My Perfect Wife

By: Clare Boyd

Narrated by: Natalie Pela

Length: 12 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's Summary

The evening ahead of her felt like the start of a long tightrope walk above a raging waterfall, where one misstep could be fatal...

Everyone in town knows Copper Lodge, that designer home with floor-to-ceiling windows that looms over the small red-brick houses on Connelly Close. And the couple who live there, Elizabeth and Lucas Huxley, with their two blonde-haired, cherubic children, are seemingly perfect, plucked right out of a magazine. 

But meet Heather, the gardener’s daughter, arriving from the coast in her beat-up little car to spend the summer helping to prepare for the most important night of the Huxleys’ lives: a summer party designed to put Elizabeth’s past trauma behind them and save their family from financial ruin. Heather grew up in the grounds of this magnificent house, she knows its secrets...

As the night of the party draws near, the lawn is mown in neat lines, the champagne flutes are sparkling, and you could cut the tension with an over-polished knife. It’s Elizabeth’s one chance to prove to her husband that she’s on the mend, that she can handle something as simple as a drinks reception without snapping under the pressure. If she makes one mistake, he’ll try to take her children away. 

Heather wants to stay as far away from the party - and the Huxleys - as possible, but something dark keeps dragging her back: the secret she’s been keeping since she was a teenager is about to explode like the fireworks over Copper Lodge...

A great listen about the darker side of love and what really goes on under the surface of perfect-looking lives. Clever and unexpected, this book will have you gripped from the very first word until the dramatic final twist. Fans of The Wife Between Us and The Mother-in-Law will be hooked. 

©2020 Clare Boyd (P)2020 Bookouture

Disappointing

There is nothing more disappointing than when I book has all of the necessary elements for an outstanding read, and, for whatever reason things just fall apart.
At first, I was totally mesmerized.
This, just like CB’s other books has an original premise and very unique characters.
She is expert at setting the scene, and establishing a sense of place, an atmosphere.
But the narrator really began to get on my nerves, I couldn’t figure out is it was her annunciation, or that she reads very, very slowly at times.
I could never put my finger on why I just had to stop listening about halfway through.
I became frustrated with the back and forth and things got rather monotonous.
As another reviewer has pointed out, I really do think that having a second perspective, a second narrator couldn’t taken this book to the next level.
And perhaps this would be a good book to read in the original hardcover.
But as an audio title this one just didn’t work for me.
I really wish there had been two perspectives with two different readers.
It would’ve changed everything.
I hate leaving bad reviews, particularly when it’s an author I truly adore.
But this was a let down.

Two narrators would have helped

The book was fine. I enjoyed the story for the most part, but listening was confusing at times because I wasn’t sure which character was speaking. Two narrators, one for Heather and Elizabeth, would have made it easier to follow.

You'll definitely want to add this to your library

This was a pretty good book. I wasn't sure who or what to believe but when the truth came out in the end, I couldn't believe it.

Bewitched by the narrator but story disappointed

It seemed like a great thriller from the synopsis and I have to say I was rather taken with the narrator Natalie Pela, who I had not heard before.
Then after a while, though her voice is lovely, the read seemed a little inexperienced - that and the fact the story did not really sit well with me. I was intrigued by the wife's neck ... bored by the Polish couple and their bizarre life job-sharing/caravan dwelling/anorexia ... found it hard to believe such a savy young lady would throw herself into joining the family gardening business ... then just lost interest.
I will look out for Natalie Pela in the future but it all just turned out to be a bit of a damp squib for me and have no interest in what happened next after all the digging and swimming ... yawn.

Weak

Did not live up to its promotion as a Suspense Thriller. We got 10 hours of scene setting before anything interesting happened. That was too much.

The book had little substance, not helped by a rather flat delivery by the reader Natalie Pela. She was really not engaged with the story - just reading the words.

This is about Elizabeth & Lucas Huxley, financially stretched and needing to secure a business deal with the Seekhearts in order to save themselves. Also their Polish workers Ageta & Peotra, and their gardeners Gordon & Sally with their daughter Heather. Among this group is at least one "bad guy", but the question is who, and exactly who is being treated unfairly? Somebody is using smoke and mirrors to appear different to who they actually are.

The characters Elizabeth Huxley and Heather Shaw narrate alternate chapters.

Where is this book going...

I've an hour and half to go and I'm going to listen all the way to the end but jeeezzz I've not connected with this book in any way and it just goes on and on and on with no real purpose.

feeling sleepy

Narrators voice tells a good story

Chapter 14 and still no real story to tell