Maria Frankland never disappoints. I read quite a number of books by this author by now. I love the fast pace and tension that she brings out in these books. I actually feel my heart palpitating! Definitely recommend!

Wow, talk about a psychological mess. This book was amazing. I’m glad my initial guess of what happened wasn’t correct. I didn’t see that ending coming. I liked how this book highlighted domestic abuse in a new way, however I felt like we are meant to sympathize with Michelle a lot too which took away from Paul and his experience. Overall this is an amazing book that’ll keep you glued to your seat. Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced copy!

The Married Couple is more of the same as it pertains to domestic thrillers, and it doesn't add much new to this genre. However, what it does add is the perspective of the husband being the victim of abuse at the hands of his wife, which we all know happens quite often in real life, but is seldom centered in discussions of abuse.

As much as I wanted to empathize with Paul, I found myself more frustrated with him than anything. I am not sure if this is me not understanding why he didn't ~just leave~ which is a tale as old as time when it comes to abusive relationships—especially when kids are involved—but how stretched bare this story was if it wasn't focused on how mean Michelle was to him made it difficult to get through and care about. Paul seems to be a very weak and directionless man, not because he was abused by Michelle, but because he finds himself in a position where everything wrong appears to be his fault because he was moping from scene to scene and refusing help. Which, again, are things that people suffering abuse do, but it was very challenging to read about this when Frankland gives little else to hold onto.

This wasn't written the best, and has pacing issues throughout. Some of Michelle's actions were confusing without explanation, and the plot twist at the end was completely underwhelming.

3.5 ⭐️s

Thank you to Bookouture & NetGalley for providing an ARC!

This book really didn’t do it for me. It started off trying to give Gone Girl, but it felt like it wasn’t fully ready to commit. Further, I felt there were too many narratives going on and jumping around with memories and reality that it made the read confusing.

Loved this book. I couldnt stop reading it and it was brilliant from start to finish. Loved the fact it was different, the woman was the one being abusive. I loved how I was kept guessing and I highly recommend this book.

I read the entire book but quickly skimmed through much of it..... I think it could have been much shorter and left much of the legal jargon out. Also I feel like the characters continued to go through the same battle/conversations over and over! I was a little surprised by the end but it was somewhat predictable. Didn’t really care for it since poor Emily was the one with the most to lose. Appreciate the context and raising awareness of domestic abuse, however it was tough to read.

This book landed firmly in the middle for me. Spousal abuse towards men isn’t something we see represented very often in books, but it is very important. The chapters from Michelle’s point of view showed what I’m sure is a realistic thought pattern for abusers, in that they cannot seem to help themselves but, on a basic level, know that what they are doing is wrong. However, despite her upbringing, I didn’t feel any sympathy towards her.

The book moved along enough to keep me turning the pages (figuratively, read it on Kindle), but it became painstakingly repetitive about halfway through. I wanted to see what happened in the end, though, so I read on. I feel this could’ve been made shorter and have the same amount if not more, impact.

Overall, I think this is worth reading for the content, but the writing and pacing left me wanting in spots.

A twist-filled domestic psychological thriller, The Married Couple kept me captivated until the end. I love the creative mind Maria Frankland has for writing a great domestic thriller and she’s crafted another intense book with her latest release.

Thank you, Maria Frankland, Bookouture, & netgalley for my copy! All opinions are my own.

Paul and Michelle Jackson have been married for only 5 months. They are parents to Emily, 6. They are currently on a vacation to the beach and Emily wants both of her parents to accompany her to build a sandcastle. Paul is ready to go but Michelle isn’t interested in the beach but instead says she will stay behind and read her book. When Paul and Emily return sometime later, they find Michelle in a bar next door drinking. This is a red alert for Paul because he knows how Michelle gets when she starts drinking because she doesn’t know when to stop. Refusing to accompany Paul and Emily to the amusement park, Michelle wants to stay in the bar. Paul worries about her while they are gone. When they return, they find her completely drunk and violent once again. Leaving her to cool off for a bit, Paul returns later only to find Michelle on the floor with a knife sticking out of her chest. He knows she must have done this to herself as she has self-harmed herself for years. The paramedics and police arrive and Paul is arrested. It appears that Michelle has hurt herself many times before and called the police saying Paul hit her. He has begged her to get help yet he keeps putting up with her abuse to him and hides it from his co-workers. Now, as Michelle is fighting for her life, Paul is remanded to prison until he can stand trial.

I’ve probably given out some spoilers here but I’ve tried to set the stage for a situation that is fairly uncommon but truly exists. There are many abused men out there that put up with this because they usually have children and honestly want their spouse to get help and get well. I won’t tell you more, but you will find this story quite eye-opening and sad. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wow, this book is deserving of all the stars. Great writing, a brilliant plot, characters who stay with you long after the book is finished. Just wow!

I thoroughly enjoyed "The Married Couple." It was brimming with twists, turns, and surprises. The multiple timelines and the way they converged were fascinating. It was gripping from start to finish, and I simply couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

To be honest I had some trouble getting interested in the story, but once it captured my interest I was hooked! It definitely had the psychological thriller part right. I did think the story could have been compresed some. With that said I feel this is definitely a good read! I did figure out Part of the ending, but some definite shockers too.

Thank you to the Publisher, Maria Frankland and NetGalley. Any review is voluntary and my own opinion.

A domestic abuse situation where the wife is the abuser--more common than we think yet we never read or hear about it. Maria Franklin dives into the situation and delivers a page turning thriller. Multiple POV's and timelines keep the book flowing nicely.

This one definitely gives off legal thriller vibes. Main setting is jail and the courtroom with little blurbs about real life situations. This was a bit slower of a book.
This book is a great reminder to us that men are not the only sex that can be abusers, and women can do it too.
There were bits and pieces that were a bit unbelievable, like I get that they checked cameras in the area, but how about actually talking with the folks that worked at the establishments to help with alibis.

Paul and Michelle are a couple having some marriage issues and both questioning if they should truly be together. They have an amazing daughter Emily. Suddenly, Michelle is dead, and Paul is the primary suspect. Did Paul do it?

Edge of your seat page turner.An abusive wife dies she had been tormenting her husband both mentally and physically.,an unusual storyline that had me reading late into the nightThanks#netgalley#bookouture.

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and kept me on the edge of my seat. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly.

OMG!!! MIND ABSOLUTELY BLOWN!!!! A GRIPPING, DARK AND SUSPENSE FILLED PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT DOWN!!!

I absolutely love, LOVE, LOVED this absolute page turner!! If you are a fan of Shalini Boland, Freida McFadden and just explosive psychological thrillers in general then this is a book for you!! This book is extremely fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. It was one of those true gems where if you had to put it down you had to race back as soon as you could to find out what was going to happen next. The plot is unique which is always a bonus after reading so many psychological thrillers. I like to point out at the start of my book reviews if the storyline contains anything that may be unsuitable, upsetting or disturbing for any readers and this book does discuss and include domestic abuse/violence. Maria does an absolutely fantastic job of sensitively weaving it into the storyline while highlighting the red flags. She coveys the heartbreak, desperation and struggle that victims of domestic violence struggle with and after being in an abusive relationship for many years I am a huge believer that difficult topics such as abuse do need to be highlighted in books to help warn others of red flags and domestic violence while not highlighting the fact that someone is reading about this topic. Hopefully that makes sense but a huge congratulations to Joanne on writing about this difficult topic! An extra congratulations is definitely deserved due to the fact that in this book it is actually the woman that is abusing the male which I don't tend to come across very often yet it it is something that should be written about more. I have a friend who has been suffering with domestic violence and they have stated how difficult it is to talk to someone for fear of being laughed at or not believed and it is disgusting and heart breaking that men feel this way. This book really is an intense and powerful thriller that will stay with you for a very long time after you have finished it. It is an absolute roller coaster of emotions with an explosive ending that you will not see coming so make sure you clear your schedules as you will NOT be able to put this down. I gave up telling myself just one more chapter after I tried it twice and could not put it down as I had to know what was going to happen next!! The storyline is ram packed with suspense, abuse, tension, jealousy, love, heartache, drama and so much more!! Just when I thought everything that could happen had happened BOOM there was another shocker around the corner. Every time I kept telling myself one more chapter the one I was in ended at a point where there was no way I could stop reading so I absolutely devoured it in one sitting!! I WAS absolutely blown away and considering I read approximately 30 books a month that is certainly no easy feat so a HUGE congratulations on that Maria!! Maria does an absolutely amazing job of weaving the storyline together to drip feed the reader just about the right amount of information that she wants us to until she absolutely spins everything around again!! The fantastic descriptions really made me feel like I was in the storyline along with Paul and my heart was pounding while I was biting my nails in suspense, I have not got much of my nails left now so thanks for that Maria!!! I absolutely LOVED how it ended and I cannot wait to get stuck into the next book by this fantastic author!! I really could not recommend this book any more. I am absolutely mind blown that I have never read any of Maria's books prior to this book so I am, extremely pleased I have now rectified this and I have also gone back and added all her books to my Amazon wish list too!! If you are looking for something unique, filled with suspense that will leave you guessing and that will blow your mind then this is definitely the book for you!!

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT READING THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!!

I wasn't just 100% invested in the storyline but also in the characters. Each and every one of the characters were well defined, realistic and strong. Maria's fantastic descriptions ensures the reader sees, feels and hears everything that the characters are seeing and feeling which leaves their heart racing along with them. It really brings the storyline and the characters to life, for better or worse!! My heart went out to Paul so much even more that I have seen the damage caused first hand by someone who has lived through domestic abuse as a male. Unfortunately I am not going to be able to say much more at all about them as I don't want to run the risk of giving anything away. I absolutely could not stand Michelle who I could have quite happily murdered myself but regardless of how I felt towards her, needless to say the characters all worked perfectly together to make this page turner as amazing as it is!!! Congratulations Maria on creating such a group of well defined, realistic and in some cases unnerving characters. I am really looking forward to meeting more of your characters in your previous and future books!!

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Maria on what promises to be a massive best seller!!! I WAS absolutely shocked by so many explosive twists!!! This is the exact reason you are on my favourite author list Maria and here's to your next explosive success 🥂!!!

Overall an absolutely addictive, mind blowing page turner that will keep you up with a racing heart until you've finished!!!

Maria Frankland is an author whose books always tick every box for me as a reader. She has the skill to weave a story that mesmerises and immerses you so deeply. Creating a plot that puts you through the wringer, only to throw some twist that turns everything you THINK you know, on its head!

The Married Couple does highlight issues that are pretty sensitive, but as always, she doesn't go overboard,and everything is relevant to the storyline. The characters left me guessing from the moment I started reading. In fact, the suspense is constant. I thought I had the answers at one point. Only to be flummoxed by Maria Franklands' fabulous twists! I should have known better!!

Yet another amazing psychological thriller from the mind of Maria Frankland. I have yet to read a book that lets me down from her, and The Married Couple is no different.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the gifted widget in exchange for my honest review.

The Married Couple by Maria Frankland

Any psychological coupled thrillers is an automatic sign me up. If this is your first psychological thrillers I’d say give it a go, if not I’d say maybe.

So Paul & Michelle Jackson are a married couple with one daughter who just has a horrible relationship. Like the most toxic out of toxics. Michelle was the main problem! She was so insecure, violent, and just cruel to Paul and her daughter. Oh, can’t forget her jealousy was just top tier. I’m not surprised what happened to her at all. Just a straight up BITCH.

The ending was crazyyyyy! A little far fetched how Alana decided to treat Emily at the point. You experience the story in “real time” while going through the trial. But seriously, if it was a woman I feel like that trial could have gone a whole other way and it’s not fair!

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC copy. <3

Previously released as The Man Behind Closed Doors, it's a twisty tale of domestic abuse, but it's not what you're thinking.

Spousal abuse where the wife is the abuser is one of those lesser talked about topics, with men feeling too ashamed to speak out. So credit to Frankland for highlighting awareness of this.

The plot is solid and the situation plausible. Characters are well written and I loved the glimpses into their history which allowed us to imagine the bigger picture.

An easy 5⭐ no brainer for me. It's fast paced, addictive and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Although fiction, this book will make you think.
Oftentimes in abusive relationships society jumps to the conclusion that it is one gender over the other that is the principal abuser. However, it can be the other way around and there is a stigma attached to it.
There are many startling and unsettling situations in the book but it’s a worthwhile read.
I felt sorriest for Emily and wondered what would happen to her?