Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz!

First off, I loved the dual point of views. At times it really made you wonder who you could believe. We live in such a social media world, it was so east to get sucked in. I do wish there was more at the end, because I was like thats all! It was a great easy read.

Daniel Kenitz wrote his first novel in seventh grade.

“It was on looseleaf paper, when I had extra time in class,” said Kenitz, who grew up in Hartford and, after spending some time working in Milwaukee, lives there still.

He didn’t get serious about writing until the last decade, when he left a full-time job in online marketing to devote more time to freelance writing and pursue his dream. His debut novel, “The Perfect Home,” is set for publication by Scribner on Jan. 7.

The novel is a gripping domestic thriller. Wyatt and Dawn Decker, a married couple, host a hit home renovation reality show, “The Perfect Home.” Their on-screen chemistry masks the strain of personal challenges, like the stress of trying to conceive. A chain of increasingly shocking events dismantles the stories they tell themselves as their relationship begins to unravel.

Read the interview here: https://captimes.com/entertainment/books/daniel-kenitz-s-debut-novel-explores-the-dark-side-of-reality-tv/article_c81baee0-c79c-11ef-ad5b-63c5d8b30928.html

Thanks to Scribner and NetGalley for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was less a suspense novel and more of a domestic "thriller," which is something I'm seeing a lot of these days. There is no murder, just lots of gaslighting and discovering your loved one has gone off the rails and *might* commit murder.

Dawn is a fairly relatable character; I cared about what happened to her and felt sad she had such shitty friends. If I needed a lesson about punching out of one's weight class in marriage, this would work for that. That said, she was a little TSTL in terms of her complete blindness to her situation until it was too late. When your spouse continuously lies to you, why would you ever believe them again? And they were not little fibs.

Writing was not bad, just repetitive and didn't draw me in. Dawn's escape situation required huge suspension of disbelief and seemed to inordinately focus on the personality differences between the twin babies (like, what?). Also she left them to cry A LOT (who does this when you don't have to?). It was stressful, more so than her situation, almost.

This was not for me, YMMV. 2.5 stars rounded up

3.5 stars
Perfect tv couple who fixes home is trying to get pregnant. The husband starts taking a medication to help with fertility and it does give them twins. On this medicine he starts acting off and it seems like he doesn’t want his children anymore. He has many lies in this story and makes Dawn out ti be crazy when Wyatt is the one who isn’t who he appears to be.

⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (3/5) – The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz is an intriguing thriller, but it didn’t quite hit all the marks for me. The suspense builds nicely, and the characters have a lot of depth, but the pacing felt a bit uneven at times. I loved the psychological twists, especially around the idea of perfection in a marriage, but some parts felt a little predictable. Still, if you're into a tense family drama with dark secrets, it's definitely worth checking out.

I enjoyed most of this....i just don't care for books about being on a reality show. But this author did a really good job about getting me to forget that i hate that trope. I've never read anything by this author before this book but i enjoyed this so much, I'll be looking for his next one. Great twists that i did not see coming.

There was no shock and I think that stemmed in part to the dual points of view. If we excluded Wyatt, and allowed Dawn to be an unreliable narrator it may have had more twists and turns but every twist and every turn could be seen from chapters away.

If you need an easy read, this may be a book for you. If you want something thrilling, I'd sit this one out.

The story was engaging and kept me interested to see what was going to happen next. Overall, though, it fell flat. It felt like more should have happened. Yes, there were things happening in the story but it didn’t feel as intense as I thought it would. I was also expecting some sort of twist ending and I was surprised that there wasn’t really one. Loved the writing style and really liked to get Wyatt’s perspective but was expecting more from the actual story.

The Perfect Home is utterly delicious domestic thriller drama that keeps you sucked in from the very first page to the very last.

I love a book that is well paced and that moves perspectives in a way that reveals secrets of the story while keeping all the twists intact. This book does a fantastic job of that, and I devoured the entire book in one afternoon. The added layer of it being a perfect couple from an HGTV style home reno show was all the more fun - think ripped from the headlines gossip.

Definitely a perfect pick to pass the long winter days! Many thanks to the publisher for the copy!

Dawn and Wyatt Decker look like they have the perfect marriage to go along with their successful Tennessee-based home improvement reality TV show, The Perfect Home. Wyatt is the charismatic handyman with big ideas, whereas Dawn is the worrywart decorator constantly trying to rein him in. Their chemistry makes for excellent television and, until recently, a harmonious home life.

When their attempts to expand their family in the usual way prove unsuccessful, they soon learn from the doctors that Wyatt has a low sperm count that would make even IVF an unlikely solution. Dawn would be happy to adopt or even use a sperm donor, both of which are suggestions Wyatt finds absolutely crushing:

QUOTE
If Dawn had married someone else, anyone else, maybe she’d be vetting elementary schools instead of spending her mornings in fertility clinics, listening to our specialist verbally spelunk her way through my seminal vesicles and ductus deferens. For most people, children are just the beginning. Mile One in the marathon of having a family. They forget the thousand little miracles that have to take place before the starting line.

I’d do anything to get there with Dawn. To step across the starting line together.
END QUOTE

And so Wyatt decides to start looking for solutions online, eventually ordering experimental fertility drugs with varying side effects. Though Dawn reluctantly supports him in this, she’s adamant that he follows all the prescribed directions to a tee, in hopes of minimizing any potential fallout. The Deckers are thrilled when they do manage to conceive, but Dawn can’t help but worry about the new edge she’s been seeing in Wyatt recently. He’s become moody and weird, in ways that he either laughs off or just refuses to explain. Worse, he’s becoming downright cruel to her.

The birth of their twins should be a joyous occasion, and for a while, it helps paper over the growing cracks in the Deckers’ marriage. But when Dawn stumbles across a plan Wyatt has for catapulting them from minor celebrities to national stars – a plan that involves an unspeakable and entirely manufactured tragedy – she knows that she has to leave and take the twins with her.

Wyatt won’t let her go without a fight though, and directs all his charm and media-savvy to win over the public and make her look like the villain of the piece. Will she be able to keep her children safe, or will they be ripped from her and given to a man seemingly more obsessed with fame than with family?

This intriguing twist on Gone Girl features both Wyatt and Dawn’s viewpoints as they engage in a cat-and-mouse game that highlights the almost uniquely American ways in which our society consumes celebrity culture, and how we moralize over family roles and expectations, especially in regard to gender. Reality TV is a particularly excellent vehicle for the dissection of this, as a jaded Wyatt muses on the ways he’s changed his show in order to gain greater and greater success:

QUOTE
Every reality show understands you never go to a commercial break without a twist–uh-oh, is this a load-bearing wall? The dopamine spikes and the carrot dangles. For season two, I ditched the helpful tips, switching to comedy and cliff-hangers. The audience doubled. You started noticing. Then I ditched the comedy and added Dawn, who became our target audience’s perfect avatar: a plain-Jane mold so female viewers could insert themselves into our little American Dream fantasy. I now consider us a form of pornography. There is very little information on home renovation because people are happier as idiots. We are happier with the tricks. There is a place inside every human being, somewhere hidden and primeval, that is disappointed when the magician reveals the invisible thread at his thumb.

We get three million viewers an episode now.
END QUOTE

Daniel Kenitz does a terrific job using both Dawn’s and Wyatt’s voices to explore the increasing pressures each faces to behave in ways that the public expects. Wyatt has a habit of caving to expectations in undeniably self-destructive fashion, whereas Dawn fights furiously against the negativity. The suspense ramps up as betrayals mount and allies appear from unexpected places, leading to a final, shocking confrontation. This absolute page-turner of a novel will ensure that you never watch a home improvement reality TV show in quite the same way again.

Great premise and i enjoyed the dual POV. Got a little confused by the road trip aspect but overall, a fun read.

A solid thriller good for those who appreciate the genre! This was a quick read that pulled me in. I enjoyed the alternating POVs. That said, this wasn't the twistiet thriller, which is totally fine. I did expect one last twist at the end that never came. I did enjoy the plot!

The Perfect Home was the perfect book for me and I loved it! It’s being touted as Fixer Upper meets Gone Girl and I thought that was a very accurate comparison.

Wyatt and Dawn are the perfect couple and star on a very popular home improvement reality TV show called The Perfect Home.

First of all, reality shows are my guilty pleasures and being able to go behind the scenes of one was so much fun for me. I know that reality shows aren’t really unscripted, but I didn’t realize how much of it was staged beforehand. Or at least it was in The Perfect Home.

Told from two POV’s, Wyatt the handsome charmer, and his wife Dawn, who is the wise cracking sidekick. We get both sides of the story when everything seems to fall apart and Dawn flees with her newborn twins.

Not wanting to get too spoilery, I’ll just say I was up late late late turning the pages as fast as I could!

*Thanks so much to partner Scribner Books and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC!*

"Worry is the thousand needles of everything that could go wrong."

"Shooting The Perfect Home made me feel like a man of...good breeding. The Perfect Man, The Perfect Job, The Perfect Life. But reality TV isn’t real life."

"If you get lonely enough, anyone can become a friend. Just anyone."

Like renovating a house, The Perfect Home, by unique premise debut psychological family drama thriller author Daniel Kenitz, takes its time setting the foundation, building its characters and then, when you feel settled, it wrecks your brain. Like building a home, The Perfect Home gives you a crazy twist that wasn't in your thriller blueprint.

Dawn and Wyatt Decker are the stars of the popular home improvement TV show The Perfect Home. They are so cute together...though some say he could get a prettier wife! But Wyatt does not feel that way. Right?!

When they discover they can't have kids because of Wyatt's low sperm count he sneaks an experimental drug promising pregnancy! There are side effects. Mood swings, lapses of time...poor judgement. Here's the thing, in my opinion, Wyatt was always an ass, the pill just enhanced it. When Dawn comes across his horrific plan to increase ratings she finds herself on the run for her life. Luckily she has friends to help her. Yeah about that...

In this dual POV voice actress Amanda Stribling hits a perfect tone for Dawn's arc from sweet to distraught wife and don't get me started on the brilliant acting of Michael.I.Crouch as the slimy Wyatt.

Reading and listening to this thriller I disliked many characters. A reveal about one friend had me cursing out loud. This reality TV themed thriller is built for popcorn and some eye rolling. Enjoy!

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair & honest review. Opinions are my own.

In The Perfect Home, Daniel Kenitz offers a thoughtful exploration of relationships, dreams, and the idea of “home.” The novel’s warmth is balanced by its deep introspection, capturing the complexities of family dynamics and personal growth. The writing is emotionally resonant, with moments of humor that lighten the mood and give the story a real human touch. It's an uplifting read for those who enjoy heartfelt, character-driven tales about finding your place in the world.

This book lets you get behind the scenes of your favorite HGTV show and see the dark sides of the people that star in them. Following Wyatt and Dawn Decker, The Perfect Home shows their unraveling lives through the stresses of making the show bigger and having infertility/family struggles.

I don’t usually read thrillers, but I really enjoyed this. I thought the pacing was spot on, and there were enough twists to keep me interested and guessing the whole way through. I really felt connected to Dawn and was rooting for her the entire way. I enjoyed the dual POV too, to be able to get into the nitty gritty of Wyatt’s head.

Thank you to NetGalley, Daniel Kenitz, and Scribner for the eARC!

This was a really fun read and I loved the little peak behind the curtains of an HGTV home reno show! A little repetitive “no one ever believes the woman” plot that can frustrate me with thrillers but it was a page turner nonetheless. Thank you to @Scribner and @netgalley for my copy!

I don't think this is a thriller, or anything remotely related to Gone Girl so if that is an expectation, you should adjust. I was not thrilled with the consistent "her looks are just okay what is he doing with her" themes. Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
It was a fun easy read but I expected more nail biting suspense. I enjoyed the alternating chapters of his and her perspective but it ended up feeling like a he said/she said. The plot was very unrealistic but at times I thought it could maybe happen considering how these TV "celebrities" want to stay important and in the line light.
Not sure if either he or she were supposed to be the protagonist but I equally did not like them and found them both irritating and annoying. The story was a great idea but could have been more thought through.
Overall a quick read that doesn't require lots of thinking.