This book was so cleverly written.

It had me completely hooked from page 1. I was desperate to know more. I kept questioning all the characters, wanting to know if it was them.

It was full of brilliant twists and was really very eerie. I really didnt see it ending the way it did but it was actually a perfect ending.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

A gripping story of Ellie's new home - which turns out to be not quite as perfect as she would have liked. A bargain at auction, it was of course, too good to be true. Harbouring secrets and ghosts that paralleled Ellie's earlier experiences and leaving her questioning her sanity and who she can trust.

Does the perfect house exist?
I have to say that I don’t believe in perfection, you can have something you’ve always dreamed of, but it will not be perfect, it will always have some faults. If you don’t believe me, you should ask Ellie if the house she was moving into was as perfect as she thought… But let’s not advance things, as I am sure you are aware that Ellie is pregnant and is looking for a nice place to live with her daughter and husband and she can’t believe it when she sees that a house is on sale for a price she can afford and in a nice neighborhood! Yes, she thinks that it’s fate and this will be her dream’s house…
As you can imagine, things will start getting weird from the first moment; sounds she can’t understand, a stain she can’t clean… Is she really imagining things or does someone want her going crazy?
But, Ellie has a past, a friend called Mia that she doesn’t want to talk to at all, not even to her husband… Is Mia’s ghost hunting her or is she hallucinating? As you can see, there are so many questions in this story that you’ll have to read the book if you want to know all the answers!
This is an eerie psychological thriller, you become paranoid like the main character, not trusting anyone and seeing ghosts everywhere… The neighbours are too sympathetic, the woman that owned the house previously and now is dead, and even Ellie’s husband, Tom, who works too much with a new partner…
It was not difficult to get lost in the story and start feeling obsessed with the characters and afraid that all are planning something dangerous… But the story feels real, the tiredness of having a daughter and no one to help you; the isolation of not knowing who to talk to and the background with mental health problems make this book engaging and addictive. But probably I would not read it alone at night in an empty house… you’ll have nightmares!
Are you ready to discover “The Perfect House”?

This really spooked me and was delightfully creepy.
Ellie's dream house soon enters her nightmares and the backstory is cleverly woven in.
Some scary moments, bit of a trust no one approach too.
Climax didnt disappoint one bit.

The reason why I thought this was an average read is because I don’t think the idea was very original. In my opinion, it was not as thrilling as I was anticipating and it did not grip me as the plot developed.

Don’t get me wrong: I was completely unprepared for the plot direction but, once I had settled, I felt like it dragged and there was not enough action. The narrative moves from present day to when Ellie was a student at university. Over the story, readers gradually learn what happened to Ellie’s best friend, Mia, and how Ellie is still haunted by such events. With moving home and a new baby, Ellie is struggling to adapt to these significant changes in her life; being reminded of Mia just makes things worse for her.

I struggled to like Ellie’s character. I thought she was rather weak and insipid, making frustrating errors. In my opinion, she was quite whiney and did not seem to pull herself together! I certainly sympathised with her circumstances as a new mum and in a new home; I could recognise several struggles that she faced. The way the writer portrays Ellie’s difficulties definitely reminded myself of being a new mum! From sleep deprivation, constant mess and the hormonal confusion, this description of fresh motherhood was very relatable. However, I thought Ellie could have toughened herself up, especially considering the strain she puts upon her husband.

That being said, I think Ellie’s actions are a gentle acknowledgement of the fragility of our own mental health. This is a theme that underpins the narrative and, whilst I may have been frustrated by Ellie, her character does reinforce the importance of mental well-being. Ellie is undoubtedly feeling isolated and I did feel sorry for her with the fact she believed she had no one to confide in.

There is a lot of atmosphere in this story and it did give me the chills! I was unprepared for the paranormal theme and Bolton definitely creates a spine-tingling mood, particularly with the use of shadows and sounds. As Ellie cannot explain what is going on around her and with her husband doubting Ellie’s actions, the story becomes more erratic as Ellie becomes more frantic. The climax of the story was quite intense and I was pleased to see answers finally coming to the story.

All in all, this was alright for a thriller. There’s a bit of mystery and paranormal thrown in to the plot as well and I like the concept of exploring previous house occupants. However, I don’t think Bolton quite hit the original narrative and this read did echo similar books I have encountered in the past.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read quite a few books over the past year with a similar set up to this. Young couple, new baby, move into their dream family home in the country. There’s a sad past to the house which they only find out about afterwards and some unsettling neighbour. The man works long hours away from home leaving the new mother fighting through lack of sleep and potential post natal depression to figure out if the threats she feels are real, gaslighting, guilt for the secret in her past, or supernatural in origin.

This plot feels like the psychological thriller equivalent of the chocolate fondant attempt on Masterchef. It’s a delicate balance of skill, and there are so many ways it can fail leaving a solid boring cake or an undercooked mess. It’s not until you get to the end that you know whether the creator has managed the delightful melting centre which characterises a well done fondant. In case it’s not obvious the equivalent is a book which manages to keep the suspense throughout and deliver a satisfying conclusion.

In fondant terms The Perfect House is a success which would have had John and Gregg immediately putting the creator through to the next round of the competition with no debate.

In book terms the author manages to create a sense of unease and uncertainty which pervades the whole book. The mystery is never in your face, it’s quite a gentle build up, but it also doesn’t let up. Even when logical explanations are given for potential spooky or sinister moments there’s still enough doubt to keep the reader wondering.

An easy-to-read thriller which delivers.

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book to read and review. The author is new to me and although I have read some fantastic reviews on The Perfect House, I wanted to experience it for myself.

The writing style was a familiar one, meaning I didn't have any problems reading this or getting engrossed by the plot and characters. Admittingly, the pace was a little slower than my personal preference, but this is solely my own opinion. The action starts almost immediately, which is a huge positive. Filled with lots of twists and turns, this has everything a fan of this genre is looking for. The characters are not too complex and the plot is easy to follow.

The only critic that I have about The Perfect House is that on a very small note, the conclusion for me was a little disappointing, and I felt that this left me feeling a little deflated, However, I have read a lot of psychological thrillers, and each one is entirely different on the way the author ends a storyline, therefore it will not stop me recommending this to other readers, or picking up future reads by this author.

This was a bit of a slow burn of a read but saying that it was one that I quite enjoyed. Maybe a little to slow paced and for me I would have preferred it to be a faster pace read.

If there’s one thing that I like doing it’s discovering new authors. R. P. Bolton is certainly a new author for me. I read the synopsis for ‘The Perfect House’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of creepy, psychological thriller I particularly enjoy. So without further ado, I grabbed a cup of tea, grabbed my Kindle and settled down for what I hoped would be an interesting afternoon of reading. I did enjoy reading ‘The Perfect House’ but more about that in a bit.
I can’t say that I particularly warmed to any of the characters in this story and I don’t mean that as a criticism. It could be that I have just read too much crime fiction and I ‘accept nothing, believe nobody and challenge everything’. I got the impression that each of the main characters wasn’t telling the whole truth and that they were desperate to keep something hidden.
I was drawn into this story from the very beginning. In fact by the time I got to the end of the synopsis, I knew that I was going to find it rather difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. I had my own theories as to what was going to happen and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered down the wrong path entirely. I would become so wrapped up in the story that I would lose all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of the story. I found ‘The Perfect House’ to be a gripping and tense read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat.
‘The Perfect House’ is extremely well written. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. The author certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and reel them into the story. The story is written with a dual timeline- one timeline deals with the present and the other timeline is written detailing events as they happened in the past. The different timelines interlink well and the story flows seamlessly. For me, the story the story hit the ground running and maintains a fairly fast pace throughout. Reading ‘The Perfect House’ felt like being on a scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘The Perfect House’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of this author’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

Absolutely incredible! I always try to find at least one good thing in my book reviews but for this sory I didn't even need to look, the plot the characters, the writing style, the character progression, the suspense, the twists........ you will not be able to put this book down. Absolute joy to read, I was just sorry it ended!! Can't wait to read more from this author

I really loved this book, and it kept me hooked right to the end.
Ellie & Tom have found the perfect house to raise their new baby, Trinity. Or have they?
All is not what it seems. From things going missing, to hearing singing from upstairs, and a strange mark on the nursery carpet that comes and goes: these are just some of the weird happenings that occur. Not to mention the sleepwalking, and dirt marks that seem to appear from nowhere.
Ellie is exhausted, and everyone around her thinks that she is suffering from PTSD related to an incident in her youth.
Right up until the end you are left wondering.....
An excellent read.

Although I enjoyed The Perfect House I felt somewhat disappointed by the ending. I felt the book was building up to something throughout, dangling a carrot as it were to keep you reading but the ending just left me feeling slightly flat. Having said that I was gripped throughout and compelled to keep reading so I’d rate this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, HQ s d the author for the chance to review.

Ellie knows she has found her dream home - 6 Moss Lane. The place she and Rom can settle down, raise their new baby and start again. But why do their neighbours think they are so brave for moving in? Why are Ellie's keys never where she left them? And why can Ellie hear strange noises in the night that that Tom can't? Has their perfect home become their worst nightmare?

I was pulled into this story from the beginning. I needed to know what the history/mystery was surrounding the house. The neighbours were an intriguing bunch. Although I have read books with similar plotlines, there was just something different about this one. The pace is fast in this quick read. I will look out for this author in future.

I would kike to thank #NetGalley #HQDigital and the author #RPBolton for my ARC of #ThePerfectHouse in exchange for an honest review.

As I always say I love a tale about houses, and this ticked all the boxes when looking at the blurb….a couple moving to a posh secluded street via an auction and a price way below the norm for the area, odd neighbours and unexpected happenings when they move into the house….what can be better than that in a book 😎
The house has a past, not so nice secrets, mysterious and secretive former owners and with the new owners having secrets of their own Ellie wonders if everything that is now happening is linked, could her past she has tried so hard to ‘get over’ be back?
Well written, tense, moves fairly quickly and a good ending made this a worthwhile and enjoyable read

8/10
4 Stars

Wow!!!!! What a book!!! I was gripped from start to finish!!!!! I can’t wait to read more from this exciting author

After reading the description of The Perfect House I wasn't sure what to expect. What I discovered was a chilling story with a building sense of unease throughout. that had me on the edge of my seat right up to the extremely satisfying ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.

I’m afraid I didn’t enjoy this book. I totally understand the message it portrayed but it dragged and became repetitive without any real developments. Hints and suggestions of underlying reasons for the bizarre events that were happening were somewhat obvious and I’m afraid I felt no fear in the book at all. My main feelings were of frustration and pity.

Ellie and Tom are a young couple expecting their first baby. They are living with Tom’s dad, which is far from ideal.

On her way home from work one day, Ellie takes shelter in the doorway of an estate agents and sees the details for a house coming up for auction, which she thinks is their perfect house. After a viewing, it is decided that the couple attend the auction, and they can’t believe their luck when their bid is successful, even though the hammer price exceeds their budget.

Before the house becomes theirs, Ellie is rushed into hospital and gives birth several weeks early by c section. Due to complications it is some weeks before Ellie and baby Trinity are allowed home, to their perfect house.

From the off there is something wrong in the house, but it appears only Ellie can feel/see it. She makes unwelcome discoveries via a neighbour, a playgroup mum and google. The mysteries keep coming!

This starts off as a page turning read, the first half full of suspense and intrigue (and lost keys!). I vacillated between thinking it was a horror story to it being all in Ellie’s mind due to her PTSD history. The second half of the book felt flat, a little repetitive. Right to the end there are a doubts, it’s up to the reader to make the final decision.

I enjoyed this book, though at times it was a little confusing but that may have been due to the format of the arc I received rather than the writing.

Thank you NetGalley.

Ellie and Tom think they've found their dream house. It's in an area they covet but for once it seems affordable. What is it they say about a free lunch? Well, there's no such thing as a dream house for a bargain price. They've no seiner moved in than Ellie starts to see and experience strange things and then she found out what happened in the house before they bought it. Exhausted by dealing with a new baby and filled with guilt about something that happened ten years ago she soon starts to fall apart.

I enjoyed this novel although I found Elie exasperating at times and Tom a little too good to be true. But it kept my attention throughout and I would certainly read this author again. A solid 3.5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HQ, HQ Digital, for the ARC.

This is an excellent psychological thriller. The star of the show is Ellie Wight with her story being told between two timelines. This is well-written with believable dialogue within an increasingly tense and creepy atmosphere: as a film I think it would be billed as a "horror".

Ellie and Tom are expecting a baby, living in Tom's father Howard's flat saving up for a house. Fate takes a hand in steering them to bid on their dream home at auction - a renovation project at 6 Moss Lane, a quiet and sought-after suburb of Manchester. Howard and Tom start the renovations as the early arrival of baby Trinity sees both Ellie and baby spend weeks at the hospital where she has a troubling hallucination. Once home, Ellie's mind starts to play tricks on her - sinister and strange things start happening and it's not until she can arrange her "baby brain" into meeting neighbours that she discovers secrets about the house and its previous occupants.
Ellie doesn't believe she deserves her baby, nor to be happy; is she losing her mind? Is Tom gaslighting her?
The "Then" narrative of Ellie's past gradually reveals the guilty burden she has been carrying for ten years - things should resolve themselves now, shouldn't they? Except the tension continues to rise towards a solution to the puzzle of 6 Moss Lane.

Character-wise, Tom - a DC on a specialist unit - is overwhelmed by his work and focuses on Ellie's past as an explanation for her present state of mind and her bizarre actions. Carol, Ellie's mother, is in Majorca and can't offer help following breaking her leg. Diane, a neighbour and retired district nurse, gives more insight as to the previous occupant of the house and Norah, a freelance journalist trying to make a name for herself' is focussed on past tragedies.

An intriguing and absorbing read.