The premise of this book really intrigued me but it was a little too slow for me. I was expecting a few twists and turns that never came. I did like the story being told by three different povs.



Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for thr digital arc.

This was the first book of T.J. Emerson's that I have read and it did not disappoint.

A well thought out, captivating thriller based of 3 women in the life of the main character Sandy.

Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of one of the woman.......unravelling the truth behind Sandy Gilligan.

Is he an innocent man....or is he capable of what he has been accused of??

A brilliantly written page turner which has a great ending.

Loved it!!!!!

A solid read!!! 3.5/5

This book is told from multiple points of view. Which was great for the most part but I was getting confused between two of the women.

This thriller is set in France where Sandy the dad was released early from prison on charges. His daughter believes he didn't do it but she starts to change her mind.

The ending was a shocker ! I didn't see that coming.

There are a few good twists in this story and I will be looking for reading more from this author in the future.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this read!

A domestic suspense set in the South of France. I liked the premise but all of the characters including Sandy, the Ideal Man of the title were underwritten and black and white in their description. The narrative was slow but the setting was great and it was an enjoyable but not enthralling read. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

The Ideal Man is set in France, which is not a setting I have the chance to read very often. I loved the setting and how the writing made you feel as if you were there. T. J. Emerson is an amazing writer. The multiple POV story kept me hooked from page one. There are many surprises that come out when you least expect it. This is a perfect book for you if you like characters that are not as they seem and a great storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will start off by saying I read T.J Emerson’s last book and absolutely loved it, so I went into this book with really high expectations.

The story centers around a man named Sandy who is in prison for rape. The story follows three women in his life; his daughter Colette, his new girlfriend Lynne, and Jane who he knew for years before. We begin to learn how each woman feels about Sandy’s prison sentence and crime, and eventually learn how all the women’s experience is intertwined.

To me the book was a bit long, and dull in certain spots. It felt like a lot of overkill and extra information was added that didn’t need to be included. But one thing I did enjoy about this book was the way the ending wrapped up perfectly, and answered all remaining questions you might have.

Overall, this was a decent and suspenseful story (that’s a bit long) and set in beautiful sunny France.

**Trigger warning that this book includes mention of sexual assault, and rape.**

This book is cleverly written from the perspective of three women who don’t know each other, until Sandy is released from prison.
Slow to start, the story unfolds to be a riveting read! Sandy’s daughter Collette has always supported her father, he couldn’t possibly be a rapist.
Lynne has been writing to Sandy in prison, she’s ready to marry him and has given up her old life to be by his side, finally..
Jane changed her identity and is married with a son, her secrets are disrupting her family life.
The suspenseful storyline is gripping, who is Sandy and how will he cope with his past and future?
The storyline covers Sandy’s release from prison and his relationships, the character portrayal is excellent!. Questions keep adding up as the suspense builds, the women connect with each other and their emotions are perfectly relatable.
A thrilling novel that will keep the reader entertained!

Thanks so much to Boldwood Books, NetGalley and TJ Emerson for the opportunity to read this gripping book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A fascinating read set in the beautiful south of France. The plot unfolds in a really interesting way from the three character viewpoints and tension is well kept. The characters themselves were well developed with enough complexity to keep you hooked - and at times deeply unlikeable!

Overall I liked the concept and story of this book but it felt like it need more somehow. There was alot going on through it but each of the womens storylines still felt like they were missing something. Overall liked it and will read this author again!

The Ideal Man is a gripping novel by T.J. Emerson, following the lives of three women as they deal with the release of Sandy, from prison, after he has spent time in prison for rape. What follows is an intense narrative as the three women battle with their perception of Sandy and what sort of a man he truly is, a monster or a victim.

Following Sandy’s release from prison, he travels to the French town of Nice to be with his daughter, Colette, who has fought for his release, and has publicly shared her journey to this point on her blog. She believes wholeheartedly in his innocence, which has ostracised her from her brother, who now lives in Australia, and who has no relationship with her, or their father. It also sparked the end to her marriage. I thought it was intriguing to see their relationship begin to move forward when Sandy comes to live with her. He comes across as someone who is dominating, and Colette begins to feel this a little, as Sandy begins to pick up his life again from before he went to prison. I was fascinated to see if whether or not she would begin to change her mind about her dad.

T.J. Emerson also tells the story from the point of view of a woman called Lynne, who is Sandy’s new girlfriend. She contacted him while he was in prison, and like Collette, she can’t believe that he is guilty of the crime he was convicted of. I was interested to see what Collette’s relationship with Lynn would be like, once Sandy introduced the two of them together, and if there would be any tensions between them, particularly as Sandy kept Lynne a secret from Collette.

We also hear from Jane, the woman who Sandy raped. Jane has struggled to move on from the incident, and you can see just how fearful she is, knowing that Sandy has been released from prison. This is also affecting the relationship that she has with her husband and her son. T.J. Emerson keeps the tension ticking up a notch, as I kept wondering, if at any point in the novel, if Jane and Sandy would cross paths again, and what would happen if they did.

I really liked how T.J. Emerson got inside the heads of her characters. Their emotions come through in the writing as they grapple with their thoughts and feelings, and this is what makes this novel an intense read. The Ideal Man makes for an intriguing and an absorbing psychological thriller.

I loved this book, the characters were well developed, whilst all were interesting to follow, Collette was my favourite.

The POVs of the different people really hooked me into the storyline, at times I found myself shouting at the book, especially at Sandy and his manipulation of his daughter.

The ending was spot on, I would recommend this to thriller fans

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Boldwood Books and T. J. Emerson for the opportunity to read an advance copy of THE IDEAL MAN, to be published 25 January 2023. The cover says “one loves him, one needs him, and one wants him dead”. Three women revolve around this man who seems to be the perfect catch, but is he really? Excellent thriller. #NetGalley. #BoldwoodBooks. #T.J.Emerson. #TheIdealMan

An interesting scenario exploring manipulative behaviour, guilt and possibility of a wrongful conviction. Definitely an unexpected twist at the end.Tension is kept up throughout. I found some difficulty in liking any of the characters.

Intriguing Premise…
Sandy, about to be released from prison following the conviction of a dreadful and appalling crime, has three women on the outside waiting. Each woman waits for a different reason and with an entirely different perspective of the convicted man. Are any of them right? A slow burn familial drama with an intriguing premise and a well developed multi layered thread of suspicion versus belief.

Sandy is released from prison after being convicted of rape. This will effect three women very differently.

Collette: the daughter who stood by her father, not believing he committed the crime.

Lynne: the woman he has been writing to while in prison, who is very anxious for their life together to really begin.

Jane: the accuser of the crime. Has told no one what happened to her in the past.

This book seemed longer than it actually was. It felt like it was saying the same thing over again just in a different way. While the ending was satisfying it felt a little lackluster at the same time.

Many others have enjoyed this book more than I did, so don't let my opinion stop you.

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read but not the best. A difficult subject-well-written.

I went in not completely knowing what I was expecting. This story is told from multiple points of view and took a little while to get to know the voices. Its a story of a man released early from prison for a crime his daughter doesn't believe he committed. Of his girlfriend, and the other women who had secrets she doesn't want getting out. Overall a solid read, with enough twists to keep me going.

**TRIGGER WARNING** Rape - Sexual Assault

One loves him. One hates him. One wants him dead.

The Daughter: My father is innocent. He's spent almost four years behind bars, but now he's getting out. I gave up everything for him, just like he was always there for me.

The Girlfriend: As soon as I opened the paper that day and I saw the picture of Sandy, I didn't care about the story surrounding it. There's no way he hurt that girl. Now he's out, we'll get married, and I'll finally get to meet his daughter.

The Other Woman: No one knows what happened all those years ago, and the life I've built depends on no one finding out. Now he's getting out, my secrets may soon see the light.

Three women's lives are about to change forever. Sandy had been in prison but he's about to get liberated. The story is told from Colette, Jane and Lynne's perspectives. The further we get into the story more secrets are revealed. This is a well written book. The characters are well developed. I was pulled into this story after reading a couple of chapters, then I couldn't put it down.

Thank you Boldwood Publishers and Netgalley for this arc. I was really interested who and how would solve the mystery about the two opinions. I felt so proud at the end but can not say why. Maybe I would love to have some more steam around but on the other hand maybe less was enough this time. The family matters but till what point. Manipulating with feelings is not nice. But some people are masters in it. On the other hand is so hard sometimes that people belive us an not the other part of the story. Finding balance after a tragedy must be terrible. Repeating wrong decisions is also human so noone we can blame. Life is so beautiful but so difficult.

A well rounded story of a dad and a crime he has just served time for, his adult daughter who believes her Dad re his innocence, another possible victim of the Dad who cannot forget what she says he did and also the Dad’s ‘pen pal’ who he agreed to marry via prison visits and letters…
The story then is told via these 4 characters in revolving chapters and little by little we get to the truth, just who is telling the truth and who is lying? It took me a while to get there but I got it right!
Have to mention the ‘pen pal’ who plays her part in a marvellously down to earth yet with a twinge of menace way, she was great to read and get to know
Fab setting in the South of France, beautifully described and well written and a good solid intriguing mystery/thriller

8/10
4 Stars