Cover Image: One Perfect Morning

One Perfect Morning

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Member Reviews

One Perfect Morning follows the relationship between three women , friends since college , and their families. So many lies, so many things hidden or not talked about.
I found this an enjoyable listen, swapping between both the narrator , each of the three, and past and present.
Brought up some difficult but important questions about relationships and dealing with fallout. It wasn’t always comfortable listening but I thought it well written and narrated.

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A superb book.. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to One Perfect Morning. A story of secrets and lies that has twists and turns the entire way through! Highly reccomend!

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I could not shovel this book into my ears fast enough, but that's always the way with Pamela Crane. Her writing is so digestible and moreish - thank goodness it's calorie free. The story around 3 college friends and how their lives turn out and the impact that has on their friendship is brilliant. Their interactions with each other, their partners and offspring was absolutely credible. Can a friendship survive when its based around a shared history? Our imperfect heroines are easy to connect to and I was invested in the outcome for all of them. Sarah Borges provides excellent narration - not easy when there are 3 main, female characters. It doesn't matter what Pamela Crane writes, it's always a fascinating and intelligent read/listen. I definitely recommend One Perfect Morning

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I thoroughly enjoyed this book and for a while thought it was going to be a bit Murder on the Orient Express. Almost, but not quite. I couldn’t stop listening and kept my headphones in whilst walking, cooking, eating. A great story with an important message.

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This was a really enjoyable listen while doing housework. I liked the narration & it was a very well written story I would recommend to anyone.

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This is a really enjoyable story,, a genre I really enjoy, when life appears perfect and slowly but surely it all unravels and the past come back to haunt them. Robyn, Lily and Mackenzie have been best friends since their college years and now live comfortably in the sand neighbourhood. Life is coasting along swimmingly, until it isn’t. Past secrets come back to haunt them. Past betrayals will never be forgotten. This is full of suspense and will keep you guessing. I really enjoyed it. I thought the story was well written and I enjoyed the language used. I also thought the narrator was perfectly chosen.

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One Perfect Morning - Pamela Crane

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review thanks to Harper Collins Audio and Netgalley. Narrated by Sarah Borges.

Mackenzie, Robin and Lily are best friends, and have been for two decades. Each of them is hiding a secret that could ultimately destroy their friendship.

The book starts with a murder, and then the reader is transported back in time to discover why the murder had taken place. The story is mainly told from the perspective of Mackenzie, Lily and Robin. Each of the characters are very different; I especially enjoyed learning about the secrets that each of the friends is hiding.

This book deals with themes such as rape, murder, domestic abuse, drug addiction and adultery. All of these topics is covered in such a sensitive manner.

With so many lies and secrets the reader is hooked until the end when ultimately the clever murder is revealed.

Rating: 4/5

Before this book, I hadn’t read anything by Pamela Crane but with how this book was cleverly written I look forward to reading more.

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I found this to be an engrossing audiobook as I regularly took my 5 mile walk during the pandemic Summer in order to try and lose some of those Covid Kilos.

Pamela Crane is the American equivalent of the UK's very own Joanna Trollope, the Queen of the Aga-Saga (for any Americans reading this, an Aga is a somewhat primordial-looking cooking-range-cum-heating-unit that is very popular in the UK, around which people will gather for cups of tea and chat). As Pamela Crane is an American writer, there is of course some gun toting in the story which is not something our Aga-Queen would countenance (probably 😉?).

The novel opens one Sunday morning as a woman - unnamed at this point - is lovingly looking at her husband, asleep in their marital bed. She has a knife and that knife will cut into his neck. Now, if that isn't a jaw dropping opener, I don't know what is!

Essentially this is the story of Mackenzie, Lily and Robin, firm friends from college days in the early 2000s, and of the ups and downs and dramas of their friendship. Mackenzie and Robin are married and have families, Lily is unhappily separated. The former two aren't that happy in their relationships either, to be honest. There is a scattering of infidelity, substance addiction and domestic violence with some breath-stopping secrets just waiting to worm their way out.

There is one pivotal event between two of the children, which in part jettisons the whole group into a new and dangerous orbit. The women's individual foibles and belief-systems then compound the event and its ramifications, as lives start to unravel and their individual friendships start to be brutally tested.

The author is very good at drip-feeding her audience with credible interactions and events which move the story forward in a measured and articulate way. There are indeed some twists and turns, some actions of revenge and a sense that no-one - not even friends - can really fully understand what goes on behind the Pennsylvanian picket fence. A good and gripping read. Recommended.

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I listened to an audiobook copy of this story, which is absorbing and enjoyable.

The narrator is professional and brings each of the characters to life through her different voices. It's easy to feel part of the dialogue with her narration.

The story begins on the precipice of something awful and then goes back in time to discover what events lead to this moment. Predominately told from three points of view it explores the women's longstanding friendship and the secrets they hide with each other and alone.

The characters are diverse and relatable you are invested in their lives. You empathise with them because of their flaws and mistakes. The logical plot has many twists and features domestic abuse, rape, and murder. The crimes are heinous, but not overly graphic, but the emotional and physical damage is believable.

The conclusion ties up any loose ends and gives hope, and possible future dilemmas for Lily, Mackenzie and Robin.

I received an audiobook from Avon Books UK - Harper Collins Audio UK via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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I’m not sure if this is this authors first book as I’ve never heard of her before. I was drawn to this book by the blurb and I listened to it on audio. This book is full of secrets and lies and from the very start I was hooked on this story. As mentioned I listed to this on audible and the narrator was excellent.

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This sounded like a good one and it was. Loved all the different dynamics - relationships, friendships, secrets, truths. The storyline hopped from past to present but done very clearly that you didn’t get confused. Lots going on within this book that keeps you listening. Loved the narrator and you could really differentiate between characters as sometimes it can be muddled with same narrator throughout. Enjoyed this and would recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Audio UK for the opportunity to listen to this ARC and review that was published on the 20th of Aug.

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One Perfect Morning Audiobook – Unabridged
Pamela Crane (Author), Sarah Borges (Narrator)

This is a tale about 3 ladies, Mackenzie, Robin and Lilly and their friendship spanning from teens to adulthood. Everything looks just so perfect from the outside but there are dark secrets and lies beneath the surface and someone dies…..
I enjoyed listening to this story although I did find that with just the one narrator, I was easily confused as to who’s tale was being told during the story, and got a little lost.

Overall I really did enjoy this tale I just wish I had perhaps made some notes from the outset as to whom was who as there are quite a few main characters to keep up with.

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One Perfect Morning

What an opening!!
Any time I'm feeling like a boring housewife.. I'm going to remember this book and thank the stars for my easy uncomplicated non backstabbing life!

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I absolutely loved this story.

It has a Big Little Lies kind of feel to it, so if you enjoyed that book then I think that you'll really love this one.

Narration was really really good and I will definitely look out for this narrator again.

Lots of unlikeable characters which is something that I really enjoying a story, and if you give me a book that revolves around a group of friends I'm there!

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It is difficult to say what One Perfect Morning is about as there’s so much going on - relationships between friends, spouses, parents and children, adultery, drug abuse, rape, secrets, domestic violence, murder... At the same time the characters are not particularly interesting or memorable. I have listened to the audio version and didn’t like the narrator, which possibly spoiled the book for me.

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This was so much more than 'womens fiction'! It deals with addiction, domestic abuse, murder... I absolutely loved it! I found it so gripping and would think about it constantly when I wasn't listening to it! The narration was wonderful, however I would have preferred there to be different narrators for the different POVs to help me distinguish between them easier.
Fantastic book!

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A great story!

My thoughts after hearing the first chapter were that this book was going to be too ‘literary’ in style for my simple tastes, but pleasantly, I was wrong! It is a great story and the pace is gratifyingly swift.

Set in the US, college friends Robin, Liliana and Mackenzie all approaching 40, find themselves going through some pretty stressful, and largely related, happenings. Think addiction, infidelity, teenage angst...and (dare I say it!) murder?! For me this had shades of Desperate Housewives’ meets Liane Moriarty! Fans of either will love this!

As an audiobook this worked well. Though told by one narrator, her talent is indisputable and as such I had no difficulty following the story despite the narrative switching between the 3 main characters.

My thanks to Netgalley, author, narrator and publisher for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

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I loved this one so much!! What a great listen. I loved the different POV that the story had. Thank you so much!

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Compelling Neighborhood Noir......
Compelling neighborhood noir. Best friends, small neighborhood, seemingly perfect lives, big lies and big secrets - things are about to get very sinister indeed. Suspenseful and entertaining. Narration was apt, timely and well done throughout the audio version. Very enjoyable.

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Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. Wow! This was the first audio book i have listened to on netgalley. I wasn't sure how I would like it. I loved it! I find it easier to pay attention listening vs an ebook. I tend to skim. So I thought this book was going to have one large secret and revolve around it. There are so many secrets in this book. The author does a great job of using differing perspectives and then tying all the secrets together so who how they intertwine quite a few of the characters. Parts of this book made my blood boil! Parts made me sympathize with characters. The suspense was wonderful! Great book! My first by this author.

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