Two main women in this twisting and turning story. Avery is as of recently an unlicensed therapist and she claims that she can fix all the things in just 10 themed sessions. Marissa is married with a young son and has recently cheated on her husband and needs Avery to help her fix the marriage that she wishes to stay in. This is just the beginning.

Told in alternating perspectives, each Avery and Marissa tell the story from their point of view and I am so glad we the reader got both! While this story does revolve around cheating and I don't tend to read that, I am a Sarah Pekkanen fan and will give anything she writes a chance and yes cheating is what brought Avery and Marissa into each other's lives, there was more mystery and intrigue that kept the story going and I was so glad. The story ended up being a who dun it of sorts and I loved reading that part of the book.

I may be sensitive to this, but I appreciated that Avery's storyline really centered around her work. I find that a lot of fiction doesn't always show women working and as a working woman myself, it is nice when the whole storyline revolves around a woman and her profession.

While maybe not my favorite of Sarah Pekkanen and Greer Hendricks' work, I would recommend this to readers who are not sensitive to cheating storylines as I am.

The dynamic duo are at it again and at their best in The Golden Couple! Marissa and Matthew seem like they have it all but couples therapist, Avery, knows better, in fact, if Avery can't fix you in ten session, she won't take you on as a client at all. But Avery's methods are ... untraditional - think Olivia Pope but an unlicensed therapist.

As with all books from this duo, there is of course the requirement that you suspend some belief and enjoy the ride, but isn't that part of the fun? I for one, devoured every word, loved every minute and can't wait for their next book!

Thank you to St. Martins Press for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Avery Chambers is a famous therapist with a long line of successes and an individualistic style that cost her license. That doesn't cause her to lack clients willing to pay her high fees to experience her unusual methods.

When Marissa and Mathew Bishop come to Avery, she refers to them as The Golden Couple because everything about them looks perfect. But she can tell there is a lot going on beneath the surface. Marissa tells Matthew she has been unfaithful. That is but the first of the secrets and manipulations that will be brought to light as the three work together. Avery finds herself more entangled with this couple than she ever expected - her own secrets surprisingly seem to tie into theirs. And as the stakes increase, it's possible that the secrets they each hold just may be the death of one of them!

Told in the alternating voices of Avery and Marissa, the two provide the layers of background and depth to fill out the story. The author sets a good pace to this suspense novel, and soon has readers looking suspiciously at a variety of characters. Even though they earned my attention early, I was totally unprepared for the Big Reveal! Well done! I LOVE it when that happens!

This is a captivating, suspenseful, and twisty read. I doubt that many will be disappointed in Hendricks' latest offering.

My thanks to the author and St. Martin's Press for permitting me to access an ARC of this novel via NetGalley. It is set for publication on March 8, 2022. All opinions in this review are my own and are freely offered.

I totally neglected everything else yesterday as I read this book in one sitting—I could not stop reading! This is a tangled tale of betrayal and obsession, with so many twists and turns that I was gasping and breathless! On the surface, this is a story of a couple trying to repair their marriage with the help of a therapist, but there are deep layers to this book that reveal so much more. I never knew who to trust, I wasn’t sure who were the “good guys” and who were the “bad guys”, as the authors did such a brilliant job of keeping me guessing!

I am not sure what The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen would be about but I had some ideas. Boy, I was wrong. The Bishops are interesting with their secrets and pretenses but it is Avery Chambers who steals the show. I thought that she would be a charlatan in disguise of a therapist but she is the real deal. Not at all like most or any for that matter but one who can dig deep enough to find the solution. What answers are uncovered!

A page-turner with more twist, turns and subplots that keep you guessing right through the book. I guess it shows that this is the first book I have read by this duo or I would have known what a thought provoking thriller it would be. Now I know.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I honestly thought I was definitely going to love this book from the synopsis but I found myself having a hard time getting into it. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I had just read an amazing book beforehand, but I could not help myself finding the characters to not be sympathetic. The story follows a couple who start seeing a therapist for relationship issues. However, she isn’t a licensed therapist anymore due to previous issues and instead follows unconventional methods. I can definitely see if I was in a different frame of mind how this book could be engaging, but it didn’t do it for me at this time unfortunately.

High 3+ stars for a story that kept me going until the end. Marissa first approaches Avery, the non typical therapist after reading an article about her different techniques. Marissa has a sore subject to address with hubby Matthew and wants Avery there to help get them through it. Matthew seems like a very controling man who is used to getting his way. Marissa runs her own successful business (with a really cloying assistant who gives her the creeps) but doesn't feel confident having a talk like this with Matthew without a therapist present.

Avery is unconventional and has issues of her own, namely who is after her? Some people she just keeps running into and it is more than coincidence.

Why not a 4 star? Marissa was too paranoid towards the end and it was annoying. I could not step into her shoes and feel the paranoia that was taking over her. Taper that back a bit and it might have made 4 stars for me. It did keep me interested and wondering until quite late in the book and I did want to pick it up to know how it ended.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I love a good story of deception. The perfect couple isn't always what it seems! I loved that every loose end was wrapped up in this book! I wasn't left hanging at all!
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I would recommend this to classic romance-thriller lovers! What's your go to romance(ish) book this month?
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Thanks @netgalley for this read!

When I pick up anything by this particular writing duo, I know there will be an abundance of twists and turns. However, “The Golden Couple” provided me with the slowest moving storyline in the history of domestic suspense. To the point where I deemed this book my “nightly sleepy pill”.
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Not one to DNF without due cause, I kept pushing through and I’m glad I did. The further you read the more your certain you have no idea who the guilty party is. Is it Skip? Is it Chris? Are Marissa and Matthew able to fix their marriage? Is Avery looking out for her clients, or only herself?
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60% of this book moved so dang slow but the last 40% redeemed this novel for me. I never saw the big reveal coming and for that, I think “The Golden Couple” is a worthy read.

To be honest, I am not sure how I felt about this book. While I read it and enjoyed it, I couldn't help but think that it was a very intrusive book. Avery is an ex therapist who now bills herself as a consultant. She has developed a 10 step program to help people with problems in their lives. While the people agree to her methods, she is very snoopy into their lives and I found myself not agreeing with her methods. Avery is also contending with a corporation, due in part to her methods, who is trying to force information from her. I will say that I did not really guess who the real villan in the story was. So, despite some reservations, I am going with a 3 star review. Thanks NetGalley for the chance to read this book.

YES. This was awesome. I think the ending was wrapped up a little too quickly and I want to know what made Marissa begin to think her husband was going to be the one to turn deadly in the end because I didn't think he came off that way.

I have enjoyed previous books I’ve read by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. However, this book fell flat for me. I evidently am in the minority, so I would recommend you make your own decision. From the first sentence I read, I was irritated. The positive aspect is that the story is told through different points of view. There was tension which appealed to me, but overall there was little action. So it ended up being a bleh read for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Like all of this duo's books, The Golden Couple is fast paced, twisty, and engaging. I loved the alternating chapters between Avery's and Marissa's points of view and learning all the secrets a piece at a time. Having lost her license, our therapist, Avery Chambers is no longer bound by the regulations imposed on other therapists.

Let's focus on this for a second. As a counselor myself, this bugged me in a lot of ways because I know the rules and these are not following them. You CANNOT just call yourself a “consultant” and then practice therapy without a license!!! That’s not legal or ethical or realistic.

Nonetheless, she has created this 10 session approach to “fixing” people-specifically, couples. It’s unconventional, to say the least. She gets involved in her clients' lives in every aspect. But people sign up to work with her, based on the success stories. So, Marissa recently cheated on her husband Matthew, something that she deeply regrets and hires Avery with hopes that she can help repair their relationship. Avery always tries to find the root of the problem, not the one that is merely on the surface and believes the situation may be murkier than the pretty picture this golden couple presents.

I wish I could say that I didn't figure out the twists ahead of time but I did figure out most of them. However, while there were many coincidences and unrealistic things, I still finished the book and found it captivating. I feel that the book falls more into the category of domestic drama than a psychological thriller and would probably do better if marketed as such. It was ok. I enjoyed their other books more as this one was just a little too much of a reach for me.

I don't want to give anything away with my review, so I will say that this book was a great read. I liked how it was told through the eyes of two characters. I thought all of it was woven together in an interesting way. It was hard to put down. If you're looking for a thrilling story, this is the book for you.
Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Well well well…everyone’s favorite duo is back with another twisty tale!

This was entertaining. I always enjoy a story where you just never know who to trust, who is guilty and what the heck is truly going on. It’s fast paced, told from two POVs and definitely kept my interest. I appreciated Avery’s character. She was tough and successful which I always enjoy portrayed. I also was so happy with the addition of Romeo, Avery’s rescue Pit Bull. I may have a soft spot since I have my own. Something about pets in books just makes my heart swell.

I feel like some things in this story are predictable but, I still enjoyed the ride. Another successful psychological suspense by the ladies!

Thank you Netgalley for my advance copy in exchange for my review!

Avery Chambers is an unconventional counselor. She can handle marriage, death, assault, family, jealousy, and just about any issue the human mind could suffer from. She’s cocky, intelligent, and savvy.
At first glance, Mathew and Marissa don’t appear to be much of a challenge with the usual cookie-cutter infidelity issues. But the more Avery spends time talking to, investigating, stalking (yes, stalking), and manipulating her clients, the more complex things become.
You’re really going to like Avery unless you’re the one under her scope. There’s so much reasoning in her method and logic, and she definitely goes above and beyond what we imagine for a counselor.
The primary aspect of the book is the increasingly tense relationship between these three main characters and the unknown “one-night-stand” person that’s causing all the problems. And no one is quite what they seem. I absolutely love this writing duo of Hendricks /Pekkanen! Every book has been an excellent read, and this one is another great entertainer.
Sincere thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is March 22, 2022.

Marissa and Matthew are the perfect couple, high society with good paying jobs and community status; a golden couple you would say. Avery is a therapist with unconventional methods with great results. Marissa has strayed from her marriage and she enlists Avery to make it right. Will their relationship be too far gone? Will it push Avery to the edge at the same time?

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I really enjoyed this read by Hendrinks and Pekkanen, it is much better than their colab of the Anonymous Girl. The plot itself is thrilling and keeps you on the edge of what might happen at the end. Who is the bad person here; is it the husband or the other man?? hmmmm. I highly would recommend.

Thank you Netgalley, Greer Hendricks; Sarah Pekkanen and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

CONTENT WARNING: mention of suicide, infidelity, mention of infertility, mention of miscarriage, murder, grief

This was one of the ARCs that I’ve been approved for that I was most looking forward to, because I’ve loved everything that this duo has written so far. And it exceeded my expectations, which I wasn’t quite expecting. What better way to center Valentine's Day than highlighting this book about a troubled couple?

It’s told through the POV of both Avery and Marissa, so we jump back and forth between what each is experiencing, thinking, and feeling. And what initially seems straightforward has multiple levels of complexity that flesh out throughout the story. It was like I could see all the threads of the story, but couldn’t quite piece it all together to figure out what was actually happening until everything smacked me in the face.

As usual, they’ve created characters that I assume fall into specific roles, and then constantly flip that around, cleverly manipulating the characters so that I never knew exactly which ones were the good guys and which were the bad guys. There’s a range of characters, and they’re all well-rounded. No one was all good or all bad, making it harder to pin down who was doing what. There were multiple characters keeping secrets, which made it incredibly difficult to predict the many plot twists. I think one of the biggest things that I appreciated is that is clearly pointed out that Avery’s actions are outside of the scope of therapists, and she has lost her license as a result of prior actions. I changed my mind so many times about how I felt about all of the characters. All except Romeo, the shelter pit bull — he had my heart for the whole book.

This story was exciting, and I read it in basically two sittings. It would have been a single sitting, except for the fact that I needed sleep at some point. I was hooked right from the start, just like all the other books they’ve written, and it didn’t let me go until the end. This is definitely not one to miss!

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:


Others saw them as The Golden Couple, but their new and unconventional therapist knows there is much more to their story. She has an unusual method of working on their issues, taking ten steps toward uncovering the secrets and deep flaws.

Our story is revealed through alternating narrators, and we learn more about them as we work through the steps. Even Avery has secrets, and hers are just as stunning as the others.

We might think we know everything as we discover more about each character, but as the past is revealed, nothing we believed about them is true. Danger lurks behind every corner, and as the intensity ratchets up, we are holding our breath. A brilliant 5 star read.

Twisty and dark and loads of fun. This is a great writing couple, and you can tell they really enjoy what they do. That's *my* head canon anyway. Don't tell me if I'm wrong.

This was another book that was hard to put down yet simultaneously required distance. At least I didn't yell at the book this time (The Wife Between Us was the last time that happened), but the lack of explosive verbalisation doesn't mean this wasn't a thrill ride. Prepare to be off-balance frequently, but not thrown off the ride.

My thanks to St Martin's, the authors, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.