This was a fun read! I'm a huge fan of The Housemaid, so when I saw this compared to it, I knew I needed to read asap!

As someone with long, dark hair, Im glad to have never received any "special kisses" from anyone named Jay!

At first, I was annoyed because I thought Lauren was an absolute bonehead by all the red flags she was ignoring from Jay! Then it made sense on why, and I loved her for it! I dont want to give any spoilers away, but I will say, if you're a fan of Freida McFadden, this story is similar to her style and is packed with surprises.

I had to listen to the audiobook at 1.25 because the narrator spoke too slowly for my liking, but I still enjoyed it!

I was gifted The Perfect Girlfriend (ebook and audiobook) written by debut author Haley Smith (narrated by Katie Villa) through NetGalley as an arc in return for an honest review.

This book was incredibly written and the narrator was amazing! It had that stomach churning feeling of a horror book while it kept me at the edge of my seat and I couldn’t stop listening. I said many times to myself “wtf is going on” in the best kind of way!

The story is sound, the characters although not very likeable are well constructed and you do want to know what happened to Lauren and what we don't know about her. It just felt that it was perhaps a bit too slow in the first half or so. Overall, it was a good listen and for a debut it was excellent!
Thanks to NetGalley, the editor and the author for the opportunity to access this ARC.

I like the mystery of this book and the ending was pretty great that I wouldn’t have guessed.
It did have a good start, but slowly started to bore me in the middle. It was rough because none of the characters were likeable and that’s what made it harder to get into it. Although I didn’t really like the characters I still really wanted to know what happened to them. Overall great listen and it wrapped up nicely.

audiobook ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher

Round up 3 stars

Lauren meets jay at a music festival, and after a quick whirlwind romance, moves in with him into a secluded and rustic home. Their plan is to DIY renovations and live off the land. Lauren begins to discover secrets about Jay’s past, while hiding some of her own.

This was a miss for me. I found it really hard to get into, and it took too long to get to the interesting part about Lauren’s background. I did like the narrator and found it easy to listen to, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I couldn't put this one down. The beginning is a little slower paced, but that was okay with me. Once past the halfway point when the real motivation is revealed, I couldn't wait to see how it played out. I trusted no one, not even the MC; although I felt it was fairly obvious what actually happened to Lauren's best friend once we started getting glimpses of who Jay really was - hiding Lauren's keys, taking her phone, selling her car, all the lies/gaslighting, etc. No cliffhangers at the end, which can work for some books, but this one I'm glad wasn't like that. Excellent debut novel from the author and I look forward to her future books!

I enjoyed the narrators voice for the audio. The story was pretty compelling from the start. As with most thrillers, you learn more as you go along. This was done quite well in this story. I found myself questioning the characters and their motives. There are a lot of different ways this story goes and it’s a little long but I liked how there was time at the end to really wrap up the book instead of feeling like it was rushed. Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the advanced copy.

Firstly l’d like to thank NetGalley, Hayley Smith and Bookouture audio publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Lauren and Jay meet at a music festival totally by chance… Or was it. Both are hiding dark secrets though one bigger than the other.
The Perfect girlfriend is a well written, easy to read psychological thriller that kept me guessing from start till around 3/4 of the way through the book ( maybe because I read too many of these types of books I predicted the ending).
I must admit, at the start Lauren came across as weak and needy so I had trouble connecting with her, as well as constantly making silly choices where I just wanted to shake some sense into her, thankfully 1/2 way through she came to her senses and mentally matured.
The book has many dark twists and surprises to keep you wanting to keep the pages turning.
For all of you psychological thriller buffs out there, a definite must read. You won’t be disappointed.

In this gripping audio book, the captivating tale of mystery and suspense unfolds through expert narration, immersing the listener in a world of secrets and unexpected revelations. The story unfolds with an intriguing slowness, gradually building tension and allowing the listener to become fully engrossed in the narrative.

The protagonist, though not always cautious, adds to the realism of the story, making their journey all the more relatable. Despite occasional lapses in carefulness, their actions serve to heighten the sense of danger and create a compelling sense of urgency. As the plot progresses, the pace quickens, propelling the listener through a rollercoaster of twists and turns that keep them hooked.

The strength of the audio book lies in the author's skillful storytelling and the narrator's ability to bring the characters to life. The writing is eloquent and masterfully crafted, effortlessly capturing the listener's attention and maintaining it throughout. The confusion that permeates the narrative is wonderfully resolved, satisfying the listener's desire for clarity and understanding.

While there may have been moments where the story initially seemed to burble along slowly, these instances were skillfully utilized to enhance the overall impact of the plot. The gradual acceleration of the narrative after the midpoint adds an exhilarating rush that will leave listeners on the edge of their seats.

Overall, this audio book delivers a well-written mystery that thrills and captivates from beginning to end. The narration enhances the experience, immersing the listener in the intrigue and providing a satisfying resolution. If you enjoy the allure of a meticulously woven mystery, expertly narrated, this audio book is sure to provide hours of engrossing entertainment.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
So this was an unexpected audiobook. It took a complete left turn about three fourths of the way through and totally surprised me. A good left turn.
I thought this was going to be another typical and predictable domestic thriller but there were some major surprises that all came together.
No one is completely who they seem to be.
Narrator did a great job.

The Perfect Girlfriend was such a good read. I literally couldn't stop it once I started! I loved how the whole storyline built up and the suspense of not knowing everything. From the first chapter I was hooked! The major twist definitely had me and was so good that I did not see it coming. I am so happy I was introduced to this author. I will definitely be reading more of her work! I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a great suspenseful thriller that has you guessing!

What to do when you’ve been dumped by your married boyfriend, disowned by your parents and not getting along with your sister? Move in to a cottage in the middle of nowhere with a guy you just met of course!

Genre: Psychological Thriller
Star rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story follows Lauren who is running from her past and finds herself rushing into a relationship with a man she met at a music festival.

They both have secrets and as the story evolves the reader learns that this is not the happy love story Lauren signed up for.

This was a gripping read that had me saying “one more chapter” over and over until I got the full story.

I did find the Main Character absolutely infuriating at times which kept me from completely investing into the story and rooting for her.

Notes on Audio: The narrator did an excellent job at bringing Lauren to life and bringing emotion to the story. There was a very large pause before starting the next chapter which did annoy me as I thought my audio was glitching. Besides that I think the Audio was an excellent way to absorb this story.

Thank you #netgalley and Bookouture Audio for supplying this Audio ARC for review. All thoughts are my own.

Jay Loves Ruthie
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Musician Lauren has met Jay at a musical festival and has seem to hit it off right away. Shortly after he has invited her to come live in his little cottage in the woods with him. Without giving it a second thought she packs up and heads out. A small cottage that is in desperate need of some TLC she is determined to make it her own before her sister comes out at Christmas so she can try and impress her.
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Jay seems to have made it so she will not be able to be attached to civilization by having no contact with the outside world no phone, internet and hides her keys most of the time. He wants to live off the land and homestead, Lauren is finding that she does like it but with so many questions swirling in her head she cannot help but feel he's hiding things from her, many things.
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Poking into his past is getting her nowhere, just making him angry. When renovating she comes across painting on the wall undertake wallpaper that says Jay Loves Ruthie. Here is where the story turns up a notch, sex drugs, music, abuse hold onto your hats.
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Lauren continues to push the envelope but plays along with his games while he has drugged her. It is only when she finds Nels bracelet that she realizes everything she has been working towards is going to come to light, and he has to pay one way or the other.
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I was gifted this ALC of The Perfect Girlfriend in exchange for my honest review. I am giving it a rating of 3.5 overall.
Thank you @netgalley @HayleySmith @Bookouture audio for the opportunity.

This was really weird to me, probably because I am not straight, or at least not this into men. The second things got weird I'd be like "bye." I have done that a time or two, but that doesn't make a good story.
Homegirl is obsessed with sex with her boyfriend. Obsessed.
As the story unfolds you learn more about why. Meanwhile, the house is creepy, his friends are creepy, and the neighbor girl has clearly been traumatized.
It is a good weird story.

I love the narration. It was perfect!

The Perfect Girlfriend by Hayley Smith was not what I was expecting but in a good way. I had the pleasure of having this book in both audio and ebook version and this book was so good I sped through those goodness way to fast for my liking. The twist and turns were so good and the ending was chef's kisses. Smith out did herself.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it definitely won’t be the last. The audiobook version is amazing. The narrator is excellent. Her British accent really makes this book even better. I couldn’t put the book down. Every character is so well developed and the scenes are very detailed. This book has all the twists and turns that make for an amazing thriller.

This book was wild!

I was a little confused at the beginning, but once we started finding out what happened with the main characters best friend everything started to make so much sense.

I enjoyed the narration in this audiobook it really brought the characters to life. I think if it weren't for the audiobook I probably wouldn't have like the book as much.

Plot was a little to predictable in my opinion but it was good for what it was.

Yes, I would recommend the audiobook

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC/ALC. I enjoyed the narrator of this book but that's about all i enjoyed. The story starts out so unbelievable to me and it just got more cringe as I read/listened on. This was a miss for me!

Gripping psychological mystery, I was hooked from the beginning. It kept me on the edge, with unexpected twists.

I listened to the audiobook, the narration was great & added to the amazing plot.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you Bookouture Audio for the ALC to read and review!

This was a fast-paced and entertaining thriller. I liked the narrator, I didn't get bored with the story, and was pretty invested throughout without zoning out too much. I thought it was paced well. The entire book takes place over a year but we don't spend too much time on the unnecessary, mundane details. I thought overall it was good.

The story is about Lauren and Jay who meet at a music festival and fall in insta-lust. They call it 'fate' and they call it 'destiny' that they met that day. What follows is the story of them building their life together at Jay's cottage in the woods.

I thought this had just the right amount of twists. Nothing groundbreaking here but it was enjoyable and kept me interested in the outcome. Each character isn't entirely what they seem so it was fun to unravel what is truth and what is perception. I don't 100% understand the need to call the young girl strange so many times, I didn't really "get" that part of the story.

I'd recommend for those that like a quick thriller with some decent secrecy surrounding most of the characters.