This was entertaining enough that I finished it but it was full of very unlikable characters and at times I did consider putting it down. I did get over that and saw it through and in the end it sort of resolved in the way that it had presented the people in it. Not amazing, but not terrible.

The lead character is really unlikeable but you don't warm up to anyone in 'the Perfect Family'. This book is another reinforcement that you really don't know what is going on in the lives of others. Fairly limited character development and not too suspenseful.

If there’s one thing that I like doing, it’s discovering new authors. Lorna Dounaeva is certainly a new author for me. I read the synopsis for ‘The Perfect Family’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of read I enjoy- a psychological thriller with more layers to it than a parcel during a game of ‘Pass The Parcel’. Well it was that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Perfect Family’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to say that I wasn’t especially keen on either of the two lead characters – Kit and Victoria. I certainly didn’t warm to them nor did I really like them. There was just something about them both that made me very suspicious. Victoria likes to think that she is perfect but really she is anything but. Kit doesn’t come across well and it turns out that he has a bit of a ‘habit’ as the saying goes. I won’t go too far down that road and explain just what he is addicted to as I would hate to spoil the story for anybody.
It took me next to no time to get into ‘The Perfect Family’. In fact as soon I started reading, I knew that I was going to find it rather difficult to put the book to one side for any length of time. The characters intrigued me and I was interested to see if their back stories were going to develop as I suspected they would. My Kindle wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to miss a single second of the story. The more of the story that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. All too quickly I got to the end of the story. I found ‘The Perfect Family’ to be a gripping, tense and dramatic read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat.
‘The Perfect Family’ is extremely well written. The author certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a read. For me the story was a bit of a slow burn but that suits the story that the author is telling. As the story gathers momentum, the level of tension increases and the drama grows. Reading ‘The Perfect Family’ felt a bit like being on an unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Perfect Family’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Lorna’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

An amazing slow burn domestic drama. The prolouge really grabbed my interest and couldn't wait to read. The book revolves around a perfect family with secrets, and the lengths people will go to keep their secrets.

"Everything was planned. Everything was staged. The picture she presented to the world was always one she had chosen."

This was a fast-paced thriller about... you guessed it: the "perfect" family. Victoria's entire life revolves around her family and keeping up appearances. She's determined to do whatever it takes to give her children the life that she never had. She might refuse to accept reality most days, but at least she looks good and her kids are "thriving".

The Perfect Family was a quick read about the lengths some people will go to in order to keep their secrets. It was a perfectly fine book, but one that I'll probably forget about in a few days. A few details were a bit outlandish and there was a lot of buildup in the beginning, but things fizzled out in the second half. Unlikeable characters and a soapy plot kept me turning pages, but I wasn't all that impressed with the ending.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for allowing me to be an early reader.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
This is the first book I have read by this author; the information about Victoria striving to show off her perfect family whilst keeping a secret attracted me. We learn the secret she is hiding early on, the book slowly reveals more about her character and efforts to maintain the image as the story progresses.
I thought that there were some strange points in the tale which didn't make sense or didn't didn't lead to anything, such as why someone obsessed with image would buy and serve ready meals, and Victoria donning frilly underwear and silk stockings, and the comment that Joey's lunchbox was 'invariably fully intact with a few breadsticks or bits of chicken eaten' so they weren't fully intact, and Anna thinking she sees a bloodstain on the road even though it is four months after the event. The information about the book states that 'Kit is unable to work' but in the novel he works until 75% into the story.
The ingredients for a suspenseful psychological thriller are present but I reached the end of the book feeling that Victoria was completely mad and her husband and daughter were an unbelievable pair of characters. I would not choose to read any more books by this author.

Victoria’s whole world revolves around her family and their reputation. She’d do anything to give her family the life she didn’t have growing up.
Then there is her husband Kit, rebellious daughter Anna and gifted son Joey.
When something happens Victoria will go to any and all lengths to protect her family.
Story is told in three current time pov’s from Victoria, Anna and Joey’s diary entries.
The ending didn’t feel to match the climax of the story. Somethings I feel weren’t needed to be added and were just odd fillers to the story. Overall was pretty fast paced and kept me wanting to know more.

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for this early release!

Well, this was a disturbing book but a very good one. I just read quickly through this one! Which means, for me, it was very enthralling. Lorna Dounaeva titled it perfectly. Because the mother, Victoria, tried her best to make her family “the perfect family” and not in the good way. All through she would do anything to achieve this. An accident happens and a neighbor is killed and it shakes all her plans up. There’s a twist you never see coming though, and that changes everything. There was a little language but a very small amount. To some it might still be too much, but to me it was just a small amount. I just skipped over. It was a very good psychological thriller! Thank you to #NetGalley and the publishers and author of #ThePerfectFamily for the opportunity to read and review with my own thoughts and opinions.

A quick summer read that I enjoyed even though I didn't really connect or like any of the characters. I could definitely understand the pressure the mom felt to keep up appearances while she feels like her life is slowly unraveling.

**Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for an eARC copy of this book.**

This story was a very captivating one right from the start. It has a lot of unexpected twists and that made the book itself a very exciting to read.

The only reason why this isn't a 5 star book is that, I wish there was more written about the background of the characters. I think that would have given a better understanding why do they act the way they do. For example, Victoria (the main character) is very particular about maintaining the perfect image but we, as readers, do not know why. In my opinion, knowing what happend to her in the past that had made her become like that would have made a story that much better.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this story and I'm looking forward to reading more books by this author.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. Victoria would do anything for everyone to believe that her, her husband Kit and children Anna and Joey were the Perfect Family. I really enjoyed this book and it definitely had some surprises along the way.

Victoria is a controlling mother and wife who consistently states that everything she does is for her family. She struggles with the possibility that her son is not perfect but refuses to see him as anything but gifted. She controls her husband with little regard to his pain or his feelings. She confesses to her daughter and expects no repercussions. I finished the book and was a little confused and disappointed at how the author comes to terms with Victoria. But the books ends well and it was an interesting read.

This is a great slow burn domestic drama!

After a short opening in which we witness an accident, we meet the family we will actually be following. Victoria is the matriarch of the story. She didn't start out with much and she and her husband Kit have worked their way up. She takes a lot of pride in appearances and reaching for the stars and she expects her family to as well.

We quickly find out things aren't as perfect as Victoria would have us believe. Her husband is suffering from chronic pain, her son Joey has some behavioral issues that are starting to cause trouble at school and her teenage daughter Anna has a rebellious streak and is falling in with a tougher crowd.

Things really get weird when a mother from school starts coming over for her son's piano lessons. Victoria and Kit want to stay as far away from her as possible.. but why??

Victoria is harboring a life-changing secret and when she confides in the wrong person, things are bound to come apart at the seams. This person isn't as loyal to her as she thought and loose lips sink ships. How far will Victoria go to protect her family and their freedom??

This was excellent. I had a good time. I had a bit of a hard time with the believability of Anna's character but nothing that ruined the story. It was thought-provoking. Definitely recommend.

This was really good. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this advance copy. Highly recommend.

Wow!! This book was amazing!! I read it all in a day because I could not put it down. The ending!!! Super book with a great cast of characters.

You have the perfect house, the perfect children, the perfect husband.. the perfect life. Although your husband seems like he's just going through the motions. Your daughter seems to be keeping secrets from you. And what does my son seem to be thinking about? You want to keep your family together, perfect, but will you go too far?

This book definitely had a couple twists and turns, mainly because of Victoria's behavior. I was definitely shocked by some of her actions, and made me read faster in some parts. But some parts we're a bit slower, more drawn out, felt like they could have been taken out all together. While they were hiding and keeping their little secret, sometimes I just needed to know how the craziness ended. But then the ending came.

For how drawn out some of the complications and climax was, the ending fell very flat. It seemed to have wrapped up rapidly with little to no explanation or satisfaction for all of the tense drama in the rest of the book. I would not recommend this one for the deflating ending.

Such a thrill! Loved the characters the plot and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! For sure will read more by this author!

This book kept me hooked.
I did not like that mother at all. But I'm pretty sure that was the authors goal.
I'd be interested in reading more of her books.

#netgalley #theperfectfamily publication date 24 April 2022

I absolutely loved this book, I didn't want to put it down, it is very fast paced and a page turner. A family drama physcological thriller about Victoria and some of the crazy things she did to protect her family. 5/5 stars

I give this 3.5 stars out of 5. It felt more family drama than a thriller. It drew me in within the first few chapters but did get little slow in the middle. The ending felt a little rushed but overall I would recommend it