Riveting. I loved this twisty tale with its roots in a child's ghost story. Creepy and intriguing right to the end.

Wow! I have just finished this book, having started it last night. Literally couldn’t put it down.

This twisty psychological drama is based on the life of Vanessa, who lost her mother at the age of 10, which has had a profound effect on her life.

She meets Connor through a work colleague, and falls head over heels in love. However all is not what it seems with her new love and the plot line turns ever darker as Vanessa slowly starts to think she is losing her mind.

Vanessa starts to visit houses for sale, using different personas for her visits, but the last visit ends in murder. Can she remember what she has done?

I loved this book, it was written in such a way that it drew me in from the start. If I could give it 6 stars I would!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ever since her mother died when she was a little girl, fragile Vanessa Adams has been in search of happiness. Her wonderful older sister Georgie does her absolute best to help her and when Nessa meets Connor she thinks she’s found what she has been seeking. The story is partly about their relationship and also Nessa adopting different personas to view dream homes in search of that elusive something....

Initially the alternating Then and Now storyline seems a bit confusing but it all slots into place and makes sense. I like the the weaving of a sometimes ghostly fantasy world into the day to day reality which is a very stark contrast. I really like the children’s book theme which Nessa draws so much from especially after her beloved mother’s death and highlights how important fiction can be for children, it certainly was for me. I love the bond between the two sisters which is really heartwarming, demonstrating real love which Nessa’s relationship with Connor is so far from. That story is chilling and full of manipulative tension until the scales tumble from her eyes. The tempo builds well as the story progresses with a number of very unsettling, menacing and dangerous events occurring as Nessa’s world falls apart. Her feelings are very well described and you vividly sense her fear and panic. The ending is twisty and unexpected with people ultimately getting what they deserve.

Overall, this is another entertaining read from the talented Nuala Ellwood.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the arc in return for an honest review.

A good and interesting read!

I would recommend this to everyone who loves a good story with captivating characters! Definitely a good read!

Thanks for the ARC
Always keen to read publications by this author.
Both my wife and myself have enjoyed previous ones by Ms Ellwood and this was no exception.
Ok, could see parts of it coming, but plenty I didn't.
Thanks again.

I very much enjoyed this book - there were lots of twists and turns. Parts of it you could sense coming, but not all. I'm always keen to read books by this author and will look forward to her future work.

The Perfect Life by Nuala Ellwood

I Loved this book.

From the very first chapter I knew I was going to enjoy the story and boy was I right.

I could not put the book down as the story kept me on the edge of my seat. The story is fast paced, exciting and you never know where the next chapter will take you.

The drama and suspense are excellent. I have read all Nuala Ellwood’s other books and I think they are all fantastic.

I loved all the characters and could easily relate to them. I loved the main character, Vanessa, and couldn’t wait to find out what happens to her in the end.

I would like to thank Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a tricky one to review: I enjoyed it a lot but found it disappointing that our heroine is yet another woman drawn into the clutches of an apparently perfect man and who is unable to get away from at the first instances of his creepy behaviour. I could put up with that as it seems to me that almost all of these "domestic noir" type novels feature women tolerating "bad" men. Nonetheless I was quite intrigued to see where this was going and was ready for a thrilling denouement, but I'm afraid that it got preposterous with the very tenuous link between today's event and Vanessa's childhood. The villain almost appeared from nowhere and I felt that was a little bit of a cop out.

But all in all a good read and I'd like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. It hooked me from the beginning and I raced though it. It's a brilliant, psychological read. The characters are believable and completely relatable. The plot was consistent and never wavered from the main point. A lot of thought has definitely gone into the main character Vanessa and her aliases. It's a story which takes psychological mind games to a whole new level. I absolutely loved it and I will definitely be reading more books from the amazing Nuala Ellwood.

A compelling, twisty psychological thriller in which a much-adored boyfriend gaslights a vulnerable, naïve woman, leading us to ask: does anyone really have a perfect life?

Vanessa gets a thrill out of viewing houses she can’t afford. After her mother died when she was young, she’s longed desperately for a family of her own. She doesn’t think she’s doing any harm. Until one day the owner of the house she’s viewing is found dead. And the police think Vanessa is the murderer.

The story is told in two time periods: now, in which her life is a complete wreck; and before, in which everything was looking rosy. With a domestic setting and complex characters, this was a book exploring themes like love and control, and what happens when the perfect life turns out to be a nightmare.

Intriguing scenarios throughout this book. Vanessa assumes different identities with each house for sale she views, despite having no intention or funds to purchase.
The last house viewing turned into a nightmare for Vanessa when she was accused of murdering the owner of the property.
What follows makes you question her sanity. Her conviction that Connor her ex boyfriend is setting her up in an act of revenge.
An exciting and fast pace read with many different scenarios. However, the ending was a complete surprise.
Good thriller.

This was a good book overall, the story kept me gripped and interested. The main character was very relatable and I found the plot engaging. I will definitely be looking forward to more from this author.

This book took hold of me quickly because I was intrigued.

The author does well to reveal detail but leave you wanting more so you keep turning the pages.

The main character isn’t particularly likeable but that’s what makes it so interesting.

Read if you like twisty psychological thrillers.

This is my second book by Nuala and I really enjoyed the first book so was looking forward to reading this. Although I enjoyed it I feel it wasn’t quite as good as her first book so I still rated it 4 stars. Look forward to reading the next book.

This was another great book from Nuala. It was well written and kept me hooked all of the way through. I loved the time hop and was intrigued to find out what had happened to land Nessa in the predicament in the present day. However I wasn’t so keen on the reveal as it felt a bit random and the link was tenuous and that spoiled it for me. Also felt there could have been more made about the abuse element in her relationship. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Penguin for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vanessa gets her “high” from pretending to be someone else and viewing houses for sale. All ok until there is a dead body and she is a suspect. Such a good idea for a story, lots of potential, and I loved the first half of this book, though sadly felt it lost its way towards the end. The plot became very hazy and although a page turner there were too many holes in the story. The back story of the children’s author was a very tenuous link. The themes in the book are very current and I think in the main the subjects were well handled, but the end of the story seemed very rushed. I did enjoy reading but felt robbed of a good ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity of reading this arc.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the second book I have read by Nuala Ellwood I loved the first book so I was expected this to be the same and I am sad to say it didn't live up to expectations. It was entertaining but didn't grip me as much as the first one I found the plot a little weak.

My second book by Nuala Ellwood and it is a cliff hanger. Vanessa likes to assume a different identity and loves to view houses that are for sale with no intent of buying them. It is only after her latest viewing, the house owner turns up dead and Vanessa is in the frame. And what makes it worse, someone knows what she has done! Is it her boyfriend? Connor as the two of them are having relationship problems. Vanessa seems to think it is. A thrilling read, lots of twists and turns and an ending you don’t see coming. A must read!!

The Perfect Life, from Nuala Ellwood, falls neatly into the thriller genre of chick lit books that ae currently all the rage. I read this book in a day, and I am still unsure if it was because it was short, or if it was so all encompassing that I just blitzed through it so quickly because it was a page turner. Maybe it was a combination of both! But it was definitely the perfect length, and kept me interested all the way through.

Vanessa is arrested in conjunction to a crime early on in the book. The remainder of the story is a backwards look at the events that led up to the crime. A bit of gaslighting, a bit of 'whodunnit' thrown in and it's a great combination for an easy summer read.

Nuala Ellwood has cornered this particular market and the book was great. Would definitely recommend!

I enjoyed reading this book. Vanessa gets her kicks from viewing houses she can't possibly afford, pretending to be someone else. She doesn't think it can cause any harm until the owner of one house is found dead and the police think Vanessa killed him. In the mean time, the man Vanessa believes is the love of her life has started to change, and not in a nice way. You always feel Vanessa is living on the edge, and you're never sure of the truth. However, I did feel the denouement was a little far fetched. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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