Well, this was a twisty, toxic tale.

Esther and Rob are a married couple, desperate for a child, then when they think it's too late, Esther becomes pregnant. She suffers from terrible morning sickness, to the point where she is hospitalised.

Then, baby Riley arrives and Rob is smitten, happy to be the stay at home dad whilst Esther returns to her fulltime, busy job. So far so happy family, then we get the first twist...

Loved the big twist in the middle of the book, I actually had to read it three times, but no, it was there, just planted and boom, it went off!

As characters you could tell Rob was going to be an arse, only time would show what an actual arse he was. I didn't especially warm to Esther, but by the end of the book I was firmly in her camp,

Another great suspense filled novel by Charlotte Duckworth.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

The Perfect Father by Charlotte Duckworth is another compelling read from an author who sets the bar high and then shatters all expectations. This one is fast-paced and suspenseful from the outset, and I was kept guessing until the very end.

Esther and Robin have longed for a child of their own and are finally blessed with a daughter, Riley. Esther is progressing well in her career, and as Robin is floundering a bit in his aspirations to break into comedy, the couple decide that he will be the one to commit his days to Riley's care. It is a selfless act, and Esther feels blessed by her good fortune. But soon tensions arise in the relationship, and resentments on both sides start to creep in. When Esther returns home one night to find that Robin and Riley have gone missing, her world will be shaken to the core, and she will question everything she thought she knew about the man with whom she shares her life.

This is a gripping read, full of palpable tension and intrigue. Well played Ms Duckworth, you have done it again. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this ARC.

I had such high hopes for The Perfect but unfortunately, the ending ruined things for me. Although neither were particularly likeable, I was intrigued by the main characters of Robin and Esther and their relationship. I liked that chapters alternated between the two of them, allowing the reader access to their thoughts and feelings. The cast of supporting characters including Viv and Kim were interesting too. But it felt like there was this massive build-up from the beginning of the book, leading to a lacklustre ending which as other readers have stated, felt all too convenient and unrealistic. It was unsatisfactory and disappointing (dare I say even lazy) and really fell short of what I had been hoping for after the appealing blurb.

I enjoyed Charlotte Duckworth's Unfollow Me, so I was excited to read The Perfect Father, and it did not disappoint! All the characters were very well-written, and I found it really easy to emphasize with Esther...the author did such a great job describing Esther's "horrific pregnancy" that if I had wanted to have kids, this book probably would've changed my mind. I liked that the story was told from both Esther and Robin's perspectives, and I had a hard time putting it down...I couldn't get enough of all the secrets and lies and couldn't wait to see how it would all turn out. I highly recommend The Perfect Father, and I'm grateful to NetGalley and Quercus Books for giving me the opportunity to read it. : )

Fairly good story. Decent characters. Easy to follow. I would read more by this author. While it was an enjoyable read, it, unfortunately, wasn't too memorable. But overall, I liked it.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for an early copy of The Perfect Father. This was nothing like I thought it would be, it was so much Better! I disliked the dad immensely but the other characters were real good. What a different ending than I expected. I just Loved the book, really great plot and writing.

Meet Robin and Esther. A happily married couple. After many years of trying to have a baby of their own, Esther is delighted when she finds herself pregnant. She experiences terrible sickness throughout the early days of her pregnancy, and is often bed ridden due to her sickness.

While they go to a party hosted by Esther's good friend, Esther walks in on her husband Robin kissing a young and beautiful woman named Kim. Devastated, Esther is heartbroken. Can their marriage be saved? Can Esther forgive her husband for his lapse in judgement, and be able to move on?

I enjoyed the suspense of the novel as the chapters unfolded. I especially enjoyed how the novel was told from alternating POV's. Parts were told from Robin's perspective and parts were told from Esther's perspective. We learn right from the beginning of the book that one day Esther comes home from work to find that Robin has just up and left without a trace with their daughter Riley. What unfolds is a whirlwind that will have you hooked as you flip through the chapters to unfold the story of what happened.

I also enjoyed how this novel was told from alternating timelines, from past to present, as it gives us some buildup of Esther and Robin's relationship, both when they first started dating, to when they had Riley, to now while he was on the run with her.

A novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

I absolutely loved and inhaled Charlotte Duckworth's previous books, Unfollow Me and The Rival, so I was excited to read The Perfect Father. This one didn't capture me me the way the previous books had but it was a quick and easy read.

Esther gets a text message from her husband that just says Sorry. She races home to discover that he has gone, taking their young daughter with him. And then the police arrive at the door. The story then jumps back and forward from the points of view of both Esther and Robin. We learn how they get to this point and about their fractured relationship.

None of the characters were particularly likeable and some of the twists predictable. It is a good psychological thriller, focusing ore on the characters and their actions.

Thanks to Quercus Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. .

Thank you to NetGalley, Charlotte Duckworth and the publisher for the ARC. I have read both The Rival and Unfollow Me so was excited to get my hands on The Perfect Father. Charlotte Duckworth has an ability to write about current topics in such a relevant and absorbing manner. I have been struggling of late to focus on reading novels, too much news to scroll through, so was surprised by how quickly this gripped me. I thoroughly enjoyed The Perfect Father. It was a psychological thriller with a heart. The phrase 'plot twist' can put me off a little now as so many are gratuitous and unnecessary. The twist in this novel was anything but. I already know that I will be putting this one under the tree for a couple of family members.

I love this author's books so was looking forward to reading this but sadly didn't enjoy it as much as the others. It was quite slow paced although did have some twists and turns and shocks but I personAlly struggled to get into it and it didn't grip me.

This is her third book and I like it as much as the first two. The writer needs bugging up as she’s brilliant! This is another book that takes you one way and then goes another. It’ll keep you guessing and I guarantee you won’t see the end coming.
5/5.

“Sorry” that the cryptic message Esther gets from her husband Robin… Let me start by saying that I did not like either Robin or Esther. They are both selfish and only cared about themselves. The book has the h and H point of views but I was unable to get absorbed in this story, I kept reading waiting for the big twist which was very predictable.
* I was provided a review copy of this book by NetGallery in exchange for my honest opinion*

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review . Ive been very lucky to be able to review all 3 of Charlotte’s books and if you haven’t discovered her yet….theres my tip for the day!

This is insanely good. The day after reading im still thinking of it and the characters.

What is a good father? Or indeed a perfect father? This is a area amongst others that are explored .

Their are revelations galore from page 1 and its a rollercoaster of a book.

Heart racing and an exciting compelling read.

Unpredictable and thrilling, this will definitely keep you on your toes . I loved every chapter!

I wish Charlotte every success with this release

Published 1st December

Robin is driving with his daughter, Riley, in his car. He leaves a message for Esther, his wife, "Sorry". Yet, is Robin REALLY sorry?

Riley is 2 years old. When Esther finds that both Robin and Riley are gone she scrambles to find them. (Particularly Riley).

A riveting, high-drama suspense story that the reader will not be able to put down!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Many Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for a superior suspense read!

Another great thriller from this author. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all of her books. There are some dispicable characters in the story. Which I love x

Great read by a new author for me. The plot is well written and enticing to the reader. The author writes in a way that makes the reader feel like part of The story.

This was definitely a slow burner which I struggled to stick with. It didn’t grip me from the start but I kept wiry it. The characters were not interesting and I could not relate to them well. It did get a bit better later on but I’m concerned that readers will give up earlier on.

Well this was an interesting read. I have never read anything from this author before and I will now as I am intrigued.
To be fair I did not gravitate towards Robin but I did understand the plot line and it did seem plausible. I did not expect the twist in the middle and that threw me. Very well played.

This book is told by different perspectives, Robin (who was just plain despicable) and Esther but also in different time periods so had to concentrate on the book.

It is a definite good read especially on a winter's day.

A complimentary copy was provided by Quercus Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This book is amazing, I honestly couldn't put it down. It's the type of book where you HAVE to know what's going to happen next. It really kept me guessing till the last few pages. I've never read a book quite like it it's really gripping, it had my heart racing in places and I also cried while reading it. So a whole mixture of emotions. It's one of the top 5 books I've read this year and I've read A LOT!! I can't recommend it enough

3.5 stars

Esther gets a cryptic message from husband Robin which simply says ‘Sorry’ which throws her into a blind panic. Where is Robin and her infant daughter Riley? What does Robin have to be sorry for? A knock at the door reveals two police officers.... the story is told alternately by Esther and Robin and in different timelines which at times is a bit confusing.

Although this is a decent psychological thriller it does not captivate, enthral or shock to quite the same degree as the authors previous books which I loved. First of all, I dislike the characters especially perfect father Robin who has few redeeming features as he’s a manipulative lying worm. Esther is rather dull and a closed book and I find her infuriating as it takes her so long to wake up to reality. However, it is a good character study and it isn’t a requisite in storytelling that characters should be liked! The author has created a good analysis of a problematic relationship but from about half way through it’s easy to see it for what it is. There are some good reveals dropped into the unfolding storyline but nothing that is especially shocking. I think the novel deserves a better ending which would have placed it in the four star category but it feels rather too convenient.

Overall, it’s an easy to read page turner with a good premise.

With thanks to NetGalley and Quercus Books for the arc in return for an honest review.