Cheesy, tabloid style of story with average characters and an unrealistic plot that will have readers rolling their eyes. Having said that, just like when reading a tabloid, you find yourself devouring each and every page. I will give kudos to the author for keeping the story moving and somehow grabbing the reader even with an average story.

This review is entirely voluntary, and all opinions expressed reflect my personal views.

The Perfect Home" is a fascinating domestic suspense novel that will keep you engaged. Admittedly, the increasingly popular storyline involving reality shows does not appeal to me at all. I don’t watch HGTV and haven’t enjoyed reality TV in over a decade. But this book is well-written, well-plotted, and Wyatt and Dawn are terrific foils for each other. I always enjoy twists involving characters who were initially deemed reliable but who are themselves “twisted” beyond belief.

Title: The Perfect Home
Author: Daniel Kenitz
Publisher: Scribner
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"The Perfect Home" by Daniel Kenitz

My Insight:

"The Perfect Home" is an intriguing thriller that will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next for Dawn and Wyatt, who star in a reality TV show called "The Perfect Home." But was their life really perfect?
Daniel Kenitz delivers an engaging read. Wyatt's charm and good looks contrast sharply with Dawn's role as the decorator. However, Wyatt's desire for a picture-perfect family leads him down a dark path. The story takes a shocking turn after Dawn gives birth to twins, discovering sinister truths about her husband that compel her to flee. The tension escalates as Dawn strives to protect her children from Wyatt, especially as some who claim to be her friends turn out to be less trustworthy.

Kenitz has crafted well-developed characters and a captivating plot that hooks you from the start. I highly recommend picking this book up to see how this suspenseful and entertaining story unfolds. It's definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Daniel Kenitz, and Scribner for this ARC.

Dawn and Wyatt narrate the book in alternating chapters, so the reader hears each of their versions of the truth and has to decide whom they choose to believe. Has Dawn. abandoned by her father as a young girl and a recovering alcoholic, snapped under the stress of caring for newborn twins while dealing with the loss of an important person in her life? Is Wyatt suffering from the negative side effects of the supplement he took and gaslighting Dawn? Who can be trusted and who in their lives is on whose side? As the story unfolds the reader learns more about the couple, what they have overcome in life, how they met, and how they must now deal with the ugly side of fame. Was their Perfect Home ever truly perfect, and can it be saved? This is a fast-paced thriller with an intriguing plot that has enough twists to keep the reader guessing until the end. The characters aren't heavily nuanced, but each has a story to tell, as do several of the side characters. Readers of authors like Darby Kane, Alafair Burke and Alex Finlay might want to give this a try....I would rate it a solid 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner Books for allowing me early access to a copy of this dark portrait of a marriage gone awry in exchange for my honest review.

The Perfect Home offers a unique and thrilling twist on the world of home renovation TV. Wyatt Decker, a charming and fame-hungry TV host, gains modest celebrity status with his home improvement show, but it isn't until he marries the sharp-witted and snarky Dawn that the show truly attracts a loyal following. When an unsatisfied Wyatt resorts to taking an experimental, illegal fertility drug from Germany to boost his chances of having children, things take a dark turn.

Told from both Wyatt and Dawn’s perspectives, this domestic thriller is filled with twists and turns that keep readers on the edge of their seats. The inclusion of the controversial ASB drug adds an intriguing layer to Wyatt's character, offering an explanation for his increasingly erratic behavior while complicating the reader’s perception of right and wrong. Dawn is a relatable and authentic character, grappling with the challenges of motherhood and her unwanted role in the spotlight. Though the pacing could have been tighter in places, the book is ultimately a compelling read that navigates the intersection of fame, ambition, and moral boundaries.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Perfect Home by Daniel Kenitz is the book to read for all HGTV home renovation fans. Follow a successful couple as they navigate the world of filming their very popular home reno series. This couple appears on the surface to have it all with their successful show, fame, and money. However, their infertility struggles soon lead one of them down a dark path that will have deep impacts on both of their lives. Read and enjoy!

I was intrigued with the book description that suggests Fixer Upper meets Gone Girl. Wyatt and Dawn have a very successful home improvement reality show and want to start a family. Struggling with infertility issues, Wyatt takes an illegal drug to help with the infertility issues. The drug causes him to have drastic personality changes which in turn causes Dawn to take the twins and runs.
The story felt choppy and forced and just not that enjoyable of a read.
Thank you NetGalley and Scibner for my ARC.

The Perfect Home mostly annoyed me. The characters were flat, I felt no chemistry between Wyatt and Dawn and I didn’t believe the storyline. I did enjoy Dawns relationship with her “dad” but every other relationship felt wrong. A woman would have at least one friend who always has her back.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wyatt Decker is a media friendly charmer with looks to match. But despite that, his home renovation TV show-“The Perfect Home” doesn’t really take off until he marries Dawn. Her eye rolling, snark is just what the show needed to attract female viewers.

Together, they have reached D level celebrity status but Wyatt longs for greater fame. Children might help but Wyatt has a low sperm count so he orders experimental fertility drugs from Germany which did not earn FDA approval in the U.S..

YES-he will risk ANYTHING to have children including taking this controversial drug, which warns of some serious side effects,

But, having twins is still not enough to get the coveted interview that he feels will propel them to the NEXT level.

So, he devises a horrifying new plan to earn fame and fortune- one that, once discovered by Dawn, prompts her to flee with her two babies.

She is quickly reminded that Wyatt is the beloved star of their show, as he turns HER into public enemy #1.

It will be difficult to beat Wyatt at his own game but Dawn Decker will do ANYTHING for her twins.

The book synopsis shares too much so I will stop here and just say “PROPS” to the author for the ORIGINAL PREMISE set in the ALWAYS choreographed world of home renovation TV!

The story is told from the dual perspectives of both Dawn and Wyatt, and made for an entertaining, domestic popcorn 🍿 thriller, which definitely offered up more than one surprise (if you don’t read the synopsis!!)

If the opening pace had been quicker, and if I had felt a bit more TENSION towards the end-it might have rated a solid four stars, but it did keep me engaged, so 3.5 stars ⭐️ it is.

This is a quite gripping and original fast-paced thriller. The plot is intriguing and unpredictable and makes perfect sense in terms of the story. Unlike in many mysteries and thrillers, nothing is pulled out of left field rather everything that happens in the story makes sense in light of what has been revealed and happened before. Even so, there are still several exciting plot twists that the reader will not see coming.

The ending post-epilogue is quite a satisfactory catharsis based on what has happened in the story up to that point. While the epilogue is necessary to update the reader on what happened to Dawn and her family afterward, it may also make some readers angry. It is hard to believe that after everything that happened Dawn would react how she does toward someone who has clearly betrayed her. She must be a better person than most of us, but in a way that makes her slightly less likable.

A decent domestic drama that sets itself up like a thriller and/or mystery but turns out to be neither.

Dawn and Wyatt Decker have an apparently perfect marriage. They work together on Wyatt’s home remodeling reality TV show where Dawn plays the practical and nagging wife to Wyatt’s big idea and expansive handyman. But there is a hole in their lives - Dawn can’t get pregnant. When it turns out that Wyatt has a very low sperm count, he decides to risk using an unapproved drug to help. Within a month, Dawn is pregnant and we skip to a year later, when they are now parents of twins. But when Dawn sees a chilling document hidden on Wyatt’s iPad she decides her only option is to take the babies and run.

The author has some tart commentary about how real “reality “ is and how easily it can be manipulated and it’s a terrific set up with dueling narratives giving us two sides of the story. Though there’s never really any doubt that Wyatt is the bad guy, he plays a great PR game and boxes Dawn in: how can she keep the twins and herself safe?

Unfortunately, that for me, is when things drifted off into not-a-thriller land. Dawn manages to find a solution pretty easily and things turn around really fast. I was waiting for some twist or sting in the tail but it never came. The author does a terrific job of dropping Dawn into what seems like an ungetoutable hole but then she is able to just step out of it. It’s also never really explained what Wyatt is up to: Is it the drug making him do this or is he just inherently a bad guy?

Read for the set up and skim through to the conclusion.

Thanks to Scribner and Netgalley for the digital review copy.

This was a unique and intriguing story and I was absorbed from the first page. The ASB angle was so original and scary and interesting and I love the author's use of it. I have never read anything like this and I read a lot of books! I couldn't put it down. I don't exactly get the blurb, particularly the Gone Girl reference but this book is an absolute winner...all day!

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me a copy. It is my pleasure to write an honest review.

Dawn and Wyatt are the performers of a reality TV show called The Perfect Home. Wyatt is a handsome, charismatic and the star of the show who does the physical remodeling of homes. His wife, Dawn, holds her own as the entertainer and decorator. Wyatt isn’t satisfied with just the perfect home and is determined to famous and perfect in other areas. His next step is the perfect family which means children. He obtains an illegal drug from out of the country to make this happen. This drug has negative side effects that threatens everything he has built. Dawn will do anything to protect her children.
Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley

My thanks to NetGalley and Scribner/Simon & Schuster for the ARC of "The Perfect Home" in exchange for an honest review.
The only thing less than perfect about "The Perfect Home" is the predictable inevitability of its climactic scene... Anyone who consumed mass quantities of 1990's movie suspense thrillers can see it coming from 20 miles away. But that didn't make it any less fun for me to read. and the book had me barreling through the pages at warp speed.
I started loving this story right away as it casts a knowing witty gaze at the blatant unreality of 'Reality TV'. Just about every suspicion you've ever had about such shows is confirmed here.....that the participants merely craft fake personas for the camera, that greed and hunger for attention fuels them, that the shows themselves are as fictitious as any scripted dramas, comedies and professional wrestling.
Exhibit A - the Deckers, Wyatt and Dawn, America's home renovation sweethearts and stars of, what else....The Perfect Home.
Wyatt's the dashing, smiling, happy hunk who thrives on audience love, high ratings, and millions of social media clicks. On the show, Dawn plays the role of practical, reserved helpmate who's not nearly as attractive as her effervescent husband. Off the show, she's shy and uncomfortable when forced into all the required public appearances their fame demands.
But trouble in Paradise erupts. Dawn gives birth to twins, but only after Wyatt consumed overdoses of an illegal fertility drug to increase his sperm count. When Dawn discovers his addiction to the pills has turned Wyatt dangerously psychotic, she flees with the twins. As you'd already expect of him, Wyatt wages a clever vicious publicity war on his fugitive wife, painting Dawn as an unhinged, post-partum threat to their babies.. With the entire country now on the lookout for her and the twins, the odds couldn't possibly be more stacked against her.
And that's where the real psychological tug=of-war (and all the nasty fun) begins as Wyatt and Dawn's competing stories vie for media attention.......all leading to an exciting wrap-up that we knew was on its way as sure as the sun shines in the morning. I realize that while 'The Perfect Home' is not the first thriller to skewer celebrity darlings, I found it by far the most fast paced, sharply written and entertaining of the bunch. Terrific beach read, but I'd advise don't even wait for the beach.

*I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
Dawn and Wyatt Decker are the hosts of a hit home improvement television show. Dawn provides the perfect balance of level-headedness to even out Wyatt's showboat, over the top tendencies. Wyatt is the star of the show while Dawn gives feedback and tries to rein Wyatt in a little bit. But Wyatt wants more. More fame, more money, more everything. Dawn is already feeling the strain of the show on their marriage. They both want a baby, but for two completely different reasons. Dawn has always been maternal and wants to add to their family, while Wyatt is thinking about how to achieve a perfect image to give their ratings a boost. When Dawn and Wyatt fail to get pregnant, Wyatt turns to illegal fertility drugs from Germany. These drugs begin to change Wyatt's personality but they pay off when Dawn gets pregnant with twins. But Wyatt's behavior becomes even more erratic and when Dawn finds Wyatt's new plan for how to drive the ratings up involves harming their twins, she knows she needs to protect them. Dawn decides to take her babies and try to escape her husband but Wyatt turns everything around into him being a victim and Dawn being a kidnapper. With Dawn as the number one fugitive in America how does she manage to keep her babies safe? This book did start a little slow for me but I soon was sucked into the story and couldn't wait to find out what happened. Thank you to NetGalley, Daniel Kenitz, and Scribner for this ARC. Publishing date is January 7th 2025.

So I pretty much could not put this book down. I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish in one setting. I loved Dawn and I relate to her feelings of betrayal by Wyatt. All of the characters were well developed and the storyline kept me engaged.

* I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Dawn and Wyatt’s home renovation reality show is good, but Wyatt wishes it was better. He wants more. More fame, more money, more from life. This, along with the couple’s struggles to conceive, has Wyatt losing his mind and himself.

They do end up able to have children, but it gets to the point where Wyatt is willing to do anything to get what he wants. Scheme, lie, cheat … even cause a tragedy. Dawn discovers what Wyatt is up to and she packs up the kids and runs. Wyatt uses this as an excuse to go on national television and paint HER as the villain in their story.
He is so charming, who wouldn’t believe him?

Told from both perspectives, this story is definitely worth the read!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Dawn Decker and her husband Wyatt are the hosts of the #1 rated home improvement show on TV. Well, actually, Wyatt is the STAR, with Dawn on hand to rein him in a little and give sly feedback to the cameras. But Wyatt wants more, while Dawn is already chafing at the loss of privacy their reality stardom brings. And most of all, they want a baby, but for different reasons: Dawn has always wanted to be a mother and pass on the wisdom she gained from her mother, but Wyatt sees having a child as proving they are the "perfect family" and need to be even more famous.

When Wyatt proves to be unable to get Dawn pregnant, he turns to an unproven and illegal drug from overseas, with some disturbing side effects. But the drug works, and Dawn gets pregnant - with twins! But Wyatt doesn't "exactly" wean himself off the drug, as he promised, and his erratic behavior becomes even more erratic. So when Dawn accidently finds a precise and well-drawn-out plan on Wyatt's computer that he thinks will give him the publicity boost he so desperately wants, she panics. Because the plan is to drown their newborn babies and bask in the sympathy!!

So she flees with the twins, with the help of some friends, who turn out not to be so friendly and NOT on her side!! She is soon the #1 Most Wanted fugitive in the country and Wyatt is getting all the support!! Finally, some people DO come through for her, but it is an iffy situation and not easy to solve.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. Very she said/he said, it is a good reminder that what you see on TV/social media is not the full picture in real life.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC
3.5⭐️

This one started off slowly for me. I wasn't really invested in the characters or the plot. Around the 50% mark, everything picked up, and I flew through the ending. I enjoyed seeing how much celebrity status can alter our opinions of people. It was fun reading about their home renovation show. I had a good time.