Full of twists and turns, I gasped a few times too!! A great read with stack of tension and mystery. Thanks for the chance to review it.

3 ⭐️ - DNF. I really tried to power through this book but it just felt too long. I think if the story were shortened a bit I would have been pulled in more. When twists came, I was completely surprised and was sucked back into the story, but it felt like there was a lot of filler. Thank you to NetGalley and Laura Elliot & team for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a lot of good thrillers this year and I will definitely put this in that category.

This book was gripping, fast paced and kept me guessing throughout.

I couldn’t put it down. Kept me interested and I was caught off guard a few times. I love when a book is not predictable

The Marriage Retreat felt very long and drawn out. I had a hard time getting through this book until closer to the end. It was hard to relate to the main character, Loraine.

Ultimately, I did stick through and finished the book and it did get more interesting at the end. This wasn’t for me and i’m a little upset because I really liked the premise of this book. The writing style was hard to understand and I just felt bored throughout.

This is definitely a slow burn thriller so if that’s your vibe go ahead and check it out.

This book totally freaked me out! It was scary and gripping. I couldn’t put it down! A must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!

The Marriage Retreat
Laura Elliot
Pub Date August 17, 2023
Bookouture
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I liked this book. Nothing is what it seems. I recommend this book to you if you enjoy domestic thrillers. Well written, engaging plot, atmosphere- so much is well done.
4 stars

Starting this was really slow, but eventually it picked up and kept me very engrossed. Very well written and engaging!

I wanted to like this so much and especially enjoyed the premise, but I DNFed after 20% ish. The “present day” timeline and chapters intrigued me a lot, but the chapters in the past were weird and didn’t engage me. I’m wondering if there’s going to be a cult theme emerging with Victor which is a trope I don’t really like. Thanks anyway for the ARC!

Ooof the beginning for this one was rough to get through. I nearly didn’t continue because it was just dragging so much. It got a lot more interesting towards the end, but I’m not sure the end is enough to carry the book. If the premise intrigues you, you could give it a go. But be prepared for a lot of powering through some boring bits.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
Serenity Falls where couples can come to find a new beginning.
When her husband Victor is killed in a car crash which leaves a woman in a coma- her world falls apart. Who was the woman? Why was she with Victor? She begins the search for answers. Can she run Serenity Falls alone? She must someway keep up the good image. Was her whole life a lie?

I really enjoyed this book. Lorraine’s husband suddenly dies with a young woman in the car with him, her world is shaken to the core. Why was her husband not where he said he was? Who is this girl who is now in a coma? Secrets just tumble out and the don’t stop. Lorraine must discover who this girl is and why her husband was with her. She quickly finds her husband isn’t the man she thought he was. Lorraine also discovers she’s not who she thought she was either.
I loved the surprises and secrets throughout this book. I definitely recommend reading this fascinating domestic thriller.

Not as good as her others, this book was unfortuNately predictable and seemed to drag on a bit of the story

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for access to this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

There are so many secrets, so many lies uncovered. How far will she go to stop the truth coming out ? The plot and twist was very interesting even if I felt that it was really slow paced and too long. It was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for my copy of the Marriage Retreat.

If I've ever read of a slow burn, this would be it. The Marriage Retreat is too drawn out that it kind of made me lose my focus on it a lot. I had difficulty getting through it and to be honest, I never did. I kind of wish I DNF'd it because it was really dull for me. It's just not for me and I'm very disappointed with it since I really like the premise of the book.

I didn't find myself empathizing for any characters and the sudden appearances of the backstories in the middle of the chapters were just confusing. It's like one of those old soap operas or telenovelas that my mom used to watch.

I think this would work for those who like slow paced thrillers that are written in quite a complex style.

Interesting storyline though one of the relationships creeped me out. I really prefer not to read about relationships like that in my fiction! I also found the pacing rather slow and my interest waned after a while. Not my kind of book, I’m afraid.

3 stars from me.

The Marriage Retreat is told in several different POVs as well as present time and past. It is written with articulation, describing events and emotions well. The plot is a VERY SLOW burn. That made it difficult for me to stay focused on the book. The Ireland and Scottish way of speaking was also prominent in the book. This doesn’t usually affect the book for me but this book was on the heavy side making it difficult for me to understand at times. I had to look up a lot of the terms used in this book to understand what some sentences meant.

The plot was very predictable and I never found any jaw dropping twist. This is a psychological thriller with a slow, predictable plot.

Thank you, Bookouture for the eARC read.
#TheMarriageRetreat
#NetGalley

This was really slow and I almost DNFed since I found the beginning confusingly written. It took almost 60% for me to get into the book and I didn't really care about Lorraine and her trying to figure out what her husband was hiding. When everything started to come together, I was more interested and ultimately glad I stuck with it. I think it was the writing that just didn't work for me, but I did like the resolution of the ending.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Review live now on GoodReads and StoryGraph.

I love a good whodunnit kind of book but this just misses the mark for me. The main character was hard to relate too and some parts of the story were hard to get into. If you can get through the beginning it does get a little better but this just wasn’t for me.

What an entertaining book! Great characters with interesting and diverse backgrounds - and just when you think you know some of them, boom! You learn something unexpected. There are plenty of secrets and lies, mysteries, crimes, relationship troubles, and it's all set against the backdrop of Rekindle Connections - a program held at beautiful Serenity Falls where couples learn to rebuild and strengthen their relationships. It is moderately paced, which is perfect for gradually revealing the many aspects and details of what's going on. This was my first book by Laura Elliot, but it won't be my last. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC.