This short story is part of the “Obsession“ collection and my first book by this author. So far, that collection has been a mixed bag for me, some stories were great, others less so, but this one definitely belongs to the stronger entries.

„Veronica and Ryan Hartley are the envy of Auburn Drive. When the exclusive neighborhood hosts its annual progressive dinner party, the couple’s perfection is on display. The neighbors are obsessed—entranced by the “it” couple’s movie-star looks and smoldering gazes. But is the perfect pair too good to be true?“

Blurb

At first, I considered DNFing it. The beginning felt slow, almost like a string of random thoughts from a wealthy housewife who constantly complains about everything around her. But as the story progressed, it grew more engaging, and I even started to like some of the characters. Then came the grande finale.

I spotted the first twist fairly early, it wasn’t quite as original as I had hoped. However, the final twist at the end completely caught me off guard, even though, in hindsight, it was foreshadowed well enough to be guessed. That balance between predictability and surprise made the conclusion especially satisfying.

While the storyline itself isn’t the most groundbreaking, the writing is strong, and the execution elevates it. Overall, this was an entertaining and worthwhile read, and I can definitely recommend it as one of the highlights of the series.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️