Book Chatter

The Perfect Family
By Robyn Harding
Gallery Books, 9781982169398, August 10, 2021, 352pp.

The Short of It:

An addictive read that you will read straight through.

The Rest of It:

Thomas and Viv Adler have a beautiful home. Manicured lawns and beautiful interiors. On the whole, a perfect family. It’s a comfortable way to live with their two nearly adult children, but then one morning they wake to their house being egged by pranksters.

But what starts off a juvenile prank quickly becomes something else. Tires are slashed and their home is set on fire. Security cameras show dark figures in hoodies. Why would someone target them? Why won’t it stop?

As Thomas and Viv begin to evaluate recent events of their own, ones which might cause someone to act out, they each keep their thoughts to themselves while turning to their son and daughter for answers. Could something have happened at school? Could they have enemies of their own? Their son returned from college, adamant that he is not going back. Could that have something to do with it?

I don’t know if there is an actual term for this type of fiction but I call it Domestic Suspense. I am obsessed with suburbia anything. I live in a suburb that is literally referred to as Awesometown and when the cracks appear in the facades we so carefully put up around us, things get real, fast. That is how this story is. This family is far from perfect. Everyone has a secret and as things escalate, I found myself returning to my Kindle over and over again to find out what happens next.

Each member of this family has a story to tell and it all comes together in a very satisfying way. This is THE perfect summer book. Toss it in your beach bag, be done with it by the afternoon. It will have you flipping through the pages and ignoring everything around you. Plus, as a suburban mom, I get nervous regularly about things going on in the neighborhood and Harding really zeros in on that subtle paranoia that surfaces when things at home are a little off. Ask me about the lady who keeps letting her pup use my lawn as her toilet.

I am a Harding fan. I find that she really nails the family dynamic, especially when it comes to teens or young adults. The Perfect Family will be on my fave list for the year.

The Perfect Family comes out tomorrow, August 10, 2021. Order yourself a copy.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Sunday Matters

Sunday is supposed to be, in my mind, a day of rest. Whether that is actual rest or just a break from thinking, either one works for me. I’ve been successful with this train of thought since I’ve been working from home. Mondays don’t hold the same weight that they did when I was going into the office but all that will change soon. Even more of a reason to make Sundays sacred. What is Sunday to you? A prep day? A rest day? An adventure day?

Right Now:

No plans. I haven’t been to the beach once this summer. It would be nice to go but I am going to be honest here, it’s hard to keep the Hub occupied at the beach. He is not a reader and he gets bored. Fast. After sitting for a bit, eating for a bit and people watching, he’s ready to pack it in. Of course, at that point I am just getting settled into a book. That’s how we roll. So that is why we don’t go all that often. I do crave a water view though.

This Week:

I was invited to be on a scholarship committee at work so this week will be spent reading applications since I am out the following week.

I really have to buckle down and prep for our trip. I think I am in denial.

Reading:

I picked up the new King book, Billy Summers and it’s really good. Actually, I may finish it today and have the review posted this week. It reminds me of the Mr. Mercedes series. In a totally good way. King has such a knack for character development.

I think my next read will be Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty. I saw the clip for the upcoming show. It looks good. I will probably need something for the plane and airport waiting around. Not sure what though.

Watching:

Haven’t been watching anything. Just reading.

Grateful for:

All the things we take for granted. The blue sky for one. It’s been a brilliant shade of blue these past few mornings.
This is a funny one. The smell of my neighbor BBQing. I am vegetarian now so BBQs don’t hold the same appeal for me as they usually do in the summer but twice this week I almost invited myself over just to partake in that delicious meal. Ha ha! Can you imagine?

Have a wonderful Sunday and check in if you can!

Chatting with friends about books and life…