A Happy Marriage by A.R. Torre was a quick, entertaining suspense read that kept me turning the pages. The story had plenty of intrigue, twists, and just the right amount of tension to keep things interesting. I was fully invested… until the ending. It didn’t quite deliver the punch I was hoping for, which left me a little disappointed. Still, it was an enjoyable read overall!

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Perfect for those who love a fast-paced domestic suspense, even if the ending doesn’t quite stick the landing.

Wow. Just wow. It’s not every day the twists get me but this book was a WILD ride! These 2 were a match made in…. Well definitely not heaven. Is it far fetched? Yes. Could it happen? Who’s to say. This is definitely a worst case scenario type of book and will have you on the edge of your seat!

A Happy Marriage by A. R. Torre

What makes a good marriage? In the case of Los Angeles homicide detective Dinah Marino and her psychiatrist husband Dr. Joe Marino, it helps to have a very interesting hobby that allows each of them to engage in some very unsavory pastimes. Dinah pretty much goes through their marriage hoping Joe doesn't find out her secrets because they will break this marriage in two. On Joe's part, he knows so much more than Dinah suspects and has even contemplated bad things when it comes to his dear wife. This is not a healthy marriage and the two are walking a fine line between an enduring marriage and one that might implode at any minute.

At the moment, Dinah is investing a murder which has a victim and a missing daughter. Joe's hobby is mixed up with this investigation and Dinah is afraid secrets are going to come out about her that could be dangerous to her very existence. This married couple play for keeps, they aren't fooling around with their hobbies. Sadly, Dinah's old work partner is gone now and she's being tailed by a new guy who just won't stop asking questions and pushing her to dig deeper in this latest murder. As the pressure gets too much for Dinah, Joe's feeling the urge to nip certain things in the bud.

These two don't play around! Torre can write some really questionable and crazy people and she outdoes herself here. Can this marriage hold up under the consequences of Dinah and Joe's actions? Should their marriage last, at all?

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this ARC.

From outside appearances Dinah and Joe have a perfect marriage. Dinah is the dutiful detective and Joe the respected psychologist. But appearances are often deceiving! And what it takes to make their marriage a happy one will shock you! This one had me guessing right up until the end. Another winner by AR Torre! Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this great ARC!

Maybe 3.5 stars.
I will start by saying I love Alessandra Torre but this one fell short. I loathed both Dinah and Joe and really struggled to connect to either one of them. The first 50% of the story dragged and I found myself setting this one down a few times in exchange for another one but kept coming back because I knew there had to be more. I don't know that I found the more, and I was not by any means blown away by the second half of the book but the pace picked up and new things started to happen. The whole thing felt far fetched and over the top.
Thanks NetGalley and publisher Thomas & Mercer for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.

I struggled with this one. It had potential but fell flat. I was super disappointed as I have liked several other books by this author.

I love a good thriller about a dysfunctional husband and wife, who are each harbouring their own dark secrets, so this book was right up my alley! This story had me hooked from the very first line! My jaw literally dropped on the first page, and I could not turn the pages fast enough.

I don’t usually love the unreliable narrator trope in thrillers, but I actually really enjoyed it in this book, and I thought it worked perfectly! I thought this was a really cleverly crafted story with so many layers, and so many twists and turns to keep the readers turning the pages. This book was definitely a little out there, and a little unbelievable at times, but I actually didn’t mind that at all and thought it was executed very well.

Endings are always hit or miss for me with psychological thrillers, and a bad ending can really ruin a good book for me- but luckily I loved the ending of this book! It was dark and twisted with a hint of humor, and I just thought it was the perfect way to end the story. Overall, this was a fun, twisty, fast read that definitely kept me turning the pages!

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you @alessandratorre4 @amazonpublishing @thrillerbookloversthepulse #thepulse #partner for the jaw dropping book!

AR Torre knocks it out of the park with this dark, twisted and toxic tale of love. I devoured her book last year which was a top thriller of the year for me so I jumped a the chance to grab this one. Once again, she simply nailed this ruinous love story! I think my favorite parts of how this author writes is how dark her thoughts are. Haha, call me crazy but I always feel like she takes it a couple steps past the dark and twisted straight to the sinister and disastrous. I love it. 😆 In this book we follow a married couple who on paper are amazing pillars of society however, in real life are atrocious and abhorrent. The best part? They are madly in love but don’t trust a single fiber of the other person being. If you’re looking for a tense book filled with deceitful characters and shocking events you absolutely should check this one out! It’s amazing!

This thriller has everything I love—an intricate mystery, a complex marriage, and a psychiatrist at its core. I’m drawn to thrillers with therapists, and A.R. Torre nails it, adding a layer of psychological tension that kept me hooked.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and The Pulse for the gifted ARC!

This was... INSANE. In the best way possible. Dinah and Joe are certified looney tunes but I could not stop reading their twisted story. This is one of those books where the beginning will have you asking "what the heck is even going on?" and as you get further into the story your question is answered but definitely not in the way you were expecting.

Torre continues to prove she is a powerhouse author in the thriller genre, no one writes unhinged thrillers quite like she does.

A Happy Marriage pub date is June 24.

3.5 rounded up. This one was fun… very unreliable narrator which I love and tons of twists.

A lot of character dislike but that’s what helps this story!

Overall couldn’t put it down.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the advanced copy!

Whoa - this book was WILD!! I love me some twisted, demented characters; and this book definitely delivered. At first I was thinking I made a mistake by requesting this one, as I'm not typically a fan of detective POV chapters, but I am so glad I stuck it out. It quickly went off the rails in the best possible way. I did guess one of the major twists early on, but it did not take away from how great it was. Easy 5 stars!

This is a crazy, far-fetched story that has just enough mystery to keep you guessing.

Dinah is a homicide detective, married to Joe, a psychiatric doctor. Their marriage, on the outside, is perfect, but any little tilt of the tides can cause chaos and perhaps worse.

This is a quick read with a twist at the end. I didn’t love this book, it was a little too out there for me, but I think the premise is a good one.

This was not my favorite A. R. Torre book but it was worth the read. Dinah and Joe have been married for ten years. And if you ask either one, they would say they have A “Happy Marriage.” So what’s their secret to keeping that marriage on course? Dinah is a homicide detective, presently working a case involving a woman possibly murdered in her own home, and her teenage daughter missing. Joe is a psychiatrist. He teaches classes as well as running his own private psychiatric clinic. Both are still head over-heels in love with each other. And everything will stay peachy-keen just as long their secrets don’t come to light. I thought this book was twisted and diabolical. Throughout this book I never knew who to trust and I was on the edge of my seat. It was addictive and pretty fast paced. One thing I’ll say is that it felt pretty plot forward, which I don’t mind but I do think the story would’ve benefited from a bit more backstory on Joe and Dinah. That being said, it wasn’t a dealbreaker and I enjoyed this book!

I love a deranged, unforgettable first sentence to set the tone. This book is so gruesome and vivid and dark! I love that Torre isn’t afraid to go there to provide a disturbing read! This one was perfect to read around February, providing the most toxic love story! Watching all the pieces click into place was so fun!! And so many times, my mind was blown by little details and revelations throughout! I love how Torre writes domestic thrillers, the dynamic of the relationship between the married couple was so interesting to me! I would recommend going in blind, and also am not giving away a lot of details in my review because I feel like it will make this reading experience that much better!!

This is a very twisted story about… well, the title says it all. There are so many things that you don’t see coming and an ending that you don't expect. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for sending me this ARC.

Will read anything from this author and this book didn’t disappoint. Started right off the back and held my attention the whole ride. Highly recommended! Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Wow! This book was so good! A.R. Torre did not disappoint! This book had me hooked and I couldn’t wait to see what happened. The craziness of this story made this book so good! I definitely recommend!

Dinah and Joe seem to have the perfect marriage. Dinah is a detective, and Joe is a psychiatrist. When their careers collide, their marriage is put to the ultimate test.

The plot to A Happy Marriage is a bit different than any book I have ever read, and the characters are far from likable. However, that is what makes this book a little different. It kept me guessing until the very end.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of A Happy Marriage.

A HAPPY MARRIAGE was such an odd and twisted book, slowly devolving into madness that you knew would be coming and yet were still somehow surprised by. There were parts that didn’t make a ton of sense but it was still an enjoyable read, with a fitting ending.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review A HAPPY MARRIAGE.