'One Perfect Morning' is my introduction to author Pamela Crane and I enjoyed it from start to finish.

Three women, Mackenzie, Robin and Lily have been great friends since college. Now twenty years on the all live close and have lots of things to be thankful for, perfect homes, perfect families and perfect lives. But each of these women have problems that no one sees behind their closed doors. They are crumbling under the weight of a secret, a betrayal, a lie. Their perfect lives are not so perfect after all.


Following the death of one of their husbands all three women have motives and their real friendship is put to the test. The story is told from the perspectives of the three women and the plot had me guessing all the way to the end. Entertaining read with lots of twists and turns and some excellent characters.


I would like to thank both Netgalley and Avon Books UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

One Perfect Morning begins with a murder. We know that one of three women - Mackenzie, Robin or Lily - killed her husband but we don’t learn which one is guilty until much later in the story.

I wanted to like this book. I really, really did. It has so much going for it. Three women have been friends for twenty years since their college days. You learn what happened to them in the past, what problems with their families they are now facing and what is going on in their children’s lives. The problem is that Mackenzie, Robin and Lily are so totally unlikeable. Mackenzie is a doormat to an abusive husband. Lily is a pill addict who has had an affair with a friend’s husband. Robin’s flaws are too many to list. Even their children are problematic. If there was only one character I had a shred of sympathy for…

I’m giving One Perfect Morning 3 stars. I’m not going lower because I think Pamela Crane has a wild imagination and a lot of creativity. I also think a better editor would have helped her cut back on some over the top details (the Italian phrases. All of them. A 40 year old whose father still says The War of Northern Aggression. A certain murder in the college years.) So cut out a lot of this extraneous, irritating stuff, smooth it over and put it into another book or two. I’ll read it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Pamela Crane for this ARC.

This is a brilliant thriller based on the lives of three women who have been best friends since college. They all now live in the same neighbourhood and have each got their own problems deal with.
Lily has a dependency on pain killers after an accident she had, Robin has four children to cope with and a husband who is having an affair and Mackenzie is being controlled by her over bearing husband.
The book begins with a murder - but who is the victim?
Another incident happens and sends shockwaves through the friendship and for two of the friends there seems to be no way back from this.
Then we find out who was murdered....
I can’t say anymore as there’s much more to this story and I don’t want to spoil it.
This is a brilliant story that well and truly had me hooked throughout.
Thanks to Avon Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

WARNING: contains scenes of rape and abuse within marriage that may be distressing for some readers.

“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
This is the perfect quote to summarise the storyline of One Perfect Morning, a psychological thriller following the lives of three women Lily, Mackenzie and Robin, friends since their college days.
Secrets and lies are always at the heart of novels like this but I’m not sure I’ve met a group of people who are hiding quite so many!
A shocking opening grabs your attention, setting the tone and pace for events to come. The author held me in a vice like grip with writing that flows with ease from beginning to end as I followed each twist and turn with equal horror and fascination.

Lily is separated from husband Tony, the only single woman of the group. Mackenzie (Mack) is married to Owen and they have one daughter Aria. Last but not least is Robin, married to Grant with four children, Ryan, Willow, Lucas and Collette. They’ve matured into adulthood together, celebrating together as they experience significant life events,forging lifelong bonds. On the surface all is perfect but look a little closer and at the core of this group there is a toxicity that will eat away at their relationships, slowly germinating until it threatens to suffocate them all. What secrets are these three women hiding and why is it so important these secrets never see the light of day?

This storyline is a hotbed of scandal with multiple duplicitous characters adding a new meaning to the phrase desperate housewives!! Lily by her own admission is a weak willed Jezebel, addicted to painkillers and behaving in a manner that is not conducive to her friendship with Robin and Mack. Mack is trapped in a highly toxic marriage with a man who is a misogynistic bully, who manipulates and controls, who operates with a caveman like logic, riddled with double standards. Robin is hiding a secret from husband Grant as well as her son Ryan; her marriage is suffering thanks to the huge demands of caring for four children, suspicious of a husband who may or may not be playing away.

Adultery, rape and murder form the backbone of this storyline as these individuals lives are intricately woven together with husbands and children playing important roles. Some of their actions make a mockery of what all three women assume are rock solid friendships but the narrative exposes these women and men as liars and cheats, threatening the foundations of their interconnecting relationships. It’s as if they are all standing on the precipice of a cliff and the enjoyment you experience as a reader is watching and waiting for them all to fall. As young Willow so eloquently states, keeping secrets is like playing a dangerous game of dominoes;the minute you knock the first one they all come tumbling down.

Told mainly from the perspectives of all three women, the narrative jumps from the present to the past providing the background to the secrets they’d prefer stay buried in the past. However the key to opening this Pandora’s box of secrets is an incident between 18 year old Ryan and 15 year old Aria. It is this event which provoked the sense that the past and present were on a collision course, with history repeating itself in terms of ‘crimes’ committed.

The subject matter of One Perfect Morning is weighty with the storyline tackling issues of rape, consent and male attitudes towards women/girls in society. These are always hotly debated issues which the author has brought firmly to the forefront of the readers mind, making it impossible to ignore your own thoughts and feelings regarding such emotive content. She has proven the possibility of love and evil coexisting side by side and how easy it is to become trapped within a cycle of love and hate, perpetuating abhorrent inexcusable behaviours. With Ryan’s character I believe the author has created an individual who is capable of learning from his mistakes, remorseful and an example of how history doesn’t necessarily have to be repeated. Perhaps to a lesser controversial extent is the theme of keeping secrets and promoting lies and whether there can ever be a justification for denying loved ones the truth. I think all three women are trying to protect both their friendships and their children, fearful of the damage and havoc exposing past lies will no doubt incur. Whether or not you agree with the thought processes governing their actions, it all makes for one juicy,scandalous read.

When it comes to characterisation, despite their obvious flaws I couldn’t detest the female characters in the way I could with the male ones. I liked how irrespective of certain behaviours and events their friendship remained something that was worth fighting for. There may have been times when they didn’t particularly like one or the other but the bonds between Lily,Mack and Robin in the end seem unbreakable which is all very heartwarming after the shock and drama that monopolises the storyline. Clearly the most detestable characters are Owen and Geoffrey, the reasons for this obvious as you progress through the pages.

I’ve tried really hard not to divulge too much of the storyline, which is both addictive and thought provoking, with plenty of twists and turns that I couldn’t foresee. I loved how in the present there are echoes from the past and how some of these secrets are used as a means of control over other individuals. Breaking this cycle is imperative and the ways in which this happens are brilliant. I’m not sure in the end whether justice is served in all cases or whether forgiveness is deserved but the ending is so fitting. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Just an ok read. I thought this had an interesting premise but it fell short for me. I think there was too much going on to keep me enthralled. I felt the ending was implausible and rushed to tie everything up. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Mackenzie, Robin and Lily have been inseparable since college. Twenty years later they still live in the same neighbourhood, have a perfect homes, families and lives. But each woman is harbouring her own shocking secrets a betrayal and a lie. Will their bond be strong enough to survive if the worst happens? One dead husband and three women with motives.

I don't know which of the three women I liked the least. The first third of the book is a necessary introduction. The story is told from the three women's perspectives. It's a very twisty read that kept me guessing throughout. The ending was good with all the loose ends tied up. There was just a little bit too much going on at times. The Last third of the book was the best part. The story covers: rape, drug abuse, murder, infidelity and domestic abuse.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon Books UK and the author Pamela Crane for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I recommend you all read a brilliant twisty plot it a really page turner your hooked from the first few pages loved the whole plot characters you love to hate they were so real i could relate to them i a gripping read so well written a nice easy to read book loved it

Oh I liked this one! Exciting, unpredictable and so very good.

Robin, Lily and MacKenzie have been friends since college; now beginning their fourth decade and still close. Husbands, kids and relationships all fit around their friendships. They think they know everything about each other or do they? Can their friendship survive secrets?

I'm particularly fond of novels with three women as the main characters, and this is right up there with the best of them. These three each live their own lives but are joined by the invisible thread of long time friendships; they know things about each other that bind them firmly together. As we get to know them and their families, we find out what makes each of them tick and the secrets are slowly revealed - and just when you think you know everything, you find out that you don't really know much at all! I became involved in all three women's lives very quickly; I sympathised and empathised with each of them in different ways, but I didn't know the half of it! A stunning read, packed with suspense, well-written and divested of all it's revelations by the final page, this is one I'm very happy to recommend to those who don't like to see what's coming next. Five stars, and worth every single one.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

I was drawn in by the blurb and thought I was in for a thrilling read.
At first glance it read like a first time novel as it seemed rather predictable. I wanted to be proven wrong, so I read on. Readers like to be carried away into another world as they read a book. Here, the writer tried to pack every scenario, problem, character trait, twist, turn, you name it, into this little book that in the end I wasn't carried away I was put off it. I was confused by the motives of her characters. They didn't understand themselves either. So full of conflict, they thought one thing in the first paragraph and had changed their minds by the second.
I read this book to the end, mostly because it had a comedic value that made me laugh out loud in places. I got through the second half by skimming a lot as the author does repeat herself an awful lot. If it was a film you could snooze through much of it and not miss a thing.
I discovered that this was not a debut. This was written by a seasoned writer for an audience that must clearly exist somewhere in this world. I am not part of that reader group but I had a good laugh.

The best way to describe this book is like reading an episode of Desperate Housewives and the reader is a nosy neighbour looking in at these women’s lives. From the perfect neighbourhood, to these three beautiful women who’s lives seem idyllic, yet are full of scandal, secrets and sex!

The book is split between multiple narrators, the three women, Mackenzie, Robin and Lily, and we also have a few bonus chapters from Mackenzie’s daughter Aria and her Dad, Owen. I always love books that do this as I love seeing the story from the different points of view.

I won’t go into too much detail as I don’t want to spoil it, but the opening of the book starts with a bang and then we go back in time, 9 days ago where the reader is introduced to the three women and I just loved their characters, each one unique and flawed in their very own way. Small hints, snippets of secrets and bombshells were woven between each chapter, always leaving you on a cliffhanger which would guarantee that you read on to get those all important answers.

Everything was tied up nicely with the flashbacks to the past, when the women were at college and I think they fit perfectly within the story.

My only slight criticism is that I would have liked to have heard more about Lily as I did find her fascinating and felt we could have known a little more about her. The other two women were definitely more prominent in the story.

Overall though this was just brilliant, the perfect read if your’re looking for a thriller with plenty of twists, fabulous characters and so many secrets!

This is the first book I’ve read by Pamela Crane but will definitely read more.

As others have referenced this is of a similar ilk to Big Little Lies and I enjoyed it every bit as much as that book. It’s a tale of 3 women Robyn, Mackenzie & Lily, who have been friends since college days and, as the book reveals, share a lot of secrets. What looks on the surface like perfect lives are soon revealed to be very far removed from that.

The book is fast paced with plenty of twists and covers some very serious topics well. I enjoyed Pamela Crane’s writing and was hooked until the end.

Thanks to Avon Books, NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book.

One Perfect Morning is a gripping read. The story gradually unfolds revealing the past of the three lead characters piece by piece. The characters are compelling and their relationships with each other through good times and bad are extremely well drawn. I strongly recommend this excellent book.

Good book.Plenty going on, with interesting well written characters.Good pace and story.Well worth a read.

4 Stars from me

At the beginning of this book I felt a little overwhelmed by the continually swapping POV - all first person but differing characters. 

I did wonder if I'd struggle to keep up but I am so glad a persevered for almost as soon as that thought was really finalised in my mind I found that something had clicked and I was utterly hooked.

Centring around a group of friends who met at college and are now adults with seemingly perfect lives 'One Perfect Morning' blows apart all of the fake smiles and acceptable social veneers worn by the lead characters.

Treat the first third of this book as a very necessary introduction and then hold on to your hat for the last two-thirds as it is a twisty turny crowd pleaser of a plot!

Should you be pleased when someone dies?

Take 3 best friends who have known each other for 20 years and their secrets and lies that come tumbling out as the book progresses and what do you get ? A superb thriller from Pamela Crane that,s what.Mackenzie,Robin and Lily are now living their perfect life with their perfect husbands but dark clouds linger behind the curtains,Owen is a control freak and Grant is cheating on Robin,put all this together and this book delivers on every aspect of the thriller genre..It's the first book i have read from Pamela Crane and i did enjoy it from the first chapter to the last it had me gripped,a great 5 star winner for me !

Lily, Robin and Mackenzie met at college and vowed to remain in touch and be best friends for life. They remain in touch in the same neighbourhood of Western Pennsylvania but staying best friends is more demanding. As their lives progress through marriage, children for two, divorce and much more, aspects of their pasts return to haunt each of them. This book portrays the characters very convincingly and gives the reader more to think about as each chapter of the book and of the women’s lives moves on. The story deals with domestic abuse, rape, murder and dramatic mistakes. It makes important points about relationships. The story moves back and forward in time so the reader needs to keep watch! It is a gripping read. I recommend it.

Robin, Mackenzie and Lily have been friends from college days and still are, twenty years on and living close by with their families.
One Perfect Morning is about friendship and relationships and secrets. I found it very full-on. When you cannot decide which of the characters you dislike most, the writer has done a good job to provoke such a response. For some strange reason I think it was Lily, because she made me so judgemental of her in a ‘how could you?’ sort of way.
As it happens, the other girls and their husbands did much worse, planning and executing the most extreme actions in the blink of an eye.
This is living at the brink which I can’t get my head around.
Many readers will love this book.
With thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books UK

A girlie, best friends from college, story with Robin, Lily and Mackenzie who end up living close by each other with their husbands and families.

Yes, a husband is murdered an d there are many twists but it was not for me. Many female reviewers thought it was an easy read but I did not like the frequency of the different chapters with the three main characters and we even had to head back to their college days 20 years before.

Furthermore, I could not believe the level of credit card debt scenario.

Thanks to Net Galley and Avon Books for the chance to read and review.

I love a Pamela Crane book! They are always so twisty and juicy and One Perfect Morning was all of this and more. Full of unlikeable characters, anybody could have been the killer. I would not want to be friends with these women, nobody in this story can be trusted, right until the very end. A fantastic, quick read that I just loved.

Mackenzie, Robin and Lily have been friends since college. 20 years later they are all living in the same neighbourhood with their families. All 3 women have their secrets and things from their pasts that would like to keep there. But events of a party at one of women’s homes threaten to blow it all open. Tensions are high and loyalties are tested. Their seemingly perfect lives are not everything that they appear to be.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for my advanced copy of this book to read

It took me a few pages to get into this book, as I felt it was difficult to get to know the characters but I was glad I persevered. The tension gradually built up as the past relationships between the characters revealed cracks in their friendships which seemed almost impossible to resolve. There were so many dark hidden secrets leading to a shocking finale.