I thought this book had a really unique hook and captivated me from the get go, however, the conclusion of the book just seemed a bit forced. Almost like the author was trying to pair two different ideas into one novel. I had a hard time understanding Craig's appeal and the necessity for the Eden test. All in all, it just seemed too forcefully pieced together.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me early access to this title!

This was fun! I am not the biggest fan of this type of book but I enjoyed Sternbergh's take. I thought it was clever and well told and would recommend it to anyone.

A sincere thank you for providing me an advanced readers copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read “The Eden Test” and leave my review voluntarily.

First off, thank you so much to #Netgalley, the publisher and especially the author for this ARC!

This book was incredible, so so fun! I sat down and read this book in one sitting and I hadn’t even intended to. I say go into this book as blind as possible and enjoy the ride!

whoa what a ride! Absolutely loved the book! Just when I thought I understood where it was going then I found I really didn’t have a clue. So much better than I had anticipated.This book is so hot, you need to pick it up while you can. It is much like a shooting star This romantic thriller will pass you by if you don’t grab it while you can. The publication date is April23, 2023. My early review is thanks to #NetGalley, Lion,’sGateBooks, #AdamSternbergh, #EdenTest. I was given an early copy in exchange for an honest review. I definitely recommend this churning romantic thriller. It is all the best you want to see. Two hands up for me! I will be watching for more novels by Adam Sternbergh!

Let me preface this whole thing by saying: this genre (psychological thriller?) is really not my usual genre; most books in the genre strike me as mediocre at best. That said, I tried to keep an open mind while reading The Eden Test. I tried to objectively consider its place within the genre as a whole, and I wasn’t altogether unhappy with it. Also, I did finish the book! Which usually means I’m going to give it at least 3 stars because I do not like to read books that… I don’t like….

Overall, The Eden Test was a solid thriller with a nice medium-sized twist and several smaller mysteries, nothing too crazy, but enough to keep the reader genuinely guessing. Sternberg did not show all his cards immediately. He revealed them slowly, in a satisfying and logical way, so that by the end there were really no loose ends or lingering secrets. And I personally enjoy an ending where things more or less work out for the protagonists. (I mean, Daisy & Craig will still have to deal with each other and their relationship issues and the trauma of murder, but you get what I mean).

My main, number 1 qualm with the book was the almost one-dimensional nature of its ultimate villain. Which isn’t unusual in a story like this because we need to have a capital V Villain to wrap up the ending and make it satisfying. And it was satisfying, but it would have been more interesting for me to have a bad guy with a real personality and some nuance.

Also, some of the little theater references were cringey but most were a fun shoutout for someone (me) who went to theater school. Who doesn’t love to feel like they share special inside knowledge with the author?

Enjoyability and the fact that I was never too annoyed to continue reading earn The Eden Project 3/5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ from me. Thank you to Flatiron Books & Netgalley for the eARC :)

Great soapy, twisty and unpredictable story of a marriage in trouble. When the wife books them for 7 days in a remote cabin to complete the Eden Test, (seven questions designed to save your marriage,) it all unfolds to reveal layers of secrets and chaos. With a somewhat far- fetched wrap up, the story & characters keep the reader turning the pages to see how this crazy tale unfolds! I like a book that keeps me guessing and intrigued. Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron books for the opportunity to read this corrected proof in exchange for my honest review. I will recommend this one to others

4.5 stars
Sit back, hang on tight and enjoy the ride. This suspense thriller will make you want to stay up all night reading.

The Eden Test is intelligently written and I absolutely loved it! Every time I thought I knew exactly what was going on, we’d get a new twist or another piece of the puzzle and I’d realize…nope.

I think this would be a good one for book clubs; it could lead to some good discussions.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for sending me an ARC of The Eden Test in exchange for an honest review.

Daisy knows her two-year marriage to Craig is in trouble, though she doesn’t appear to realize just how close he is to leaving her. To try to save the marriage, Daisy signs them up for a week-long retreat called The Eden Test that’s one part romantic getaway and one part marriage counseling where the couple answers one question each day designed to get to the core of their relationship. But Daisy has her own secrets, and something seems to be off about Eden, and before the week is over it’s Daisy and Craig—not just their relationship—that is at risk of dying.

The Eden Test is not an entirely convincing story. First, within the book, the Test’s premise (repeated many times) is “seven days, seven questions, forever changed.” So it’s strange that we get the questions—which are interesting—but we never see Daisy and Craig wrestle with them. It feels like it might have been more interesting as the setup for a novel much heavier on dialogue and character study than this traditional suspense/thriller. Second, while Daisy is a well-developed with a believable backstory, given what we’re told about Daisy’s feelings towards Craig in the opening chapters, it’s not clear why she’s fighting for this marriage. Finally, the plot of the book was fairly predictable and wraps up a bit too neatly.

But that said, The Eden Test works as a traditional suspense/thriller. It’s a propulsive, absorbing page turner with some genuinely moving scenes (the tattoo story in particular) and some clever touches (the ultimate significance of the painted rocks). 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended.

So first, a heads up if you're approaching this as a fan of Sternbergh's other works: This is a major genre shift, and you're getting a domestic thriller here, not anything post-apocalyptic. Nothing wrong with that, but it could jar some folks.

Anyway, the actual plot (as much as I'm willing to give away):

Daisy has booked a surprise retreat for her wedding anniversary with Craig, one that's supposed to work to either save marriages or reveal that they're doomed. Since Craig had been planning on leaving Daisy for his girlfriend, it's pretty clear things were starting out close to doomed.

But of course things start to get complicated, thanks to some locals at the upstate New York retreat ranging from sexy and tempting waitresses to threatening hunters. And then there are the daily questions that Eden has its couples answer and discuss with each other, each leading to more and more personal discussions. And on top of that, Daisy's past turns out to be more complicated than Craig ever knew.

While this book is solidly within its genre, Sternbergh does have a lot of small subversions that make it unpredictable without ever achieving the level of ridiculousness than can happen when things go off the rails. This is, at the core, as much a love story as a thriller (though let's be clear -- there are very real threats and violence), and one that allows its characters to be more imperfect than the typical leads.

This may lack the wow factor of Shovel-Ready, but it's still a damned fine work, and I'll check out whatever Sternbergh writes in whatever genre he approaches next.

A satisfying thriller that makes good use of its setting. The pacing and buildup of the tension are just right.

WOWOWOWOWOWOW, this was so great! It had me glued from start to finish, did NOT anticipate the twist at all. This was an awesome read and highly recommend. Every time you think you know what is going to happen, you will be dead wrong.

Would you change for me? Would you sacrifice for me? Would you fight for me? Would you lie for me? Would you die for me? Would you kill for me? Would you forgive me?

Craig and Daisy are two New Yorkers whose marriage, like that of so many others, is floundering. Craig is a frustrated writer working a boring day job, Daisy a gifted actress with a troubled past who refuses to better utilize her talent. When Daisy surprises Craig with a trip upstate to undertake the Eden Test, a series of seven questions designed to save couples and relationships in trouble, true natures begin to come to light, and events quickly begin to spiral out of control.

This was a solid read. It wasn't mind-blowing, but it was entertaining and I liked it well-enough. I think part of it might be that I just am not the type of person who is particularly moved or wowed by this genre? But that's a me thing.

I found Daisy to be far more compelling than Craig, who seemed, in all honesty, to have all the personality of a wet paper towel. The Eden Test is ultimately Daisy's story and I understand that, and I understand that Daisy loves Craig despite his imperfections, but even though the novel spells out for us what it is exactly she sees in him, I... don't see it, but that might be me. The best thing I can say for Craig is that he does rise to the challenge, and I suppose because of that he might be a better person than I consider him to be. As a character and vehicle for narrative movement, he's fine; he's not necessarily meant to be likable, but in terms of moving the story along he does his job. The story works, it's not that anything doesn't ultimately fit at the end of the day. That said, I did think the ending was a bit rushed and a bit contrived--I would have preferred more urgency and higher stakes--but that's a quibble.

Ultimately, I repeat: solid. A good book to grab from the library and read on the beach during this summer-to-fall transition season.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron books for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

Interesting concept, poor execution. The plot kept me hooked, but the characters never felt quite believable enough. The pace was quick and left even the biggest surprises a little predictable. I also noticed enough typos to be distracted. That being said, the story is super unique!

THIS is the book I've been waiting for! 5 glowing stars for pure, exhilarating reading! I was so drawn in from the first page. We quickly learn that there are two dead bodies in the story, but when? Who? How? Then we are quickly drawn into a crazy web of deceit? Who's cheating on whom? So many mirrors and SO MUCH SMOKE! I just can't wait to recommend this to my friends and book club people. This one is a rollercoaster, a cliff dive, and a rocket ship ride, all rolled into one thrilling reading experience.

I was a big fan of The Blinds and its originality, so I was quite enthusiastic to pick up Sternbergh's latest thriller. A marriage on the rocks. Seven days. Seven questions. A secluded cozy cabin in a private backwoods paradise. Welcome to The Eden Test.

As the story began, I was completely absorbed in this couple's failing marriage and what was on the horizon. I felt a building curiosity to discover what these life transforming questions were and how the duo would tackle them. As this begins to unfold and we learn more about our characters, it becomes apparent very quickly that Craig is not a very likeable guy and Daisy has quite a set of hidden baggage of her own. At this point, I'm all in. I like the main story arc, I'm intrigued by Daisy's mystery storyline, and I'm even enjoying Craig's distasteful side piece. If we had stayed along this trajectory, this would have had a very different rating. But then? We are introduced to the test within the test, and this folks, is where he lost me. Any ounce of caring of what happens to this couple and their marriage has flown right out the window. Gone. Kaput. Done. I will not discuss my thoughts further on this as I do not want to divulge spoilers.

Despite my personal dislike for the direction this story takes, I still believe it is a very readable book. I enjoyed Sternbergh's writing and the book moved along at a good pace. He did have me completely engaged about 60% of the way. We are thrown twists and turns, unfortunately, I just didn't buy them. I would still recommend this one to thriller fans as I believe they will have fun with this read.

My final thoughts? Sternbergh can tell a story. I just didn't love the story that was told. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it. I just ended up not caring about it. I will continue to follow future works from this author.

Thank you to Adam Sternbergh and Flatiron Books, for the gifted digital arc via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review. ⭐⭐⭐.75

The beginning was so slow that I almost gave up on it, but I'm glad I stuck with The Eden Test. The premise is a really interesting blend of literary, thriller, and romance — all contained in a fairly compact environment. Once the story picked up, I loved the increasing tension and classical references. However, all of the twists were pretty predictable by the halfway point, and I think the ending would have been more impactful if it would have been direct and less drawn-out.

Really interesting book about the lengths that a couple will go to to save their relationship. I loved the twists and turns and The Eden Test kept me guessing until the end!

Give me a marriage story and I want to read it.
The story of Daisy and Craig, married two years but together for three, are celebrating an anniversary. The two have not been getting along so Daisy arranges a week getaway in the middle of nowhere, to rekindle the relationship retreat, started by two therapists of the Edenic Foundation.

The idea is seven days, seven questions will bring the couple closer. The story starts out interesting enough with this surprise week get away by wife. Unknowingly her spouse is getting ready to tell her he is leaving her for his mistress and going to Cabo. But he misses the opportunities and decides not to and starts enjoying his week there with wife.

The storyline was an interesting one until it started introducing unsuspecting characters that led me to believe this was a psychological thriller but there were a lot of things that didn’t make sense and I felt that the chapters would end abruptly or gloss over exactly what happened. It doesn’t explain in detail and felt like a film who cuts off the scene and then starts the next scene somewhere else.
I don’t think the violence was necessary and not sure if due to this being a male author writing a relationship story found it necessary. I didn’t like the turn of events, much less the explanation of all that was revealed by the end.
It leaves me disliking any of the characters, and questioning why they even are in the marriage If they have to play games and the end does not justify the means. I don’t think it proved his love for her.

Daisy and Craig’s marriage is in trouble, so Daisy signs them up for a weeklong retreat for couples in a remote cabin in New York. From the beginning, things seem a bit strange as they are asked to answer daily questions to test and strengthen their relationship, and the mysterious town folks who keep showing up at random moments. With the strangeness of this novel and its predictable plot and repetitive descriptions, I felt myself growing a bit bored at times.

Interesting narrative, but I felt a little let down, not even halfway through. I felt the premise was pretty cut and dry until the long-winded inner dialogues ruined the excitement. A little less detail and more action would have been preferable.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.