Mary Kubica is hit or miss for me. I think this is a great beachy read for people who want something easy and twisty but not too heavy. I would recommend to fans of hers for sure.

I always wonder which narrator is the most reliable or if any of them are. This was a fun, quick read that kept me reading through the end. I wasn’t sure how I wanted it all to end but it was definitely worth reading. Mystery readers should find this a good addition to their TBR and Read lists!

This falls into the normal twisty story category for Mary Kubica - you look left, then you look right, sure you know what's going to happen... and then it's not. I found each of the characters unlikeable for various reasons and their reactions and their responses to their circumstances a little unlikely. Maybe not up to the standard she's set for herself but a good read just the same.

A great read by a geat author. A gripping tale that draws you in from the start. Mary Kubica is a staple for any mystery/domestic suspense reader's shelf. 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of <i>Just the Nicest Couple</i> in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

<h4 style="margin-top: 84px;">The Gist</h4>

<i>Just the Nicest Couple</i> by Mary Kubica is a disappointing thriller that fails to live up to the expectations set by the author's previous works.

<h4>The Details</h4>

One of the things that disappointed me was the lackluster plot. From the outset, the story feels predictable and derivative. Instead of keeping readers on the edge of their seats, the narrative unfolds in a formulaic manner. There was no tension or suspense. There were no moments of wanting to grip the book anticipation of what might happen next.

Furthermore, the characters in <i>Just the Nicest Couple</i> are poorly developed and fail to resonate with readers. The protagonist is neither interesting nor uninteresting. He just is there somehow. His motivations that feel forced and unconvincing. Supporting characters fare no better. The dialogue that is stilted and unnatural. It hinders the development of meaningful connections between characters.

The writing style in <i>Just the Nicest Couple</i> is passable. While the prose is functional, it does lack some depth and complexity. Descriptions are often overly simplistic, failing to evoke the sense of atmosphere and mood that is crucial in a thriller.

<h4>The Verdict</h4>

Overall, <i>Just the Nicest Couple</i> is an okay thriller. With an okay plot, okay characters. It did keep my interest, though, throughout the entire story. It’s an okay story.

This was so twisty! This was my 3rd Kubica book, and I cannot get enough. I absolutely loved the dual perspective, and I did not see the end coming!

This book was WILD. I couldn't figure it out, which is hard for me since I've read so many thrillers. The suspense was high, the concept was original, and the writing drew you in with every chapter. I listened to this book, and it was fabulous on audio! I can't wait to read more Mary Kubica!!

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica

Summary:

Lilly and Christian Scott are expecting their first child together. Nina Hayes works with Lilly at their local school, and her husband, Jake, is now missing. Nina believes that it is her fault that he’s missing due to a fight right before he went missing. But Lilly thinks she may be the last person who saw Jake and tells Christian. They are trying to keep this a secret so they aren’t suspects.

So where is Jake?

My Thoughts:

I always enjoy the twists and turns of Mary Kubica’s books. This one has alternating viewpoints and some flashbacks as well.

I can’t say much because it would totally give it away, but I really liked this one! There were some red herrings, but I did figure out this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Park Row publishing for an advanced reader’s copy.

This one was just okay for me. Mainly I just couldn’t get past how the characters nearly ALL were doing things and reacting in ways that no one would ever do in real life. I couldn’t suspend the disbelief! Still was a quick and fun read.

This was a great, fast paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing until the end. The twist in the middle completely shocked me. I definitely stayed up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. It took me a little longer than usual to really get into the story but once it caught my attention I couldn't put it down.

I will say that I wanted to find out what happened... but was disappointed overall. The character of Christian (Lily's husband) was dumber than dirt. The book was told in alternating perspectives of Christian and Nina, Lily's co-worker and friend. Lily's husband, Jake, didn't come home one night and at first Lily thinks that he left her after an argument.

We find out (very early in the book, so no spoiler) that Lily had been in the woods with Jake (which is odd and not explained until later) and he came on to her so she hit him with a rock. There are so many holes in this story. The fact that she doesn't ever actually explain what happened when Christian asks and she just sits around and cries seems odd. There are more strange things that are glossed over until the end as well.

The end... isn't great either. It tries to wrap everything up but there are still questions. I guess I was hoping for more.

I have enjoyed Mary Kubica books in the past - they are quick thriller reads and this was no different! Thank you for the ARC! The storyline had me interested from the beginning. I did feel like the ending was rushed. However, I enjoyed it and will be recommending this to my bookclub.

I received this as an Advanced Reader Copy. I am a big Mary Kubica fan, but this was a slow burn, with a pretty anti-climatic climax. It was fun reading a story with teachers in a high school though.

I haven’t read a book by Mary Kubica that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy and this book is no exception. Kubica is one of my favorite writers and I always enjoy a good psychological thriller. Like most of her books, it switches the point of view between Christian and Nina who are both married to other people. Nina’s husband goes missing. The only issue I had was that none of the characters were unlikeable and selfish. They were all pretty one dimensional. Nina and Lily teach at the same school, one day Nina’s surgeon goes missing.- he doesn’t return go home from work and then doesn’t show up for his next shift. At en same time, Lily drops a huge bomb on her husband, Christian, that Jake tried to attack her in the woods and she hit him with a rock. The book starts off slow moving and is not one of Kubica’s best books, but I still enjoyed reading it and it was a quick read. I was surprised by the variety of others reviews. It appears that readers either loved or hated the book with minimal neutral reviews.

Mary Kubica is one of my top authors that I will automatically pick up her book off the shelf. This one I didn't enjoy as much as Local Woman Missing but i still devoured it in less than a day!

Kubicas storytelling is nothing short of thrilling. Twists and turns I would never have been able to see coming!

My first Mary Kubica book was Local Wonan Missing and it was one of my top books of last year. So I was very happy to get Just the Nicest Couple. I had high hopes for this book and it wasn’t quite up there with LWM but it was a great thriller, I had a good time reading it!

Mary Kubica never lets me down! This twisty dark thriller is another ultimate page turner. I highly recommend!

There were plot holes and grammar mistakes. The false foreshadowings were so obvious that I wanted to yell at the author to just trust their readers' intelligence at one point.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick. Our library purchased and our patrons have been checking out and and enjoying the book. I see it is a popular book club choice as well we hope to have more oppurtinies to support authors like them