This is an interesting twist on a thriller that completely surprised me in the end. I enjoyed the characters, despite some being incredibly unlikeable, and the plot, the setting, and the motive were done in an original way. The test questions were intriguing and an inventive way to try and "fix" a marriage. I listened to the audiobook and the narration is well done and kept me entertained while doing some very boring tasks.

My thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

The Eden Test is a domestic thriller centering on serial cheating husband Craig, his *seemingly* naive wife Daisy and their trip to a quaint, retreat setting to embark on the titular test of their marriage. Seven questions over seven days to determine the fate of their marriage…with a whole lot of twists along the way.

What I enjoyed:

The narration (although I did wonder a few times if I would have preferred dual narrators for Daisy and Craig’s POVs)

The ending 💁🏻‍♀️

This is a wildly original plot.

I rooted for Daisy.

The portrayal of DV was pretty dang accurate.


What I hated:
⚠️ Miscarriage and Infertility

There was a GLARING lack of research, sensitivity reading, and editing that resulted in this book containing blatant misinformation regarding miscarriages and infertility. Miscarriages do not cause infertility. These are two INCREDIBLY sensitive topics and for a male author to absolutely warp the truth to fit a story, Bruh…absolutely not. How did this not demand a revision?

This author deftly spun a LOT of plates and managed to have the loose ends all tied up in an ending that the DV survivor in me…admittedly rather enjoyed.

I have ZERO doubt that there was a clever alternative the writer could have employed to the parts the story around reproductive issues that wouldn't have involved medical misinformation that will be very triggering for a lot of readers.

This book would’ve been four or five stars for me if not for all of that ^^

⚠️ Other TW/CWs: Infidelity, DV and stalking on page, Self-blame around DV, Racism and Xenophobia, guns, alcohol and smoking.

Taylor Swift’s mastermind came to mind while listening to the audiobook. Right from the start you’re hooked and the fast paced story keeps you going.

TW: miscarriage & abuse

Daisy and Craig’s marriage is on the brink of collapse when Daisy learns about the Eden Test, a week long getaway for couples in need of a fresh start. During their getaway secrets will be revealed and they will have to decide how far they are willing to go to save their marriage and each other.

This Eden test is a suspenseful thriller with a unique premise! This is one of those books where you think you have it figured out and then the next twist hits and you are like wait…what?!?! I thought that Daisy and Craig were both interesting and complicated characters. I enjoyed how the author slowly revealed their back stories a little bit at a time.

While I enjoyed this book I thought that parts of it were a bit far fetched. There were also parts of the story that were intentionally vague and it made the story feel incomplete to me.

If you like suspenseful twisty thrillers that suck you in, give this one a try!

Thank you, Flatiron Books, for the gifted copy and audiobook of The Eden Test {partner}

Genre: Mystery
Format: 🎧📖
Pub Date: 4.25.2023
Star Rating: ☆

"Yes, she knows about the affairs. Of course, she knows. She's not stupid."

Good grief, this book was just not for me. I can't remember a time that I truly detested a character more than I did Craig. His internal monologue was cringey, disturbing, and just downright disgusting. He is a serial cheater who thinks he is God's gift to this world (and women).

I'm sure the author, Adam Sternbergh, created Craig's character and likely had a conclusion planned that *might* make the whole thing worth it. But I couldn't continue reading/listening to this book. I live for audiobooks, they've often gotten me through books I couldn't physically read, but the Eden Test had me doing everything but pressing play. I made it to the 56% mark and said goodbye. When author’s create characters like Craig, it’s important (for me at least) that there be some redeeming quality to the story. I need some glimmer of hope but, unfortunately, that didn’t exist with The Eden Test.

I'm sure there will be people out there who enjoy this one because, again, I think the ending probably has some karmic retribution for good ol' Craig, but this was not my cup of tea.

I recommend reading The Eden Test if you enjoy truly heinous male MCs who likely get what they deserve.

The Eden Test is a compelling domestic novel with some interesting twists. Daisy plans a week with her husband to try to save their marriage. Seven days, seven questions, and hopefully a renewed relationship. But both come into the week with secrets they’ve been keeping from one another. What follows is a quick read with a satisfying, if a little predictable, ending.

Daisy, as a character fell flat for me. Neither couple felt fully developed.

Wow. Just, wow. Twisty, slick and just plain crazy. I love this kind of domestic thriller. Daisy is an actress married to Craig. Their 3-year marriage seems to be in trouble and so Daisy takes it upon herself to sign them up for a week-long getaway/therapy session called the Eden Test. But Daisy has her own agenda and The Eden Test is much more than it seems at first. But then, so is Daisy.
I will caveat this with as much as I enjoyed this novel, I don't understand why Daisy would even want to keep her marriage intact with Craig. He's kind of the worst. I suppose he does redeem himself but it's a messy process.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

"The Eden Test" follows Daisy and Craig, a couple in the middle of a marital crisis, who go to a rural marriage retreat. There are a lot of twists and turns in this novel and it kept me guessing throughout where the book was going to wind up. Engaging and thoroughly entertaining.. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

From the outside looking in, Daisy and Craig are a perfect couple. In reality, their relationship is crumbling from the inside out. In one last effort to save their marriage, Daisy books a secluded marriage retreat that promises to help couples do everything possible to save their relationships. Though Craig's bags are quite literally already packed, he agrees to give the retreat and its "7 questions in 7 days" approach a go.

What ensues is a twisting tale of deception, danger, and odd behavior. I enjoyed the audio version of this book, but the author shared some misconceptions about women's health (which were central to the plot) that could have been avoided had he done more research regarding the issues at hand. The story as a whole, which starts out like a domestic thriller, also requires a lot of suspension of disbelief for the reader to find the ending plausible. That being said, The Eden Test was a fairly quick listen and Daisy's complex character kept me interested throughout.

Daisy and Craig are two profoundly screwed up people. They are approaching their 2 year wedding anniversary and they both know something has to change. Daisy has an anniversary surprise of biblical proportions in store for him at an isolated cabin retreat designed for couples at a crossroad in their relationship. There are many twists and turns that lead to some high stakes decisions if they decide their marriage is worth saving. I enjoyed reading this one but if there is a sequel I hope it involves seeking much needed therapy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC

Daisy and Craig are having marital problems, and it seems they may be at the end of their time together. As a last resort, Daisy books a couples “retreat” in a cabin for the two of them as an anniversary surprise for Craig. This “retreat” is really a form of couple’s therapy called “The Eden Test”. Craig arrives at the cabin with his bags packed, ready to break up with Daisy and leave her for his mistress. Both Daisy and Craig are hiding secrets from each other, and some of those secrets will test just how far they are willing to go for one another…

Wow, I loved this book. This had so much suspense, so many twists, and some very creepy characters. I was hooked from almost the very first page, the way the book is set up even from the prologue is incredible!! There was no way I could stop reading before I figured out what was going on, and what would happen to Daisy and Craig. Sternbergh is an absolute genius in the way he delivers this book - I felt like I was really there, like I knew the characters. I loved the dual points of view, and the timing of this story felt perfect; not too slow, but not too fast either.

I absolutely adored the audio version narrated by Carlotta Brentan. She breathes life into the characters and the story itself. I enjoyed listening to this so much that I would look for chores to do around the house that would allow me to keep listening! She did a fantastic job, and the way the book is written lends itself perfectly to an audio version.

This book is 4.5 stars for me, because I just wanted a little bit more from the ending. That may just be something I preferred though, as I’m sure many readers will enjoy the ending! Overall this was a fantastic book that I would recommend to just about anyone who enjoys suspenseful thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, Adam Sternbergh, and Carlotta Brentan for the audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Daisy and Craig are a couple with some serious issues. Daisy tricks Craig into going on a retreat in the middle of nowhere, NY, to get some healing therapy through a popular thing called The Eden Test. First we see through Craig's eyes how unlikeable he is, then we see through Daisy's that she's unlikeable in different ways. This is where I started to think maybe this wasn't the book for me.

Things changed and got a lot more interesting, and I began to get some insight into both characters, even gained a little sympathy for them as I learned their backstories. Then something happened that took everything to Ludicrous level (are you a fan of Spaceballs?), things got crazy and violent, and it kind of lost me. Also lost were the famed Seven Questions of The Eden Test, which is surprising because they were presented as the foundation of the book, right? Apparently not.

I wanted to love this book, but instead only mildly enjoyed it. I don't know if it would have improved the book, but having a male and female narrator, reading from Craig's and Daisy's POVs respectively, might have given it a little nudge up a star.

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel. It was engrossing and kept me guessing throughout. It was well- paced, with the twists, turns, and revelations keeping me engaged. The main characters were flawed and not exactly folks you could completely root for, but that was effective. Overall, I found it to be a satisfying thriller.

I am really bad about reading descriptions of books, I suppose if I actually read the description I would have known that this was more than just a general fiction book about a troubled couple trying to work out their marriage. Which in a weird convoluted way it is. I mean super convoluted.

This story has 3 POVs, we have Daisy and Craig our married couple, and a random mystery POV that's only really there for like 2 chapters. We open up with Daisy who has rented out a cozy cabin in the middle of no where, she paid a lot of money to do the Eden Test. The Eden Test is a marriage program with 7 questions in 7 days. You receive an envelope every day to answer deep questions about yourself, marriage, etc. It's supposed to help get you back on track. Really cool concept actually. Then opening scene on Craig, who is lost in the woods coming up with a plan on how he's telling his wife that he's leaving her. That's pretty much Craig, he's not the most exciting guy. He is boring and his eyes (and other bits) tend to wander.

So far you have two pretty different people who wound up in a marriage, of course most couples are pretty different. They are both artist types that didn't reach their full potential though, one an actors the other a writer. That in itself would make an interesting story, seeing where these two started and how to repair what has unraveled.

That my friends would be a very dull suspense book, which is what this book is (not the plain old general fiction it was categorized as). Act 2 is where everything really heats up, and Act 3 just smacks you in the face. I'm not really going to go into all that because I want it to smack your face as well. Let's just say I was like huh, not where I thought this was going!

I genuinely enjoyed the story is everything realistic, nope. It's a book it doesn't have to be, but it's very fun to see where things will go. I will say I thought that the security guard went out of character for him ( I forgot his name already), but how his story line went, just....it didn't feel "authentic" almost like we had to have an extra bit to up the ante. Likewise, our 2 chapters of the mystery POV, were not really necessary and didn't add a whole lot, except to verify that that person is a nut job, has a few screws loose, etc.

The story was pretty well written and quite enjoyable. I liked the 7 questions that were in each story, they of course tied in perfectly to everything going on, and felt pretty well written. I'm curious about the other questions that we didn't see though. Once we hit the climax of the story after everything went down, it felt like we were putting bows on things and rushing that ending. It was kind of almost thrown together, but still enjoyable.

I've read a few reviews since finishing the story and yes there are some things in this that can trigger people, including miscarriage and domestic abuse. The bad things that happened were well described but not too horrific, to me, but to others it can still be a little much. Those parts are not the main focus, but do take up a small part of the plot.

The narrator also did a fantastic job setting the tone and bringing you into the world the author has built. Great voice work and emotion. Overall, this was quite a great story especially if you enjoy domestic suspense.

The Eden Test was a quick reading domestic psychological thriller that kept me engaged from start to finish. I’ve never read from Sternbergh before, so I was pleasantly surprised by the realistic characters in a somewhat far fetched plot.

Daisy and Craig have been together for three years and married for two. Their relationship is already rocky so Daisy has booked a one week isolated getaway to a relationship retreat called the “Eden test.” Each day brings up a difficult question for them both to answer. I loved how the book shifts from relationship tension to more traditional thriller tension. I don’t want to spoil anything, this was a fun ride.

I found some of Daisy and Craig’s interactions cheesy and annoying in the beginning but I decided to lean into it and laugh. I’m so glad I did because the twists and character development were so much fun. I think there are a few small plot holes so go into this expecting fun and drama and with a casual attitude. If you do, this thriller has great entertainment potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

Seven days, Seven questions, Forever Changed. Theatre actress, Daisy, has found a way to try to salvage her marriage, a secluded couples camp of sorts where her and her husband, Craig, can reconnect and try to reconcile their marriage. Craig had other plans for their anniversary weekend, he is coming to this surprise retreat to tell Daisy it is over and leaving for Cabo with his mistress. However, once there they begin to dive into the process connecting on deeper levels that will leave them forever changed.

I requested a copy of this book because the cover and description intrigued me and I liked the concept of the novel but in actuality there are too many plot holes and the entire "twist" I saw coming about 10% in, including the "questions". Even little things bugged me like how did Daisy get time off for Craig from work when he already planned time off to go to Cabo? I liked the pace and style of Sternbergh's writing and the POV of both Craig and Daisy. I did not enjoy either main character especially Daisy who turns out to be as selfish and manipulative as her cheating husband. Daisy's back story and ex are truly ridiculous I wont go into more due to spoilers. This is a basic domestic drama that was trying to do too much and be too clever and fell short. I had the audio version read by Carlotta Brentan who is easy to listen to. There was not much change in tone between the characters so occasionally I wasn't sure who was speaking.

Special thanks to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for the audio version of this book.

I though this was pretty great on audio. Daisy brings her husband Crag of 2 yrs for a marriage saving weekend.

In a secluded area in the middle of nowhere, 7 questions in 7 days but as the days go on and the questions get harder, does Daisy have a ulterior motive?

It's a great story with a great twist. Absolutely recommend!

Soo good! Thank you @netgalley for access to this fun story!! Daisy plans a marriage-saving week away with her husband, Craig. Craig, by the way, wants to break things off. Seven questions over seven days, forever changed. Daisy is an excellent actor, though, and we learn more and more about her secret life as the book progresses. I loved the twists and getting to uncover Daisy’s truth.

EXCELLENT!
Great story, great audiobook too!

Daisy and Craig’s 2 year old marriage is in trouble. Craig is packed to leave her but Daisy has other plans - a couples retreat in the middle of nowhere where they will be isolated and forced to focus upon one another, This program, The Eden Test, is a quite a bit different than your average retreat. When angry townspeople encroach on their alone time, and the assigned discussion questions become harder, Craig wonders what is actually happening. Should he stay? Does Daisy have ulterior motives?

You truly will not guess the twists in this Hitchcockian tale. I could picture this as a movie and will definitely look up more Adam Sternbergh books.
If you love a twisty and suspenseful story, like unique plots and great characters, The Eden Test is for you!
#AdamSternbergh #TheEdenTest#MacmillanAudio

The Eden Test by Adam Sternbergh is a puzzling book that will make you question everything you are reading. Daisy and Craig are two married people who have grown apart - Craig has a bag packed ready to run away with his mistress and Daisy is trying to reignite the spark that burned so brightly when they first met (or did it?). On their anniversary Craig comes home to find a note from Daisy asking her to meet him at an address hours away outside of the city. She has signed them up for the Eden Test, a week-long escape for couples that is fueled by a question a day to help the come back to each other. However, it seems that Daisy has more than a few tricks up her sleeve.

Overall, this book is wild! It felt like it often didn't make sense or there was a hint of something else going on versus what was being presented at face value. I felt very suspicious and distrusting all throughout and was pleasantly surprised at how the author was able to bring it all together at the end. I started to make some guesses towards the last 1/3 of the book and was correct in most cases but it didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

While the performance was technically very successful I did find the narrators accent to be somewhat distracting - since the characters did not seem to have an accent. I also recently listened to another book by this narrator which could have made me biased towards this one.

I would recommend this one! It felt unique and interesting which is sometimes hard to do with so many domestic thrillers on the market. The Eden Test is out 4/25/23 - thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC.