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The Perfect Couple

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Member Reviews

Lisa Hall does it again
I have loved all her previous books and this one now joins them

Emily and Rupert both find themselves alone, struggling and not where they want to be in life
Rupert alone in luxury
Emily not quite in poverty but not where she envisaged
Rupert advertises for a housekeeper
Emily applies
The die is cast
And we then have a dark and drama filled tale of secrets, surprises, lies, goody’s and baddy’s and a story to keep you fixated
There are many ‘A-HA’ moments and I LOVED the fact when one ‘secret’ was hinted at I was like ‘ohhhh really, well that was obvious bla bla’ only to have my indignation swiped away about 5 mins later as I was proven wrong 😁
The characters are super, 2 female friends of Rupert’s who are the bitchiest, fiendishish women you could hope for in a book and an unusual bezzie of Emily that conjured up all kinda of images
The ending is a classic and the whole book a readers ( well this readers ) dream of a fine exciting read

10/10
5 Stars

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The Perfect Couple by Lisa Hall is a compulsive contemporary psychological suspense that I just could not put down.
Lisa Hall has constructed a very clever plotline. She drew me in, manipulated my emotions and reeled me in to a certain way of thinking before spinning me around towards the conclusion. It was a fabulous roller coaster read – exciting, thrilling and jaw dropping.
The characters are well drawn, eliciting various emotional responses from me. I saw what Lisa Hall wanted to show me – but just like an iceberg, two thirds were hidden below the waterline.
Life is made up of the haves and have-nots. Within the story there is suspicion cast on those without money and who marry into it.
There are truth and lies, deals and dodgy dealings. Is anyone just who they appear to be? See if you can separate the truth from the lies.
The Perfect Couple was a fabulous suspense that consumed my waking moments and had my senses on high alert. I loved and lived it.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

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Emily has a new job as a housekeeper for widowed Eupert. Emily had een in an abusive relationship. Rupert is still coming to terms with the death of his wife, Caro. It's not long before Rupert and Emily fall for each other and they marry. But it's not all hearts and flowers. Nasty things soon start to happen around Emily. Nasty hand delivered notes start arriving for Emily, threatening text messages and strange noises can be heard around the house. Emily starts to wonder what happened to Rupert's first wife.

The chapters alternate between Rupert and Emily giving us their perspectives. It's quite clear where the plot is going and there were a fee elements that were unbelievable. There's a few twists. *Trigger Warning * there's a kitten killed in the story. I know this can upset some readers. There's a lot going on in the book. The pace is steady. An enjoyable domestic thriller.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HQ and the author Lisa Hall for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Very well written domestic thriller that slowly reveals its secrets. Shades of 'Rebecca' in this tale of a second wife who doesn't feel she measures up to the deceased first wife, foreshadowed by the reference to 'Mrs Danvers'. Decidedly unpleasant but very readable characters. I'd guessed two of the twists, but definitely not the third. Really good read.

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I was lucky enough to get sent an advanced copy of Lisa Hall’s new psychological thriller ‘The Perfect Couple’, before its publication date for an honest review. Thank-you Netgalley and HarperCollins !!!!!

I went into this book not knowing very much about Lisa Hall or having read any of her previous books, something I’ll happily change, because I TORE THROUGH ‘The Perfect Couple’ in a grand total of 24 hours, it was an ALL CONSUMING DISTRACTION from ongoing existential dread with a GREAT ENDING. The whole reading experience felt very Gone Girl-esque with a bit of something something thrown in (I’m still trying to figure out what exactly that ‘something something’ was, but I was really into it). The plot was easy to follow, and although it did turn out quite predictable, I found it SO enjoyable.

It’s an easy domestic popcorn thriller that’s extremely well written, and has the right amount of little twists and misdirections that’ll have you quickly invested and engrossed - you’ll find yourself internally bargaining that you’ll do the dishes after ‘One More Chapter’ quite frequently…. The dishes don’t get done, they’re still in a pile right now, you hate yourself. The PERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRFECT read for a lockdown duvet day.

The UK release date for ‘The Perfect Couple’ is June 22nd (18 days from now), get it pre-ordered ASAP!!

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Rupert has lost his wife, his life is in disarray, especially his house. He desperately needs some domestic help. Emily is stuck in a rut, staying with a friend after getting out of a bad situation. He needs a housekeeper, she needs a job. Perfect synchronicity... Long story short - and I don't mean that it drags, it definitely doesn't - their professional relationship crosses that boundary into the personal and moves pretty quick after then. But it isn't all hearts and flowers, it's not a romance we are reading remember, and nasty things start to happen to and around Emily. Is it her past coming back to bite her or is her present turning sour, and if so, who has it in for her, and why? And then there's the matter of his first wife...
This is a book where less is definitely more going in. For me anyway but then I have a good track record with this author so my attitude is basically "see it, snaffle it up blind". But if everyone was like me there'd be no need for reviews so...
The characters are delightful... with secrets, lies and duplicitous behaviour tainting pretty much all of them, my head was literally spinning all the way to the end. I can't say that I really liked any of them properly but certain ones did have my sympathy on occasion along the way.
The plot was delicious and executed with aplomb. Twisting and turning as it escalated to a rather nifty conclusion that left me wholly satisfied.
Honestly, if you haven't already discovered this author - where have you been? If you do take a punt on this book, and I hope you do, please do also go and check out her previous books. Me, I'm now hanging for the next one.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

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Clever and addictive, the Perfect Couple is a truly Perfect thriller that had me lapping up every red herring and believing every wrong conclusion.

It’s tense and gripping and left me never knowing which way the story would turn next. Emily and Rupert’s relationship really kept me on my toes as I tried to work out what was going on. I suspected everyone at one point, and still I was wrong.

Oh and THAT twist. WOW!

Thank you to HQ Stories and Netgalley for my copy of this fab book!

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I’d like to thank HQ and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Perfect Couple’ by Lisa Hall in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

After an acrimonious breakup from boyfriend Harry, Emily is staying with her friend Mags and looking for a job. Rupert needs a housekeeper following the death of his wife Caro and when Emily applies they feel an instant attraction and it isn’t long before he asks Emily to move in with him. But Emily has a feeling someone is watching her and moving around their house. Is she imagining it or is someone trying to frighten her off?

‘The Perfect Couple’ is a well-written thriller that had me intrigued throughout. It had a plot full of drama and suspense, characters so believable I couldn’t decide who, if any, were lying, and the twists and turns were so astonishing I had to read the ending twice to confirm what I’d actually read. This is an intricately-woven story that’s well worth reading and one I can definitely recommend.

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Tense from the very start, the feeling of unease stays all through the telling of this story. Who is telling the truth and is there more than one truth? Right through to the very end, you can never be quite sure who the good guys and the bad guys really are.

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A big thank you HQ for accepting my request to read via netgalley.

Wow what book!!

Emily has just come out of an abusive relationship, She finds a job as a housekeeper working for Rupert who is trying to deal with the death of his wife Caro.
The working relationship quickly develops and within months they are married.
Emily finds all goings on in the house nasty notes things moving, what happened to Caro??

I quickly found myself totally engrossed into the plot and loved all the twists and turns and thought I had worked it out but I was proved wrong.

Lisa has a great way of engaging you and keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Again, WOW this is a must read and so far one of my books of the year.

5 stars from me.

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I have been a follower of Lisa Hall for a long time since her first book and I just love her style of writing. This one got me involved in the story line from the very beginning and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. The characters were interesting in their own way, the ending was brilliant and I can thoroughly recommend this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ (General Fiction) Publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

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I was excited when Lisa Hall had this new book being published as I have read and enjoyed her previous ones. I was definitely not disappointed.

After leaving an abusive relationship and temporarily flat-sharing, Emily applies for a housekeeping job at a large property in Somerville. It seems to be too good an opportunity to miss. Rupert, the house owner, is a young widower, and is happy to offer Emily the position. It doesn’t take long for them to become attracted to each other and after a whirlwind relationship Rupert makes a surprise proposal.. His previous wife, Caro’s family and friends have mixed feeling about the situation and it is a baptism of fire for Emily.

I did not particularly ‘like’ any of the characters and when strange phone calls, random acts started to occur, I suspected each of them at some stage! The story is very clever although, at times, I felt Emily was extremely naive and Rupert dismissive, I was completely drawn in.

An excellent book.

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I’ve read other books by the author and really enjoyed them, so I was expecting to have a similar experience with this. This book met every expectation. This reminded me a lot of Rebecca as they both use a similar premise. It took a couple of days to get into the book but once I did, I became quickly invested and engrossed. There’s a lot going on in this book and I was never sure where things would lead. I liked the twists and misdirection. This is very well written and engaging. Another #must read author has been added to a long list.

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What can I say about this book is WOW WOW WOW. Lisa Hall you done it again you never disappoint yet another brilliant thriller. You kept the twist and turns coming as I tried to guess and what a great touch at the end.
The story is about Emily who gets a new job as a housekeeper for a widow Rupert. They soon fall for each other and become the perfect couple but we ask ourselves what happened to Caro his first wife.

I would like to thank HQ, Lisa Hall and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

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Another of my favourite authors and another almost five star read. A really good domestic thriller, full of twists and turns. A real game of cat and mouse which had me sat on the edge of my seat and tapping my kindle faster and faster. Secrets and lies on top of more secrets and lies. A very busy and fast paced thriller. LOVED IT!!!!!!!
Thanks to HQ and Netgalley for the ARC.

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'People only show you the facade that they want you to see. Everyone does it. We all show our best faces to the others around us.'

Emily has had a hard few months, but it looks as though her luck is about to change when she starts working as a housekeeper for the handsome widower Rupert. Their chemistry is immediate, and soon enough, they are married, and set to live happily ever after. But is there really any such thing as the perfect couple? And what really happened to Rupert's first wife...?

I'm not really sure what to make of this one! I was a massive fan of Hall's previous book Between You and Me (especially that twist ending!) so when I saw that she had a new book out I quickly requested it on NetGalley. However, I didn't find myself drawn into it as quickly, and I have to admit that there were bits of it that I just didn't find that great.

So, the basic summary is that Emily begins working for Rupert, they begin a relationship and quickly marry, and then Emily begins experiencing creepy goings-on that lead her to believe someone is unhappy about Rupert moving on from his dead wife Caro. I won't say any more than that for fear of spoilers, but there's also a few other plots going on that raise questions of their own...

I will admit, the ending does have a few very good twists, something which Hall is clearly very skilled at creating. But for me, the lead up to get there just felt too long and drawn out. Emily keeps having all these weird experiences, but rather than feeling gripping instead I just felt a bit bored. For example, after each creepy thing happened, Emily and Rupert would have a conversation about it. But it just felt like the same conversation being reworded over and over. Everything just felt dull and repetitive, with the same few scenes going over and over. Also, certain elements of the book felt very unbelievable, such as the lack of police interest in Caro's death, and the 'let me tell you all about my evil plan' scene with the antagonist of the book.

All in all, not my favourite, and for me it definitely didn't live up to my previous experience with Lisa Hall's work. However, looking at other reviews I am very much in the minority with this one, so if you're intrigued by the synopsis then still give it a go, as it may just be a case of me being difficult!

Disclaimer - I was provided with an advance reading copy by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

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Brilliant domestic thriller with some really good touches in the ending. Anna however is ridiculously naive (or is she?) and the remaining characters are equally unreliable and make for some interesting diversions. Loved it.

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5 Stars from me

BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT

Will that do as a book review?

Oh, ok. Suffice it to say I loved The Perfect Couple, much as I have also loved Lisa Hall's previous novels.

I have had the best, most lazy day today as I started The Perfect Couple shortly after waking up and (with the exception of a shower and making lunch) I have read all day, having finished the book just now.

As I fully expect from this master of the twisty turn snake of a story, The Perfect Couple is a fabulous read! I was hooked from the very first chapter and simply had to read to the end to find out what had happened.

So many potential versions of the truth, so many possible scenarios, so many available outcomes - do you know what, they would all have been brilliant... However, for me, the ending was as good as the book itself.

Please don't be mistaken into thinking this is just a hot flash of 'a twist' for it is not, this book is beautifully constructed, the imagery created when reading is superb - pictures, scenes, places, people will fill your mind as you reads. Smells, sounds and emotions are all brought to life within these pages - The Perfect Couple is not just a pretty face.

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I absolutely loved this book. On a par with Between You and Me in my opinion.

I had an inkling during the book about what was going on. I was half wrong and half right.... which with the amount of books that I read, is always a joy to be proved wrong!!

I read this book over a few days and was using every spare moment to pick it up again.

Really recommended.

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Secrets and lies, upon secrets and lies. Is any couple ever really the perfect couple?
This book kept me hooked, reading it in one sitting, I needed to know what was coming next.
Well paced and fantastically written. I love Lisa Hall books. I'm never disappointed

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