Another reviewer said it quite well (I’m paraphrasing)—this book would have been infinitely better if the MC’s weren’t a know-it-all d-bag husband and his doormat of a wife.

I despised all of the characters except Stanley. The dog! What a good boy. Jacey was boring and doormat-ish, without aspiration, motivation, or original thoughts. Rob was a scourge on society.

The writing was fine. I kept reading to see whether Jacey was crazy or there was a paranormal element—but I went in blind and didn’t expect there to even be a hint of a paranormal element, so that was a surprise.

One thing I loved was the setting. A gorgeous old mansion in the English countryside? A small town with a storied history? The writing was so descriptive and lovely about this, I would have loved a bit more.

Jacey and Rob move to England for his job. Their home is huge but also increasingly scary. What secrets are the couple hiding and what is happening at the house...?
The Perfect Couple is a psychological thriller with a strong supernatural theme.
Jacey and Rob's marriage isn't as perfect as they pretend. He is short tempered and takes every opportunity to malign his wife. He is lying about his whereabouts and Jacey is starting to suspect an affair. She is starting to experience strange symptoms where she zones out and finds it difficult to concentrate. Her anxiety is heightened by the spooky house with creepy noises and strange visions of a young boy. Meanwhile she also wants to discover the truth about her grandmother's move to America.
There are three clear layers to the plot: the deteriorating relationship between Rob and Jacey, the unsettling house and the mystery about her grandmother's past. Poor Jacey really is under attack on all sides and is struggling with the pressure of her existence in a haunted house with a horrid husband. My heart went out to her and I was desperate for her to stand up to Rob and walk away.
There are lots of mysteries and secrets for Jacey to uncover: her husband's secret trips to London, her blackouts and confusion, other people's unsettling remarks about her home and grandmother. I didn't particularly like Jacey but I felt sorry for her and wanted her to get the truth and find some happiness. There is a wonderful tension and dark atmosphere created and sustained over the course of the book.
The Perfect Couple is an intriguing book with lots going on!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
This was a bit of a slow starter but well worth it. An imperfect couple and a creepy home. Great setting for a thriller too.

Lol no, the perfect couple does not exist. And neither does the perfect house. Oooof! I'm officially creeped out, thanks Jane

Honestly this book was so slow and I am still a little confused on what was actually happening. I am new to the mystery/thriller genre and everything I read and enjoyed has been pretty cut and dry when it comes to what is happening. This book is the opposite for me. I also hated her husband Rob because he was a whiny baby.

It took me a few chapters to get sucked into the story.
Jacey and Rob, an American young married couple, just moved to the following Rob’s new job opportunity who’s been offered a position as a lecturer in a UK university.
There seems to be some trouble in the marriage but this would be a new start.
Left alone in their new rented house, Jacey, who can’t work becomes increasingly anxious, suspicious and troubled and starts doubting what she sees and feels.
It doesn’t help that the house has a reputation to be haunted or that Rob becomes more and more distant and absent.

Narrated only from Jacey’s point of view, who becomes more erratic and fragile, we follow her search for the truth: is the house haunted? Is her husband cheating on her? Is there a curse on her family? Or is it all in her head?

After a slow start, I really enjoyed reading this book during my commute.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for my advanced copy.

Thank you for the ARC. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend. It was a good story that kept me guessing until the end. There were times I thought I had the story pinned down and then another twist. If you like thrillers then give this one a try!

I found this to be a fast paced thrill ride! I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t let go, didn’t want to. Time to read more from this author.

THE PERFECT COUPLE is about the not so perfect couple.

When an American couple travels abroad for the husband, Rob's, work strange coincidences begin happening in the house where they are staying and when Rob begins to get secretive and starts gaslighting Jacey is left to uncover what is happening in her marriage and in the house.

I enjoyed the story however it was slow in the beginning and I was immediately thrown off by how much I hated Rob's character from the beginning. He was insensitive and cruel and only got worse over time. I also wish there would have been more dialogue between various characters. A lot of the story seemed most told from Jacey's perspective and her thoughts and lacked a lot of connection between characters which was disappointing.

American couple moves to a village in England when the husband is offered a teaching position at a university. The offer provides for living arrangements and they find themselves in a manor house with a haunted history. As unexplained things start happening and their marriage starts to break down, readers are left guessing whether it's reality or delusion. Told from the wife's perspective, we aren't quite sure until the final chapters. I look forward to reading the author's future books.

AN ADDICTIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER WITH A STUNNING CLIMAX. Rob is not the man I married. And even my own mother is keeping things from me. She’s on his side. However deep the lies are buried, I must find the truth, no matter how horrifying it is. We moved from Minnesota to a beautiful house in the English countryside. A year away was meant to be the perfect fresh start. As soon as we arrive, I get a bad vibe. Despite the charming period features, the house is dark and cold. When the taxi driver pulls away, he warns ‘whatever you do, don’t believe the rumours.’ Our first morning there, Rob brings me croissants in bed and I think maybe this will work, maybe we can be happy here. Then it begins. Strange noises coming from the woods. In the garden, I feel like I’m being watched. Then I see him. The little boy Rob tells me there’s no one there. That I’m crazy. That I’m going to ruin the last chance we have to make our marriage work. But he’s lying.


Holy plot twists. This was action packed and I was here for it. Will recommend to others.

Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for this ARC of ‘The Perfect Couple’ by Jane McLoughlin.

This was a very slow burn thriller. despite it being quite a quick read it did take a while to get into things. Overall was a decent read.

I'm kind if in the fence about this one. Its a short easy read but it's such a slow burn that it felt like it was just never getting started or getting to the actual point. I struggled to get into it. A lot. The characters didn't interest me, it felt like very little was actually happening and it's all just so heavy on the character based narrative which isn't for me. Its well written and such but I just need more things to actually happen and not just a bunch of people all hinting at things all the time. It all got a bit frustrating lol. There are so many domestic thrillers about the secrets between husbands and their wife's that I do think it has to be exceptional to stand out in that niche and this one just didn't

This was a slow burner thriller which I am so glad I stuck with cause when it got going it definitely did. I really enjoyed it. It had a creepy gothic vibe to it which helped build the suspense throughout. The writing style I really enjoyed and characters were well developed. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy. Highly recommended.

Rob and Jacey are married. Rob is a professor. They're moving to England so that he can teach at one of the universities. They've gotten to the house that they will be renting for the year, and now they are hearing strange noises. Rob could have sworn he heard screaming, and Jacey could have sworn she heard someone tell her to leave and get out. Jacey has started to hear the ringing of bells outside of the house as well
Rob has begun to act strange. He sits in the sitting room alone, and Jacey could swear she hears him talking to someone while in there
Jacey has even started seeing a little boy playing ball alone. He's real, right? Can't be her imagination
There's definitely something going on with not just the house but the town as well. People keep mentioning the Kennetts, but Jacey doesn't understand what this has to do with her. Her grandmother was a Smith
Past and present clash and all the secrets that everyone is hiding from Jacey soon begin to reveil themselves
Can she get out of this house before it spooks her to death
Can she stop seeing this little boy before she loses her mind

This wasn't such a good read for me. What spoiled it was the husband's character he was such a bossy and insensitive character to his wife and her feelings. The story was slow and a little too obvious for me. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This is a super slow burn mystery/thriller. It is heavy on internal psychological dialogue. There is very little interpersonal interaction.
Definitely good if you’re looking for a slower style read.
I did not connect with any of the characters but in this book that didn’t seem to bother me. It had a feeling of being almost removed from the story.
Unfortunately I could see the twist coming from a mile away. But it would be hard not to in this type of story.

I received a ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

I've read Jane's YA books and couldn't resist having an early read of her first foray into adult fiction, and I'm so glad that I did. What a ride this gothic thriller was! Sooooo very creepy and intriguing. No spoilers but I didn't see that end coming up at all.

The Perfect Couple by author Jane McLoughlin is a story that kept me totally hooked from beginning to end AND there is a killer twist that makes the story all the more better! I refuse to spoil this book in any way - so this review is without a lot of detail. I recommend this book to all lovers of mystery!

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this #book from the author/publisher via #Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher/author for allowing me the opportunity to review. 🦄
⭐️When possible reviews are cross-posted on the following:
✔️Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/jaime-loves-romance
✔️Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/2577266404
✔️IG https://www.instagram.com/alphabookclub/
✔️Twitter @alpha_book_club
#ReviewByJaime #BookReview #MustRead #TBR #BookBoost
🦄

This is my first Lori McLoughlin book.

The first. 30% is very slow. I was debating on not finishing, but pushed through.

Once the pace picked up, it was very consuming.
I absolutely did not like the Male MC, probably popular opinion.

The ending of the book was not the twist I expected. I liked the turn it took, but wish the rest of the book could've been less creepy? haha