Kubica's books have always made my brain work and that's why I liked them so much. Don't just hand me a story, make me work to figure it out. Throw in a few out of left field situations that I didn't see coming and then finish up with something totally unseen by me no matter how I tried.
Alas, this latest one didn't do it for me.,

The title really had nothing to do with the characters; which couple was it referring to? Neither couple struck me as in the running for nice.

Both wives were teachers in the same school who spent way too much time agonizing over what they were thinking and feeling and not enough time paying attention to their work. Sure, they had some major issues going on like a missing husband for one and a guilty feeling & pregnancy in the other, but still, if you can't do your job, don't go to work and be not fully present.

The hubby in one is a surgeon with the stereotypical surgeon attitude and the other was trying so hard to help his wife, but you can also only take so much in return.

I thought it dragged and could have been much shorter and said the same thing. When the characters were repeating their thoughts over and over, I thought I'd scream. So much wasted book on ruminating with no solutions ever devised. Sure there were a few oddball things that I didn't see coming, but by that point it was ho hum for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion. 2.5 stars max

𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝….

Jake and Nina Hayes had a heated fight, and Jake stormed off. Nina thought he needed space to cool down, but one day turns into two and then five with no signs of him, nor is there any activity on his phone or his credit cards. He hadn't reported to work, which is completely unlike him. Nina knows something is very wrong.

Lily Scott, pregnant with her first child, is Nina's co-worker at a local high school. She is sure she is the last person who saw Jake, but when she tells her husband Christian the circumstances of their encounter, he is positive that no one can know what happened in the hours before Jake went missing.

How the author intertwined the lives of these two couples was quite masterful, and if I could choose one word to describe how I felt throughout the entire read, that word is 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞. I thought I had everything figured out, but as usual, there was a twist waiting for me that I just didn't see coming.

Mary Kubica is a must-read author for me, and I'll be honest, very early reviews of this book while it was under a different title were not favorable. Thankfully, after reading some reviews, editing issues seemed to be the culprit. Another complaint was the "disjointed" writing, but while this book wasn't written in her usual style, I took the sometimes choppy narration to be a reflection of her characters and what they were experiencing. There were several bouts of short, staccato writing that mirrored the frenetic thoughts and unhinged actions of her characters.

I hope you'll give this book a try and decide for yourself. It worked for me, and I enjoyed this read very much. I am so grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for this early read. JUST THE NICEST COUPLE will publish January 10, 2023.

Such a great read!! It took me a little to get into it but once I did, I could not put this one down!

This one was difficult to put down. It kept my interest from the first page to the last. If you like thrillers, add this one to your TBR list.
It was one of those stories were the ending isn’t obvious, and just when you think you have something figured out, Kubica throws another twist in.
Although written from two perspectives, it goes back and forth between characters smoothly.
Looking forward to Kubica’s next read!

I just didn’t love this. The sentences seemed choppy and I just really didn’t care about anyone. Not a one of them. I was skipping whole pages for the second half of the book

This was a twisty, edge-of-my-seat psychological thriller and I really enjoyed. A teacher’s husband goes missing, but someone knows something. And they want her to know they know. I didn’t figure out what really happened until the big reveals at the end. Well done, Mary Kubica! There were some plot holes I was not fond of, but the writing and suspense was spot on! Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this book so much but two major things really worked against it: 1) Local Woman Missing was an absolute gem of the domestic noir/thriller genre and; 2) the domestic noir/thriller genre is so saturated now so authors have to bring their A+ game.

Sadly, the structure of the novel didn't add to the plot or tension. Instead, it felt very choppy. It was about 90% waiting before getting to the action, and even that was disappointing from an author of Mary Kubica's calibre.

I HATE giving these kinds of reviews because writing is hard work and everyone has a flop now and then. That said, I'm looking forward to what Mary Kubica brings to us readers next!

Thank you so much to Mary Kubica and Park Row Books for my copy of Just the Nicest Couple! This book was about two couples who are friends, when one of the husbands goes missing. Jake is a surgeon who is constantly under pressure, so when he goes missing, his wife Nina thinks he is just blowing off steam, especially because they fought just before he left. Nina’s close friend Lily thinks that just must have been the last person to see Jake before he disappeared, and confesses to her husband Christian that she may have something to do with Jake not coming back. They decide that no one can find out about Lily and Jake’s last interaction, but Nina won’t stop looking, and there is a lot hidden just below the surface, waiting to come to light.

Thoughts: Mary Kubica is such a great author that writes wonderful characters that feel dynamic and real. This book was written a little bit oddly, and it almost felt like a script narration instead of a novel. This book was set inside the minds of Nina and Lily, and not much happened outside of their thoughts and feelings. Even though it felt very slow, I still didn't put the book down from start to finish.

The book threw in some red herrings that frustrated me because not only were they obvious, but also would have made a better ending than the real one. The ending was not surprising, but it was implausible. I loved the multiple perspectives, but the writing felt too watered down and repetitive. I love Kubica and will always be a fan of her books, but this one wasn’t one of my favorites. 3-stars

little slow to start but it ramped up quickly in the last 15 minutes. Wish there were more hints and clues to the plot throughout. Felt that it didn't give enough perspective from lily which I think would have added some interest or even Nina's mom.

Possibly my favorite Mary Kubica novel yet! I thought the plot was very original and realistic in a very scary way. I was guessing right up until the end and was completely surprised by the twist!

I loved loved loved Locan Woman Missing so obviously I was stoked to read this one. It hurts me to say this one missed the mark. 😭

The plot was painfully slow (didn’t pick up pace until 72% in). Most of the book is also just “filler” if I am just being honest. 🥴

I can’t go into details what I didn’t like about this book without giving away spoilers. So I’ll just keep my mouth shut. That’s probably for the best anyways. 🤣

Growing up in a suburb of Chicago, I always adore when I find books (or authors) from the area! This book, like her others, are set in the Chicago-lane area. This was a quick read and kept my interest! I did guess one of the twists early on but didn’t guess the other major twist. I enjoy domestic thrillers and will ready anything Mary Kubica publishes!

I always look forward to Mary Kubica's books and was really excited to read this one. i enjoyed it alot! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this one. Can't wait for the next one!

This book was so good! It was everything I loved in a thriller. I always have a hard tone reviewing thrillers because I feel like everything is a spoiler. But just know this book is very satisfying with some good twists.

I loved this book! Such a good thriller. I didn’t know the ending or catch the ending ahead of time. I finished this book in less than a day and couldn’t stop reading! Mary Kubica does it again!

3.5 Hooked me from the beginning about a husband gone missing. I enjoyed the story line and short chapters. I just wish there was a little more depth to the story. I feel like this has been written before.

Mary Kubica's books are completely addictive. The type of books that once you pick up you don't want to put down. This was a good book, but has a bit of a slow start. It was definitely a page turner and I finished it in a day, but the ending left me puzzled.

This author is a favorite of mine so this particular book was a disappointment. A slow plodding storyline that doesn't make much sense, blah characters and a so-so ending. I hate to say this, but give this one a pass. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

I appreciated receiving an ARC for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this one is not getting a great review. The writing style was poor. It was simplified down to the fewest and most basic words. The storyline itself was relatively boring in most places. It picks up, but then the reveal was eye rolling.

The only positive is that the author portrayed high school teaching correctly. That part felt relatively realistic. Nothing else. Bummer!

This was a disappointing read for me. While the plot was interesting and there was some suspense, the writing style was very dispassionate, staccato and cold. I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them very much. I'm not sure what happened here. The characters were not likeable and the story felt forced and dry. I had to force myself to continue and felt no sense of closure at the end. I forgot most of the characters as soon as I finished reading. I will not be suggesting this book to anyone.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.