I found this to be a quick and very entertaining read. I really liked that Louise and Tim were a solid, happy couple before the drama started, as usually in thrillers you don't get to see the good side of relationships so there is less impact when problems arise.

I found the premise of the book a bit stressful, as the whole thing could have been avoided so easily, but for the sake of the book I was happy to go along with it, even if I did want to shake some sense into Tim! I liked the French villa location and enjoyed getting to know the characters. The Prentices were really fun light relief.

I had quite a lot of the plot figured out, but the journey was fun and I loved the final twist in the epilogue. Overall I would definitely recommend the book.

I have read a few of this authors books and always enjoy them this was no exception. I loved the writing style with two different timelines and multiple perspectives it helped build up the tension throughout. It was full of many twists and turns with some coming as a real surprise to me. Fantastic summer holiday thriller which I can’t wait to recommend. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of this excellent book.

Having read Alison James books before I knew to expect a good read and thankfully I was not disappointed.

I could not put this down. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review. A Def must read for the summer and a 5 star read for me for this year

Buckle up for a twisty vacation thriller! "This Perfect Family" throws Tim and Louise into paradise, but cracks quickly appear in their seemingly idyllic facade. Told through multiple perspectives and timelines, the story unfolds with shocking revelations that upend your expectations. While I predicted one twist, the author masterfully delivers several more, completely addressing my initial concerns. The final one leaves you reeling, forcing you to re-evaluate everything you thought you knew. With its fast pace and addictive writing style, this is a must-read for fans of Freida McFadden and anyone who loves a good vacation gone wrong. 4 stars!

Just The Nicest Family by Alison James
Rating:4/5
Release Date: 19 June 2024

Tim and Louise, along with their two children, are offered a luxurious two-week getaway to the sunny south of France. Tim, a vet, hopes to seal a crucial business deal during their vacation, while Louise, a seasoned schoolteacher, looks forward to spending quality time with her family. However, Louise's plans take an unexpected turn when Tim invites another couple, Kevin and Shona, whom she doesn't know, instead of her cousin and her husband.

Upon meeting Shona, Louise senses an immediate clash of personalities, dampening her hopes for a peaceful holiday with her loved ones and their hosts. Amidst other guests, Louise finds solace only in Renee, their gracious host.

But their idyllic vacation takes a dark turn when a body is discovered by the shimmering pool, shattering the tranquility of their surroundings and forever altering their lives.

As secrets unravel and hidden truths come to light, Louise finds herself questioning the very foundation of her marriage. Tim harbours his own secrets, but as events unfold, it becomes clear that some secrets are destined to surface, wreaking havoc in their wake.

In a multiple POV tale where past mistakes and decisions resurface to wreak havoc, the characters, while often unlikable, add depth and intrigue to the narrative, making it an engrossing and compelling read.

“Just The Nicest family” is a gripping page-turner that effortlessly holds the reader's attention from start to finish.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author, Alison James, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Just the Nicest Family is a fast paced thriller with some unexpected twists! It took a little bit to get into but overall i enjoyed the book.

The story is told in two different timelines with multiple different POVs.

This is a good beach read/vacation thriller! Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

When the Cutler family are offered a holiday in a beautiful villa in the South of France you know it's going to be too good to be true.

Through the pages we learn about the lies and deception hidden by this supposedly perfect family and watch things unravel.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just the Nicest Family by Alison James was an entertaining, fast-paced thriller with a good twist!
Secrets and lies, some poorly made decisions in the past will crush something that is supposed to be a perfect break!

Tim Cutler and his wife Louise are invited to a luxury villa in France. Tim and Louise seem like the perfect couple and they want to remain like that. Unfortunitelly they didn't share all their secrets and now they are ready to be spilled all over the place. Can a perfect marriage survive this betrail?

Multiple POVs, dual timelines, and good character development will suck you in straight away.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for this copy!

What a great read as usual from this author, a great well written storyline from the beginning until the end.

I particularly enjoyed the dual timelines, sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. This one definitely worked and the characters were interesting with their own stories to tell

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was on the edge of my seat throughout with twists galore.

The ending was fantastic with everything brought together to a satisfactory conclusion

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC which I have no hesitation in recommending

I love a thriller that takes place on vacation, and this one did not disappoint. Tim and Louise are offed a 2-week vacation in paradise. What could go wrong?

Upon first glance, they have the perfect family. As the story unfolds with different points of view and two different timelines, you soon realize that all is not as it appears.

I guessed one of the twists, but then there was another twist and then another that perfectly addressed what would have been my one criticism with the book. The last twist will make you rethink and reprocess the entire book. I tore through this book and stayed up way too late to finish it.

I really enjoyed the quick pace of this book, and fans of Freida McFadden will enjoy this book and the writing style.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced reader's copy!

Perfect read to begin summer break!! This book had me hooked from the beginning! The character development in this book was fantastic and had me rooting for Tim the entire time. This book was full of twists and turns and just when I thought I had it figured out, something else would happen. I devoured the whole book in less than a day and was even more impressed when the ending was completely unexpected. Get ready to take an afternoon or evening off because you won’t want to put this book down once you start!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. This was a compelling read which kept me engaged throughout. It was delightfully unpredictable and twisty until the end, and James skillfully blends different character perspectives and switches between past and present.

This is my first book by this author. It took me a little while to get into it. The writing style is different than I’m used and just not for me. There was a lot of explanation of who’s who and the main characters names constantly being repeated such as (example, not a scene in book) “James put the glass in the sink. After, James walked to the living room to see his son, Larry. Larry was playing a game. Then Laura walking in joining James.” Once you get past that, it does pick up.

It was a fast paced thriller with twists and turns. Dual timelines. Plenty of secrets and overall an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC for an honest review.

“Nobody is really who you think they are.”

When Tim and Louise are offered a two-week trip to France, they think it will be a great way to kick off the summer with their seemingly perfect family. But there are secrets in Tim’s past that threaten their happiness.

As with most thrillers I read, I suggest going in not knowing too much. It makes it all that more fun when the twists start happening! Just the Nicest Family by Alison James had all the fun things I love about a great thriller.

Alternating POV ✔️
Before and After timeline ✔️
Great cast of characters ✔️
A last-minute twist that makes you rethink the entire book ✔️

This was an easy read and I really enjoyed it. Even though a couple of twists were predictable, I loved how it all came together. Easy 4 stars. Definitely recommend.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advanced reader's copy!

This was an entertaining read. I mean, once again, the whole thing could have been avoided if one man controlled his penis, but it was still a good read.

The secret thing was kind of obvious from the start, so the reveal wasn’t effective, but I still kept munching the popcorn – especially as I waited for wifey to finally discover some truths.

I probably could have done without the little end reveal (the boom was more of a whisper), but I didn’t really mind it.

I enjoyed this for what it was – a beach read that doesn’t require much thought.

• ARC via publisher

I read this book over the course of one weekend and I simply couldn't put it down. The writing style was very fast paced yet all of the characters were fleshed out enough that I really cared what was going to happen to them. This dark psychological thriller was filled with many secrets and lies and nobody is really who they say they are. The past always seems to catch up with us though, and that's what happens to Tim and Louise, the main characters who have a seemingly perfect marriage. The ending of this book was a bit ambiguous and left it up to the reader to decide what happens to the couple but I still found this story to have a sad conclusion. This was my first book from Alison James and I was very impressed. I'm definitely going to be looking for more books from this great author!
Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Tim and Louise are offered a two week holiday to the south of France and take their two children with them. Tim is a vet and is hoping to close a major business deal while on this trip while Louise his wife of over twenty years teaches at a school. Louise was hoping to invite her cousin and her husband on the trip is put out when Tim decides to invite another couple, Kevin and Shona that Louise does not know. On meeting Shona, Louise knows that this trip may be a long one as the two women are nothing alike, she was really just hoping to spend some time with her husband and children along with their hosts. There are other guests in attendance but Renee their host, is the only one that Louise feels almost comfortable around. After a week of holidaying, a body is found next to the shimmering pool and this will completely change the rest of their time in France along with their lives forever.

Unfortunately there is now major trouble ahead and this will make Louise question everything she thought she had, including her solid marriage. Tim is hiding secrets of his own and even when we think we can continue to hide something we wish no one else to know, there always seems to be a catalyst that comes along and knocks this theory out of the park. So often our past and some poorly made decisions can come back to create chaos and havoc in our lives. Many of the characters of course are unlikable but without them this story would lose its depth and would be no where near as compelling. This is definitely one of those books that you pick up that is an easy read grips you to it and holds your attention throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions expressed are my own.

Tim and Louise seem like the perfect couple - and indeed, they have a close bond. But their path to marital success has not been without its bumps along the way, including miscarriages and misadventures.

And it is precisely to remedy one of those issues that the couple find themselves in a beautiful holiday villa in the south of France with a prospective investor who wants to buy Tim's veterinary practice.

But things aren't going quite according to plan. For one thing, Tim has taken up the opportunity to invite another couple along with them for the trip, and the pair are turning out to be less than ideal as holiday companions.

For Louise, who never wanted that particular couple to accompany them, this is particularly frustrating. But not nearly as bad as it is when she finds out what Tim is been struggling with for so long...

Alison James has written a well-crafted novel with an intriguing story line which takes us into the minds of several characters, and delivers multiple twists and an entertaining reading experience. I really enjoyed the book.

Tim, Louise and their children are on holiday in a villa in the south of France. They have been invited by Tim's potential business investor. There are other couples there and tensions soon mount. Tim has a secret from his past which soon comes back to haunt him and leads to a catastrophic turn of events. Other guests are also hiding secrets.
I particularly liked the setting and the contrast between the relaxed holiday mood and the dark events unfolding. The cast of well-drawn characters, multiple POVs, fast-paced plot and many twists make this a compelling read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own

Solid mystery/thriller with interesting story line. There’s several characters taking the main focus throughout the story, there’s a lot going on, but not so much you got lost. Some characters were maddening, and I kept waiting for their comeuppance. There are a few twists, some that I had guessed beforehand, but it was still interesting to follow along and see where everything led.

The seemingly perfect couple Tim and Louise take their kids on a work vacation, invited by Tim’s potential new business investor. They arrive to a luxurious villa with several other guests staying on the property. The group is an odd mixture, that seem to get along - some too well- but after a body is found, secrets come to light.