Lorraine and Victor Gordon run a Rekindle Connections program at Serenity Falls with an aim toward saving failing marriages. Victor has been very successful with the advice columns and books that he has written.

One day, the police arrive to tell Lorraine that Victor was killed in a car crash. Also in the car was a young woman with no identification on her who now lies critically injured and in a coma. Victor was supposed to be at a conference in London so Lorraine is left wondering if he lied to her. Their son, Aiden, arrives from Canada and is devastated at the loss of his father.

Lorraine strives to keep the retreat going with the help of Aiden. However, she is hiding some secrets and is determined to find the answers to some of them. It is an in-depth story of lies, deceit, and murder. There are a lot of characters to keep up with here so you need to keep on your toes as you read this book. Enjoy!

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A dark and tragic story that explores a man's careless actions and secrets and their effects on the people's lives he touched. His widow is left with unanswered questions and a roaring rage that defines her future actions. There are unreliable narrators and a mix of characters, many of whom are unlikeable. An atmospheric and claustrophobic ethos deepens as the story develops, revealing secrets. The pacing is gentle, and there are a lot of details between each revelation. I like the complex characterisation and the devastating picture revealed at the story's conclusion.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I want to start off by saying thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture, and Laura Elliot for the approval to listen to and review this audiobook.

Unfortunately, I have decided at 25% not to finish The Marriage Retreat and leave it at a 3-star rating.

This was due to the chapter length, quantity of chapters, and the over-complication of too many characters. My main issue with this novel is that the chapters are too long; which caused the entire plot to be drawn out. In other words, the book got boring fast. I found this to be unfortunate because I was utterly sucked in at the beginning! I loved the concept, but the execution was lacking.

The concept of The Marriage Retreat was what enticed me to request a copy. Lorraine has carefully built an image of the perfect couple, helping others rekindle their love, until a tragic secret threatens to destroy everything she has worked for - what will she do?

Additionally, there were so many characters with all or the majority being family members, that it was too difficult to keep track of, thus moving forward in the story.

I’d love to see a proofread version with fewer descriptions and shorter, more to-the-point chapters at the beginning.

I love a thriller that can keep me on my toes. Laura Elliot uses different character perspectives to develop the storyline without leaving me confused. I try to predict outcomes and plot twists and this one definitely got me a few times! The description and cover appealed to me but the writing kept me going. Can’t wait to read some of her other books.

Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read this arc! The thoughts and comments are mine alone:

The premise of this book was SO interesting! Lorraine has carefully built this image of the perfect couple, helping others rekindle their love, until a tragic secret threatens to destroy everything she has worked for - what will she do?

The book could have profited from some serious editing in my opinion! The pacing at the start is off, and I found myself skimming through, just to move the story along. Things pick up though, around the 40% mark, and then it goes absolutely WILD!!! Wow, that ending!

It’s a good read in the end but I’d love to see a proofread version with less description and shorter, more to-the-point chapters at the beginning.

The Marriage Retreat sounds very promising but the pace is too slow to keep me very interested. The characters are all pretty unlikable lol, I feel the book is well written with a good plot but it just wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book!

I picked this book up because I had read and liked Laura Elliot's [book:The Silent House|55825117]. Also, the first line "My husband saved other people’s marriages.
But his secrets will destroy ours…" is definitely an attention grabber.

Description:
My husband saved other people’s marriages.
But his secrets will destroy ours…

I stand in the mortuary and take a deep breath before identifying the body of the man I’ve been married to for twenty-six years. Victor and I built Serenity Falls, a successful couples’ retreat, together. Honesty and trust were the bedrocks of our marriage, and we helped other couples repair their relationships too.

Now my whole world has been turned upside down and I don’t know what to think. A woman lies in a coma, in a stark, white hospital room. She was by Victor’s side when he died. The police have been unable to identify her and I’m forced to confront the painful reality that my own husband was hiding something. My grief is laced with anger. How could he lie to me?

But as I begin to uncover the secrets of my husband’s past, I discover the shocking truth about the woman with no name and no memory. And to protect my family, I have to make a choice.

A choice that will turn me into a liar, just like Victor.
And will end in murder…

My Thoughts:
The book was slow during the first half, but picked up in the second half. I didn't like Lorraine as a character and couldn't relate to her. The mystery woman in the car was interesting and I was surprised to find out who she was. The book had some good twists, but I had trouble staying focused on it. Don't know if it was my mood at the time I read it or the story itself. As a psychological thriller, it was not one of the best I've read but still a good story. I think I would have liked it better if the first half had kept my attention more.

Thanks to Bookouture for an advance copy. Publication date is Augus

Nothing wrong with the writing at all, but this story just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters or the series of events that were unfolding. Maybe it was the pacing? I’m sure there will be a particular audience who will absolutely eat it up. Sorry that I wasn’t one of them.

Another enjoyable domestic thriller from Laura Elliot! This one was a bit slow paced at the beginning, but I really enjoyed it as I got into it. I love this author's prose. I love that every time you think you've figured something out, NOPE! Things are not as they appear! Gripping, compelling read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This was a little too slow burn for me, I ended up DNFing this one at 25%. I couldn’t connect to the characters and the plot was not very unique

Unfortunately, I made the decision at 30% not to finish The Marriage Retreat and leave it at a 3-star rating.
I have been working on it for the last two days, and continue to be astounded that I haven’t made more progress.
My main issue is that the chapters are just too long and the entire plot is so drawn out. In other words, it got boring. Which is unfortunate, because I was completely sucked in at the beginning!
I did see some reviews that said the second half gets better, but I could not force myself to endure 20% more for the story to pick up.
Additionally, there are so many characters, all family members, too difficult to keep track of, thus removing any possibility of my enjoying the book.
I also discovered several grammar, spelling, and capitalization errors, further lowering my respect for the book. Although the synopsis is compelling, I am sorry to say this book was not one for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the early release copy in exchange for my honest review.

This one fell short for me. Choppy storylines and not much of a thriller aspect, I struggled to finish. The ending was the best part, although I felt that a lot of the book could have been condensed. I loved the background of a beautiful marriage retreat in a beautiful secluded area, just didn't love the plot.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

"A lie will always corrode the soul."

I was not the biggest fan of this book. It was a bit odd and strange. I kept reading and wanted to know how it would end but, it was not my favorite slow burn that I have picked up this year. I never felt like I really connected with any of the characters which made it a little difficult to be invested in the story.

Victor and Lorraine run a marriage retreat aimed at fixing broken relationships and known as being “relationship experts.” When Victor dies in a car crash and there was another woman in the car, the secrets and mysteries abound.

I struggled a bit with the pacing/length of this one. This is a slow burn domestic thriller. The first half was a slow pace for me personally. It did pick up the second half and moved quicker. It was well written and a good story, so if you like throw burns I believe you will enjoy this one!

Synopsis (from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
*********************************************************

My husband saved other people’s marriages.
But his secrets will destroy ours…

I stand in the mortuary and take a deep breath before identifying the body of the man I’ve been married to for twenty-six years. Victor and I built Serenity Falls, a successful couples’ retreat, together. Honesty and trust were the bedrock of our marriage, and we helped other couples repair their relationships too.

Now my whole world has been turned upside down and I don’t know what to think. A woman lies in a coma, in a stark, white hospital room. She was by Victor’s side when he died. The police have been unable to identify her and I’m forced to confront the painful reality that my own husband was hiding something. My grief is laced with anger. How could he lie to me?

But as I begin to uncover the secrets of my husband’s past, I discover the shocking truth about the woman with no name and no memory. And to protect my family, I have to make a choice.

A choice that will turn me into a liar, just like Victor.

And will end in murder…

A great thriller in which you won’t know who to trust or who is guilty … of anything. Do you trust your spouse? Should you trust your spouse? You will question your marriage and relationships once this book is done being read…it has a twist that will REALLY make you look at who you married and who YOU are and wonder (no spoilers from me) as I was shocked many, many times…what you would do to save yourself??? #shortbutsweetreviews

Ps. Pickiness. Dolphins generally do not live in Lochs as they are saltwater creatures and have less buoyancy in fresh water so they cannot survive there. Whales cannot be in a freshwater loch. And lobster boats would not be in a loch either…it’s a LAKE…
Born in “Carolina”? North or South?? Please choose

Lorraine and her husband run a couples retreat for people with failing marriages. They claim honesty is the bedrock of their relationship… but then Victor is killed in a horrible car wreck and a twenty-something female is found in his car. The young woman is in a coma and Lorraine has no idea who she is or why she was with her husband.
The book has a slow start and was hard to get invested in the characters but it did pick up toward the end. I love thrillers but this one fell a little short for me. Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy.

This book feel a little flat for me. There seemed to be so much emphasis on hiding who Naomi really was and I don’t feel like the book really kept my interest . It was also very slow moving and I did not find that I connected with the characters.
I received an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review..

Felt there was a tipping point in the book. Kept me gripped till about half way ish then it just didn’t hold my attention. I wasn’t that bothered about finishing it but forged on.

Super slow paced thriller. The first 2/3 of the book felt like it dragged and I didn’t really enjoy it. The ending redeemed it from being a total bummer but still not impressed.

Lies and secrets have the power to destroy everyone and everything as Lorraine discovers upon her husband’s death. What lives did Victor lead before he and Lorraine met? Their successful marriage retreat taught that honesty is the bedrock of relationships. However, these two have more than their fair share of dishonesty. This is a very interesting and enjoyable story!