Book Description
Best friend or boyfriend, who would you believe?
Zara has always felt a little ordinary next to her spirited best friend Ivy. Even her dreams seem mundane: a boyfriend, marriage, children... Besides, who would pick her when they could choose Ivy?
So when Zara meets Henry and there's an instant spark, she can't believe her luck. A wealthy CEO who wants to settle down? He's perfect... until Ivy insists he's too good to be true.
As Henry and Ivy repeatedly clash, doubts creep into Zara's mind. Could it be that Ivy just doesn't want to share her best friend with anyone else? Or does Henry have a hidden agenda? Zara is caught in the middle, constantly trying to prove who she loves more.
Then someone winds up dead, and Zara realises there's more to this than jealousy...
From the bestselling author of One Small Mistake comes an addictive new thriller, perfect for fans of BA Paris, Erin Kelly and Lucy Foley.
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Perfect Match' by Dandy Smith.
Read and reviewed for Dandy Smith, NetGalley, Compulsive Readers, Tracy Fenton.
Publication date 19th January 2023.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and its fascinating synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'A totally gripping read with a killer twist you won't see coming. Fans of K.L Slater, Lisa Jewell and C.L Taylor will be hooked.' I am a MASSIVE fan of all three of these authors so am looking forward to seeing if this book lives up these expectations. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Embla Books. I have yet to read a book published by Embla Books 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 51 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is based in Bath, 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 actually live in Wales so am looking forward to seeing if I recognise any places mentioned.
This book is written first person perspective and the main protagonists is Zara. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them.
'The Perfect Match' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Dandy discusses emotional abuse, sexual abuse attempted or reported, and physical abuse.
Wow!!! This book is fantastically written and had me hook, line and sinker from beginning to end. The descriptions were so in depth and vivid that the hair on my arms was standing on the ends and my heart was pounding throughout. The synopsis, title and cover were perfect for the storyline.
I was absolutely absorbed throughout this page turner. It is filled with tension, friendship, secrets, romance, lies, twists, family, suspense and omg the twist!!! I absolutely loved the fact that it was written in first person perspective which gave us so much insight into what Zara was thinking and feeling throughout. It also brings the reader close to her and pulls her out of the pages so it feels that she is sitting opposite you telling you her story over a cup of tea or glass of wine! The storyline was addictive and I just could not put it down leaving me reading it in one sitting. You lady have one hell of a talent and I cannot wait to get hold of your previous and future books. The storyline is filled with shocks, friendship, lies, secrets, betrayal, suspense, romance, tension and so much more! There was so much going on and it was very fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. Dandy's writing style and depth had me so engrossed that when I looked up it took me a moment to realise I was even reading!! Clear your schedule before you start as I read this in one sitting as I could not put it down!! I was absolutely hooked!! I would absolutely love to see this turned into a movie!!!! I thought the storyline was quite unique which is important to me in a book and I loved the explosive twists and cliffhanger which I did not expect!!! Congratulations Dandy it is getting harder and harder to surprise me but just when I thought I had worked out what was really going on everything was spun around again and I found myself completely wrong. This book is also really thought provoking and I put myself in Zara's position so many times and wondered who I would have believed if it was happening to me. It is so hard to say much about the storyline without giving too much away.
An absolutely gripping, dark and explosive psychological thriller that I was so addicted to I read it in one sitting!
Clear your schedules before even looking at the first page as you will not be able to put this book down!!!!
It is set over multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.
I was completely invested in both the storyline and the characters. Each of the characters had their own unique personalities and I felt differently about each of them. I'm not going to say as much about the characters as I usually do as will speak more about them based on how I felt at the start of the book as I don't want to give too much away. The main characters are Zara, Ivy, Luke and Henry. Zara and Ivy meet at a party when they are both drunk and become best friends. They live together and are practically sisters but some of the things that happen made me consider if there was more going on and one or the other had more than sisterly feelings. Zara and Luke are longtime on/off partners which ends when Zara decides she wants to settle and have children and Luke decides to spend his life travelling after the death of his brother. I really liked Luke and he was one of my favourite characters. I thought he was sweet, kind and an amazing person. Zara meets Henry at a wedding of a friend of Ivy's. I wasn't a huge fan when me met and I wasn't sure what to make of him although my feelings changed throughout. Ivy does not like him from the moment they meet. This dislike is the start of the cracks in Zelda and Ivy's relationship and jealousy, lies and drama come into play. My feelings for both Zara and Ivy changed as the story went on so I am not going to say any more about them. However, regardless of whether you love or hate them each of these characters worked perfectly together to make this a Ln absolutely addictive page turner.
Congratulations Dandy on a true page turner! This may be the first book I have read by you but it most definitely will not be my last!! Here's to your next success 🥂
Overall a dark, thought provoking, page turning and addictive page turner filled with love, friendship and betrayals that will keep you guessing throughout.
Genres covered in this novel include General Fiction, True Accounts Of Hoaxes & Deceptions, Mystery, Vigilante Justice Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Biographies Of Hoaxes And Deceptions, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Relationships, Parents & Families amongst others.
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'Gone Girl' , 'The Girl on The Train', K.L Slater, C.L Taylor , 'The Wife Between Us', Liane Moriarty, Lisa Jewell and anyone looking for an explosive crime mystery that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last!!
308 pages.
This book is just £2.84 to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £9.99 in paperback (at time of review) 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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Author Bio
Dandy Smith lives in the Somerset market town of Frome with her fiancé and cocker spaniel. She has an undergraduate and master’s degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University and enjoys all things aerial fitness, true-crime and chocolate orange.
Instagram: @DandySmithAuthor
Twitter: @DandySmith
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