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The Perfect Stepmother
‘I just want to be your friend.’ She smiled at Lily, her dark brown eyes impossibly sincere. ‘And to be a mother to Emma too, of course.’ Her gaze flickered to Lily’s sister, but only Lily saw her expression momentarily change – from warm and loving to something else. Something Lily didn’t trust…
Lily has always had a simple dream: to be happy like her parents were. Content in their sweet suburban home, nothing in life had phased her mother and father, not even when they’d had a ‘surprise’ second child, Emma, nearly twenty years after Lily.
But their love story was cut tragically short, when – after a devastating battle with cancer – Lily’s mother died. Lily was heartbroken, but also desperately worried about her grieving dad, not to mention five-year-old Emma.
So Lily is shocked and concerned when he suddenly decides to remarry, less than a year after her mother’s death. It feels far too soon, and Lily finds herself furious with him – and his new wife, Maria, who can apparently do no wrong. She seems madly in love with Lily’s dad and instantly bonds with Emma.
It’s only Lily who can’t trust her.
Who won’t trust her.
And when Emma goes missing – could Lily be right? What if the greatest danger to them all is the woman now living in their family home?
A totally gripping and unmissable psychological suspense novel about dark family secrets, perfect for fans of Shalini Boland, Claire McGowan and Gone Girl.
Lily has always had a simple dream: to be happy like her parents were. Content in their sweet suburban home, nothing in life had phased her mother and father, not even when they’d had a ‘surprise’ second child, Emma, nearly twenty years after Lily.
But their love story was cut tragically short, when – after a devastating battle with cancer – Lily’s mother died. Lily was heartbroken, but also desperately worried about her grieving dad, not to mention five-year-old Emma.
So Lily is shocked and concerned when he suddenly decides to remarry, less than a year after her mother’s death. It feels far too soon, and Lily finds herself furious with him – and his new wife, Maria, who can apparently do no wrong. She seems madly in love with Lily’s dad and instantly bonds with Emma.
It’s only Lily who can’t trust her.
Who won’t trust her.
And when Emma goes missing – could Lily be right? What if the greatest danger to them all is the woman now living in their family home?
A totally gripping and unmissable psychological suspense novel about dark family secrets, perfect for fans of Shalini Boland, Claire McGowan and Gone Girl.
299 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 17, 2021
938 people are currently reading
1098 people want to read
About the author
Karen King
132 books268 followersKaren King is an Amazon international bestselling author of psychological suspense and women's fiction.
Her 7th psychological suspense novel, Don't Trust Him, was published on 3 April 2025 by Bookouture and her 'golden years' novel, The Runaway Wives, was published by Boldwood on 24th March 2025. This was her 12th woman's fiction novel.
Karen has also had 120 children’s books, two young adult novels, and several short stories for women’s magazines published. Her early writing career was spent working on various teenage and children's magazines.
Her suspense novels The Mother In Law, The Perfect Stepmother and The Stranger in my Bed and her romantic novel The Cornish Hotel by the Sea all became International Amazon bestsellers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
May 30, 2021
Lily had always had a simple dream: to be happy like her parents were. Content in their suburban home, nothing in life phased her mother and father, not even when they had a surprise second child. Emma, nearly twenty years after Lily. But their love story was cut tragically short when Lily's mother died of cancer when Emma was just five. Lily was shocked when her father announces he's going to remarry, less than a year after her mother's death. His new wife, Maria, can do no wrong and quickly bonds with Emma. But then Emma goes missing,
This is a gripping psychological thriller that's filled with surprises. The characters are well developed and believable. They were all so convincing that i didn't quite know who to believe. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I needed to know Maria's backstory. The pace is steady. The story is told from Lily and Maria's points of view. This is a most enjoyable read that held my attention throughout.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #KarenKing for my ARC of #ThePerfectStepmother in exchange for an honest review.
This is a gripping psychological thriller that's filled with surprises. The characters are well developed and believable. They were all so convincing that i didn't quite know who to believe. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I needed to know Maria's backstory. The pace is steady. The story is told from Lily and Maria's points of view. This is a most enjoyable read that held my attention throughout.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #KarenKing for my ARC of #ThePerfectStepmother in exchange for an honest review.
Want to read
July 27, 2021I would say this is more a suspense thriller. And a very good one at that!
Fancy having a grown daughter then twenty years later you have another daughter, talk about starting all over again.
Having Lily the eldest daughter turned out to be a blessing for little Emma because sadly her mother died. Devastating for the entire family unit.
Lily has Seb. They live together but Lily is always there for her Father and her little sister.
Moving on…..
Her Father marries again, therein lies many problems and not just the obvious.
I love that I was so eager to find out the new wife’s secret it held me in the palm of its hands.
I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Towards the ending I was so engrossed I didn’t go to sleep, I needed to finish it.
What a lovely man Lily and Emma’s dad was. I felt for him many times within this story. I visualised each one of them. We became close.
The last chapter though….well, sort of an epilogue……sent chills……
Is this leading to more or just a spine tingling chilling end.
Fancy having a grown daughter then twenty years later you have another daughter, talk about starting all over again.
Having Lily the eldest daughter turned out to be a blessing for little Emma because sadly her mother died. Devastating for the entire family unit.
Lily has Seb. They live together but Lily is always there for her Father and her little sister.
Moving on…..
Her Father marries again, therein lies many problems and not just the obvious.
I love that I was so eager to find out the new wife’s secret it held me in the palm of its hands.
I thoroughly enjoyed this.
Towards the ending I was so engrossed I didn’t go to sleep, I needed to finish it.
What a lovely man Lily and Emma’s dad was. I felt for him many times within this story. I visualised each one of them. We became close.
The last chapter though….well, sort of an epilogue……sent chills……
Is this leading to more or just a spine tingling chilling end.
June 15, 2021
Maria is facing mountainous obstacles. For one thing she is about to marry Gareth, the husband of a client of hers that passed away from cancer. Gareth's daughter Lily is truly unhappy with her father's choice to remarry. Her mother has only been gone a year, and Lily does not trust Maria. More than having to win over Lily and her younger sister Emma, Maria is hiding a secret from her past that would ruin everything - her impending marrriage and her exclusive salon - if exposed.
Will Maria and Gareth marry without Maria's secret being exposed? It doesn't help that Lily consistently proves her lack of trust in Maria, talking to her father and boyfriend Seb nonstop about the doubts she has about Maria. Five-year-old Emma has already lost her mother. What if her father's new marriage doesn't work out, what will happen to Emma then?
In this thrilling novel by Karen King events of Maria's past slowly begin to reveal themselves. Is Maria to be trusted? While it is clear she loves Gareth, and Emma as well, does her unusually protective nature prove that there is something about Maria that gives rise to the feelings Lily has about her?
There are shocking things that happen in this riveting story, While it is more than obvious there was something about Maria, I couldn't put this book down. I just had to know what happened in her past, whether Lily was onto something, and would Emma be safe and other concerns.
The reader will know that Emma disappears, that is from the very first page. However, the story is told in timeline fashion as to what led up to Emma's disappearance. As the time got closer and closer to what happened to Emma was very intriguing, making The Perfect Mother an excellent read from beginning to end. With excellent pacing, a couple of shocking plot twists and a surprising conclusion, this is a book that I definitely would recommend.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinon.
Will Maria and Gareth marry without Maria's secret being exposed? It doesn't help that Lily consistently proves her lack of trust in Maria, talking to her father and boyfriend Seb nonstop about the doubts she has about Maria. Five-year-old Emma has already lost her mother. What if her father's new marriage doesn't work out, what will happen to Emma then?
In this thrilling novel by Karen King events of Maria's past slowly begin to reveal themselves. Is Maria to be trusted? While it is clear she loves Gareth, and Emma as well, does her unusually protective nature prove that there is something about Maria that gives rise to the feelings Lily has about her?
There are shocking things that happen in this riveting story, While it is more than obvious there was something about Maria, I couldn't put this book down. I just had to know what happened in her past, whether Lily was onto something, and would Emma be safe and other concerns.
The reader will know that Emma disappears, that is from the very first page. However, the story is told in timeline fashion as to what led up to Emma's disappearance. As the time got closer and closer to what happened to Emma was very intriguing, making The Perfect Mother an excellent read from beginning to end. With excellent pacing, a couple of shocking plot twists and a surprising conclusion, this is a book that I definitely would recommend.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinon.
June 18, 2021
This is a contemporary, suspense-filled mystery which starts with the disappearance of a child, five year old Emma, then goes back to events leading up to this.
Lily’s parents had a happy marriage and were overjoyed by the birth of Emma, some twenty years after Lily. However, their idyllic life was torn apart by their Mum’s battle with cancer and it is almost a year after her death that the story starts, when her Dad informs Lily that he intends to marry someone who cared for her Mum, Maria. Lily can’t say why but she just doesn’t trust Maria, even though she seems to love both Lily’s Dad and her young sister……
This is a story of secrets, lies, revenge, mental illness, grief and family. It is an enthralling read, a real page turner that has so many surprise revelations to keep you guessing right to the end. If you enjoy family dramas, packed with mysteries, grab yourself a copy of this!
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.
Lily’s parents had a happy marriage and were overjoyed by the birth of Emma, some twenty years after Lily. However, their idyllic life was torn apart by their Mum’s battle with cancer and it is almost a year after her death that the story starts, when her Dad informs Lily that he intends to marry someone who cared for her Mum, Maria. Lily can’t say why but she just doesn’t trust Maria, even though she seems to love both Lily’s Dad and her young sister……
This is a story of secrets, lies, revenge, mental illness, grief and family. It is an enthralling read, a real page turner that has so many surprise revelations to keep you guessing right to the end. If you enjoy family dramas, packed with mysteries, grab yourself a copy of this!
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of this book which I have voluntarily read and honestly reviewed.
June 13, 2021
After having thoroughly enjoying Karen's debut psychological thriller
"The Stranger in my Bed"
, I was excited at the prospect of her latest. But THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is more than just a thriller - it is domestic drama built on secrets, lies and mistrust. It also examines how a person is defined by their past and how the choices made as a youth can haunt those for the rest of one's life. The story was not what I expected and while it holds the promise of a thriller, it is also a moving story that had me in tears by the end. With so many twists, the story leads to a surprising yet satisfying ending. And I enjoyed every minute of it.
The prologue opens with the disappearance of five year old Emma Metcalfe from her backyard. But it's not your usual "missing child" trope so don't be fooled by it. There is something far deeper at play beneath the surface. Something that will shock Emma's family to the core. But first we must go back to when it all began...seven months ago.
Lily always had a simple dream: to be as happy as her parents were. Always content in their suburban home, life was good for Gareth and Ruth Metcalfe and nothing phased them...not even when a surprise pregnancy resulted in their second child Emma, twenty years after daughter Lily. But their love story was tragically cut short when Ruth succumbed to breast cancer when Emma was just four. Sadly Emma doesn't remember a time when her mummy wasn't sick while Lily's memories go back further to the days they were happy.
Still grieving the loss of her mother, Lily is shocked to discover her father canoodling in a cafe with another woman, even moreso when he announces they are to marry barely a year after her mother's death. Believing her father to be going through the stages of grief and feeling lonely, Lily tries to convince her father to slow the speed of their relationship down. But no sooner has he made the announcement than Maria moves into the family home and the date of their wedding is set for the the following month. Lily is so enraged that her father could disregard the memory of her mother so quickly for the woman who had been her beautician until she died, she voices her concerns to boyfriend Seb who, at first, shares her doubts but accepts the fact that it's her dad's life and his happiness.
No one appears to be listening to Lily and her concerns about Maria, who appears to be perfect and can do no wrong. Her father and his new wife are so obviously in love and Emma adores her new stepmother. Despite her father's pleas, Lily cannot make peace with his decision and is sure that Maria has an agenda; that she has manipulated her father and wrangled her way into his life for the perfect husband, the perfect house and a ready-made family. But it's her over-protectiveness of Emma that makes Lily uncomfortable and soon Emma begins to display signs of a nervous child under Maria's care. And when she offers to take Emma for a sleepover, Maria curtails those plans with her own citing that she, Gareth and Emma need time to bond as a family. But Emma is her little sister! And yet little by little, Lily feels as if Maria is slowly shutting her out of her own family.
Unable to trust her new stepmother, Lily then makes a surprising discovery: there appears to be no trace of Maria beyond ten years ago when she set up her exclusive beauty salon. Why is that, she wonders? And why does Maria reveal nothing of her past? And whenever asked she is quick to change the subject? What is it that she is hiding? For she is hiding something, of that Lily is sure.
So one day when she is called to collect a sick Emma from school, she does a little snooping in Maria's things and comes across an old photo of a couple face down in a drawer. Are these Maria's parents? And if so, why keep their photo hidden away and not on display? She quickly snaps a photo on her phone and forgets about it...until the day it leads to an even bigger discovery. And the truth about Maria's past is finally revealed. But not before Emma disappears from her walled backyard whilst in the care of her stepmother...
Intriguing from the very beginning, the story unfolds through the eyes of Lily and Maria throughout. And although I enjoyed capturing both sides, I feel it removed the element of mystery of Maria a little, where the reader would be left questioning Maria's motives. On the surface, Maria appeared to be perfect. When she wasn't working in her salon, she was involved in various charities, taking part in fun runs to raise money and devoting one day a week to give free beauty treatments to cancer patients...which is how she met Lily's family. How could someone so perfect be hiding a guilty secret? Unless they were trying to atone for a mistake in their past? But no matter how perfect Maria seemed to be, Lily was sure she was hiding something and because of that she worried for her father and her little sister. There were times Lily appeared to obsess a little too much about Maria, but then had I been in her shoes I probably would have felt the same. After all, no one really knew anything about Maria as she was such a private person...the question is, why? Especially when innocent questions about her past were practically ignored and the subject changed. Then one would have reason to be suspicious.
But as the story unravelled, so did the mystery of Maria as the truth is gradually revealed. And although hints had been dropped throughout, the secret is a somewhat tragic tale that one can't help but shed a tear.
While secrets and lies feature heavily in this book, so too does mental illness (though not till towards the end). THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is more than secrets, more than lies, more than deception...it is about regrets and redemption and moving forward. It is thrilling, it is touching and also a little bit sad. You cannot read this book without going through a whole range of emotions.
THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is an intriguing story that is surprising and emotional...and certainly not what you would expect when beginning the book. It is a mix of psychological drama, domestic thrills, mystery and suspense...all with a surprising and clever end.
This is one of those books I cannot recommend highly enough. It's gripping and emotional and leaves you wanting more. THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is a fantastic read that does not disappoint.
I would like to thank #KarenKing, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ThePerfectStepmother in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
The prologue opens with the disappearance of five year old Emma Metcalfe from her backyard. But it's not your usual "missing child" trope so don't be fooled by it. There is something far deeper at play beneath the surface. Something that will shock Emma's family to the core. But first we must go back to when it all began...seven months ago.
Lily always had a simple dream: to be as happy as her parents were. Always content in their suburban home, life was good for Gareth and Ruth Metcalfe and nothing phased them...not even when a surprise pregnancy resulted in their second child Emma, twenty years after daughter Lily. But their love story was tragically cut short when Ruth succumbed to breast cancer when Emma was just four. Sadly Emma doesn't remember a time when her mummy wasn't sick while Lily's memories go back further to the days they were happy.
Still grieving the loss of her mother, Lily is shocked to discover her father canoodling in a cafe with another woman, even moreso when he announces they are to marry barely a year after her mother's death. Believing her father to be going through the stages of grief and feeling lonely, Lily tries to convince her father to slow the speed of their relationship down. But no sooner has he made the announcement than Maria moves into the family home and the date of their wedding is set for the the following month. Lily is so enraged that her father could disregard the memory of her mother so quickly for the woman who had been her beautician until she died, she voices her concerns to boyfriend Seb who, at first, shares her doubts but accepts the fact that it's her dad's life and his happiness.
No one appears to be listening to Lily and her concerns about Maria, who appears to be perfect and can do no wrong. Her father and his new wife are so obviously in love and Emma adores her new stepmother. Despite her father's pleas, Lily cannot make peace with his decision and is sure that Maria has an agenda; that she has manipulated her father and wrangled her way into his life for the perfect husband, the perfect house and a ready-made family. But it's her over-protectiveness of Emma that makes Lily uncomfortable and soon Emma begins to display signs of a nervous child under Maria's care. And when she offers to take Emma for a sleepover, Maria curtails those plans with her own citing that she, Gareth and Emma need time to bond as a family. But Emma is her little sister! And yet little by little, Lily feels as if Maria is slowly shutting her out of her own family.
Unable to trust her new stepmother, Lily then makes a surprising discovery: there appears to be no trace of Maria beyond ten years ago when she set up her exclusive beauty salon. Why is that, she wonders? And why does Maria reveal nothing of her past? And whenever asked she is quick to change the subject? What is it that she is hiding? For she is hiding something, of that Lily is sure.
So one day when she is called to collect a sick Emma from school, she does a little snooping in Maria's things and comes across an old photo of a couple face down in a drawer. Are these Maria's parents? And if so, why keep their photo hidden away and not on display? She quickly snaps a photo on her phone and forgets about it...until the day it leads to an even bigger discovery. And the truth about Maria's past is finally revealed. But not before Emma disappears from her walled backyard whilst in the care of her stepmother...
Intriguing from the very beginning, the story unfolds through the eyes of Lily and Maria throughout. And although I enjoyed capturing both sides, I feel it removed the element of mystery of Maria a little, where the reader would be left questioning Maria's motives. On the surface, Maria appeared to be perfect. When she wasn't working in her salon, she was involved in various charities, taking part in fun runs to raise money and devoting one day a week to give free beauty treatments to cancer patients...which is how she met Lily's family. How could someone so perfect be hiding a guilty secret? Unless they were trying to atone for a mistake in their past? But no matter how perfect Maria seemed to be, Lily was sure she was hiding something and because of that she worried for her father and her little sister. There were times Lily appeared to obsess a little too much about Maria, but then had I been in her shoes I probably would have felt the same. After all, no one really knew anything about Maria as she was such a private person...the question is, why? Especially when innocent questions about her past were practically ignored and the subject changed. Then one would have reason to be suspicious.
But as the story unravelled, so did the mystery of Maria as the truth is gradually revealed. And although hints had been dropped throughout, the secret is a somewhat tragic tale that one can't help but shed a tear.
While secrets and lies feature heavily in this book, so too does mental illness (though not till towards the end). THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is more than secrets, more than lies, more than deception...it is about regrets and redemption and moving forward. It is thrilling, it is touching and also a little bit sad. You cannot read this book without going through a whole range of emotions.
THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is an intriguing story that is surprising and emotional...and certainly not what you would expect when beginning the book. It is a mix of psychological drama, domestic thrills, mystery and suspense...all with a surprising and clever end.
This is one of those books I cannot recommend highly enough. It's gripping and emotional and leaves you wanting more. THE PERFECT STEPMOTHER is a fantastic read that does not disappoint.
I would like to thank #KarenKing, #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #ThePerfectStepmother in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
August 15, 2021
I was so engrossed in The Perfect Stepmother I never noticed my OH spilling red wine down my shirt … until he tried to dab it off with a bit of damp paper towelling. One of the beautiful twists in this story is that you find yourself rooting for the person you least expected to be, as does one of the main characters. To name names would be to spoil it. What a cleverly woven plot! At a certain point, you feel you know what the secret The Perfect Stepmother carries is, but actually you don’t. I loved the build-up of hostility in Lily towards a woman stepping into her dear lost mother’s shoes far too soon after her death, marrying her father and quickly winning the affection of her five year old sister, little Emma, who so needs a mummy. Lily’s story has a naturalness to it that’s totally relatable to. She’s left home. She has a lovely boyfriend and a life of her own, but of course she is going to be protective of her vulnerable father and little sister. They’ve all lost a pivotal person in their lives to breast cancer. The question is, is Lily too protective? I really had to know how this would play out. I have to say that the author handled the subject matter with complete sensitivity – also making the reader think of those little things one might do to make a sufferer’s life a little easier or happier. To The Perfect Stepmother herself, I wasn’t sure I could quite believe it, but here’s the thing, I did. Utterly. The ending was ‘perfect’. I have to say Gareth came through for me one hundred percent. He didn’t fall in love too easily. He fell in love. He trusted his instincts. This is a thoroughly engaging story with lots of juicy twists to keep you reading and one I would highly recommend.
July 13, 2021
Lily just lost her mother to Cancer a year back and now her Father is already seeing someone else. It is shocking indeed when Lily finds out who that woman is. It is maria, a good friend of her mother.
Lily's father is sure that he is in love and wants to get married. Eventually much to Lily's distress, her father does end up marrying Maria and start a new family with little Emma (Lily's sister)
Maria seems perfect. She runs a high-end salon, but provides free beauty treatments and care to cancer patients once or twice a week: that is how Maria came to be Lily's mother's friend. Maria also raises funds for various charities. However, Lily is not convinced. maria is too perfect. There must be something wrong with her and Lily is hell-bent on finding it; more so when Emma goes missing.
I don't think the author meant Lily to be the unlikable character, but that is exactly what she was. Every other page we see her raising the same concerns again and again. If I were Seb (her boy-friend), it would have surely got to my nerves. One way or the other she has to paint Maria the villain but in doing so the entire plot and story line becomes bleak and repetitive for me.
This was such an interesting premise, the character's bickering and poor execution made it a below average read.
Lily's father is sure that he is in love and wants to get married. Eventually much to Lily's distress, her father does end up marrying Maria and start a new family with little Emma (Lily's sister)
Maria seems perfect. She runs a high-end salon, but provides free beauty treatments and care to cancer patients once or twice a week: that is how Maria came to be Lily's mother's friend. Maria also raises funds for various charities. However, Lily is not convinced. maria is too perfect. There must be something wrong with her and Lily is hell-bent on finding it; more so when Emma goes missing.
I don't think the author meant Lily to be the unlikable character, but that is exactly what she was. Every other page we see her raising the same concerns again and again. If I were Seb (her boy-friend), it would have surely got to my nerves. One way or the other she has to paint Maria the villain but in doing so the entire plot and story line becomes bleak and repetitive for me.
This was such an interesting premise, the character's bickering and poor execution made it a below average read.
June 18, 2021
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Perfect Stepmother' by Karen King.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Karen King, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 17th June 2021.
This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read Karen's 'The Stranger In My Bed' which I would also recommend reading.
I was originally drawn to this book by its interesting eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Shalini Boland, Claire McGowan and Gone Girl.' I am a huge fan of Shalini and 'Gone Girl' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a fan of Karen and if this is as good as 'The Stranger In My Bed' it is sure to be a gorgeous read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 62 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and had holidays on England on several occasions so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere that Kennedy has based the book on.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Lily and Maria. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
Wow!!! Well fair play the first thing I must say is congratulations to Karen King on another HUGE success!! Absolutely fantastic!! I never did work out who had did what and that is quite a feat considering it is quite hard to shock me now thay I have read so many suspense and thrillers yet I never did see that coming!! Anyway on with my review....
As you can tell from the above I loved it!!! This book is very well and smoothly written it just drags you straight into the storyline and keeps you in there under you have finished. A true page turner this book has an absolutely compelling and addictive storyline that kept me guessing throughout. I was continuously questioning who did what and who the victim was. I loved the ending and thought it fitted perfectly. The storyline is realistic and believable making it easy to picture what is going on. I enjoyed that we got to see from both perspectives and see what was going through each person's heads. Great descriptions throughout the book really putting the reader in the story and getting a good feel of what is going on.
The characters were very realistic and well rounded and again their personalities reflected the storyline and how they would act, etc perfectly. The narration gave a really good in depth view of both Lily and Maria. It is very thought provoking and makes the reader question what they would do in that situation. I really felt sorry for a certain character when I found out what was going on and what had happened. However I can't say too much due to not wanting to give anything away. Needless to say I really seemed to click with both of the main characters at certain times while deflecting from them at others.
I am looking forward to reading more psychological thrillers by this very talented author. Going from romances to psychological thrillers cannot have been an easy feat but you absolutely smashed it!!
Overall a page turning addictive psychological thriller that will have your heart racing.
Genres covered in this novel include Thriller, Noir Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl', Shari Lapena, Sheryl Browne and Sam Hepburn.
299 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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Review for 'The Perfect Stepmother' by Karen King.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Karen King, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous
Publication date 17th June 2021.
This is the second book I have read by this author. I have previously read Karen's 'The Stranger In My Bed' which I would also recommend reading.
I was originally drawn to this book by its interesting eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of Shalini Boland, Claire McGowan and Gone Girl.' I am a huge fan of Shalini and 'Gone Girl' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a fan of Karen and if this is as good as 'The Stranger In My Bed' it is sure to be a gorgeous read. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).
This novel consists of a prologue, 62 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in England 🏴, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually visited and had holidays on England on several occasions so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise anywhere that Kennedy has based the book on.
This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonists are Lily and Maria. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.
Wow!!! Well fair play the first thing I must say is congratulations to Karen King on another HUGE success!! Absolutely fantastic!! I never did work out who had did what and that is quite a feat considering it is quite hard to shock me now thay I have read so many suspense and thrillers yet I never did see that coming!! Anyway on with my review....
As you can tell from the above I loved it!!! This book is very well and smoothly written it just drags you straight into the storyline and keeps you in there under you have finished. A true page turner this book has an absolutely compelling and addictive storyline that kept me guessing throughout. I was continuously questioning who did what and who the victim was. I loved the ending and thought it fitted perfectly. The storyline is realistic and believable making it easy to picture what is going on. I enjoyed that we got to see from both perspectives and see what was going through each person's heads. Great descriptions throughout the book really putting the reader in the story and getting a good feel of what is going on.
The characters were very realistic and well rounded and again their personalities reflected the storyline and how they would act, etc perfectly. The narration gave a really good in depth view of both Lily and Maria. It is very thought provoking and makes the reader question what they would do in that situation. I really felt sorry for a certain character when I found out what was going on and what had happened. However I can't say too much due to not wanting to give anything away. Needless to say I really seemed to click with both of the main characters at certain times while deflecting from them at others.
I am looking forward to reading more psychological thrillers by this very talented author. Going from romances to psychological thrillers cannot have been an easy feat but you absolutely smashed it!!
Overall a page turning addictive psychological thriller that will have your heart racing.
Genres covered in this novel include Thriller, Noir Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Fiction and Psychological Fiction amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl', Shari Lapena, Sheryl Browne and Sam Hepburn.
299 pages.
This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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May 26, 2021
Not a bad story about regret and trying to redeem yourself for mistakes made when you were younger.
Lily and her younger sister are still dealing with the loss of their mother/wife from cancer a year ago when a Lily finds out that their dad is now dating the woman who came in to help their mom in her last months. Lily isn’t happy about how fast the relationship is progressing and how overprotective the woman is about her younger sister Emma. Then one day Emma goes missing and it’s a race to find her, but all eyes are looking at Maria after Lily uncovered Maria’s past, even though Maria claims she was innocent then as well as now. Can they put the pieces together in time to find Emma? Is there more to Maria’s story?
I think in all fairness m it could have been a but shorter and not lost anything, and most of the characters weren’t any that I got invested in. I saw the one major twist before it happened. It was worth reading but not something that I’d rush to recommend.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.
Lily and her younger sister are still dealing with the loss of their mother/wife from cancer a year ago when a Lily finds out that their dad is now dating the woman who came in to help their mom in her last months. Lily isn’t happy about how fast the relationship is progressing and how overprotective the woman is about her younger sister Emma. Then one day Emma goes missing and it’s a race to find her, but all eyes are looking at Maria after Lily uncovered Maria’s past, even though Maria claims she was innocent then as well as now. Can they put the pieces together in time to find Emma? Is there more to Maria’s story?
I think in all fairness m it could have been a but shorter and not lost anything, and most of the characters weren’t any that I got invested in. I saw the one major twist before it happened. It was worth reading but not something that I’d rush to recommend.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.
June 5, 2021
Your child goes missing! What could be worse? This book kept me glued till the end. It appears Maria has lots of secrets that Lily is determined to find out what they are but then Emma goes missing. Mental illness plays a huge part too. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published June 17, 2021.
May 23, 2021
Didn't know who was lying or telling the truth, page after page there was twist and turns, and kept me asking though out the book what happened to the younger sister , did their new stepmom have something to do with it or was she took by a stranger.
June 22, 2021
Lily Metcalfe is still reeling from the death of her mother to cancer less than one year ago when her father, Gareth surprises her with news regarding his upcoming nuptials to Maria, his girlfriend. Maria was Lily’s mother’s cancer support beauty specialist, so it came as a huge surprise that her father and Maria were dating and about to be married. Lily is far from happy with how easily her father has moved on when her mother is not even cold in her grave yet. Distrustful of Maria, Lily sets out to find out the truth, especially since Maria is now stepmother to Lily’s five year old sister Emma. Is Maria all she claims to be or does she have a devastating past that is about to collide with the present?
The Perfect Stepmother is a domestic thriller that will pull you right into the story. This is not a full of action type of story, but it is definitely a sneaky one as it grabs your attention right from the start and snakes its way into your mind preventing you from putting this story down. This is not a complicated story, but the execution of it is done really well and also holds quite a few surprises along the way. One of the central questions I found myself asking was “Is maria good or bad?” and Karen King does such a fantastic job of towing the line between good and evil like you are kind of on a seesaw wavering back and forth on the guilt or innocence of Maria.
If you love a slow paced character driven domestic suspense, then you will definitely want to pick up a copy of Karen King’s latest, The Perfect Stepmother.
The Perfect Stepmother is a domestic thriller that will pull you right into the story. This is not a full of action type of story, but it is definitely a sneaky one as it grabs your attention right from the start and snakes its way into your mind preventing you from putting this story down. This is not a complicated story, but the execution of it is done really well and also holds quite a few surprises along the way. One of the central questions I found myself asking was “Is maria good or bad?” and Karen King does such a fantastic job of towing the line between good and evil like you are kind of on a seesaw wavering back and forth on the guilt or innocence of Maria.
If you love a slow paced character driven domestic suspense, then you will definitely want to pick up a copy of Karen King’s latest, The Perfect Stepmother.
July 7, 2021
Broken record
This story was like a broken record. Both the main characters just repeating the same thoughts over and over. The rest of the story was not that interesting. It was easy to read though aside from the several typo errors I noticed. The author herself seemed to get her own characters confused, Lily runs into the room looking for her sister, calling "Lily!"...
I doubt that I will ever read anything else by this author.
This story was like a broken record. Both the main characters just repeating the same thoughts over and over. The rest of the story was not that interesting. It was easy to read though aside from the several typo errors I noticed. The author herself seemed to get her own characters confused, Lily runs into the room looking for her sister, calling "Lily!"...
I doubt that I will ever read anything else by this author.
June 24, 2021
Lily has lost her mother Ruth to cancer and she’s now left to take care of her father Gareth and her little sister Emma, with the help of Seb, her boyfriend. Nevertheless, less than one year after her mother’s death, Lily finds out that her father is dating Maria, the kind beautician who works in her own salon and also gives beauty treatments for free for cancer patients like Ruth. Lily is raging: it’s too soon and Maria has to have ulterior motives to be with her dad, who is handsome and rich. It turns out that Maria is actually a very nice lady, although one day Lily discovers that she’s getting threats in her post. Why is Maria been threatened by anonymous people? And why doesn’t she ever talk about her past? Unfortunately, Maria did a huge mistake when she was very young and, although she has changed her name since, she hasn’t yet atoned for it, and now Emma and Gareth could be in danger too.
This one was an OK book for me. I read it pretty quickly and I mostly enjoyed it. It’s overall a nice read and there’s nothing terribly appalling about it. Nevertheless, it has to be said that there are several things that I noticed. First of all, the novel is really repetitive. Sometimes it looks as if the author has a notebook filled with sentences (always the same ones) and she randomly picks one and put it into the novels and then she repeats the action until she has 300 pages filled with sentences that are actually more or less the same. One example: Maria’s two fingers tapping on her wrist to calm herself. If I’d read this sentence one more time, I would have screamed. And so it goes for Lily thinking “Maria has something to hide” and for Maria thinking “I did something terrible ten years ago”. Maybe, during the editing process, lots of this stuff could be cut out of the book in order to make it lighter and more enjoyable. Also, the dialogues felt really staged, which reflected badly on the characters, making them look flat and not particularly easy to like. Probably the only character I quite liked was Maria herself, while Lily seemed to me as a spoiled and irrational person. All that business of her going “asking questions” in the salone is cringeworthy. I know this sounds like a terrible review, but the book is OK, as I said at the beginning. It’s an average read, probably okay for summer.
•Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review•
This one was an OK book for me. I read it pretty quickly and I mostly enjoyed it. It’s overall a nice read and there’s nothing terribly appalling about it. Nevertheless, it has to be said that there are several things that I noticed. First of all, the novel is really repetitive. Sometimes it looks as if the author has a notebook filled with sentences (always the same ones) and she randomly picks one and put it into the novels and then she repeats the action until she has 300 pages filled with sentences that are actually more or less the same. One example: Maria’s two fingers tapping on her wrist to calm herself. If I’d read this sentence one more time, I would have screamed. And so it goes for Lily thinking “Maria has something to hide” and for Maria thinking “I did something terrible ten years ago”. Maybe, during the editing process, lots of this stuff could be cut out of the book in order to make it lighter and more enjoyable. Also, the dialogues felt really staged, which reflected badly on the characters, making them look flat and not particularly easy to like. Probably the only character I quite liked was Maria herself, while Lily seemed to me as a spoiled and irrational person. All that business of her going “asking questions” in the salone is cringeworthy. I know this sounds like a terrible review, but the book is OK, as I said at the beginning. It’s an average read, probably okay for summer.
•Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review•
October 8, 2022
My Review:
Another jaw dropping read by the fabulous Karen King. The first book that I read by her I loved so much that I couldn’t get enough of this author and decided I had to read another by her. So a few weeks later and I’m on her last book of psychological thrillers and wishing there were more. From what it looks like she has only written three books in this genre as the rest are romance books. She writes both psychological thrillers and romance novels but since I’m not big on sappy love stories you will not see me reading those any time soon. I’m sure though that those are just as wonderful as these ones were. Let’s talk about this book for a minute. I love books that have shocking secrets from the past that finally catch up with all the characters. Nothing can stay hidden forever and it’s funny how people think they can. Honesty is always the best policy. I also loved that shocking ending. It was so twisted in some places yet justice was served in other places. It came around full circle and it was such an enjoyable read. I wish there were more to read by this author. I do hope this author continues to write psychological thrillers as she is so awesome at them.
In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Another jaw dropping read by the fabulous Karen King. The first book that I read by her I loved so much that I couldn’t get enough of this author and decided I had to read another by her. So a few weeks later and I’m on her last book of psychological thrillers and wishing there were more. From what it looks like she has only written three books in this genre as the rest are romance books. She writes both psychological thrillers and romance novels but since I’m not big on sappy love stories you will not see me reading those any time soon. I’m sure though that those are just as wonderful as these ones were. Let’s talk about this book for a minute. I love books that have shocking secrets from the past that finally catch up with all the characters. Nothing can stay hidden forever and it’s funny how people think they can. Honesty is always the best policy. I also loved that shocking ending. It was so twisted in some places yet justice was served in other places. It came around full circle and it was such an enjoyable read. I wish there were more to read by this author. I do hope this author continues to write psychological thrillers as she is so awesome at them.
In conclusion, the plot, the characters and all the twists in this book made this book an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it and happily give it 5 Hearts❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
May 15, 2021
This is a satisfactory book. It’s not brilliant, it’s ok. I wouldn’t recommend it but if someone asked if they should read it, I’d say it was worth a go.
Lily is upset when her father starts dating again, just a year after her mother’s death. She’s concerned about the speed of the relationship, the secrets Maria seems to be hiding and the way she is overprotective of her younger sister Emma. When Emma goes missing it’s a race against time to find out what happened...
It’s quite a long winded book and the characters repeat themselves often. I didn’t really think there were many twists- I saw them coming a mile off! I also felt that Maria would never have spent ten years in prison off the testimony of one upset 7 year old boy. It didn’t seem believable.
It plods along at a steady pace but it say it’s more of a mystery than a thriller. The ending wraps everything up nicely but I’m not sure we needed the epilogue. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.
Lily is upset when her father starts dating again, just a year after her mother’s death. She’s concerned about the speed of the relationship, the secrets Maria seems to be hiding and the way she is overprotective of her younger sister Emma. When Emma goes missing it’s a race against time to find out what happened...
It’s quite a long winded book and the characters repeat themselves often. I didn’t really think there were many twists- I saw them coming a mile off! I also felt that Maria would never have spent ten years in prison off the testimony of one upset 7 year old boy. It didn’t seem believable.
It plods along at a steady pace but it say it’s more of a mystery than a thriller. The ending wraps everything up nicely but I’m not sure we needed the epilogue. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.
December 16, 2021
I read this book along with an online book group I belong to. It’s a domestic suspense thriller and I thought it was an excellent read. Right from the beginning I was engrossed in the story and found myself just wanting to keep on reading. I enjoyed the characters and loved the fact I wasn’t able to work out who was responsible for what was happening until quite near the end of the book.
May 25, 2021
The Perfect Stepmother by Karen King Intriguing family drama filled with lies, deceit and mistrust. With many twists and turns, the story leads to a satisfying ending.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.
Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.
July 8, 2021
Thriller has always been my go-to genre. Whenever I am unable to decide what to read next, I go and take the love from the thrillers. I want to thank @netgalley for always providing me new options for reading thrillers from different authors. Recently I read The Perfect Stepmother by @karenkingauthor and today I am here with my review.
Publication day: 17/06/2021
After the death of her mother, Lily was very worried about her father and her five-year-old little sister Emma. So, when her dad decides to remarry Maria, he thought that Lily would be relieved. However, shocked and concerned Lily finds herself furious with his decision. Maria seems in complete love with Lily’s dad and instantly bonds with Emma. It’s only Lily who cannot trust her.
The domestic thriller takes its own time to build up the plot and the atmosphere. The lucid writing of the author makes the reading experience smooth for amateur readers as well. The story starts with a shocking incident and then takes us back to the past. You can follow the different points of view simultaneously. The narration peaks up in the climax and the action-packed climax gets a decent point from me.
However, the mystery part of it did not really click with me. I was almost sure about most of the plot twists beforehand. The narration falls flat in the middle part. If you are not familiar with domestic thrillers or if you are not particularly a fan of this sub-genre, then you might get bored with time.
Despite all these, this novel has portrayed the relationships very well. I always appreciate authors who write about family bonding. The character of Lily was relatable and one can agree with most of her decisions taken in this book. Her anger towards her father, her immense love for her little sister, her strong relationship with her long-term boyfriend made Lily a very likable character. I cannot say that about Maria though.
My final verdict for this book would be that you can go for this one if you like domestic thrillers and family drama. If you are a hardcore mystery/action thriller fan, this book has not much to deliver.
Thank you @bookouture for accepting my request to read this book.
Publication day: 17/06/2021
After the death of her mother, Lily was very worried about her father and her five-year-old little sister Emma. So, when her dad decides to remarry Maria, he thought that Lily would be relieved. However, shocked and concerned Lily finds herself furious with his decision. Maria seems in complete love with Lily’s dad and instantly bonds with Emma. It’s only Lily who cannot trust her.
The domestic thriller takes its own time to build up the plot and the atmosphere. The lucid writing of the author makes the reading experience smooth for amateur readers as well. The story starts with a shocking incident and then takes us back to the past. You can follow the different points of view simultaneously. The narration peaks up in the climax and the action-packed climax gets a decent point from me.
However, the mystery part of it did not really click with me. I was almost sure about most of the plot twists beforehand. The narration falls flat in the middle part. If you are not familiar with domestic thrillers or if you are not particularly a fan of this sub-genre, then you might get bored with time.
Despite all these, this novel has portrayed the relationships very well. I always appreciate authors who write about family bonding. The character of Lily was relatable and one can agree with most of her decisions taken in this book. Her anger towards her father, her immense love for her little sister, her strong relationship with her long-term boyfriend made Lily a very likable character. I cannot say that about Maria though.
My final verdict for this book would be that you can go for this one if you like domestic thrillers and family drama. If you are a hardcore mystery/action thriller fan, this book has not much to deliver.
Thank you @bookouture for accepting my request to read this book.
March 4, 2024
Lily had recently lost her mother and was upset that her dad was moving on so quickly with a new woman, Maria. Understandable, but she repeatedly expressed disappointment and distrust of Maria. It took up a huge chunk of the book and got so tiring after a while. On the other hand, Maria kept going on and on about her 'mistake'.
Also, it was easy to figure out that Al had some significance.
The whole plot seemed...mellow. The most suspicious character, the stepmother, turned out to be innocent. One of the culprits had a 180-change of heart at a drop of a hat.
Just wish the book had more complexity.
Also, it was easy to figure out that Al had some significance.
The whole plot seemed...mellow. The most suspicious character, the stepmother, turned out to be innocent. One of the culprits had a 180-change of heart at a drop of a hat.
Just wish the book had more complexity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2022
This book could have been alot shorter. Story line became bleak and repetitive. Good story line but I only skimmed through the book as i wanted to know what happened.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2021
Quite liked this one. I enjoyed the plot a lot, which is what made me keep reading, but I wasn't really a fan of the writing style. A lot of it felt a bit forced and obvious, and the characters were a bit annoying by the end.
May 17, 2021
The Perfect Stepmother looks at how we are defined by our past, how choices made in youth can haunt you for the rest of your life, define who you are and how you end up living your life. This story was not what I initially expected. It holds the promise of an exciting thriller, but it is also a moving, serious story that leaves you with a tear or two.
Opening this eBook, I was met with over six hundred pages which I was convinced would take me a while to get through. However, they ended up slipping away all too quickly. The story is told from Lily and Maria’s perspective, allowing you to experience both women’s emotions as you read. This makes it extremely difficult to pick aside. This daughter and stepmother share their feelings with you while not with each other. I found myself changing my opinion from page to page. The author unfolds the story with just enough information for you never to be a hundred percent certain of who you trust.
When Gareth decided to marry Maria only a year after the death of his wife Ruth, Lily is immediately concerned. Maria was Ruth’s beautician, and someone Ruth bonded with. Lily is convinced that Maria is taking advantage of her father, that he is still grieving, and not thinking clearly. Concerned about both her father and her little sister, Lily cannot make peace with Gareth decision and she finds it impossible to trust her stepmother. Lily is convinced that Maria is hiding something. No matter what her suspicions, nothing could prepare her for the truth that awaits her after little Emma disappears.
This story was intriguing right from the start, the characters are creative and realistic making it easy to bond with them and share their emotions. Five-year-old Emma steals your heart quickly. I lost myself in this story and was left with a tear rolling down my cheek at the end. This book turned out a lot more emotional than I expected, but I loved every minute.
I could not pick a favourite character in this story. As the story develops you see a different side to both Lily and Maria, and just when you think you picked your favourite, something new is revealed and you end up changing sides. The author did a marvellous job at keeping you uncertain, leaving you unsure who to trust. By the time you have the full story you understand both sides and end up liking both these women. Little Emma is simply precious and the one consistent character you love from beginning to end.
The Perfect Stepmother is a wonderful story full of surprises and emotion. I loved reading this book, enjoying every minute I spent with it. This book can be added to your TBR if you enjoy psychological fiction, mysteries and thrillers. It is a fast read even if the eBook version is over six hundred pages, they disappear in a flash.
This is one of those stories that I cannot recommend highly enough, it’s gripping and emotional and leaves you wanting more, a brilliant read that will not leave you disappointed.
Visit the blog for more: https://featzreviews.com
Opening this eBook, I was met with over six hundred pages which I was convinced would take me a while to get through. However, they ended up slipping away all too quickly. The story is told from Lily and Maria’s perspective, allowing you to experience both women’s emotions as you read. This makes it extremely difficult to pick aside. This daughter and stepmother share their feelings with you while not with each other. I found myself changing my opinion from page to page. The author unfolds the story with just enough information for you never to be a hundred percent certain of who you trust.
When Gareth decided to marry Maria only a year after the death of his wife Ruth, Lily is immediately concerned. Maria was Ruth’s beautician, and someone Ruth bonded with. Lily is convinced that Maria is taking advantage of her father, that he is still grieving, and not thinking clearly. Concerned about both her father and her little sister, Lily cannot make peace with Gareth decision and she finds it impossible to trust her stepmother. Lily is convinced that Maria is hiding something. No matter what her suspicions, nothing could prepare her for the truth that awaits her after little Emma disappears.
This story was intriguing right from the start, the characters are creative and realistic making it easy to bond with them and share their emotions. Five-year-old Emma steals your heart quickly. I lost myself in this story and was left with a tear rolling down my cheek at the end. This book turned out a lot more emotional than I expected, but I loved every minute.
I could not pick a favourite character in this story. As the story develops you see a different side to both Lily and Maria, and just when you think you picked your favourite, something new is revealed and you end up changing sides. The author did a marvellous job at keeping you uncertain, leaving you unsure who to trust. By the time you have the full story you understand both sides and end up liking both these women. Little Emma is simply precious and the one consistent character you love from beginning to end.
The Perfect Stepmother is a wonderful story full of surprises and emotion. I loved reading this book, enjoying every minute I spent with it. This book can be added to your TBR if you enjoy psychological fiction, mysteries and thrillers. It is a fast read even if the eBook version is over six hundred pages, they disappear in a flash.
This is one of those stories that I cannot recommend highly enough, it’s gripping and emotional and leaves you wanting more, a brilliant read that will not leave you disappointed.
Visit the blog for more: https://featzreviews.com
June 20, 2021
First, I want to thank Karen King, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I can bring you this review.
WOW!! Karen King lured me into her latest book The Perfect Stepmother with her cryptic, intense and eerie prologue!! Oh I just had to know what happened to Emma and if the Stepmother was really behind it!!
Ohh I totally agree with Lilly and felt compassion for her!! Come on now Lilly’s Mom just dies of cancer and her father coviently marries her beauty specialist!! Someone who she adored and considered a friend!! Now that is just creepy and wrong on so many levels. He couldn’t just grieve her loss and be single for a while?! Shaking my head at some men these days!
I loved Maria’s explanation of why she became a beauty specialist for cancer patients. Even though I didn’t care for her character I did commend her on her career choice.
Ohh how we learn that The Perfect Stepmother is not so perfect after all!! She has secrets about her past that she would rather keep hidden in the past.
The climax of The Perfect Stepmother was crazy good filled with a lot of suspense and major drama!! I was at the edge of my comfy chair seeing how it would all unfold!
WOW!! Karen King lured me into her latest book The Perfect Stepmother with her cryptic, intense and eerie prologue!! Oh I just had to know what happened to Emma and if the Stepmother was really behind it!!
Ohh I totally agree with Lilly and felt compassion for her!! Come on now Lilly’s Mom just dies of cancer and her father coviently marries her beauty specialist!! Someone who she adored and considered a friend!! Now that is just creepy and wrong on so many levels. He couldn’t just grieve her loss and be single for a while?! Shaking my head at some men these days!
I loved Maria’s explanation of why she became a beauty specialist for cancer patients. Even though I didn’t care for her character I did commend her on her career choice.
Ohh how we learn that The Perfect Stepmother is not so perfect after all!! She has secrets about her past that she would rather keep hidden in the past.
The climax of The Perfect Stepmother was crazy good filled with a lot of suspense and major drama!! I was at the edge of my comfy chair seeing how it would all unfold!
May 21, 2021
I really enjoyed the premise of this book so couldn't wait to read it. It ended up being completely different to what I had thought, but this was only a good thing. I love when a book seems predictable but ends up not being! I had never heard of the author before and now I'm definitely excited to read her other works.
Lily is still grieving the untimely death of her mother barely a year later when she stumbles upon her dad in a cafe canoodling with a woman she recognises... Maria, who did free beauty treatments for her mother during her cancer treatment! Understandably, she is shocked. She begins to question this woman's motives, especially when they get engaged right after she finds out about them - why is she moving so fast? Did she plan this during her mother's treatments? Her dad is wealthy, does she want his money? Maria seems very shady about her past and Lily becomes increasingly concerned about her dad and her little sister Emma who is only four years old. Then, one day, Emma goes missing while in the care of her stepmother...
The story is told both from Maria and Lily's POV. I liked the idea of seeing both sides of the story but I did feel like it took the mystery of Maria away a little bit. I would have preferred to be completely unaware of her story and therefore more suspicious. I found myself eye-rolling at Gareth quite a lot. He was so infatuated with his new wife and the dialogue with her was very cheesy. This isn't a negative to the story though. I feel like it's important to dislike characters you're maybe supposed to like, it makes it more realistic for me.
I loved Lily but would have liked to have seen a little more of her life as a whole. She was mostly just seen to be in constant suspicion of her stepmother, which granted is what the story is based on, but I would have liked just a little more regular scenes with her. I loved her relationship with her little sister and they were some of my favourite scenes. I found it a breath of fresh air that she actually had a great boyfriend also. Too often these main characters end up having a crappy boyfriend or husband so it was refreshing to see a regular nice guy as the love interest.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story despite my few dislikes which really are just personal pet peeves. I look forward to exploring more work by the author and recommend you check this book out!
(Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC; all thoughts are my own).
Lily is still grieving the untimely death of her mother barely a year later when she stumbles upon her dad in a cafe canoodling with a woman she recognises... Maria, who did free beauty treatments for her mother during her cancer treatment! Understandably, she is shocked. She begins to question this woman's motives, especially when they get engaged right after she finds out about them - why is she moving so fast? Did she plan this during her mother's treatments? Her dad is wealthy, does she want his money? Maria seems very shady about her past and Lily becomes increasingly concerned about her dad and her little sister Emma who is only four years old. Then, one day, Emma goes missing while in the care of her stepmother...
The story is told both from Maria and Lily's POV. I liked the idea of seeing both sides of the story but I did feel like it took the mystery of Maria away a little bit. I would have preferred to be completely unaware of her story and therefore more suspicious. I found myself eye-rolling at Gareth quite a lot. He was so infatuated with his new wife and the dialogue with her was very cheesy. This isn't a negative to the story though. I feel like it's important to dislike characters you're maybe supposed to like, it makes it more realistic for me.
I loved Lily but would have liked to have seen a little more of her life as a whole. She was mostly just seen to be in constant suspicion of her stepmother, which granted is what the story is based on, but I would have liked just a little more regular scenes with her. I loved her relationship with her little sister and they were some of my favourite scenes. I found it a breath of fresh air that she actually had a great boyfriend also. Too often these main characters end up having a crappy boyfriend or husband so it was refreshing to see a regular nice guy as the love interest.
Overall, I really enjoyed the story despite my few dislikes which really are just personal pet peeves. I look forward to exploring more work by the author and recommend you check this book out!
(Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC; all thoughts are my own).
June 14, 2021
Published: June 17, 2021
Bookouture
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Karen King is a multi-published bestselling author of fiction for both adults and children. She has also written several short stories for women's magazines. Currently published by Bookouture and Headline. Karen writes about the light and dark of relationships. Her debut psychological thriller, The Stranger in my Bed, was published by Bookouture in November 2020 and her second one, The Perfect Stepmother, will be published in June 2021. She is also contracted to write three romance novels for Headline, the first one, One Summer in Cornwall, will be published on 29 April 2021.
“YOU DON’T DESERVE TO HAVE A DAUGHTER.”
Lily is reeling from the loss of her mother. She is determined to be as supportive as she possibly can be for her father and little sister, Emma. So when Lily spots her father on a date with the woman who gave her mother beauty treatments and learned they had be seeing each other, Lily is hurt. Lily is angry. Lily is positive there is something wrong with the situation. Maria runs a high-end beauty shop and volunteers her time and talents to women battling cancer. Maria dedicates much of her time to do whatever she can to try and help others. So when Maria and Gareth announce they are getting married after months of dating, Lily is more shocked. This picture-perfect family May just be ripped apart by another tragedy.
This was the first book I’ve read from this author, and overall it was okay. I found the buildup rather slow and slightly repetitive. The character development was pretty good, though predictable.
While entertaining, I figured out the twist halfway through the book. I knew who did what and why, I figured out the big revenge motivation, and I knew how things would end.
I don’t love being right about the ending. I always think I know where a book is going, and when I’m wrong, and the authors surprises me, I love that.
Overall, the book was well done. The plot was full, and the story arc was complete. There was a slow build to a fast spiral as the twists brought the book to a close. It was a decent read, with a pretty well-done twist.
Bookouture
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Karen King is a multi-published bestselling author of fiction for both adults and children. She has also written several short stories for women's magazines. Currently published by Bookouture and Headline. Karen writes about the light and dark of relationships. Her debut psychological thriller, The Stranger in my Bed, was published by Bookouture in November 2020 and her second one, The Perfect Stepmother, will be published in June 2021. She is also contracted to write three romance novels for Headline, the first one, One Summer in Cornwall, will be published on 29 April 2021.
“YOU DON’T DESERVE TO HAVE A DAUGHTER.”
Lily is reeling from the loss of her mother. She is determined to be as supportive as she possibly can be for her father and little sister, Emma. So when Lily spots her father on a date with the woman who gave her mother beauty treatments and learned they had be seeing each other, Lily is hurt. Lily is angry. Lily is positive there is something wrong with the situation. Maria runs a high-end beauty shop and volunteers her time and talents to women battling cancer. Maria dedicates much of her time to do whatever she can to try and help others. So when Maria and Gareth announce they are getting married after months of dating, Lily is more shocked. This picture-perfect family May just be ripped apart by another tragedy.
This was the first book I’ve read from this author, and overall it was okay. I found the buildup rather slow and slightly repetitive. The character development was pretty good, though predictable.
While entertaining, I figured out the twist halfway through the book. I knew who did what and why, I figured out the big revenge motivation, and I knew how things would end.
I don’t love being right about the ending. I always think I know where a book is going, and when I’m wrong, and the authors surprises me, I love that.
Overall, the book was well done. The plot was full, and the story arc was complete. There was a slow build to a fast spiral as the twists brought the book to a close. It was a decent read, with a pretty well-done twist.
May 21, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for letting me read this book prior to its publication. My opinion is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.
This is the second book I read from the same author and I really enjoyed it. The premise, the story, the characters... all of that got me intrigued from the beginning and I just had to read more. I have to admit this book has kept me reading until quite late at night, and I used to wake up extra early so I could read a couple of chapters before my day started. Although not perfect, it had all the necessary elements to keep me reading.
This book presents a very interesting debate: can a person atone for the mistakes they committed in the past? Can a person start a fresh new life after something horrible happened in their past? Can society forget and forgive, or is it asking too much? When Maria appears in the lives of Gareth and his family, nobody knows anything about her previous life before she arrived to their town. Why all the secrecy? Is she hiding something? Why is she so obsessed with being the perfect stepmother and being a perfect role model in their town? Mystery is served.
The pace of the story was well done, although sometimes Lily's words and thoughts felt a bit repetitive. She went on and on about the same topic, and sometimes she started sounding a bit petulant. As for the rest of the characters, well constructed and developed.
The reason I don't give it five stars is because I guessed one of the major key elements to be in play at the end of the book. To me it was pretty obvious, but I won't say anything because I don't want to reveal any spoilers.
Overall, a very good story with the perfect dose of suspense and thrilling elements.
This is the second book I read from the same author and I really enjoyed it. The premise, the story, the characters... all of that got me intrigued from the beginning and I just had to read more. I have to admit this book has kept me reading until quite late at night, and I used to wake up extra early so I could read a couple of chapters before my day started. Although not perfect, it had all the necessary elements to keep me reading.
This book presents a very interesting debate: can a person atone for the mistakes they committed in the past? Can a person start a fresh new life after something horrible happened in their past? Can society forget and forgive, or is it asking too much? When Maria appears in the lives of Gareth and his family, nobody knows anything about her previous life before she arrived to their town. Why all the secrecy? Is she hiding something? Why is she so obsessed with being the perfect stepmother and being a perfect role model in their town? Mystery is served.
The pace of the story was well done, although sometimes Lily's words and thoughts felt a bit repetitive. She went on and on about the same topic, and sometimes she started sounding a bit petulant. As for the rest of the characters, well constructed and developed.
The reason I don't give it five stars is because I guessed one of the major key elements to be in play at the end of the book. To me it was pretty obvious, but I won't say anything because I don't want to reveal any spoilers.
Overall, a very good story with the perfect dose of suspense and thrilling elements.
June 15, 2021
Many thanks to #netgalley and #bookouture for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
When I read the blurb for this I was so intrigued!
Since the days of Cinderella, the stepmother has always been that evil figure, the woman who turns the father’s head but does not fool the children! So I dove into this book with the hopes of reading a compelling thriller with a wicked if not downright evil stepmother.
Unfortunately it was not quite what I got! Although not a bad book, it just didn’t live up to the usual thriller standards and was just way too predictable!
Lily is still trying to come to terms with losing her mother to cancer a year ago, when her father announces his wedding to the woman who gave beauty treatments to her mother in the last phases of her life. Shocked by how quickly the relationship is proceeding and how little everyone knows about her new stepmother, Lily decides to investigate. But nobody seems to know anything about her stepmother’s past!
The book started off well with Lily’s 6 year old sister going missing, then we ego back eight months and discover how everything led to this awful moment.
I thought there was a lot of unnecessary information that could have been left out. For 60% of the book all we get is the family’s daily routine, without much else happening, except for Lily’s constant and paranoid suspicions. I actually skipped a few pages because it was almost repetitive.
The final part of the book was better, but I predicted the ‘twist’ early on in the story so was a tad disappointed that l was actually right!
By the very end it felt more like a Hallmark movie than a thriller. I obviously can’t say more without giving away too much!
So if you’re into books revolving around family dramas with a nod to thrillers, you might love it!
Pub date: June 17th, 2021
When I read the blurb for this I was so intrigued!
Since the days of Cinderella, the stepmother has always been that evil figure, the woman who turns the father’s head but does not fool the children! So I dove into this book with the hopes of reading a compelling thriller with a wicked if not downright evil stepmother.
Unfortunately it was not quite what I got! Although not a bad book, it just didn’t live up to the usual thriller standards and was just way too predictable!
Lily is still trying to come to terms with losing her mother to cancer a year ago, when her father announces his wedding to the woman who gave beauty treatments to her mother in the last phases of her life. Shocked by how quickly the relationship is proceeding and how little everyone knows about her new stepmother, Lily decides to investigate. But nobody seems to know anything about her stepmother’s past!
The book started off well with Lily’s 6 year old sister going missing, then we ego back eight months and discover how everything led to this awful moment.
I thought there was a lot of unnecessary information that could have been left out. For 60% of the book all we get is the family’s daily routine, without much else happening, except for Lily’s constant and paranoid suspicions. I actually skipped a few pages because it was almost repetitive.
The final part of the book was better, but I predicted the ‘twist’ early on in the story so was a tad disappointed that l was actually right!
By the very end it felt more like a Hallmark movie than a thriller. I obviously can’t say more without giving away too much!
So if you’re into books revolving around family dramas with a nod to thrillers, you might love it!
Pub date: June 17th, 2021
June 25, 2021
Lily’s mother died of cancer only a year ago. When she finds out that her father is not only seeing someone else already, but planning to get married again, Lily is utterly horrified… and even more so when she discovers it’s Maria, a friend who helped Lily’s mother out during her cancer battle. Something about Maria seems off to Lily, and when Lily’s little sister Emma vanishes, Lily just knows Maria is at the bottom of it.
Every now and again I come across a book with a protagonist so utterly insufferable, I just want them to be proven wrong about everything. Unfortunately, Lily is one of those characters. She was juvenile and determined to be right, no matter the cost to anyone else. I felt desperately sorry for Maria from the beginning, having to put up with such a self-righteous, entitled little madam hellbent on sabotaging her life, and that feeling only intensified as the truth of Maria’s past was revealed. She’d been through enough, and the worst part was, by the end of the book, even though Lily knew the truth, she still didn’t seem to think Maria actually deserved happiness. I honestly despised Lily, and it’s rare I say that about a book character who’s not clearly intended to be a villain!
The premise was interesting, but the execution left me cold as we repeatedly rehashed Lily’s desire not to have Maria around and Lily continuously searched for justification that Maria was an awful person who didn’t deserve to be happy. By the end of the book, I was gritting my teeth every time the narrative moved from Maria’s POV back to Lily’s, and for that reason I cannot give this more than two stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
Every now and again I come across a book with a protagonist so utterly insufferable, I just want them to be proven wrong about everything. Unfortunately, Lily is one of those characters. She was juvenile and determined to be right, no matter the cost to anyone else. I felt desperately sorry for Maria from the beginning, having to put up with such a self-righteous, entitled little madam hellbent on sabotaging her life, and that feeling only intensified as the truth of Maria’s past was revealed. She’d been through enough, and the worst part was, by the end of the book, even though Lily knew the truth, she still didn’t seem to think Maria actually deserved happiness. I honestly despised Lily, and it’s rare I say that about a book character who’s not clearly intended to be a villain!
The premise was interesting, but the execution left me cold as we repeatedly rehashed Lily’s desire not to have Maria around and Lily continuously searched for justification that Maria was an awful person who didn’t deserve to be happy. By the end of the book, I was gritting my teeth every time the narrative moved from Maria’s POV back to Lily’s, and for that reason I cannot give this more than two stars.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this title via NetGalley.
June 19, 2025
This cover with a lone woman standing behind the window gave me goosebumps when I first laid eyes on this book and I just had to know her story. After reading the blurb, the following questions kept running around in my head. What is she hiding, are her intentions pure and most importantly, does she have anything to do with the disappearance of her new husband’s little girl Emma?
Karen King has crafted a gripping and addictive page turner that I found very compelling. It is a slow burn, but the tension and suspense that is built up along the way sets the story up well for its outcome. You know it is going to be something big and there was no way I could put the book down until I knew how it was going to unfold.
The book opens with Emma’s disappearance then rewinds back eight months to where it is told from the points of view of Lily and Maria in the lead up. Immediately Lily has her guard up with her father’s new bride given that it is not even a year since her mother has passed and feels that there is more to her than meets the eye. Meanwhile Maria is hiding something so harrowing and shocking that if exposed, threatens to ruin her marriage and her new found happiness.
The Perfect Stepmother is not your normal run of the mill psychological suspense and there is so much more to it. What I was not expecting was how it pulled on my heartstrings and had me shedding a few tears. It plays out well, but what I loved the most was the ending! Oh my goodness!!! So good! With that said I will finished this off by saying, this is a great read which I recommend you checking out.
Karen King has crafted a gripping and addictive page turner that I found very compelling. It is a slow burn, but the tension and suspense that is built up along the way sets the story up well for its outcome. You know it is going to be something big and there was no way I could put the book down until I knew how it was going to unfold.
The book opens with Emma’s disappearance then rewinds back eight months to where it is told from the points of view of Lily and Maria in the lead up. Immediately Lily has her guard up with her father’s new bride given that it is not even a year since her mother has passed and feels that there is more to her than meets the eye. Meanwhile Maria is hiding something so harrowing and shocking that if exposed, threatens to ruin her marriage and her new found happiness.
The Perfect Stepmother is not your normal run of the mill psychological suspense and there is so much more to it. What I was not expecting was how it pulled on my heartstrings and had me shedding a few tears. It plays out well, but what I loved the most was the ending! Oh my goodness!!! So good! With that said I will finished this off by saying, this is a great read which I recommend you checking out.
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