I want to start by saying thanks to MacMillian Audio, and NetGalley for supplying me with an ARC of “The Eden Test” for an honest review of this novel which is available on shelves everywhere starting Tuesday, April 25, 2023. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Overall, the book was GOOD - and I liked it more than I was honestly expecting to for a few reasons. We have an actress, a failing marriage, a domestic thriller, and on occasions some plot points that just didn't make sense. HOWEVER, somehow it all worked in a way that I just wasn’t expecting. As always I do feel the need to share some of the possible triggering topics in this book **So here is my slight spoiler with some trigger warnings in case you're planning to read this novel: domestic abuse, strangulation, stalking, cheating, miscarriage, blood, and some violence**

The Plot: Daisy and Craig may appear to be a perfect couple, but in reality, their marriage is in serious trouble. Therefore, without Craig’s knowledge, Daisy has decided to take on a holistic week-long couples retreat to give them a chance to resolve their issues. Together they’ll take on “The Eden Test.” Seven Days. Seven Questions. Forever Changed? But when Craig arrives with bags packed ready to leave his wife for a new woman and as Daisy continues to work behind the scenes with her mysterious flip phone and unknown messages were unsure if they’ll survive the questions and the information they reveal.

What I enjoyed: The book was an easy and overall enjoyable read (for the most part) The characters' intentions were easy to follow and their relationship felt like it had real problems but was taken to the next level of something we wouldn’t necessarily expect from real life. The narrator did a great job creating unique and clear changes in perspective which greatly improves the experience as we follow along with this couple on their upstate getaway. The town and side characters were fleshed out and had some personality that made them feel like characters and not just some random NPCs.

What I Wish was Different: It made me so sad to see that the description of this book was compared to “Rock Paper Scissors” as I JUST read that book and did not enjoy it. While I understand that the books are similar (domestic thriller, marriage conflicts, and a “twist”) this book felt like the twist was warranted and not as cheesy as the aforementioned book. With that said though the ending was predictable and I figured out about halfway where the plot was heading. This wasn’t horrible but it did detract from my overall rating of the book. Additionally, at times I felt that this book dragged and could have been revised to remove some of the internal thinking. However, it wasn’t the worst thing.

This one greatly disappointed me.

I went into this book with a fair warning from a friend regarding the misinformation regarding miscarriages. It is dangerous and hurtful to a lot of people to spread such misinformation surrounding domestic violence and miscarriages. It would not be possible to tell that early on that asphyxiation was the cause of a miscarriage. Miscarriages also do not cause infertility. The author did a great disservice by including that sup-plot without thoroughly researching the topic.

A marriage is in trouble. Daisy books a weeklong marriage retreat for herself and her husband, Craig. It is supposed to be 7 days in a secluded cabin where they discuss and answer 7 questions. At the end, they will have more clarity on their relationship. It is a thriller, so obviously, things go sideways. The book begins with Craig planning to leave Daisy for his mistress, but things are put on hold when he is dragged on this getaway.

Overall, the first half of the book was great and kept me really engaged. Then, around the time of the explanation of Daisy's infertility came, the book just tanked from there. The plot twist was so ridiculous, that it completely lost me altogether. It also seemed like the author had two separate ideas for books and just kind of crammed them altogether. Once the plot twist was revealed, it just got crazier and crazier and wasn't entertaining anymore.

I also found it completely unbelievable that so many men were so helplessly in love with Daisy. I found her to be insufferable. She was boring, and a complete know it all.

Overall, I will not be recommending this book to anyone, and I highly recommend this author does some research next time, if he is going to cover such topics as domestic violence and miscarriage, the least he can do is be accurate.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. Daisy and Craig have a terrible marriage. Unbeknownst to Craig, Daisy has signed them up for a week long couples retreat to work in their marriage. Things get interesting when weird things start happening.

This was a wild ride. It's one of those stories where nothing is as it seems and the whole time you're thinking that something more is going on but you can't figure out what.

This is the story about a couple where the wife signs them up for a week-long couple experience to help strengthen their marriage. But the tests and trials seem way over the top. The town is very unfriendly to the visitors and some weird, creepy folks are hanging around.

It's a fast paced story that you will read quickly. There are a lot of trigger warnings so if you're sensitive to most issues around domestic turbulence, I would not recommend this one. But otherwise, it's a fast and enjoyable read. And if, like me, you sometimes prefer to listen, the audio is excellent!

with gratitude to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had no idea what to expect when I started this book. The ending is not all that surprising if you pick up the clues that the author drops throughout the book. That said, it’s still quite a twist from the beginning of the story.

I felt this was a fast read because it was engaging, and it definitely helped me get out of my reading slump. I wouldn’t consider this to be a true thriller, but fell more into the category of a toned-down domestic thriller.

I felt that this had the right amount of suspense for me at the time I was reading this book, but if you’re looking for something where you’re sitting on the edge of your seat constantly, this is probably not going to be the book for you.

I felt this was a good intro to this author, and I would certainly consider reading another novel by him.

The Eden Test takes a unique look at how far you are willing to go to test the strength of your marriage. 2 unstable main characters, countless secrets & 7 days to change their lives.

I loved that the theme around "Eden" gives the reader a chance to make their own guesses on how everything connects with familiar names and situations. I will admit that my guess was incorrect and the real twist took me by surprise in the best way. The story hooked me early on and I loved the multiple povs (including a bonus pov we weren't able to connect instantly).

My only confusion was with the ending. Fighting Daisy's "monster" felt too easy, but maybe that was on purpose to reflect the outcome of the test.

Thank you NetGalley for my early copy! I definitely recommend reading when it releases on April 25th.

When Daisy realizes her short marriage to Craig is already floundering, she books them a week long couples retrest known as The Eden Test. This book sucked me in immediately and there were some interesting twists and it kept me engaged. The characters all have issues and it made for a great story. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. Daisy was quite a character!

And I'd likely have given this one at least 4 stars, maybe more. EXCEPT - women's fertility, most notably infertility and miscarriage, are really misrepresented. Granted, the author is a male, but to me that puts even more on him to actually do some research into the female body and fertility before writing it, incorrectly, into a story.

Many thanks to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was highly enjoyable! I was surprised by the twists and turns along the way, though the big reveal at the end felt a bit weak. Still, I flew through this book and would happily read another from this author. Love an unreliable narrator!

So different kind of book. I wasnt sure where this was going and a tad slow. But again, toward the 80% mark, it started to pick up. I feel like i didnt get closure.

It was well written.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC.

Narrator was good.

3 stars

A thriller that starts strong but has a hard to swallow ending. There are some interesting twists though.

[What I liked:]

•The plot kept me guessing until basically the end. There are lots of twists, secrets, & revelations to keep you thinking.

•The story has strong narrative tension, which only keeps increasing as things get more dangerous.

•While I didn’t like the husband at all, the wife was a decent person who had overcome a lot. I still think she should’ve ditched her cheating husband, but I’m glad she gets a relatively happy ending.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•Unfortunately, the ending was hard for me to believe. Really, that many murders just get hushed up & ignored by the police? The most unreliable person ever not only suddenly becomes reliable, but doesn’t mind that they were put through a bunch of deceptive bullshit? And why would anyone keep dried-blood-covered evidence of murders they’d committed on their mantelpiece??

CW: domestic violence, miscarriage, infertility, infidelity, physical violence, murder, suicide

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

I really loved this audiobook. It was a great suspense story - tons of tension, mysterious characters, and secret histories. The ending was a bit over the top, but not entirely unbelievable. I liked how the story unfolded. I enjoyed all of it.

I thought the narrator did an excellent job as well.

I would highly recommend this audiobook.

The Eden Test tries to be a domestic thriller, but was simply too slow-paced and clunky to achieve the suspense necessary to be a thriller. For the first third of the book, I thought it was simply a domestic drama; two people desperately trying to save their failing marriage while struggling to open up the parts they've hidden away from each other. The general feeling of tension and unease came from the wonderful performance of the narrator, not the story itself. Then Sternbergh attempts a Gillian Flynn/Alice Feeney moment where everything the reader thinks is true is turned on its head. But the lack of intentional buildup causes the twist to fall flat. I spent the remainder of the book knowing exactly where it was going and waiting for it to be over.

While I think the story is 2-stars, the audiobook performance brings it up to 3-stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this Audiobook ARC!

Craig and Daisy are headed to a cabin in the woods on their anniversary to spend some time together and work on salvaging their 2-year-old marriage. The cabin is cozy and the nearby lake is scenic enough, but the townspeople are decidedly odd. And why do both Daisy and Craig keep checking their "secret" phones?

Yes, the Eden Test is yet another domestic thriller with a twist, but... at least the twist is different. Overall, I'd say 3.5 stars for this domestic thriller.

I listened to the audiobook via the NetGalley app and can definitely give the book a 4.75 rating. The narrator did a wonderful job. A great domestic suspense that is fast-paced and kept me engaged. Who do you trust?

I was really intrigued by the premise of The Eden Test and the setting makes for an interesting environment for this domestic thriller to play out. None of the characters are very likeable, but you can still empathize with them. My main complaint, and I want to try to avoid sharing any spoilers, is that by the end the story just seemed pretty far-fetched. That being said, it kept my attention throughout, and I'd recommend it for anyone who likes a suspenseful mystery but maybe doesn't want to think too hard about it afterwards.

3.5/5

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC

In an attempt to save their marriage, a couple embark on The Eden Test: a week long retreat where they must answer 7 questions to improve their relationship. I was enjoying the first half, then things fell apart. There's some really ignorant misrepresentation of miscarriage and infertility that completely took me out of the story. Such an intriguing premise, but the execution wasn't there.

I listened to the audio version of this one and while the reader was good, I didn’t enjoy the book itself. I felt like it dragged and I didn’t like the characters. I gave up at 33%. I’m sure others will love this one but it just wasn’t the book for me.

I tend to listen to audio books as I'm falling asleep, and I kept waking up with this one still running and some really strange twists being revealed--fortunately, I was curious enough to go back and get the lead-up, but truly, there were some really surprising shifts that worked for me, somehow. The last bit didn't work for me though--there was something that felt anti-climactic, some revelation that was missing or character whose acquiescence was pushed too far.

Daisy and Craig are on a seven day marriage retreat to complete The Eden Test, a test designed to give their relationship a second chance. This is all while the naïve Daisy is being cheated on by her husband, Craig. And that's just the beginning of things.

I’m not the biggest fans of domestic thrillers, but the synopsis really stood out to me and I’m so glad I gave it a shot. It's very clear early on that these two are keeping massive secrets from one another, and that isn't even the biggest issue they face! The setting and the pacing on this story is extremely well done and will keep you on your toes.

This one is definitely slower, although it's difficult to notice at times, and the final twist isn't very twisty, but it was a fun ride none the less. I will say, this book deals with some very VERY heavy topics that include, but aren't limited to talk of miscarriage, abortion, and abuse. They don't beat around the bush with these either.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance reader copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Summary: When Daisy and Craig’s marriage hits the rocks, Daisy signs them up for The Eden Test, a week-long retreat for couples who need to reconnect.

Thoughts: As soon as I saw that this was being compared to Rock Paper Scissors, one of my all time favorite thrillers by Alice Feeney, I knew I needed to read it ASAP. This was a very quick, bingeable read with some really fun twists. The writing is very easy to understand and pulls you in from the beginning.

That being sad, I had a few issues with this book. First and foremost, as other reviewers have noted, the author misrepresents both miscarriage and infertility. As someone who has experienced both, I really take issue with the lack of research done on this issue, particularly as this author is male writing about female reproductive health, and incorrectly.

Read if you like:
•domestic suspense
•quick reads
•twisty plotlines
•marriage in crisis

Thank you to Flatiron Books and Minotaur Audio for my gifted advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.