Wow! This was my first book by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen but it definitely won't be my last.

This was a slow burn mystery that is character driven. I loved the way the women were portrayed and was surprised by the emotions this book evoked in me.

Looking forward to reading more from these authors and would highly recommend this book to fans of mysteries/domestic thrillers.

I requested this book, not having read any other books from Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. I purely went from the description given on NetGalley as it sounded appealing. The plot is well written. Avery, an unlicensed therapist, begins seeing married couple Marissa and Matthew for sessions after a crisis point in their relationship. There are various other storylines weaved in that slot in quite neatly at the end. The narrative itself is multi perspective - told from Avery’s POV in the first person and Marissa’s in 3rd person. I enjoyed the book - plenty of twists and turns - some that I guessed and others that I didn’t. I would definitely read more from these authors.

My second book by these authors involving a therapist, and I must say they sure know how to spin an addictive thriller involving one!

Synopsis -

Avery Chambers isn’t a traditional therapist. She has her unique 10 session method which guarantees success. Learning about her from an article, Marissa and Matthew Bishop, “The Golden Couple” take her on, to fix their crumbling marriage. But as Avery begins to dig more about the Bishops, she realises - this is not only a matter of damaged marriage, but also a land mine of secrets waiting to be unearthed.

Review -

The narrative alternates between Marissa and Avery’s POV. The authors create a kind of enigma surrounding the couple and I loved how they explore the husband/wife dynamics – in their affluent and picture perfect lives.

For me, the spotlight in the book was definitely Avery’s character. With her dubious ways of dealing with her clientele, I was curious to see how she goes about entangling the dark web of the Bishops marriage. It became a whole lot more interesting, when Avery herself is linked to them, in ways she never imagined.

The writing keeps us on the edge and evokes a certain sense of foreboding throughout the book. As soon as strange things start occurring both with the Bishops and Avery, I was full of doubts and suspecting everyone at one point.

The authors cleverly use Marissa’s insecurities and guilt-ridden behavior along with Matthew’s seemingly flawless persona, to create a greatly entertaining and compelling plot.

Towards the end, I thought Avery’s sessions lost a bit their spark and significance. I also thought she went far beyond what was really necessary. The finale wasn’t really mind-blowing, but I definitely enjoyed the unveiling of all of the skeletons in the closet.

Overall, I would recommend it, if you love domestic thrillers or thrillers involving maverick/one of a kind therapists.

Thanks NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

I enjoyed the authors' previous books, so I was excited to delve into this one. The story was intriguing, and I loved the premise. However, I found it dragged a bit, especially the parts in-between the "sessions". Overall, though, it was an enjoyable read.

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Synopsis
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.

Marissa and Mathew Bishop seem like the golden couple, until Marissa cheats. She wants to repair things, both because she loves her husband and for the sake of their 8-year-old son. After a friend forwards an article about Avery, Marissa takes a chance on this maverick therapist, who lost her license due to controversial methods.

When the Bishops 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.

Review
A tricky book to fully review, it started well and I was really engrossed then it went so downhill I nearly stopped reading it but I powered through and it ended well. I liked Avery but Marissa was quite weak and annoying.
Overall great start and end with a damp squid middle section.

Rated 3/5 (I am being generous)

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy in return for a honest review.

These two women never ever disappoint!
A psychological thriller at it's best once again. Having read all of their previous books The Golden Couple makes another perfect read for me!
The plot is fast paced at times and it slows down in just the right places. I didn't know whom to trust and could not decide who is the supposedly 'good' or 'bad' one since, just like in real life, it is never only black and white!
A big thanks #NetGalley #Pan Macmillan for the ARC!!!!

I love the style of these books. They are such an easy read snd yet so gripping, the pace is good. The twists are good. The characters are well described and I immediately took sides. I loved Avery and Romeo’s relationship too. Fantastic book overall.

Another fantastic thriller by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. This was a really good slow burn which gradually by the end the pieces fitted together nicely and it totally blindsided me. I didn’t have a clue about how it would end! I liked the way the characters were developed, some nice, some not and the book had me wondering about what secrets they were hiding and when if ever these secrets were going to pop up.

The story is told in alternate timelines from two people but is easy to follow and as we follow the story along it gets to be more fast paced. I’d find myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it, and wondering when I could pick it up again to find out more of the story. I’d definitely recommend if you like a good psychological suspense thriller.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love twisty books, and this one had twists on the twists. Great story, that really kept me guessing, and great characters. The pace of the book was good, and I totally loved reading it. It is going into my top ten books of the year, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was still there at the end of the year. Terrific book..

I wasn’t sure about this when I first started reading, and it did take me a little while to get into it. However, once I was in, I was hooked.
I couldn’t understand what Avery’s angle was, why was she trying to integrate herself into her clients’ lives to such an extent. It felt a bit like going too far for your job with the lengths she went to. However, in the end, it worked. This made for a very different and exciting interpretation of a therapist. The Bishops weren’t just sitting in Avery’s office for an hour a week; they were fully immersed in the process, as were their therapist.
Once I came to terms with the method being used by Avery, I was fully invested in the story, and I flew through it. I couldn’t figure out what the story’s outcome would be, and it was all played out very well. It kept me guessing right to the very end.
The ending was brilliant and certainly worth waiting for. Everything is explained, revealed and wrapped up quite swiftly. It isn’t dragged out, but at the same time, you feel as if you are getting an adequate amount of closure.
Overall, a great read. It was different rough from anything else I’ve read and had the twisty and turny ending that we all want from these kinds of books. A solid four-star read.

I'm always drawn to books by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen and yet again their latest didn't disappoint! As always with these authors, The Golden Couple is really well written and developed. The characters feel realistic and there are plenty of characters who seem to have ulterior motives. Are Marissa and Matthew responsible for the fracture in their marriage? Or is it one of the questionable characters involved in their lives who has an ulterior motive? This question is played back and forth throughout and I was constantly questioning just what secrets and lies were still unspoken.
All the characters in this book were interesting, I particularly liked Avery (& Romeo!).
I flew through The Golden Couple and really enjoyed the POVs of Marissa and Avery. I liked how it stretched out right until the end but then wrapped it up quickly and neatly.
4.5 stars from me and definitely recommended.
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Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I have red 2 other books by these authors and loved them both so I was excited to read this - again a very well written story, believable and quite dark. I sort of guessed what would happen half way through but still enjoyed it and found it easy to read and quite gripping.
Dark, psychological thriller and would recommend it totally.

Woah! What an amazing book!
Everyone has a secret. The trick is figuring out what secrets they're keeping, what the mystery is, and who's lying. Are you up for the challenge? If that's the case, this is the domestic thriller for you. I'll admit that the first half of the book is a little slow, but it's still intriguing. I couldn't put the book down in the second half. And this novel has all the twists and turns, bells and whistles to keep you intrigued and guessing!!

A dark and captivating thriller involving a very dysfunctional trio with a very well crafted plot build with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end and a cast of exquisitely drawn characters exhibiting some rather disturbing behaviors.
This menacing and at times sinister novel kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish!
Highly recommended and to be enjoyed without any moderation whatsoever!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for this terrific ARC

I really enjoyed this book. Marissa and Matthew seem like the perfect couple until Marissa is unfaithful. However, she really wants to save her marriage and move forward, so she hires the services of Avery, a rather unorthodox counsellor, who has secrets of her own. Told from both Marissa and Avery's perspective, this is a twisty story that will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

When Marissa and Matthew Bishop contact Avery Chambers for counselling, she senses immediately that they are hiding something but believes that the couple is perfect for her ten-step-therapy programme. First, it all goes according to plan. Marissa confesses her affair with somebody from her gym and Matthew reacts as one would suppose. But then, the picture blurs and Marissa’s employee Polly appears on the scene, as well as Matthew’s ex, and the couple is more and more under stress. Avery gets stressed, too, since she has her own battles to fight while caring for her clients. When Avery’s private life suddenly mixes with the Bishop’s, it becomes obvious that there are a lot more secrets than you would ever have expected.

I have already enjoyed “The Wife between Us” and “You Are Not Alone” by the writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen and quite naturally was curious to see what their latest mystery “The Golden Couple” would come up with. I was not disappointed, a complex story which only slowly unfolds it whole potential and develops into a web of lies and secrets not easy to untangle.

The protagonist Avery is an interesting character. Admittedly, I’d say her professional approach might be questionable, but she is really concerned about the people she works with and puts a lot of effort in the counselling. Why she herself is always close to freaking out and on high alert only becomes obvious after some time, adding another aspect to her personality.

The couple at first seems to be rather average but then develops into a fascinating pair which oscillates between fighting together and fighting each other. The other characters at some point become highly suspect in the way they act, what they obviously hide and the links they have which are not apparent at first.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel and I am eager to any further read of the duo.

Avery is a highly successful therapist with problems of her own. Her husband died months ago and there are other problems that she needs sorting but it is easier to help other people than herself. Her therapy license was revoked but Avery has come up with a 10 step plan to help people who come to her for help. Avery’s sessions are so successful that she can charge a premium and choose her clients. When she takes on Marissa and Matthew Bishop as clients he thinks it is just a standard case of infidelity but Avery suspects something more is going on beneath the charade of the golden couple.

I was hooked into this story straight away. It was a character driven thriller that kept me guessing. I really couldn’t read this book fast enough. For me the only thing that let this book down was the ending. Not that there was anything wrong with it but it is an ending I have read many times before so there was really no shock factor for me. If the ending had been more shocking ot surprising I would have given this 5 stars.

Wow, a fantastic book. I finished it in 3 days, it is one of those books that i had no idea what the connection was with Avery, Marissa and Matthew. I was guessing the whole way through and didn't see what the outcome would be. The style of writing is brilliant. A real page turner.

I have been dying to read this one based on other reviews and it absolutely did not disappoint! This is about Matthew and Marissa as they start unconventional therapy sessions with Avery. Marissa has been unfaithful but wants to save their marriage for the sake of their 8-year-old son, Bennett. Avery isn’t a normal therapist and has actually had her license revoked, but her 10 session methods are very effective. The problem is, however, is that no one is being honest.

What a fantastic thriller! This novel begins in a way to make the reader think that this seemingly perfect couple is struggling, which led to Marissa being unfaithful, which led to seeking therapy. But oh no, there is so much more. Matthew and Marissa have been together since they were teenagers but their marriage has grown distant with more time spent apart rather than together, thus prompting Marissa to take part in a one-time indiscretion. Marissa has a super-nosy and dishonest assistant who works for her at her boutique that seems about as unreliable and dishonest as they come. One of her and Matthew’s friends has always had a thing for Matthew, planting seeds of doubt there. Then there is the therapist, Avery, who has a ton of her own issues stemming from an issue with her previous client causing her to double-check locks non-stop and check the back seat of her car before getting in it – not to mention being followed and threatened.

So a ton of crap is going on, Marissa is overwhelmed with guilt, Matthew is overwhelmed with anger because she cheated, and the therapist who knows no boundaries and is completely unorthodox is fighting her own demons. Sounds great, right?

I loved everything about this novel from beginning to end with one exception. I didn’t realize this was a co-written novel until after I read it, but while I was reading, I felt like there were huge, disjointed sections that didn’t mesh with everything else. One chapter would be a page-turner where I was dying for the next word and then there would be a chapter that I would skim because it was overly wordy and honestly, irrelevant. Once I realized that this was co-authored it made more sense but was really unfortunate because, in the past, I have truly enjoyed co-authored novels and how they seamlessly blend.

Other than that, I have no complaints. I was shocked, surprised, confused, surprised again, and so on. The Golden Couple possesses everything I love about thrillers as far as planting seeds of doubt, changing your mind, and then planting seeds of doubt all over again. I was completely in the dark, overall, up until about the 85% mark – so thank you to the authors for making this one surprising! I highly recommend this one to any thriller fans and hope you love it as much as I did!

*Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Another great read from my favourite writing duo!

'The Golden Couple' tells the story of married couple Marissa and Matthew, whose marriage is not as perfect as it seems to society. After an act of infidelity, Marissa desperately books couples therapy with a 'rogue' therapist, Avery, who has recently lost her licence to practice.

As expected, the book was a page turner from the first chapter. The pacing was good and the story had several twists. However, it was less thrilling and dramatic compared to previous novels by these authors, which was a little disappointing, but didn't stop a great read.