Laura meets Robert and thinks that she found the man of her dreams, he’s sweet and makes her laugh. What she finds out is that it was all a facade. His true colors are revealed when Laura finds out that she is pregnant. She needs to find a way to escape her life that has become a prison. A thrilling story that keeps the reader at the edge of their seat and has great characters.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

He was gentle, kind, loving. Until he moved in.
A small-town barbeque in summer’s dying days. There, gentle, bookish Laura meets a man who makes her laugh, hangs on her every word.
He’s the one. Isn’t he?
But once Laura falls pregnant, Robert’s mask slips. She can never quite keep him happy. He is cold and judgemental with a temper that can flare up at any moment. He goes out for hours and won’t tell her where he’s been, he even locks her own door against her.
Laura realises she has married a total stranger, a man governed by dark impulses and darker secrets who seems determined to gain control of every part of her life. Who is this man she’s living with and what terrible things has he done?
As Laura slowly discovers the truth about Robert, she begins to realise that she and her unborn child are in terrible danger. And finally she understands she will have to answer one terrifying question – how far is she willing to go to protect her baby?

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

I DNFed this book at 25% as I just wasn’t enjoying the storyline or the writing. This was quite disappointing as the concept seemed intriguing.

The Perfect Husband is a twisted domestic thriller. Laura is introduced to Rob at a neighborhood bbq. As expected he is charming, good-looking and a successful investments advisor. Rob has his party manners on throughout the evening, walks her home and is the perfect gentleman. Laura is immediately wrapped up in his charms and has decided he is the one.

Their romance is quick and a few months later, Rob moves in. But the man is not what he appeared to be. Isolated from everything she decides that she can't continue like this but turns up pregnant. Believing a baby will change everything, she holds off. This only enrages Rob more until she is forced to save herself and her baby. Laura is in more danger than she can ever imagine.

This story dragged slightly in order to keep you wrapped up in the twisted drama which increases over time. The ending was pretty predictable. This just wasn't for me.

★★★ 2.5 stars (rounded up)

This is the second book by this author that I have tackled - the first I DNF and this one I only read because I accidentally downloaded it from Netgalley mistaking it for another book. And really, I'm not sure how to review this book because although it seemed to drone on, I found it almost impossible to put down!

Laura is an awkward shy self conscious 37 year old single woman at a neighbourhood BBQ when neighbour Harry introduces her to Robert. He is charming, good-looking and a successful investments advisor...and he is interested in her, hanging on to her every word. He walks her home that evening but is the complete gentleman. Laura knows she is at once in love.

And so their whirlwind romance begins and a few months later, Robert moves in and Laura couldn't be happier. But it isn't the happy ever after she imagined it would be. The charming, attentive man he had been suddenly morphs into an angry, dismissive tyrant, taking every opportunity to point out her flaws...of which there are many. He even has a little notebook in which he makes her write in detail her past indiscretions which he would later quiz her about...again and again. He isolates her and won't allow her to have friends, is furious if she is even a minute late home from work and he laughs at any attempt she makes to look attractive, accusing her of being a tart. He is jealous, controlling and abusive. He is not the man she fell in love with.

Who is this stranger she allowed to move into her house? She is on the verge of asking him to leave. She cannot live like this. And then she discovers she is pregnant. A baby. That's what they need. A baby will bring them closer again.

But she couldn't be more wrong.

I really wanted to like this book as it had all the ingredients. Lonely vulnerable woman meets who she thinks is the charming man of her dreams only for it to end in abuse. Enter pregnancy and a fight to save herself and that of her unborn child. I would follow her plight in which she would eventually find help and hopefully make her escape, assuming it would an intriguing and compelling story that only got better. I was wrong.

The first part was sluggishly slow in which Laura continually and repetitively droned on and one and continually second guessed herself. She obviously had her remaining self confidence destroyed by Robert's nit-picking remarks that chipped away at her. But gosh, her monologuing was truly depressing. I noted that the second part was nearing so I resolved to continue in the hope it would change pace at that stage...or at least, something...anything...would happen. Thankfully, and quite surprisingly, it did. I thought "yes, this is more like it!" but then the further I read Laura just kept going around in circles and second guessing everything she did or didn't do or could do but didn't. In the end, what did she do? Not a whole lot. Except continue to drone on and on.

The story was broken into three parts, with the first one slow and somewhat disturbing. I found Laura's behaviour frustrating as she went back and forth, to and fro between leaving or hoping to salvage their relationship. I'm not sure how she thought that was ever going to happen walking around on eggshells all the time. It was blindingly obvious how controlling Robert was and that nothing will salvage their relationship. I could sympathise with her to a point but in the end she was only fooling herself.

I was all ready to shelve this book until the end of part one, which ended with a shocking incident that left me turning the pages eagerly wanting to know what would happen next. This was more like it! The pace was ramped up as was the tension as I urged Laura on. But things started to spiral pretty quickly and it just continued downhill into the ridiculous. I kept reading in the hope it would improve...it didn't. And part three? Seriously?

By the time I got to the epilogue I was shaking my head. It was an interesting ending, I'll say that, but the entire book that culminated into what exactly? Laura's bad decisions, inaction and second guessing everything. She should have dialed 999 in the beginning and this would have been an entirely different story I'd be reviewing.

I will say I am not a fan of Iain Maitland's writing style. Sometimes I couldn't decipher whether what was written was actually happening or if it was all what "could happen" playing out in Laura's mind. She was clearly suffering mental health issues, and I'm not surprised given Robert's abuse and coercive control of her. She'd had a lonely upbringing with her elderly parents and though it is one she clearly cherishes, it set her up to become vulnerable later in life.

As I said in the beginning, this is a hard book to review...and rate...because it is riddled with so many frustrating decisions and actions that by the end I wasn't sure what to make of it. I must say that as the reader I felt so far apart from the other characters as if there were a great divide between Laura and everyone else. Particularly between Laura and Andrew. There was no connection between her and anyone. It was if she were an island and everyone was just floating around her, unable to reach them.

I wasn't surprised by the turn of events at the end as I suspected things heading that way anyway...I mean, where else could it possibly go if she didn't do anything but stand there and fret all day?

I would like to thank #IainMaitland, #Netgalley, #InkubatorBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #ThePerfectHusband in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

I gave this book 5 stars. Iain Maitland knows how to spin a psychological thriller. It keeps you hooked and you think you know what is going on but you are wrong. This one should be on your TBR list if not already.

It was love at first sight for Laura when she met Robert at a neighbor’s barbecue. He was successful, charming, and seemed to hang on her every word. A few months after their whirlwind romance began, Robert moves into her house, but it isn’t the happily ever after Laura imagined it would be.

The perfect man she fell in love with quickly transforms into a cruel, abusive monster who isolates and controls her in every way. With no access to her savings, and unable to get him out of her house, Laura—who always longed for a child of her own—still feels hopeful things will improve once she discovers she is pregnant. Those hopes are quickly dashed, however, and Laura realizes Robert remains a danger, both to herself and her unborn child… and she must do whatever it takes to protect them both.

I really wanted to like this book. It seemed to have all the necessary ingredients: a lonely, vulnerable woman meets what she thinks is the man of her dreams, only to find herself in an abusive relationship. A crisis situation (in this case, a pregnancy) that forces her to take action in order to save herself and her baby. It seemed to be a given that I would be fully invested in her plight, which she would (hopefully) eventually escape. I assumed it would be a compelling story that only got better, the further I read.

Sadly, that wasn’t the case.

The story is broken down into three parts, and part one was full of promise. It was deeply disturbing, and Robert was clearly illustrated to be a constant, unpredictable threat. Even though it was frustrating to see Laura go back and forth between leaving him and hoping to salvage their relationship somehow, it was logical that she would do that. It made me feel even more sympathetic towards her character, because I knew she was only fooling herself.

Part one ended with an explosive incident that left me eager to find out what would happen next. Laura’s emotions were all over the place, and her thoughts were exactly what you would expect at this point in the story. Things started to get shaky pretty fast, though, and it was all downhill from there. I found myself feeling less sympathetic towards Laura and became frustrated with the direction the story had taken. By the time I got into part three, I regretted that I’d chosen to read this book at all.

I would have enjoyed this book much more if the story focused solely on the events of part one. Part one was absolutely enthralling, edge-of-your-seat storytelling, in my opinion, and could have easily been expanded into a book-length story. (Had that been the case, I’d be writing a much different review right now!) I understand that Laura has some mental health issues and is dealing with a lot of trauma, but even so, the events of parts two and three failed to hit the mark for me. I spent a lot of time being annoyed with her decisions about various things, and by the time I reached the end of the book, I didn’t like her or feel any sympathy for her, at all—definitely not the reaction I expected (or wanted) to have.

Others may read and greatly enjoy this book. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work for me.

I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Inkubator Books via Netgalley.

So I loved the premise but I struggled woth the writing style and where it started with a bit if a bang but quickly kind of just fizzled out and didn't really go anywhere. If you can stick with it then it does do exactly what it says on the tin and is a no frills thriller! But.... the trilingual style and lack of pace was a let down for me. The characters were well written though and the overall plot was decent enough

"The Perfect Husband" is a well written book. I however found it too predictable and slightly boring at times. It took me quite some time to finish as halfway through I just wasn't enticed to read as I am with other books.
The main plot and characters are well written and structured and would suit a reader who likes a plain, straight forward, no nonsense thriller.

A small-town barbeque in summer's dying days. There, gentle, bookish Laura meets a man who makes her laugh, hangs on to her every word. He's the one, isn't he? But once Laura falls pregnant, Robert's mask slips. She can never quite keep him happy. He is cold and judgemental with a temper that can flare up at any moment. He goes out for hours and won't tell her where he's been, he even locks her own door against her. Laura realises she has married a total stranger, a man governed by dark impulses and darker secrets who seems determined to gain control of every part of her life. Who is this man she's living with, and what terrible things has he done?

Oh, how much did I want Laura to get revenge on her husband Robert. Laura is deluded, believing a baby would change Robert's ways. Robert is controlling, abusive and jealous. The story is told from Laura's point of view as we learn of her fear, anguish and stress. Your heart goes out to Laura, and I worried about what was going to happen to the baby. This is a well written and gripping read. The plotline has been cleverly executed. The pace is steady throughout. I kept turning the pages hoping that Laura had kicked Robert into touch. I wasn't quite expecting that shocking ending.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #InkubatorBooks and the author #IainMaitland for my ARC of #ThePerfectHusband in exchange for an honest review.

For the first few chapters of Part One I was intrigued and invested, dying to know what would happen. But the story quickly fizzled and I was bored. The writing was repetitive and nothing much was happening. Part Two pulled me back in thankfully and I was gasping. So, this is a tough book to rate . . .

The Perfect Husband
by Iain Maitland
Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an early copy of The Perfect Husband.
This a book, that was just very odd. The book has a strangeness in the writting, the I this, I that, And just finally, I had to just finish. I was not at all a book I would imaginge he staying. It was a no for me,

The Perfect Husband starts off with the unraveling of Robert and Laura’s relationship which is, honestly, increasingly uncomfortable to read as time progresses. I desperately wanted her to leave this man.

It starts to get a little repetitive until part 2 hits and then I’m all in needing to know what will happen next. I find myself screaming at her at times throughout this book because her choices are absolutely maddening.

The ending did have a good twist, thought I can’t say I hadn’t considered it several times throughout reading.

Really enjoyed this book - good twist at the end and I loved the authors style of writing . Laura has led a very sheltered life and when introduced to charming Robert at a neighbours BBQ she is swept off her feet … soon Robert has moved into her home and using his self proclaimed investment savy put her large inheritance into a scheme along with a few of the neighbours nest eggs .. Everything comes crashing down when Roberts scheme fails and people start asking questions about their money … by now Laura is being mentally and physically abused by Robert and pregnant with his child . The plot continues with a good few twists and turns that keep the reader gripped

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Inkubator Books and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Nothing is what it seems in this spellbinding thriller.

I have never read any books by this author before so I wasn't sure what to expect, The Perfect Husband was a page Turner, I really wanted Laura and her baby to be free from her abusive husband Robert, he was such a horrible and nasty person and was very controlling. I did enjoy this book and what a shocking ending.

Laura thinks she'll found the one,he listens to her and makes her laugh she knows she's nothing special but maybe she's wrong because Robert is definitely interested.
After he moves in to her home he begins to show his true colors and when she falls pregnant his temper intensifies and she realises she's married a stranger.
She digs deep and finds out more about the real Robert and knows she has to do all she can to protect her unborn child as well as herself.
Took me a while to get into but once I did I found it a good easy read.
Thanks to Netgalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC.

Trigger warning: DV

I was immediately invested in the story, but then it felt quite dull for me after Part 1. It is never the victim's fault, but I was screaming in my head for her to do whatever she could to just leave him. Laura's internal dialogue explained that she wanted to and had thought about it, yet didn't and was delusional that being pregnant would change him. The synopsis feels off because firstly, he isn't actually her husband. Second, things were BAD long before she was pregnant. I wanted to sympathize with the protagonist but couldn't, and instead found myself irritated by her actions and explanations. She was so stupid about so many things and it ruined the story for me. The ending just made me even more angry.

Laura and Robert seem to have the perfect marriage. Soon after they become comfortable, Robert’s true colors begin to show. Laura is in for a ride…that’s for sure!!

This was a fact paced book with lots of tension and suspense. It was a well written book with a premise that isn’t all that original, but it was still very interesting. I really liked the flashback scenes and the writing style of the author.

I would recommend this book to others who enjoy a good domestic thriller. This one checks all the boxes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an early copy of The Perfect Husband. Soooooo uneasy reading each chapter, feeling so bad for the main character, BUT I COULD NOT NOT READ IT!!!!! Then poof what an absolute letdown. What happened? Sooooo monotonous and weird, went from a 5 to a 2.