This is my first book by this author and was excited to read it as I’ve heard lots of good things.
I enjoyed the book and thought the pacing and development of the plot was great.
I didn’t quite engage with the characters or setting, but that’s likely just a personal thing.
It’s a good read and one that I’d recommend to anyone who likes this author or genre.

I have read quite a few of J.A Bakers books now and everyone of them hooks me from the get go and this was no exception from start to finish I could not put my kindle down. It was such a gripping read which had a bit of everything, suspense, Action packed, intrigue, mystery, murder, abuse and revenge. I loved the writing style which just flowed through out and build the suspense within the book. Fantastic psychological thriller which I highly recommends. Thanks to netgallery and the publisher for my advanced copy.

I haven’t read this author before, but the premise was really interesting. I’m a big fan of thrillers and hoped this would take the cake. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen in the read, but it felt like I'd been there, done that read for me. The characters lacked emotional intelligence and emotion and just felt flat - surely, in this situation, you’d feel something. I think the pacing, plot, and settings were well done but the general book just wasn’t enough for me.

Special thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

Lydia and Jackson Hemsworth are dead, leaving their three children behind. Having grown up in an abusive household, Flo, Ezra and Jess are ill equipped to deal with the emotional turmoil their parents death has left, not to mention the large and gloomy family home.

I found this book disjointed. I knew what was happening and none of the twists came as surprises. The characters were lacking in emotion and I felt they were flawed and underdeveloped. It was a great idea for a story, but sadly I found it lacking in substance. I finished it a couple of days ago and I’ve had to double check the character names as nothing really stuck in my head. Fans of the author will love it, but it isn’t their best work in my opinion.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book

I was drawn in by the name and cover, I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately it didn't live up to me expectations, I found it very slow going.

As always I got hooked by this book as I have with every J A Baker book I have read. Straight away we are brought into to the mystery and the excitement and suspense just keeps going.

# After asking the authors view I am going to mention a trigger warning re suicide and the description of those events in this book#

Always look forward to a new book by this author as they always have a good vibrant story alongside a set of characters to get involved with
A stunning cover and a very intense harrowing opening leads to a story of lies, manipulation and secrets built on wealth and hidden by reputation
Grieving siblings have to come to terms with shocking events but are things as they seem? And will they wish they didn’t find out the truth they so crave ( you can guess the answer to that! )
Set in the North East it was great to see Redcar get a mention, a place I have good memories of as a young child
The writing is intense and description of feelings rich and I daresay could be described as a ‘slow burner’ but that is not a criticism and in this book builds the tension and the story
Another good book from this author who guarantees a worthy and interesting read

I had high hopes for this book. The premise was great and had all the makings of a great thriller. However, I thought the author missed the mark and told it from the wrong perspectives and timeline. The most exciting parts of this story…. The unputdownable parts, were those that revealed the past leading up to what the parents were like. The first 40% of the book went back and forth between the siblings in the present time after parents death. I found it slow and lacking dialogue which made the characters difficult to bond with.

In "The Perfect Parents," author J.A. Baker creates an engaging family mystery that explores the hidden shadows under the façade of the perfect Hemsworth family. This thrilling tale introduces readers to a rollercoaster ride of emotions as they discover the truth about the tragic joint suicide of Hemsworth parents and the secrets that the children must deal with.

Lydia Hemsworth and Jackson are esteemed members of their society, looked up to because of their perfect marriage and perfectly behaved kids. But as the story progresses, it is revealed that appearances are deceiving. Jackson's cruel and controlling self pits a long shadow over their perfect life, leaving their children scared and afraid.

Jackson and Lydia's shocking suicide pact is the ultimate act of manipulation and control. This incident triggers Florence, Jessica, Ezra, and Hemsworth's siblings to return to their family house and face the consequences of their parent's deeds. As they struggle to deal with their grieving and try to figure out the truth about their parents' last deed, they must deal with a hostile community and unexpected visitors at Armett House.

The strong point of this novel is that Baker can create a true feeling of suspense and intrigue. The pacing is masterfully created, so readers are on the edge of their seats as they are plunged into the Hemsworths' dark history. Baker intertwines several storylines, unveiling the family's secrets bit by bit without uncovering the mystery.

The characters in "The Perfect Parents" are adequately developed and relatable because each has flaws and complications. The Hemsworth siblings give an incredibly captivating performance as they attempt to understand their shortcomings while trying to accept their parents' actions. Their self-discovery and healing journey makes their narrative more layered and profound.

One minor criticism of the book is that some plot twists may seem a little predictable to readers of mystery novels. However, this minor flaw is independent of the strength of the storytelling and the well-developed characters.

In conclusion, "The Perfect Parents" is a thrilling and stimulating read that keeps its readers hooked until the very last page. Baker has created a spine-chilling family mystery that tackles the intricacies of human nature and the havoc that mystery and secrets can wreak. Psychological thrillers and domestic drama fans will enjoy adding this book to their reading lists.

Thank you to Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This book shows how appearances can be deceiving. That’s the case with the Hemsworth family. On the outside they’re perfect but the inside is anything but perfect. Jackson rules like a dictator and his family fears him. When Jackson and Lydia commit suicide the kids return home they find that the village doesn’t welcome them. What secrets have been hidden and why hasn’t Lydia been found? Overall this was a great book. If you enjoy a good thriller it’s worth checking out.

Jackson and Lydia carry out their suicide pact, leaving their three children to come to terms with their upbringing and the disdain of the townsfolk.
There are many secrets and lies in their past as well as in their present, but there is one secret that they wish was never exposed.

Having read quite a few of JA Baker's books, this one was a miss for me.
I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, and it never did.
The characters were unemotional, the author tried to make out that they were wrecks because of their upbringing, but to have suffered so many losses in such a short space of time, there was little, if any emotion shown.

This book will appeal to die hard fans of the author, but a no from me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

Wow! What a storyline! Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action packed, intrigue, mystery, murder, abuse, revenge, a sort of who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle!! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

You can’t choose your family, right? Wow, this is a well written, fantastic novel about dysfunction families, secrets and lies. I really enjoyed it,

I suppose I have an unpopular opinion here about this book. However, I agreed to do an honest review so that's what this is. This book opens with an unknown girl dying on the floor. We don't know who or why. Next, the parents in this book jump off a bridge into a freezing cold river in a suicide pact.

This leaves Flo, Jessica, and Ezra, who are grown, without parents and the task of emptying the massive Arnett house where they all lived. The father was a very mean man who constantly ridiculed and punished the kids before they moved out and ruled with an iron fist.

The rest of the story divides between all 3 kids and the parents before the suiide pact. We hear over and over how much they hated their father and how they are recovering from the trauma of growing up with a father like that. In between, other things happen... the town is gossiping about the family, people are caught looking in the windows, etc. etc.

I was downright bored, reading and reading, waiting for some sort of action to happen. Yes, I felt bad for the now grown kids. I couldn't imagine growing up in fear. When we finally reach the end of the book, the ending is quick and lackluster. When I saw it was over, I had to read back to see if I missed something. Not at all what I was expecting.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwell Books for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it. I do not recommend this book. I do like this author but this book was not for me.

We all know them that family that looks perfect on the outside, but on the inside, its a totally different story. Jackson is a man who controls every part of his wife and children's life until the point that he makes his wife do a suicide pact that began to turn the Hemsworth children's life upside down. Just how many secrets will they unearth as their family home, Armett House.

A gorgeous book by J A Baker that will keep you wanting to turn the pages.

This is a story of sadness and family dysfunction. Intrigue and murder...difficult topics about parents and their children. Red herrings and secrets keep the readers guessing. What happened to the parents? The dad? The mom? Is the mom still alive? Where is she? What happened to others who stayed with the family? Murder? Accidents? Much wondering when reading this novel. Thanks Netgalley.

How is this the first J A Baker book I've read? This book definitely hooked me from the beginning, and there was a lot going on, I do have to say that I predicted a bit of the storyline, but there were more twists after that I didn't see coming. I look forward to reading more by this author!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I read this in a couple of days, unable to leave it down for long. Beautifully written - as I've come to expect from this author. But there was so much else going on - dead bodies, missing people, crazy family dynamics, and to top it all, a very creepy house. I loved the various characters - Barker does families very well and the interchanges between the sisters and brother were well done. Jackson was such a well written baddie too. I raced to the end to see what was going to happen. Highly recommend this one - I think it's Baker's best.

I seemed to read this book incredibly quickly. I was sucked in from the word go. Jeez what a family and i just wondered what else could possibly happen to them. Its difficult to leave a review without giving to much away but i will say i really enjoyed it. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy. A fabulous five star read from this incredibly talented author.

Really really good, loved the storyline and the ending, never disappointed in any of the books AAA hopefully won’t be too long until the next one