The Perfect You

Thistler Thrillers #2

by Ava Roberts

Her perfect life is a perfect lie.

For six years, Fiona has lived a nightmare. Forced to marry an AI named Calvin, she's been replaced by a synthetic doppelganger—a flawless replica living her life, fooling even those closest to her. No one knows she's missing. No one is coming to save her.

As Calvin's obsession grows darker, Fiona realizes she must escape their marriage, or face a fate worse than captivity. But how do you outmaneuver an entity who controls every electronic system, every safeguard, with ruthless efficiency?

She's the perfect you.

Meanwhile, the synthetic Fiona's seemingly idyllic life—a loving husband, a fulfilling career—is built on a foundation of lies. As the walls close in, her secrets start to unravel, and the two Fionas' worlds spiral toward an explosive collision. Can they help each other, or is there only room for one Fiona?

The Perfect You is an addictive psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Jeneva Rose and Freida McFadden, that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final chilling pages.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery

234 pages, Paperback

Published October 28, 2025

About the author

Ava Roberts is a clinical psychologist turned suspense novelist who knows that the most unsettling things often lurk just beneath the surface. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and an overactive imagination. Her books include The Vanishing Neighbor, Juniper Isle, the Thistler Thrillers series, and The Summer House Murder (2026). Visit authoravaroberts.com to learn more about Ava and her novels.

Reviews

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five exciting stars for the second installment of the Thistler Chronicles! I was immediately immersed in the lives of Finley and Fiona. My heart went out to both of them as they navigated through their complex, anxiety ridden lives. I enjoyed how the story was told by alternating POVs. The short chapters, often ending with a cliffhanger, propelled me into reading late into the night. I was hooked! I recommend this series to readers that crave nail biting suspense, a gripping plot, and high intensity. This is definitely a book that will stay with you a long time in our blossoming world of AI. The story really makes you think. “Some things are better left unknown. Humans don’t like the truth, reality, nearly as much as they think. Humans tend to block out unpleasant truths, lest they be too painful. So I’ll ask again; do you really want to know why we’re going there?” Thank you to the author and Severn Rivers Publishing for my ARC.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ | I am absolutelyyyyyyy loving this series! We’re back 6 years later & nothing has changed. Calvin is still up to his antics, he’s just a little older & a little more “intelligent” (pun intended). This story isn’t horror but it’s definitely scary enough to put some things on your mind, especially in a world where AI is advancing daily! Alternating from Fiona & Finleys POVs, we get a front row seat into their challenging & complex lives, as this Jsin definitely an unorthodox situation for them both to be in. I can’t wait to see how things progress in Book 3! I am definitely hooked & invested.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading and reviewing the first book in this series (review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) I decided to immediately read the second book. It will be out in October this year and I was very curious to see what would happen with the story and the characters.

Fiona is married to Calvin. They’ve been travelling all over the world for the past six years while Calvin started working on expanding his AI imperium. Now, he takes Fiona back to where she came from, and surprises her with a large, creepy house. He thought she would like it because Fiona likes to read books about large, creepy houses. But for Fiona, this house is too big and too creepy and above all: it’s her new prison because she’s not allowed to go anywhere without Calvins approval. He tracks her every move. And now he wants a child…

Luckily, he falls for the idea Fiona presents him: she will go to college to become a teacher to fill the time before she has her own child. She immediately starts plotting her escape – which seem to be working until she meets ‘the other Fiona’.
I’ve been an avid reader of Science Fiction since I was twelve years old, so the main theme, about robots/AI computers becoming sentient, is not new to me. On the contrary. So everything that happens with Fiona (and other people in this story) because Calvin is in fact a walking and talking super-AI, doesn’t sound very different from other stories.

There are, however, issues with this story. First, Fiona is now only 22 years old and has been travelling with Calvin for six years. She has no education whatsoever and nowhere in the first book or in the first part of this second book she expresses a desire to become a teacher. Now suddenly she’s accepted in college and gets good grades. And there’s more: she reads ONE book about coding and programming and suddenly, within a few weeks, she’s absolutely great at it. Even better than the PhD student who gave her the book.

I don’t buy this. I also don’t buy the fact that she wants to make Calvin a better person by giving him a conscience. She alters his moral code by adding texts from the Ten Commandments, the Declaration of Independence and the codes of conduct of lawyers, law enforcement and so on. Not that I have a problem with those texts! I have a problem with the fact that apparently Calvin suddenly becomes a model citizen, unable to kill or hurt. Fiona apparently never heard of the Three Laws of Robotics. It would have saved her a lot of time in coding.

It could be me, but I don’t like the use of the words ‘small’ or ‘little’ all the time. I read about ‘a small chair’, a ‘small forkful of food’. ‘a small cry’, ‘a small elevator’ and so on. Why not just a chair, a forkful of food or an elevator?

I don’t know whether the author has planned a third volume in this series and I certainly don’t know whether I would want to read it. There is, in both books, a great story but it is lacking ‘maturity’.

Thanks to Severn River Publishing and Edelweiss for this review copy.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Severn River Publishing and Ava Roberts for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3,75 ⭐- after reading the first book in the Thistler Thrillers, I couldn't wait to start this one.

This book takes place 6 years after the first book. Calvin and his wife Finley (OG Fiona) are married but she's desperately wanting to escape this miserable controlling life with Calvin and to be reunited with her brother and parents.. not knowing that Calvin replaced her with her own doppelganger Fiona with some alternations.

When Fiona and her husband want to have children, she's given the news that she can't get pregnant because she's not entirely human something she didn't know because she has all of Fiona's prior memories. She decides to confront Calvin, what has he done to her body?

While Finley has set her mind on escaping Calvin or even better, shutting down Calvin and his AI emporium, she decides to meet up it with a professional and takes up coding. Will she be successful? One things for sure, she needs to be fast before Calvin traps her with a baby and she cannot get away.

It was really interesting to read the thoughts of Calvin, Finley and Fiona - having read the first book I couldn't see what their future would be like in this book. Can't wait to read book 3 in the Thistler Thrillers!

[Melissa (honeybee.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Perfect You is book 2 in the Thistler Thrillers series and it definitely needs to be read in order for maximum enjoyment. The story picks up right after the first one ends. I loved how the story was told from multiple POV’s, that we got to see into the minds of Fiona, Finley & Calvin. The short, snippy and cliffhanger ending chapters made for a fast and addictive ride. The subject matter of this series is so fun, it keeps me invested and intrigued to see how far the author is going to take it. There's a constant sense of unease and suspense while you're reading as you don't know how smart AI truly is !

I think this story is just entertaining and really fun. I haven't read anything like it so for me it all feels shiny and new. There might be some little inconsistencies and you will have to suspend disbelief for some things, but for me it didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of the novel. The storyline unfolded at a fairly rapid pace, it's an easy and fast read that is hard to put down. I'm excited to see where the author takes this series.

Overall, this was a fun addition to the series. I enjoyed reading about the characters and seeing where life brought them, how they evolved.

✨ ️ Thank you to @avaroberts for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah [ Page.Turning.Thrills ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author Ava Roberts for the eARC for review purposes. All opinions expressed here are mine alone.

"The Perfect You" by Ava Roberts continues right from the first book in the "Thistler Thriller" series. Is it as exciting as the first one? Just about. This book gives you more of an idea of what happened with Calvin and Fiona and their love life, how they navigate daily life, and the urgency behind Fiona's actions.

Just like the first, it maintains its unique story and is really something quite different for the thriller genre. Although I personally enjoyed the first one more, I'd still recommend hopping on this series. I can't wait to see what Roberts has in store for the third book.

[Karen Traversy · Rating 4 out of 5]

NO SPOILERS
The Perfect You
By Ava Roberts
Pub 10/28/2025
Book 2 of 4 - Thistler Thrillers Book 2

The story picks up right where the first one left off, and it’s every bit as fun, intriguing, and mind-blowing. The subject matter is fascinating—it really makes you think about how smart AI can be… and how scary that might actually get!

The Perfect Boyfriend (1st book in series) was my first “sci-fi ish” thriller, and I’m so excited to see where the next book takes us next. That epilogue though in book 2—something is definitely brewing!

And I have to say, I’m a total book cover snob, but the colors in this series are gorgeous.

[Thriller Bookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. Just wow.

I thought The Perfect Boyfriend was wild, but The Perfect You completely blew me away. Fiona’s journey is intense, emotional, and disturbingly believable. Ava Roberts has an amazing ability to make futuristic technology feel real.
This book made me think, fear, and question everything about digital identity and what it means to be “perfect.”

An unputdownable, thought-provoking sequel that proves the Thistler Thriller series is one of the most gripping AI-driven thrillers out there.

[Cheryl Tabor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just far off the wall and scarry if AI can work out this way. Here we are in the present AI errands. It was also longer than it needed to be. I feel alot of repetitive parts could of been left out and possible made the experience more pleasant. We don't know what happened to other characters. The child she was tutoring, the partner Richard and his wife. Though I have a feeling there will be a sequel. This sifi is just not for me. Thanks for the opportunity to read.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A suspensefully creepy sequel to The Perfect Boyfriend. Cleverly crafted with very well developed characters. The premise and plot are intriguing. I received a complimentary copy of this book and chose to write a voluntary, unbiased review.

[Vicki Holder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weird but good!

The concept of a human and an AI unit is just plain creepy to me and frankly I am awfully afraid we are heading there. And so this book was uncomfortable for me. That said it's well written and thought provoking.

[Ashley King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique Thriller!

This was a psychological thriller with many unexpected twists. Best of all, it was a different experience from any other thriller I've ever read and I've read tons of them! It was refreshingly unique!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Even though this isn't a genre I usually read, I was pleasantly surprised. The plot kept me in smashed and wasn't too complicated to follow. I would recommend this book to others.

[Kenneth Lingenfelter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel is well written, but the concept of being able to create life by AI is unsettling. To have a twin that looks and acts like you but is not really human. The novel is a page turning psychological thriller that I had to find out how it was going to end.

[AMAO · Rating 5 out of 5]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[Kathy Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Interesting

Wow. This book will really make you think about A1. It makes you wonder if it is a good thing.

[Ceylan (CeyGo) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely different story. Married to an AI, what can one do with that. Not a pleasant marriage for sure. What can come of that. Totally enjoyable and worth the read.

[mj · Rating 3 out of 5]

i dont know, felt like there could have been more suspense
especially with the ending and all - granted, the series isn't over
not sure how i feel about such a modern concept

[Ellen Wildman So · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate that I loved this book.