Member Reviews

Wow what a thrilling read! I’m really excited to discover Sarah Bonner. This domestic thriller packed punch after punch! Had me guessing until the VERY end! So well done.
Brilliant. Highly recommend
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

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This thriller is so twisty that you won’t trust anyone by the end - and they’re all terrible people anyway - but it was a fun ride. I didn’t personally like the setting of during the pandemic as it added only superficial plot points that could have been worked around in a different way but I guess it kept things current. Bonner is a debut author to keep an eye on.

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Wow, what a perfect debut this book is!
I was completely hooked and couldn't put it down: a brilliant premise and a perfect execution. I loved the multi POV narration that managed not to be repetitive. The writing style is brilliant and the story is so packed with twists that i've found I had to remind myself to breath from time to time.
A must read!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Wow what a captivating read. The twists were entertaining throughout.
Was addicted from the start to find out what would happen.
Proper edge of your seat thriller.
No spoilers but you didn’t know what was coming next to the shocking ending.
Recommending to everyone!!!

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Oh my what a ride!! So much going on so many amazing twists. Started off not too sure for me then boom I couldn't put it down.
Rollercoaster after Rollercoaster..I'm dizzy.
What a book to start out with hope for many more.
2022 reading is starting off amazing.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book..

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This was absolutely spectacular. Spine-tinglinh, edge of your seat thrilling! I cannot thank netgalley and Hodder enough for giving me an arc because this was unbelievable!

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What a great thriller this is.
Chris and Megan have been married for three years when she discovers that he has slept with her twin Leah.
Growing up Leah always took from Megan and she has had enough. So she confronts Leah and murder is committed.
This is told from the POV of the twins, Chris and the lawyer Jeremy Crumpton.
This really had my head spinning at times. Who is telling the truth?
Chris is a piece of work, gaslighting his wife, I actually wanted to lump him one . Very cleverly written to make it so believable.
The lawyer was such a pompous twat.
A very twisty plot and just when you think you've worked it out another twist rears it's head.
A really great debut which I'm sure will do very well.
Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the ARC in return for an honest review.

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Shocking, intense and perfectly plotted thriller!

First things first, it’s so hard to believe that this is Sarah Bonner’s debut novel! This thriller is so astute, perfectly plotted and paced that it feels like it was penned by an author well into their career. Every thriller these days seems to profess to have a jaw-dropping, heart-pounding twist, but I can honestly say that Her Perfect Twin genuinely has multiple jaw to the floor revelations and twists (think Alice Feeney level too!). In fact, it’s so twisted that it makes a corkscrew look like a ruler! What I loved about this though, was that the book revels in the deliciousness of its surprises. I really felt like Bonner was toying with me, much like the characters manipulate each other in the narrative. I couldn’t get enough!

This book is very much about it’s mixed up and rather unhinged characters! They are a blend of unlikeable, incredible and gob-smacking traits that makes each and every one absolutely riveting to read about. Despite some questionable actions, I wholeheartedly spent the entire novel routing for Megan. She is a fascinating character, who’s life turns on its head in an instant. She’s a victim, but she takes her pain and torment, turning it into strength and power. She’s a really clever and surprising character and I was so engrossed in her journey. By comparison, Megan’s twin Leah is a complex character that I moved between loathing and feeling sorry for. She’s manipulative, dark and cruel, but she clearly has deep routed issues from her childhood that go some way to explain why she is so messed up. I really enjoyed discovering more about the differences between the twins and the challenging childhood they had. Finally, Chris (Megan’s husband) is just something else! He’s a spiteful, vindictive, utterly despicable individual and I feel a visceral hatred for him. I love when a book evokes such strong reactions and emotions and I genuinely would love to punch Chris in the face (and HARD!). He’s one of the most horrible characters I’ve ever read, with his gaslighting and morally bereft attitude to others. He’s another surprising character and he’s a truly exceptional fictional villain. My heart was racing with rage as I read more about him!

The last aspect I want to talk about is the setting. I have very firmly been of the mindset that I’m not ready to start reading books that reference the pandemic, but I found that it perfectly complemented Her Perfect Twin. I should point out that this is not a story about Covid, but the pandemic and lockdown are there in the background and only come more to the forefront to progress the narrative. It adds a whole new layer of tension to the proceedings within the plot, but also poses some very serious and real questions (like, just how did people survive being locked down with an abusive partner?). As well as making the novel a real edge of your seat, nail-bitter, it also made it a really thought-provoking read. It’s definitely opened my eyes to how the pandemic can be used to great effect in fiction.

This book is screaming out to be turned into a television series and I really hope to see it on screen in the future. In the meantime, I can’t wait to see what Sarah Bonner has in store for us next!

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A book that will leave you thinking, I am not sure if what I have just read is genius, or not, and am still not 100% sure I have the ending right, the rather abrupt ending it has to be said but I have read the last paragraph a few times and think I have 🤗
A tale of twins, one heinous and one as wet as a monsoon ( although more likeable than the other one ) and Chris who not only is a psychopath but leery and pompous with it, there is not one redeming feature about him, not one chink of humanity, I detested him and felt angry at his character, so the author did a great job with writing him
Its a tale of deception, twin rivalry, hatred and being wrong footed, that includes the reader as it does get a bit complicated and you have to stand back at times and just think who is who and who has done what to who
It has some fast paced shocks and suddenly you are in Part 2 and onto the next bit
Imo an unneeded ending part about the solicitor, we had already had enough nasty characters without another being introduced so late on
Quite like the way the narration would speak to you ie ‘well what did you think I would do’, I found myself answering
There is a lot to talk about re this book and would be ideal for a book club read and I daresay a Netflix series would be superb too
Even after writing this I am still not sure if it was genius or not but it certainly has me thinking even though am still uncertain the whole thing didn’t go beyond reasonable doubt of feasibility for a story
I would recommend trying it

8/10
4 Stars

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What a great read!
This book is about identical twins Leah and Megan , they don’t share a close relationship and that’s about as much as I can say with out spoiling the story.
I did find the first quarter of the book slow going , but after this the pace picked up and the story is excellent.
It was on the edge of your seat stuff at times with plenty of twists and turns, with a perfect ending!
A unique read and an enjoyable one too !
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton.

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I hold my hands up — I was all set to pack this in about one-quarter way through, due to what I felt was a clumsy start. All the characters seemed awful and I found the constant bad language offensive. I can’t read this, I thought, and closed the book.

24 hours later I was back to give it a second chance after reading all the gushing reviews on Goodreads. And, boy, am I glad I did — what an intoxicatingly addictive read it turned out to be! Bonner has taken the evil twin trope to a whole new level of nastiness , and I loved it!

The premise is genius! Murder your loathsome identical twin, then cover up the act by pretending to be her. At the same time, arrange your own disappearance so that you can escape your cheating, sociopath of a husband and live happily ever after with your new lover.

Then lockdown hits, leaving you confined to home with said, unpredictable husband and a body in the freezer.

What follows is a dark, twisty tale of revenge and counter revenge that will leave you slack-jawed in disbelief and your head spinning. Nobody is who or what they seem, and the suspense is riveting. .

The story is narrated from multiple points of view, which piles on the shocks and surprises and reveals the true depths of cunning of each of the main protagonists. Just when you think one of them has the upper hand, along comes another with a trump card.

I confess I was rooting for Megan, the wronged wife and sister. I wouldn’t say she was particularly likeable; rather the best of a bad bunch. But I did love that she was both victim and avenger.

Whether she ultimately gets her revenge and gets away with murder, you’ll have to find out for yourself. Bonner keeps you guessing until the very end, in a perfectly constructed climax that will take your breath away.

Clever, crafty and nail biting. An enjoyable and accomplished debut.

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3.5 rounded up to 4 because I enjoyed reading it. It’s basically an easy read twisty thriller involving identical twin sisters and a truly Bad Man. I read it in two sittings, and enjoyed it although I still don’t understand why the final stretch is written from the POV of an entirely new character (complete with back story) who is pretty irrelevant to the plot and the twist and the end was barely a twist (having been clearly laid out halfway through). So fun enough read, but not going to offer any surprises

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Wow! What a thrilling, page-turning debut – guaranteed to keep you guessing till the end!
The story revolves around Megan who decides to confront her identical twin after discovering she has been having an affair with Megan’s husband, Chris. But when their argument ends in murder, Megan has an unusual advantage when it comes to getting away with the crime – she can live both her own and her sister’s lives so no one even finds out her perfect twin Leah is even dead.
Since I already knew the incredibly hooky premise of this book from the blurb, I had a few ideas of how the plot might play out. How wrong I was. Her Perfect Twin was an absolutely wild ride, so much fun to read and kept me gripped right to the very end. Although most of the characters end up doing fairly terrible things, they are all absolutely compelling and Bonner is able to inject some dark humour along the way which I really enjoyed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Having read a huge number of psychological thrillers in my time I now tend to ration them out as there are only so many permutations on a theme. Here we have twins, along with a less than lovely husband for poor chief protagonist Megan, but this book is superbly executed and the twists and turns entertained me so very much!

The story opens with a confidential voice by Megan, twin to Leah and wife of Chris. What she imparts is not so shocking but you will enjoy the depth of characterisation that lets you believe in every aspect of her tale.

I can't say a lot else about the plot as this is one book where it is best to dive in and enjoy the ride! An outstanding read from a talented debut author..

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Her Perfect Twin is a clever, twisty domestic thriller. Megan and Leah are identical twins, though they had a difficult childhood, they have never been close -Leah has betrayed Megan at every turn and revels in taking things that Megan treasures. When Leah realises that this extends to her husband, a violent argument leads to Leah’s death. Megan decides to cover up the crime until the sudden lockdown of the country throws her plans into disarray.
Her Perfect Twin was an enjoyable read but there are so many holes in the plotting and completely unbelievable events that it doesn’t bear close scrutiny. Most of the characters are intensely dislike-able so it’s difficult to really care what happens. I’m afraid I’m getting really sick of reading books where lockdown is used as a plot device too!
Having said that, it’s well written and would make an excellent beach read.
Thank you to #netgalley and #hodderbooks for allowing me to review this ARC

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There something about this book that wanted me to read from the min I seen it.so gald I did as the plot has got some brilliant twist that keep u guessing.

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I honestly can't praise this enough, it is easily the best book I've read this year.

Her Perfect Twin tells the tale of identical twins, Megan and Leah. The book starts by setting the scene and talking about the girls' love lives and I questioned whether it was the sort of book for me. How wrong I was! A few chapters in, I was thrown into one of the most shocking, twisty and emotional stories I've read for a long time.

The book was set during the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it was really cleverly timed in order to add another dimension and even more tension.

This book needs trigger warnings for gaslighting and domestic abuse and is hard to read in some places. For me, this highlighted the quality of the writing and just how invested I was in the characters.

Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves a psychological thriller.

Unputdownable!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for sending me the ARC in return for an honest review.

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4.5 stars rounded up. Wow I was not expecting that. This was a fantastic book full of so many twists, turns and surprises. It kept me hooked from start to finish and it all tied together wonderfully. I loved the ending and I look forward to reading more by this author.

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Well this is one humdinger of a tale of duplicity - in every possible sense. Secrets, deception, family estrangement ... murder. Her Perfect Twin is a wonderfully addictive read that combines intriguing, if not entirely likeable characters, with fabulous storytelling and a narrative that is twistier than a plate of noodles.

The basic premise - twins estranged by the kind of inflated sibling rivalry that only two people who share everything, including looks, can achieve - is perhaps nothing new. But Sarah Bonner has taken this estrangement, this competition that exists between Megan and Leah and kicks it up a notch with a rather understated confrontation that results in the ultimate act of separation that can never be taken back - murder. But it is so much more than a simple family argument gone nuclear, it's a story of gaslighting, double crossing and some truly twisted and tangled relationships. A truly toxic relationship set against a backdrop of the pandemic which adds a layer of jeopardy and tension to an already fraught tale.

Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, what certain characters were capable of, there was some new revelation that got the mind whirring and the hackles rising. It's a strange kind of read in that, in truth, I should probably feel only a modicum of sympathy for Megan. In spite of everything, no matter what it appears is happening around her, she is a killer and there can never really be any justification for that. And yet ... It's not that simple, and there are few others in the book exactly setting the correct tone for morality either, the victim very much included. But it is Megan's husband, Chris, who really makes the skin crawl. from the very beginning there was just something very unsavoury about him, something just below the surface that kept me on edge and the author has done a great job of presenting the duplicity of his character - the charmer and the abuser - in a way that feel authentic and often menacing.

You do have to wonder, even with identical twins, how easy it really would be for Megan to replicate Leah's life, to become her, and there are many times where the truth that is only so very slightly buried, moves closer to the surface. I could never quite tell if I wanted Megan to get away with her deception or be caught out, but I had certainly made a decision by the end if the book. And if you think you know how the book with end, be prepared for a surprise. There is a pivotal moment where everything changes and the tempo steps up a gear, where you think maybe Megan is finally losing her advantage, and the pandemic and lock down certainly doesn't help her one iota. But ... everything about this book is a kind of distortion, even the way in which the story concludes. The clues are there, the execution, the way they are woven into the action, very clever. Did the ending leave me satisfied and smiling? It did actually. Was justice served? Well ... you'll have to find out for yourself, won't you.

Pacy, twisted, and full of surprises, I'm just glad I get on with my sisters. Mostly. It's a cracking debut from Sarah Bonner and I'm intrigued to see what comes next.

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Bait and switch

4.5 stars rounded up.

Despite temporarily swearing off books with the word “perfect” in the title this one managed to find its way onto my arc shelf. And I’m so glad it did, it was an impressive story.

Megan Hardcastle has been married to Christopher for around four years. Initially charming and sweet, Chris seems to be becoming more controlling and harsh. Both of them travel extensively with their jobs so at least they are not constantly together but Megan is starting to feel uncomfortable around Chris and he is constantly gaslighting her. Then she finds a photo of herself on the marital bed in electric blue lingerie. But Megan doesn’t have any blue lingerie, nevertheless she still checks. But no. So obviously its her twin sister Leah.

Megan and Leah might look identical but they are very different people. Leah uses and discards others like tissues. She has taken pretty much everything that Megan ever valued. She has made a fortune by selling THEIR story that Megan did most of the writing of. There is no love lost between them. She goes to Leah’s place to confront her and an argument ends in murder. One bang on the head was all it took for Megan to accidentally kill her sister. Not a spoiler, it’s in the blurb and happens early in the book. But what to do? Megan stuffs Leah into a freezer until she can work things out.

But then the realisation dawns - what if she could make out that she, Megan, was dead and she picked up Leah’s life with all that lovely money and no husband? This is when it starts to get interesting. With echoes of Gone Girl, part 2 of the story is told from Chris’s POV and he knows much more about what Megan has been doing than she thinks. Chris is a thoroughly nasty, scheming piece of work but he is also very clever and crafty.

It’s very cat and mouse from then on and you are never sure which one is going to win the battle of wits. Every time you think it’s a slam dunk another twist stops you in your tracks. None of the characters are very likeable but, bloody h*ll it’s a great story. This deliciously dark and twisted tale kept me thoroughly entertained from the first page to the last. Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

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