This book literally kept me up all night. A first rate thriller that starts the ride early and keeps you gripping the grab bar until your fingers cramp. This was my first Alex Berenson book, but it won't be my last.

For the first quarter or so of this book, I was thinking I might not make it to the end - the characters were barely likable, the writing borderline trite. But I'd just finished reading two of the best books I've read in a long time, so I told myself to hang in there. I did - and by golly, it soon started to get interesting - so much so that I even wondered if a different author was now doing the writing. By the midpoint, the pace really started to pick up, and the last few chapters were an edge-of-seat race to the finish.

Front and center are Rebecca and Brian Unsworth, married two decades and parents of teenagers Kira and Tony. Rebecca is a counterterrorism specialist for the FBI, and Brian is a coder for the National Security Administration. Living in the Washington, D.C., suburbs, their budget is strained to the breaking point even with two incomes and - like many couples - they've grown apart over the busy years. Perhaps, they reason, a European vacation is just what the doctor ordered - and off they all go.

Everything comes up roses in Barcelona, until Kira, a college student, meets a mysterious, attractive older French man. She agrees to meet up with him later for a couple of hours - unbeknownst to anyone except her younger brother - and doesn't come home as expected nor call to check in as is her custom. Her parents, understandably, are distraught, and they pull out all the stops to use their contacts and influence to find their missing child.

The story then shifts to earlier years - first on Rebecca, then on Brian - showing what each was thinking and doing over the years leading up to their marriage-saving vacation. Nothing I read made me warm up to either of them, though; mostly I was thinking that whatever they got was well-deserved.

Of course, that part I can't share, because through these insights readers get a glimpse of what's really going on between the two of them and with Kira's disappearance. Interspersed are chapters focusing on Kira's plight and how she's dealing with the possibility that she might never see her parents (or for that matter, any other living human) again. The last few chapters are almost frenetic (and while exciting, not entirely believable). The ending ushers in two possibilities - neither of them good - but honestly, I didn't much care which resolution was reached.

All things considered, it's a solid book that except for the lackluster beginning held my attention throughout - one that espionage lovers should enjoy. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

Rebecca and Brian Unsworth have been married for 20 years, and their marriage needs a little push. They decide to take their two children, college freshman Kira and high schooler Tony, on a European vacation. Rebecca (Becks, a nickname that just irked me) had her life planned out - college, law school, children, FBI - and it played out just like that. Brian (Bri, another nickname that drove me nuts!) is not nearly as motivated but has some technology skills that eventually get him a job at the NSA. On their last night in Paris, Kira meets a young man, who promises to meet her in Barcelona, the next stop on the trip. All is well until Kira doesn’t return from a dance club one night. Has she been kidnapped or just a teenager out having fun? When it becomes clear that she is in danger, the Unsworth’s relationship is called into question. What secrets have they been keeping from each other? And who has Kira and why? I have read all 12 of the books in Berenson’s John Wells series (and rated them all 4- or 5-star), so when the opportunity to read another book by an author I like came up, I jumped at the chance. Berenson certainly can create plenty of tension, and this book was no different, but there was a significant amount of time as he went into his characters’ past that was slow and perhaps even too much. There were plenty of twists and surprises, and over all was worth my time. My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my review.

I've been an Alex Berenson fan for years. I enjoyed his John Wells series, and so I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw him heading in a new direction. With "The Power Couple," Berenson introduces us to an ambitious lawyer/FBI agent and her husband who is far less of an establishment/conformist type of person.

While Rebecca and Brian seem quite different on the surface, they make it work very well, falling in love, enjoying a great sex life, raising kids, and seemingly having a great marriage. Until they don't. But then they do again. Or do they? And then things take a horrifying turn as they find themselves, instead of being on the crimefighting side of things, as Rebecca normally is, the victims of a terrifying crime.

Even as we're absorbing this turn of events, things really take a wild turn, but it's a believable turn, as well, because Berenson is a skillful author who weaves a complicated yet plausible plot. At least as important, he has the power to develop his characters so we care about what happens to them. Too many authors expect readers to just care about whoever they throw out there, even without proper character development, but Berenson is far better at this. He builds the connection, so you're along for the ride.

I will admit that when a favorite author goes in a new direction, I worry about whether I'll like the new effort. Happily, I was well rewarded!

In this thriller, Rebecca and Brian Unsworth, are seemingly happily married with two kids. But the marriage is not what it seems. Rebecca work in counterterrorism in the FBI. Brian is a coder for the National security agency. In their 20th anniversary trip to Europe, their daughter Kira is kidnapped in Barcelona. You learn about this deeply flawed marriage as they try and rescue their daughter. With lots of plot twists and turns, this book will keep you turning the pages.

A power struggle within a marriage...and only one, the husband or the wife, can come out on top.

The entire premise of The Power Couple revolves around the personal lives and career trajectories of Brian and Rebecca Unsworth...trajectories which led them to the fateful night in Spain when their daughter, Kira, was kidnapped.

Who kidnapped her, and why?

This is a beautifully paced novel which, unfortunately, suffers from two completely repugnant characters--Brian and Rebecca. Kira, whose vividly intense scenes ended up stealing the show, almost seemed like an afterthought, as her narcissistic and vaguely sociopathic parents duked it out. Why their son, Tony, was even added is beyond me. He added nothing to the tapestry of the story.

The conclusion, while entertaining, was also pretty silly. Despite all my minor grumps, I do think this is a story worth reading. I was never bored, and felt the writing was very much on point.

Available February 9, 2021
3.5 stars rounded up

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my review copy.

A terrific escape! Quick think of a favorite action, suspense film with terrific leads, a little romance, peaceful suburban family where you are almost lulled into not keeping track, and bam you are on a ride! Trickiest part of telling friends? No spoilers- you simply say go see it! In this case- go read it!

I was thrilled to get the opportunity to have an advance read of Alex Berenson's latest novel, and I wasn't disappointed. The Power Couple is a thrill ride.

The book is about a family of four. Mother, Rebecca, is an FBI agent. Father, Brian, is a coder. Daughter, Kira, is 19, and her brother Tony is 17. With Kira heading off to college, the family decides to go big with their summer vacation, hitting France and Spain. On their first night in Barcelona, Kira sneaks out to a nightclub to meet Jacques, a handsome young Sorbonne student she met in Paris. Jacques introduces her to his sister, Lila, and they move on to a second nightclub. Thus the thriller kicks off.

In Part II the book takes us back in time to when Rebecca and Brian met and how Rebecca moved up the ranks of the FBI. Rebecca was the primary earner, and Brian took care of the house and the kids, but with money tight, eventually Brian starts getting tech jobs. Ultimately, Brian develops an app that brings in some big bucks, allowing them to take their grand vacation in Europe. The book alternates between Rebecca and Brian's past and Kira's current situation. The action and tension don't let up until the final page, literally.

Rebecca and Kira are strong, capable female characters that Berensen brings to life. Brian also comes to life, but from the first, you sense that he's just a little off. The plot is fast-paced with some major plot twists that make reading such fun.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I loved The Power Couple, which will be out on February 9, 2021.

I am not going to give a synopsis of what this book was about because it is written in the description of the book posting. I am a reader who once starts a book finishes it no matter what I think of it. And it was a good thing with this book. I found the beginning a little slow and I had to wade through it. BUT about half way through it (or a little more) BOOM!!! The roller coaster took off! What a ride! I could not stop reading this book until the very end. My advice to you is to definitely read the book.

Are you looking for a fast paced thriller that you can't put down? Then I definitely suggest this book. I stayed up way too late into the night reading this book. I loved that it included a married couple and wasn't just your typical thriller. I'll definitely be picking up more Alex Berenson books.

OK Alex Berenson – this was definitely not a John Wells installment. This was a sneaky, clever, “gotcha when you weren’t looking”, kind of hard to put down book.

The Power Couple - flawed as a couple, flawed as individuals and why would you expect their children to be any different. Canny, slick, and seamless - Berenson inserts the dissection of the main characters’ personalities amid chaos and a parent’s worst nightmare – the kidnapping of their child. Using the couple’s thoughts and memories worked so well for me that I turned a page and realized the action was gone and the introspection was front and center.

There is a “with it” vibe to the writing, the setting, the dialog, and the action but there is also an underlying sense of diseased minds and souls. The two elements create and maintain a powerful and scary scenario. Power – Who has it? Who holds it? Who is going to lose it? Does anyone win?

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster and NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the first book I have read from this author although I know he has written and published numerous books. We have Rebecca and Brian Unsworth who are both government employees: she is FBI and he is with NSA. They have 2 children and are on holiday in Europe. It is in Barcelona that their college age daughter Kira is kidnapped. It is not clear at all why she has been kidnapped and the Unsworths waste quite a bit of time investigating her disappearance without requesting help. Given who they work for, I was expecting a really exciting espionage thriller.

Instead we spend at least 60% of the book on how Rebecca and Brian met, their dysfunctional childhoods, their marriage woes and Brian’s always simmering resentment of his wife. When the author returns us to the kidnapping it is in snippets until a plan unfolds and by that time you will have figured out almost everything. Almost.

The book was a good diversion during the 2020 election and continuing Pandemic. Because of the dreariness of rehashing the marital woes, I would give the book a 3.5 if I could.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this advance copy.

I give it 3 stars. It held my interest at the beginning, felt a little slow in the middle, but definitely picked up at the end. This is the second book of Berenson's that I have read and I enjoyed both of them.

I suppose I should have expected a thriller involving a couple in the FBI and NSA to have an espionage twist, but alas....I did not. It wasn't really something I was craving at the time and caught me a bit off guard. That being said, I found the book to be a solid middler - I didn't really connect with any of the characters and didn't find myself rushing through the book to get to the end.

4.5. I read this book having no idea what it was about in advance. I liked it quite a bit, the background on the FBI and CIA and the storylines of daughter, husband and wife and both their back stories and the current story of a kidnapping. Would be interested in reading his other books

I was up late last night finishing The Power Couple. Rebecca and Brian seem to have a wonderful marriage with a happy family consisting of their daughter Kira and son Tony. But when the family takes a trip to Barcelona, Kira goes out one night and never comes home. Kira is an FBI agent and is instantly ready to attack the case. But as she works hard to get Kira back, so also starts to undercover some other family secrets.

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy of this novel.

I enjoyed this book. It had a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. The Power Couple is part domestic thriller and part government espionage which at first I wasn't sure I would like but it ends up being a good mashup. If you're looking for a quick, thrilling read look no further than this book! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc exchange for an unbiased review.

The power couple of the title are FBI agent Rebecca and her NSA tech guru husband Brian. They seem to have it all, a happy family, nice house in the suburbs of Washington, DC, and high powered jobs in the government. But all is not as it seems, and an ill-fated anniversary trip to Europe results in their daughter being kidnapped and held for ransom. The investigation into the kidnapping kicks of an avalanche of dark secrets that cascade far further and deeper than either could imagine. Intriguing, gripping, dark, and twisty. Domestic thriller with a touch of espionage. Will appeal to readers of The Expats by Chris Pavone.

Berenson’s latest features a couple who works for the government — Rebecca for the FBI, Brian for the NSA. Talk about D.C. power! When their daughter Kira gets kidnapped during a family trip to Barcelona, all hell breaks loose. Twists, turns, intrigues, and explosive marital secrets make for one wild ride — a treat for lovers of global espionage and family drama.

4 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 05 May 2021
#ThePowerCouple #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

The Power Couple by Alex Berenson is a force of nature when it comes to the psychological thriller genre. A then and now/his and hers point of view, kidnapping, Russian spies, and exotic vacations are just the beginning of this griping story that I was unable to put down.

Brian and Becks (short for Rebecca) met while Becks was in college and never looked back. They dated, they got married, had kids. Becks was the breadwinner and eventually had a career as the lead of counterintelligence for the government. Brian was the house husband working on freelance web work, living in Becks’ shadow. Then their daughter is kidnapped while they are vacationing in Spain. But why? Who is lying? How many secrets does this power couple have?

Book Stats Here

Going into this novel, I had no idea what to think at the seemingly random POV and the past and present tense. I ended up loving it because it worked so well with the plot.

I also loved each character and their back story. I should say I both loved and hated each character. Berenson makes you love Brian; pity him. He makes you hate Becks for the way she neglects her family. Then he turns the story around. Then he turns it around again. By the end you aren’t sure who to love or hate, but it draws you in.

Lovers of psychological thrillers need to put this on their TBR immediately.