Nina Hayes’ husband, Jake, is missing. At first she thinks he is just cooling down after a fight they had, but after several days go by, this is less and less likely to be the explanation. Nina’s friend, Lily, ends up being the last one to see Jake alive. Lily confides in her husband the truth about Jake, and they agree to withhold information together. Will Nina ever get to the bottom of her husband’s disappearance?

Mary Kubica is one of my favorite authors and I have read all of her back catalog. I have literally loved each and every book by this author. So I was thrilled to read her latest work, JUST THE NICEST COUPLE. It sounded like something I would enjoy, and I really did. Kubica has done it again and created a brilliant mystery for you to try and solve. I was not able to predict the final twist, but I loved it!

Many thanks to Park Row Books and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

This book hooked me from the beginning. I know others said they had issues with the writing style and tone of the book, but honestly, I had no issues. The mystery of what has happened to Jake Hayes and what his wife can uncover was such a rollercoaster ride of events and emotions. Just when I think I know what is going on, then boom another twist in the story. I did find the secondary narrator, Christian, could get a little on my nerves at times. I found myself torn between wanting to know what he and Lily were up to and wanting to get back to Nina! I recommend this book for those who like a good domestic thriller that will keep you guessing.

Nina and Lily have been work friends for years and eventually became outside of work friends with their husbands. When Jake doesn’t come home after he and Nina fight the night before, Nina thinks he is leaving her. It’s been several days now though and he hasn’t shown up to work. Nina is determined to find out what happened to her husband.

Within the first few chapters of this book they mention an acoustic neuroma which is so random but it’s what my dad had. He has been deaf in one ear for my whole life after being told he could either die or be deaf in one ear. When I was in 5th grade we had to writer a research paper on a medical condition and I chose to do Acoustic Neuroma. I quickly changed to Deafness when I realized that all the research I could find was written in medical speak. Anyway, this was the Mary Kubica I know and love. While we quickly find out some of what happened to Jake, we don’t know for sure what happened from there. This one kept me wondering what was going to happen and I flew through it!

The writing in this book was disappointing and was sub par for me. That said though, the story was intriguing, and I couldn't wait to see where it went and how the mystery was resolved.

In classic Mary Kubica style, this story pulled me in and held on and didn’t let go. Lots of twists that made me say “What the…???” Unexpected ending, no less than I expected from this author!

Although I've loved this author in the past, this one just didn't do it for me. There were clues I couldn't reconcile as well as internal dialogues that made little sense. I did keep turning the pages however and wanted to find out what the heck was going on.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Told through alternating perspectives: Christian and Nina. Christian finds out that his wife was attacked in the woods by her friend's husband. She fought back and hit him with a rock. She doesn't think she killed him, but when he doesn't return home, she begins to doubt herself. Nina's husband doesn't return home after they had a fight. At first she thinks he left her, but then, when he doesn't show up at work, she begins to worry.

I normally really enjoy Mary Kubica's books, but this one didn't work for me. It seemed slow in parts and had unresolved pieces at the end. Still, I'm not sorry I read it, and it was intriguing enough to read in a day.

I love the author. I would read anything she has written. I always feel like the characters are real and I know people just like them. That is one of the best aspects of her writing. I love the story. I was yelling at the book a couple times because the one couple is doing a bunch of dumb things that are not necessary. Still it kept me turning the pages to find out what happens next. I wish this were available in an audiobook. I’m sure it will be and I will probably buy it in that format. Thank you let’s Kelly and the publisher for providing this advanced Kindle copy to

I thoroughly enjoyed Just the Nicest Couple. It was the story of two couples: Lily and Christian and Nina and Jake. Lily and Nina were teachers at the same high school. Lily and Christian were expecting a baby. She had lost her first child and they were taking extra care to make sure this pregnancy continued without a hitch.

Jake was a neurosurgeon and he and Nina had been having problems in their marriage for several months. Nina's mother had health issues. She was losing her vision and was becoming more and more dependent on Nina. Jake was jealous and felt she should spend no time with her mother and devote all of her time to him.

One day Lily went for a walk in the forest and Jake showed up. He made advances and Lily panicked. When he knocked her to the ground she picked up a rock and struck him several times, and then ran away. When she got home she told Christian all about it.

And then Jake didn't go home. He and Nina had had a big fight and she thought he was angry with her. When he didn't show up after three days she filed a missing persons report. All the while Lily thought she'd killed him. That in mind, Christian and Lily went looking for Jake's car and found it at the forest.

Christian suggested Lily look through Nina's purse for Jake's key, but she couldn't find it. Lily had looked after Nina and Jake's cat and knew the pass code for their garage. So Christian had Lily invite Nina out for breakfast and he broke into Nina's house where he found the key. He then went and moved Jake's car to a hotel parking lot.

In the meantime Nina had moved her mother into her home, as it was alleged that her mother's vision was rapidly deteriorating. When Christian broke in Nina's house her mother saw him but told Nina that it was Jake. Nina put out a query online to her neighbors to ask if anyone had video of someone approaching her home. Two people did. In the video she saw a black car that she didn't recognize. She took the videos to the police in hopes that they could enhance it. She knew the person who entered her home wasn't Jake.

On a given day Lily's car wouldn't start so she called Christian to come help. When he got there he told Lily to wait inside where it was warm and he'd text her when he was done with the jump. Nina came out of the school and saw Christian. She recognized his car and pulled up the footage to compare. He saw her looking at his car and he got nervous and asked her to go in and get Lily. When the two women came out, Nina took off, but not before taking a picture of Christian's car with her phone. She took the picture to the police. She also recognized the person in the picture as Christian. She just didn't know why he'd break into her home.

Christian had gone through Lily's laundry to retrieve the clothes she'd been wearing when she was with Jake. Her clothes had blood on them. He decided to do away with them, so he put them in a bag and put the bag in his car. Nina was suspicious of Lily and Christian so she decided to watch them. She went to their house the night she saw Christian's car and watched. She saw Christian leave with the bag. He walked down the street and she followed. She saw him dump the bag in a neighbor's trash can. When he left she retrieved the bag. She went back to her car and opened the bag and saw the blood. Christian had sensed her following him and saw her go to her car. He went there and knocked on the window. When she rolled down the window he saw the bag and grabbed it from her. She left there and went to the police.

About this time, the police found Jake's car. It had been towed from the hotel. Nina went to recover the car. When she got home she decided to go through it. In the back seat on the floor she found an earring that Lily had lost. Now she was suspicious of Lily.

When Christian went inside he and Lily were watching the news and saw that Jake's body had been found and that he'd died of a gun shot wound. And Lily didn't shoot him. Nevertheless, she was arrested on suspicion of murder.

There was a twist ending. This book really held my attention. There was a fair point of suspense and I didn't see the ending coming. The characters were well developed as was the plot. I would definitely recommend this book for book club. I gave it five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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This was a very fast read. A thriller beach read, if you will. The chapters were a bit...stiff if that makes sense, and I didn't feel like the changing perspectives were all that necessary. In fact, it kind of kept the book from feeling cohesive to me. The plot itself was engaging, but I didn't feel like a lot actually...happened? A lot of thinking and feeling and not a lot of doing. So...it was fine. Entertaining. But not much more.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book sucks you straight in. I don't read many thrillers but the moody atmosphere and complex relationships kept me wanting to read more. The plot follows two married couples (Lily and Christian and Nina and Jake) when Jake, a wealthy neurosurgeon, doesn't come home after work one night and Lily, a friend and colleague of his wife, may have been the last one to see him. The issues that come up for the main characters make the reader question what they would do in this situation.

I was lucky enough to attend a virtual author event with Mary Kubica, the author, Mary was vibrant and generous with her stories. I loved hearing how she came up with the title, her writing process during the pandemic and how she starts a book and explores the characters without knowing the ending.

This is a quick and intriguing read that keeps you guessing. It's pub date is January 10, 2023

Thank you to Park Row books and Thoughts from a page Patreon early reader’s group for the complimentary e-galley.

Just the Nicest Couple is the first Mary Kubica book I’ve read. And it was a solid thriller, if not the most interesting one I’ve ever read.

The story starts off in the woods with someone fighting for their life.

From there, the story is told from Christian and Nina’s points of view. Christian has come home to find his pregnant wife, Lily, has been attacked in the woods by Nina’s doctor husband, Jake. Lily, in defending herself, may have left Jake to die in the woods. But she’s not sure.

Nina and Jake have had a fight due to her increasing time spent with her mother, who is in poor health. When Jake doesn’t come home from work, Nina thinks he’s left her.

As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the stories being told aren’t what they seem. Christian and Lily may have secrets they haven’t shared, and Jake may not be the good doctor that Nina believes he is.

And throughout the story, the reader is left guessing where is Jake?

I loved the twists and turns as more details were revealed throughout this story. It definitely kept me turning the pages. I did think the ending sort of fizzled out which left me a little disappointed.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and will read more from Mary Kubrica. I was able to read and discuss as an early read with Cindy from @thoughtsfromapage , which I always enjoy.

Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the early e-copy of #justthenicestcouple .

Are you tired of the missing woman/wife/girlfriend? Mary Kubica flips that overdone trope on its head in her upcoming release, JUST THE NICEST COUPLE. The story follows two married couples and the disappearance of Jake, a husband and prominent neurosurgeon.

I had the pleasure of attending a virtual book club + author chat with Mary and it was fascinating to hear about her writing process. She is a “pantser” meaning she flies by the seat of her pants instead of plotting the story from the beginning. Even she was surprised where this story took her!

I thought the missing husband was a fresh change of pace and I never knew who to trust. This was a speedy read that kept me entertained with its short chapters. If you’re looking for a popcorn thriller that will keep you guessing, be sure to pick this up in January!

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: January 10, 2023

Thank you to Park Row books and @thoughts from a page Patreon early reader’s group for the complimentary ARC and a fun author chat!

This was a very average suspense novel, full of inconsistencies, repetition, and a wildly rushed ending. My rating was raised slightly to 3 1/4 stars by the clever answer to 'whodunit', which I did not guess until just before the big reveal.

I know that this author could've done a lot more with this book. I suspect that it was another victim of an author being rushed to produce by her publisher. This is an unfortunate trend in publishing these days, as greed isn't a particularly good muse.

*Publish date 1/10/23. Thanks to Thoughts from a Page, Net Galley, and Park Row Publishing for the advanced copy*

Mary Kubica's Just the Nicest Couple is a thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. There is also a smaller cast of character, so you are able to get to know each of them on a deeper level. I really enjoyed that.

Lily Scott and Nina Hayes are teachers at the same local high school and become friends. That leads to dinners with their husband, and that deepens the friendship. Then, Nina's husband goes missing. Secrets come to light. Lies are exposed. But the end - I just did not see it coming. Highly recommend!

I am sorry, but this book was really not great. Very juvenile writing, really hard to get through. I was a fan of Kubica's early works (Pretty Baby was SO good), but her recent books have been meh at best.

4.5 stars! Really enjoyed reading this early copy and then discussing the book with the Thoughts from a Page Patreon group, as well as Mary Kubica! A suspenseful page-turner, and I enjoyed the multiple POVs. There were definitely some shocking moments. I thought the writing was a bit choppy at first, but I got used to it. I also thought the ending could have been explained a bit more as I was left with a few questions - but overall would definitely recommend. Probably my second favorite Mary Kubica book after Local Woman Missing.

Just the Nicest Couple kept me wishing the main characters of the story would have handled the whole situation differently, but then there would be no story to read. Jake Hayes is missing, and friends Lily and Christian spend the rest of the story trying to stay ahead of Jake's wife and the police. I have read all of Mary Kubica's books, and I really enjoyed her latest. There were lots of surprises that left me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend! Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row for the ARC!

📚 Book Review 📚
Title: Just the Nicest Couple
Author: Mary Kubica
Release Date: 1/10/2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed Local Woman Missing and was excited when I got the chance to read Just the Nicest Couple. I might be in the minority when I say this but I thought Just the Nicest Couple was slightly better than Local Woman Missing. The story had me captivated from start to finish. I enjoyed reading the dual point of views and kept guessing whodunit. The plot twist toward the end was not a complete surprise to me and the ending seemed abrupt and wish the author had taken more time to wrap up the story better. Read this if you enjoy a good thriller with a surprise plot twist!

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. Nina is out there looking for her husband, and she won’t stop until the truth is discovered.

I received an electronic ARC as part of @thoughtsfromapage Patreon community. Thanks to Cindy Burnett, @parkrowbooks, and @netgalley for the opportunity to preview this upcoming Thriller!

When two seemingly perfect couples become intertwined, a sinister incident threatens to tear their lives apart.

This one was not as compelling to me as <u>Local Woman Missing</u>. The twists and final reveal were all quite predictable and the conclusion was lackluster. I'm giving it three stars mostly just for the fact that Kubica does a great job of setting the scene and drawing you in to the mystery. While I wasn't as attached to the characters of this novel quite like I was to the characters of her previous, I was still invested enough to see this one through. Worth reading as it's still entertainingly written, albeit predictably so.