Book Review – The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney

– Be Prepared To Think A Little Outside The Box –

Publisher’s Description

Abbie awakens in a daze with no memory of who she is or how she landed in this unsettling condition. The man by her side claims to be her husband. He’s a titan of the tech world, the founder of one of Silicon Valley’s most innovative start-ups. He tells Abbie that she is a gifted artist, an avid surfer, a loving mother to their young son, and the perfect wife. He says she had a terrible accident five years ago and that, through a huge technological breakthrough, she has been brought back from the abyss.

She is a miracle of science. 

But as Abbie pieces together memories of her marriage, she begins to question her husband’s motives—and his version of events. Can she trust him when he says he wants them to be together forever? And what really happened to her, half a decade ago?

Beware the man who calls you . . .
 

• Title: The Perfect Wife
  • Author: JP Delaney
  • Publisher: Ballantine Books (August 2019)
  • Genre: Suspense & Thriller / Science Fiction & Fantasy
  • Read: Excerpt
  • Hardcover: 432 pages

My Thoughts:

While I don’t usually read anything remotely related to science fiction and fantasy, somehow I ended up with this book. Maybe because I saw what I wanted to see, suspense and thriller. But Delaney managed to keep me interested and reading to the very end.

Five years after an accident, Abbie wakes up confused and surrounded by machines. As we read we learn that Abbie is an artist and devoted mother<r to an autistic son.

The story is told in alternating perspectives of Abbie and Scott, a Robotics employee. Though I know many reviews post nearly all of the story, I’m leaving the mystery and ending open for you to discover.

But we are dealing with a near human-robot. One that has feelings and for the most part appears human. The story is about family, artificial intelligence, and even addresses the issues of having an autistic child.

It was impossible to stop reading by the time I realized something was way off base. And that something was beginning to reek of science fiction and artificial intelligence! Did I mention I don’t care for science fiction?

You might wonder how I missed the fact that this book fits that genre? Well, I think I’m one of those rare people who don’t like to read jacket flaps. I get the basic idea of the genre and then read the title and look at the cover. I know, I know. No lectures.

But The Perfect Wife must have captured me early on since I couldn’t put it down. I know some reviewers say the story is extremely creepy. But I felt more empathy and sadness than creepiness.

After finishing this book you will no doubt be asking yourself:

How far should we go for love?

What Concerned Me:

The alternating chapters didn’t work all that well for me. At times it felt somewhat confusing.

The ending may have been correct for what the author wanted to get across, but . . . well, I’m not sure how it should have ended.

What I Like Most:

I have to acknowledge J.P. Delaney for thinking outside the box and penning some unique concerns. Concerns that can be skimmed over and the book just enjoyed for fun reading or things to ponder on a much deeper level.

About The Author

JP Delaney is a pseudonym for a writer who has previously written bestselling fiction under other names. Delaney is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Girl Before, which is being brought to the screen by Academy Award winners Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment. (Penguin Random House)