Perfect Little Lives can’t make up its mind if it wants to be a mystery thriller or a dysfunctional romance. Simone is set out to prove her dad didn’t kill her mom when she was a kid, but the plot gets lost with all the detours of sex and angst created by Simone’s quasi love triangle between herself, her boyfriend and her childhood best friend, Hunter.

Her past with Hunter is disturbing. They have a four year gap but were supposed to be BFFs prior to Simone’s world falling apart. I can’t imagine a 5 and 9 year old being that close or a 12 and 16 year old. They’re at vastly different stages of life and yet it is written with crush undertones as kids that carries into sexual overtures when they reconnect as adults.

Simone keeps saying her dad is innocent and her neighbor murdered her mom, but for most of the book there is no proof other than she believes it was shoddy police work. She does the same thing she’s accusing everyone of doing to her dad: handing out a guilty verdict without doing due diligence or evidence. It would have been a more powerful statement of the injustice that happened to her dad if she would have kept her accusations to herself and done actual investigative work to find proof and the truth.

In the end, I felt the execution was too sloppy and the twist/reveal anticlimactic and a little predictable. Simone was an unlikable character and I felt her relationship drama with her boyfriend and the multiple sex scenes were unnecessary and added nothing to the story.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
1st-person-pov 2023 arc ...more41 s7 comments Brooke NelsonAuthor 2 books465

I would love to say this was the fun, gripping thriller it was advertised as, but the truth is much more mundane than that.

The very first chapter of the story begins with an admittedly sort of funny rant about women hating her body hair because of men and how the patriarchy sucks and she is such an anti-feminist for utilizing hair removal devices... blah, blah, blah... In case you're wondering, the rest of the book doesn't get a whole lot more interesting.

As a big fan of thrillers, this was a disappointment. I am not anti-feminist or pro-patriarchy. I just think Perfect Little Lives skirted a little too close to being named Annoying Little Complainers.2023 netgalley thriller28 s cate ????680 62

reneé rapp once said: can a gay girl (me) get an amen (a good book to read)1-star 2024-reads adult ...more15 s kathy Agnese106

This was not what I was expecting at all and I refused to finish reading it. From the very first page I found it crude and offensive. There were so many dick references in the first few chapters that I couldn’t even get into the story. I’m not a prude.. but references to plucking nipple hair, sex on your period and “popping a squat” over a guys face were just too much for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital copy14 s Amy2,119 1,938

This one was a little all over the place for me, I think it needed to pick a lane and stick with it instead of toeing the line. At times it felt I was reading a romance book with toxic drama and then others it felt I was reading a good case suspense novel. (Super light on the suspense) The failure to distinguish between what it was trying to do lost me unfortunately, but despite debating putting it down I did finish it. That always makes me think there’s something about the authors writing that kept me captivated so gotta give credit there. The suspense aspect fell flat for me as well as I found the twist to be predictable and easy to see coming. I did the way the author discussed race in relation to criminal cases and found their observations and commentary to be sharp but overall this just wasn’t for me.13 s Dennis881 1,798

Amber and Danielle Brown's debut novel, Someone Had To Do It, was a major hit for me earlier this year so when I heard that they were coming out with another novel, PERFECT LITTLE LIVES, I just had to get the opportunity to read this one. Seriously, it was very difficult getting a chance to read this book early so thank you to the publisher for sending this over.

PERFECT LITTLE LIVES has a similar voice as Someone Had To Do it, but they are very different types of novels, with PERFECT LITTLE LIVES being more straightforward in the storyline. Our main character, Simone, lives with her boyfriend Reggie (a successful attorney), but after she bumps into her old childhood neighbor, Hunter, her past starts coming back to haunt her. Her father was placed in prison for her mother's murder, Simone knows that he's innocent and will do anything in her power to free him. Especially when Hunter's father, the man who had an affair with Simone's mother behind her father's back, seems to be the main culprit in her eyes. Hunter's father is a renowned judge with everything to lose, but when Hunter increasingly becomes a more prominent figure in her current life, Simone believes now is the time to investigate for herself.

PERFECT LITTLE LIVES is so much fun, but I knew exactly how it would end and I was right. The book is part drama, part murder mystery, and part romance. I will read anything that this dynamic duo will write, and readers of light mystery/thrillers will enjoy this one. If you're a bit more seasoned me, you'll probably figure it out as well. I really enjoyed that Amber and Danielle Brown were able to pivot with book 2 and I can't wait to see what they'll come up with their next release. PERFECT LITTLE LIVES is perfect for those who enjoyed May Cobb's A able Woman. 2023-pub 2023-read domestic-thriller ...more15 s Mary1,792 566

I love the author duo that is Amber and Danielle Brown and just when I was starting to wonder how much I was actually going to Perfect Little Lives, they threw me for a loop, and I was sold. I thought I had this entire plot figured out and then it turned out I was dead wrong. I think it did move a little slowly, but I was still invested enough in the story to keep going, and I loved the way the authors kept me guessing. Simone was a very strong and motivated FMC, and I was happy to follow along on her journey to figure out who *actually* killed her mother. There are a handful of spicy scenes, but in general, they fit with the storyline, and I would just keep in mind that there is some sexy time mixed in with this thriller.

I think the best way to read this book is through the audio, and despite it being slower for the majority of the time, Sandra Okuboyejo & Allyson Ryan knew how to me going. The way they narrated the story drew me in and kept me listening, and I thought they were both just right for the book itself and their characters. I listened to the majority of this between a 2.3-3x speed, and it goes by so fast that way. Through Perfect Little Lives the authors also cover some very significant topics such as race and class, which was done in a way I have come to love and appreciate from them. The end was surprising, and let's face it, this has a gorgeous cover! I am already excited to see what this duo will do next, and this was a great, timely read for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.a-touch-of-spice abuse-or-addiction adult-fiction ...more15 s Rhonda 🌒🌕🌘 🐈??389 15

3.5/5 stars
Autor del comentario:
=================================