Will and Jo Carter are the happy couple referred to in the title. Will is a drama teacher and actor while Jo has just set up her own fledgling business as a seamstress. They are trying to start a family when this story begins, but have not been successful so far. Will wants to ease the tension and take Jo away for a short holiday in Sussex after an acting friend having recommended the county as picturesque and nearby the sea as well as being surrounded by lovely countryside and plentiful walks.
Then the mystery disappearance of Will who walks out of school and is never seen there again intrudes on the story of the perfect couple. Jo is beside herself with worry and cannot get him out of her mind. She sees him everywhere she goes and is distraught when the police investigation does not find a single clue as to what happened to him or even where he is. She is inconsolable. Her best friend Louise and her husband Archie don’t know what to think. Jo doesn’t know if he has left her, met with an accident or worse. Still she grieves and misses her husband in every possible way.
Then, a year after Will disappeared, Louise suggests that she go on holiday alone. Jo ponders over the idea. Perhaps it would help her. Everywhere in their home reminds her of Will. She cannot really afford a holiday now Will’s money isn’t coming in, but Lou has found a website specialising in finding the right person to take on the job of a house sitter. She remembers Will’s plan for them to holiday in Sussex and looks for properties in Sussex. What she does next may cost her very life. This novel now starts the exciting story of how Jo gets on looking after cottage owner Suzanne’s pet dog and cat.
I have always enjoyed this author’s novels and have read them all with the exception of her first, a debut, prizewinning ‘Out of Mind’. ‘The Happy Couple’ is a bit of a slow burner, concentrating on introducing the characters and setting the scene until this point. But I am glad that I persevered because the next part is scary, thrilling and almost consumed by shocking twists and horrible shocks. I didn’t really identify with or like any of the main characters except Simon, Suzanne’s next door neighbour and her dog Spangle, who was easy going yet excitable and cute. I am not a fan of sci-fi, paranormal or fantasy novels but just about tolerated the weird apparitions involving Will appearing before Jo’s eyes wherever she is. I really enjoyed the psychological element very much and also I really liked how the story panned out. I thought Samantha’s modern themes were interesting as well as the issues she introduced like PTDO, grief, secrecy, adultery and betrayal. They were very thought-provoking and I’m still pondering over the latter part of the story.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Bookouture through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy, sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. I’m glad that I read this novel although it is not one of my favourites written by this talented author. It’s a 3.5* review from me.

My thanks, to Bookoutre, Samantha Hayes, and Netgalley.
To say that I despise psychological thrillers would be a vast understatement on my account. But, I keep trying them and end up not being able to finish them. They say psychological. I personally think they're mad! But, I had a few recommendations from friends about this author, so I have it a go.
I will confess that I truly hated the first 30% I usually only give a book 30%. Then, if I hate it I quit! I hated this! Oh, Will. Where's Will..Blah, blah! But, I decided to stick around a bit longer. Yeah, I actually loved it! Once we got to the heart of the story, and past the angst, I was all in. This will be a mild book I suppose for those who like the messed up psych fests! For me? It was perfect! Even that ending saw a few tears 😢 rolling down my face. It's often difficult for me to read anything other than horror, fantasy or mystery/thrillers! This was a nice change.

I found the first half of this book to be slow & not interesting. I'm glad I continued reading, because I wanted to know what happened to Will, but I found it to be lacking something. I thought the ending was rushed & the last chapter was strange.

Jo's husband Will has been missing for a year and she still can't get over his disappearance - did he leave her, did something happen to him, or is it connected to something that happened on a drive home one night in the past...? Jo looks through house-sitting jobs after her friend Louise suggests she house-sit to give herself a break, and Jo is shocked to see a photo of her husband on a fireplace in one of the properties on the site. Jo takes the house-sitting job so that she can investigate and see if the woman who owns the house knows her husband... but she might just find more than she ever imagined...

A tense and thrilling read that has great twists and turns - I really enjoyed the book and couldn't stop reading until I got to the shocking ending. A recommended read - I'm looking forward to reading more of Samantha Hayes' books.

Thanks so much to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

It’s been a while since I read a Samantha Hayes novel but I was intrigued by the synopsis of The Happy Couple. We have a missing husband, a distraught wife who sees and hears her husband everywhere and is seeking answers. I found myself drawn straight into the book from the first few pages. It’s gritty, thrilling and full of secrets and lies. I absolutely loved it and would rate it 4.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

I have read all the previous books from this author, giving all of them a five-star rating. However, I did not enjoy this book as well. The storyline was ok, but I found the constant talking out loud as well as having visions of her husband by the main character distracting since those were too much of a constant throughout the book. I will be looking forward to the authors next book hoping it will be an improvement.

Will has been missing for a year. Yet, his wife, Jo, refuses to let him go. She still "talks" to him. And she does not want to do anything except maybe work. As a seamstress, Jo enjoys her quiet time.

At a crossroads - Jo isn't sure if she feels angry at Will for leaving her; or sorrow. (After all he could be dead.)

At a dinner party her best friend, Louise, hosts, she is asked by someone why not house-sit for a bit of a getaway? She automatically shuns the idea until...

WOW! A thrilling suspense story again from Samantha Hayes! A MUST READ!!!

Many Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a chance to read and review this winner!

The happy couple'... seems like a lovely romantic book when you hear that title, right?

When you take a look at the gorgeous cover next, you feel like striking out the 'happy' :)

You have found the one you have been waiting for and And you lived together happily ever after. The end!

No, no, no, no. That not how it went at all!

You start as the most happy couple in the world, but then things start to change and you don't know why. You find yourself alone and a whole load of emotions fly through your head, because you are left in the dark. Why did he do this? Or did something happen where he had no say so about?

He lives on in your mind. You see him, you talk to him, but you can't find him. And that's when you see his photos in a home on a house sitting site ... You know what you have to do.

The author tells the story in the present, but gives us an insight in the past too. I liked Jo. The author created a great character that made me smile when she blurted things out and created funny or sometimes embarassing situations.

Jo is not the only great character. Will, Lou, Susie and Simon are equally likeable.

I enjoyed the story and the surprising revelations. 5 stars.

Thank you, Samantha Hayes and Bookouture

Thanks to NetGalley, publisher and author for the review copy. This was an exciting, thrilling read. I enjoyed this story a lot. There were great twists and shockers, just the way I like them. This author never disappoints!

Thank you so much to Bookouture and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance!
The Happy Couple was written very well and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Like many books, it was a bit of a slow start but it picked up quickly after that. I was able to read it easily in a couple of days. I think Jo needs some serious mental help with her auditory and visual delusions although I have heard of widows being able to “see and hear” their dead husbands. I really like Suzanne and Simon. And although I pretty much figured everything out fairly early on, I still really enjoyed reading this book and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery and suspense!

This is the second Samantha Hayes book I have read, and once again, I enjoyed it. Loved all of the twist and turns. I thought I'd figured out what was going on...then...WHAM....twist I did not see coming! Great book. Looking forward to recommending this one!

Jo’s husband Will Carter has been missing for a year, friends are encouraging her to accept that he has gone, for whatever reason. As she’s strapped for cash, with friend Louise’s encouragement she signs up to a website for house sitters so that she can have a much needed change of scene and a cheap break. As she peruses the site, a cottage near Hastings catches her eye and she has a closer look at the internal pictures to see if it’s as pretty as it seems. To her amazement there are photographs of Will on display. She is obviously shocked but also curious as could it lead to answers? So she applies to the owner Suzanne who accepts Jo’s offer to look after her house and care for her pets. The story is told from Jo’s perspective and looks back to her meeting Will and their relationship and the unfolding events in the present.

I like the way that Jo converses with missing Will, often blurting things out to the consternation of those around her. She ‘sees’ him too and so you question her mental health although the stress of Will leaving with no explanation is equally an explanation. I like Jo as a character, as one clumsy girl to another I empathise as she sloshes, spills and trips. Her first date with Will is funny and made me laugh as it reminded me of mine with my future husband when I fell flat on my face tripping over fresh air. It’s dangerous stuff, air. The setting mostly in Sussex is lovely too and Simon who she meets there is also very likeable. The dog, Spangle totally stole my heart. The book is a slow burner which I like and you get hints that Will is not what he seems and that things have occurred in the past which might explain the situation in the present day.

However, I think it falls apart as we reach the conclusion of the book as one event piles on top of another often literally, it has the feel of a farce at times and so I’m disappointed.

Overall, much of the book is very enjoyable, there are some good characters and I hope others will like the ending more than me.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

This was an excellent novel that kept me literally entranced. The character depiction was on point and the story was fascinating and well developed.

Good book, kept me entertained during a Sunday afternoon while on lockdown! The pace of the book could have been quicker, I found there was a lot of text that wasn’t needed...reading page after page that had no relevance to story, but overall it was an enjoyable read and an interesting story!

A year after her husband vanished without a trace, Jo is still struggling with his disappearance. Regularly seeing and talking to his apparition, she can't accept not knowing whether he is dead or whether he simply walked away from her.
At her best friend's suggestion, Jo decides to apply for a housesitting job and as she browses the ads, she spots pictures of her husband on the mantelpiece of some woman's home. Determined to get to the bottom of her husband's disappearance, she submits her application and is soon accepted. But is she ready to face the truth?

The story is told from a third-person narrative and is entwined with Jo's first-hand accounts of her relationship with her husband, Will.
I'm a huge fan of Samantha Hayes, so I requested this book blindly, without reading the blurb, and I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed.
OK, so there are a lot of missing husband stories out there, but this one had a really interesting premise and it got me intrigued from the first pages.
The Happy Couple is an easy but captivating read that will have you madly turning the pages.
The first half was steadily building up to the multiple twists at the end. I admit I had guessed a couple of them correctly, so the ending wasn't as shocking as I would have liked it to be, but it didn't stop me from racing through it with bated breath.
The events of the very last pages, however, were a little unbelievable, but I'm happy to overlook it.
I give it 4 stars and highly recommend you check it out as well as any other books from Samanta Hayes.

I was instantly intrigued by the blurb for this book, missing husband/wife stories have been done quite a lot but when done well they can make for a really good read.

I would say that overall I enjoyed this one. I read it very quickly as I couldn't stop turning the pages to figure out what was going on. I did guess parts of the story but others were a complete mystery. The plot is very far-fetched but it's a nice bit of escapism if you're willing to suspend reality for a bit.

An issue I did have is that Jo clearly had some mental health concerns with not knowing what was real and what wasn't, and that was never really addressed at the end. Things like that don't tend to just go away. Also, it was constantly mentioned how 'happy' Jo and Will were as a couple but we as readers never saw that, in flashbacks he was always moody and critical so maybe it would have been nice to see a bit more of the happy times in order to understand why Jo is so upset to lose him.

I would recommend this to readers who want something quick to read but not to be taken too seriously.

You believed your life was perfect, you loved your husband and he loved you. And then he disappeared. Was he killed, rendered an amnesiac, or did he just leave you? A picture of your husband in a stranger’s home leads you to the house in the photograph and a room that appears to have all the answers….if you dare open the door. Shocking to say the least

I wanted to like it, the premise was amazing, but the firsts chapters were always going in circles and repeating every time the same, Will is missing, and Jo cannot grieve and wants to know the truth. But then we have the same plot over and over until the end, and I don't know who I despise the most, Will or Lu, but my god what a waste of a book, Jo was better off with Simon.

Me and Will. Will and Me. A perfect match. He said he would always be there for me, but it’s been a year since he drained his coffee, walked out the front door and vanished.
Did he leave me? Or did something terrible happen? I’m scared someone finally found out about what happened on the drive home that night…
I lie awake at night trawling the internet for rental properties, desperate for an escape. Until I see my husband’s gorgeous face smiling back at me from a photograph on the fireplace in someone else’s home, and something inside of me snaps.
At the house, I find no trace of him and the woman who lives there has no idea who I am. But I’m certain she’s hiding something behind the locked door upstairs. I know that if I want answers, I have to stay.
You might think that what’s inside that room is the answer to all my questions and the end of all my pain. But it’s only the beginning.

Wow! You think you know where this book is going to go at the beginning but I wouldn't have guessed the ending to save my life! I love this author's books and this definitely lives up to all of her hype. The characters are great, well except the few that you'll grow to hate, and the story is full of twists and turns. Once I started I couldn't put it down.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adore this author so immediately jumped at the chance of being on this blog tour.
This book captured me from the description and I was instantly excited to get stuck in.
I definitely haven't been disappointed, Hayes has another absolutely fantastic variety of characters and a plot which is guaranteed to keep you guessing from the start.
This has kept me constantly guessing about what would happen next and there is absolutely no way I could've predicted it. This has been a fantastic book from start to end.
Hayes has kept me on the edge of my seat and made my jaw drop on more than one occasion. I highly recommend this book alongside all of Hayes books.
This is without a doubt a five star read which is absolutely guaranteed to be a bestseller. I have loved it.