Jess Harper has spent her whole life trying to make her mum, Abigail, happy and proud. Everything Jess does has to be approved by Abigail first. When Jess announces that she has a new man in her life - plumber Adam - Abigail is less than impressed. But Abigail is only doing these things to keep Jess safe, to protect her from getting hurt again - isn't she? Or is she the perfect lair?

What an intriguing psychological thriller this is. A manipulative mother who will do anything to keep control of her daughter. When Jess's boyfriend, Adam goes missing, the police seem very interested in Abigail.

This is a thought provoking read. Coercive control and manipulation are prominent throughout the story. The story is told in the past and present day. The past shows how Jess is the person she is now. This is a fast paced and gripping read.

I would to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #AlexStone for my ARC of #ThePerfectDaughter in exchange for an honest review.34 s Caroline D’cruz83 25

The perfect daughter by Alex Stone is the story of Jessica Harper and her manipulative mother Abigail. Whatever Jessica does is first approved by her mother, even the boys she dates. But when Jessica meets Adam, her mum refuses to acknowledge their relationship and try to protect Jessica from getting hurt..

On the other hand, Adam can see that Abigail has an strong constant hold on Jessica's life and encourages her to break free from the manipulation of her mother. Will Jessica break free or will a new can of worm open up, when Adam suddenly goes missing and Jess becomes the police's prime suspect...

When I requested this book on Netgalley, the plot sounded very intriguing, which it was but I personally enjoyed only the last 15 to 16 chapters. To me the story progressed in these last chapters. The initial part of the book was too repetitive and slow paced.
I d that the chapters alternated between two time lines but it was the mind talking (which there was a lot) that made it a bit confusing. The characters also were not strong enough to stand up for themselves.

In my view, there should have been lesser chapters, lesser mind talking and a little more of action and manipulation. Other then this the author had nailed it plot wise.

Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood books and the Author Alex Stone for this ARC.netgalley-reviewed23 s Alayne Emmett1,278 93

I really didn’t enjoy this book and luckily it was a short one. I was irritated by the character who was weak and really didn’t stand up for herself. Her mum was manipulative and I could see through her straight away. Her boyfriend Adam wasn’t a good guy either and I wouldn’t give him house room. It’s a shame as I thought this one would be good but, sadly I was disappointed. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.16 s Rhonda Reed8

I thought it would never end

This book could have been half as long and would have been much more interesting. I was speed reading through the whole second half because I did want to know what happened but I wasn't willing to wade through all of the fluff and repetition. This book needed a good editor.9 s Shalini (shaliniandbooks)2,563 209

How it made me feel
The blurb made me excited to get to the book. I was eager to know what really happened to Adam.
The second section was more power-packed so it made the pages turn faster.
Manipulations by the mother was dealt with extensively, so some sections felt to be a downer. I had to scream at Jess to break free and run away.

The Good
The writing was pretty smooth where Alex Stone brought the twists in the right places. Peppered with intrigue, the prose brought out the eagerness to know more. I too wanted to be privy to the information that Jess and Abigail had.
The twists were placed in the second half, and they made the prose balanced. I could guess it, but it was still entertaining to read.
I d that the author had placed a final twist to bring the book to a sweet closure.

The Bad
The first few chapters were filled with ruminations and thoughts of the characters, which after a certain point of time, felt repetitive. You could just hop, skip, and jump once you got the idea of what was happening to the second half.
As said, constant manipulations were depressive to read. I skim read it as I didn’t want a thriller to bring me down.

The Conclusion
Overall, a decent plot line with a twisting finish.
Since it is available on Kindle Unlimited, read it when you have time.

8 s Sheryl BrowneAuthor 33 books818

Oh this is so cleverly written, looking at the psychology of close relationships, digging deep into the interplay and subtle manipulations that inevitably occur. Between Abigail and Jess, perhaps not quite so subtle. The relationship between mother and daughter is suffocating to the point of claustrophobic, disturbing and totally believable. Abigail just wants to protect Jess. Doesn’t she? Jess loves her mother and knows that, in steering her life, choosing her clothes, her career path, her boyfriends, she’s only trying to do her best for her. Isn’t she? And then along comes Adam, a plumber, someone Abigail can’t possibly approve of. Someone she aims to remove from her daughter’s life. But he’s not a plumber. He’s Jess’s plumber. He loves her. He sees her, a side of Jess she’s never seen in herself. In his company, she’s a butterfly emerging from the chrysalis, breaking free. He’s perfect, until he’s not. What happened on the day Adam disappeared, now presumed dead. Why, when he never touched it, was he drinking whisky? What secrets was he hiding? Is Jess’s recollection skewed – her memory has failed her in the past, her friend reminds her. She doesn’t recall things accurately, her mother reinforces it. What secrets might Jess be hiding. What secrets is her mother hiding regarding the disappearance of Jess’s father from her life?

The intrigue is ramped up throughout the story with short, sharp sentences, stuffed full of intrigue and delivered the icy drip of a tap, every single one guaranteed to leave you hanging and make you want to read on until you reach the final shocking twist. The Perfect Daughter really is beautifully, powerfully written from first point of view in a style that leaves me in admiration of the author. I highly recommend it. I promise you will not be disappointed.6 s Fini25 17

????????? (4.0)

It delivered what a psychological thriller should
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