The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is a 2022 St. Martin’s Press publication.

Avery Chambers lost her professional license, but that hasn’t prevented her from doing her job as a therapist. In fact, she has more patients than she can handle, including the well to do Bishop’s- Marissa and Matthew.

The couple is trying to save their marriage after Marissa confesses her infidelity to Matthew. Though the relationship has taken a serious hit, they seem willing to follow Avery’s ten step course- but can they manage Avery’s unconventional style? What if Avery has a few secrets of her own? What about Matthew’s ‘friendship’ with his former girlfriend? Is Marissa telling them everything- or is she continuing to keep a few things to herself… and what if those secrets are putting her in danger?

This story was tamer than I thought it would be, and perhaps the pacing was just a tiny bit slower than it had to be- depending on one’s patience for suspense building. Still, I thought the unhurried reveals helped to keep the reader from fully grasping the direction the plot is headed in-later- rather than sooner-

Because anyone who is a regular reader of PT’s will eventually catch on- though somehow it doesn’t ruin the fun, and there are still a few surprising last-minute pieces of the puzzle that padded the story nicely. There are some nice details, especially at the end, and I ended up liking some of these characters, enough to hope the door ‘left wide open’ might mean we could possibly meet again someday.

Some PT fans might balk at the lack of OTT twists, packed on top of more OTT twists… and that one final OTT cherry on top- but this one was more my speed- and I didn’t feel exhausted by the time I turned the last page. It could have had all that stuff, but then it would have lacked some of the deeper characterization that drew me in, and it would have squashed the atmosphere, hampered the human qualities that made the conclusion feel just right- especially when it came to one young character, and made me feel good about how it all wrapped up- and kept me thinking about some of the details for good while.

Overall, I really liked this one. I felt like there was some maturity in the writing, which was less dependent on theatrical twists. The story is absorbing and has all the important elements I like in a good solid psychological thriller.

4 stars

Summary:

Avery Chambers is known to “fix” her clients within 10 sessions. Even though Avery has lost her license to practice medicine due to her somewhat unethical and unconventional ways of treating her clients, she still was a coveted therapist. Personally, Avery is struggling with the recent loss of her husband.

Marissa and Matthew Bishop are a beautiful, rich, and powerful couple who are struggling in their marriage. Marissa reached out to Avery for help. The only way she can help them is if they are honest about their relationship, which will be quite a struggle.

Their story unfolds from alternating narrators shifting from Marissa to Avery.

My Thoughts:

I always love the books by Hendricks and Pekkanan! This one definitely lived up to my expectations! Twists and turns and interesting characters all throughout! I was shocked at times and didn’t see that ending coming!

Thanks for Netgalley for the advanced reader’s copy of this awesome thriller!

Sooo good! One of my faves to read! Definitely would recommend picking this one up if you see it in the store!

I always read books from this duo. Not my favorite from their collection of books. This would be an interesting limited series or movie.

Good but not quite as good as their previous books. I found the second half of the book a little tedious but entertaining none the less

Avery is an unlicensed therapist who has a ten session plan to help her patients. Matthew and Marissa Bishop are new clients who claim to have issues with their son. Early on, Marissa confesses to her husband that she had a one-time affair with a man from her gym. With peripheral issues that threaten all of the main characters, will Avery be able to help her patients?

Honestly, The Golden Couple had promise, though the side plots were over the top. The authors used it to create suspicion and suspense, but to me it seemed more like smoke and mirrors. Avery's ten session plan was the most interesting part to me, as the manipulation of her patients actually helped them.

The side plot regarding Avery was just not necessary in my opinion. There was enough going on with the Bishops to hold the story.

The Golden Couple was a fast read and mainly interesting. I have read other books by these authors and look forward to their next novel.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

Oh my, this one wasn’t my favorite. It was, well, so very SLOW moving. At half way through, I was wondering when it was going to get going… boring marital issues of Marissa who cheated on Mathew. Then therapist had her own relationship issues of commitment. So sadly the low review. I just couldn’t finish this one at three-quarters in. I did purchase the audible version, but returned it sadly cause I couldn’t finish it..The narration was excellent just the writing wasn’t. I usually love the duo writing team, but this one didn’t work out for me. A very special thank you to St. Martin’s Press via NatGalley for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my review.

Totally engaging read. Infidelity brings a couple to a consultant who was a therapist who lost her license due to her radical techniques so is now not bound by rules of her profession. Everyone lies in this book and or manipulates. Many twists and turns and interesting characters. I did not see the ending coming.

I really enjoyed The Golden Couple. I've read previous books from this writing duo and have enjoyed them all so far. The characters are well fleshed out, the storyline moves at a nice pace, and the end isn't super obvious from the beginning. I'll definitely be reading more from them in the future!

I gave this book a solid 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads. It kept me involved and going back and forth about the events happening. There were a lot of "red herrings". I recommend this book to readers of psychological suspense and thrillers.

Finally!! I was worried after rating some of their books low that I wouldn't enjoy this author duo anymore but this book turned that right around for me.

Marissa and Matthew Bishop are wealthy suburbanites that seem to have it all, as rich people tend to do. Until Marissa is unfaithful to Matthew. They want to work out their marriage for their son that's where Avery comes in, their new marriage counselor. Avery has lost her professional license but that doesn't deter her from continuing to practice, as long as her patients adhere to her unusual methods. Marissa and Matthew are desperate to salvage their marriage but they will soon learn that it's not just their marriage that's in danger.

I like how this book was told from alternating points of view between Avery and Marissa throughout the story. It made me question which of the narrators were actually reliable and who was holding back and hiding something. I think that's where most of the surprises for me came from, I was honestly left in shock after some of the plot twists in this book. Parts of this book kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't put this book down.

I hope I can continue on this trend of liking their books again, they really know how to write a twisty, edge of your seat thriller.

Thanks to St. Martins Press for the copy for my review.

This one is crazy. Your typical psychological thriller. Great read that actually kept me guessing!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

This was SUCH a fun read! I liked the parallel storylines of the therapist's personal life alongside her clients' personal lives, so we have two stories happening at once. The twist was wonderfully written and totally surprising - I thought I had everything figured out, but Hendricks and Pekkanen planted the perfect red herrings to convince me I knew what was going on.

If you're looking for a quick thriller that will raise your heart rate and that you won't be able to put down, this is a great pick!

This book is crazy town and I loved every minute of it. The former therapist who steps way over the line, side characters who have ulterior motives (or do they)? and an awesome rescue dog named Romeo. Hendricks and Pekkanen have knocked another one out of the park.

This is your typical psychological thriller. It was still entertaining enough but I felt that there were too many threads and they didn't get tied together successfully.

Well written as I always like reading novels by Hendricks. It was lacking substance in places and I did not enjoy the ending. I rated it 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and these authors will continue to be an auto read for me. Great story and it kept me guessing!

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

330 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: March 8, 2022

Fiction (Adult), Adultery, Murder, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Avery was a therapist but because a woman complained about her unorthodox methods, she lost her license. She continues counseling people using her ten-step method. Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem like the perfect couple. He is a lawyer, and she owns a interior design furnishings store. When Marissa has a one-night fling, she knows her marriage needs help. She and Matthew begin working with Avery through her ten steps.

The book has a fast pace, the characters are well developed, and it is written in the third person point of view from two different perspectives. This book had me all over the place. I had no idea who did it until the end. Avery has a very strong personality, and the reader sees growth in Marissa’s character as she accepts the consequences of her actions. If you like books with strong women characters, you will enjoy reading this one.

This book was fantastic! The way the characters were developed and are all interrelated! It was one that I did not want to put down. Very enjoyable!

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen is a terrific novel with such a great plot that it will be a novel that you will not be able to put down! The character development is excellent. It is told through the eyes of the main characters with each one getting various chapters in the novel. The insights of each character make the novel complex with many twists and turns. I would highly recommend reading The Golden Couple! Thank you to NetGalley, St.Martin’s Press, Greer Hendricks, and Sarah Pekkanen for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reading novels such as this one is one of the reasons why reading is so enjoyable .