What a great read! Loved Avery and all she brought forth. I like the weaving of both women's POVs. Perfect combo of discovering the truth while having more surprises to come.

Happy (one date late) release day to this baby!

Over on my BookTube channel, I do a series called Thrill Seeker, where I film dedicated reading vlogs for thrillers to try to find the best and more thrilling books out there. Since I had an audio arc of this one, I decided to do a Thrill Seeker episode on it to publish on its release day! So here is an hour-long reading vlog dedicated to The Golden Couple, if you want to see my thoughts and opinions in real-time: https://youtu.be/Ohz6_BuIUB0

If you'd rather read what I have to say then here it goes:

I can't say I was disappointed by this book because I actually didn't go into it with the highest expectations. I have read two other books by Greer Henricks and Sarah Pekkanen, The Wife Between Us and You Are Not Alone, and both of them were 2.5/3 stars, so I didn't go into this new one thinking it'd be amazing. I was interested to see if they've improved and I wanted to give them another shot so I picked it up. I actually own An Anonymous Girl so at some point, I'll pick that one up too. We'll seeeeeeeeee.

This book just tried to do too much and that's really my main issue with it. There were too many characters and it was attempting to get you with too many red herrings that were OBVIOUS red herrings. Due to the writing style, you instantly knew which path the book was actually going to go down and it kind of gave itself away. There were a billion side characters that made themselves look sketchy at different points and all had their own shit going on that we were told in detail about even though it were almost all irrelevant and it was a LOT to keep track of. I wish there were only a few things going on and that the suspense was really built upon those few things instead of minor suspense on a million different side quests. There were some decent twists and the main one I definitely didn't see coming, but, at that point, you almost feel exhausted as a reader trying to keep up with everything. In the end, everything comes together so nicely and interconnected that you have to suspend your disbelief an enormous amount and I just don't lean towards thrillers like that. I know some people REALLY enjoy unrealistic thrillers and I think those that do would probably enjoy this! But, when I read thrillers, I like it to feel like it could actually happen to me or a neighbor. Realism builds suspense to me! And that's all preference, but I think that's why I've never really gotten on with Hendrick and Pekkanen's books before. They all kind of have that unrealistic type of storyline.

If I didn't already own it, I probably wouldn't even be picking up An Anonymous Girl, but, since I do, we'll have to see how I feel about that one. If it's also average, I think I'll be done with their books moving forward. Whomp whomp. This was enjoyable in some ways, but it's just overall not how I prefer my thrillers to be.

Thank you to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for an advanced audio copy. All thoughts and opinions are, as always, my very own.

I LOVED this book. . I actually stayed up until 3am because I couldn’t stop listening. The characters were all interesting and well developed. It was very well paced and kept me guessing right up through the end.

The Golden Couple by @greerhendricks and @sarahpekkanen is a gripping thriller ! I listened to the audio and it was a pleasure listening to Karissa Vacker’s and Marin Ireland’s narration !

A marriage that seems perfect but has it’s fissures, an unlicensed therapist with her own loaded baggage, a pharmaceutical company trying to cover it’s tracks, a murder from long ago that seemed solved suddenly creeping back to the surface, difficult father - son relationships, admiration to imitation, this book casts a wide net with lots of great domestic thriller tropes !
Matthew and Marissa have it all. A beautiful mansion, happy marriage, successful careers and a cute son! Are they really the “golden couple” they seem to be ??

With trouble in their marriage they visit a recommended but unconventional therapist, who will get completely enmeshed in their lives and help them sort things out in just ten sessions. The Golden Couple is full of lies, betrayal, secrets, and twists that will have you hooked till the end. I couldn’t stop listening - my only gripe was that there was almost too much going on to solve all the strands to my satisfaction so part of the unraveling seemed a little too convenient - but this is not meant as a deterrent, this was great entertainment !

This was an absolutely awesome book! Great story and it was very engaging. I enjoyed listening to it on audio!

I don't even know where to start. I had heard all the buzz about this and figured I would check it out. WOW, was the buzz spot on!
As a story, this was so interesting. The stories of the two women are so well written, they could each be a full fledged story on their own. But put together in their alternating narration - masterful. Neither seemed to overpower the other nor did either take a backseat. I loved both women for all their flaws and ambitions.
Then, the audio. Again, spot on. The two narrators voiced their character exactly as I would have pictured them sounding. Their voices changed perfectly for the different characters in the story and never came across as cloying or fake. Tone and pacing matched what was going on in the story. I found myself hoping that my ride home would take a little longer so that I could hear more.
Great thriller, perfect for the genre.

This thriller hooked me from the start and had lots of twists along the way!

🥀Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
The Bishops seem to have the perfect marriage, until one of them is unfaithful. Therapist Avery Chambers guarantees she can solve her clients issues in only 10 sessions, as long as they agree to her unique methods. But not everyone is being honest, and more than just their marriage is at stake.

🥀I thought I had guessed the ending of this one, but I was way off! I loved the multiple POVs and how the book was broken up into different sections. I didn’t love this one as much as The Wife Between Us, but it was still a wild ride!

Marissa and Matthew have hit a rough patch in their marriage. Marissa has done the unforgivable. She has cheated. And it is something she regrets every day! But, she and Matthew are trying their best to overcome this transgression. They decide to visit a therapist, Avery Chambers. But, Marissa’s fling is not going away as easy as everyone has hoped!

Oh my gosh y’all! This is the best book of the year for me! Talk about twisted! I have been a fan of this team of authors since their very first book. But, this one is their best…hands down!

This story and the characters just keep revolving around each other until you think you know what is going on…but guess what…it is not at all what you think!

The narrators, Karissa Vacker and Marin Ireland are outstanding! Both narrators have a good many books to their credit! And I will be on the look out for more!

Need a book you will finish in one sitting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Great characters and involved storyline. There is a lot of room for guessing the outcome, I figured it out near the end but try enjoyed it. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook

I was about 1/3 of the way through this story before I could really get a feel for what kind of book this was going to be. Avery is a psychologist who haas gone rogue. She lost her license and now she is somewhere between a counselor and a private investigator investigating her own clients. She has come up with a system of helping people through their issues with practices that, well, would make a psychologist lose their license. She definitely crosses lines.

It was helpful to have two narrators. Without them I would have sometimes not been able to remember whose POV we were seeing. Instead of a thriller, this book is more of a drama. There were some twists and turns. A few coincidences. Some unbelievable actions.

This is the perfect road trip book. A cast of characters that you aren’t quite sure are really telling the truth, a quick moving plot, and just enough twist to keep you on the edge until the end.

Marissa and Matthew seem to be the perfect couple, but they each have their secrets. They end up going to therapy to try to fix their relationship, but they choose Avery, an unconventional therapist with secrets of her own….

Like with most thrillers, the less you know going in, the better so I’m going to leave my description there. This was a slow burn that kept me wondering what layers we would peel back next, what additional secrets we had yet to find, and how they would all be connected. I love this author duo and this book was no exception. I loved the dual point of views and I could not put it down. Also, the DC area setting was a major plus - I loved reading about familiar places!

I had both the audio and physical books and really enjoyed the audiobook narrators. I was so captivated whenever I was listening.

Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copies.

I received this ARC audiobook from NetGalley. Marissa and Matthew begin marriage counseling with an unorthodox therapist, Avery. Lots of twists and turns in this book! I was constantly changing my opinion of every character throughout the story.

Starts strong reeling me in. The snags start around 50%. I don't spoil or repeat the synopsis. There was a stretch of boredom while being further distracted with thoughts of where have I read this. This character dynamic has been done too many times. The story was closing and there is a clever scene. That small bit saved the book from ending on a sour note. The book is just okay.

The narration was not over the top nor did it take away or enhance the book.

Thank you NetGalley for accepting my request to read and review The Golden Couple.

Book 38 for 2022! 3.5/5 stars for this adult mystery read. Probably my least favorite read from this author duo so far, but still entertaining. I went in not knowing anything about the story, and think that's probably best. Love the cover! Narration was great

This is my second reading of this title. I first read and reviewed a digital copy and my review follows below, unchanged.

This time I listened to the audiobook and was newly enthralled. The narrators did a wonderful job of bringing me right (back) into Avery’s (first-person) and Marissa’s (second-person) narratives with their clear, melodic voices and engaging, consistent performances.. It was as if the story were new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed each minute, each short compulsive chapter, of the re-listening..

Original review for digital copy:
Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are a favorite author pair for me and I have read everything from the duo.
This domestic thriller received only one star less than their other books from me. It contains my favored dual point-of-view protagonists, a twisty, short-chapter unraveling of the narrative, lots of domestic deceit, and good character development of The Golden Couple Marissa and Matthew, and their “consultant”/defiled therapist, Avery.
This book for me slightly lacked the sharp thriller bite of their previous books, though. I was never *really* afraid for Marissa or Avery; and the ending, while providing satisfactory answers to the plot questions, was not explosive. I had also expected a darker reveal in Avery (though I loved her happy dog-adoption experience!).
Still a solid four-star read. Thank you to the authors, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for the ARC read. I will always be grateful to read anything by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen.

The Golden Couple is such a bingeable, pulse-pounding listen! I’m not going to say it’s satisfying watching cracks form in a seemingly perfect relationship facade, but I’m not not going to say it. It’s oddly comforting to see a transformation from golden couple to what, I don't know, a tarnished silver couple?

Marissa and Matthew Bishop are seemingly the perfect couple, but underneath the surface it’s anything but. Marissa is a successful business owner, and Matthew (I can’t quite remember, something fancy?) Their relationship is running on fumes, fueled mostly by their shared love of their 8-year-old son. The two find themselves reaching out to a somewhat controversial Washington therapist. Avery Chambers has lost her professional license, but still takes on clients for counseling through some unusual methods of helping. The Bishops are working to right their relation-ship, but right away, their fracture grows even deeper when Marissa reveals she’s been unfaithful. It sets a wild and crazy chain of events into motion that will forever link this trio. I love how the paths intersected, further tangling the web of lies.

I was nearly frantic by the end of the book, desperate to know answers. This duo expertly crafted many, many layers to this book, and each time one was stripped away it felt immensely satisfying. Their pacing is also phenomenal, and they know how to throw in an interesting twist at every turn. They remain a favorite, must-buy author duo!

I especially loved listening to the audio version of The Golden Couple. Narrated alternately by Karissa Vacker and Marin Ireland, the duo matched the sometimes frenetic (in the best possible way,) pacing of the plot. The dual narrators were a treat in a book that was already exceeding high expectations! At 10.5 hours, you’ll gladly binge this story. Thanks to MacMillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for an ALC via NetGalley Shelf.

If Avery Chambers isn't confident she can fix your problems using her ten session method then she won't start seeing you at all. She lost her license to be a therapist so she can use unconventional measures to get to the bottom of your problems. When she takes Marissa and Matthew Bishop on she is confident their issues will be solved easily, until the Bishops start revealing their secrets and Avery needs to figure out what is fact and fiction.

This quick thriller, told in alternating perspectives from Avery and Marissa, reads quick and additively. I really enjoyed having different narrators for the two characters helping me keep their parts separate.

I did guess the big twist before it was revealed, and looking back there were a few predictable parts, but sometimes that's exactly what you need in a read like this. Even though I thought I knew where the story was going, I needed to know what was coming next and to see my suspicions confirmed.

I haven't read anything by this author duo before, and I'll be looking out for their other books.

3.5 stars rounded to 3.

This book just wasn't really for me. I typically love this author duo's books but something about this one fell a bit flat. I think there were too many directions we were going that it took away from the grand reveal when it came down to it.

This book kept me on my toe every step of the way. Navigating through Marissa and Matthew's marriage and the connections they shared with the other characters throughout the book was a whirlwind of surprise and I enjoyed every moment of it.