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Seems Perfect
Driven by past traumas and present hardships, two women face off over home turf in this twisty psychological thriller from Rebecca Hanover, author of The Last Applicant.
Emily Hawthorne lives in the well-heeled Noe Valley of San Francisco…but just barely. With less work than she would like at the yoga studio, a pile of debt, and a fraught past, she can no longer afford her tiny condo. When she meets the charming Penelope “Pip” Stone and her young daughter, also beset by financial woes, she agrees to take them in as roommates.
But Emily’s stroke of luck turns out to be another twist of the Pip is a professional squatter who has no intention of paying rent. And Pip doesn’t want to share the condo.
She wants the whole thing.
Their domestic standoff only intensifies when a downstairs neighbor is murdered. Both women become suspects, not to mention each other’s mistrustful alibis.
Emily feels the walls closing in. Is she trapped with a vulnerable grifter—who, like her, may have good reasons for making bad decisions—or is Pip just a cold-blooded killer?
Emily Hawthorne lives in the well-heeled Noe Valley of San Francisco…but just barely. With less work than she would like at the yoga studio, a pile of debt, and a fraught past, she can no longer afford her tiny condo. When she meets the charming Penelope “Pip” Stone and her young daughter, also beset by financial woes, she agrees to take them in as roommates.
But Emily’s stroke of luck turns out to be another twist of the Pip is a professional squatter who has no intention of paying rent. And Pip doesn’t want to share the condo.
She wants the whole thing.
Their domestic standoff only intensifies when a downstairs neighbor is murdered. Both women become suspects, not to mention each other’s mistrustful alibis.
Emily feels the walls closing in. Is she trapped with a vulnerable grifter—who, like her, may have good reasons for making bad decisions—or is Pip just a cold-blooded killer?
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 25, 2025
142 people are currently reading
6349 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Hanover
5 books401 followersRebecca Hanover is the NY Times bestselling author of THE SIMILARS series and two domestic thrillers, THE LAST APPLICANT (2023) and SEEMS PERFECT (2025). She earned a bachelor of arts from Stanford University in English and drama and won an Emmy as a staff writer on the CBS daytime drama Guiding Light. (It's surprisingly heavy, and has scary sharp wings).
Rebecca lives in San Francisco with her husband and three kiddos, where she enjoys matcha lattes, hoodies, and a complete lack of seasons.
Instagram: @rebeccahanover
Twitter: @rebeccahanover
Rebecca lives in San Francisco with her husband and three kiddos, where she enjoys matcha lattes, hoodies, and a complete lack of seasons.
Instagram: @rebeccahanover
Twitter: @rebeccahanover
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
February 28, 2025
Seems Perfect written by Rebecca Hanover was a WILDDDDD RIDEEEE!!!!!!! Ladies and gentlemen, get your popcorn popped because this book is filled with twists and turns that you will NOT see coming. I just absolutely love that cover, it's so beautifully detailed, mixed with the purple and blue, but anyways, when I first saw that cover, I knew I had to get my hands on this book and I'm so happy that I did because Seems Perfect was such a thrilling thriller. I love when authors write about things that happen every single day around the world, such as in this situation, SQUATTERS. I won't lie, this book did give me the heebie jeebies because just think about some random person living in your house/apartment without paying you a single dime. I know this book is a work of fiction, but I love that Rebecca portrayed the message that there are still amazing people in this world who will do anything to help out strangers despite being taken advantage of. Seems Perfect did hit a little too close to home because I know what it's like to help out people with the kindness of my heart only for it to backfire and make me realize that when people don't need you anymore they will just throw you to the curb. I can't recommend this book enough, please do yourself a favor and grab a copy of this novel immediately, I feel like so many can resonate with this story in so many different ways. Mark your calendars for February 25th, 2025 for the release of Seems Perfect written by Rebecca Hanover.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND LAKE UNION PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!
"🕵Get you detective hat on, Nancy Drew, cause we are going for a riiideee🕵".
"💯You are adulting. Suck it up. Everything happens for a reason, doesn't it?💯"
"💫Being considered normal was a valiant goal💫".
"😭💖It's one thing to rely on friends for support. It's quite another to burden them😭💖".
Emily Hawthorne is a thirty-two year old San Francisco native, she has a plant based lifestyle and she's a yoga teacher. Emily decides to put up an ad on Craigslist looking for a roommate because she's in debt way over her head and she wants to save the condo she inherited from her aunt Vivian that she's been living in for the past sixteen years. Despite being a yoga teacher, Emily doesn't have the funds to pay for rent because she's out of work due to her meniscus being repaired. Emily broke up and canceled her engagement to Seth because she thought he deserved better than what Emily could have given him. Emily's parents both died when she was just sixteen years old, so her aunt Vivian took Emily under her wings, but now Vivian is living in a senior citizen special care facility. Emily's whole identity revolves around radical self acceptance, she also suffers from severe anxiety. Penelope "Pip" Stone is a diamond in the rough among a sea of frogs. Pip has two jobs, she's a children's tutor and she runs a consulting business. Pip is sophisticated and absolutely gorgeous, but she's not racking in enough money despite working two jobs. Pip also has a twelve year old daughter, Sofie that she forgot to mention to Emily before signing the lease to live in Emily's condo.
Pip is dishonest, a gaslighter, and a master manipulator. Pip has had money issues since she was pregnant with Sofie, but would never tell anyone. Pip is a bonafide con artist that uses her daughter to play victim with good hearted people. Pip and Sofie are full of dark secrets. Sofie was cute and sweet, but it was all just a game to take advantage of Emily. Emily and Pip wanted to be more than just roommates, both of them wanted to actually form a friendship, but boy do these shocking twists just keep coming. Pip and Sofie are basically taking over Emily's condo and living there for free despite making all of these promises to pay Emily the rent money. Pip and Sofie go through Emily's pantry, throwing everything with coconut away because of Sofie's "allergies" while Emily was sleeping. Pip and Emily soon become each other's alibi after a murder scene took place in their apartment complex. Despite their hatred and emotions running high towards one another, Emily and Pip must put that aside to work together and vouch for each other the day the murder took place. I see why Pip wanted to protect her daughter, because that's every mother's instincts is to protect their precious babies, but the excuses Pip made up were just complete bullshit. I definitely wouldn't want anyone like Pip and Sofie living in my house, that's for damn sure. It breaks my heart that kind hearted people get taken advantage of despite doing good things for strangers around them.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND LAKE UNION PUBLISHING FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!
"🕵Get you detective hat on, Nancy Drew, cause we are going for a riiideee🕵".
"💯You are adulting. Suck it up. Everything happens for a reason, doesn't it?💯"
"💫Being considered normal was a valiant goal💫".
"😭💖It's one thing to rely on friends for support. It's quite another to burden them😭💖".
Emily Hawthorne is a thirty-two year old San Francisco native, she has a plant based lifestyle and she's a yoga teacher. Emily decides to put up an ad on Craigslist looking for a roommate because she's in debt way over her head and she wants to save the condo she inherited from her aunt Vivian that she's been living in for the past sixteen years. Despite being a yoga teacher, Emily doesn't have the funds to pay for rent because she's out of work due to her meniscus being repaired. Emily broke up and canceled her engagement to Seth because she thought he deserved better than what Emily could have given him. Emily's parents both died when she was just sixteen years old, so her aunt Vivian took Emily under her wings, but now Vivian is living in a senior citizen special care facility. Emily's whole identity revolves around radical self acceptance, she also suffers from severe anxiety. Penelope "Pip" Stone is a diamond in the rough among a sea of frogs. Pip has two jobs, she's a children's tutor and she runs a consulting business. Pip is sophisticated and absolutely gorgeous, but she's not racking in enough money despite working two jobs. Pip also has a twelve year old daughter, Sofie that she forgot to mention to Emily before signing the lease to live in Emily's condo.
Pip is dishonest, a gaslighter, and a master manipulator. Pip has had money issues since she was pregnant with Sofie, but would never tell anyone. Pip is a bonafide con artist that uses her daughter to play victim with good hearted people. Pip and Sofie are full of dark secrets. Sofie was cute and sweet, but it was all just a game to take advantage of Emily. Emily and Pip wanted to be more than just roommates, both of them wanted to actually form a friendship, but boy do these shocking twists just keep coming. Pip and Sofie are basically taking over Emily's condo and living there for free despite making all of these promises to pay Emily the rent money. Pip and Sofie go through Emily's pantry, throwing everything with coconut away because of Sofie's "allergies" while Emily was sleeping. Pip and Emily soon become each other's alibi after a murder scene took place in their apartment complex. Despite their hatred and emotions running high towards one another, Emily and Pip must put that aside to work together and vouch for each other the day the murder took place. I see why Pip wanted to protect her daughter, because that's every mother's instincts is to protect their precious babies, but the excuses Pip made up were just complete bullshit. I definitely wouldn't want anyone like Pip and Sofie living in my house, that's for damn sure. It breaks my heart that kind hearted people get taken advantage of despite doing good things for strangers around them.
November 5, 2024
4 stars.
As an introvert, I LOATHE Pip and Sofie with every molecule of my being. I hate villains, I mean, I hate Voldemort. But these two? I hate these two bitches more than Voldemort. I’m not just uncomfortable, they made my skin crawl, my stomach turn, my blood boil. I had to put the book down every few pages just to breathe, just to recover from their absolute gall. For real. The level of audacity here? Uncharted territory. Emily, you foolish, foolish girl, honestly, I feel you. I’m right there with you! I’m the kind of person who avoids confrontation and conflict like it’s radioactive. I have boundaries so high and fortified that they’re practically made of stone. But Pip and Sofie? Oh. My. God. These two are like a walking horror show of shamelessness. I hate them, absolutely despise them, they are the definition of skin-crawling.
Pip is that nosy, invasive aunt who sidles up at family gatherings, with that disgustingly fake smile plastered on, leaning in to ask, “Why haven’t you had children yet? After all these years… something wrong?” Just vile. People like her? They drain my soul. The absolute worst. People with no concept of boundaries? They are my nightmare, and Pip and Sofie are walking, talking versions of that nightmare.
This book? An emotional endurance test. These situations are my Achilles’ heel, my personal hellscape. I can read dark, disturbing content and barely blink, but this? This level of interpersonal horror, this brazen disregard for personal space, made me so angry, so uncomfortable I wanted to scream.
But honestly? The book is good. So good. That plot twist? It spun hard and fast right at the end. This, right here, is what I call a thriller.
As an introvert, I LOATHE Pip and Sofie with every molecule of my being. I hate villains, I mean, I hate Voldemort. But these two? I hate these two bitches more than Voldemort. I’m not just uncomfortable, they made my skin crawl, my stomach turn, my blood boil. I had to put the book down every few pages just to breathe, just to recover from their absolute gall. For real. The level of audacity here? Uncharted territory. Emily, you foolish, foolish girl, honestly, I feel you. I’m right there with you! I’m the kind of person who avoids confrontation and conflict like it’s radioactive. I have boundaries so high and fortified that they’re practically made of stone. But Pip and Sofie? Oh. My. God. These two are like a walking horror show of shamelessness. I hate them, absolutely despise them, they are the definition of skin-crawling.
Pip is that nosy, invasive aunt who sidles up at family gatherings, with that disgustingly fake smile plastered on, leaning in to ask, “Why haven’t you had children yet? After all these years… something wrong?” Just vile. People like her? They drain my soul. The absolute worst. People with no concept of boundaries? They are my nightmare, and Pip and Sofie are walking, talking versions of that nightmare.
This book? An emotional endurance test. These situations are my Achilles’ heel, my personal hellscape. I can read dark, disturbing content and barely blink, but this? This level of interpersonal horror, this brazen disregard for personal space, made me so angry, so uncomfortable I wanted to scream.
But honestly? The book is good. So good. That plot twist? It spun hard and fast right at the end. This, right here, is what I call a thriller.
February 13, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Seems Perfect will be officially published on February 25th, 2025!
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Holy crap. This is the first thriller in a LONG while that I actually...dare I say, enjoyed?! I don't remember the last time a thriller made my stomach uneasy, made my anxiety go through the roof, and genuinely made me uncomfortable and not uneasy. I know my three-star rating probably says otherwise but I did enjoy reading this fast-paced and short and sweet thriller!
The story follows Emily Hawthorne, a 32-year-old yoga instructor who is in debt. A lot of it. She lives in her Aunt Vivian's condo but is on the brink of losing it when she fails to pay her bills. Desperate, she puts an ad up on Craigslist looking for a roommate who can pay rent and help out with the bills. Enter Penelope "Pip" Stone and her 12-year-old daughter Sofie. Emily takes them in, but the condo she's lived in for half of her life is slowly taken away from her as Pip and Sofie make it their own. Increasingly aggravated, Emily tries to make do with the new living situation, especially since Pip fails to pay her the rent she's owed. When one of their neighbors is murdered, they're forced to attempt to keep the peace as the investigation is ongoing.
I think the story made me so uneasy because the plotline seems wholly mundane but could legitimately happen to anyone. I don't remember the last time I felt genuinely nervous reading a thriller and had that "I'm on the edge of my seat" feeling I so desperately wanted from any thriller I read. As Emily started to spiral and go crazy trying to beat Pip at her own game, I felt like I was also going crazy. I will admit that I had an inkling of what the plot twist was going to be and who the murderer was (because I don't trust anyone), but the backstory behind why was NOT what I expected at all. The ending was all kinds of effed up in the best way possible and despite me having my own gripes with Emily (more on this in the next paragraph), I was rooting for Emily to win and get out of the situation she dug herself into. I also liked the chapters from Pip's POV; there weren't a lot but it provided some much-needed context behind why she is the way she is.
The only thing I took off stars for in my rating was Emily herself. I debated between making my rating either 3 stars or 4 but settled on a 3.5 at the end. Emily makes a lot of stupid decisions throughout the story. A lot of the plot is driven by Emily's boneheaded decisions which made for a good story, but I couldn't get over how naïve she was and how she lacked any sort of common sense. I know I joked about this in my pre-read thoughts, but I genuinely think her very first mistake was putting a roommate advertisement up on Craigslist. Her second mistake was not doing a background check on all of the people who responded to her ad. I get it, money is tight and beggars can't be choosers, but at the very least have some common sense and meet with your potential roommates before you willingly hand them a lease. Throughout the story, Emily is constantly giving Pip the benefit of the doubt whenever she says something about why she can't come up with the payments yet, why she threw out Emily's groceries, or whatever the case may be. I also didn't understand her stance and relationship and what she thought about Nathan? They were a two-night stand and she claims to not care about what he does in his free time but she also has this attitude that no one else can date him except for her because what they had together--again, for TWO NIGHTS--was special to her? Like, she's kind of possessive of him for no reason and it rubbed me the wrong way.
(There's also another thing that irked me as a pharmacist, but it involves a spoiler so I'll include it at the very bottom of my review instead of including it here. I know most people wouldn't catch on to this at all but I did and I feel like this is something that needs to be said.)
Overall, if you're looking for an exciting, fast-paced, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller, this may be the book for you! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this.
3.5 stars (rounded down to 3)
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Trigger warnings: death of family members, infertility, bodily injuries, Alzheimer's disease/dementia, abusive relationship, cancer, murder, drugging/drug use, mentions of blood, captivity
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: I promised myself I'd stay on top of my ARCs this year, so I'm going to try to read one or two ARCs a week! Here's the first one for this week. I have a feeling this is going to be bad because Emily's first mistake was putting a roommate ad up on Craigslist of all places so we'll see what happens.
(Scroll a little more for the spoiler/pharmacist rant)
So is anyone going to talk about how Sofie got her hands on INJECTABLE DIAZEPAM? SHE'S 12. TWELVE. For those of you who don't know, diazepam is a controlled substance medication in the United States, where the story takes place (Schedule IV federally, but in New York where I live, it's classified as a Schedule II. For reference, drugs like Percocet and Adderall are Schedule II substances. The lower the (Roman) numeral, the higher the chance it has to be addictive or abused by users). Controlled substances are kept in locked cabinets behind the counter in pharmacies, people have to show a government-issued ID to even pick up a controlled substance, and they OBVIOUSLY have to have a prescription for it. I don't know about you, but I don't think benzos and narcotics are something that a school nurse would just casually have in their medicine cabinet in a MIDDLE SCHOOL of all places, let alone INJECTABLE diazepam. Like where did she get this from? I know it ain't the school nurse. Did Pip get it for her? How would she even get a script for INJECTABLE Valium when Emily found Pip's XANAX in her medicine cabinet? THEY'RE BOTH BENZOS. THEY'RE IN THE SAME DRUG CLASS, WHY WOULD YOU BE ON BOTH? WHY WOULD ANY PRESCRIBER OR PHARMACIST LET THAT FLY?
"The thing that sets my teeth on edge is that I've been totally played. That ends now. I'll use what I know now about Pip to my advantage. I will beat her at this game. I'm nobody's fool. Not anymore."
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Holy crap. This is the first thriller in a LONG while that I actually...dare I say, enjoyed?! I don't remember the last time a thriller made my stomach uneasy, made my anxiety go through the roof, and genuinely made me uncomfortable and not uneasy. I know my three-star rating probably says otherwise but I did enjoy reading this fast-paced and short and sweet thriller!
The story follows Emily Hawthorne, a 32-year-old yoga instructor who is in debt. A lot of it. She lives in her Aunt Vivian's condo but is on the brink of losing it when she fails to pay her bills. Desperate, she puts an ad up on Craigslist looking for a roommate who can pay rent and help out with the bills. Enter Penelope "Pip" Stone and her 12-year-old daughter Sofie. Emily takes them in, but the condo she's lived in for half of her life is slowly taken away from her as Pip and Sofie make it their own. Increasingly aggravated, Emily tries to make do with the new living situation, especially since Pip fails to pay her the rent she's owed. When one of their neighbors is murdered, they're forced to attempt to keep the peace as the investigation is ongoing.
I think the story made me so uneasy because the plotline seems wholly mundane but could legitimately happen to anyone. I don't remember the last time I felt genuinely nervous reading a thriller and had that "I'm on the edge of my seat" feeling I so desperately wanted from any thriller I read. As Emily started to spiral and go crazy trying to beat Pip at her own game, I felt like I was also going crazy. I will admit that I had an inkling of what the plot twist was going to be and who the murderer was (because I don't trust anyone), but the backstory behind why was NOT what I expected at all. The ending was all kinds of effed up in the best way possible and despite me having my own gripes with Emily (more on this in the next paragraph), I was rooting for Emily to win and get out of the situation she dug herself into. I also liked the chapters from Pip's POV; there weren't a lot but it provided some much-needed context behind why she is the way she is.
The only thing I took off stars for in my rating was Emily herself. I debated between making my rating either 3 stars or 4 but settled on a 3.5 at the end. Emily makes a lot of stupid decisions throughout the story. A lot of the plot is driven by Emily's boneheaded decisions which made for a good story, but I couldn't get over how naïve she was and how she lacked any sort of common sense. I know I joked about this in my pre-read thoughts, but I genuinely think her very first mistake was putting a roommate advertisement up on Craigslist. Her second mistake was not doing a background check on all of the people who responded to her ad. I get it, money is tight and beggars can't be choosers, but at the very least have some common sense and meet with your potential roommates before you willingly hand them a lease. Throughout the story, Emily is constantly giving Pip the benefit of the doubt whenever she says something about why she can't come up with the payments yet, why she threw out Emily's groceries, or whatever the case may be. I also didn't understand her stance and relationship and what she thought about Nathan? They were a two-night stand and she claims to not care about what he does in his free time but she also has this attitude that no one else can date him except for her because what they had together--again, for TWO NIGHTS--was special to her? Like, she's kind of possessive of him for no reason and it rubbed me the wrong way.
(There's also another thing that irked me as a pharmacist, but it involves a spoiler so I'll include it at the very bottom of my review instead of including it here. I know most people wouldn't catch on to this at all but I did and I feel like this is something that needs to be said.)
Overall, if you're looking for an exciting, fast-paced, on-the-edge-of-your-seat thriller, this may be the book for you! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this.
3.5 stars (rounded down to 3)
⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡⋆⋆✴︎˚｡
Trigger warnings: death of family members, infertility, bodily injuries, Alzheimer's disease/dementia, abusive relationship, cancer, murder, drugging/drug use, mentions of blood, captivity
𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: I promised myself I'd stay on top of my ARCs this year, so I'm going to try to read one or two ARCs a week! Here's the first one for this week. I have a feeling this is going to be bad because Emily's first mistake was putting a roommate ad up on Craigslist of all places so we'll see what happens.
(Scroll a little more for the spoiler/pharmacist rant)
So is anyone going to talk about how Sofie got her hands on INJECTABLE DIAZEPAM? SHE'S 12. TWELVE. For those of you who don't know, diazepam is a controlled substance medication in the United States, where the story takes place (Schedule IV federally, but in New York where I live, it's classified as a Schedule II. For reference, drugs like Percocet and Adderall are Schedule II substances. The lower the (Roman) numeral, the higher the chance it has to be addictive or abused by users). Controlled substances are kept in locked cabinets behind the counter in pharmacies, people have to show a government-issued ID to even pick up a controlled substance, and they OBVIOUSLY have to have a prescription for it. I don't know about you, but I don't think benzos and narcotics are something that a school nurse would just casually have in their medicine cabinet in a MIDDLE SCHOOL of all places, let alone INJECTABLE diazepam. Like where did she get this from? I know it ain't the school nurse. Did Pip get it for her? How would she even get a script for INJECTABLE Valium when Emily found Pip's XANAX in her medicine cabinet? THEY'RE BOTH BENZOS. THEY'RE IN THE SAME DRUG CLASS, WHY WOULD YOU BE ON BOTH? WHY WOULD ANY PRESCRIBER OR PHARMACIST LET THAT FLY?
February 3, 2025
I love when a book takes a seemingly mundane situation and adds a twist to it and that’s exactly what the author did here. Getting a new roommate shouldn’t be dangerous but it is when Emily allows Pip into her home. Forget the danger, the thought of someone being at my house and never leaving sounds like my worst nightmare as an introvert and I felt so awful for Emily. Yes, she was a little frustrating at times, her decision making skills were lacking and I don’t think I agreed with her choices one time, but no one deserves what Pip put her through. I don’t want to go further into the plot because this developed in ways I didn’t see coming and I love a good surprise. If you like unsettling books with unlikable characters and fast pacing try this!
February 25, 2025
This was such a twisty domestic thriller/murder mystery and I loved every second of it! Featuring two supposedly down on their luck women who agree to be roommates only to find themselves at odds when the woman who is supposed to help solve Emily's roommate/money woes turns out to be a grifter with a daughter who just might be a sociopath and they start to try to take over Emily's home. Add in a dead body and when they both become suspects with only each other as their alibis things really heat up! Really great on audio narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya and Emily Lawrence, this was a fast-paced read by a new to me author. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! Recommended for fans of authors like Jeneva Rose. I will definitely keep an eye out for more by Rebecca Hanover!
February 13, 2025
This was a fast paced thriller that takes an everyday situation and twists it… making it even more unsettling. Emily, who is in a dire financial situation, takes in a new roommate which seems harmless enough. Pip is anything but usual, and quickly turns it into something far more sinister.
The author really delivers on this one! The narration was perfect! I loved the other POVs! The book kept me on the edge of my seat! It is an already tense situation that was turned into nightmare that I thought I understood until the twist got me. It came out of nowhere and slapped me upside the head! My advice is to go into this one blind because it is so unexpected and shocking at each turn. I highly recommend this book to the mystery and thriller readers.
The author really delivers on this one! The narration was perfect! I loved the other POVs! The book kept me on the edge of my seat! It is an already tense situation that was turned into nightmare that I thought I understood until the twist got me. It came out of nowhere and slapped me upside the head! My advice is to go into this one blind because it is so unexpected and shocking at each turn. I highly recommend this book to the mystery and thriller readers.
September 27, 2024
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
This book truly took me by surprise! I’m not typically a psychological thriller girly just because I don’t do too well with tension, so I didn’t know what to expect, but it exceeded any expectations I didn’t know I had.
The story begins with Emily, who’s deep in a shit ton of debt and posts a listing for a roommate on Craigslist out of desperation. Enter Pip, who responds to the listing, but when moving day comes, Pip arrives with her teenage daughter, Sofie, much to Emily's surprise. And things just go to shit from here.
The first couple of chapters, as things started to unravel, were infuriating, I had to pause several times to breathe because I I just couldn’t believe that someone would let themselves get constantly stepped on like Emily did. So when she finally found her backbone, I felt suuuuuch a sense of relief! It was also frustrating that she didn’t rely on others; I think a big chunk of what happened could have been avoided if she had talked to her friend or even her ex.
No matter — the storyline developed super well. Although short, I loved having an in into Pip’s and even Sofie’s heads, and I appreciated the uncomplicated, trustworthy ending.
10/10 would definitely recommend🤞🏼
This book truly took me by surprise! I’m not typically a psychological thriller girly just because I don’t do too well with tension, so I didn’t know what to expect, but it exceeded any expectations I didn’t know I had.
The story begins with Emily, who’s deep in a shit ton of debt and posts a listing for a roommate on Craigslist out of desperation. Enter Pip, who responds to the listing, but when moving day comes, Pip arrives with her teenage daughter, Sofie, much to Emily's surprise. And things just go to shit from here.
The first couple of chapters, as things started to unravel, were infuriating, I had to pause several times to breathe because I I just couldn’t believe that someone would let themselves get constantly stepped on like Emily did. So when she finally found her backbone, I felt suuuuuch a sense of relief! It was also frustrating that she didn’t rely on others; I think a big chunk of what happened could have been avoided if she had talked to her friend or even her ex.
No matter — the storyline developed super well. Although short, I loved having an in into Pip’s and even Sofie’s heads, and I appreciated the uncomplicated, trustworthy ending.
10/10 would definitely recommend🤞🏼
November 23, 2024
⭐⭐⭐✨
CW: Cancer, Death of a Parent, Fertility Issues
I Would Recommend this Book if You Like
📖Literary psychological thrillers
😮Good plot twists
👩🏻👧🏻Discussions of Motherhood
🤣Moments of humour
What I Liked
1) This book has me hooked I needed to know wtf was going on.
2) This book had a few moments of humour and self-awareness from the MC that I really appreciated.
3) I kept being surprised at the lengths the squatters were going to it was so entertaining seeing them try to outsmart each other.
4) This book is not at all pro-landlord and actually acknowledges tenant's rights are important but stuff needs to be put in place to protect people in situations like the MC in this book.
What I Disliked
1) Some of the pop culture references were very heavy handed.
2) I think the pacing got very repetitive in the middle of this book which lowered my overall enjoyment.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review
CW: Cancer, Death of a Parent, Fertility Issues
I Would Recommend this Book if You Like
📖Literary psychological thrillers
😮Good plot twists
👩🏻👧🏻Discussions of Motherhood
🤣Moments of humour
What I Liked
1) This book has me hooked I needed to know wtf was going on.
2) This book had a few moments of humour and self-awareness from the MC that I really appreciated.
3) I kept being surprised at the lengths the squatters were going to it was so entertaining seeing them try to outsmart each other.
4) This book is not at all pro-landlord and actually acknowledges tenant's rights are important but stuff needs to be put in place to protect people in situations like the MC in this book.
What I Disliked
1) Some of the pop culture references were very heavy handed.
2) I think the pacing got very repetitive in the middle of this book which lowered my overall enjoyment.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review
March 1, 2025
Wow, this is such an addictive read!! This book truly exemplifies what a "thriller" should be. I feel lucky to have won this as a GoodReads giveaway!
April 13, 2025
a super quick read because you want to know what happens next. pip infuriated me 😆 on KU!!!
March 12, 2025
~ 4.3 Stars ✨
It's rare that I go into something blind, but I did with this one. Does anyone else obsessively search Kindle Unlimited? Same. It is such a treat to find a hidden gem and I feel like this may be one of them - at least it was for me. Do I think it's for everyone? No, I don't - and you're also likely pretty lucky to not have a horror story titled 'The Roommate from Hell' and I envy you! LOL
If you DO have a horror story of said nature, well, I feel for you (and yes, it is always *that* bad, I will validate you). I'd probably take a mild sedative prior to diving in - or at least a nice 3 finger of bourbon - because I genuinely think I forgot I wasn't *actively* being gaslighted.
The depth beneath the surface was also pretty enjoyable. The ability to capture a feeling, or emotion, that is rare or not often talked about, sneaking it into a sentence goes a long way to me. I had a couple favorites:
"I squeeze my eyes tight, a desperate attempt to wipe out my shame"
Like, GIRL, I've done that since I was seven and not ever - not once - have I seen it in fictional writing. Huge kudos from a lifetime reader who loves validation (kidding, but not)
and "It's one thing to rely on friends for support. It's quite another to burden them"
because let's be honest, SAY IT LOUDER! Being guilt tripped for not sugar-coating friends' bad habits at (and over) the age of 30 is beyond my scope of tolerance because what do you mean the consequence of your own action isn't your fault?
Been there, done that, got the certificate and I do not recommend.
... but I do recommend this book ;)
xx
It's rare that I go into something blind, but I did with this one. Does anyone else obsessively search Kindle Unlimited? Same. It is such a treat to find a hidden gem and I feel like this may be one of them - at least it was for me. Do I think it's for everyone? No, I don't - and you're also likely pretty lucky to not have a horror story titled 'The Roommate from Hell' and I envy you! LOL
If you DO have a horror story of said nature, well, I feel for you (and yes, it is always *that* bad, I will validate you). I'd probably take a mild sedative prior to diving in - or at least a nice 3 finger of bourbon - because I genuinely think I forgot I wasn't *actively* being gaslighted.
The depth beneath the surface was also pretty enjoyable. The ability to capture a feeling, or emotion, that is rare or not often talked about, sneaking it into a sentence goes a long way to me. I had a couple favorites:
"I squeeze my eyes tight, a desperate attempt to wipe out my shame"
Like, GIRL, I've done that since I was seven and not ever - not once - have I seen it in fictional writing. Huge kudos from a lifetime reader who loves validation (kidding, but not)
and "It's one thing to rely on friends for support. It's quite another to burden them"
because let's be honest, SAY IT LOUDER! Being guilt tripped for not sugar-coating friends' bad habits at (and over) the age of 30 is beyond my scope of tolerance because what do you mean the consequence of your own action isn't your fault?
Been there, done that, got the certificate and I do not recommend.
... but I do recommend this book ;)
xx
March 23, 2025
What a unique plot!!! I do love a good squatter story and this one was certainly unique! I was really thrown for a loop with that plot twist at the end, I deff didn’t see that coming. The middle got a little whiney for my tastes, but it was great character development!
April 15, 2025
Entertaining
This was a love hate thing. I like the plot and understand people make bad choices. I think I liked yelling at the character to stop being dumb! Don’t do that! Are you an idiot? lol it was a good story and I liked how easy it flowed.
This was a love hate thing. I like the plot and understand people make bad choices. I think I liked yelling at the character to stop being dumb! Don’t do that! Are you an idiot? lol it was a good story and I liked how easy it flowed.
June 14, 2025
such a slow read
I wanted to DNF this so bad. Read the reviews, decided it was worth finishing ….. it wasn’t. The twist was pretty obvious and the main character spent so much time justifying other people’s shitty behavior to the point it was actually pathetic. Like when girly pop wouldn’t pay rent but wanted the room, why was that not an immediate hell no? Absolutely hated the main character and how she was just letting people walk all over her the entire time.
I wanted to DNF this so bad. Read the reviews, decided it was worth finishing ….. it wasn’t. The twist was pretty obvious and the main character spent so much time justifying other people’s shitty behavior to the point it was actually pathetic. Like when girly pop wouldn’t pay rent but wanted the room, why was that not an immediate hell no? Absolutely hated the main character and how she was just letting people walk all over her the entire time.
March 30, 2025
You just couldn’t bring me to care at all what was happening unfortunately, kinda just predicable and boring. Also, the fact that the main character makes awful decisions (letting stranger liver with her, letting them take her room) and then is so shocked anytime something bad follows which really got annoying
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2025
Check out my reviews at: https://cynthology.blogspot.com/searc...
When a debilitating injury and subsequent surgery leave 32-year-old yoga teacher Emily Hawthorne unable to work or pay her utility bills or her mortgage, she decides to advertise for a paying roommate to share her one-bedroom apartment. Penelope ‘Pip’ Stone answers the ad, and Emily can see that she seems perfect. Pip is affable, friendly and hard-working.
But then Pip moves in too much stuff and a preteen daughter, Sophie, that Emily knows nothing about. With her only living relative, Aunt Viv, living with dementia in an assisted living facility, and having broken up with her fiancé, Seth, out of fear that she might die of cancer as her parents did, Emily is all alone. She is fair game for Pip who quickly begins a devious game of manipulation and gaslighting, taking worse liberties.
Will Emily ever be rid of Pip? Will she get her house back?
The story is written in the first person PoV of Emily, besides occasional 3rd person PoVs of Pip and Sophie. The 3rd person PoVs were the author’s way of humanizing Pip and explaining why she is the way she is, but I hated her all the same.
Right away we know that Pip spells bad news, but Emily ignores all the red flags. She comes across as naïve. She has the most basic password on her wi-fi. I dislike stupid Main Characters, and Emily was just that. She kept making allowances for Pip’s wrongdoing, and that made me want to tear out my hair.
But of course, if she wasn’t stupid, we’d have no story. But it would have been better if there had been some other way in which Emily had found herself sharing her home with Pip.
Breaking up with her fiancé because she fears dying of cancer is another weak angle. Today there are tests that can reveal one’s risk profile for cancer.
I strongly wanted to DNF this book. Emily was just so annoying in her naivete. Even when she takes action to reclaim her home and her life, the solutions she comes up with are rather daft. The only reason why I kept reading was because I felt invested in the situation. Emily only pulled up her socks at the 27% mark. Even then, there was no explanation for why she didn’t confide in best friend, Ally, or her ex-fiancé, Seth.
At one point, she tells us that Pip has isolated her from her best friend and fiance, but that is not true. Emily herself takes the decision to resolve the problem by herself.
The author has a tendency to overwrite a point long after it’s been made. Towards this end, she provides too many details over and over again.
Emily describes herself as a yogi. The right word is yogini. A yogi refers to a male practitioner of yoga. Also, yogic breath is not a thing. Yogic technique of breathing, or even yogic breathing, would be more accurate.
(I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of writing this review. Thanks to the author and publisher.)
When a debilitating injury and subsequent surgery leave 32-year-old yoga teacher Emily Hawthorne unable to work or pay her utility bills or her mortgage, she decides to advertise for a paying roommate to share her one-bedroom apartment. Penelope ‘Pip’ Stone answers the ad, and Emily can see that she seems perfect. Pip is affable, friendly and hard-working.
But then Pip moves in too much stuff and a preteen daughter, Sophie, that Emily knows nothing about. With her only living relative, Aunt Viv, living with dementia in an assisted living facility, and having broken up with her fiancé, Seth, out of fear that she might die of cancer as her parents did, Emily is all alone. She is fair game for Pip who quickly begins a devious game of manipulation and gaslighting, taking worse liberties.
Will Emily ever be rid of Pip? Will she get her house back?
The story is written in the first person PoV of Emily, besides occasional 3rd person PoVs of Pip and Sophie. The 3rd person PoVs were the author’s way of humanizing Pip and explaining why she is the way she is, but I hated her all the same.
Right away we know that Pip spells bad news, but Emily ignores all the red flags. She comes across as naïve. She has the most basic password on her wi-fi. I dislike stupid Main Characters, and Emily was just that. She kept making allowances for Pip’s wrongdoing, and that made me want to tear out my hair.
But of course, if she wasn’t stupid, we’d have no story. But it would have been better if there had been some other way in which Emily had found herself sharing her home with Pip.
Breaking up with her fiancé because she fears dying of cancer is another weak angle. Today there are tests that can reveal one’s risk profile for cancer.
I strongly wanted to DNF this book. Emily was just so annoying in her naivete. Even when she takes action to reclaim her home and her life, the solutions she comes up with are rather daft. The only reason why I kept reading was because I felt invested in the situation. Emily only pulled up her socks at the 27% mark. Even then, there was no explanation for why she didn’t confide in best friend, Ally, or her ex-fiancé, Seth.
At one point, she tells us that Pip has isolated her from her best friend and fiance, but that is not true. Emily herself takes the decision to resolve the problem by herself.
The author has a tendency to overwrite a point long after it’s been made. Towards this end, she provides too many details over and over again.
Emily describes herself as a yogi. The right word is yogini. A yogi refers to a male practitioner of yoga. Also, yogic breath is not a thing. Yogic technique of breathing, or even yogic breathing, would be more accurate.
(I received a free copy of this book for the purpose of writing this review. Thanks to the author and publisher.)
February 7, 2025
Wow! This book took me by surprise and I ended up binging it very quickly.
I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Brilliance Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.
I’ll admit, the subject matter of squatters makes me uncomfortable . Why? I have no idea. Maybe because I know that it happens so easily in real life? Despite that, something about the description pulled me in as it alluded to the squatter having some justification for her behavior.
I’ll say that this is a “light” thriller for most of the book but the psychology presented of the different things that happen as well as the decisions the characters make kept me pushing on well past my bedtime!
There were certainly parts that seemed out of place with details that were not pertinent to the story but it didn’t bother me. Now listening to the audiobook I think that impacted my perception that this was a “lighter” thriller so reading the physical book may have a different feel.
The narrators Jennifer Jill Araya; Emily Lawrence did a great job with the prose. I’ll mention that i honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the 2 narrators. Most of the book is from the perspective of the protagonist Emily with some chapters from the perspective of Pip, the squatter antagonist. Had I not gone back to listen again to hear the difference, I would not have realized there were two narrators of not for the information on the book listing.
They narrated at a decent pace insofar as a more typical pace but I did speed it up to 2x speed and it was still easily followable. The only negative (other than the two voice actors sounding naturally similar) is when other characters spoke the changes to their voice were not significant. So the result took away from some of the suspense build up. The outlier was when the round daughter’s voice was done. That was clear that a young child was speaking which was needed.
In the end, while I figured out the plot twist easily (but not intentionally) I really enjoyed the ride along the way. This book would be great for individuals who want a lighter thriller or if they are trying to ease into the genre.
This title comes out on February 25, 2025.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Brilliance Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.
I’ll admit, the subject matter of squatters makes me uncomfortable . Why? I have no idea. Maybe because I know that it happens so easily in real life? Despite that, something about the description pulled me in as it alluded to the squatter having some justification for her behavior.
I’ll say that this is a “light” thriller for most of the book but the psychology presented of the different things that happen as well as the decisions the characters make kept me pushing on well past my bedtime!
There were certainly parts that seemed out of place with details that were not pertinent to the story but it didn’t bother me. Now listening to the audiobook I think that impacted my perception that this was a “lighter” thriller so reading the physical book may have a different feel.
The narrators Jennifer Jill Araya; Emily Lawrence did a great job with the prose. I’ll mention that i honestly couldn’t tell the difference between the 2 narrators. Most of the book is from the perspective of the protagonist Emily with some chapters from the perspective of Pip, the squatter antagonist. Had I not gone back to listen again to hear the difference, I would not have realized there were two narrators of not for the information on the book listing.
They narrated at a decent pace insofar as a more typical pace but I did speed it up to 2x speed and it was still easily followable. The only negative (other than the two voice actors sounding naturally similar) is when other characters spoke the changes to their voice were not significant. So the result took away from some of the suspense build up. The outlier was when the round daughter’s voice was done. That was clear that a young child was speaking which was needed.
In the end, while I figured out the plot twist easily (but not intentionally) I really enjoyed the ride along the way. This book would be great for individuals who want a lighter thriller or if they are trying to ease into the genre.
This title comes out on February 25, 2025.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.
⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again
February 13, 2025
Seems Perfect by Rebecca Hanover, I was gifted an ARC audio narrated by Jennifer, Jill Araya and Emily Lawrence in the book. We meet Emily who lives in Noey valley. she’s looking for a roommate since breaking up with fiancé Seth. this is how she meets Pip a.k.a. Penelope, who on paper seems perfect. Emily is so happy to have found someone and can’t wait for her to move in. Unfortunately, when Pip shows up, she has her 12 year-old daughter Sophie in tow, something Emily was not prepared for. due to her desperation, she let it go, and despite living in a one bedroom condominium tries to put a brave face on it. When she wakes the next morning, she learns pip, and Sophie has thrown out lots of her pantry items because they claim Sophie is allergic, but this is just the first of many changes they’re going to bring to Emily‘s life. It doesn’t take long for Emily to know something is up with these people and starts doing her own investigation, but when her neighbor is found dead and it seems Pip is making her out to be the main suspect Emily knows she has to step up her game or she may find herself locked behind bars, but sadly, no matter what Emily does from changing the locks to being questioned by the police. It seems pip is one step ahead of her. Will Emily lose the one thing she has left from her aunt and the only thing that has her childhood memories attached or will she find herself in jail with Pip and Sophie being the residence of her aunt‘s condo. I found the plot of the story to be so very interesting and although there are times I was yelling at my phone. Why don’t you do ABC? It’s easy to say when you’re sitting at home but not in the moment. I also do want to say I did get tired of hearing about her attachment to the house with her aunt. I got tired of her talking about why she left Seth. The loss of her parents and I know these are big deals in someone’s life, but it seem she just kept mentioning one of the three things if someone asked her a question she would go off into a dream tangent about one of her go to topics and I was just getting tired of it. Ultimately, however, this was a great book and one. I definitely recommend if you love a good thriller the you will definitely love this domestic cat and mouse game between pit, Emily and Sophie. I also want to say I thought the narration of this book was top notch. I mean, superb narration from evoking emotions to setting a great overall tone for this dysfunctional playground. #NetGalley, #BrillianceAudio, #TheBlindReviewer, #RebeccaHanover, #SeemsPerfect,
Read
August 25, 2025I am personally glad this book was well under 300 pages. If it has been much longer, I swear I was going to turn to the final pages just to see what happened. I have never done this before, but SEEMS PERFECT was so perfect and compelling a book that I wanted to know if the bad guys were still winning.
Rebecca Hanover has done an exceptional job of crafting the perfect thriller, a book that grabs you from the first pages, and simply holds on tight, as you navigate this psychological masterpiece. Emily Hawthorne hasn’t caught too many breaks lately. She has had very little work at the Yoga studio she is employed in, and the debts and bills just keep steamrolling to the point she cannot possibly keep up the condo she lives in, without assistance. She decides to advertise for a roommate to help with the bills. It is the only way out of this financial tsunami.
The first responses are not too positive. Then she hears from a woman named Pip, who sounds like someone who can help the burden of debt. When she arrives, she comes with her twelve year old daughter Sophie, someone Pip never mentioned. Emily is concerned, but doesn’t want to lose a possible source of income. She will deal with an added tenant there. It begins a true nightmare, as Pip lies about everything, especially paying her part of the rent. It seems she is a professional squatter, who takes and gives nothing in return, except grief.
Emily realizes that Pip is devious and deceitful, almost trying to destroy her life. Emily knows she cannot get rid of her, staying the course for now. But things turn deadly when a neighbour dies, falling from a fire escape onto the sidewalk. It soon becomes a question of how he died. Emily considers Pip may have had a hand, but Pip plants the seed in the mind of an investigating detective, that Emily was the killer, because the two had been lovers for a short period of time. Incidentally, Pip and the neighbour spent time together as well.
The ending is pure brilliance, as Emily’s life is hanging by a thread and we find some shocking revelations concerning mother and daughter. It is definitely a book you can’t put down, but keep frantically reading to find out what twists are coming next.
Rebecca Hanover has done an exceptional job of crafting the perfect thriller, a book that grabs you from the first pages, and simply holds on tight, as you navigate this psychological masterpiece. Emily Hawthorne hasn’t caught too many breaks lately. She has had very little work at the Yoga studio she is employed in, and the debts and bills just keep steamrolling to the point she cannot possibly keep up the condo she lives in, without assistance. She decides to advertise for a roommate to help with the bills. It is the only way out of this financial tsunami.
The first responses are not too positive. Then she hears from a woman named Pip, who sounds like someone who can help the burden of debt. When she arrives, she comes with her twelve year old daughter Sophie, someone Pip never mentioned. Emily is concerned, but doesn’t want to lose a possible source of income. She will deal with an added tenant there. It begins a true nightmare, as Pip lies about everything, especially paying her part of the rent. It seems she is a professional squatter, who takes and gives nothing in return, except grief.
Emily realizes that Pip is devious and deceitful, almost trying to destroy her life. Emily knows she cannot get rid of her, staying the course for now. But things turn deadly when a neighbour dies, falling from a fire escape onto the sidewalk. It soon becomes a question of how he died. Emily considers Pip may have had a hand, but Pip plants the seed in the mind of an investigating detective, that Emily was the killer, because the two had been lovers for a short period of time. Incidentally, Pip and the neighbour spent time together as well.
The ending is pure brilliance, as Emily’s life is hanging by a thread and we find some shocking revelations concerning mother and daughter. It is definitely a book you can’t put down, but keep frantically reading to find out what twists are coming next.
February 16, 2025
Actual Rating 1.5
Emily is majorly behind on her bills, including her mortgage, and so has realized she's got to find a roommate. And it's not long before she meets the perfect applicant, a pleasant, outgoing woman who can be ready to move in instantly. Little does Emily know that Pip is bringing more baggage than just her belongings, and that this may very well be the beginning of the end for her.
I requested this book because I was interested in the premise - the idea of squatters and squatter's rights has been fascinating to me for awhile, so I was excited to see it be a theme of this book. But this one didn't work for me at all.
There were two main things that detracted from the book for me. The first is how it's written. It's mostly from Emily's POV, and the vast majority of the work isn't things happening, it's us stuck in Emily's head. We're stuck in her head while she analyzes, overanalyzes, ponders her history, runs in circles, then analyzes again for good measure. It's exhausting and not interesting. A book like this needs a decent amount of things happening and intrigue to build tension, and it just wasn't there. A small reveal would happen in a conversation, then there'd be paragraphs of Emily thinking through something that was kind of relevant and then we'd get back to the conversation. This really didn't work for me.
The other thing that I disliked was that there really wasn't any buildup before awful things started happening. I would have found things easier to believe and it would've allowed for some buildup of tension and getting to know the characters. Instead, it goes from 0 to 100 on day one and just gets more and more absurd without any meaningful foundation.
If you like most modern thrillers you'll probably enjoy this one, but it wasn't for me. My thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Emily is majorly behind on her bills, including her mortgage, and so has realized she's got to find a roommate. And it's not long before she meets the perfect applicant, a pleasant, outgoing woman who can be ready to move in instantly. Little does Emily know that Pip is bringing more baggage than just her belongings, and that this may very well be the beginning of the end for her.
I requested this book because I was interested in the premise - the idea of squatters and squatter's rights has been fascinating to me for awhile, so I was excited to see it be a theme of this book. But this one didn't work for me at all.
There were two main things that detracted from the book for me. The first is how it's written. It's mostly from Emily's POV, and the vast majority of the work isn't things happening, it's us stuck in Emily's head. We're stuck in her head while she analyzes, overanalyzes, ponders her history, runs in circles, then analyzes again for good measure. It's exhausting and not interesting. A book like this needs a decent amount of things happening and intrigue to build tension, and it just wasn't there. A small reveal would happen in a conversation, then there'd be paragraphs of Emily thinking through something that was kind of relevant and then we'd get back to the conversation. This really didn't work for me.
The other thing that I disliked was that there really wasn't any buildup before awful things started happening. I would have found things easier to believe and it would've allowed for some buildup of tension and getting to know the characters. Instead, it goes from 0 to 100 on day one and just gets more and more absurd without any meaningful foundation.
If you like most modern thrillers you'll probably enjoy this one, but it wasn't for me. My thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
February 12, 2025
A perfect read if you're into exploring:
- unconditional love and all the darkness that can come with it
- cancel culture
- SF living (and in general HCOL area struggles)
- landlord/roommate-from-hell struggles
- thirty-something crises of confidence
Premise: Emily is struggling to make ends meet after breaking up with her fiancé, Seth, and soft-losing her aunt to dementia. Out of work thanks to an injury (she's a yoga instructor) and with mortgage nonpayment notices stacking up, she has no choice but to look for a roommate. When Pip answers her Craigslist ad, she seems perfect (see what she did there?). But the cracks soon start to show...
Pip shows up on Emily's front step with a tween daughter, Sophie, in tow - one she never mentioned. Emily is unsettled, but the girl seems sweet and, with no other real choice, Emily lets Pip and Sophie move in. Things only get weirder from there as the duo take over Emily's home. And maybe her life?
This was a wild ride, sooooo fun and yet also thought-provoking on some of the issues of the time! I really enjoyed reading a book from the landlord's perspective after landlords have been caricatured as the greedy causes/beneficiaries of the housing crisis. I'm not a landlord, but it always felt unfair to lump the whole group in as one when there are certainly Emilys in the mix!
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya and Emily Lawrence. They did such a great job! Between Hanover's writing and Araya's/Lawrence's reads, I was completely sucked in. I felt a little sad when it ended and I had to say farewell to Emily - like losing a friend! I highly recommend this read.
Thanks, NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's one of my favorites of 2025 so far!
- unconditional love and all the darkness that can come with it
- cancel culture
- SF living (and in general HCOL area struggles)
- landlord/roommate-from-hell struggles
- thirty-something crises of confidence
Premise: Emily is struggling to make ends meet after breaking up with her fiancé, Seth, and soft-losing her aunt to dementia. Out of work thanks to an injury (she's a yoga instructor) and with mortgage nonpayment notices stacking up, she has no choice but to look for a roommate. When Pip answers her Craigslist ad, she seems perfect (see what she did there?). But the cracks soon start to show...
Pip shows up on Emily's front step with a tween daughter, Sophie, in tow - one she never mentioned. Emily is unsettled, but the girl seems sweet and, with no other real choice, Emily lets Pip and Sophie move in. Things only get weirder from there as the duo take over Emily's home. And maybe her life?
This was a wild ride, sooooo fun and yet also thought-provoking on some of the issues of the time! I really enjoyed reading a book from the landlord's perspective after landlords have been caricatured as the greedy causes/beneficiaries of the housing crisis. I'm not a landlord, but it always felt unfair to lump the whole group in as one when there are certainly Emilys in the mix!
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya and Emily Lawrence. They did such a great job! Between Hanover's writing and Araya's/Lawrence's reads, I was completely sucked in. I felt a little sad when it ended and I had to say farewell to Emily - like losing a friend! I highly recommend this read.
Thanks, NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's one of my favorites of 2025 so far!
October 9, 2024
Published: Feb 2025
ARC reader thanks to NetGalley!
10/10 no notes. Okay one note. I did not like the potential cancer diagnosis plotline. It just felt a little off. But other than that I ADORED this book. I just got it yesterday and I finished it in less than 24 hours. And I have two kids. Joe, you know that I was listening to this with my earbuds on getting them ready for everything. I honestly thought that it was so well written and the plot twist was, *chef's kiss*.
I didn't see the plot twist coming, but I know that how I read is that I'm not looking for those types of things. But it was great when it happened. The FMC was relatable and well written. At one point I just kept on saying, "oh girl...nooo." But it was because she was at such a low point in her life that it was so understandable that she was making these dumb choices and decisions. I get it, and I got her.
When you started to read the chapters that it involved the side FC you really started to understand and feel a little bit sorry for her too. Which I didn't want to do. I wanted to 100 % hate her because she was the worst. But you can get her thought process and you get her. I really started to enjoy those chapters to get a little bit more insight into her character.
When you are down on your luck and no other options are available the choices you make are not always logical. That's why I really enjoyed this book. The main character was down on her luck and she made some bad choices that could have ended terrible. And they did end terribly for some of the other characters. What I also liked is that it was so relatable in the way that you hear these types of stories happening. It just really hooked me!
I look forward to reading more from this author.
ARC reader thanks to NetGalley!
10/10 no notes. Okay one note. I did not like the potential cancer diagnosis plotline. It just felt a little off. But other than that I ADORED this book. I just got it yesterday and I finished it in less than 24 hours. And I have two kids. Joe, you know that I was listening to this with my earbuds on getting them ready for everything. I honestly thought that it was so well written and the plot twist was, *chef's kiss*.
I didn't see the plot twist coming, but I know that how I read is that I'm not looking for those types of things. But it was great when it happened. The FMC was relatable and well written. At one point I just kept on saying, "oh girl...nooo." But it was because she was at such a low point in her life that it was so understandable that she was making these dumb choices and decisions. I get it, and I got her.
When you started to read the chapters that it involved the side FC you really started to understand and feel a little bit sorry for her too. Which I didn't want to do. I wanted to 100 % hate her because she was the worst. But you can get her thought process and you get her. I really started to enjoy those chapters to get a little bit more insight into her character.
When you are down on your luck and no other options are available the choices you make are not always logical. That's why I really enjoyed this book. The main character was down on her luck and she made some bad choices that could have ended terrible. And they did end terribly for some of the other characters. What I also liked is that it was so relatable in the way that you hear these types of stories happening. It just really hooked me!
I look forward to reading more from this author.
December 31, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.
Seems Perfect had a thrillingly creepy plot line that really played on what a homeowner looking for a roomie or tenant has to fear in the back of their minds - what if the person who sails through background checks and seems really normal and together is about to take over your home, your life, and just….refuse to leave?
First our homeowner, Emily, isn’t completely perfect herself, but her flaws don’t generate the kind of bad juju that brings nightmares like Pip and her daughter (who somehow is a concentrated version of all the bad in Pip + extra) Sofie. Pip especially resonates for me, the lengths she’ll go for her daughter at the cost of others’ lives and profound sense of entitlement show shades of how real life parents have enabled their own troubled kids and a closeup of how some of the bad behavior of parents and children alike comes to be. No doubt this is a shade to the extreme but it’s the root emotions rang true as we try to puzzle why parents of ex. school shooters aren’t getting their kids help or raising a red flag.
All this to say I loved the bad characters in the book not because of who they were but because they were written so well, they sparked emotion and felt very timely. The story was great and definitely preys on the fear of knowing who you’re letting into your home, be they rentals or your actual living space, but the characters and their twisted minds and actions stood out. If you like true psychological thrillers you won’t go wrong with Seems Perfect.
Seems Perfect had a thrillingly creepy plot line that really played on what a homeowner looking for a roomie or tenant has to fear in the back of their minds - what if the person who sails through background checks and seems really normal and together is about to take over your home, your life, and just….refuse to leave?
First our homeowner, Emily, isn’t completely perfect herself, but her flaws don’t generate the kind of bad juju that brings nightmares like Pip and her daughter (who somehow is a concentrated version of all the bad in Pip + extra) Sofie. Pip especially resonates for me, the lengths she’ll go for her daughter at the cost of others’ lives and profound sense of entitlement show shades of how real life parents have enabled their own troubled kids and a closeup of how some of the bad behavior of parents and children alike comes to be. No doubt this is a shade to the extreme but it’s the root emotions rang true as we try to puzzle why parents of ex. school shooters aren’t getting their kids help or raising a red flag.
All this to say I loved the bad characters in the book not because of who they were but because they were written so well, they sparked emotion and felt very timely. The story was great and definitely preys on the fear of knowing who you’re letting into your home, be they rentals or your actual living space, but the characters and their twisted minds and actions stood out. If you like true psychological thrillers you won’t go wrong with Seems Perfect.
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August 24, 2025I’m giving Seems Perfect four stars for its propulsive pace, razor-sharp tension, and a finale that will keep you guessing long after the last page. From the first chapter, Rebecca Hanover sets up a cagey, high stakes world in San Francisco’s Noe Valley, where yoga instructor Emily Hawthorne is barely scraping by and desperate for stability. Hanover’s prose cuts straight to Emily’s vulnerability her financial stress, her fraught past—and you instinctively root for her even as you suspect she’s hiding secrets of her own. Penelope “Pip” Stone is the perfect foil: charming, disarming, and completely untrustworthy. Their uneasy roommate arrangement crackles with unease, and you’ll find yourself alternating between pity for Pip’s struggles and suspicion of her motives. Both women are so vividly drawn that you’ll replay their conversations in your head, unpacking every look and half-spoken sentence. The plot’s momentum never lets up. When a neighbor is found murdered upstairs, the cozy domestic setting becomes a pressure cooker each twist ties Emily and Pip closer together and raises the stakes on who will emerge innocent, or whether either can claim the moral high ground. Hanover keeps you off balance, planting red herrings just when you think you see the path ahead. The big twist lands with satisfying impact, even if a few clues felt telegraphed in hindsight. My only quibble is that a subplot or two could have been streamlined to keep the mystery even tighter. Still, the emotional payoff is rich because you care about these women, and the final reveal underscores how desperation can warp our choices.
October 25, 2024
This author is very talented! I'm not much of a thriller reader but this book is great and definitely had me thrilled. Even within the first few chapters, before the story really takes off, the seemingly mundane premise already had me intrigued. It's a quick and gripping read which quite possibly pulled me back from the precipice of a reading slump. While I had doubts about the writing style in the first few chapters, it quickly improved.
The majority of the book is written in first person from the perspective of the protagonist but the 20th chapter randomly takes on an omniscient perspective focusing on one of the other central characters. Following this, a few other chapters also switch out of the first-person perspective. While this eventually ended up coming together, it's a bit jarring at first.
I did accurately predict the plot twist, albeit only a chapter or so before it actually happened which is quite good for a book of this type. Some of the tertiary characters didn't blend into the story as neatly as I would have liked. There were more mentions of San Francisco than necessary, the cost of living seemed to be the only identifying characteristic of the setting but it really could have been in a big city anywhere in the world.
Overall, this was a fun read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a short page-turner. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!
The majority of the book is written in first person from the perspective of the protagonist but the 20th chapter randomly takes on an omniscient perspective focusing on one of the other central characters. Following this, a few other chapters also switch out of the first-person perspective. While this eventually ended up coming together, it's a bit jarring at first.
I did accurately predict the plot twist, albeit only a chapter or so before it actually happened which is quite good for a book of this type. Some of the tertiary characters didn't blend into the story as neatly as I would have liked. There were more mentions of San Francisco than necessary, the cost of living seemed to be the only identifying characteristic of the setting but it really could have been in a big city anywhere in the world.
Overall, this was a fun read and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a short page-turner. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC!
May 3, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Emily, due to her own decisions and an injury, has fallen way behind on her bills. She is dangerously close to losing her Aunt Viv's condo, so she decides to put up a roommate ad on Craigslist. In comes Pip Stone, who Emily thinks she can be friends with in addition to roomies. But Pip shows up with a daughter that she failed to mention. And it seems like they are ready to completely take over her condo. And they haven't paid her a dime. Can she get them out? Or will she lose everything trying?
I really liked the drama in this. I grew increasingly furious with each move Pip made to infiltrate Emily's life.
What I didn't like was Emily. The reasoning behind why she is now in debt is two-fold. She has an injury that is preventing her from working as a yoga instructor, which is not her fault, but her main reason for now needing a roommate is so ridiculous and is based on lack of communication, which y'all know I hate. Everything in the story could have been avoided if she just communicated with the people in her life. Honestly, I thought it was a lazy plot point.
Other than that, I really enjoyed this roommate thriller. I guessed the twist early on, but I was here for the ramping up of intensity in driving Emily out of her own home.
I loved The Last Applicant by this author, and I enjoyed this overall. I'm down for whatever she writes next!
Emily, due to her own decisions and an injury, has fallen way behind on her bills. She is dangerously close to losing her Aunt Viv's condo, so she decides to put up a roommate ad on Craigslist. In comes Pip Stone, who Emily thinks she can be friends with in addition to roomies. But Pip shows up with a daughter that she failed to mention. And it seems like they are ready to completely take over her condo. And they haven't paid her a dime. Can she get them out? Or will she lose everything trying?
I really liked the drama in this. I grew increasingly furious with each move Pip made to infiltrate Emily's life.
What I didn't like was Emily. The reasoning behind why she is now in debt is two-fold. She has an injury that is preventing her from working as a yoga instructor, which is not her fault, but her main reason for now needing a roommate is so ridiculous and is based on lack of communication, which y'all know I hate. Everything in the story could have been avoided if she just communicated with the people in her life. Honestly, I thought it was a lazy plot point.
Other than that, I really enjoyed this roommate thriller. I guessed the twist early on, but I was here for the ramping up of intensity in driving Emily out of her own home.
I loved The Last Applicant by this author, and I enjoyed this overall. I'm down for whatever she writes next!
January 6, 2026
Book #2, 2026! 3.5 stars
Available on Kindle Unlimited with audio
Short 267 pages * Easy to read * Fast pace.
Talk about roommate from hell! I could relate to Emily hardcore because I've had people in my past take advantage of me for a place to live and I'm an introvert who would rather be alone instead of having people living with me. I also had people who wiggled their way into staying with me and it was like I could not find a way to get them out of my house or get rid of them and this is 100% Emily's situation. Although, there was never a murder in my situation lol but still, VERY relatable character.
Emily decides that taking in some roommates would help her with financial issues and once the roommates come in, it isn't too long before they start over-stepping their boundaries in the home. Arguments over issues and complaints. Finally Emily offers a room and she would just charge them $2,000 as the mortgage is $35k. She then finds out that the check isn't good and she has a squatter with a child on her hands. Then all of a sudden we have a murder mystery.
I feel like this book was good but wasn't great, it felt like it was rushed in the story quite a bit but that doesn't take away how much I enjoyed the book. Short, easy to read, and fast pace; perfect for a smooth satisfying quick read.
Available on Kindle Unlimited with audio
Short 267 pages * Easy to read * Fast pace.
Talk about roommate from hell! I could relate to Emily hardcore because I've had people in my past take advantage of me for a place to live and I'm an introvert who would rather be alone instead of having people living with me. I also had people who wiggled their way into staying with me and it was like I could not find a way to get them out of my house or get rid of them and this is 100% Emily's situation. Although, there was never a murder in my situation lol but still, VERY relatable character.
Emily decides that taking in some roommates would help her with financial issues and once the roommates come in, it isn't too long before they start over-stepping their boundaries in the home. Arguments over issues and complaints. Finally Emily offers a room and she would just charge them $2,000 as the mortgage is $35k. She then finds out that the check isn't good and she has a squatter with a child on her hands. Then all of a sudden we have a murder mystery.
I feel like this book was good but wasn't great, it felt like it was rushed in the story quite a bit but that doesn't take away how much I enjoyed the book. Short, easy to read, and fast pace; perfect for a smooth satisfying quick read.
December 20, 2024
This book sucked me in right away but boy was it frustrating.
Don’t let that put you off though, it was frustrating because the author built this frightening scenario that I could see really happening.
Emily is drowning in debt and is newly single after dumping her fiancée for imo a very dumb reason but it adds to the story. She puts an ad up for a remote to help offset the mortgage so she doesn’t lose her beloved condo that her aunt raised her in.
Pip answers her ad and they video chat and Emily thinks she’s perfect, they may even become friends as well as roommates.
Pip shows up and right from the beginning drops one bomb after another on Emily.
Pip insinuates herself into the condo and very quickly takes over. Then someone is murdered in their building and they have to rely on each other for an alibi.
This was a very tense ride, I thought Emily was dumb for not confiding in anyone what was really going on with Pip until it was too late. Pip was a terrible person and so was her daughter.
I really enjoyed this quick read, thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the chance to read and review.
Don’t let that put you off though, it was frustrating because the author built this frightening scenario that I could see really happening.
Emily is drowning in debt and is newly single after dumping her fiancée for imo a very dumb reason but it adds to the story. She puts an ad up for a remote to help offset the mortgage so she doesn’t lose her beloved condo that her aunt raised her in.
Pip answers her ad and they video chat and Emily thinks she’s perfect, they may even become friends as well as roommates.
Pip shows up and right from the beginning drops one bomb after another on Emily.
Pip insinuates herself into the condo and very quickly takes over. Then someone is murdered in their building and they have to rely on each other for an alibi.
This was a very tense ride, I thought Emily was dumb for not confiding in anyone what was really going on with Pip until it was too late. Pip was a terrible person and so was her daughter.
I really enjoyed this quick read, thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the chance to read and review.
February 10, 2025
Take a deep “Emily” style yoga breath and don’t take this one too seriously. This is a fun, easy popcorn thriller that flies by. I read and listened to it, and the audiobook was a standout—light, youthful narration that fit the characters perfectly. But I also love the book cover, so my recommendation? Get both!
When Pip moves in, I understood why Emily reacted the way she did, but as someone who doesn’t shy away from conflict, it was hard to relate. She procrastinates, avoids confrontation, and second-guesses herself constantly. It got a bit repetitive, but I also empathized with her and cheered when she finally started standing up for herself.
The pacing felt a little slow at times, but the buildup was necessary—and the twist got me! By the end, I wanted more of Pip’s story. Loving a good villain as I do, I would’ve happily stuck around to see what happened next. Maybe we’ll get a “20 years later” sequel? I’d read it!
Thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for access to this audiobook ARC and Lake Union Publishing for access to this eBook in exchange for my honest review
When Pip moves in, I understood why Emily reacted the way she did, but as someone who doesn’t shy away from conflict, it was hard to relate. She procrastinates, avoids confrontation, and second-guesses herself constantly. It got a bit repetitive, but I also empathized with her and cheered when she finally started standing up for herself.
The pacing felt a little slow at times, but the buildup was necessary—and the twist got me! By the end, I wanted more of Pip’s story. Loving a good villain as I do, I would’ve happily stuck around to see what happened next. Maybe we’ll get a “20 years later” sequel? I’d read it!
Thanks to Netgalley and Brilliance Publishing for access to this audiobook ARC and Lake Union Publishing for access to this eBook in exchange for my honest review
November 14, 2024
Seems Perfect is a gripping psychological thriller centred on Emily, who finds herself drowning in debt and urgently requires a roommate to help alleviate her financial burden. Enter Pip and her tween daughter, Sophie; their arrival turns Emily’s life completely upside down.
Pip and Sofie are incredibly annoying characters. Their invasive and entitled behaviour is infuriating, and I found it really difficult to tolerate them. It’s frustrating to see how they walked over Emily. While Emily may make some naïve choices, her desperation to kick Pip and Sofie out of her house and reclaim her peace is completely understandable.
This book really caught me off guard with how much I liked it! It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I thought the ideas were awesome, and the characters were really well done. The plot was super engaging, and I totally didn’t see the twist coming. Plus, we got a peek into Pip’s backstory, which was great!
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it.
Pip and Sofie are incredibly annoying characters. Their invasive and entitled behaviour is infuriating, and I found it really difficult to tolerate them. It’s frustrating to see how they walked over Emily. While Emily may make some naïve choices, her desperation to kick Pip and Sofie out of her house and reclaim her peace is completely understandable.
This book really caught me off guard with how much I liked it! It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I thought the ideas were awesome, and the characters were really well done. The plot was super engaging, and I totally didn’t see the twist coming. Plus, we got a peek into Pip’s backstory, which was great!
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I would definitely recommend it.
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