This story follows around influencers who are invited to a trip in Switzerland when one of them, Alabama, disappears. Celeste, Alabama's best friend was on the trip with her and an influencer who Alabama tried to befriend, Hollie was there as well. This story was ok for me but not fantastic. There wasn't much of a story line and the ending felt predictable. I was able to relate to Celeste and the struggles of motherhood which I did like.

I am definitely interested in reading more by the author!

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC!

When a group of influencers is invited for a stay in Iceland, things are about to get a bit dicey. Told in 3 POV’s, each woman had a different reason for being there and when one of them goes missing, the other two feel completely guilty for the role they played in her disappearance. Different timelines come together to give us a picture of what happened, but the overall story was on the slow side and it was difficult to connect with the characters. A quick read, but one that wasn’t overly thrilling. Thank you to Crooked Lane books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

The Perfect Ones is a fast-paced mystery that follows a group of popular social media influencers on a trip to Iceland, when one of them goes missing and is presumed dead. The main characters, Hollie, Celeste, and Alabama, all have their own storylines and things they are dealing with, and are struggling with their personal lives but also maintaining their influencer status and providing quality content to their followers.

I thought the story was good. It was fast, it held my interest, and I really wanted to know what happened to each of the main characters. I felt like it was a good "look" at the "real lives" of social media influencers, and what goes on behind the camera. Of course, I can't say for sure not being in that position, but I assume it makes sense. My only complaint was once they returned home from Iceland, the story began to fall short and felt slow. Sure, I wanted to know what was going on with their lives, but I was more invested in what happened to Alabama and I was worried that aspect wouldn't be wrapped up.

Don't worry - it does, and the ending is really solid.

If you're looking for a quick mystery, this is a good one.
Thank you Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

What a page turner. An influencer trip to Iceland where you see the dark side of being an influencer and how people truly feel about each other. A couple days into the trip Alabama Woods goes missing. No trace. Everyone wonders what happens but one person knows more than they’re willing to share. And not just about the night in question. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

👸🏻THE PERFECT ONES👸🏼

⭐️⭐️⭐️(3 Star Read)

Publish Date- 2nd May 2023

⚠️TW: Miscarriage/ Suicide Mentions⚠️

. Jeeeez who knew the lengths people would go to, to appear Instagram famous
. I liked Alabama as a character and felt totally sorry for her from start to finish, this was clearly the authors intentions for this character
. The book starts off as a slow burner giving lots of information surrounding each character and their lifestyle
. It spans from past events, current goings on, the night in question and weeks/months/ years later
. The descriptions of Iceland are amazingly thought out in this book and it’s really made me want to go
. This book is a typical who dunnit book and I was honestly convinced every character had a part to play
. I totally did not see the ending coming, very clever
. The author touches on some tough subjects sensitively throughout the book
. I’d be keen to read more from this author in the future
. Thanks to NetGalley for sharing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Perfect Ones has a lot of things I enjoy reading about: influencers, missing people, weird trips, yet this one fell flat for me. I don’t think the narrative style worked—there was a lot of flipping between timelines and people. It all blurred together and I didn’t know (or care) who did what and when.

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

(e-ARC was provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange of an honest review)

Holly shit!

Synopsis
During her stay in Iceland for a sponsorship, influencer Alabama went missing. Her best friend, Celeste, was worried, much for Alabama's safety and her own guilt. Then there was this influencer that Alabama was dying to befriend, Hollie, who actually knew more than what she let on.

What I like about it
It depicts the world of influencer greatly! Granted, not every circle of influencers behave and think the way those three main characters behave and think, just that the word of it leaves an icky thing in my mouth by the oversaturated people. On one hand, they're smart for building their career based on being liked and relatable and all, but this is such a double-edge sword. Sharing isn't always caring and it translates well into Hollie's personal life.
Alabama must be the girlboss type, although she failed to appear so. Measuring herself by the numbers of like that she receives, always planning ahead, and dying to get ahead. It consumes her, and she's the scariest character here.
Celeste was probably my favorite. She was the type of person who has this hate-love with her influencing job, this was why she didn't get why Alabama was so obsessed. She made a mistake and she must live with a guilt for the rest of her life.

The Perfect Ones doesn't only talk about what happened to Alabama (the main mystery) and what the others did to her, but also the talk about how social media greatly change us all (not in so many words, but I can feel it). Everything is content now, especially for those who make money out of it. It also talks about ourselves as women, what must we do after a marriage, do we want kids? what if our kids not ok? what should we do about it and how do we discuss it with the other part of the household. There were a lot that this book covered and I love it.

What I don't like
Can someone explain the ending to me lol
It's not that I don't appreciate it but I just need a confirmation whether the last pages occurred before or after the last paragraph of the previous chapter.

Final thought
The Perfect Ones is a mystery drama of women who happen to deal with their online personas as well as their real lives. It's a good way to reflect and still very much enjoyable for a thriller readers.

I always love a novel about social media influencers and The Perfect Ones had that and so much more. A mystery, multiple narrators, travel, real life issues.

So why am I struggling to give this more 3 stars?

While the premise was awesome and there were a lot of pieces that could’ve made this book great, it fell a little flat for me. I wasn’t connected to the characters, didn’t emphasize with them all that much (though I did connect with Celeste in many ways), and though it’s a short novel, it almost felt like there was too much going on not directly related to the plot which made my interest wander.

The mystery with Alabama intrigued me and I wished the focus had been more on that and the trip to Iceland. The extra plot lines with Holly and Celeste were pretty much unnecessary in my opinion and detracted from the main storyline.

The writing was good and again, this has the makings of a great book. Honestly, it would convert SUPER well to a mini series.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, MacMillan Audio, and NetGalley for the copy.

I’m quite interested in influencer-based fiction. The portrayal of influencers can be hit or miss. This one is about a trip sponsored by PinkPurse, where Hollie, Celeste and Alabama travel to Iceland. Alabama wants the follower count and lifestyle that Hollie seems to have so easily at her fingertips. Hollie has her own issues to deal with and doesn’t really want Alabama around, and Celeste is very focused on the fact that her daughter may be autistic. One of the women disappears, and we are then within a time vortex that takes us from three months earlier to “The Day Of” and “The Day After”, all with multiple points of view.

I would describe this more about the impact of relationships rather than a mystery. There was not a lot in the back stories that seemed controversial or shocking to me. The three women were equally bland and chaotic and I think that was a deliberate way to create them against the backdrop of their followers and lifestyles. I wouldn't say this is a thriller at all, and I am tempted to say it isn't much of a mystery. The end, which is 1-year later, left me wondering what was going to happen and I am still not sure if I really understood how it ended.

Synopsis:
"Everyone wants to be them, but internet fame comes at a price…
Two days after arriving in Iceland for a promotional trip, Instagram influencer Alabama Wood goes missing. With no leads, the Icelandic police start their investigation by focusing on the two influencers seemingly closest to Alabama on the trip: Celeste Reed, Alabama’s best friend of ten years, and Hollie Goodwin, fitness guru and Alabama's unwilling idol.
As secrets are revealed and loyalties are tested, debut author Nicole Hackett asks: do we control our online image, or does it control us?"

My Thoughts:
This was a fun thriller told in my favorite format, multiple POV's with past and present timelines. I did struggle the first few chapters as the story jumped around but once I caught up I was fully engaged. We know from the very beginning that something happened to Alabama while on an Influencer trip. The story takes us through the twists and turns of each characters past leading up to the trip and their days on the trip before she disappeared. This gives the reader a peek behind the curtain of the Influencer life, which is not always as perfect as it seems; and shows the drive to be popular at any cost.
The story is a medium paced, fun read with a big final twist saved for the very end. Great debut by Nicole Hackett.

Thank you to @netgalley , @dreamscape_media , and @crookedlanebooks for the gifted copy of this book.

I like multiple POV's and this had an interesting premise, except I couldn't connect to any character and I wasn't invested enough in the plot. A bit bland, but writing's good.

This is a story about a bunch of influencers and the lengths they will go to for "fame". They get invited to go to Iceland, although I'm not really sure why, and one of them goes missing.

This one wasn't for me. I was never really pulled into the story. I feel like there was opportunity with the storyline but it just fell short. None of the characters were likable. I feel like there was no climax or big "whoa" moment.

I do think this author has potential to write something really I would enjoy and I'm definitely willing to give them another chance.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Influencers are something of a phenomenon in our society. But are they real, or just make-believe? This book explores the lives of several of them who are brought together for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Iceland, where the flaws seem to show in each onel.

Hollie is the most successful, with over a million followers, but her life is really NOTHING like what she is currently portraying. Alabama and Celeste are best friends, having been roommates since their freshman year at college, and both are very active, with Celeste in the lead, but Alabama has plans to be better than them all!

But after only two days into the five-day trip, Alabama goes missing in the night, and the two women who have some insight into what happened are not talking. Only when they get back home do some of the stories come out. Each of them are moving on from that life, and a year later, one has abandoned her online life completely and the other has drastically changed the direction of hers.

When they meet up in Chicago for a race a year after Alabama's disappearance, no one knows what is happening behind the scenes!!

"The Perfect Ones" by Nicole Hackett is a thrilling exploration of friendship, the dark side of social media, and the price of internet fame. The story is set against the beautiful backdrop of Iceland, where a group of influencers have gathered for a picture-perfect trip that takes a dark turn when Instagram celebrity Alabama Wood goes missing.

The Icelandic police start their investigation by focusing on the two influencers closest to Alabama on the trip: Celeste Reed, Alabama's best friend of ten years, and Hollie Goodwin, a fitness guru and Alabama's unwilling idol. As the investigation progresses, the reader is taken on a journey into the complex and often tumultuous lives of these women.

Celeste and Alabama have grown apart recently, and Celeste has been coping with her five-year-old's behavioral issues and her husband's refusal to admit that there's a problem. However, what she doesn't reveal is how she has been coping with these worries and how it involves Alabama in ways no one would guess. On the other hand, Hollie, who appears to have everything, came to Iceland to escape the implosion of her life behind the screen. The only person who suspects something amiss behind Hollie's perfectly filtered pictures is Alabama.

The author does an excellent job of creating a fast-paced narrative that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the story's twists and turns keep the reader guessing until the very end. The themes of friendship, loyalty, and the dark side of social media are explored in a thought-provoking manner.

Overall, "The Perfect Ones" is an excellent thriller that will appeal to fans of Lucy Foley and Andrea Bartz. The story is well-written, the characters are intriguing, and the setting is captivating. If you're looking for a fast-paced and thrilling read that explores the darker side of social media, this book is definitely worth checking out.

I think this was supposed to be a social commentary on influencing and mental health, but it fell a little flat for me. Social influencer Alabama Wood is missing. During a sponsored trip with other influencers, including Celeste Reed, Alabama's best friend of 10 years and Hollie Goodwin, fitness guru & Alabama's current obsession, she disappears one fraught night and doesn't return. This story is told by all 3 influencers in the weeks before the trip, during the Icelandic adventure, and finishes up a year after Alabama's "death." The ending was a little too ambiguous but one thing is very clear; Alabama is not well.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this e-arc.*

Alabama, Celeste and Hollie all have perfect lives- don't they? That's why they're invited to a resort in Iceland for an influencer conference. Except that they don't. And all their secrets come spinning out when Alabama goes missing. There are a few surprises here but it's also a tad trope-y (influencers who aren't what they seem is a popular plot element at the moment). I wish Hackett had made better use of the Iceland setting. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. I'd like to see more from Hackett, who is a good storyteller.

A group of influencers take a promotional trip to Iceland. The influencers, including Alabama Wood, use the opportunity to network and grow their following; until she goes missing.

My favorite part of this book was the characters and their desire for popularity within the influencer world. This book was a quick and fast mystery. Besides drama from before the influencer event, there is not a lot of action. It is more of a mystery; and you will want to know what happened. The ending was not my favorite but it was an entertaining read.

“Alabama Wood was gone, he’d come to tell them. How shocking. Unless, of course, you already knew.”

The Perfect Ones comes out 5/2.

This book definitely draws on modern times when it seems that we have a society that is only worried about getting those clicks. The main characters three in total are part of a group of Instagram Influencers with PinkPurse. While their post to their followers looks like everything is idyllic the pictures and post definitely tell their whole story. Each of the main characters is facing some sort of relationship or family drama. With a chance to add more content to their pages they jump at the chance to go on a trip to Iceland to bring more attention to the PinkPurse but things take a turn for the worse when one of the main characters disappears overnight. There are some dark situations in the book with the lengths and individual will go to just to make it to the top of the influencer list. Along the way this story takes many twists with a final twist at the end. All in all this was a pretty good read.

Definitely something for Lucy Foley fans!

Instagram lets us create a perfect life - at least on the pictures. But sometimes the beautiful scene hides the serious problems,trauma and life we should be concering about...

The trip of Instagrammers gone terribly wrong. We can all suspect that something is in the water. The atmosphere is dense and that's a great advantage. Iceland, her raw character fits perfectly for the situations they have to face. When one of them is missing, the secrets are ready to flown out...

Ok, soooo, that is a book of our times. Why? Because shows how the life is presented nowadays. Pictures full of effects, filters, but the reality is different, harder, not so polish as we would like to present it to others.

I really like it. Have a truth hiden behid these pages and makes me feel goosebumps everytime I think about Glaciers ;)

I was excited to read this one - an influencer story had to have some drama and juicy bits. But it didn't fully deliver and, while I didn't hate it, I also didn't love it. It was a good read, but I was left wanting more.

There's an influencer trip to Iceland that goes horribly wrong when one of the lower level influencers, Alabama, goes missing one night. Then we backtrack to get the stories of three influencers -Alabama, Celeste, and Hollie. None of these women were particularly likeable. They were vapid and self-centered, in addition to there being infidelity, willingness to kill, and lots of lies and secrets.

It did keep me guessing on some things I thought I had figured out. And I would try this author again.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for both an ARC and ALC of this one in exchange for my honest review.