I’ve read a couple of books by this author duo so I was thrilled to get the opportunity to read their newest book The Golden Couple.

I can’t say it was the most original or unique plot that I’ve come across but it was a fairly easy read and I enjoyed it. I have a particular penchant for domestic dramas that are full of lies and secrets and this book delivers that in spades. Although I would class this story as more of a slow burner, the tension definitely ramps up toward the end and is interspersed with a few unexpected twists.

Perhaps not my most favourite book from the power couple that is Greer and Sarah but it’s absolutely a worthy read and I look forward to seeing what they come up with next.

This book initially kept my interest and it was enjoyable for a variety of reasons but the ending fell a little flat and let me down. I liked the main character, but she felt slightly 2 dimensional, I thought the quality of the writing would have improved the vibe that the author was going for with Avery. I really enjoyed the dynamics of the Bishop family and their problems were entertaining. I thought some aspects of the story were far-fetched and there were still questions left unanswered which was disappointing but overall it was an enjoyable read.

Meet Matthew and Marissa, aka “The Golden Couple.” But the couple ain't so golden, as one of them has strayed. They find themselves seeking out the help of Avery, a former therapist who lost her license for her unconventional practices. All Matthew and Marissa have to do is complete ten sessions with Avery, and their marriage will be golden yet again...or will it?

Told in alternating perspectives of Marissa and Avery, both fell flat. Marissa had some emotion, but she was just so boring. Avery lacked emotion, but she rescued Romeo, so she garnered a few points.

There are a lot of side characters to keep track of. These characters are mostly all filler, except for one or two.

Wow! This is the fourth book I have read by these authors and oh. My. God.
When I knew this was coming out I knew I had to get my hands on it, once I was accepted I sat and devoured it as quickly as I possibly could. As always this was amazing

Spine chilling! Did not see the twisted ending. Fabulous! Just goes to show what you see isn’t always what you get! Well worth 5 stars.

This book was such a disappointment especially as I really enjoyed the last book that I read by the authors.

It was just really dull, to the point where it took me almost three weeks to finish it (absolutely unheard of for me, especially for a thriller). None of the characters were likeable in the slightest and the reveals were really predictable.

All in all its three weeks I will never get back.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and the authors for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

I really wanted to love this book…BUT

1. It’s hard for me to enjoy a thriller that drags on to the point where you almost feel compelled to give up on it...and I almost did.
2. Most of the characters in this book are just plain boring.
3. The twist was not shocking at all, more like predictable, unoriginal and just meh.
4. Remember when I told you, I almost gave up on this book? Well, I wish I did cause it turned out to be a let down.
5. This was not my cup of tea but who knows, it might end up being yours :)

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. It is told from multiple points of view and spans different times too. It has great characters and builds the tension throughout the book. A gripping and engrossing read which is hard to put down, I highly recommend it!

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is a story of your stereotypical perfectly shiny, happily married couple who we all envy, or is it?

Told with dual storylines and multiple points of view, the story looks at the seemingly flawless relationship of Marissa and Matthew as it veers careering downhill to an inevitable dramatic and explosive crash.

Surely, a few trips to counselling is all it will take to put these two injured parties back together? Insert Avery Chambers, a widowed former therapist who has lost her licence yet continues to take on clients with some very unorthodox and possibly risky techniques.

Hendriks & Pekkanen cleverly use the format of the unreliable narrator to perfection within this book and it gets to the point where you begin to question absolutely everything.
Tense, gripping and propulsive, this fast paced psychological thriller had me hooked and guessing until the very last page.

EXCERPT: Twelve minutes ago, they breezed into my office - glamorous, affluent, enviable. The golden couple. Now he underlying tarnishes they've never allowed the public to see are already beginning to show. It's going to get a lot uglier soon.

ABOUT 'THE GOLDEN COUPLE': Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers.

Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate.

When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger.

MY THOUGHTS: I liked this, and as I write this statement I am smiling broadly. At no point as I read The Golden Couple did I have any idea as to what was really going on. I love it when an author, or, in this case, authors, can do that to me - keep me off balance and guessing.

The Golden Couple is the first book that I have read by this duo, but now I'm hooked. I loved the underlying nuances of malice which permeated the story - even when things were going well. I didn't realise how much the tension had built up in my body until I finished the read and I suddenly felt like a rag doll as it drained from me. The author's ratchet it up, one twist at a time.

The story is told by both Avery the therapist, who has a few things going on in her own life, and Marissa, the unfaithful wife. I love Avery's unconventional approach to therapy even while I'm not at all convinced that it would work in reality. I also like the depth of her perception about the people she deals with in therapy, but which seems to fail her in her personal life.

And the award for the most irritating character belongs to Polly - think of a labrador pup, how it jumps all over you just wanting all your attention, but without the 'cute' factor pups have. All time I was reading about Polly the nursery rhyme 'Polly put the kettle on', was running through my head. Very annoying!

Enticing, intense and compelling; I will be reading more from these authors.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.7

#TheGoldenCouple #NetGalley

I: @greerhendricks @sarahpekkanen @panmacmillan

T: @greerkh @sarahpekkanen @panmacmillan

#fivestarread #contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #mystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense

THE AUTHORS: Greer Hendricks initially started her career working at Simon & Schuster as an accomplished editor. She did that for over twenty years and developed a tenure position in publishing that would give her plenty of experience for her eventual move to being on the creative side of things. Before that, she had a job working at Allure magazine. She also attended Columbia University prior to that, where she was able to graduate with her Master’s degree in journalism.

Sarah is the mother of three young boys, which explains why she writes part of her novels at Chuck E. Cheese. Sarah penned her first book, Miscellaneous Tales and Poems, at the age of 10. When publishers failed to jump upon this literary masterpiece (hey, all the poems rhymed!) Sarah followed up by sending them a sternly-worded letter on Raggedy Ann stationery. Sarah still has that letter, and carries it to New York every time she has meetings with her publisher, as a reminder that dreams do come true.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Pan Macmillan via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage

‘Ten sessions might not seem like nearly enough time to solve complex therapeutic issues, but according to Avery Chambers, her unique brand of intensive short-term counseling changes lives.’

My thanks to Pan Macmillan for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Golden Couple’ by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen in exchange for an honest review.

This domestic noir/psychological thriller proved to be another page-turner from this successful writing partnership.

On the surface Marissa and Mathew Bishop appear to be the golden couple . . . until Marissa cheated. Desperate to save her marriage Marissa convinces Matthew that they take a chance on maverick therapist Avery Chambers, who lost her licence due to her controversial methods.

The plot develops through the perspectives of Avery and Marissa and each of the women are facing various challenges. Avery is being pressured by an unethical company to reveal the identity of a former client, who had reported them to the FDA via Avery. For Marissa her brief dalliance is proving harder to walk away from despite her desire to save her marriage.

I was impressed with the amount of time that Avery spent looking into the Bishop’s lives in order to tailor her therapy sessions.

‘The Golden Couple’ has plenty of clever twists and a few red herrings and overall proved a good read.

After two years since their last book was released I was really looking forward to reading Green Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen’s new book. The wait was far too long but I’m glad to say that it was worth it. The Golden Couple was truly enjoyable.

Avery Chambers is a therapist, well, slash that, she’s a CONSULTANT. After losing her license due to controversial methods she developed a new one in which she promises to fix you and your issues in just 10 sessions, and for that she will really get up in her clients’ business. Enter the Bishops. Marissa has cheated on her husband Matthew and she hopes Avery can help save their marriage. But that’s not the only secret in the room, and with a “no secrets” rule, those could turn deadly.

I had so much fun while reading this! When you’ve read as many domestic suspense as I’ve done it’s not difficult to predict the twist, and even though I guessed it, the way there was plagued with twists and turns, red-herrings and characters you didn’t know if you could trust, so well done! The authors really manages to cast doubt on everyone.

The story unfolds through Avery and Marissa perspectives. Both characters were well developed. They were three dimensional and not the typical unreliable narrator that is common in this kind of stories. At first I thought I would not be able to warm up to Avery and her unorthodox methods but I found myself really liking her (unethical behavior and all), becoming my favorite character (adopting Romeo played a big part in this).

The resolution had some far fetched moments when trying to tie together all the different plot lines, but at least there were no loose threads left.

If you want an engrossing story with some nicely developed characters and some shocking revelations along the way don’t look further, The Golden Couple is your book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am so fond of this writing duo and knew straightaway The Golden Couple would be the perfect read to kick off 2022. Avery may have lost her license to practice, but that doesn’t mean she can’t still fix you in ten sessions. She is a Therapist/Life Coach/Ultimate Meddler turned Rogue Detective.. and I’m 100% here for it! Avery is a relatable character with a fascinating job that I’d love to have, though I would prefer to do it without the murders, the lies, and fearing for my life daily. With plenty of red herrings and twist and turns to keep you engaged, this suspenseful mystery is an easy weekend binge.

I was looking forward to this book having really enjoyed the last one by this joint author venture … it didn’t disappoint
Avery working with ‘Golden Couple’ Marissa & Matthew after their marriage find itself in crisis due to an indiscretion on Marissa’s part … Avery provides a tested method working with her clients step by step. But all is not as it seems neither Marissa or Matthew are giving the full truth and the layer of lies begin to unfold . Lots of twists and turns this book will grip you until the end

I've read everything that Hendricks and Pekkanen have released as a team and this is possibly my favourite to date. It has all the qualities you'd expect from the duo - a dual POV, twists that you won't see coming and complicated characters with a lot of secrets.

What sets it apart is how clear it is from the start that appearances aren't what they seem. And you're following the POVs of two characters who are making all the assumptions that we, the readers, normally would. I thought that was a lot of fun and the not knowing what to expect made the experience highly enjoyable.

Overall, I thought this was well plotted and well executed. It is character driven but the pacing is fairly fast and there's a high level of suspense which makes for a compelling read. Fans of domestic thrillers especially should enjoy this one.

Wow, just wow. Anything by this pair is going to be good and The Golden Couple did not disappoint.

Marissa and Matthew are perfect, they lead the perfect life, social media says so. Until Marissa has a one-night stand, then seeks the support of therapist Avery to help them.

I did not foresee the ending and the book had me gripped right to the end.

Would recommend reading this.

The Golden Couple is tremendous.

Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are my favourite duo and here they are with another gem.

Avery is a former certified therapist who now, after an incident, works as a psychotherapy consultant. Seeing people and running them through her invasive and intense, groundbreaking 10 session program. Each session has a name and each is designed to break down an aspect of your problem.

Marissa chooses Avery to be their specialist when she tells her husband Matthew a troubling truth.
Matthew and Marissa are the golden couple, with a perfect home and a perfect life but everyone has secrets, including Avery.

This novel is pacy, intriguing and has everything you would want in a thriller. Perfect.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I did not expect that ending! I loved this book, I was never sure who to trust which I love in a book. I found the characters to be unlikeable at first but as the book progressed I really warmed to Marissa and Avery.

I enjoyed the dual perspective and dual storylines of the marriage issues and the threats and did not see the twists coming at all.

This is my first novel by authors Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, and I loved it. They do a seamless job on this novel. I will be sure to keep my eye out for more of their novels.

We meet couple Marissa and Matthew, these are the so-called "Golden Couple" and seem to be perfection. Until Marissa cheats on Matthew and they decide to seek some outside help. Enter therapist Avery, not like the normal therapist in that she sells them 10 sessions and tells them after these sessions then their marriage will be a-ok again! Cant be that simple right?!!!

Told through the eyes of Marissa and Matthew, this story is compelling with lots of twists and mystery's that the reader will literally not see coming. Literally this book undresses layers of these characters which makes for an interesting read.

Thanks to Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen, NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in exchange for my review.

Marissa and Mathew Bishop seem like the golden couple . . . until Marissa cheats. In a desperate attempt to repair her family, Marissa takes a chance on maverick therapist Avery Chambers, who lost her licence due to controversial methods.
If Avery Chambers can’t fix you in ten sessions, she won’t take you on as a client. She helps people overcome everything, from domineering parents to assault. Her successes almost help her absorb the emptiness she feels since her husband’s death.
When the Bishops glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course they never expected. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger. Not all of them are who they seem, and matters are about to turn deadly...

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.