This book had a lot of potential, all with the makings of a top-notch thriller. Sadly, it didn't all come together to do so, in my opinion. Lots of cliches. The surprise twist at the end was bit ridiculous. It certainly didn't end with a bang. In addition, the characters weren't all that likeable. It just didn't work for me.

Robyn Harding does or again! Her books just draw you in... and the end is always everything! I’m still not sure what to make of it... is the process starting all over again?! Ah!

"The Perfect Family" was a decent story, but not as good as I had hoped. Each member of the Adler family has a significant secret that he or she is hiding from the rest of the family and that few people know about in general. As the secrets are revealed to the reader, it is easy to understand why someone might be harassing the family with petty vandalism -- eggs on the windows, poop on the door handle -- escalating to greater acts -- slashed tires, fire set on the lawn. The author does a good job of building up the suspense and keeping the reader guessing as to the identity and motivation of the vandal(s).

However, the premise that the Adlers are "the perfect family" and envy of the neighborhood is a hard sell considering how Tarryn, the teenage daughter, is portrayed early in the story, well before the reader learns why a particular classmate might be targeting her by the acts of vandalism and before the reader learns her secret (and that it is not as secret as she thought it was). The secret that Eli is hiding is certainly the worst and the agony he feels over keeping the secret seems genuine; as do his issues with his father regarding his father's expectations for him. However, the character seems underdeveloped. Furthermore, his connection to the vandalism, once revealed, seems forced and unrealistic; the alleged motivation is juvenile, more representative of a pre-teen than a college student. With respect to the secret that Vivian (Viv) is hiding from her family, it has dire consequences for an unintended victim, but it seems highly improbable (though not impossible) that the unintended victim would know or have figured out that Viv was to blame.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book just didn’t work for me. I waited and waited for the big twist but instead was rewarded with mediocre plot points that left me not really caring about any of the characters.

The Perfect Family – from the outside, that’s exactly what you’d think Thomas and Viv Adler have built together. From their beautifully restored home, to their two accomplished children, to their lifestyle of ease and success, they present an ideal facade. But don’t let appearances trick you; it’s not long before Robyn Harding will let you in on just how deceptive they can be.

For the reader, it all starts with a fire set on a dark night, before we’re quickly whisked back in time to where it all began. Small at first, but escalating quickly, the Adler’s are harassed and tormented in their own home, until events reach a peak and what started badly hits an all-time low. Crucial in this kind of book, the family are all endearing in their own way, even as they make mistakes and reveal their all-too-human flaws. You’ll want them to be safe, worry for them as they try to find out just how things went so wrong.

Robyn Harding is already an international bestseller, and The Perfect Family is everything you should expect from an accomplished writer. The peeling back of the seemingly perfect layers of the Adler’s lives is expertly done, absolutely nailing that balance between keeping the reader in suspense and letting them in on the juicy, secret, details. Her writing is excellent – it was so easy to sink into this book and forget I was reading, the whole thing went by almost too fast.

When I say juicy secrets, too, let me assure you that there is plenty of intrigue going on under the surface of this family’s lives. There’s plenty going on for each of them that could be causing the terrifying incidents of harassment and vandalism, and the further through the book you get, the more each family member looks like the true target.

The Perfect Family is deliciously twisty, completely engrossing, and ultimately a very satisfying read. Whether you’re new to Robyn Harding or an established fan, this novel is sure to blow you away.

Interesting look at secrets that are kept by family. I enjoyed this book. It kept me hooked from beginning to end!

An interesting dive into the secrets family members keep from each other in an attempt to placate themselves and their neighbors and the consequences of striving for the perfect exterior.

This is a book about a family with secrets that lead to danger for each of them. Thomas and Viv, the parents, are living the good life in a big home in a classy neighborhood. But can they actually afford it or is everything a facade? Their children, Eli and Tarryn, are hiding their own secrets. Eli has dropped out of an exclusive college and won’t tell anyone why. Tarryn wants to just be left alone in her basement hideaway and won’t share her reasons. This book was magnetically addictive because I wanted to know if they would finally spill their secrets and the escalating violence against them would stop or at least be able to be prosecuted. I can’t say that I really loved any of the characters because they just weren’t very likable. They wanted to do what they wanted to do and in their arrogant ignorance of each other’s foibles, they kept making things worse. The tangled webs they wove were intricate and made for a compelling read. The author did a wonderful job of entangling me in the story and making me wish for a happy ending, or at least that one of the Adler family would come clean and do the right thing so the family could move on to happier times. With unexpected revelations everywhere and told in the four points of view of the main characters, this was an original and explosively good story that fans of domestic drama with some thrills will enjoy.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I enjoyed this book about a family of 4 all keeping secrets. Someone is attacking their family home and the bad behavior is escalating. Which family members secrets have caused this? Fun read!

All that is perfect is not what it seems. The perfect family was an amazing thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. Secrets and lies can do no good to a family. The writing has a smooth transition. The story was told from each persons POV. Making the story even more wild because you didn’t know who was causing all of the chaos. In the end we find out that looking happy is not as important as actually being happy. Having constant communication with your loved ones is vital in living a life of joy and peace.

This was a fairly enjoyable thriller. It's very easy to read with pretty short chapters that do keep you wanting to turn the page. It rotates point of view sections between all four family members which was nice! I really liked learning about each person's secrets. The beginning was much stronger for me, and I found that the story just stagnated a bit.

I did find it hard to guess what was going on and got a little frustrated that more clues weren't being presented (or perhaps that I just wasn't picking up on them). That being said, I did still want to keep reading to figure out what happened. I ended up suspecting something similar to what happened, but by the point these reveals happened, I felt pretty ambivalent.

I was not a fan of any of the characters. They all seem very concerned about appearances and what's "proper" for their roles and ages. Each of them has a secret, but they all think that they can't possibly be the one to blame. There's a lot of "boys will be boys"/"kids will be kids" types of attitudes here which did get annoying at times. Tarryn, the sulky teenager, tries to come across as being sex positive and feminist, but I'm not sure that this fully worked. In general, I felt like these characters were just unlikeable, and not in a fun way like some of Robyn Harding's other books.

Overall, this was a decent thriller, but it's probably not one I'd reread. That being said, I will definitely continue to check out whatever this author writes next! Content warnings for sexual abuse and underage camming

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 4:14-6:23 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUixVPhVVb0

Robyn Harding has done it again! I have read all of her books and while there is often a ya element I still very much enjoyed it! I will for sure be doing a review this week on my bookstagram account @frostyourshelf and hope for many more books by this author in the near future!

Holy smokes what a ride! I love a book that’s a page turner with an 😳 at the end. Every single family member has a secret and each of them has a reason to believe they are being targeted. I couldn’t put this down trying to see how it was going to come together. And it was nothing I expected! Great suspenseful thriller. Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the ARC

This family is full of secrets. Then, the family starts to to be harassed . It started with an egg tossed at the window and escalates to someone setting a fire and worse. Each family member thinks they are the source of the harassment and really, each of them in a living hell trying to get to the bottom of who is causing this trouble.

I didn't love it. It seemed to generally stall but I certainly liked it enough to finish it.

I have read a few Robyn Harding books so I was excited to get approved to read this one! Well this was a classic Harding book. She has a way of making you annoyed and irritated with the characters of the book. I loved the multiple perspectives between the four family members, shedding light onto all of their secrets. So much was happening to this family but it was getting difficult to feel bad for them. The parents in particular. I did not like them at all. I was not a fan of how breakable the mother was portrayed to be, always about to crack or have a break down. All the while the father was expected to be the protector and take on the role of the man of the house. I am assuming this was the purpose and meant to be increasingly frustrating. Well, job well done. I enjoyed the kids personalities and it was clear how they felt about their parents. This was definitely twisty and I was pleasantly surprised with how things turned out. My biggest issue with this book though....the word hooligan was used probably a gazillion times. It drove me nuts! But I would definitely recommend this to fans of domestic thrillers. It was a quick read and kept you hooked.

Thomas, Vivian and their children Eli and Tarryn seem to be the perfect family - on the outside, but they all have secrets. They live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood until their house is splattered with eggs. Just pranksters they believe, but next comes a hole in the car tire and then someone seems to be watching them. Just exactly why does Eli not want to go back to college and what shameful thing did Thomas do? What does Tarryn do at night behind her closed door and Vivian has her own secret tucked away.
This book flows well and I was surprised at the ending, just what a mystery/thriller should be.
Thanks to the publisher,author and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lots and lots of secrets in the perfect on the outside suburban family. Keeps you guessing for sure! For me, this was an okay read. Parts did not feel plausible to me, and in general, characters felt flat and their actions didn't seem to quite add up. But the plot, and wanting to figure out who was harassing the family kept me reading. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

Your home is supposed to be your haven...a safe place...
But it has become anything BUT that for the Adler family.

Told from the alternating POV’s of the parents, Vivian (Viv) and Thomas, and their teenaged children, Eli and Tarryn.

6 WEEKS AGO

The house is pelted with eggs.
Just an annoying prank by some neighborhood boys, right?

That’s what the Adler’s thought until the next attack was lobbed.

Could it have anything to do with Vivian’s private little habit?
Or perhaps, it’s a warning from the person who just sent photos to Thomas.

Maybe, it is has something to do with the reason that Eli dropped out of college so suddenly and without explanation.

Or perhaps, the assault is because of what Tarryn has been doing late at night..

Each family member harbors a SECRET, and as the pranks escalate to dangerous levels, each will wonder if it is because of what they are hiding, as things

S
P
I
R
A
L OUT-OF-CONTROL!

This was my first read of a Robyn Harding novel, but it won’t be my last! I have to be honest-when reading about Sugar Babies was all the rage, I didn’t think her books would be for me!

Apparently, I was mistaken!

I read this addictive PAGE-TURNER in a day!
It was definitely FUN, Domestic Suspense, and I look forward to reading more by this author!

Thank You to Gallery Books for the gifted ARC, provided through NetGalley! It was my pleasure to offer a candid review!

Available August 10, 2021!

I received a complimentary copy of The Perfect Family from NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

What a ride! I could not predict many events in this adventure! Everyone in this family had issues! Interestingly enough, they all kept them under wraps. I had a hard time putting this one down, because 1. It continually kept me guessing and 2. Each family member’s problems were all very likely to have been the root of the harassment that was suffered by the whole family. Great book!

DNF @ 43%. Robyn Harding has a very addictive writing style and she does a great job writing multiple perspectives. I don't have any problem with her writing, I just could not get interested in this story. It was more awful people who have done awful things and are now having awful things done to them. None of the characters were likable, except for maybe Eli. I stopped reading properly at 43% and then skimmed through the last few chapters because I still wanted to see how things ended up and I have to say that I'm ok with my decision to DNF it. I'm sure I'll try another book by this author in the future, but I will need to make sure I'm in the right sort of mood for it.