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arthur_ant18's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Gun violence, Murder, Terminal illness, and Sexual violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content
savvyrosereads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Rating: 4/5 stars
Avery Chambers practices a unique form of therapy—she only accepts clients whose problems she can fix over the course of ten well-planned sessions. When Marissa and Matthew Bishop begin seeing her to work through Marissa’s infidelity, Avery quickly realizes that the apparently golden couple may be hiding some much bigger secrets…
This was my February Book of the Month pick, and since it was my first read from the writing duo of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, I went in with no specific expectations, though I had heard good things. Happily, all the good things I heard were true, because I really enjoyed this one!
The Golden Couple is fairly fast-paced, with just the right amount of drama and action mixed in with necessary character and plot development. The characters are very well-written—I personally found each of them slightly unlikable in their own ways, but this works so well for the story that I consider it a strength, not a weakness—and the main plot twist was perfectly teased without being obvious. I guessed at some aspects of the final reveals around halfway through, but other details remained a mystery right up until the end, which is the balance I’m always hoping for from a thriller!
In short, this was a really fun read, and while it was my first Hendricks/Pekkanen novel, it definitely won’t be my last.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: domestic thrillers; complex marriages; books about therapy.
CW: Death/murder; sexual assault (implied + not described or depicted); infidelity; terminal illness; infertility.
Avery Chambers practices a unique form of therapy—she only accepts clients whose problems she can fix over the course of ten well-planned sessions. When Marissa and Matthew Bishop begin seeing her to work through Marissa’s infidelity, Avery quickly realizes that the apparently golden couple may be hiding some much bigger secrets…
This was my February Book of the Month pick, and since it was my first read from the writing duo of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, I went in with no specific expectations, though I had heard good things. Happily, all the good things I heard were true, because I really enjoyed this one!
The Golden Couple is fairly fast-paced, with just the right amount of drama and action mixed in with necessary character and plot development. The characters are very well-written—I personally found each of them slightly unlikable in their own ways, but this works so well for the story that I consider it a strength, not a weakness—and the main plot twist was perfectly teased without being obvious. I guessed at some aspects of the final reveals around halfway through, but other details remained a mystery right up until the end, which is the balance I’m always hoping for from a thriller!
In short, this was a really fun read, and while it was my first Hendricks/Pekkanen novel, it definitely won’t be my last.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: domestic thrillers; complex marriages; books about therapy.
CW: Death/murder; sexual assault (implied + not described or depicted); infidelity; terminal illness; infertility.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Death, Infertility, Terminal illness, and Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
hatchison86's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley for my honest opinion. Since reading The Wife Between Us, I have been hooked on this writing duo & this book did not disappoint. In this suspenseful thriller, we follow a Avery, counselor with an unconventional 10 appointment plan and the Bishops, an attractive couple who appear to have everything. When Marissa Bishop confesses her infidelity, she and her husband Mathew enlist the help of Avery to save their marriage. However, Marrisa's betrayal is not the only secret that will be exposed. This book was a roller coaster ride & the authors had me guessing to the very end. At the beginning, I didn't like Avery. She seems distant, paranoid, abrassive. Turns out, she became my favorite character. While she is an unconventional counselor, she is a strong, independent, smart woman who isn't apologetic about who she is or what she wants. It's also pretty cool when a character teaches you how to get what you want from people using therapy tactics. Avery is the perfect diametrical woman to conventional Marissa. Since the book is told with alternating points of view from the two women, you really see the differences between the two. Sometimes, with this kind of storytelling, I get stuck on one story line and groan when the POV changes, however, I never felt that way throughout this novel. Each chapter is balanced just enough to never get bored with either narrative. I really enjoyed this novel and all the small secrets that were revealed within it. It's also worth mentioning that I listened to this novel read by my favorite narrator, Marin Ireland. Thank you Netgalley and St. Marten's Press for this ARC.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence
Minor: Bullying, Death, and Suicide
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