to your next book Robyn!

💫 Book Review 💫
The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding

This book may not come out for 6 months but something about the description pulled me in to read it now. It’s a quick read, with short chapters that keep the pages turning about a family who appear to be “perfect” but are hiding secrets from each other.

Each character (Thomas, Viv, Eli and Tarryn) get a chance to share a little piece of their secrets in each chapter. The different POV was strategically smart in the writing because it allowed for the reader to question everyone and everything they were reading.

Quick synopsis: Thomas and Viv are the parents of this family. They have a son Eli who drops out of college with no explanation and a daughter who has the angry teen angst down pat. At least, that’s what it looks like at the start of the novel. You quickly realize they’re all holding secrets that could be the reason why they’re being attacked at home. It starts with eggs and leads to much more terrifying things that the family feels like their under siege.

But instead of pulling together, they all keep their secrets festered till they break.

The idea of perfection. Pressure on kids to be the best. The mixed up world we live in where it matters more what random people think of us instead of the people we love. Those things drive the book.

I wouldn’t say it’s a thriller. But I couldn’t really place it in any genre. It’s just a quick read that kept me guessing.

Thank you to @gallerybooks and @simonandschuster for the gifted copy in return for an honest review. This book comes out August 10,2021.

Run, don’t walk, to grab a copy of this perfect gem of a book! I picked up ,“The Perfect Family”one bleak and snowy afternoon and literally did not put it down until it was finished. Cocooned on the couch with my furry blanket, I consumed cup after cup of hot tea and gobbled up this book, losing myself completely to the intricate ever-widening pools of character and plot - swirling eddies that seemed to come out of nowhere, impossible to escape.

The story involves a suburban family - mother, father, teenage daughter and collegial son - each of whom, we learn, is desperately working to hide deeply personal ugly and shameful secrets. The story unfolds alternately from each of the family members POV, with each character detailed and defined within their own beautifully drawn, self-contained world.

As the story unfolds, we learn that someone has a grudge, a vendetta against the family, revealing itself as incidents that could be initially classified as vandalism escalate with ominous inevitability, drawing us before we know it into a world of creepy-crawly terror.

4.5 “read this on the edge of your seat” stars.

Watch facades tumble, carefully constructed high-gloss lives tarnish and curl as the author, almost gleefully, repeatedly topples the illusion of perfection and has us questioning everything we read. Right up until the terrific ending, which, no spoilers here, had me chuckling out loud.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries, character-driven suspense, and twisty-turny (somewhat mischievous) plots.

A big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, and the author for an advance review copy of this book. All thoughts presented here are my own.

What an amazing book. I have read all of Robyn Harding’s books and I have to say The Perfect Family is my favourite. It turns out that Thomas and Vivian Alder and their two children Tarryn and Eli are anything but The Perfect family. They “only looked perfect. They had done horrible things. They kept horrible secrets.”

Both successful professionals,Thomas and Vivian live in a beautiful home in Portland Oregon with their two children, Eli 20 and Tarryn 17. They are a family that seem to have it all. But when their home is suddenly targeted and vandalized their perfect facade starts to crumble and their perfect world comes crashing down.

Robyn Harding has written another compelling masterpiece. I was pulled into the storyline within the first few pages. The Perfect Family is a fast paced engaging thriller. I was not able to put it down as I was so immersed in the lies and deceptions taking place that I had to keep reading til the end. Job well done Robyn Harding. I am hopeful that there will be a sequel based on the shocking ending of the story.

In this book you grow to like each member as they may be quite like yours. Did not expect some of the events but tied in well within the story and what can happen to a persons psych

Good job

I want to express my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Ca for this utterly compelling ARC. The plot was bonkers but unputdownable and very entertaining. I neglected everything to read it one day. The writing was clear and concise and kept me in suspense throughout. All of the characters were flawed and unlikeable, but I was drawn into their emotional state and their fear.

The Adler family lives in a fine home with a well-manicured lawn and lovely yard in an affluent Portland, Oregan neighbourhood. They present themselves as a perfect family to others but it is all a facade dedicated to keeping up appearances. Thomas Adler, the husband and father, works in real estate. His wife, Viv, has her own home decorating company. Their son has dropped out of University, is estranged from his friends, and spends too much time in his room. He refuses to discuss why he will not return to University. The daughter, a senior in High School has become sullen and angry. She is skipping classes and secretly stays up late at night on her computer.

One day, their house is egged, and the harassment escalates to a smoke bomb, a fire endangering their home, an intruder who leaves a mutilated rat in their fridge, a wasps nest placed in their garbage bin, and other damaging or disgusting acts. The police dismiss all this as pranks played by naughty teenagers.

The Adler family has installed security cameras throughout their property, but they only capture shadowy, grainy images of hooded people trespassing in their yard. Family dynamics shift as they become increasingly fearful and suspicious. Both the mother and father conceal deep, dark secrets, not only from friends and co-workers but from each other. Due to hidden secrets and lies, it is probable that they all have accumulated enemies. As their children become more sullen and withdrawn, each family member has reason to believe they themselves may be the targets of the harassment. They brush off their own guilty feelings and begin to suspect and blame each other.

In addition to the damage to their home, there is now a lawsuit against them, online threats, and blackmail that they are unable to pay. It is possible that what started out as attacks by drunken teenaged pranksters has now added more dangerous enemies to the mix in order to avenge some perceived past wrongdoings.

The suspense is maintained throughout the book with many twists and revelations. The conclusion is shocking and satisfying. Recommended to readers who enjoy domestic thrillers with engaging but flawed characters. I was highly entertained.

I'm bless with amazing book recently here on NG. Robyn Harding write amazing thriller, domestic one, but good domestic one which isn't the case for every writer. Anyway, I like her character, her twist and her writing style as well which is very good for this kind of book. I will rad anything by her. If you don't know her yet, I highly recommend reading this book, or any book by her!

This is hands down the best thriller/suspense novel I’ve read so far this year, and it’ll take a lot to top it. It’s no secret Robyn Harding is one of my favourite authors, and The Perfect Family is the perfect (pardon the pun) reason why. At the top of her game, The Perfect Family is Robyn Harding’s latest novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat.. all the way to the final page. No spoilers.. but whoa that ending!!
If you love family dramas filled with secrets, lies and twists you didn’t see coming, look no further for your next read-it-in-a-day, juicy read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Canada and Robyn Harding, I was thrilled to receive this ARC and absolutely loved every second of this novel!

I have read all of Robyn's books and loved them all. It was no surprise that I would love this one too.

This book is about the Adler Family, each of them hiding their own secrets and unravels through the deception and lies. This book is full of twists and turns and will leave you screaming on the inside more than once!

I enjoyed this book so much, I read it in one day!

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Robyn Harding explores twisted family dynamics and devastating secrets in this stunning novel that will shock readers by the final page.. A perfect family’s perfect façade, and how even perfect lies can become perfect nightmares. The story follows the Adler family, who seem perfect in every way. Until one day their house is egged. Then fruit, then tomatoes are thrown. Then a smoke bomb. Gradually the attacks escalate until a fire is set outside their home while they sleep. Helpless to stop the attacks, the Adlers grow increasingly terrified. But each of the Adlers is keeping a secret. Which of the Adlers is responsible for the harassment? I recommend this book.

The Perfect Family is an addicting and fast paced novel about what you don't see behind closed doors. Everyone has their secrets, and no one wants to believe theirs are the cause of all their problems.

This book follows the POV of a seemingly perfect family as their home is vandalized, and targeted by a person, or unknown group. The attacks start out harmless, but quickly things escalate as you learn more about the secrets each family member is hiding from the rest of the house.

This book flowed very well, and kept a good pace throughout. I often find it hard to make connections with characters, but Robyn Harding did a great job of making me feel various emotions for different characters throughout the book. My kindle is riddled with notes about the character development and my like/dislike attached to them. The Perfect Family included LGBTQ+ characters in a very casual format which is great to see, and helped to discuss taboo things like normalizing sex work - I give this book 10/10 for this aspect of the writing.

This book kept me guessing until the end, with some areas of the plot coming together seamlessly to paint a picture in the end. I did feel there were a few loose ends that could have been explored further in the plot (i.e. Thomas' story line seemed to end abruptly without the conclusion I was hoping to get). I do think this book could have wrapped some story lines/problems up with a little more explanation.

Overall I really enjoyed this read - and I would recommend purchasing it on it's release date later this year!

Thank you Robyn Harding, Netgalley, and Simon and Schuster Canada for this ARC. This opinions written are my own.

Getting to read an early copy of Robyn Harding’s newest book really started my year off right! This book is about a family and each member has their own twisty, dark secret which leads to devastating consequences. There is nothing I love more then a great book about a dysfunctional family in the suburbs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy. All opinions in this review are my own

4 stars!
I really enjoyed this book by Robyn Harding. It was a quick read and kept you wanting to know more throughout the whole book!
It’s about a family with twisty secrets and someone playing dangerous pranks on their family. One thing I really liked about it was it was told my the different family members. I have read books like that in the past, but these chapters were short and each one gave away a little more into each of their secrets and troubles. It’s told in four different characters, the mom, dad and two children.
Most of the time I can usually predict or suspect what the ending will be, but I had no idea which made me really enjoy it!

This book kept me guessing and wondering. So much going on keeps you interested. And the family just draws you into all their characters.
I could not put this book down. Had all the feels of a great thriller. And the ending oh my..

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

The book was good.

The family are very unlikable at first but they grow on you in the end

This is a modern day thriller book about how people are not always what they seemed even your own family

Robyn Harding does it again. The Perfect Family does not disappoint. Viv Adler has a gift when it comes to design and staging homes. .The Adler family, too, has been staged. Although on the surface they appear to be the perfect family, their secrets start to unravel and imperfections surface.
I read it cover to cover the day I received it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon&Schuster Canada for the opportunity to receive and read this ARC.

The perfect family follows a family through their secrets. While they are being tormented and continually vandalized.
I really like the way this is written , revealing small snippets of their secrets in every chapter leaving you engaged and wanting more. The anticipation of finding out why everything is happening to them grows with every new insight into one of their lives. The process in finding out who the tormentor was I found pretty unique. I didn’t love the way it ended, but overall a good read, and I look forward to reading more by Robyn Harding

The Perfect Family by Robyn Harding is another compulsively readable thriller that will have you completely under its spell from the word go. Ms Harding's abilility to weave together a character-driven plot that will keep you guessing until the very end is unmatched, and I devoured this latest offering.

Viv and Thomas Adler are a couple who strive to always keep up outward appearances. They share two children, Eli and Tarryn, who both bring the shady to the idyllic domestic tableau that their parents have worked so hard to achieve. When the family become victims of harassment and threats, each member begins to wonder if they, in fact, are the intended target of the abuse. It seems that the Adlers are each hiding secrets from each other, and someone is about to call them on it.

I was gripped by this story from the very start. Ms Harding has an undeniable knack for creating characters whose actions are unsavoury, while at the same time remaining immensely relatable in their flawed humanity. 4.5 stars Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC of this title.