Emily Liebert | PERFECTLY FAMOUS

Plot (via Goodreads):

As a mother and a famous author, Ward DeFleur has it all. She lives in a beautiful estate in picture-perfect Connecticut, along with her teenage daughter, Stevie, where nothing can go wrong. Until, one night, when Stevie is brutally murdered and Ward’s entire world is shattered. Consumed by panic and grief, Ward vows never to put pen to paper again.

Enter Bree Bennett.

Bree is a recently-divorced, former-journalist-cum-housewife, desperate to fill her days with something other than Pilates classes and grocery shopping. So she decides to start writing for the town newspaper. What begins as Bree’s effort to tell Ward’s tragic narrative turns into a fixation with finding her favorite author. Unfortunately, Ward doesn’t want to be found. Even worse, Stevie’s killer is still on the loose…

Review:

WOW. Emily Liebert really did it again with this story. Liebert is the kind of author that you want more of the minute you close the book of hers you're currently reading. Her stories are unique, complex, and devilishly entertaining. Combining a dangerous and diabolical plot, dark humor, and lively characters that can not only carry the reader through one hell of a story, but provide nothing but pure entertainment along the way. I fell in love with Liebert's ability to tell a story last year when I devoured Pretty Revenge and Perfectly Famous is the same edgy and detail-oriented writing that I love about Emily Liebert, but such an even more complex tale that flirts with danger and obsession.

I will say with this story, I believe that Liebert really took her time building the backstory, the characters, and providing her reader with everything they need to care about these fascinating characters before getting into the meat of the story. I appreciated this so much because while we have one heart-palpitating introduction to this tale, Liebert pumps the brakes on the pacing and provides you again with two striking female characters that are both so intricately written and vastly different from one another. I can't give too much away regarding the plot, but gun to my head? I don't know who's chapters I liked more. Both Bree and Ward are so well-written and their story-lines are both so different, yet wondering how this was all going to come together was both intriguing, yet something I was able to deal with because I was enjoying this story so much. I like how Liebert was able to not only build a wonderful setting, but combine elements of a murder mystery, a disappearance, domestic suspense, and weave these elements together in a brutally addicting character-driven story. The pacing with this one was just sensational and the way that Liebert was able to slowly build momentum with this story through the pacing was unreal; it was like each page made you the slightest bit more curious and even more addicted.

While I usually like my reads to be really dark and gritty, Emily Liebert is always a breath of fresh air when it comes to a thrilling read. This one is definitely more of a domestic suspense combined with so many other great elements that truly build one great story, so get your popcorn and a glass of wine because this is one best devoured within one sitting. The finale was grand and full of twists and turns that left me in shock and also praying for more. I will say, the ending to this one was wrapped up perfectly, but throws one hell of a brutal punch within its closing chapter that would both make for one sensational ending or a build-up for a sequel. Either way, this is definitely a summer read you won't want to miss out on.

Special thanks to Emily Liebert and Gallery for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4/5