Thank you all for this gifted copy of Just The Perfect Couple by Mary Kubica.

For me, a good thriller is a story that keeps me guessing, has me changing my mind as to what really happened at every twist, and it’s the best when it leaves my jaw dropped at the end.

This book kept me guessing. Every time someone had a new theory, I found myself also debating on if that’s what happened. I found I needed to keep reading, because I wanted to know what happened next.

There were a few things that didn’t really work for me—a few characters that could have been without, and the last chapter seemed to just kind of abruptly end. But, when I look at this book overall, I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to HTP Books for our copy of Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica.

This book is available now!

Rating: 4 star
Genre: Thriller

Thoughts: We just LOVE Mary Kubica. She has become an auto-buy thriller author for us. While this wasn't our favorite book by her, we still really enjoyed it and will read anything that she writes!!

3.5 stars for Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica - high school teachers Lily and Nina hang out both at school and away, including some couple dates with their husbands. Nina's husband Jake doesn't come home one night after they've had a squabble - that same night, newly pregnant Lily is out of sorts and tells her husband Christian she is just exhausted. The chapters bounce back and forth between Lily and Christian - this is not my favorite Kubica. The characters were not well developed and honestly not really likeable. I liked the premise of the story and had enough clues to figure out whodunnit - I also liked the twist in the epilogue. Thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to preview #JustTheNicestCouple by Mary Kubica! I am looking forward to her next release.

This one took me for a ride, yet a little predictable, I still loved all of this. It was a fast read and insanely binge-able.

These two couples are extremely intertwined in their lives. The ladies work together and the four of them are friends. Until, one day things change and Nina’s husband Jake goes missing…and her friend Lily may have everything or nothing to do with it.

Talk about a ride or die husband that Lily has. Christian will go to the ends of earth to make sure his wife Lily doesn’t go down for the potential murder of Jake…

But do we really have any idea what actually happened out there in those woods?

The detail of Mary’s story telling is fantastic, but if you are a thriller reader you may be able to latch on to the twists pretty quick here.

this captured me from the very beginning! I literally read it in 2 sittings and I couldn't stop. I saw so many negative reviews of this (which I think is because people were subconsciously comparing it to her previous book) so I went in skeptical and wasn't too excited. But then once I started, I couldn't put it down!

The POV choices were so interesting and at first I was confused why we got those POVs, but near the end I realized. I guessed some of the book but not until the middle-end, and the rest was an absolute shock to me! I thought the interwebbings of the characters and their relationships were so intriguing, and each character felt fully flushed out.
I am a huge Mary Kubica fan and this one made me even more excited for any books she comes out with in the future!!!

Winter is the BEST time to hunker down with a thriller and I love to light candles, turn on the fairy lights, turn off the overheads, and cozy up under a throw with my kindle and a cup of tea. Mary Kubica is one of my VERY FAVORITE authors and I was so excited to be part of this blog tour so that I could introduce you to this suspenseful and really good story!! I couldn’t put it down and didn’t – just read the whole thing. I felt a little sad during this one – but liked the hopeful ending. Mary Kubica has done it again!!

Don’t wait! Get it today!!

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Mary Kubica was one of the first authors I read as I got into thrillers as an adult, and I typically always really love her books. Her latest one, Just the Nicest Couple, fell a bit short for me, which I am disappointed to say. I wanted to love this one more than I did, and in the end, I thought it was just okay. Part of what made this just an average read for me was that there were too many storylines happening that didn't really go anywhere, and it felt like they were fluff to add quantity, not quality, to the book. Two such examples that come to mind were Lily's pregnancy and Ryan, Nina's coworker at her school. It didn't really seem like they added to the story, and the story would have been just fine without it. I've mentioned before in other reviews that sometimes I struggle when there are too many POV's in the story, and I found that to be the case with this one. I kept having to go back and remind myself which one was Nina and which one was Lily, which one was Christian and which one was Jake. This was also a slow burn, and it felt like it took until 75% in to the book to get anywhere with the characters and the plot, which, in turn, made the ending feel abrupt and anticlimactic. There are so many domestic thrillers on the market now, and I'm sure it is hard to come up with new ideas, and overall, this one just just fell flat for me. I'm not giving up on Mary Kubica though, and I will definitely be reading more from her in the future. Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read a digital ARC of this book through Netgalley.

Thank you for graciously providing me with an ARC of Just the Nicest Couple to read and review.

Hands down, Mary Kubica is one of my all-time favorite authors and I know I shouldn't worry when picking up her newest books because they consistently deliver that bang that keeps you hanging on to the last page. This was no exception just when you think you know you realize what is going on you don't..

I love Mary's books because you are sitting on the edge of your seat the whole entire time and you struggle to put the book down. I know when I start one I make plans to sit so I can read it in one sitting if possible.

I loved everything about this from the characters to the writing and the suspense.

I thought I know who the killer was early on but as the book progressed I was second-guessing myself and when it was revealed I was in shock because I didn't see it coming. Definitely would recommend

Book Summary:

We've all heard the story before – a person goes missing, but it takes a while before the truth all sets in. At first, it may look like they're off on vacation or spending some time with friends. But the longer they're gone, the more insidious their disappearance feels.

At least, that's how it went for Nina. When her husband first failed to show up, she figured he was out with friends, blowing off steam or something. But then time kept passing, with no Jake in sight. Now Nina is determined to find out the truth of what happened to her husband, and one of his coworkers may have the insight she needs.

My Review:

Missing person mysteries are such a paradox for me. On the one hand, I can't seem to stay away, but on the other, they tend to make me extremely anxious. As such, I hesitate when the time comes to sit down and read them.

That being said, I did get around to reading Just the Nicest Couple. It was a decent read, perhaps not the strongest thriller out there – but it certainly worked to hold my attention to the end!

Just the Nicest Couple has a very interesting writing style. It's almost a stream of consciousness, at least in feeling – the sentences don't flow as smoothly as expected. Almost like thoughts are getting cut-off mid-sentence. I'm not sure if this is typical for Mary Kubica, but it's something that I noticed less once I got to the halfway (ish) mark.

Highlights:
Mystery/Thriller
Layers of deception

Trigger Warnings:
Missing Person

This domestic mystery was told in a dual POV from two spouses who are friends and their wives also work together and when Jake goes missing his disappearance links them together. This story surprised me because I thought it was going one way and then it went in a totally different way than I expected than how it turned out.

This one was not a good fit for me. The writing was fine but the characters kept making the stupidest decisions which just seemed unrealistic at some point. Either way I didn't like any of the main characters and ended up not finishing the book.

I think this is my first novel by Kubica and I loved it! Two couples are good friends, The women work together as teachers at the same school. Lily and Jake are having some marital troubles and after a fight, Jake fails to come home from work. He doesn’t come home for a few days and Lily assumes he is needing space. He doesn’t answer her calls or texts. She confides in Nina, her best friend. Where is Jake? Is he missing?
There are twists and turns, especially the latter part of the book. It’s suspenseful and creepy as well. I loved how I was kept in the dark until the very end.

The only thing I wish was more developed was what happened between a male teacher, Ryan and Lily. I felt like that part just sort of stopped. It could've been a bit more dived into and part of the story. It seemed like it was going to amount to something, then it just left the story.
Thank you, Harper Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

This book was unique, interesting, and fun to read. While I enjoyed reading it for personal reading, I will not be adopting it for my classroom. Thank you to the publisher!

Did not love this writing or the ending, the characters were so annoying, and I thought the pacing was slow.

I really like Mary Kubica. This one kept me on my toes, had a decent pace and was interesting. It definitely isn't my favorite of hers but was still a good thriller and a quick read. I would recommend.

This book is narrated by multiple narrators sharing the story told from their point of view. There are short chapters and the gripping pace had me turning the pages. This book had me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to reading the backlist of books by Mary Kubica.

4.5/5

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica is a domestic thriller novel. The story in Just the Nicest Couple is one that is told mainly by alternating the point of view between two of the characters with a little flashing back to the past too.

Jake Hayes is missing. Jake’s wife Nina thinks it’s due to a fight the couple had and confesses as much to her coworker Lily. Lily however may have been the last person to see Jake and confesses to her husband Christian. Christian only wants to protect Lily and their unborn child Lily is carrying so he knows Nina cannot find out the truth.

Mary Kubica is an author that I feel a lot of readers find a bit hit or miss, including myself. Just the Nicest Couple seems to be right down that alley with some loving it and some not so much but I found this one highly compelling with the set up of knowing something happened but waiting for the twist that I knew would come. The tension of what and when drew me in and had this one falling in at four and a half stars for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Well, eventually one has to let me down. I love Mary Kucica's books and Just the Nicest Couple won't stop me from reading her next, but this one was a bit of a let down.

Positives:
It was a fast paced, and really kept me reading for the first 75%. I liked her choice of telling the story from one of the murder suspect's husband's point of view instead of the character herself.

Negatives:
Not much happened really, and at the end I was left with a lot of questions and plot holes.

Maybe I had my expectations built up too much. Hopefully with her next book she will exceed them.

Two married couples, one missing husband…

I really enjoyed this one, I was hooked! I thought I had everything figured out and then…BAM I was completely wrong. I loved the pacing, multiple POV’s and the suspense. I highly recommend!

Just the Nicest Couple is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Mary Kubica really knows what she's doing. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Just the Nicest Couple today.