In The Golden Couple, we have Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen once again doing what they do best - telling a dark and twisty story about people who aren't what they seem. In this instance, the "golden couple" is Marissa and Matthew Bishop, who seem to have it all, at least by social media standards. In real life, however, things aren't quite so shiny, and when Marissa admits to infidelity, an angry Matthew agrees to see an unconventional couples' counselor who claims she can fix their issues with 10 sessions, as long as they're willing to follow her instructions.
Avery Chambers is that counselor, and (of course) she has her own issues. When these three collide, secrets from the past begin to surface, and we aren't quite sure whom to believe when stories don't quite add up, or where we'll end up when it's all over.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narration by Karissa Vacker and Marin Ireland was outstanding.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

This one was pretty decent overall. I think if you've enjoyed their previous books you would probably like this one as well. They are very solid mysteries/thrillers, just nothing super different or mind-blowing about them. Would recommend for a fun summer mystery.

This was a random choice that I decided on to get something outside of my normal reading realm. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised by this pick. Hendricks weaves a fantastic tale of secrets and betrayals that culminates in a clash of lives that you just can’t see from the starting line. The characters are well drawn out in both their sessions and in between lives. As we get closer to revealing all the secrets and discovering each party’s true faults, the story gradually ramps up with twists and turns in a wonderful whirlwind to figure out how it has all come to be.
Although there are a few pieces of the ending that just don’t sit completely right with me, I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and recommend to readers looking for a mystery/thriller packed with drama and feeling that you can enjoy anytime.

This wasn't my favorite of their's, but it was still lots of fun! It's something I'd still recommend.

Wow wow wow!!! I just finished listening to this book and I absolutely loved it. In fact, I loved it so much upon finishing it I recommended it to my thriller-loving friends. I fell in love with all of the characters and was chronically left wondering what would happen next. The twists and turns left me itching to listen to more of the story. I hope Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen write another novel together, if they do I won't want to miss it.

This book was not as suspenseful as I would have liked. I felt like it dragged in a lot of places and at times I was close to not finishing it, but the twist with the lover kept me listening. In the end I found this book to have kept me guessing and I thoroughly enjoyed it because it the narration and the excellent writing of the characters.

liked
- the beginning & set up
- the concept of a therapist gone rogue
- the twist
disliked
- SO boring

Another winner from Hendricks and Pekkanen. The pacing is fantastic, the twists keep coming, and the switching points of view from Avery and Marissa are perfect for this thriller. The two narrators for the main characters were great and made listening to the story enjoyable experience. Pick up this book and move it to the top of your list!

I listened to the audio of this book. This was a 4 star read for me. I have enjoyed the other 2 books I have read from this author duo as well. They are able to really get in the heads of couples, and all their drama. The couple on this book were so messed up, but the psychologist had her own issues as well. I will be picking up my own physical copy very soon. I look forward to the next book from these brilliant ladies.

4.5 rounded up

I really enjoyed this book. This is my second read from this duo author and I can gladly say I will be picking up more from them. I really enjoyed the way this story was structured and the route it took. Although the ending can be predictable, I personally didn’t see it coming. These two authors are absolutely talented and I can’t wait to see what they come out with next!

I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of The Golden Couple. At first I wasn't sure about the character Avery and her counseling methods but I warmed up to her as the story progressed. I liked how the story slowly unfolded in layers and you found out about the characters little by little. The ending was very satisfying.

What a ride! This book is unputdownable and I would have finished it in a day if I hadn't been traveling. Thank goodness I was so I could devote more time into reading the book. The story had me guessing from the beginning and took me on journey that I did not expect. I expected a deep dive into marriage and that dynamic but never guessed all of what happened next. And talk about the "therapist" who was unconventional and had her own story and things to hide. Please write more of these!

I also have to say that I enjoyed the narrators who also contributed to my enjoyment of the story. Kudos to you!

Thanks to #MacmillanAudio and the authors for a copy of this book for reviewing purposes and #netgalley for providing the copy

This is my favorite psychological thriller of 2022. I love the characters, the plot twist, and the unexpected ending. I’m recommending this one to everyone. Thank you for my advance reader copy of this book.

Love this! The readers voice is perfect for the book and was very fast paced and intriguing. The writing style is great and keeps you hooked. The characters are well developed and easy to relate to.

Matthew and Marissa are deemed “The Golden Couple” because they seem to have it all — until Marissa hires a therapist to reveal a secret she’s been keeping. This was a great read for someone looking for a quick thriller fix with great narration. It was very well written and compelling, with lots of secrets to progress the story. I haven’t read many books with a therapist plot point — but that aspect ended up really working for me.

This ended up being a great middle of the road thriller. Even though some of it was predictable, I never knew what direction the authors were going to take which made it exciting

This was an average story for me. I enjoyed it and would recommend to those who like a good suspense, but not to someone who wants shock with every turn. I didn't feel too surprised by the conclusion.

⭐️⭐️ The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

Plot:
From the outside, Matthew and Alyssa look to be the golden couple. They have the perfect house, the perfect jobs, and the perfect life. But then Marissa cheats.

To help overcome the indiscretion, Marissa finds a therapist. But Avery’s therapeutic methods aren’t conventional.

Thoughts:
I listened to the audiobook version of The Golden Couple. It was narrated by two different women, one Marissa’s point of view and the other Avery’s. Both narrators do a good job, except for when they deepen their voices to resemble the male characters. The male voices sound very bizarre, especially the child’s voice.

As far as the storyline goes, there were so many little things that just rubbed me wrong. Were they important to the story? Probably not, but these things bugged me continuously throughout the story. Here are some examples: 40/10000 is not 1% or 4% (I couldn’t tell which number the narrator said) and she said it a few times; I’ve never known AAA to have such a quick response that you could have all four tires aired up and arrive at your destination in under an hour; the phrase “nice to meet you” was suspicious because two characters said them only a day apart.

I will say that even with the ridiculous incidents, I did want to find out what the big “twist” was going to be. And I had it wrong, so that’s a plus for the plot. But the book wasn’t over, and it just kept going, and going, and going, and another “surprise” hit but it had to do with a background story that could easily have been left out and probably made the book a bit better (and shorter).

Overall, the characters were unlovable and the story was mediocre but it did keep me wanting to know how it ended. So for that it gets 2 stars.

Recommendation:
Did I like this book? Not really.

Rating:
2/5

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook ARC of this title for review.

I admit, I am super picky with thrillers. I think this was a solid 3.5⭐️ read. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book—some things just didn’t land for me personally.

What I enjoyed
-the premise was so good!
-I enjoyed reading these messy characters and about their marriage.
-unethical therapy happening which was a trip to read!
-super quick listen / read
-audiobook was great!

What didn’t land
-the “twist” at the end
-one of the plots revolving the therapist not really going anywhere

When I finished listening to this audiobook I realized I felt there was something missing the entire time. I am lucky enough to have been allowed an advanced copy of this audiobook, but the narration really made it so that I couldn’t get into it before the pub date. As usual, the writing and plot production of this duo had me on the edge of my seat. However, I do need to say that it was not as good as their previous novels. I am not sure if I didn’t like this book as much because of the story or because of the narration.

Marissa is keeping a secret from her husband, Matthew, and she is determined to not let it ruin their perfect marriage. She enlists the counsel of Avery, now a “consultant” because her tactics have cost her her therapist license. Avery claims she can help the Bishops in 10 sessions. But can she still do that if there are more secrets hidden between the couple?

The novel is told from two perspectives: Avery and Marissa’s. Avery’s perspective is told from first person; whereas Marissa’s perspective is told from third person. If you’ve read their previous novels, you know these two are good about including multiple plots and it will have you shocked. That still happens in this novel, but the effect is not as strong.

I read the book entirely via audio format. The audio book is approximately 11 hours and 3 minutes. I read this book because I have read two of Hendricks’ and Pekkanen’s novels before and have become impressed by their writing.

In terms of the plot, I like the book very much. The narration, I did not like so much. I was completely turned off by the voices for each of the protagonists. Sadly, it ruined the experience for me. The writing and story telling was in line with what I’ve come to expect from the two authors. Although, I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by one of their usual tropes - as Michael Scott would say “how the turn tables”.

I would not recommend the audiobook, but I would recommend the actual text.

Narration: 2.5/5
Story: 3.5/5

I’ve never read/listened to work by the authors before but I did lie this book the story was interesting. Definitely a psychological thriller. The narrators did a great job with it.