Member Reviews

Wow! Excellent book, I couldn't stop reading. I do have to say, I'm thankful for reading it on my kindle, there is a lot of French, they phrases weren't key to the plot, but I was happy to click on them and get it translated to English. Don't worry, as I stated, nothing important to the plot, and a lot of it you can kind of figure out what is being said. Other than that, it's such a well written book. I loved the characters, well, most of them. Enjoy the read! I know I'll look for more from this author in the future.
Thanks to netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this ARC for an honest review.

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This book is set in France and told from multiple perspectives. The characters are well developed. It is fast paced. It is well written

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Wow! What a crazy ride this one is! I loved it.

The twists and turns totally kept me awake for hours. Such an intricate plot.

Amazing book! Highly reccomended.

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I was really into this to start because it was such a weird concept and I enjoyed the interesting relationship dynamics between the daughter and girlfriend. However towards the end I found it a little disappointing and anti-climatic. The pacing just seemed a bit off. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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A good psychological thriller
A book that was easy to read
And I didn’t want to put it down
Can’t wait for the next book
Thanks NetGalley

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I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Ideal Man by T.J. Emerson from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. The cover drew me to this book as I'm so over winter living in Chicago and seeing this made me yearn for a warm weather vacation. I did enjoy this book but will say there are lots of points of view so I had a hard time keeping track of who was who for a while. Lots of twists and turns that kept the book flowing quickly. I would absolutely recommend this to friends and family.

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I hate to admit this, but I did not enjoy this book. I read The Perfect Holiday and loved it, so I was incredibly excited to read another T. J. Emerson book, but this was a huge let down. I kept waiting for an idea of what the twist was going to be, and I thought that because I couldn't figure it out, it was going to be a really good one. Turns out I couldn't predict it because there wasn't one. I kept having to check and make sure I wasn't mistaken in thinking the same author wrote both books.

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The Daughter.

My father is innocent. He’s spent almost four years behind bars, but now he’s getting out. I gave up everything to be there for him, just like he was always there for me. It’s all going to be worth it now.

The Girlfriend.

As soon as I opened the paper that day and saw that picture of Sandy, I didn’t care about the story surrounding it. There’s no way he hurt that girl. Now he’s out, we’ll get married and I’ll finally get to meet his daughter. There’ll be no more hiding our love.

The Other Woman.

No one knows what happened all those years ago, and the life I built depends on no one finding out. Now he’s getting out, my secrets may soon see the light. I can’t let that happen.

One Loves Him.

One Needs Him.

One Wants Him DEAD.

Seductive and twisted. Highly recommended! Readers, find some quiet alone time to settle in with this one because you won't stop reading until you've turned the final page. Highly recommended to fans of mysteries, suspense and thrillers.

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T J Emerson’s latest twisty thriller The Ideal Man is sure to keep readers turning the pages all through the night.

Colette, Lynne and Jane are three women who have had their lives changed by one man: Sandy Gilligan. Currently in prison for rape, Sandy Gilligan means different things to these three different women and now that he’s being released, Colette, Lynne and Jane once again find themselves on the precipice of great change as they are caught up in a maelstrom of lies, secrets and deception. Daughter Colette is over the moon that her father is being released. She has always believed in his innocence and has fought for his release from day one. Colette has always been there for Sandy, but will he offer his daughter the same support? Or is Colette about to be seriously disappointed?

Girlfriend Lynne is beside herself when she hears that Sandy is going to be released. Like Colette, Lynne never believed for a second that Sandy was guilty of the heinous crime he was being accused of and now that his release is imminent, she is looking forward to planning their wedding and meeting his daughter. With Sandy acquitted, there will be no more hiding their love – or so Lynne thinks! Just how well does she know the man she’s given her heart to? And can she trust him? Or will letting Sandy into her life prove to be the biggest mistake she’s ever made?

Finally, Jane’s worst nightmare has come true: Sandy is being released. Jane has spent the past few years trying to forget what happened on the worst night of her life and she has managed to make a fresh start for herself. But with everything she has worked so hard for in jeopardy, Jane is about to realise that outrunning the past might be harder than she thought.

Colette, Lynne and Jane are all connected to Sandy Gilligan in their own different way – but only one of them will kill him…

B A Paris and Liane Moriarty fans will not want to miss T J Emerson’s The Ideal Man. A nail-biting thriller that keeps readers glued to its pages, The Ideal Man is a heart-stopping page-turner about complex family ties, devastating betrayals and dangerous secrets that had me jumping out of my skin on plenty of occassions.

More addictive than any Netflix binge, T J Emerson’s The Ideal Man is a must for thriller fans everywhere.

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This is my first book by this author. It is told by multiple pov's and had me guessing to who was telling the truth. Loved the ending . I didnt find it to be as thrilling more of a drama .

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A story of a man released from prison told from three perspectives….the daughter who stood by him, the victim and the woman who wants to be with him romantically….gripping great read told with the backdrop of France.

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I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, the atmosphere, the setting 😍 👌🏼 and I enjoyed how the story played out!

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Bummed by this one!

Three timelines of three different women and their conflicting experiences with one man... that sounded fantastic. I was ready. But I'm afraid that while there was a lot of tension and build-up... nothing actually happened? There were no twists, either. Reading the girls' experiences was SAD, absolutely, but aside from the daughter's perspective, the other two povs didn't really contribute anything to the story. There's a lot of people-following-others and 'oooh what is this person doing here??' but until the very very end, no one actually *does* anything.

Still, grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

-A

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A dark story set in the beautiful France. Is there anything better? Emerson has literally pulled me into the pages of this one. I feel as though I have watched the events play out in front of me.

The Ideal Man is a dark and slightly disturbing tale of a group of women impacted by the same man. The point of view given are equally as interesting and my opinions have changed throughout.

I found myself completely hooked by this one. It’s definitely a book I didn’t want to put down. And one I highly recommend.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This book encompasses the perspectives of three woman who all have a connection to one man. A daughter, a girl friend and a woman from his past. The man, Sandy, was sentenced to prison for raping a young woman. His daughter does not believe that her father is capable for committing such an act. She spends years defending him and is anxious for him to come home and for life to go back to normal. The girlfriend, was kept secret from the daughter, as she became a prison pen pal who then came into town once Sandy was released. The last female, has a traumatizing history with Sandy and is terrified of his release. We follow the progression of each woman after Sandy is released. Little did we know the secrets Sandy has kept.

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As psychological thrillers go, this definitely ticks the boxes! It’s not a fast-paced narrative but a slow burner which ramps up the tension with each chapter.

Told in alternating chapters through the eyes of the three women central to the storyline, this is a fascinating exploration into the psyche and forces the reader to question and second guess what is presented to them.

Each character has clearly been shaped in some way by previous events and it is intriguing to see how this impacts on how they try to control or are controlled, sometimes evoking sympathy and at others frustration at an inability to see how they are being treated or manipulated.

Lynne’s character is probably the most fascinating as it’s hard to envisage how someone can so wholeheartedly throw themselves into a convicted rapist’s life and plan a future together even before he is released from prison.

I loved the contrast between the depiction of the scenic, picturesque French setting and the dark intensity of the plot.

With thanks to the author, Rachel at Random Resources and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to participate in the tour.

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⭐️Rating: 3/5
✍🏼Author: TJ Emerson
📖Genre: Phycological Thriller


I thought this was a good thriller, it was set in France and I appreciated the multiple POVs. I think the author did a great job being descriptive with the setting and characters. The story itself was pretty good, I was pulled into the book with the strong start at the beginning and just had to finish. It's my first book by TJ Emerson and I'm excited to read more.

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A reaklly enjoyable read. I loved the narrative and the way it was told from the perspectives of three differnet women. It was well written with a lot of twists and unpredictablity. A gripping read

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This is an enjoyable story told from the perspectives of three women, each having different versions. A great book with an ending I didnt expect.

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I enjoyed unpicking the story of Sandy and his Daughter Collette after Sandy is released from Prison, We also meet Lynne, his prison pen pal. The Author takes us on a journey wondering if he is in fact innocent or guilty of some horrid sexual crimes against women. Collette had given up her whole life to support her father during his trial, prison years and release. All the perspectives are gripping, Their stories take the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions, through the twists and turns of the story. I was certainly reeled in to the end.

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