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The Golden Couple

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Member Reviews

Marissa and Matthew Bishop are an enviable couple. They live in a beautiful home in the DC area, have a sweet son they dote on, and both succeed professionally. However, they find themselves in couples therapy with Avery Chambers, an unconventional and unlicensed therapist who promises to fix her clients in ten sessions, after Marissa cheats on Matthew and confesses. As they confront the problems in their marriage, strange things keep happening, like threatening letters being delivered to Marissa’s workplace and Matthew being jumped in a parking garage. The Golden Couple by @greerhendricks and @sarahpekkanen weaves a number of complex storylines together in a way that will have you questioning everything. I guessed one or two of the twists (as a rule, don’t trust men) but I was still really invested in the mystery as it continued to spiral. I found the resolution a little quick, but besides that, an exciting and suspenseful mystery about people whose veneer of perfection is too good to be true. 4 out of 5 packages of mints. (Thanks to @netgalley for early access to the audiobook)

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A solid 4 star read for me. THE GOLDEN COUPLE was a solid book from start to finish but it never quite had my jaw dropping. There were some really nice twists and the authors made sure everything came full circle, so the ending was satisfying and everything was well-explained. I think I could have used some of that explanation or maybe even just a couple more clues more towards the middle of the book to keep some of the intrigue up and give us some more tiny twists before the big reveals at the end. I really liked the split POV between Marissa and Avery. They each had a unique perspective to offer and switching back and forth let the right clues come out at the right time. Not my favorite book from this duo but still incredibly solid and definitely not my least favorite!

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In this domestic thriller, we follow a couples therapist who has developed a system that she claims will help every marriage and a couple who are in the midst of an infidelity crisis. From there, we go on a series of twists and turns and uncover secrets about nearly everyone in the book. I liked how fast paced this book was — it definitely kept unfolding and revealing things.
Although there isn’t really anything I can pinpoint as a negative, this book also didn’t have anything remarkable about it that would make me excited to recommend it to others. The characters weren’t unique in personality, depth, or actions. I liked it while I was listening to it, but it isn’t one that will stay with me. The narration was very good, with fabulous intonation and inflection. I liked the voice acting and tension it provided to the story.

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I was surprised that the book chosen as BOTM for February was also available in @netgalley as an audiobook, which, nonetheless, I was granted for the review. Yet, none of this convinced me to finish it and influenced in any way my point of view.

The authors create an interesting thriller of events where the famous uncongenial therapist encounters a couple who on the surface seems perfect but has their struggle. In 10 sessions, Avery decides to help them overcome it, discovering along the way that "perfect" is not the only adjective she can describe them. Additionally, to that, the therapist faces some enemies that she acquired in her professional career.

What I liked the most about this audiobook, was the differentiation between points of view. The main characters have their stand-out personality. Additionally, the story itself was entertaining, and I just simply had fun trying to discover secrets behind closed doors. Of course, someone could tell how predictable the ending was. And I kind of get it, but also I decided to approached it with an open mind and no analysis, so I could have fun learning what's at the core of the problem between the golden couple.

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I shamefully have to admit that this was my first by this duo but I have many more to come from my shelf!

I found this one to be a fun and entertaining game of cat and mouse and thought that it was incredibly compelling and diabolically clever!

I throughly enjoyed the intriguing and complex characters and especially all of their drama, secrets and lies! An unorthodox therapist? Sign me up any day! (To read, not personally 😂)

This twisty read kept me continually guessing and I’m excited to see what this dynamic duo do next!

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My favorite genre is rich housewives with a secret or something like that. This falls into that category so obviously it was a must read. However these characters weren't as interesting as I thought they would be. Nothing really ever happened and it was pretty repetitive.The ending came together too fast and the plot twists weren't anything exciting

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Avery Chambers is a former therapist turned consultant who tries to help people overcome problems in ten sessions. Marissa and Matthew Bishop need help repairing their marriage after Marissa has an affair and they hired Avery. Shortly after, secrets begin to unravel.

This is my third book I read by my favorite thriller/suspense duo. I think my high expectations got the better of me because I was anticipating a big reveal or a big twist but it never came. I felt like the book concluded too perfectly. It was still an entertaining and suspenseful read filled with secrets, lies and deception!

I received a review copy from NetGallery and Macmillan Audio and I voluntarily provided an honest review. This does not affect the opinion of the book or the content of the review.

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3.5 ⭐️


This was such a quick and twisty read. All the characters seemed shady in my opinion. The story was told by Marissa and Avery and I enjoyed their point of views. Some parts were predictable but then the twists got me. I thought the narration by Karissa Vacker and Marin Ireland was great. They were both clear and set a good pace for the book.



Thank you for this audiobook for a honest review

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Marissa and Matthew Bishop have a lot of marital issues. When they seek out an unconventional therapist to help them navigate the rough waters, they have no idea what they're in for. Full of twists and turns, The Golden Couple is unpredictable and entertaining. As we're used to seeing in Hendricks/Pekkanen books, the book is narrated by two alternating points of view. The audio narration is performed by Karissa Vacker and Marin Ireland and it is a stellar performance.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy of the audiobook.

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I really enjoyed the book. It was like peeling an onion as there were several characters all with their own secrets. I really enjoyed the twists and turns this story has to offer. Great mystery and enjoyable read. Thanks NetGalley for the audio eARC.

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On the surface, Marissa and Matthew Bishop appear to have it all. A beautiful family, successful careers, and the perfect home in the suburbs of Washington, DC. What casual observers don't know is that Marissa has had an affair and the Bishops have sought out the services of a disgraced therapist with unique techniques, Avery Chambers. Her techniques are unconventional, but Marissa is desperate to do the work and put this all behind them. But then Marissa receives gifts and notes from an unnamed person. And her young assistant starts to behave oddly, making Marissa increasingly suspicious that something is off in her life. Who is behind all of it? Is Marissa in danger? What about her family?


Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have to be my favorite author collaboration of all time. Their latest effort, The Golden Couple, is a solid effort. Marissa and Matthew Bishop were too good to be true. Marissa seemed perfect, but also super paranoid. Matthew seemed perfect, but something just seemed off with him. Something seemed off with Avery Chambers, too. Like there was something sinister lurking below the surface. I wasn't entirely wrong, but it wasn't what I was expecting. CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS - The big twist at the end wasn't what I was expecting, but it sure was good.

Bottom Line - I learned a long time ago that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. The
Bishops are the perfect example of why you should never compare your marriage to somebody elses.
You never know what is happening behind closed doors.

Details:
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Pages:336
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 3/8/2022
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley!

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Another excellent book by a talented pair of authors.

A couple enter an unconventional therapy program.

Just as enjoyable the second time around due to a fabulous audiobook rendering.

Please see my detailed YouTube review of this thrilling title:

https://youtu.be/dPxtFaTQ68s

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I picked this title due to the frequency of seeing it all over social media. I heard good things, so I wanted to test it out. To me, the plot was all over the place and characters felt like they were plucked from other stories... I was disappointed. I did not finish listening to the whole thing.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen to this.

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Another engrossing thriller by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen! The narrators were wonderful, providing enough emotion to get a true feel of the personalities of the dual main characters. Some of the twists were easy to predict, but it was still a fun read!

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Meet Mathew and Marissa aka the golden couple. But the couple isn’t so golden as one of them has strayed. They find themselves seeking out the help of Avery a former therapist who lost her license for her unconventional practices. All Matthew and Marissa have to do is complete 10 sessions with Avery and their marriage will be golden again… Or will it. Which in turn is exactly why I continue to read, it was told in alternating perspectives of Marissa and Avery but they both really felt flat to me. Marissa had some emotion here and there but in all honesty especially listening to the audiobook it was pretty boring. I only liked Avery a little more because she rescued Romeo which made her stand out a little more than me. Having read books from these authors previously I think I had higher expectations the twist in this book was pretty predictable and original in my opinion. I was honestly kind of bored and I felt like I was just waiting and waiting for something to happen when that something did happen I was pretty let down in all honesty. It was exactly what I thought would happen and then a good thriller that doesn’t happen usually is the opposite of what you’re guessing. People raved about this book so I had to finish it to see what I was missing out on I tried really hard to love it but it just wasn’t for me.

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With the characters and the set up for this book, I would have thought it would be more suspensful and exciting than it was. I did like how in the beginning, the author kept you guessing as to the motives and secrets of all the characters, but then it became obvious what was really happening. This kind of took away from the big reveal. It was entertaining enough to keep me interested and want to finish, but also feel like it is one of those books that a week or 2 from now, I won't really remember.

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When you see that writing duo Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen have a new suspense novel out, you know that it is going to be a book that everyone who is a fan of the genre will be reading & talking about. This is the fourth time the authors have teamed up to write a compelling domestic thriller, so if you are new to their novels, you have a backlist of impressively twisty titles to enjoy after you finish their latest!

The Golden Couple is about an affluent husband and wife with an enviable relationship who begin to experience cracks in their life's perfect veneer when the wife, Marissa, cheats on husband Matthew. Determined to put their relationship back on course, they hire a therapist who is known for her unconventional methods. Avery doesn't just get to know you in an office setting ... she takes her practice beyond the four walls to discover what you're really hiding. What will she find when she looks into Marissa & Matthew's past? Is all that glitters truly gold?

Once again, Hendricks and Pekkanen have crafted a gripping suspense thriller, which will have you suspicious of every single character on its pages. In fact, trust no one & sleep with one eye open is a good piece of advice when reading a Hendricks and Pekkanen novel because their books are filled with deliciously despicable characters & nothing ever is as it seems. Multi-layered & absorbing, The Golden Couple highlights the dark side of domestic relationships & shows how dangerous things can become when you play with fire.

With that being said, I did find The Golden Couple to be one of Hendricks & Pekkanen's weaker novels, although it was certainly still entertaining. While I enjoyed the twists, they weren't shocking, and almost every character we were introduced to served some purpose, making this book a bit less suspenseful than it could have been otherwise.

I listened to an audiobook production of The Golden Couple, narrated by Karissa Vacker & Marin Ireland. Marin Ireland is one of my favorite narrators so I was excited to see that she lent her dynamic voice to this work! Ireland is able to ease you into a story, making you forget that you are reading a book & not actually hearing the character speak, and she also believably portrays the voices of men ... she's an awesome all around narrator!

Recommended to fans of Liv Constantine.

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Giving this one a 3.5. I was so hyped for this book. I kept seeing it everywhere and it sounded like it was going to be amazing.

Though I did enjoy the story, it wasn't up there where I was hoping it would be. I was honestly a bit bored with the story. I didn't really enjoy the couple at all, lol. I mostly enjoyed the therapist, but even that went in some weird directions.

This story is great for someone who hasn't read a ton of domestic thrillers. It has some little twists throughout and the therapist adds a unique spin to what a therapist usually does.

The writing was good too, and I will check out some other works by these authors, but this one just fell a bit short of expectation.

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In The Golden Couple, we have Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen once again doing what they do best - telling a dark and twisty story about people who aren't what they seem. In this instance, the "golden couple" is Marissa and Matthew Bishop, who seem to have it all, at least by social media standards. In real life, however, things aren't quite so shiny, and when Marissa admits to infidelity, an angry Matthew agrees to see an unconventional couples' counselor who claims she can fix their issues with 10 sessions, as long as they're willing to follow her instructions.
Avery Chambers is that counselor, and (of course) she has her own issues. When these three collide, secrets from the past begin to surface, and we aren't quite sure whom to believe when stories don't quite add up, or where we'll end up when it's all over.
I listened to the audiobook, and the narration by Karissa Vacker and Marin Ireland was outstanding.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a digital copy for an unbiased review.

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This one was pretty decent overall. I think if you've enjoyed their previous books you would probably like this one as well. They are very solid mysteries/thrillers, just nothing super different or mind-blowing about them. Would recommend for a fun summer mystery.

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