The only aspect that kept this one from being a solid 5 star read for me was the improbability of a couple of the reveals (where characters discovered or told each other their secrets). Everything fell a little bit TOO neatly into place at times, but if you can quiet that voice of reason, this is such a fun ride from beginning to end! I also was a little miffed by the ending, because it was one of those endings that COULD hint at a sequel...but probably doesn't, so it just felt like Harding didn't quite know how to end it and just went with it, leaving the true ending in the mind of the reader. I'm all for this device, but I didn't really feel this story NEEDED a continuation per se, so I could have lived without it in this case. Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released on: 8/10/21. For decades Teresa was a journalist working across newspapers, magazines and television. Covering crime for so long, she was deeply moved by the haunting impact on the relatives, the friends and the witnesses and it is those ripples she explores now in her darker fiction. Her 16 year old brother, Caden, is the only one who cares about her in the family and they are super close. She also has one best friend, Jess, who is also eighteen and they are besties since kids. This was a fascinating story that unfortunately felt realistic, not so much the gravity of their secrets but the pretenses they presented outwardly and to each other. It was a combustible set of circumstances that was destined to implode or explode. I chose to listen to this story and was thrilled that there were multiple narrators used to present each family member’s point of view. All delivered great performances as they helped me visualize the characters consistent with how they appeared to be crafted. I also liked the well timed POV transitions. It enhanced the storytelling. I liked the ending, didn’t love it, but was satisfied nonetheless, despite that last line. I think I “get” it, or at least I choose to. This author has yet to let me down.

I must confess that my favorite character by far was the budding young feminist, daughter Tarryn. Tarryn is the only one whose secret doesn’t cause her shame, but it does place her potentially in harm’s way. All four of the characters are extremely well-drawn and sympathetic even when they are doing ridiculously stupid things. I really enjoyed meeting all of them and spending some time in their heads with their thoughts and fears as they alternated narration of the book.A gripping psychological thriller from the bestselling author of I Am Watching You . The perfect family? Or the perfect lie? As we begin reading this recent Harding installment, the Adler family presents as the perfect family; nice house, nice cars, flawless yard, completely beautiful on the outside. Certainly the envy of the neighborhood, and for that reason alone I was not surprised one bit that this family had enemies. Almost immediately, it is made very clear that someone holds a horrible grudge against this family and torments them almost nightly, throwing eggs at their house, in fact a variety of produce meets it's end against the Adler's property, but surely after some time this nightly torment will end?! That is certainly what the Adlers tell each other, but just when it seems things have slowed down the assault suddenly escalates, taking a much darker path! For goodness sake, why is this happening?! I desperately needed to know who it was that hated this family so much, and why! I was chewing my nails, tapping my foot repeatedly while I read this, imagining all sorts of different scenarios as to why these events were happening! Eventually we find out that each family member has a secret (some definitely bigger than others) that they don't want revealed, and I was furiously scratching my head trying to peace together the smaller side mysteries so that I could get a better idea of who / what / why the assaults on their property was occurring! Boy, was I incredibly wrong in pretty much all of my predictions! That being said, this one really kept me guessing up until the very end! If you can believe it, this book did read a bit lighter than her previous work (although I do believe it read more in the vein of her debut, The Party), so even though there were plenty of incredibly tense moments throughout, in my opinion it wasn't quite as suspenseful or thrilling, but it was still incredibly enjoyable for me. As with any other Harding read, the characters in this novel were complex and interesting, and incredibly human. I really enjoyed every members of the Adler family for different reasons. They were all incredibly different in their own way, and while they were very flawed there were positive aspects to them that outweighed the negative, IMO. She is not an easy person, but with how much her family likes to ignore her, is easy to empathize with her. He is her brother best friend from college, but when he realized how shitty his brother and the rest of her family is when it comes to her he doesn’t care all too much about him. Colbie is an over-achieving 18 year old high school student with her future already mapped out. Coming from a family of all boy football players, Colbie struggles to be seen by her football loving parents. She is mostly invisible to her family with the exception of one younger brother.

He first meets her in the classroom and falsely accuses her. Not a good start to their relationship. This novel follows one well-to-do family through a tangled web of secrets, lies and deceit. From the outside they seem to have it all, but underneath they all have something to hide.

You know how if someone says “we need to talk” or “I have to ask you a question” with no further context, your brain immediately goes into crisis mode? Every possible bad thing you might have said or done, no matter how big or small, suddenly flashes before your eyes and said person clearly hates you because they’ve found out about it (no, just me? Am I alone in this mess of anxiety?). Well, welcome to the Adler’s “perfect” family, where a series of pranks puts each family member into that same frantic crisis mode. Clearly someone has found out about his or her deep dark secret and is using it to torment them. Except of course, they are unaware every other member of the family also has a secret they are just as worried about having exposed. Soon the pranks go from harmless kid stuff like egging the house to unsettling and downright dangerous incidents. The Adlers no longer feel safe in their home and take increasingly desperate measures to protect themselves. Who is behind these pranks, which member of the family are they targeting, and just how far are they willing to go..? This is not your average student - teacher romance. It is a story about overcoming bulimia, wrapped in unconditional love. I patted Colbie's tight. "Babe, why don't you go answer that and then get coffee for everyone?" She needed something to do besides fidget. Grab a girlfriend and some popcorn. Some of us look forward to these endearing psychologically savvy stories—a little overly dramatic —that cuts close to the truth of possibilities. I’m a big fan of Teresa Driscoll’s previous books as she can always be relied upon to write a riveting thriller. Once again she has delivered, crafting a fast-paced psychological thriller that sizzles with suspense and foreboding. The intricately woven plot is rich with dark secrets, lies and obsession, the truth hidden beneath layers of painful secrets, some of which have been kept hidden for decades. But the truth is always revealed, as they say, and that is certainly the case in this book as the investigation into Gemma’s shooting reveals that things aren’t what they seem for any of the Hartley family, the story getting curiouser and curiouser the more we know. And when all of the pieces were put together to unveil the final picture, it looked nothing like I expected, leaving my jaw on the floor as even my wildest guesses were proven wrong.