The Perfect Ruin by Shanora Williams (2021) Snapshot

Ivy Hill hides a dark secret, and she waited over a decade to exact revenge on the woman who destroyed her life. The time is right, and she is now on a mission to infiltrate Lola’s elite circle. Earn her trust and make her pay for what she has done. 

I read The Perfect Ruin as an audiobook narrated by Chante Ellison and Nola Vance, and they did such a fantastic job bringing this story to life. I could easily follow the story and distinguish the characters. Their narration brought the characters to life, had an excellent flow, and was very pleasant to listen to.

Before reading The Perfect Ruin, I didn’t know that this is Williams’s debut thriller, nor has she written over 30 romances before. I wouldn’t say I like romance novels, but I need to say that the romantic subplot was well done, and it didn’t compete for the thriller limelight. I have to give Williams props for that. It is not easy to make that transition. She has the talent to continue to write a thriller, and I wish she continues!

This book has a tight plot, organic twists, and well-developed characters, and Williams was not afraid to experiment and make her protagonists own their questionable choices. The women in The Perfect Ruin and FIERCE and calculating. I don’t believe there was a single person that wasn’t grey. It was hard to root for any of them, even when it was hard NOT to root for some! This is definitely a book that I will carry with me for a long time. 

On a last and important note, I love the representation in this book; the main characters are all women of colour as is the author. Overall I enjoyed Williams’s writing style, and I recommend you check The Perfect Ruin out if you can handle some romance in your stories. And if you’re a romance fan, you should check her over 30 books backlist too!

My total rating: 4.58

Until next book, be the hummingbird!