Her Perfect Family

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I shall now present you with some quotes, taken from around the 40% mark. Keep in mind, at this point they've had 5 conversations maximum, have known each other for a month, and have made out two times. :) This book is different. Yes it is a student/teacher taboo book which is what drew me in initially, but this book is different. I was not prepared for the storyline in this book. You know how this is going to go. Eventually something terrible happens and all the secrets come out. It wasn’t particularly thrilling as the reader learns the secrets quite early one. The only question is who is doing the harassing? The book was readable enough and I did mostly enjoy it but it was quite predictable and it didn’t bring anything new to the table. Nevertheless the harassment would be quite unsettling for anyone and it was fun watching the family squirm! But the family isn't so perfect. Apparently, the Adler's have done some very bad things. They are all keeping secrets. Even from each other.

The one slight negative is the ending. I think it will be one that folks either really love or really don’t love. I didn’t love it. I needed to know a bit more. Maybe that’s just me. Regardless, that won’t stop me from recommending this to fans of suspense while eagerly awaiting Harding’s next book. Aaaanyways, you get my point. Insta-love is literally the worst thing that can happen in a romance, in my opinion. I mean, if I'm reading a ROMANCE book, I want to SEE the characters fall in love, not wake up one day and be like The Adler family lives in a fine home with a well-manicured lawn and lovely yard in an affluent Portland, Oregan neighbourhood. They present themselves as a perfect family to others but it is all a facade dedicated to keeping up appearances. Thomas Adler, the husband and father, works in real estate. His wife, Viv, has her own home decorating company. Their son has dropped out of University, is estranged from his friends, and spends too much time in his room. He refuses to discuss why he will not return to University. The daughter, a senior in High School has become sullen and angry. She is skipping classes and secretly stays up late at night on her computer. All it took was a glance into Eli's eyes, and I'd follow him to the ends of the earth. He was the only person I'd ever known who could communicate more with one look than a thousand words." The only aspect that kept this one from being a solid 5 star read for me was the improbability of a couple of the reveals (where characters discovered or told each other their secrets). Everything fell a little bit TOO neatly into place at times, but if you can quiet that voice of reason, this is such a fun ride from beginning to end! I also was a little miffed by the ending, because it was one of those endings that COULD hint at a sequel...but probably doesn't, so it just felt like Harding didn't quite know how to end it and just went with it, leaving the true ending in the mind of the reader. I'm all for this device, but I didn't really feel this story NEEDED a continuation per se, so I could have lived without it in this case.

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Overall, this is less of a traditional thriller and more of a family drama, but unlike the many lesser books in this category these days, there is plenty of suspense, mystery and intrigue throughout. I think one reason I love Harding’s work so much is that she taps into the imperfection and messiness that all of us have in our lives. In this book, as in her others, she shows that, in the words of Norman Bates, “we all go a little crazy sometimes.” She invites us to empathize with the messiness and fears of her characters. Her books also always touch on important and timely social issues and have something worthwhile to say, if you’re listening. Colbie family is formed by her parents and six male simblings, she is the middle kid and the only girl. She isn’t into football and her whole family is crazy about it. They treat her like she doesn’t exist so she always tries to be perfect so they can notice her the same way they do with her brothers. Her parents are super duper supportive of the guys and always attended their games all the while they never once went to one of her piano’s recital. She only had her younger brother and her best friend until Eli showed up. These few caveats aside, I had such a blast reading about the wild and crazy antics of the seemingly picture-perfect Adlers and this one kept me guessing from start to finish! I can't remember the last time I've finished a book in two days because I couldn't tear myself away, but clear your schedules, grab a beverage, and make sure you're well rested...you won't be able to leave this one until the dust (or maybe the ash! 🔥 😉) settles for good! One day, their house is egged, and the harassment escalates to a smoke bomb, a fire endangering their home, an intruder who leaves a mutilated rat in their fridge, a wasps nest placed in their garbage bin, and other damaging or disgusting acts. The police dismiss all this as pranks played by naughty teenagers. Other than the ending seeming too good to be true, I really enjoyed this domestic thriller. I love books like this where multiple characters are at fault and blame themselves, without knowing what else the other characters are doing to add to the problem.

The Perfect Family is being targeted, pushed to the edge, and are unraveling at the seams. They all have secrets not just from the outside world but from each other, and that makes for some twisted, dysfunctional family dynamics. Overall, an enjoyable, easy and entertaining, suspenseful and mindless read that you don’t have to think too hard about. While this isn’t my favourite from this author, I continue to be a fan of her writing and look forward to what she comes out with next! Teresa Driscoll is a former BBC TV news presenter whose psychological thrillers have sold more than two million copies across the world. Whodunit has never been so lukewarm. Despite the rich, descriptive prose the plot is very sterile. As if the writer sat down with a flow chart as to how a book of this genre should look: family with secrets: secret relationships, cheating, ex-girlfriend not right in the head, secret pregnancy, etcetera just to have writer ex machina reach out and point a finger to someone else, who was not hinted or very much talked about whatsoever throughout the book to be the ultimate villain.Eli is her brother's best friend from college and her new English teacher. He is the one who really sees and appreciates Colbie. He sees her grief, her pain, her beauty inside and out. He cherishes and supports her when her own family makes her feel invisible.