The Other Couple by Diane Jeffrey. This is the first novel by this author that I've read, and I will probably read others, but not actively seek her out.

The Other Couple had a decent plot but suffered from characters who would do the most nonsensical things, just to help the plot along, and also plot twists which just drop in to the story like a brick. It's a real shame as the overall premise could have been executed in a more polished manner.

A disappointing ⭐⭐⭐ from me.

What a fabulous psychological thriller this was. Told from the POVs of the main female characters & varying from first & third person, this really is a tale of tightening the screws.
I love it when a self-centered couple get their comeuppance & this book handles it with aplomb. And the instigator of their karma? You shouldn’t like her but she’s great.

A brilliant opening grabs you & just doesn’t let you go. Great plotting & the interspersed letters were an inspired addition (sent me in the wrong direction). An easy writing style took me down the ‘just one more chapter’ rabbit hole. Cracking read.

Amy lives with her husband Greg in Cornwall and lets out her flat to Mr & Mrs Taylor. A terrible accident happens, and the actions of the people concerned have repercussions for all concerned. The story is told from the perspective of Amy and Kirsten, and a person in prison awaiting trial, with lots of misdirection and twists.
Enjoyable

"If I can't get justice, I'll get revenge."

This was a wild ride and I loved every minute of it! It deserves all of these high ratings.

Kirsten and Nick are on a weekend getaway. It's time to go back to their lives and Kirsten has a bad feeling. Something is coming. Back to their lives.. did I mention separate lives? Yeah, they're married.. to other people!

They're trying to slither home when an accident complicates things. As they say, the crime is in the cover up and the people left behind are determined to find out what happened to their loved one.

This sordid tale is told in dual narration by the women, Kirsten and Amy. Amy is the wife of the victim. Since the "Taylor" couple didn't leave a real name at their love nest, it's going to be tricky to find them. Unlucky for them, Amy has nothing but time.

This was consistently engrossing and the details were perfect. We knew enough background to get a feel of these ladies but the author let their narration do the talking and it was glorious. There were things to root for and people you love to hate. You know, in a fun way!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review. This will be one of my most recommended books this year so I don't want to give too much away! The fun is in the shock!

Greg goes missing after taking their dog for a walk, but soon Amy is taking on the investigation and knows there is more to his disappearance.

This was a very clever story with short chapters to keep the suspense going and the pace of the narrative moving. The two main couples are opposites which showed a great contrast throughout the novel.

This was a great read and one I would recommend.

Thank you to my partners, Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley, and the author. I appreciate the gifted eARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily!

1. 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆 - How could Amy not want to get revenge. I wanted revenge for her throughout the entirety of this story. The pompous audacity of “the Taylors” is shameful.

2. 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒈𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 - Ugh. The level of lies and deceit that Kirsten has in her life with her husband, Jamie, and their family is appalling. It brings thoughts to my mind of why someone like her gets to have the life that someone like Amy so desperately wants.

3. 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 - I feel like our canine friends can bring more emotion sometimes than our human ones. Rusty is a fine example of this!

4. 𝑴𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝑳𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 - There are letters from someone in jail going through a trial interspersed throughout the story and the reader has to try to determine who it is! Love this addition!

5. 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 - I mean, wow, does Amy get the perfect vengeance with Kirsten and Nick. When I finally figured out what was about to happen, I was coaxing Amy along and cheering for her to win!

This is my first read by this author and I cannot wait to read more from her. A great mystery thriller and all the locations were well described. The book was well written and the characters were well developed. The plot kept me guessing and I found it thoroughly engaging. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

What would you do if you were faced with an ultimate decision that could reroute your entire life.. It was just an accident,.. or was it?

Lets just state the facts...

I am a sucker for a domestic thriller.

I love all thrillers, except the "long drawn out, detective, cat and mouse like thrillers"... you can keep those BUT I tend to gravitate toward domestic thrillers most of all. There is something so mysterious about the secrets kept between two people who are not supposed to have secrets at all.

Oh but you know the secrets between loved ones are the juiciest of all. Trust me when I tell you there is no shortage of lies, deceit and secrets...

Check out this little teaser :

Two couples. A fatal accident. And a decision that changes everything…

Kirsten and Nick are enjoying a weekend away until, on their drive home, they accidentally run over and kill a man. They should call for help – but they have too much to lose, and no one can know the real reason they’re here. Instead, they make a split-second decision to conceal the accident.

Amy and Greg have just celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary. Amy is expecting a baby, and they couldn’t be happier. So when Greg fails to come home from a dog walk one weekend, Amy knows the police are wrong to believe he left of his own accord. Someone must be behind Greg’s disappearance, and Amy won’t give up until she gets justice – or revenge.

If you had nothing left to lose, how far would you go to find the truth?

What a great story!
Reading this book put me in mind of peeling an onion or a games of pass the parcel as the plot and tension grew.
A tragic death leads to completely unforseen events and frightening consequences. The action moves from North Devon to London with a brief episode in Folkestone, and the tension is high throughout. The descriptions of the various locations are very good, without risking distracting the reader from the story as can sometimes happen.
This is a beautifully written book with a clever well thought out plot and a shocking climax.
I hadn't read anything of, or come across this author before, but the impact of this book on me was such that I've bought another of her books.
I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book.

The Other Couple is my first read from Diane Jeffrey but it will definitely not be my last. The description alone had me hooked and once I started reading I just could not put it down. I was totally gripped from beginning to end.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for my ARC.

THE OTHER COUPLE by Diane Jeffrey is one of those books that I open thinking, “I’ll just read a few chapters “. Then I don’t look up again until I’m halfway through the book and wonder where the time went. Then, I throw the chores to the wind and dive back into the book. Yeah, it’s that good.
Kirsten and Nick have been having an affair for years, both being married to others and Kirsten a mother to a seven year old daughter. Leaving a long meeting one day both of their lives are changed forever.
Meanwhile, Amy and Greg have just learned that they are expecting after trying for some time. Amy feels so blessed with the news and her increasingly positive relationship with her in-laws. Enter Simon, Amy’s co-worker who creeps her out and always seems to know a bit too much about her and Greg. Then tragedy strikes and THEIR lives will never be the same.
All of that and the best ending ever!
I’ve never read any other books by this author but I do see I’ve purchased and TBR’d a few of her others so it seems that I like her psychological thrillers. I like her writing style which makes for an easy read and her diabolical mind certainly makes for an entertaining and interesting one. Great job!

First book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A gripping story that kept me hooked from start to finish.

Psychological suspense thrillers are one of my ‘go to’ genres and The Other Couple filled all my expectations of this category. I was completely absorbed in the story right from the very start. Told in alternate chapters by the two main female protagonists. This book will completely and utterly grip you as you frantically turn the pages to discover how things are going to end . I couldn’t predict how things would pan out and even though I did try to do some guesswork of my own I was proven wrong. An extremely well written book with great well developed characters this is an unputdownable read.

This is a cleverly conceived story, well delivered. Amy’s husband Greg takes their dog out for a walk in bad weather and doesn’t come back. After investigating, she discovers that he has probably been killed by a car on his walk and the body put in the car’s boot. She takes on the role of chief investigator and finds that the couple in the car we’re both married to other people. The man was a famous defence lawyer. Amy wants revenge and devises a careful,plot. The way it is told is sure to keep readers intrigued. The end is well worth waiting for. I recommend this book.

A couple travel home after an idyllic weekend away. However, on the return journey they knock down a dog walker, hide the body and take the dog! It’s obvious they are both hiding other secrets, including false names and the fact that they must hide the real reason for their weekend away.

This is a decent drama, told from different character perspectives. Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable, layered drama with a satisfying conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ digital for the opportunity to preview.

📖BOOK REVIEW📖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

#TheOtherCouple by #DianeJeffrey

⏩for synopsis

They ruined your life.. it’s time to get revenge…

Well this was a little gem of a book; my first by this author and certainly won’t be my last. From page one your dropped straight into the action which doesn’t let up till the final page.

I found the characters were really well developed - Nick and Kristen and Amy and Greg were polar opposites in every way but are brought together by a tragic accident from which their lives and futures became intwined.

It was easy to read; I enjoyed the short chapters with swapping of narrators between Kristen and Amy which kept up a good plot pace. Although I felt some part were predictable, the overall twist did get me. A great read.

With thanks to the author, @hqstories and @netgalley for allowing us to read this one (sorry it’s late!)

-EMILY

@the_book_girls_1

Gripping! I couldn't put this down as it's quite the page turner. Full of tense moments, shocks, surprises and twists. I would recommend this wholeheartedly!

Another fantastic book by the author, such an exciting and intense read, I couldn’t not binge it in one sitting.

I loved Amy’s determination in finding out what happened, on the other end of the scale, I disliked Kristin and Nick so much, both such repulsive characters.

The plot slowly builds before the twists begin, I can not recommend this enough for any thriller lovers

🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗
“If you had nothing left to lose, how far would you go to find the truth?”— The Other Couple

This is my first novel by Diane Jeffrey and she’s made it to my favorite author list. I’ll be on the edge of my seat, watching for her next book!

I don’t want to say too much about “The Other Couple” and let any spoilers slip. It’s best to read this book knowing as little as possible before jumping in!

What would you do if you accidentally ran someone over? I’m sure panic sets in at first. But then I’d like to believe most people would think logically and do the right thing.

Nick and Kirsten don’t listen to the logical side of their brain. For selfish reasons, they choose to dispose of the body. This one decision sets off a twisted domino effect that will change many lives!

This dark and disturbing story is told by Kirsten, Amy, and a narrator that is named at the end. The chilling prologue will have your eyes glued to the page and details will rip at your heart.

Amy is the pregnant wife of Greg, a man out walking their dog. He never returns home for dinner and the police can’t find any evidence of foul play.

This thriller is intense and suspenseful and you’ll want to read it in one sitting. And the ending. I was dumbstruck and amazed! What a total shock!

Huge thanks to Rachels Random Resources and HQ Digital for the complimentary copy of this ARC. All opinions are my own.

#TheOtherCouple #DianeJeffrey #rachelsrandomresources #HQDigital #giftedARC #honestreview #thrillerfriendsunite #mysteryandthrills #thrillerobsessedbookishclub #bookstagrammer #justfinished #newrelease #igbookreels #thriller #suspense #thrillersofinstagram #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks #ad

𝑰 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒚𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆. 𝑰 𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒚. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚'𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆, 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒖𝒑 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒂𝒅.

My first read by this author, and it definitely won't be my last. I was absolutely riveted by this tense story of deception, loss, and revenge.

Kirsten and Nick have enjoyed a weekend away, and on the drive home, Kirsten thinks she's hit a dog, but she's hit and killed Greg. Rather than face up to what happened, the couple makes the rash decision to cover up their crime. Scratching your head, aren't you? It was an accident, right? Just call the police. Well, it's not quite that simple.

Amy, pregnant with her first child, is impatiently waiting for Greg to return from his walk. The weather is bad, and she's worried. The police aren't taking her seriously, assuming he left on his own accord, but when Greg's body is found, only a wife's love and rage can help her hunt down his killers.

This was much more than a typical domestic suspense. The pacing was superb, keeping the reader tense on high alert throughout. Even the secondary characters had layered back stories that really brought the tragedy to the forefront. I especially loved the few "letters from prison" that were interspersed throughout from an unnamed writer to an unnamed recipient. I couldn't have asked for a better ending.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HQ Digital for this read. This book is available now!