Ok, not the most original and thought out thriller but it read like candy to my ears and was so digestible and entertaining for a quick read!
This was just what I needed to transition between heavier reads.

Real fast I wanna thank Kubica for the rep of macular degeneration because I thought of my own mother while reading that and relating to it because I also do a lot to help mi madre with shopping and to the dr every 3 months for her eye injections and I read her the 2 paragraph description of the diagnosis and she said that is exactly what she sees and feels! Props for that. However mi madre y mi esposo have a great relationship unlike these two characters who dislike each other!

Like I said previously this isn't the most original storyline and there were definitely some plot holes and areas for more details but I had fun so respect.

I can see a lot of my patrons loving this. Fast-paced, propulsive, and fraught, it had something for everyone.

I want to start out by admitting that I love, love, love Mary Kubica’s book Local Woman Missing. It currently sits in my top five favorite books ever. So, full disclosure, I came into this expecting to love this book. Mary Kubica… did not disappoint.

Right off the book is so exhilarating. Action from moment one. It’s that glimpse at the beginning of a movie before the story jumps back to show you how you got there. I love the suburban setting we usually find ourselves in when you read Kubica novels. They typically are in a setting where it could be your real life neighbor, which makes them all more suspenseful. What if this was my neighbors? Creepy! While normally I would not love the jumping around of characters, I actually found I really liked seeing this from the different perspectives, just like I did in Local Woman Missing. It’s interesting how people look at the same situation differently and how they react. We read from Nina, Lily and Christian’s perspectives throughout most of the book, and I really enjoyed Christian. I enjoyed all of them, but Christian may be my favorite. His brain went right to problem solving and I related to him the most.

Just like in Local Woman Missing, Kubica had me thinking I knew the outcome of this until I realized I did not. When the big reveal came, I literally said out loud, No way! And the funny thing is, I expected that. Each time I thought I had it solved, I second guessed myself because I knew Kubica was going to throw a wrench in my outcome. She came through! Yet another shocking ending and a great suspense thriller all the way to the very end. I know this book is just coming out, but I cannot wait for the next one. An absolute must-read and in my top books of 2023… and we are only a few days in!

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Just the Nicest Couple

Author: Mary Kubica

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Recommended For...: thriller, mystery, suspense, whodunit

Publication Date: January 10, 2023

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Age Relevance: 16+ (alcohol consumption, pregnancy, miscarriage, murder, gore, cursing, rape, illness, religion, violence)

Explanation of Above: There is only one mention of rape but nothing stated to be true and nothing specifically wrote about it. There are scenes with alcohol consumption. There are scenes and mentions of pregnancy and miscarriage. There is a murder, some blood gore shown, and violence with weapons and physical strength. There is cursing in this book. There are showings and mentions of illnesses, specifically Alzheimer’s and cancer being the more prevalent in the novel. The Christian religion is mentioned in the book a bit.

Publisher: Park Row

Pages: 320

Synopsis: Two couples, two close friends, one missing husband…

Jake Hayes is missing. This much is certain. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks he is blowing off steam at a friend’s house after their heated fight the night before. But then a day goes by. Two days. Five. And Jake is still nowhere to be found.

Lily Scott, Nina’s friend and coworker, thinks she may have been the last to see Jake before he went missing. After Lily confesses everything to her husband, Christian, the two decide that nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jake’s disappearance, especially not Nina. But Nina is out there looking for her husband, and she won’t stop until the truth is discovered.

Review: The book was very surprising to me. I don’t normally have a loss of words by the end of a thriller, but this one took my breath away. I loved the book and how twisty the story was. The book executed the multi POV perfectly and I loved all of the characters in the book. The book also had some excellent commentary on memory recollection and showed how hard it is to get away with a crime nowadays with the multitude of devices we have at our beck and call. The book also has a surprise twist at the end, so let me know if you guessed it or not!

The only issue I had with the book is that I wished the world building was a bit better.

Verdict: It was great! Loved it!

Just the Nicest Couple is told in dual POV, bouncing back and forth between Nina, whose husband is missing, and Christian, whose wife may have something to do with it. Both characters were an exercise in frustration, and I found myself talking to them more often than not. (Yes, I talk to the characters, especially when they do things I don't want them to.) Needless to say, these two did several things I didn't want them to. Nina doesn't go too far out there, and at least she does have reason to be unreliable - her husband is missing. Christian, though, drove me to distraction. I understand why he makes so many mistakes, but I really wanted to give him a good shake and tell him to just stop and think. Of course, this would've been a much different story had the characters listened to me. There are several intriguing twists, some expected and some not, and I'll admit that I only suspected the reveal right before it happened. Then, I beat myself up a bit because I should've seen that one coming. I'll stop there before I give something away. Suffice it to say that, yes, the characters drove me crazy, but when a story keeps me that riled up, it also keeps my attention. So, if you're looking for a quick suspense story, this one is a good way to while away a weekend.

Just the Nicest Couple is Mary Kubica’s latest domestic thriller and it’s a good one! This is a story about two couples: one who knows more than they lead others to believe, and the other a wife and her missing husband. The story revolves around the missing husband and is told in dual POVs from the wives’ perspective. We know SOMETHING happened to him, but we aren’t quite sure what. And as the story progresses and the search continues readers are given tidbits of information leading up to the final twist!

I love Mary’s thrillers; they have become comfort reads for me. Her characters are easily relatable, and she continuously surprises me with the twists. In this one, I had a hunch about what really happened and even though my hunch was correct watching it be revealed in the way it was felt exciting! The ending is a little choppy and sort of gives you rapid information about what happens next, but it worked for me. I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

If you’ve enjoyed the authors previous novels, then you won’t want to miss this one. It’s a quick novel and I was able to binge it in one sitting!


𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• Domestic Thrillers and Suspense
• Mysteries
• The authors previous novels

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Cindy from @thoughtsfromapage and @parkrowbooks for my e-ARC of JUST THE NICEST COUPLE! I also picked up the audiobook from the library since Brittany Pressley is one of my fave thriller narrators!

Pub date: 1/10/23 - happy belated pub day!
Quick plot summary: When Nina's husband Jake goes missing, she confides in her friend Lily. But Lily has a secret of her own - she may have been the last person to see Jake alive.

I was glued to this book as soon as I started reading it. I love books about couples with secrets, and the pages practically turned themselves. The format also lent itself really well to audio, as each chapter covered a single character's perspective, so it was easy to keep track of the goings on. There were plenty of little twists leading up to the big reveal - I know some readers didn't love the ending, but I thought it was a solid and surprising conclusion to the story!

I also loved the 320 page length of this one - quick thrillers are my jam! If you need a popcorn thriller, keep this one in mind. I'll also take this chance to plug my favorite book from Kubica, LOCAL WOMAN MISSING.

I wanted to like Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica, but while there were a few good points, I was largely disappointed. The premise was good, but the execution felt like it was lacking. I think the biggest sticking point for me was that Christian had a prominent voice, but he was actually a passive character in the bigger scheme of things. That left too much room for his internal monologues, which essentially stopped any action. There were also parts where the writing felt very elementary like this was an early novel from the author that is now seeing the light of day due to her success. Regardless, while this book was not for me, others may have a different experience. I will continue to look for new releases from her, as everyone can have an off time at any point. This review was written based on a digital copy of the book from Harlequin Trade Publishing/ Park Row.

𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒑𝒍𝒆 by @marykubica
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: Jan 10 (today!)

Okay. Wow. I did not expect I could finish a thriller book in a 24 hour period and on a weekday too! But once I started reading it, it was honestly so hard for me to put it down. Literally I was holding this book until I fall asleep 😂

I haven’t read Local Woman Missing yet but I’ve seen amazing reviews for that one so when I got sent this copy, I was so excited to read it! Thanks @harpercollins for this book!

Okay so basically we have two couples in the story:
Jake is married to Nina
Christian is married to Lily
Nina and Lily are work friends and that’s how the couples knew each other
Lily is pregnant and likes getting her exercise by walking. She was in her favorite park when she saw Jake one Monday morning.
Lily then finds out that Jake had been missing since then and that she is possibly the last person to have seen him…

I mean this book is the definition of suspense!! I am not the type of reader who enjoys long internal monologue but even that did not bother me with this one. Some can be repetitive thoughts for me but I guess the author was showcasing the buildup of paranoia in the characters’ minds.

It’s the type of book where every detail matters! It was so much fun trying to figure out the whodunit part of it as we follow the police in investigating Jake’s disappearance.

I have to say though that some of the decision making done by the characters in the book can be very frustrating lol it’s like I wanted to get inside the book, shake their shoulders, and tell them “you are not supposed to do that!!” 😂

I felt so many emotions while reading this: I got spooked by the forest preserve setup, I got stressed with all the poor judgment lol, and it kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time until I got to that ending - which I also did not see coming 😂 If you have read this, please DM me! Let’s talk about that ending! 😂

If you are looking for a suspenseful domestic thriller, you definitely have to pick this one up!

I enjoy Ms Kubrica's work & her latest, "Just the Nicest Couple" is no exception. While I think the pacing was a bit off in this one - slow start & a galloping finish, I did not see the ending coming & found the resolution and twists very satisfying & enjoyable. I also appreciated that there were not so many characters that you couldn't follow it, as is often the case. Recommend. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced digital copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own...

Lily has a secret. She was the last to see Jake alive. As a matter of fact, she thinks she is the one who killed him. She and her husband have an elaborate plan to cover all of this up. But it all starts to fall apart and Jake’s wife, Nina, knows something is not right and she is not going to give up!

I hate it when a story has stupid characters. I felt Lily and her husband, Christian were extremely dumb. Trying to cover up a “supposed” murder. This just did not sit well with me…but as the story unfolded, it all became clear. And I come back to my favorite saying… “what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!”

I absolutely loved Local Woman Missing. And this book started out and was just ok. However, the ending is what made the whole book for me! I may talk about stupid characters…but I was a bit surprised. You need to read this to find out.

There are places where the author is redundant. She repeats the same phrase a couple of pages over. Now, this is an ARC. So, the final edits may not have been finished yet. It is just something I noticed.

Need a story with a wicked twist…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

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

This was a quick and easy read. You think you have the two main couples figured out, but there is so much under the surface happening. I enjoyed reading it, and the twist was interesting. I’ve recently gotten back into reading mystery/thrillers and this was another good one for 2023.

I can't review too much without spoiling but I really enjoyed this book. I love domestic thrillers and this had me hooked from the first page. I felt like it was well paced and developed nicely. I was genuinely surprised at the ending.

The Story

Just the Nicest Couple tells the story of a chance encounter in the woods gone wrong and forces us to ask ourselves how far we'd go to protect the people we love.

When Nina Hayes's husband, Jake, doesn't come home one night, she assumes it's because he needs space after their argument. But when one night turns into multiple, she starts to worry and begins searching for him.

Convinced she is the last person to have seen Jake before he disappeared, Lily Scott begins to panic. She and her husband, Christian, are desperate to keep this information a secret and they are willing to do whatever it takes to keep it quiet. As the circumstances around Jake's disappearance become increasingly sinister, Lily and Christian work harder to distance themselves from the Hayes. But, the harder they work, the further entrenched in the mystery they become until there is no other way out but through.

The Review

Mary Kubica has gone and done it again.

My love for Kubica's work has only grown with each new novel of hers that I read. The first book I read by Kubica was When the Lights Go Out, which was good. Not great, but good. Then, I read Local Woman Missing, and I was hooked. After Local Woman Missing, I was so excited to read Just the Nicest Couple, and let me tell you—it did not disappoint.

Kubica is the literary equivalent of a roller coaster engineer, taking readers on a journey where twists and turns are inevitable and the stomach-churning drops appear seemingly out of nowhere. She is a thrill-master, and Just the Nicest Couple was well worth the ticket to ride.

If you're a literary thrill-seeker like myself, add this one to your TBR and make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened. It will leave you breathless, possibly a little queasy, and absolutely desperate for more.

Thanks so much to Harlequin and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

As Mary Kubica's twist domestic suspense novel Just the Nicest Couple opens, a woman is running through the woods as some unkown person is chasing her. Who is she and who is she running from?

Christian, a financial analyst, comes home from work to find his wife Lily exhausted in a chair. Lily is a high school math teacher and she is pregnant, in her first trimester. They are thrilled to be having a baby, but after a few miscarriages, they are also cautious.

Although he is concerned that Lily is more tired than usual, Christian dotes on his wife and offers to bring her dinner in bed so she can rest. Lily seems overly worried that the doors are locked, she thinks she sees something or someone outside their home.

Nina is a teacher at Lily's school and her husband Jake is a reknowned neurosurgeon. Nina and Jake have a fight one morning, and when Jake storms off and doesn't return home from work, Nina thinks he is staying at a hotel to punish her.

But when Jake's hospital calls to find out why he has missed appointments with patients, Nina goes to the police to report him missing. Word about Jake gets around, and Lily tells Christian that she saw Jake in the wooded area where she was taking a walk and shares what happened when they spoke.

Christian and Lily decide that no one can know what happened between Lily and Jake that day. And so begins a series of bad decisions they make that could have far reaching repercussions. Nina doesn't think that the police are doing enough to find Jake, so she begins searching for answers herself.

Nina and Jake and Christian and Lily are couple friends- they have been out to dinner together, at each other's homes, at school functions together. But how well do they really know each other?

There are a lot of secrets in Just the Nicest Couple, and just when you think you know what has happened, Mary Kubica throws in some twists that most readers (including myself- one of those twists really comes out of left field) did not see coming. She expertly builds the tension in some key scenes that are just made for a good TV movie.

If you are fan of twisty suspense novels that keep you turning the pages to see what happens next, Just the Nicest Couple is one not to miss.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Winter 2023 Mystery/Thriller Blog Tour.

I was eagerly anticipating Mary Kubica's latest book, Just the Nicest Couple, as I had thoroughly enjoyed her previous work, Local Woman Missing.

The blurb sounds like such an intriguing story, missing husband, friends with secrets and a search for the truth. It started off strong, but quickly shifted to a slow-paced mystery, not the thriller I anticipated. There were a few twists and odd characters but ultimately the red herrings, lack of tension, and somewhat predictable ending left me feeling disappointed.

I am still willing to give Mary Kubica another chance, this being my 2nd read of hers. Fingers crossed this is just a one off.

My thanks to Park Row Books for providing me with a digital ARC (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Just the Nicest Couple is a slow burn thriller with an intriguing premise and unique storytelling. The book is about Nina’s husband, Jake, who goes missing and Nina’s coworker/friend, Lily, who thinks she may have been the last to see Jake and is desperate to hide the fact. The reason this story is unique is that despite the conflict happening between Jake and Lily, the whole story is told through the lens of Nina and Lily’s husband, Christian.

For most of this book Kubica keeps up a frantic pace of keeping the reader guessing what was going on and where the story is going to go. However, the latter half of the book things began to unravel for me. Mostly because I wanted this book to go in a different direction and I had an idea of what I thought the perfect ending would be. So it’s probably no surprise that I wasn’t really a fan of the actual resolution to the story.

I thought Christian was a great morally grey character and I think Kubica did a great job making his motivations and actions believable. I do have to say that I’m not sure how I feel about Kubica using Lily and Christian’s history of early pregnancy loss into a plot device. The topic of miscarriage is very heavy with this story so please be aware of that going in. It made sense with the story and it is something that people deal with but it felt a little odd to see it being used to explain things away.

Overall, this was an interesting thriller that started off strong but ultimately went in a direction that I didn’t love. I did enjoy my time reading it though and it was engaging enough that I flew through it in a few sittings. I think fans of the thriller genre will enjoy the unusual storytelling and captivating writing.

Thrillers are my primary genre right now, and I’ve really enjoyed other Mary Kubica books I’ve read, especially The Other Mrs. This book tells the story of missing neurosurgeon Jake from the perspectives of his wife Nina and acquaintance Jake. The book starts off slow but picks up the pace about a third of the way through so that I was thoroughly invested. There were several interesting twists, but the buildup to the last two in the wrap up of the story was minimal and they were a little underwhelming. The characters of Nina and Christian were well-developed but the other characters just fell squarely into genre tropes and were a little one note. Overall I enjoyed this quick, fun read and recommend it, but it’s not a favorite.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for the copy of this book.

Just the Nicest Couple is another excellent domestic suspense thriller from Mary Kubica. While Local Woman Missing still tops my list for her books, this was a solid, bingeable read involving spouses, friends, murder, sneaking around, and covering things up. I didn’t guess multiple twists in this book, which I always love, and it will keep me coming back to Mary for more.

Read if you like:
- domestic suspense
- multiple twists
- bingeable thrillers
- questionable characters

I enjoyed this suspense story and was surprised at the ending. I did think it got a little long winded in the middle to keep the story going but I loved the ending. I really liked all the characters and felt bad for them all. I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.