THE PERFECT HOME by Daniel Kenitz is showing some huge cracks in the Decker family foundation.

Dawn and Wyatt Decker are the sweet and salty stars of a home renovation reality series. Only D-list celebrities, Dawn wants nothing more than to be a mother, while Wyatt tries to reach a higher celebrity status. After failed attempts to get pregnant, it is discovered that Wyatt’s sperm count is low. Unbeknownst to Dawn, Wyatt begins questionable fertility medication from overseas. While he does, indeed, make Dawn’s wish of motherhood come to fruition, the medication does have some side-effects.

When Dawn learns that Wyatt is planning to increase their celebrity status by causing a family tragedy, she takes the children and hits the road in an attempt to protect them. Wyatt begins spreading rumours about Dawn and postpartum depression that has caused her to go on the run. He is hoping for increased ratings and the sympathy vote. What should Dawn do, and whom can she trust?

This one had me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Told in alternating POV of Dawn and Wyatt, we learn more about their thought processes and what each might do to attain their goals. I could feel my pulse rising as each of them made their case. The writing was clear and concise which led to an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for this ARC opportunity. All opinions are my own and given voluntarily.

Dawn and Wyatt reminded me of Chip and Joanna Gaines, but only for a brief time! Then Wyatt became so unlikable, and Dawn was just okay. You will have to suspend some belief when reading this one, but the story kept me entertained.

3.5 stars rounded up

I was definitely intrigued by this one. I’m not a huge home improvement show watcher so I was indifferent on that. While I was rooting for Dawn I can’t say I really enjoyed any of the characters. I did finish it in a day because I needed to find out what happened.

I went into The Perfect Home completely blind. This story took such an unexpected, glorious turn. Wyatt, what is wrong with you man?! This was great. I couldn't look away. If you are craving some unhinged HGTV, with a little Enough - this book is for you. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

This was a fun read - I enjoyed the fact that the main characters had their own home renovation show! That was definitely a fun addition. Dawn and Wyatt desperately want to have a baby, but infertility issues plague their efforts. When Wyatt tries to take matters into his own hands, things change drastically for their family. Once things started to get dark, some of what happened seemed a bit far fetched. But I was invested in the story and couldn't stop reading until I finished.

I loved this book! Only -1 for the marketing pitch comparing it to gone girl, since that made me think we were in for an unreliable narrator.

I thought the whole premise was so fun and well-told, and I will definitely be buying a copy for my own shelves.

Thank you NetGalley and Scribner!

I'm house shopping and deep into home renovation videos, so I loved that this was the setting for this thriller (coming back to this note, I would have loved even more home reno!) This thriller is certainly compelling: the sketchy drug, Dawn's escape, Wyatt's lies, and all their friends taking sides. I liked that it was told through both Dawn and Wyatt's POVs, so the reader didn't know right away which one was the unreliable narrator. The story could have gone in any direction!

I will say that it wasn't anything like either Fixer Upper or Gone Girl. It was a quick bingeable popcorn thriller, but not a standout in my opinion.

When a husband-and-wife team of reality stars find themselves at odds with one another over their newborn twins, the wife makes a run for it. The husband turns to the public to appeal for help, only to make the narrative sound much more sinister than it actually is and the wife is left struggling against her public persona. Debut author Daniel Kenitz takes home improvement shows and throws a thriller twist into the benign TV format with some success in his new book The Perfect Home.

Dawn and Wyatt Decker are America’s sweethearts when it comes to reality TV. The hosts of the hit home improvement show The Perfect Home, the husband-and-wife team play off one another’s strengths—and quirks—for the camera every day. The country’s women love Wyatt’s perfect smile and charming, “aw, shucks” attitude, and everyone loves to hate on Dawn for bursting Wyatt’s bubble with her on-screen antics.

Except, for Dawn at least, they really are just for the screen. In real life, she’s a simple, down-home woman who loves her husband and wants a family. She enjoys all the perks and privileges the show has given her, yes, but she’s not a big fan of the fame, especially when it’s clear that people don’t consider the real celebrity anyway. All the love for The Perfect Home goes to Wyatt, and even though that can be frustrating at times Dawn also knows how desperately Wyatt needs the validation from the audience.

Now, though, there’s nothing that can validate Wyatt’s feeling of inadequacy. Despite trying for a while to get pregnant, the Deckers have been unsuccessful. A doctor confirms Wyatt’s worst fear: the problem is with him and his sperm count. Dawn tries bringing up other options for having children, but Wyatt won’t hear of it. He wants babies that are truly his.

In his bid to complete the family, Wyatt starts taking experimental fertility drugs that he buys from a sketchy website. The drugs help and Dawn gets pregnant with twins, but they also have nasty side effects. Wyatt’s behavior becomes erratic, and soon after the babies are born his moods start turning on a dime. The day Dawn finds a secret document laying out a way to escalate their celebrity status through truly awful means, she doesn’t think: she picks up the twins and leaves town.

Even to the close friends who love her and know her best, however, Dawn appears to be the irrational one. She tries explaining to anyone who will listen that Wyatt is the one with the problem, but she discovers just how charming and manipulative her husband can be. He’ll do anything to keep his star on the rise, and Dawn’s afraid she and her children will be the ones who crash to the ground from Wyatt’s efforts.
Author Daniel Kenitz’s debut melds the familiar home renovation show format and the domestic thriller genre in a way that mostly works. Kenitz nails the cadence and rhythm of the husband-and-wife relationship on HGTV-type shows, making the backdrop of his novel believable. Occasionally, some of the character traits of both Dawn and Wyatt feel a little too on-the-nose—he’s charming beyond what’s reasonable; she’s camera shy yet also wants recognition—but over the progression of the book, the characters settle into their own.

Kenitz doesn’t always get the female voice quite right, which is significant because he alternates chapters between Wyatt and Dawn. Early on, Dawn feels slightly more aggressive than what she should be. Interestingly enough, Wyatt comes off as a little too ambivalent in the early chapters. His later march toward success at all costs can feel a little put on.

For a debut work, however, this book is an entertaining read. Some of the humor is laugh-out-loud funny, and Kenitz is clearly capable of writing a thriller that will engage. Although some of the fine points of the novel feel a little overly complicated, particularly in the sections where Dawn is on the run with her children, for the most part readers will enjoy this one.

The Perfect Home is Daniel Kenitz's newly released novel.

Okay, hands up if you've ever got lost in the 'house' channels. You know, flipping, restoring, decorating and so much more. (I have!)

The Perfect Home is one of those shows. Married couple Wyatt and Dawn Decker are the perfect hosts. Their show is doing well, but how can they make it better? Wyatt has some suggestions....

And I'm going to leave things there for you to discover what's next. I have to admit it's a darker plot I had imagined. And, that was a good thing.

Kitzen allows each lead to tell their take on what is happening. The narrative switches back and forth between husband and wife. This style of story telling always keeps me reading 'just one more chapter'. There were some really tense sections that I hadn't imagined when I started the book. The author did a great job of keeping the tension and action rising to the final pages. I wonder about the behind the scenes - I'm sure they're not too far from reality.

I really enjoyed this! The ending is good and I was immersed and able to finish this in one sitting. The suspense building is really well done. The writing is fast paced and I like how it's told from the perspectives of both Dawn & Wyatt. If you enjoy thrillers I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Daniel Kenitz,Scribner and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I genuinely loved this book! The writing style and story was for me. Highly recommend as your next read

As someone who grew up on the OG fixer-upper shows, and loves the dynamics of the couples on those HGTV reality shows who buy/sell/fix/flip homes, this book really struck a chord!

You know them - the shows with magazine-quality curated cushions, fixtures, knick-knacks, and unlimited budgets. Those shows where houses are finished in a week without the stars getting anything more than a strategically placed speck of drywall dust on their perfectly makeup-clad faces. I've always wondered what the backstory was of those couples who seem so...well...perfect! Well, this book goes there!

Before there was Dawn and Wyatt, there was...just Wyatt. A man who thought he was above the reality show audience, who just wanted to tell the uneducated masses about ways to enhance their homes. But then Dawn came along, the Lucy to his Desi, and America fell in love with them. Mostly with Wyatt, while Dawn provided the comedic relief. And then they become even more perfect when they become parents to twins.

But there is a danger to fame, and that is that once it's achieved, how much is too much? Wyatt feels he has to find better and more dramatic ways to keep his audience engaged and up the viewer ratings, so while in the throes of withdrawal from a fertility drug, he hatches a plan that he thinks will be a surefire ratings boost. The "he said, she said" drama that plays out will have you on the edge of your seat. This is a standout debut novel from Kenitz and I read it in one "stay up late until it's done" book fever!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for an advance reader's copy!

Fixer Upper meets Gone Girl in this suspenseful and witty domestic thriller set in the world of home renovation TV!

Wyatt and Dawn Decker are the picture-perfect couple on screen, they have a number one renovation show, a store and a large home! They are the golden couple! After learning that Wyatt has some fertility issues, he starts taking experimental drug called ASB. Suddenly Dawn becomes pregnant and their having twins. Wyatt has a sudden shift change in behavior Wyatt becomes aggressive and Dawn doesn’t even recognize the person she married anymore. While on his computer Dawn uncovers something that has her in fear for her and the babies life. Dawn goes on the run with the babies, while Wyatt is denouncing her on cable TV as a woman with postpartum paranoia. He plays the victim and soon their fans are turning on her and the police are on the hunt for her. There are two POVs (although pretty quickly we know Wyatt is probably the unreliable narrator. Dawn will have to dig deep into the past—both hers and Wyatt’s—to find allies, protect her children, and beat this beloved all-American celebrity at his own game.
TRIGGER(S): INFIDELITY, FERTILITY ISSUES, CANCER, DOMESTIC VERBAL/PHYSICAL ABUSE

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC Copy. This one did keep my attention, however; it was predictable simply because I watch HGTV.

HGTV meets Gone Girl in all the right ways! I could never guess which direction the author was going to take me but I just sat back and enjoyed the whole ride. Great fun!

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for the eARC.

Oh I love a good multi POV and this one had it. Really loved the different perspectives throughout this novel. It was so hard for me to stomach Wyatt throughout the novel. He was such a crap person and husband, which means that Kenitz did the job of creating memorable characters. Really found myself enjoying this one.

Dawn and Wyatt have a charming, perfect life. While they want to add a child to their lives, they are struggling with infertility issues. Wyatt starts taking fertility drugs, and they work… but his personality starts to change. After their twins are born, Dawn learns of Wyatt’s evil plan. Unfortunately, he has the more likable personality, and Dawn is portrayed as the unstable one.

The Perfect Home is told through Dawn and Wyatt’s points of view. They have a successful home renovation show, but Wyatt dreams of more fame. Dawn is content with the lives they have. Dawn is smart, but sometimes naive . Wyatt is not a good man, but he is very charming.

The Perfect Home is a twisty and wild thriller. An entertaining debut novel.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was very pleasantly surprised with this book. A new to me author and a very exciting book. It was filled with a lot of action and some edge of your seat tension.

While I would not call this a book about fixing up houses or a girl truly gone missing, it is about a tv personality who remodels homes and a woman who takes her twins and leaves.

The main couple, Dawn and Wyatt Decker have been married five years. They are part of a reality tv show called The Perfect Home. It's Wyatt's life. He loves the show more than anything. He loves being the center of attention. He loves money. He will do anything to get what he wants. Dawn is more down to earth. She was raised by her mother after her dad left when she was eleven. When she met Wyatt she fell in love and wanted a family. He does something he should not have to help ensure that they have a baby. Illegal in the US but not in Germany, he orders and takes a drug that is suppose to enhance fertility. Seems he was the cause of them not being about to have a baby. How dare the universe do that to Wyatt Decker...

The story is about their life and how things went from good to horrible after the birth of their twins. Wyatt turned into a stranger. A threat to his wife and their babies. Who can she trust now? Her two best friends. One who is sleeping with Wyatt. If you can't trust your best friends just who can you trust. Dawn goes through a lot to keep her babies safe. The world loves Wyatt. The world thinks Wyatt has been wronged.

This book has you going along with Dawn on a trip trying to keep not only her twins but herself alive. When she read what Wyatt had written she knew she had to get away. With nowhere to go and no one to turn too she leaves Tennessee. Someone from her past comes to her aide just in time to keep her from being arrested. Together they try to find answers to clear her and make the world see what Wyatt truly is.

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read and had me guessing in a few places. One surprise and then all the tension of facing Wyatt kept me on the edge. Overall this book is very good. I recommend it to anyone that likes a good edge of your seat with a couple of not huge twists.

Thank you #NetGalley, #Scribner, for this ARC.

4 stars.

The Perfect Home takes readers into the dark side of realty home TV. The Deckers really do have the perfect home - and the perfect life, and the perfect marriage. But they were struggling from infertility, and with the help of an illegal drug, they finally conceive. So when Dawn takes the twins and runs, and lies and deceit begin to run wild, you really have to wonder….what makes a perfect home.

This book was incredible. It’s also one of the most stressful I have ever read. It’s an amazing example of how to appropriately write a gaslighting, abusive relationship. It’s well done, the twists and turns are perfect, and I really enjoyed the ending. I was so concerned I was not going to like the end or be happy about the outcome, so this was a relief.

I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future!

A Fixer Upper wannabe takes a dark turn in this novel as Wyatt Decker hungers for more and more fame. Just what will he think of next to attain it? When his wife, Dawn, finds out, she flees with her infant twins, but no one believes that the lives of her babies are in danger. Wyatt has painted quite the picture of who Dawn has become and she’s now enemy number one. Will she be able to convince a public in love with her husband or will she lose her precious babies forever? This was a witty domestic drama that was an entertaining read. Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.