"The Marriage Retreat" by Laura Elliot is a heart-stopping psychological thriller that grips readers from the very first page. With a captivating opening scene, the story immediately plunges readers into a world of mystery and intrigue, where the protagonist, Lorraine Gordon, finds herself facing a devastating loss and a web of deceit.

Elliot's skillful storytelling keeps readers on the edge of their seats as they journey alongside Lorraine, a woman who has dedicated her life to helping others salvage their marriages at her successful couples' retreat, Serenity Falls. However, when tragedy strikes, and Lorraine's husband, Viktor, dies in a collision, her world unravels as she learns that he was not where he claimed to be at the time of the crash. This revelation leads her to a mysterious woman in a coma, whose identity is shrouded in secrecy.

The tension in the story intensifies as Lorraine delves deeper into her husband's past, unearthing shocking secrets that threaten to destroy everything she thought she knew about their marriage. The emotional turmoil and conflicting feelings of grief and anger make Lorraine a relatable and complex protagonist, and readers will find themselves empathizing with her journey to uncover the truth.

The author's ability to build suspense and create an atmosphere of uncertainty is commendable, as each chapter unravels more clues and revelations, drawing readers further into the gripping narrative. Elliot expertly weaves a tale of deception, betrayal, and dangerous secrets, keeping readers guessing until the final page.

As the story unfolds, Lorraine faces a difficult choice that will challenge her morality and force her to confront her own capacity for deception. The stakes are high, and the tension escalates, culminating in a chilling and unexpected climax that will leave readers stunned.

Overall, "The Marriage Retreat" is a masterfully crafted psychological thriller that delivers a rollercoaster of emotions and a relentless sense of suspense. Laura Elliot's skill in building intricate characters and a gripping plot shines through, making this novel a must-read for fans of the genre. With its shocking twists and turns, the book will stay with readers long after they've turned the final page.

This book would of been 5* if there wasn't as much filler.
The first 50% could of been cut down to alot less and would of made the book more engaging.
I did love the writers writing as they used some really well thought out literary techniques. Would recommend reading if you love a domestic thriller. The ending brought together the book perfectly and I was happy with how the story ended.
I particularly liked Gail and her decisiveness. Throughout the book I was back and forth between Lorraine and no name girls sides. And was still conflicted at the end.
Thankyou netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced reader copy!

Behind the seemingly idyllic facade of Lorraine and Victor Gordon's counseling success lies a captivating tale of intrigue and deception. As a couple, they have built a thriving career helping others mend their relationships, all the while basking in a luxurious lifestyle supported by their unique counseling approach.

While Lorraine skillfully orchestrates the business's operations, Victor exudes charisma, earning him the title of 'love guru' among their adoring clients and supporters. However, tragedy strikes when Victor meets with a fatal car accident, accompanied by a young woman who remains unidentified and in a coma. Suddenly, Lorraine finds herself grappling with the enigmatic circumstances surrounding the incident, especially since Victor was supposedly scheduled to be in London at the time of the crash.

As she delves deeper into the mystery, questions arise. Was Victor having an affair? And if so, what does it mean for the business? Lorraine's journey to uncover the truth takes unexpected turns, leaving readers guessing and questioning everything they thought they knew.

The story artfully weaves intriguing twists and turns, showcasing a masterful blend of suspense and deception. Each page unravels another layer of secrets, immersing readers in a world where appearances are deceiving, and trust is a precious commodity.

The author skillfully explores the human psyche, delving into complex themes of love, betrayal, and the lengths one would go to protect their interests. Lorraine's character development is particularly engrossing, as she grapples with her own vulnerabilities and the allure of preserving an immaculate public image.

While the novel offers an engaging narrative and unexpected surprises, there were aspects that left me wanting more. The pacing, at times, felt uneven, and certain plot points could have been further explored to enhance the overall impact of the story.

This book presents a tale that keeps you guessing until the very end. With its cleverly crafted twists and thought-provoking exploration of relationships and ambition, it is an enjoyable read. Though not without its minor shortcomings, the book delivers an intriguing journey that is sure to leave readers pondering the true meaning of love, trust, and the masks we wear to protect ourselves.

I'm still new to the thriller genre - so when NetGalley gave me an ARC of this book, I was super excited to start reading asap.

Overall the book itself is good - a bit of a slow start (which I love/hate bc i'm so impatient but also want the books to last longer) but figuring out the plot twists was what kept me going until it picked up. I feel like something in the book was lacking but can't quite place my finger on it - and honestly the twists weren't as jaw dropping as i was anticipating.

This would be a great book for someone who isn't sure if they like the thriller/mystery genre because it seemed like a gentle jump into it, and a good stepping stone for those more intense thriller stories.

★ ★ ★ //5
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭
by Laura Elliot

Pub Date: August 17, 2023

THOUGHTS:
I had never read anything by Laura, this was my first read by her. I enjoyed the synopsis and love a good domestic thriller!
This book had well developed characters but I have to say that personally, I had a hard time getting into this book to start. The slowness with the plot in the first part of the book caused me struggle but I kept pushing through and it ended up being a great read. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen, loved the POV of this book and the ending I didn’t end up guessing. If you love mysterious domestics then this book will absolutely be for you.

Thank you to netgalley, bookouture, and laura elliot for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

Lorainne and Victor, her husband of over twenty years, run a Marriage Retreat--a small hotel of sorts where couples come for a week to reconnect, find what is broken in their relationships, and determine if there is anything worth salvaging. But everything changes when Lorainne gets a phone call--her husband has died in a car accident, and he was with another woman who has survived but is in a coma. But who is she? Why was she with Victor, who was supposed to be speaking at a conference? How does she tie in with his past in Sedona?What other secrets was he keeping, and what will happen if they see the light of day? Lorainne must reconcile the person she knew and loved with a man of many secrets, and do so quietly in order to keep her business alive. After all, who wants to take relationship advice from someone who's marriage wasn't perfect at best, and a sham at worst?

The writing style and pacing of the book felt like a Claire McGowan novel, so if you enjoy her books you'll enjoy this one! I really wanted to love this book--it has such an interesting premise and there was so much potential. There were moments where I was genuinely curious how everything would connect--what would Aiden, Lorainne's son, do once he finds out her secrets? But it felt very drawn out--it could have been about 100 pages shorter and had the same effect. It also felt weird that two key characters seemed to barely exist--they existed to further the plot but didn't seem to exist in any substantial way. You can't care if someone dies, or is heartbroken, or has any negative thing happen to them if they only exist to argue with a character periodically, or pop in and out at seemingly random intervals with no real rhyme or reason--the multiple POV structure of the novel makes this issue even more present than it may have been had we just solely had Lorainne's point of view.

I stuck with the book hoping for a great plot twist that showed Lorainne's motivations for what she's done, why she cared so much about her husband's secrets, why she was so involved. Or one for "No Name Girl" as she worked to recover her memories as to who she was and what happened. There was a small plot twist, but it wasn't one that made me say "Oh WOW! Didn't see THAT coming!" but instead made me say "Oh. Well. That's....a choice?" Overall, it did have some redeeming moments, and there were some scenes here and there that kept my attention, so I can't say I didn't like it--it was a pretty standard UK based thriller, based on my experience. But there were a few character development and pacing issues that really prevented me from being totally sucked into this novel like I expected (and hope!) to be.

A deliciously dark and brooding thriller which asks how far you’d go to protect what you hold dear. There are twists and turns which keep you turning the pages. The characters are fantastically drawn across the novel with real depth and dimension. A highly engrossing story that will keep you turning the pages in dread. It’s a very atmospheric read which makes it very claustrophobic and in a way quite quiet and menacing - very well written!

Wow, what a meaty book. Could not put this book down, so many twists and turns. A book within a book and more.

"Love guru "really, why did it make you question that title, not easy to make out why when you get to the nitty-gritty of the book.

Late night reading this as no way was it going to be put down without finding out the truth.

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this.

A new author to follow now.

Lorraine and Victor Gordon have an enjoyable life running a successful marriage retreat named Serenity Falls. But when Lorraine receives news that her husband was killed in a car accident, her world is shattered. Most notably because her husband was not alone when he died – there was a young woman with him. She clings to life in a coma and can’t answer any questions about who she is or why she was with Victor. Lorraine decides to investigate who the woman could be and why her husband was lying to her. Their entire life together was built on honesty and trust and his betrayal cuts deep.

She discovers pretty early on who the woman is and the story is mainly about her desperation to keep it a secret from everyone else. The lengths she goes to are surprising, as are the secrets Victor was keeping. I can’t say there were any twists for me because you can see them coming based on the actions of the characters, but I still enjoyed the author’s writing style and was curious to see how everything would play out.

The one thing that bothered me as a reader from the U.S. was that more than once the state of Carolina was referenced. There is no state of Carolina. There is North Carolina and South Carolina, not one big Carolina. I know the author and probably most of the readers are from the UK, but this is a very easy fact to check and catch. That aside, it was a fun story that will make you reconsider how well you know someone and why you should question when your ‘soul mate’ refuses to discuss their past.

Awesome read.
To love is to invite pain to the party (chapter 35).
This quote sums the book up for me.
Expect betrayal in its worst form - lots of twists and turns and an ending that will leave you shocked.

I just couldn't get into this story. The writing style wasn't my cup of tea and despite trying over and over I just didn't enjoy this.

I found this book a bit of a struggle to get through, at least the first half. It was a slow paced thriller, which sometimes I don’t mind, but I found this one a bit of a slog.

The story was ok and interesting overall, but sadly I didn’t really get attached to any of the characters and that included the main one, Lorraine. I feel like her story could have been told quicker.

The story really picked up towards the end and I found myself enjoying it more, which is why I’ve given a 3 star and not a 2.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for this read in exchange for an honest review.

Lorraine and Victor Gordon have made a very successful career out of counselling couples on the verge of break-ups by assisting them to rebuild their relationships. Not only is reconciliation of squabbling partners this couple's bread and butter, it also funds their champagne and strawberries lifestyle.

Meanwhile the Gordons themselves are held up as the gold standard of relationships by their grateful clients and their many supporters. While Lorraine is the one who manages all the moving parts of their venture, Victor is the charismatic half of the duo, dubbed by some the "love guru".

So when a sudden tragedy leads to Victor's death in a car accident where a young, unidentified woman is left in a coma after being discovered travelling in the car with him, Lorraine is at her wits' end trying to figure out what the story behind the incident actually is - especially since Victor was supposed to be giving a talk in London at the time when he was found in the wreckage.

Was he having an affair? With a woman so much younger? And if so, what will it mean for the credibility of the business that the two of them have built up over two decades? How far would Lorraine go to protect her own interests? The story has some interesting twists to offer, and the only thing you can rely on is that nothing is quite what it seems...

Full of twists and turns, I gasped a few times too!! A great read with stack of tension and mystery. Thanks for the chance to review it.

3 ⭐️ - DNF. I really tried to power through this book but it just felt too long. I think if the story were shortened a bit I would have been pulled in more. When twists came, I was completely surprised and was sucked back into the story, but it felt like there was a lot of filler. Thank you to NetGalley and Laura Elliot & team for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a lot of good thrillers this year and I will definitely put this in that category.

This book was gripping, fast paced and kept me guessing throughout.

I couldn’t put it down. Kept me interested and I was caught off guard a few times. I love when a book is not predictable

The Marriage Retreat felt very long and drawn out. I had a hard time getting through this book until closer to the end. It was hard to relate to the main character, Loraine.

Ultimately, I did stick through and finished the book and it did get more interesting at the end. This wasn’t for me and i’m a little upset because I really liked the premise of this book. The writing style was hard to understand and I just felt bored throughout.

This is definitely a slow burn thriller so if that’s your vibe go ahead and check it out.

This book totally freaked me out! It was scary and gripping. I couldn’t put it down! A must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!

The Marriage Retreat
Laura Elliot
Pub Date August 17, 2023
Bookouture
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I liked this book. Nothing is what it seems. I recommend this book to you if you enjoy domestic thrillers. Well written, engaging plot, atmosphere- so much is well done.
4 stars