The writing was confusing. The characters were not people I liked. I just couldn't get into this one. Not at all my cup of tea.

Description 🔖

Alice is a well respected defence solicitor and until very recently her life was going exactly as she thought it should. But then her marriage breaks down and her immediate reaction is to shut off. Conveniently, she receives a mysterious request for a meeting from a potential client and so welcomes the distraction and the chance to get out of London.

After meeting with Luke, Alice ends up getting much more than she bargained for. A new relationship and whole lot of risk. Both of them have secrets. Both of them are in too deep to go backwards.

General Thoughts 🤔

This book was definitely a thinker. I spent so much time finishing a chapter and then just pausing to ponder over what had happened and what I thought would happen next. There were so many twists and turns and I saw nearly none of them coming. As a result, I had a constant feeling of unease whilst reading and it never seemed to simmer. I always felt like something really bad was about to happen.

Characters 👫👭👬

The main characters in the story were Alice and Luke. I felt quite impartial about Alice; I didn’t love her but I didn’t hate her either. She was a cold woman but she recognised that trait in herself and she had good reason for constantly having her guard up. Although Luke was probably the less likeable out of the two of them, I think I empathised with him a little more for some reason. His background and upbringing didn’t give him the best start in life and I think he was a product of that.

I’m not sure that the two of them were healthy for each other, but somehow it seemed to work. Whether or not I think that something could last between them in the long term, whether it be as friends or otherwise, I’m really not sure.

Writing Style ✍️

The timing and pacing of this book was everything and I love that the author was able to make me feel tense the entire way through. There wasn’t really a climatic build up to something, it genuinely was just constant for me and it was that which kept me turning the pages.

I also appreciate this authors ability to write complex characters with undesirable sides to them, but keep them likeable and not turn them into villains. I think there is a fine line between the two and this book was able to walk that line successfully.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. I haven’t seen an awful amount of publicity on the usual channels/sites about The Secret Couple and I think it deserves more visibility. This is a perfect book for a Saturday night in, with a glass of wine when you feel like being taken along on a ride that will make you feel uneasy, tense and excited all at the same time.

Firstly I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for my copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This book had me hooked from the prologue… it was so tense and descriptive that I felt like I couldn’t breath…

This was such an incredible read, it started off slow paced, setting the scene and then became fast and pacey…


It definitely gave me the feels of being on a rollercoaster. This book was filled with secrets and you never knew when one was about to come spilling out!

Filled to the brim with abuse, secrets, lies, violence. manipulation, jealousy, lust and love!!

I think anyone would find it hard not to feel connected to these characters and their secretive ways.

Absolutely fantastic! This book tied me in knots. I started out thinking one way, then another, back to the first and then the end, and by then my head was spinning. What a twisty story. Loved it, would highly highly recommend.

Thank you net galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review

This book is about 2 people each with a tortured past. Both Alice a defense solicitor and Luke a victim of horrendous violence. One has almost moved on with her life until her new husband had a secret affair and the other is still beset with his demons . The 2 people meet on a collision course after Alice received an ominous cryptic email asking her to meet Luke in Bath. A series of events has been set in motion and a relationship based on secrets and lies. Nothing is what it seems .

This was a complicated story, not one for the feint hearted. This book will keep you on your toes and you will be reading deep into the night to unravel the mystery on the whole a well written psychological thriller 4 stars

The beginning of this story is compelling and intriguing. Then the plot moves to Alice, a solicitor meeting an anonymous prospective client in Bath. The meeting is strange, and it establishes Alice as an unreliable protagonist. She has an abusive past and is an alcoholic, but she advocates for those who others would turn away. The atmosphere becomes increasingly claustrophobic as you wonder about her relationship with Luke and the secrets they hide. The suspense intensifies with each page turn, and the twists are impactful.

Whilst the characters have many unlikeable traits, they are relatable and believably flawed. I like the plot's originality and the increasingly dark and menacing ethos it achieves.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you to HarperCollins, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! I have discovered a new favorite author, and I am looking up her previous books now! The Secret Couple by J. S. Lark is an unputdownable psychological thriller. The story revolves around Alice, who makes a living defending women from violent and abusive men. She's getting tired of her significant other, Joseph, who she's caught cheating on her. One day, she meets a handsome and mysterious man. The only catch is, he is a potential client, and it seems like he wants her to take on his case. Can Alice mix work with pleasure?

Here is a chilling excerpt from the Prologue:

"A shaking hand lifts and lowers the mask to sit beneath the old man’s chin. The bones in his cheek and jaw protrude under the paper-white, wrinkled skin. ‘What …’ A long slow intake of breath follows. ‘Are …’ Another horrible breath. But despite the difficulty, the edge in his voice expresses suspicion. ‘You … doing?’ He should be scared.
His fingers lift the mask, reclaiming the oxygen.
The reaper’s hand grips his, stopping the mask from covering his mouth and nose. There’s no strength in the bony hand or the arm trying to resist the reaper’s hold. He’s a skeleton, skin and bone with no muscle or flesh.
The old man’s pupils flare, glistening dark onyx beads in the centre of his eyes reflecting tiny mirror images of the reaper leaning closer, capturing the moment he knows he’s going to die."

Overall, The Secret Couple is a well-written, smart thriller that will appeal to fans of The Silence Patient or An Anonymous Girl. Just like those other books, this one is clearly written by an intelligent author who doesn't go for cheap scares over actual psychological issues. One highlight of this book is the main character, Alice, who is a strong female protagonist. Another highlight of this book is the non-stop suspense. This is a real page-turner, and I was absolutely blindsided by the monumental twist. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of thrillers in general, you won't regret checking out this book, which is available now!

This is my first book by this author so I was very interested to read it. I love the cover and the premise. The book starts with Alice being called to meet a new client, not really sure what the client wants. Alice is just days after leaving her husband, who works in the same firm as her. It’s a dual POV with plenty of twists. My favorite part was the ending. It was so unexpected and made me rethink the whole book. It was great!

Alice Johnston is a well-respected solicitor for Dunston and Drew Defense Lawyers. Her husband, Joseph, another solicitor, has just confessed to having an affair with another woman.

When she gets an email from an anonymous person asking for her help, she is intrigued. This person has requested that she travel to Bath and they will meet in a hotel bar. After waiting for awhile, she realizes the person who contacted is Luke, a bartender. He says he wants her to represent him for something he wants to do.

As Alice and Luke get to know one another, they drink a lot. Alice can hold a lot of liquor. They spark a romance that goes despite the fact that she is 10 years older than he is.

Luke and his brother Ryan were abused by their parents and ended up in foster homes. It has been quite awhile since they have been together and finally that happens. Their parents are elderly and ill and they want nothing to do with them. But when both of their parents are murdered, the police want to know if the sons had something to do with it.

This is a very dark and depressing story. There are many twists but all in all I did not care for Alice or Luke. Two losers. Not a book that I would recommend.

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

An okay book. It couldn’t hold my interest for long periods of time. It was good for a short distraction.

I saw the blurb and really wanted to read this. It doesn’t give much away and I like that. I like the cover. It is the sort of book that I would pick up in a shop.

I did think it had a bit of a slow start. The amount of time spent on Alices time in Bath and the description of every little thing they did. Luke. I was annoyed how much of a leech he was being with her money. I didn’t really like any of the characters to be honest. I understand that background is needed to set a story up but it felt a bit much.

Then it got to the last 10% and I enjoyed it more. I didn’t see the link coming and I love that about a book. I then realised maybe if I’d paid more attention to the blurb I may have clicked but I’m glad I didn’t.

I don’t want it to sound like I’m down on the book. It was well written and I enjoyed it enough but I think this book could have been shortened some.

#blogtour

Well that was a lot different than I thought it would be?! This book had many twists and turns! It also has suspense, intrigue, and a bit of a who done it! The storyline was very interesting and went in a direction that was not as I suspected! It was a great thriller! It was different from any book I've read! I will definitely recommend reading this one! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Alice has left her husband after he cheated on her. Then she meets Luke, an incredibly sexy man that seems to care deeply about her. Not everything is as it seems, Luke is keeping something from her, he has a past but Alice has it too…
This book will keep you in suspense, screaming, not being able to put it down until YOU KNOW THE TRUTH!

The blurb gives next to no info about the plot of this book so I won't spoil anything either. Suffice to say, this was a twisty thriller that kept me reading to find out what would happen next. A solid read.

This book has a lot of twists and turns and some red herrings thrown in to keep you guessing till the end.

I really struggled to like the characters but I just couldn’t find a connection. They seemed too contrived to feel sympathy for them. The plot was good but the book seemed way too long and I found myself browsing to get to another interesting part.

I received the book via NetGalley from One More Chapter. I truly appreciate receiving the ARC of this ebook.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Took a while for me to see where this one was heading, but it had some thrills along the way. Solidly average- 3.5 rounded up

I read this brilliant book over two days. I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. I alternated between whether I liked the two main characters, Alice and Luke, or not but totally understood their reasoning behind their actions. The supporting characters were described really well and I got a real sense of how they felt about Alice and Luke. Twists and turns, how everyone was connected and the pace made this a great read. The topics of domestic violence and childhood abuse were very sensitively covered. I also thought that the other acts of violence written weren’t too graphic with lots being left to the imagination.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review and thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for the opportunity.

A unique thriller that kept me guessing till the end. The protagonist, Alice, is quite annoying - she was in an abusive and controlling relationship previously and yet falls for a man who controls and betrays her repeatedly (Luke.)

The story falls flat halfway through but picks up pace towards the end. The twist at the end is unexpected. I was hooked on to the story - I was curious to see how things end for Alice - will she realize her mistake?

Overall, this was an okay read.

This book isn't reinventing the wheel and the storh isn't the most original but it's really well written and kept me heeked never the less. The twists aren't shocking but I still really enjoyed it. I felt it kept up a good pace and kept me wanting to see what happened next. A prefect easy summer read

The title was intriguing enough to get me to read and I am glad I did - very well written with lots of twists and turns and great characters - very well paced book that get me gripped throughout