I actually couldn't finish this book because the characters were so insufferable. I really did not like them. Lily said the exact same thing EVERY FIVE SECONDS, and she was just a brat. As a daughter who watched her parents get divorced and then watched her dad get remarried almost immediately, she needed to get over it. And Maria, we get it - you did something in your past that you aren't proud of and you changed your name and look and you're running from your past. You don't need to mention it every five seconds. Also, the dialogue just didn't seem realistic. It's a no go for me, which is sad because I was SO EXCITED for this book.

While mourning the loss of her mother, Lily isn’t ready for her father to remarry. She’s suspicious of Maria and she’s the only one. What will Maria do to change that?

Lily was devastated to learn that only a year after her Mum died her dad was remarrying. What makes it worse is that Maria was the woman who visited her mum giving her beauty treatments whilst she was ill. She feels that her dad is rushing into it, but realises her young sister Emma needs a mother figure. However she still has her suspicions and doesn't fully trust Maria
When Emma goes missing suspicion falls again on Maria. What is she hiding?
I enjoyed this book, not really a gripping psychological thriller but a good storyline.
I received this advanced copy from Netgalley and publishers in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own
3.5 stars

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

The story line is about widow dad falls in love with an old aquaintance after losing wife to illness. His older daughter is unhappy and suspicious of the her new stepmom. The storyline alternates between the stepmom and the oldest daughter, and it's obvious the suspicions wasn't based on nothing.

My grip with the story is, it just wasn't that suspenseful, it was a good story, but i wasn't intrigued by the stepmom's backstory, nor was I kept on my toes.

I would recommend this story to anyone who doesn't want a scary thriller, and more of a mystery.

Sometimes a person just has a gut feeling about someone. Still mourning the loss of her mother, Lily is shocked that her father has already found someone else, Maria. They marry and Maria assumes care five year old Emma. Until Emma disappears. The plot goes back in time, leading to Emma’s disappearance. The writing is good. Readers are allowed to view Maria’s perspective. Her backstory is revealed slowly. I thought Lily’s feelings and reactions were all on par with a new stepmother, replete with a heavy dose of suspicion. The ending has a surprise twist.

Unfortunately this book wasn't for me and I was disappointed in the storyline, I found it hard to get on with the characters and I was glad when I got to the end after a bit skim reading thrown in.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I love a good psychological thriller and have a problem putting them down once I start reading. This book was impossible to put down from the first page until the very last sentence. I really like Karen Kings writing style. I was instantly captivated by this story and the characters. This book is packed with everything from grief, emotion, deceit, and surprise. I really enjoyed this and recommend it to anyone looking for a great suspenseful read.

Lily's father Gareth remarries after the sad passing of her mother Ruth from cancer. Maria, who gave Ruth beauty treatments during her illness, is her new stepmother and she is quickly taken into the heart of Lily's younger sister Emma. One day Lily arrives at the family home to find that Emma has gone missing - where is she and is Maria really all she seems?

A good psychological thriller that keeps the reader guessing throughout. The story is written from the perspectives of both Lily and Maria, the reader is given an insight into their backgrounds as the story weaves towards the dramatic conclusion. I really enjoyed the book, and will definitely be looking out for others by this author.

Not recommended. I skipped a lot of this to get past the bad writing but soon realised the pay off wasn’t going to be worth it. The Perfect Stepmother bored me, it’s obvious what’s happening and there’s no drive to find out what happens next! I didn’t even finish this, I put it down around 85% you know it’s a bad book when the ending isn’t exciting! The characters are one dimensional - does Seb have anything other to say than “Babe?”.He is simply a character to talk to, he has no opinions.

I rarely give one star reviews but if I saw this advertised (as a good book) in my local book shop...I’d never return!

The Perfect Stepmother by Karen King

Lily visits her childhood home where her Dad lives with her younger sister and new stepmother, Maria. Only to find that her younger sister, Emma, is missing!

Lily and Emma lost their mother a year ago to breast cancer. Their Dad has moved on with Maria, the lady who came to give their mother free beauty treatments while she was ill.

Lily feels like her Dad has moved on too fast. Everyone seems to think Maria is just so perfect!

Maria doesn’t want to take their mother’s place, she promises. She just wants to be friends with Lily.

Does Maria have some kind of agenda? Or is she truly in love with their Dad?

Is Lily just still grieving for her mother and being too overprotective of her Dad and Emma? Being suspicious for no reason at all? Or is Maria hiding something from her past?

This was a really enjoyable read! I really like the flow and pace! Kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen! I like how the author kept me on the edge, always having some kind of suspicion in my mind. Definitely a good read!!!

Thank you Karen King, Bookouture and NetGalley for the advance copy to read in return for my honest review!

An enjoyable well-crafted book that held my interest throughout. Well-rounded and likable characters. Lily is suspicious ad thinks that her father is rushing into marriage too quickly after her mother's death from cancer. She worries about her younger sister and whether she is being overprotected by her stepmother...The book starts off with Emma going missing and then goes back over the months leading up to that event.

I found this book to be just an average read.. There was some mystery but not much suspense. Repeating so many times how the couple loved each other became rather trite. I, additionally, did not like the fairy tale ending.

The Perfect Stepmother by Karen King ticked all of the boxes for me as a fast-paced, gripping read that kept me captivated until the very end. I have enjoyed Ms King's previous novels, and this one proved to be no exception.

Lily is still grieving the loss of her mother, Ruth, to cancer when her father announces his intention to marry Maria, a beauty therapist who cared for Ruth during her illness. Lily is unsettled by the news, and her thoughts immediately turn to her five year old sister. Just how well does her father really know this woman, and is she sincere in her adoration for her new husband and young stepdaughter? By all outward appearances, Maria seems almost too good to be true, and Lily is determined to discover what it is about her new stepmother that has niggled her from the very start.

This one kept me guessing until the very end and is a highly enjoyable read. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

This was a quick and fun read, just the perfect length to read it in one go. I really liked all the characters, especially Lily and her anxiety translated very well onto the page. I feel like the book had a few issues in terms of pacing, the introduction, in the beginning, was very long and it took a little too long for my taste until the story really started to pick up. For me, that was why I didn't feel like this was particularly suspenseful as a whole.
The ending was pretty average for me, I would have liked some more twists and again, a little more suspense. The situation was resolved fairly quickly and it was pretty obvious to the reader that everything would be fine, which is why I wasn't really thrilled. What I did really like was the writing style, it was really easy to read and also the reason I finished this in one sitting. Overall definitely a decent book!

This was an easy book to read but felt too forced at times. The twist didn't make that much sense. I did like how it touched on human insecurities and thoughts. Karen King is a better writer about feelings than creating an air of mystery. The pace of the backstories was great and made sense but the backstories themselves were not worth reading about. A solid 3 star!

This is a fantastic read! I could NOT stop reading it! Just when I thought I had figured it all out, twists and turns caught me by total surprise! Honestly, it’s one of the best thrillers I’ve read in quite awhile!

I received an ARC copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Lily is devastated when her dad remarried only a year after her mom passes away of cancer. Right from the beginning, she has doubts about her new stepmother, Maria, and is worried about her little sister, Emma. Lily us determined that Maria is hiding something from her past as it looks like her life started 10 years ago and she cannot find any information on Maria before that time. I really enjoyed this book. It kept me interested and I highly recommend.

What if the greatest danger to them all is the woman now living in their family home?

WoW! I love a good quick thriller/suspense novel! And this was a great one!
I enjoyed these characters way too much! I loved the writing it was just great!
Looking for a good suspense book! Read this one!

I really like Karen Kings writing style. I was instantly captivated by this story and the characters. This book is packed with emotion, deceit, grief, and surprise. It was a rollercoaster for me, I really liked it. Of course when Emma goes missing, I reached a point of not being able to put the book down because I needed answers!

This was an enjoyable read for me and I finished it quickly which is usually a good sign !!
Lily is dismayed when she finds out her dad is remarrying only a year after her Mum passed away , she gets it into her head that Maria the new wife is hiding something and really doesn't trust her , even though her dad and little sister seem very happy . We do learn that Maria is hiding something in her past that she is worried about . Then something terrible happens and Emma her young sister is abducted , Lily is convinced that Maria is to blame . The second half was definitely fast paced with a good conclusion . I would definitely recommend