I really enjoyed this novel and will look for other books by this author! I definitely wasn’t expecting the twist at the end.

Although the beginning was a little slow, I really enjoyed reading this book. It had some interesting twists that I didn't see coming. I'll be checking out what else this author has written.

Jo and Will are the perfect couple. She's a successful seamstress, he's an acting teacher and performer. Their closest friends, Louise and Archie are pregnant and all is going well until Will disappears with no trace, leaving behind his car, his wallet, his phone and no note. A year later Jo is still grieving when Louise convinces her to apply for a house-sitting job where she can relax and re-group. Reluctantly, Jo agrees and is shocked when she discovers what might be a lead into Will's disappearance when she sees pictures on the house's mantle. That's all you need to know. Shocking surprises, twists, "what the...?" moments that have your head spinning up until the final moments. I've enjoyed Hayes's other novels and this one may keep you up at night as well!

This was a decent read with some twists that I didn't see coming. It centers on Jo, whose husband disappears without a trace; a year later, she can't get past it and move on- she is determined to figure out where he is and what happened. Her best friend recommends that she pick up a house sitting job to get away from it all for a bit, and while searching for homes, Jo sees pictures of Will in one of them. She books the house sitting gig to figure out what is going on, but when she arrives, the pictures were gone. The rest of the book focuses on Jo trying to figure out what is going on, intertwined with flashback chapters that make the reader wonder if Will was really what he seemed.

The story was interested but it was a little repetitive at parts. I didn't really like Jo and got tired of her unrelenting belief that her relationship was perfect and that Will was out there somewhere. I thought the author could have gotten that point across without continually repeating it. The book also veered outside of the scope of reality (in my opinion) as it got closer to the end, though it was interesting and some of the twists were true surprises.

All in all, this was an OK read- the mystery and ultimate surprise at the end keeps you reading even if you might be a little irritated by Jo herself. I'd recommend to those who like the mystery and domestic suspense genres.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

There are many suspense books in the market with varying similar plots and although I’ve read about the sudden disappearing husband before, this book was a shade above the others. A fast suspenseful read.

Well from the start, this book had me on my toes. I thought I had it all figured out. There were lots of puzzling parts throughout the story. I kept thinking.. I know what's going on here.. Then I would be proven wrong. Lots of loose ends all the way through were tied together in the end. There was one piece of the book I worked out from the start but the rest was a huge surprise. Lots of unexpected things happening and people doing things kept the suspense of the story going until the last page.
The characters were believable although Jo did get on my nerves a little bit at the beginning.
I give this 5 stars and I would recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for my honest review

Jo's husband, Will, just left, vanished into thin air. After a year expecting him to come back, she sees his picture when she is about to apply to be a house sitter. How come Will's picture is in that house? Has he left her to be with someone else?
Don't hold your breath, as prior to the end of the story, you'll still get a couple of twists and surprises.
THANKS Netgalley for an electronic ARC.

I normally love this author and was looking forward to reading this but unfortunately I struggled with this one, found it to be very slow and didn't like the characters.

Unfortunately I gave up on this it just didn't grab me at all but it hasn't put me off reading more from this author, just not this one for me personally.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Jo's husband has gone missing. It has been over a year now and she's doing everything she can to find him. This book might appeal to fans of gothic romance fiction.

It’s been a year since Jo’s husband, Will, disappeared. In that year Jo see’s him everywhere. She’s stuck living in the past and wondering what happened to Will. Louise, Jo’s best friend, suggests she take a holiday. Begrudgingly Jo looks at the site Louise has sent her and clicks on a house that could be perfect for her. While scrolling through the pictures Jo see’s three pictures of Will on the mantle in the living room. She reaches out to the owner about house sitting and finds herself packing for her get away. She’s searching for answers and sure she will find them while there.
I found this book to be just okay. It was a little drawn out and repetitive. At times I found myself wondering how much longer until I finished. It wasn’t horrible but just not the suspenseful thriller I normally read.

3.5* Missing Stars

I was so excited to read this story after reading the blurb of a husband gone missing without a trace and then him suddenly appearing in a photo on a fireplace mantel in a rental property. I dived into the book full of intrigue, but the first half was very slow and not too exciting at all. I struggled with Jo’s constant inner monologue and her hallucinations of him around her all the time. I was happy when there were a few twists and turns which presented themselves towards the end of the book and this made for an exciting more enjoyable read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my copy to read and review, all thoughts are my own.

Wow! The Happy Couple is one rollercoaster of a thriller...but there’s even more twists, turns and loop the loops than Nemisis Inferno at Alton Towers! You’ll find yourself suckered into the lives of the characters and you won’t want to put it down.

Jo’s husband Will has been missing for nearly a year. He left without a trace and she’s spent the time holding on to him, even seeing him in her imagination. Her best friend Louise rallies around her and eventually convinces Jo to take a short break after signing her up on house-sitting website. When Jo finds a property online that has photos of her missing husband on display, she knows exactly where she needs to go. Will she find out the answers about Will? Who is the mystery owner of the property and what’s their connection to Will? And does Jo know more about why Will left than she’s let on? All will unravel in this exhilarating thriller...

Samantha Hayes’s domestic thriller that will keep you guessing to the end and you won’t see the shocking conclusion coming! The Happy Couple is expertly crafted and there are so many directions hinted at that the plot may be going in, that you’ll find yourself trying to piece together fragments whilst never getting to the whole picture until Hayes takes you there. There’s a real Hitchcockian feel to this story and there are accurate comparisons to Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train - this is a thriller of that quality.

Jo is a well crafted leading character and Hayes has you questioning her sanity, her memory, her choices and her motives. There’s an element to her character that borders on the irritating as - no matter how much you love your partner - Jo’s recollections and rose-tinted view of Will feel obsessive. However, it is the feeling that everything is not quite as rosy as Jo makes out that helps to build much of the suspense and tension. I also enjoyed the internal monologues and the not knowing whether Jo had voiced her deepest darkest feelings out loud, or kept them inside. This provided some genuinely uncomfortable and awkward moments, but also injected some humour along the way. The supporting cast of characters are also very well written and Hayes is very adept at crafting suspicion and red-herrings around them. They also provide much exciting action, drama and suspense through their interactions with Jo.

There’s a brilliant metaphor used in the plot, about picking at a knot until it unravels. Jo’s tenacity in finding out what has happened to Will is exactly like this. That makes for a gripping, suspenseful and highly enjoyable read that I really recommend!

I liked the reunion - this not so much! I found it slow to start, hard to stay invested in it and I didn’t really like the characters! I did read it quickly and there was a few twisty parts that kept me going! Middle of the road on a motorway filled with amazing books.

4.5 Stars rounding it to 5.0 Stars.

I actually didn’t expect this to be good. The first parts especially before she found the house where her husband’s photographs are, seem to be boring. It took me days to finally pick up the pace. It becomes really intriguing when she is finally in Suzanne’s house (where she is going to house sit for a couple of days) looking for clues about her missing husband.

The whole time Jo stays at Suzanne’s house is making me intensely nervous. I am actually not a fan of Psychological Thrillers. My past reviews of Psychological Thrillers always sits at 3.0 stars on goodreads. However, this one is actually good! Like I love it. I am always hungry for answers. There are things that I actually guess. I felt good knowing I was able to guess it but there are still more hidden facts.

At first the Point of View confuses me at the beginning. There is Jo’s POV, there is Jo talking to herself, and there is a third POV. As the book progresses it continues to use third POV. The reason why I can’t give it full 5.0 stars is how the story jumps from past to present on a single chapter. Even though the chapters have a written “THEN” & “NOW” at the beginning of each chapter, it continues to flashback things which confuse me most times. That’s the only thing off to me but overall it’s good.

The ending is actually a bomb. I never expected but woa it’s really good.

I’ll write a full review soon on my blog https://inkly.in

Jo Carter is a seamstress and is married to Will, an actor and a school teacher. One day, Will disappears and Jo does not hear from him again although she has visual and auditory hallucinations of him all the time. After Will has been missing for a year, Jo's best friend, Louise, suggests she take a house sitting job so she can get away for a while. Louise sets up an account for Jo to look at homes available. While Jo is looking at homes in an area where she and Will had vacationed before, she spots his picture on the mantle in one of the homes. Jo applies and is accepted to house sit. From here, the story is very interesting with lots of twists and turns which makes it hard to put down. I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like this book but I was soon hooked. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this very interesting book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley (and the publisher) for providing me a free copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

This was my first book by this author. I really enjoyed the concept of the book and wanted to know what happened next. I wasn’t expecting where the story went.

I did struggle with some of the inner dialogue, following along with what’s being thought vs. said aloud. I also had a difficult time relating to the relationships between some characters through out the book.

I’m still unsure of how I feel about how the book was ended, but I do believe that is a sign the book is making you think about after you’ve finished it.

I will look forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me a free copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

I was quite fascinated by the cover of the book and just couldn't resist myself from reading it.

This book grasps your attention in a second and would keep you hooked throughout the story .

Perfect thriller

A slow-burner that did NOT pick up till I almost gave up on it!

I enjoyed the thought-provoking themes peppered all over the story. However, I was pretty underwhelmed by the big reveal and I’m still not sure how I feel about the last chapter.

This was not my cup of tea but I’m sure other people will enjoy it.

I would like to thank the Publishers, NetGalley, and the Author for sending me an ARC of this book.

I love this author's book's normally, but this one didn't grab me like the others. i only got a few chapters in and had to give up. I do love this author though, and i'll deffinately be buying the next one.

The Happy Couple
By: Samantha Hayes
Pub. Date: May 6, 2020

I read this book quickly, it was gripping and I needed to figure out the twist. I enjoyed Samantha Hayes writing style in The Reunion so I was thrilled when I received this copy through Netgally for review.

The Happy Couple is domestic suspense about a husband that suddenly disappears. The story takes place a year after his disappearance and his wife Jo is not handling it well. Her best friend Louise desperately wants her to move on and her parents agree. Jo doesn’t know if he left on purpose, was in an accident, or is terrified that he might be dead. She can’t come to grips with him just up and leaving….she thought they were a happy couple.

I read a lot of domestic suspense and this one was pretty good. My only complaint was that Jo’s conversations with her missing husband got annoying. I started thinking she really need a mental health evaluation.

This thriller didn’t disappoint! I did not fully guess the plot twists, and there were a few. I do wish that the action of the story was spaced out a little more. Otherwise I think if you are a fan of domestics, you will enjoy this one!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy for my honest review.