Susanna Beard skillfully crafts an unputdownable psychological thriller, charged with an atmosphere of menace and tension. The author takes readers on a gripping journey through the depths of jealousy, suspicion, and the fragility of human relationships. As the plot unfolds, the narrative keeps readers guessing, constantly shifting the ground beneath their feet. The pacing is excellent, with well-timed reveals that heighten the sense of anticipation and unease.

The characters in "The Perfect Life" are complex and realistically portrayed, each harboring their own desires, secrets, and motivations. Heather is a sympathetic protagonist, grappling with the dark side of newfound wealth and the overwhelming fear it brings. Natalie, on the other hand, is torn between loyalty to her friend and her own insecurities. The nuanced portrayal of their friendship adds depth to the story, as it explores the boundaries of trust and the lengths people will go to protect themselves.

Beard's writing style is engaging and evocative, painting vivid scenes that immerse readers in the characters' emotional turmoil. The author masterfully weaves together themes of greed, envy, and the dark side of human nature, delivering a thought-provoking exploration of the consequences of sudden fortune and the fragility of personal relationships.

"The Perfect Life" is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Susanna Beard's skillful storytelling, well-drawn characters, and intricate plot make for an enthralling reading experience. Prepare to be captivated by this suspenseful tale of jealousy, betrayal, and the disintegration of trust.

I loved this the book as it highlighted the other side of winning the lottery which most people wouldn’t think about. There was a few unexpected twists too! I would definitely recommend.

This is a perfect easy book to read, while imagining what you would do if you win the lottery. I will immediately resign and become a full time reviewer and reader. Was an entertaining read, worth the effort.

I was expecting a bit more from this after reading the blurb, it was an ok thriller but I didn’t think it was amazing,

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A fun mystery/thriller. Highly recommend for a great edge of your seat read.

Dark thriller that had you hooked from the off. The book was very well written. Great plot. Very exciting. Fast paced to get your heart racing. Loved this book

The Perfect Life explores what it's like to win a lot of money when you were happy with what you had. What do you do with the money? Are people all of a sudden your friends because they want something from you? Then the unthinkable happens because you have money. Is it all worth it?!

I really wanted to love this book because everything about it including the cover sounds like my kind of book. But, unfortunately I couldn't get into it. Heather was really whiny and to me and I couldn't relate or feel anything for her as a main character.' I do wish you lots of success with this book.

This was more a domestic noir than a thriller. I was intrigued by the premise but it didn’t pen out the way I was expecting. I didn’t care for Heather and her whining and moaning about winning the lottery. That resulted in me not really caring about the story nor the rather pedestrian plot.

I didn't find this book to be a thriller, domestic suspense is more fitting. This book was a struggle for me. I wanted to enjoy it but Heather was just too much. Constant whining about the lottery was all I could think about. How can 1 person get so lucky and be so miserable?

It was hard to get through this- with all the opportunity winning the lottery and getting all that cash could provide, whining and worrying was tedious to read. Of course having all that dough will change your relationships, duh.
It was a nice premise, just not so exciting to read.

Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

When Heather buys a lottery ticket on a whim she has no idea what she’s let herself in for. I wouldn’t describe this as a thriller as it’s more like a domestic drama. Also it was too much of a slow burner to be described as a thriller. Heather was such a bore with her whinging and whining, so much so I skimmed huge chunks of this book. Sorry but this wasn’t anywhere near as exciting as I like books to be especially when it’s easy to know who has been doing what. A bit of escapism really as you imagine what you would do with a big lottery win!

This book was ok...it started out well and then seemed to drag. As the story went on I found myself getting bored and tired of hearing the repetitive worrying and moaning about winning the lottery. I didn’t relate to any character and I barely felt sorry for them when the bad incident occurred-which was towards the end half of the book. There was nothing compelling or electrifying happening here. The ending was predictable.

I liked The perfect life for the most part. I didn't care for the main character. I did hated what happened to her in the end. I didn't see the ending at all which it loved alot. Most of the time I can guess the ending pretty fast. I would recommend this book to others that want fast paced book.

I was excited to read this book because I was curious about a lottery winner themed psychological thriller. Unfortunately for me, the book focused too much on lottery winner Heather's stress with winning the money than the book's thriller aspect. The majority of the story is really about how nervous and anxious Heather feels about winning the lottery and how she and her husband James will be gifting it to their friends and family. When their son gets kidnapped towards the end of the book, we go back and forth with the Spanish police for quite some time and then we quickly discover what happened to him. Overall I wasn't really excited by this book. It was a little boring for me and not enough thriller.

Review - The Perfect Life
By - Susanna Beard

4/5 Stars

The Perfect Life was great story line with a different twist that I really enjoyed. Who knew winning millions in the lottery could be so problematic for Heather...so let the twists and turns begin! The author did a great job of drawing me in right from the start. Character portrayals were nicely done, slowly developing each one with their own set of issues. Throw in an extravagant holiday to escape the press with family and friends and the drama begins.
Thank you NetGalley, Joffe Books and Susanna Beard for the opportunity to read and review this novel. My review is strictly voluntary. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

#NetGalley #JoffeBooks #ThePerfectLifeThriller

This was an okay book, although I really was expecting something more exciting with the premise. Overall, I did find it to be an easy, twisty read, which provided a couple thrills and chills and even a shock or two. It was definitely fast paced and kept my attention until the end, I think it could be much more exciting, but overall I would still recommend to others who are looking for a quick, unique read. 3-4 stars!

This was interesting, easy to read and over quickly. But it didn’t grab me as much as I wanted. I was sick of Heather moaning about her millions throughout the first half and didn’t get the point of Natalie as a second POV. Still don’t. The second half was much faster paced and was worthy of 3 stars.

I read this while on a tropical holiday believe it or not (it's a hot stummer here in Australia)
The book was a quick and easy read with great description but what I struggled with was the characters. I couldn't bond with any of them.