This wasn't as much of a thriller as I expected, it's more a story about how one man's release from prison after a rape conviction affects three women. Collette is his devoted daughter and convinced of his innocence while other family members have turned their backs. Lynne is a penpal turned girlfriend who never knew him before his conviction and is looking to a future with him. Finally, Jane is his victim but has built a new life without revealing the incident, and is racked with fear about his release. The points of view of each woman are presented and offer perspectives on Sandy. There are a few mild twists and an ending I didn't see coming.

A creepy and suspenseful read that will have you questioning things until the very end! This book was crazy. I loved it and can't wait for more by TJ Emerson.

This book instantly had me hooked from the very beginning. It had interesting well developed characters and the storyline kept me guessing what actually happened and what the twist was going to be.

There were multiple POVs which I always love in a thriller, as well as super short chapters!

I do wish there were more twists as the ending felt a little flat and that’s why I rated it a 4⭐️ and not 5⭐️.

I will definitely be reading more by this author.

The Ideal Man by T.J. Emerson is more of family drama than a thriller in my opinion.

This is a story about a man convicted of a rape, who after serving his sentence gets out of the prison and there are three women whose lives will be affected by this.
His loyal, caring daughter who sacrificed her own life to take care of him.
His new found love interest whom he met while in prison and the woman he assulted.

I really liked the premise but sadly the book didn't deliver.
It is very, very slow and for the longest time nothing happens. Almost till the end of the book and the whole while I was expecting some twist or turn to shake things up as usually happens in thrillers.

I liked different points of view, it was intriguing to see thoughts each of them had and how they perceived what was going on,
There is a satisfying ending but apart from that nothing exceptionally suspensful happens.

I think this would be a good choice for those who are just beginning to read thrillers as is not very fast, grusome and suspensul and it would be a nice introduction to the genre.

Sandy Gilligan is a wealthy man with dual citizenship in Britain and France. It was in France that he was charged, found guilty, and served nearly five years for rape. Now, he has been released and his daughter, Colette, 30, has waited faithfully for him. She is ecstatic that he is finally home and has always believed that he is innocent.

Lynne and Sandy corresponded while he was in prison and they hope to meet up now that he has been released. Lynne dreams of marrying Sandy and living a happy life. Lynne also believes that Sandy is innocent because such a wonderful man could never do something like that.

Jane is married to Michel and is mother to Theo, age 3. She is the woman who accused Sandy of rape. After the trial, she changed her name to Jane and her husband knows nothing about the rape. Now that Sandy has been released, Jane is terrified that he will find her.

There were times I got somewhat confused about Ella and Jane. Holding back by giving tiny bits of information can frustrate a reader more than intrigue them to continue reading. That’s the case with this book. I could understand Colette’s support for her father as they have always had a good relationship. The pathetic character in my opinion is poor Lynne. What a sad life for her but she keeps on keeping on. A pretty good read that I hope readers will enjoy. I feel like I was generous in giving it 4 stars.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Ideal Man by
Sandy made me nervous from the start; he just didn't sit right with me.
Having her father convicted of rape must have been extremely difficult for Colette. But she stood by him and believed in his innocence, even though others, including his son, did not.
I thought Lynne was really nice, but I kept thinking, oh my god, what are you doing!!!

Every word was perfect, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. It's difficult to put down.

The Ideal Man
Three women’s lives are about to change forever.
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, and we’ll get married and 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. But, 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.

This is my first read by T J Emerson, I enjoyed this story & was intrigued to find out what was going to happen. Thank you to Netgalley & T J Emerson for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review!

Another brilliant book I've read so far this year. Incredibly gripping and nail biting. Loved the story line it was very suspenseful.

I was very nervous about Sandy from the get go, he just didn't sit right with me.
It must of been Incredibly hard for Colette, having her Dad convicted for rape. But she stood behind him and believed his innocence, even though others didn't, including his son.
With Lynne I thought she was really nice, but I did think oh my god what are you doing!!!

Loved every word and I highly recommend it. Its a tough one to put down.

I enjoyed the read, this is my second one by this author. Like the three stories on the book too! It was well written and the ending wasn’t too bad either.

It was the cover of this book that grabbed my attention. The Ideal Man by T.J. Emerson is a suspenseful story that centers around a father convicted of a crime, his daughter who believes he is innocent, his girlfriend who doesn’t believe it, and the “other woman.” There are multiple points of view that keep things interesting. Who to believe?

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.

This just came out, its hot off the press and you can read it now!

The Ideal Man was a great read. It is told from the POV of three different women with each chapter unravelling the story. There weren't as many twists in this as I was expecting but the ending was quite a shocker.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

My Thoughts: this one was brilliant, genuinely didn’t know which way this one was going to go!

Told from the perspective of 3 different women and I wanted to be on the side of all of them, but with them all having differing opinions that just wasn’t possible!

A very difficult subject matter that made it a very difficult read for me personally, but it was dealt with very sensitively.

I’ve never read a book from Tracy before, but I devoured this one, the intrigue was high, the pacing was perfect & I just loved every single one of the characters wholeheartedly which made the twists and turns even harder to interpret.

This is definitely another one that needs to be added to your TBR.

🐧❤️

This was my second TJ Emerson and I was hooked instantly. This book was perfectly plotted and the intricate, complex narrative left me guessing constantly. I am not going to much because it might spoil what is a great book. I will be adding this author to my ever growing auto buy list #*Boldwoodtour

The Ideal Man is the first book by TJ Emerson and I'm definitely a fan. The book follows three women, told in their POV. Each character was well developed and each had their own shortcomings which often made me cringe.

The ending was surprising, and satisfactory, but not as shocking as I hoped for.

I loved this book. I liked how it was told by 3 different people his daughter, his supposed girlfriend and the person he raped and how they all viewed him differently. This kept me gripped to the end and it did not end how I expected but it did end well. Really enjoyed this book from the beginning.

Even though this was quite a dark story, the beautifully described setting of the South of France was a complete contrast that highlighted how even the most perfect of appearances can hide a murky underbelly.

This was an excellent thriller; told from multiple POVs, each chapter drip fed nuggets of truth until the whole picture was revealed.

The character of Lynne was easily my favourite - a Yorkshire lass living in Essex (yes I’m the kind of loser who gets excited when I see my home town used in a book 🤣) who fell in love with a prison inmate and turned her life upside down for him. She had a naivety that I found endearing at first, but I love how her true character came out by the end.

This book kept me guessing up to the end, had an ending I wasn’t expecting, and descriptions that made me want to hand in my notice at work and relocate to the South of France for good. Can’t ask for more than that, right?

Thank you @rachelsrandomresources and @bookandtonic for my copy of The Ideal Man 🙏🏻

Her father is getting out of prison for a crime that she says he didn't commit. She says she is going to be there for him like he has been for her but is there more to the story? I thought the pace of this was slow but it did build up fast halfway through. I enjoyed that it was told from different pov and I was left thinking throughout . It is engaging, imaginative and thoughtful plot. With a few twists and turns and a shocking ending. The characters are believable but not all likeable. Overall a slow burn domestic thriller that I ended up relishing. I really appreciate this writing style, which I found refreshing.

I‘ve read “The Perfect Holiday” and “She Chose Me” that the author wrote as Tracy Emerson so this is my third book by her. All three have beautiful covers but the last two make me dream of warmer weather. I’m tired of staring at snow out of my windows.

Sandy Gilligan is a charismatic man who was convicted of rape and just received an early release from prison for good behavior. Is Sandy the ideal man?

The three women in his life:

His daughter—Collette—is one of the few people that believe in his innocence. She gave up everything to be there for him through his trial and while he was in prison. Now she’s ready to help him adjust to his new life.

While in prison he met Lynne. They started as penpals then she began visiting and fell in love. She’s willing to quit her job, relocate, and start a new life with Sandy because she believes in his innocence. This lady is devoted! I’ll never understand how or why this happens.

Jane is the hardest woman to figure out. She claims to be one of Sandy’s victims but never told anyone.

Is this wealthy, charming businessman guilty of the brutality he was convicted of? Or was it consensual as he claimed? And the victim had a change of heart afterward. Collette can’t imagine the loving and protective father that raised her is capable of the awful things he was accused of. But others, including her brother, do.

Sincere thanks to Boldwood Books for providing this gifted ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

#TheIdealMan #TJEmerson #rachelsrandomresources #boldwoodbooks #netgalley #booktour #booktourhost #howluckyami #usbookreviewer #ireadbooks #ireviewbooks #ilovereading #newrelease #honestreview #crimeandcocktailsbookcrew #mysteryandthrills #readwithme

Five years ago, Sandy Gilligan was found guilty of rape. Now he is about to be freed. Two women are looking forward to seeing him leave prison. Colette, his daughter, someone who stood by him, convinced of his innocence. And Lynne, who corresponded and visited him while he was in prison, and now looks forward to a new life with him on the Cote d’ Azur.
For a third, there is only fear. She was not involved in his trial. Her attack happened earlier. She has become obsessed with the fear he will come looking for her, and the life she has rebuilt since the attack will be destroyed.
Written from all three women’s viewpoints, it opens a window onto their very different lives – the devoted daughter, sure her father is, as he has always claimed, innocent. The prison visitor, a twice divorced woman looking for love and a settled life with her new man, and a previous victim, living in fear. Jane knows she’s no innocent, but the ferocity of her attack leaves the reader aware that Sandy Gilligan is not the man Colette and Lynne think he is.
As Sandy settles back into the life of luxury he was once used to, from his behaviour and the things he says, it’s easy to believe he’s been wronged, and the law has made a mistake. He loves his daughter, that’s clear, and he’s being cautious with Lynne who’s already dreaming of wedding bells. And as for Jane, could she be mistaken?
I really enjoyed this book, getting the perspective of three different characters, whose views of Sandy are completely different. For me, in the beginning, I did wonder about his guilt. Having done jury service on a rape trial where the accused was acquitted, I realise how fine a line it can be between innocence and guilt. Although the reader doesn’t get inside Sandy’s head, it’s clear from the way he begins to behave once he has his freedom, that something isn’t right. He thinks he knows the two women in his life, but sadly he completely underestimates them both. With Jane, there's that sense of fear right from the moment she knows Sandy is free. Although she has changed her identity and lives nowhere near him, could the man she's glimpsed on more than one occasion be him?

Well written with believable characters, right from the start I was pulled into this story and had no idea how things would end. Recommended.

My thanks to T J Emerson, Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an ARC of The Ideal Man in exchange for an honest review.