Just the Nicest Couple follows two couples as one of them goes missing. Nina and Jake get in a fight and then he leaves for work. When he doesn't come home after a day Nina starts to worry. As the days tick by Nina becomes increasingly worried. Their friend Lily is keeping a secret. She believes she was the last to see Jake. Lily and her husband, Christian, try to figure out what happened the day Jake went missing. Secrets and lives start to unravel. This was a really boring story. The twist wasn't unique and it wasn't anything exciting.

This was a slow burn thriller with lots of action at the end. NOne of the twists I saw coming and one I didn't. But it was well written and intriguing enough that I enjoyed it. Just wish the ending had been a little more worth the slow burn.

This was an odd book. I didn't really feel like I liked it, or disliked it. It held my attention all the way to the end but it was just so-so.

This is now my favorite Mary Kubica book! Every other book of hers that I've read starts out slowly but becomes thrilling and suspenseful. This one didn't take any time at all to have me hooked!

*Possible spoiler warning*:

As I was reading, it seemed like a typical "cat and mouse" game between Christian & Lily, and Nina. The truth really shocked me though and I thought the ending was great and satisfying. I didn't really like Lily, she kind of annoyed me, and I was glad Christian finally came to his senses with her.

The story involves two couples and Jake, Nina’s husband, goes missing. Each chapter is told by a different character and I always enjoy that format to know what each person is thinking. This was a fast read and it kept me guessing until the end. I will definitely read more from Mary Kubica. Thank you to Net Galley and Park Row books for the early ebook. Available January 10.

I am a sucker for popcorn thrillers and Just the Nicest Couple was right up my alley. When I tell you I was on the EDGE of my seat for this one... What a ride! I loved the mystery, angst and deception as well as the the dual POV.

Kubica leaves readers with a breadcrumb trail of clues and even then, when I thought I had figured it out - the multiple twists hit... and boy was I wrong. I binged this one in a matter of hours and I am so excited to pre-order a physical copy to have on my shelf. If you enjoyed Local Woman Missing, don't miss Just the Nicest Couple. What a great book to kick of 2023 with!

Thank you to the publisher for my early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I absolutely loved this book; I finished it in one day because I just could not put it down. If you are looking for a book to keep you reading and guessing the whole time, then this is it!

A perfect thriller to kick off the new year! Mary Kubica's latest is a twisty work that will keep you guessing until the very end. An excellent read!

I keep hoping that I’m going to like an MK book but I never do…. They never pull me in and the writing feels bland and the plot never seems enough.

Its no surprise that @marykubica is my all-time favorite author. She can do no wrong in my eyes! She is the QUEEN of domestic thrillers. 👑
 
I loved that this was set in Chicago. I lived there until I was eight, and still remember some of the landmarks mentioned in this story which was fun! (Lake Shore Drive what what?!) I was sucked in right away and felt that the twists and ending were done well. I liked that the ending was not all sunshine and roses but made sense to real life.
 
My favorite thing about Mary’s writing is that it isn’t over complicated. It is realistic and the motives/decisions by her characters feel like something I could potentially do. I mean-“fuck” is on the first page. Couldn’t have asked for something more truthful lol 🤭This was enjoyable and it entertained me for the evening which was perfect!👏🏼

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica is a recommended domestic thriller.

Lily Scott is pregnant and she and Christian, her husband are thrilled but keeping it a secret due to her past miscarriages. Through the high school where she works with Nina, they have become friends with another couple, Nina and Dr. Jack Hayes. When Jack doesn't come home one night and then it becomes clear that he is missing after two days, Nina shares her concerns with Lily. Lily has some bigger concerns, which she shares with Christian. She knows why Jack might be missing and thinks she might be responsible.

Once the premise is set into place after a strong opening, the pace becomes rather lethargic in this novel, which is uncharacteristic of a novel by Kubica. It will keep you entertained. Things are done, subterfuge occurs, and events happen, all of which keep the narrative moving, but even when you know there could be some serious consequences for actions taken, nothing feels that serious. It is a quick read and there is a surprising twist at the end.

Perhaps the hesitation over this novel is the characters which never felt fully realized to me. It could also be in the writing style used in this novel - a lot of short brief sentences with repetition of the same information. Just the Nicest Couple isn't a bad novel, I would certainly still recommend it, but Kubica has written better novels. Fans who follow her work will want to read this one anyway.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Park Row Books.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Google Books, Edelweiss, and Amazon.

Two women that are both friends and colleagues, teaching at the same high school. Both with seemingly happy marriages, that is until one husband goes missing. Is the disappearance a pouting husband after a marital fight or is there something more sinister at play? A great premise for a story.

There is a messy start with the writing that evened out halfway through then seemed to fall off in quality toward the end. Lots of expectations to suspend belief to the point of eye rolling from this reader. Not my favorite from Ms. Kubica.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.

I received Just The Nicest Couple as a grab-a-galley request and accessed via NetGalley. All opinions are mine.

What in the world? This one took me by surprise and not in the best way. Seemed so far fetched and implausible at the start. Nothing added up. Was that the point?

Then it gets even more out there. Would normal people react the way Nina, Lily and Christian do? But throughout reading I’m thinking, where is stupid Jake? Is he really dead, or this a Gone Girl sitch? Ha. The ending came out of nowhere and seemed so rushed! It was like then this happened, ok the end.

I can’t call it a loser because I zipped through the thing in one day even though some of the time I was yelling out “This makes no sense! No one would do that!” Solid 3 stars from me because it held my interest for sure. I had to see where she’d take this one. Not my favorite Kubica but if you’re looking for a fast paced, easy thriller, this works.

Thank you to net Galley and Park Row Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have to say that quite often I'm able to figure out who the "bad guy" is long before the story ends so, when I'm presented with a masterpiece like this one where I'm surprised completely by the unveiling, I get pretty excited about it. I really enjoyed the two POVs presented with the narrators and found myself really invested in both sides of the story which is probably exactly why I was completely blindsided! So, so good and I can't wait to read more from this brilliant author!

Mary Kubica has done it again. Just the Nicest Couple is every bit as compelling as one of my favorite reads from last year, Local Woman Missing.

I absolutely loved the dynamic of the two couples in the novel. And though I’ve seen other reviewers criticize Ms. Kubica’s writing style in this novel, I thought that the stream of consciousness quality of the narration added to the suspenseful nature of the story. I also loved the duel POV, unreliable narration. It was a nice, subtle differentiation from many other books of this genre.

I found myself reading into the night because I simply had to know what happened to Jake, and I wasn’t at all disappointed when I found out.

*A special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a non-biased review*

Short synopsis: Nina’s husband Jake goes missing, and Christian’s wife Lilly just might have something to do with it.

My thoughts: This was a twisty thriller with the big reveal not happening until the very last pages. Some of it was somewhat obvious to me, but the big twist while not completely original did come as an unexpected surprise.

This is told from the POV of both the spouses of the victim and the last person known to be with him, which made the telling interesting and unique.

I was gripped from the very first pages and was very anxious to find out what really happened to Jake! How far would you go to protect your spouse!

Read if you love:
- Multiple POV
- Twisty thrillers
- Couple friends
- Short chapters

TW: Death, murder, miscarriage, infertility

Thank you Park Row and Netgalley for the early copy of this book! Publication date is January 10, 2023.

The title -- "Just the Nicest Couple" -- gives away the theme of this Mary Kubica murder (or is it?) mystery. Even the "nicest" couple can go horribly wrong if they take just one ill-advised step on a slippery slope to criminal conspiracy.

Lily is a teacher, newly pregnant after a series of miscarriages. Her husband, Christian, wants to protect her and their child at all costs. Lily's friend Nina is also a teacher. She and her husband, Jake, a neurosurgeon, were having problems. And now Jake is missing.

Without giving away too much, here's the setup: Lily, a frail flower, tells Christian that Jake attacked her in a park, out of the blue, and she hit him with a rock. Did she kill him? When days pass and Jake still hasn't been heard from, that seems more and more likely.

The story, told in three voices, is so full of red herrings that the whole thing soon begins to smell fishy. Kubica ("The Good Girl," "Local Woman Missing") is always skillful at keeping us turning pages. But like many writers who rely on twists, she often forgets that readers like to play along; that's why we call them whodunnits.

So, this wasn't my favorite Mary Kubica book, but it was still fun. It kind of felt like a thriller I've already read several times. However, the ending kept me on my toes!

I was eager to read this book, having enjoyed other novels by Kubica. While I did enjoy this one, it is not one of my favourites. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and it felt just a little too long and had some elements I felt were distracting. That being said, I can see this being popular for book club readings. There is a lot to talk about with this one.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

This book surprised me more than once. I honestly thought it may be a little boring at the beginning but when it picked up it took off running. It was such a good book!