It seems highly appropriate that I read this in the run up to what is commonly believed to be the scariest night of the year - Hallowe'en. I love psychological thrillers and this was up there with the best I've read. It kept me on edge the whole way through, it kept me guessing almost until the very end and although it ended quite abruptly, for once I didn't mind. It was the perfect note upon which to end. It also leaves the story open for a potential sequel if the author so chooses.

The reason I wanted to review this book is because the blurb really grabbed me. I don't know anyone, myself included, who doesn't seek parental approval, even as an adult. I thought it would be interesting to see how taking that relationship and need for approval to an extreme level, could play out. The relationship between Jess and her mother is definitely abnormal, but I think the truly scary thing for me was the ease with which Jess' mother was able to manipulate her and control even her thinking.

As parents, we often blithely say that we would do literally anything for our children in order to keep them safe, happy etc but this book looks at what happens when we take that clichéd saying and run with it. At what point does keeping them safe turn from normal parental concern to obsession? We hear about parents who are jealous of their children's partners and who actively try to come between them. At what point do people go from thinking a person is bad for their child to actively trying to sabotage their relationship - all for the good of the child of course? Is there a fine line or is there a clear gap? In The Perfect Daughter nothing is clear, almost no one is exactly who they seem to be and in the middle of it all is us, the reader, trying to guess what is truly going on. The book is all told from Jess' perspective and her confusion mirrors ours.

The scariest stories are often those which are grounded in reality and this situation is one I think many people can probably identify with. This book is disturbing and worrying and I loved every minute of it!

Jess Harper has spent her whole life trying to make her mum, Abigail, happy and proud. Everything Jess does has to be approved by Abigail first. When Jess announces that she has a new man in her life - plumber Adam - Abigail is less than impressed. But Abigail is only doing these things to keep Jess safe, to protect her from getting hurt again - isn't she? Or is she the perfect liar?

What an intriguing psychological thriller this is. A manipulative mother who will do anything to keep control of her daughter. When Jess's boyfriend, Adam goes missing, the police seem very interested in Abigail.

This is a thought provoking read. Coercive control and manipulation are prominent throughout the story. The story is told in the past and present day. The past shows how Jess is the person she is now. This is a fast paced and gripping read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #BoldwoodBooks and the author #AlexStone for my ARC of #ThePerfectDaughter in exchange for and honest review.

Jess Harper has always trusted her mother to help her make the right decisions. In the past, things have gone wrong, proving that Jess needs someone to guide her...but now Jess is falling in love and her mother doesn't approve of her choice. He's a plumber. He took Jess's time and focus away from her mother. Then he was missing, presumed dead, and the police were interviewing Jess.

I was fascinated by the relationship between the two women, especially since it wasn't immediately clear which of them was the unreliable narrator. The plots moves from past to present, gradually revealing what's happened over the years. And what happened to Adam.

Thanks NetGalley, Boldwood Books and Alex Stone for an ARC to review.
A fast page turner that will make you question your opinion regarding all the characters.
I enjoyed it.

From the age of six, it's always just been Jess and her Mum. Her dad left after dropping her off at school and her mum has never wanted to discuss him. Now Jess is an adult but still very much in the clutches of her manipulative mum. Previous relationships have always ended badly and her mum has always been there to pick up the pieces. Jess is the perfect daughter After all her mum has looked out for her her whole life. Until Jess meets Adam and begins to see a future with him, he accepts her flaws, but mum takes a dislike to him. And then he also goes missing, feared dead and Jess finds herself under suspicion and questions her whole life.
This was a well written, although slightly predictable novel. As the reader I was so frustrated with some of Jess's reactions and her inability to see what we as readers could see, but that's what makes a good book. The ending surprised me.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Disturbing Domestic Suspense….
Disturbing domestic suspense where not everything is, perhaps, as it seems. With an unreliable narrative and equally unreliable but credible protagonists the tale unfolds with an uneasy sense of mounting tension leading to some, perhaps, unexpected twists. A well written and immersive read.

There were so many twists and turns within these pages and I was desperate to find out more.

I really felt for Jess and the struggles she goes through.

I loved getting lost within this book, it really grabs a hold from the outset. I did predict the ending but it certainly didnt spoil the read for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

A well-written story that draws you in & is reminiscent of a couple of my favourite classic Hollywood movies: "Now, Voyager" (for mother/daughter manipulation) & "Gaslight" (which is part of modern parlance.)

3.5 stars
The Perfect Daughter is the latest standalone novel by Alex Stone. This is my first read by this author.

When Jess brings home her new boyfriend, Adam its the first time she has dared defy her mother. Jess's life has been tightly controlled by her mother since her father left in early childhood. When Adam goes missing, things begin unravel. Is Jess really as perfect as she seems?

At the heart this book is about relationships, specifically mother-daughters. Jess is a likeable, strong and realistic character who I was cheering on the whole book. Her relationship with her mother was complex and layered. I felt the author portrayed this well. I could both hate and empathize with the mother character.

The book is told in dual timelines. The current which focuses on the aftermath of Adam's disappearance and the past where we get to see Jess and Adam's relationship as it begins and develops. I enjoyed the back and forth and felt this helped to build suspense.

The ending has an interesting and shocking twist that I didn't see coming. The end wrapped up most things but left one minor unanswered question which I would have liked to know. The ending was satisfying otherwise.

Overall, this was a solid, easy to read page turner. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys complex family/domestic mysteries.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an early copy of this book.

Well, what can I say?
This was an unpredictable story with a believable thread - loved it!

Jess wasted her life in the shadow of her controlling, jealous and delusional mother. My emotions were all over the place through this book. I really felt for Jessica; she was a manipulated child who was mentally tortured by a mother who knew no better.
Really didn't want to finish this book.

This was an interesting book and I did believe in the relationship between Jess and her mother. But I struggled with the rest of the story and guessed the ending..

The book was very well written and I did like the scenery descriptions.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

So I enjoyed the suspense and there were some pretty memorable moments. The relationship between Jess and her mother was sustained well to keep me wondering and guessing, but I wasn't completely drawn into it. I found it hugely predicable from the onset and felt the direction of the book was led by little imagination. The cover is striking and the blurb is intriguing enough but think overall I'd give it three stars for the direction it took. The ending felt pretty dramatic for me. But nonetheless, it does well to sustain suspense and overall interest if you're thirsty for a thriller.

I received a copy of ‘The Perfect Daughter’ by Alex Stone through NetGalley from the publisher Boldwood Books. This review is being posted as part of the blog tour run by Rachel’s Random Resources. Thank you to you all for the copy and my place on the blog tour.

This book is set in Bournemouth and follows Jessica Harper, a Contracts Assistant.

Jessica is very close to her Mum and her life currently revolves around her and her alone. Although she feels alone, Jessica doesn’t like to take risks, in case she gets hurt or it causes people to leave. All she wants to be is the perfect daughter. When asked out on a date by Adam, she takes the chance and goes on the date.

Soon they are in a relationship, much to her mother’s disgust. What is wrong with being happy?

A devastating accident causes Jessica to delve into her own mind and work out what could have happened. Was it her fault? Is there a side of her that stays hidden?

She must work through her anxieties and doubts, that have been confirmed by her Mum and work out the truth. Is her Mum just protecting her? Or are there darker secrets to unravel?

I found this book really hit me hard, I’m not sure if it is just my state of mind at the moment but Jessica’s character really spoke to me. I related to her feelings of insecurity and never feeling good enough, always feeling like you never fit in. I found it difficult reading her mother talk to her the way she does, no one should ever be made to feel like that. This just shows how well written this book is, that some characters can be relatable, and others get under your skin.

Following Jessica’s journey was really intense, as she starts to doubt her own mind, but also work out how strong she is too.

I loved the brief friendship between Jessica and Karen too, I would have loved to see more of this, everyone needs a friend like Karen.

As I said before Jessica’s Mum really got under my skin, I just wanted to scream at her to stop talking to her daughter like that and let her live her life.

Overall, an intense, and for me emotional psychological thriller, which leaves you with the thought how hard is it to be The Perfect Daughter.

Overall this was a very well written book with an interesting storyline and well developed characters that kept me involved all the way. I did feel though partway through it seemed to lose something and I lost a bit of interest although it did get going again and the ending was unexpected.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle by Boldwood Books and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

A spellbinding thrill ride that will appeal to fans of the thriller/mystery genre.

What a mother won't do! This book is brilliant. The speed of the story leaves the reader gasping for breath but wanting to know more. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.

The author set the scene for the main character very well and took us through the stage set in great detail if a little laboured. I was carried along easily with the narrative but had to be careful to pick up all the pertinent points along the way. As the story progressed Alex Stone the author seemed to grow in confidence and direction. This allowed the story to grow and build to an intriguing and fast paced climax. A great book for any writer let alone a first book. Highly recommended and looking forward to the next saga.

This was a 3.5 star read, leaning more towards that 3 star though. The idea was great, the writing was great, and the twist at the very end was surprising, but otherwise, this book was mediocre. I knew what was coming next throughout the whole book, except of course for the one surprise. But that twist felt like the author just didn't know how to end the book, and second guessed herself. To be fair though, the writing style was good enough to keep me reading, and to get me out of my reading slump. So I can't be too harsh on this book.
The Perfect Daughter by Alex Stone might not be my favorite read, but that doesn't mean it won't be yours. The plot was good, perfect psychological thriller, and frames the changing of mentality perfectly. Jess, the perfect daughter, was clearly manipulated, but just how much was really cool to find out. I look forward to potentially reading more books from this author. I hope this review helps.
Happy Reading, and Blessed Be.
Lily Ashtree

This was a decent thriller but it didn't have me gripped sadly.And i found the story off putting when the book changed from present day to the past mid chapter.Jess has an over bearing mother who likes to control everything Jess does including her boyfriends so when Jess meets Adam sparks fly when her mother takes a dislike of Adam straight away,Jess also finds out just what her mother is like as she uncovers some shocking secrets she has kept hidden from Jess for years.I had worked out the end before the ending which wasn't to bad but the whole book just didn't grab me i'm afraid,i have no doubt some readers will love it,but a 3 just star read for me.

three and a half stars.
as i was reading this book, i thought it would be a definite four star read but when i reached the end, i decided to give it three and a half stars instead for reasons i will mention in this review.
the plot is from the perspective of jessica, a twenty-something year old woman and alternates between the past and the present during which adam, her boyfriend is missing, possibly murdered. jessica's childhood and even adulthood involves constantly being controlled by mother who manipulates her into believing that she has lapses in her memory about horrible things she has done to others. because of this, she does not have lasting friendships and relationships as according to her mother, she inevitably has done something terrible to screw them up and cannot remember what. her mother's actions always target towards breaking jessica's confidence on herself and even goes to length of blaming her father's departure on her to prove to her the extent to which she is capable of hurting people.

"You choose to forget the bad things, jessica."
"you always block out the bad things; the things that you don't want to think about; things you don't want to deal with. you have ever since dad left."


because of her mother's constant intereference in her life and need to keep jessica dependent on her, she loses her best friend from high school, is tricked into going to a college near home and even manipulated into moving into an apartment paid by her mother instead of the one she picks out for herself when she decides to move out. the book deals with how this everpresent self-doubt puts a strain on her relationship with adam in the past as she grapples with the belief that she is probably responsible for his murder in the present, an idea put into her head by her mother.

"she really thought i had done it, my own mother believed i had killed my boyfriend."


i loved the way the author presented jessica's thoughts in the form of constant contemplations. they conveyed the dilemma she was always in about her actions, her likes and her personality due to the images about her conflicting what she believed herself to be had been fed into her mind since she was a child.

what if there were two sides to my character? the one i knew; the one i saw each day in the mirror. quiet. compliant. and another... rebellious. vengeful. yet her existence was an enigma. i never saw her. never felt her. the only trace of her were the repercussions she left in the wake.


i could connect with jessica and empathize with her, which made the book so much more interesting to read. i cannot talk more about the book without revealing too much but the book is full of twists and left me at the edge of my seat. the reason for this book being a three-and-a-half star read is because i felt that the book ended quite abruptly without resolving many of the plot points brought up in the book. it did end on a positive note but i felt it did not provide sufficient closure to the various psychological issues the book hints at. overall, i enjoyed the read and highly recommend to fans of thrillers!

**e-arc provided by netgalley in exchange of an honest review. thank you to netgalley and publisher for this opportunity!**