Sam, Merry and baby Conor have forsaken New York for the beautiful, remote Swedish countryside, where Merry - a former set designer - spends her days gardening, baking, jam-making and looking after the baby. You were made for this, Sam tells her. She smiles. She agrees.

Outwardly idyllic - a perfect family, living the dream - it’s immediately obvious that the truth is anything but. Sam bears a startling resemblance to a misogynistic creep; Merry is outwardly compliant, inwardly rebelling and far from the natural, loving mother he believes her to be.

When an old friend comes to stay things fracture still further, and ultimately something terrible happens. But who is to blame?

Deeply unsettling right from the start, it only gets darker. There is nobody to like; everyone is awful. There are reasons why they’re like that, but they’re still awful. At one point a character ponders “Which of us is worse?”. It’s a fair question, and hard to answer.

The book is very well written and atmospheric, building a sense of pervasive unease. It’s obvious something horrible is looming, but still no less shocking when it actually happens.

As a study of deeply damaged characters and twisted relationships, You Were Made For This succeeds brilliantly. However I’m not sure I could honestly say I enjoyed it. It’s just a little too dark for me.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

You Were Made For This by Michelle Sacks is a contemporary novel concerning secrets, lies and illusions.
A supposedly idyllic life is to be found in Sweden but life is what we make it, regardless of external circumstances. We cannot escape from who we are.
Best friends forever or fierce jealous rivals? There is a thin line between love and hate. The world sees one face but underneath it can be quite different.
The perfect life? Or the perfect lie? Is our life merely an illusion? Do we show the world what it wants to see? Or do we present our real faces?
Having a baby is supposed to be a happy event but what happens when you are struck down with the baby blues? To what lengths will we go to present the perfect lie?
Serial adultery is a theme within the novel. For me, there was far too much detail given. I skipped chunks of the novel. It did not detract from the overall story though.
The plotline was well thought out and executed. With a murder mystery thrown in to the mix, there is something for everyone. The story is written in three different voices which did confuse me at times as I had to check who was speaking.
An entertaining tale.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

Every character in this book other than a female detective is psychologically damaged which makes for interesting interaction. It is slow to start as the idyllic Swedish setting is described but gets going later as tragic events unfold. The story line is not particularly original and there is no satisfactory ending which leaves the reader puzzled. Sweden has become famous in novels and television programmes for murders. Here is another!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book. It was quite good. I couldn’t put it down, it’s definitely a page turner. Wondering how they can hurt each other more, they obviously don’t like each other and are only friends for the sake of not been on their own. Pity there is a child involved, no doubt he will turn out like them. Bitter and twisted people. It’s a pity that people can be like that in reality, it’s not just fictional. A good book, worth reading.

we have a simple scenario, boy meets girl. get amrried settle down with children and reside just on the outer edge of Stokholm, sweden. A friend comes to visit, but all is not what is seems. Many secrets but some arent major big jaw dropping but some are. You dont find a connection with any of the characters because they are all flawed in someway or another, this gives the edge as to who is the criminal mastermind behind this.
Its a tale of toxix friendships, utter jealousy, infidellity and how relationships looks perfect from looking at them yet when you reveal layer upon layer of them you see a different them.
I think this will be a big hit when its relased this summer,
Thank you to netgalley and little brown company for my chance to review this.

I finished this book in two sittings, it drew me in completely and i raced through it feeling like i couldnt settle until i had finished.
Told from the view points of Merry, her husband Sam, and her best friend Frank. This is a tale of what seems from the outside looking in, a perfect life, a beautiful family who have it all.. Merry, Sam and their beautiful baby Conor. But all is not as it seems, theres a darkness lurking beneath and when Merry's friend Frank comes to stay....the truth and lies are exposed.
An easy read set in beautiful Sweden, There were parts of the book i found very hard due to its upsetting nature. A psychological thriller that keeps you hooked. What a debut from an author who i shall keep an eye out for future works!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read.

Emotional, breathtakingly exciting and well plotted and planned. An excellent psychological thriller that explores family dynamics and friendship.

Hard to believe that this was Michelle Sacks's debut book given his clever and well executed it was.

A new author to watch out for!