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ksamaine95's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Biphobia and Trafficking
stephaniezd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
June 2023: Two thirds the way into the book, no one was dead and I still couldn't find a point to the story. Super bummed after enjoying The Perfect Marriage so much.
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Trafficking, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
itzbrianna's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This novel started strong with an opening that hooked me by the first page. The characters were full of personality and some had more complexities than others. The premise of the book is we start in the present with Jenny explaining to Detective Sanford how the murder occurred. But we have no clue who is actually dead.
The tale is a telling of all the events that lead up to the death of a prominent member of Buckhead. And as you read on it might become pretty clear on who ends up dead. The who wasn’t surprising to me in fact, both the author and the editor probably wanted it to be obvious. What is surprising is the how and who ends up murdering them.
All in all, this was an entertaining read. It gives desperate housewives and gossip girl vibes. The ending was rushed and the style of present vs past telling was a nice addition to the story. If you enjoy reading about rich white women gossip and skeam for revenge then this will be the book for you.
*****THE FOLLOWING SECTION MAY BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS, READERS DISCRETION ADVISED******
Reading the book it’s pretty obvious it was going to be her that ended up dead. She was an awful person. The person who kills her though? Definitely did not expect that.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Ableism, Trafficking, Murder, and Lesbophobia
minimicropup's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
- An entrepreneur whose business is their motivation, but now that they have success they are wishing for a partner to share it with
- A grudge-holding, insecure, egotistical, likely psychopathic ‘frenemy’
- A temporarily but dramatically unhinged outcast
- A seemingly sweet, naïve newcomer
- A peace-keeping, people-pleasing parent
- Set in a rich suburb (I think near Atlanta, Georgia) mainly in the exclusive local salon and salon members’ homes and parties.
- Simple, potentially fun read that is best taken at face-value. Not meant for overthinking or realistic, deep reading moments, but does touch on some serious issues.
- The characters and their spouses were almost caricatures and just…a LOT. They start off as walking stereotypes ranging from asshole to insufferable to dense, but somehow, they started to grow on me as the story progressed.
- I had multiple “get to the point!” DNF moments on this one that I managed to fight off. It was just so long to me sometimes. Twists/reveals start off as small, scintillating relationship and frenemy drama and progress to more serious criminal enterprises. The trouble was that each reveal seemed so drawn out because we see almost every happening from all five POVs before we can progress to more of the story. I stuck with it because I was curious.
- I get overly frustrated by dialogue-driven existential crisis plots, but now that it has ended I kinda miss these characters (er, some of them). I'm also relieved to be rid of them!
- I appreciate how the author pulled off an OTT character drama that didn’t rely on the tropes typical to rich people/domestic thriller-dramas. There wasn’t a single “hold-back, if only you knew”, “it's impossible to be childfree-by-choice”, “my children are my entire reason for existing (and therefore whiny and insufferable)”, “suspense through conversation interruptions” trope in this story!
- Dialogue-driven narratives
- Rich people behaving badly
- OTT housewives reality show can’t-look-away energy
- Amateur frenemy crime-fighting suspense
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Body shaming, Infidelity, Sexual content, Outing, and Alcohol
Minor: Biphobia
kelisabeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
jaylee_books's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Moderate: Death and Trafficking
Minor: Domestic abuse
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Trafficking and Lesbophobia
katiejohns's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, Alcohol, and Classism
cady_sass's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism
ssarahbbeth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Bullying, Infidelity, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Trafficking
Minor: Gun violence and Outing