Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC! I had high expectations for this Iceland-set thriller, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. Novels centered upon social media and the impact of our online lives fascinate me, but this was lacking a lot of the background I was hoping to hear more of in terms of the influencers’ jobs themselves. Instead, it was a deeper look into the psyche of each woman, including trials and tribulations of everyday life, maternal anxiety, and other mental health issues.

I didn’t find the characters likable and struggled to connect with any of them, or their stories. This was also a much slower read than I anticipated. Overall it was just not what I expected as I believed it would be a more fast-paced thriller rather than a slow burn.

The Perfect Ones dives into the world of social media influencers and the dark sides of it when one has to always remain perfect and constantly keep their followers up. Hollie, Alabama, and Celeste have the “perfect world”, at least that’s what their audience on Instagram thinks. They all score a trip to Iceland, where Alabama winds up missing, and the trip turns into a total nightmare. What happened to her?
Told in multiple POVs of each influencer, the story unfolds prior, during, and after the trip. Each character is unlikable but makes you curious about their world- they are spoiled, selfish, and keep up a persona for their online views. There is also some drama between 2 of the ladies.
This was a 3.5* read! Thank you to Level Best Books and NetGalley for the EArc and the chance to review it!

This was not exactly what I expected from this thriller!

This is full of social media and influencers and features quite a few toxic friendships. I wouldn’t say I disliked it necessary, it just was not really for me. I didn’t find the characters likable at all.

This was a new author for me, I found parts fast paced and some of the book just dragged. It felt "long" and familiar to me. I wanted to love it - found it hard to finish.

oh geesh, i really wanted to enjoy this book. but alas, i did not. that doesn't mean it's not for you! i still hope you try it and that YOU love it! because that's what matters when you read! :)

The plot to The Perfect Ones is not your typical thriller. It was a breath of fresh air – experiencing influencers and their lifestyles seems timely and relevant given today’s society.

The characters are all unique and keep the story flowing. Then BAM! What a conclusion - the ending was a complete shock to me. I’ll be looking for more from Nicole Hackett.

I really liked this book. Not my typical thriller I normally read or romance novel but I liked that this book had a social media aspect to it because I run my business on social media. It was a book that kept me guessing and kept my interest the entire time. This is my first book with this author and looking forward to more.

(Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC).

A group of social media influencers embarks on an all-expenses-paid trip to Iceland. But once they arrive, things are anything but picturesque.

The term "thriller" should be very loosely used when describing <u>The Perfect Ones</u>. This could maybe be categorized as a domestic suspense, but even that is a stretch. The twists were all wholly predictable (think <u>Gone Girl</u> meets <u>Where'd You Go, Bernadette?</u>) and every character was unlikable. Celeste maybe had some redeeming qualities, but even she could not carry the drab and disappointing plot. I mean how a group of social media influencers can make Iceland sound like a Hellscape is beyond me! But also the entire premise and how every woman treated one another was just absolutely absurd. I'll continue my biggest grievances under a spoiler tag...

<spoiler>So we're beaten over the head with the idea that Celeste and Hollie aren't terrible women. I get it. Celeste (had an "affair") and is reluctant to get her daughter tested for autism and Hollie accidentally got pregnant. Celeste eventually does the right thing but every Hollie chapter made my skin absolutely crawl. I mean Hollie got pregnant by her husband and then had a miscarriage (after several statements shaming abortion) and yet still she feels like a terrible person? And with the current state of things the anti-abortion rhetoric really just rubbed me the wrong way. And don't get me started on the big Celeste and Henry kiss. Wow. What an explosive affair! Also, how could Alabama ever have lived in Iceland for a year with no ties to her finances? I mean even off the kindness of strangers, it's unfathomable. Iceland may be my favorite place on this planet but woo-ee is it expensive!</spoiler>

Anyways, that was just the tip of the iceberg (enjoy the Iceland pun). Overall I mentally checked out by the 70% mark and speed-read the remaining pages. This one was just not for me. For a laundry list of reasons.

📚: The Perfect Ones by Nicole Hackett (@nicolehackettbooks)
⭐️: 3.5/5 (rounding down on #Goodreads)

Celeste, Hollie, and Alabama are three social media influencers, where their lives are anything but the picture perfect Instagram image. They find themselves on a sponsored trip to Iceland - and soon after, one goes missing.

This book could have been titled intrusive thoughts, as the amount of intrusive thoughts by the three core characters is almost unbearable in the first half of the plot. (It does serve the purpose of diving into the mental health of each character, and leaves the reader wondering just how good - or harmful - are their social media personas to their real lives?)

I enjoyed this read almost the whole way through - the plots surrounding motherhood, pregnancy, and mental health were unexpected. The ending was fantastically twisty, but why is it that my jaw wasn’t on the floor?

Thanks to @crookedlanebooks via @netgalley for the digital ARC. The Perfect Ones is out later this spring on May 2nd, 2023! #gifted

The Perfect Ones by Nicole Hackett was a remarkable debut thriiler!

It's been a hot minute since a book really grabbed me from the beginning.
This one took me for a ride!
I truly love stories such as this one and Hackett really set the tone here.
The characters were excellently written. Relatable characters who have flaws. But are enjoyable.
It’s fast paced and jaw dropping, full of twists and turns, lies, secrets and deception.
The perfect read for any thriller lover!
I will definitely pick up Hackett's next thrilling stories. Because I simply enjoyed this one way too much.

"A picture-perfect trip goes horribly wrong in this fast-paced exploration of friendship and the dark side of social media."

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Crooked Lane Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

The Perfect Ones is about friendship and the dark side of social media. The story follows the disappearance of Instagram influencer Alabama Wood during an influencer trip to Iceland, and the investigation that focuses on her two closest friends on the trip, Celeste and Hollie The author does a great job of showing how the characters have complex relationships and hidden motives for doing things. The book also makes you think about how social media affects our lives.

Ultimately, this book fell flat to me. I found myself uninterested in the characters, as they all seemed to have the same personality. I am certainly open to reading more works by Nicole Hackett! I think the topic it self is uninteresting to me and the characters could use a little bit more work.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the chance to review this in exchange for an honest review.

This story focuses on the intricacies of a toxic female friendship combined with the perceived perfection of social media. A solid read which I would absolutely recommend!

Making influencers and social media a large part of the plot line is what drew my attention to this book. An influencer trip brings everyone together by as we all know what life is like on social media isn’t always what it really is. As one influencer goes missing and one is being blamed we race to find out what is really going on and what is the price of fame.

Instagram famous and obsessed, influencers Celeste, Alabama, and Hollie have everything that other people seeking Instagram fame would want. But during a promotional trip to Iceland, Alabama goes missing; what viewers see online doesn’t mirror reality behind the camera, the perfect pictures. These women are slowly falling apart at the seams, in both their private and public lives; they slowly begin to feel the tension rising between them. You’d never think it looking at their profiles online but these women’s lives are far from perfect. Could they truly be capable of harming one another?

This is a fast-paced story that explores the darker side of social media and internet fame. Told from alternating perspectives and timelines, the story grips you from the start. As a debut author, Hackett has knocked this one out of the park. I’m sure this won’t be the only book we will be seeing from her. I enjoyed this book. Its characters are well-built with many layers to them. The dialogue between them comes across authentic and purely entertaining. I would say the story is more about friendships, social media, and the issues that lie within – less than a thriller. At least it felt that way reading it.

Gripping and completely compelling you’ll be glued to the pages. What really happened to Alabama?

I received an ARC of this book and leave this review of my own accord. #NetGalley #ThePerfectOnes #NicoleHackett

“The Perfect Ones” by Nicole Hackett was not quite the book I thought it was going to be. I was expecting a mystery/thriller. This book did have a mystery, but it wasn’t quite as thriller as I thought. Without giving away too much of the plot, five Instagram influencers are on a trip in Iceland when one of the five goes missing. The story is told through three points of view - the missing woman, her friend, and a woman the missing person wants to emulate (I’d saw admire, but that’s not quite correct). I actually forgot that there were two other women on the trip .. they really don’t matter. The only person I had any connection with was the friend - Celeste - and her concerns about her autistic (probably) daughter. The other two women I just couldn’t wrap my brains about their worlds and why they’re influencers at all. I found the writing/pacing a bit slow - especially since the timeline bounces around a bit (three months before, present, the day before) between the individuals. I did, however, like the conclusion - nice touch there Ms. Hackett. It was an okay read - but I do wish that it had been more thriller-like than it was.

The Perfect Ones is about three influencers, Holly, Celeste & Alabama, whose paths cross on a promotional trip to Iceland. However, they already know about one another in the world of Instagram and influencing. But are those mere projections or instant judgements? How much do jealousy, envy, and desperation guide their actions? All of this comes into question when Alabama is missing.

The Yaays: The pacing. Nicole Hackett has done well in deconstructing the three pivotal characters across a linear timeframe centred around months and weeks before and after the Iceland trip. The detailed narratives of the Icelandic landscapes deported me to the beautiful country. I appreciated the connections made between scenery and deciphering the inner thoughts/motives of the characters, which was a cherry on top, especially in the realm of influencing and social media. Also, The tense interactions between all three characters were well written.

The Nays: The ending. Certain breakthroughs appeared promising, but the final climax was underwhelming. For me, it somehow fell flat. I felt I was told that I landed at the end of the book rather than being guided there.

Thank you, NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books, for giving me an ARC. This honest review is left voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

This book is about three women striving for perfection and popularity as influencer’s on the internet. Each woman has her flaws and secrets not shared with their followers. They all go on a trip to Iceland and one of them disappears under mysterious circumstances. This story follows these women before and after the incident. All their secrets are exposed.
Each woman has her own time line in the book which is confusing initially . A slow burn, but an interesting read.
4 stars

Instagram influencers are in Iceland. Each has their own reasons why this trip was necessary , to their brand, to them succeeding in this cutthroat business. One of these women goes missing. The others are left to find answers and face a few truths.

This book had it all for me, but somewhere along the pages, it lost its appeal. Everything started to blur in my mind, making it difficult to separate the different characters that, to be honest, felt they were all the same. At a point, I couldn't care anymore what happened to Alabama.
The way that it is written was a bit confusing to me. Not only all the characters would become one in my mind, but the jumps in time were also just too much.

I did enjoy the insight it gives into the life behind staged Social Media content and the real people behind the accounts, but the thriller part and the getting involved with the mystery were just lost to me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Perfect Ones is an intriguing mystery about a demanding influencer that goes missing on a group trip in Iceland.
Thank you Crooked Lane Books for the digital review copy.