3.5 stars rounded up

Five years ago, Olivia Sutherland was wrongfully convicted of plotting to murder. Now she's finally free, Olivia has three goals: repair her relationship with her daughter, clear her name, and bring sown her husband - the man who framed her. Just how far is she willing to go to get what she wants? And how far will her husband go to stop her? Because his lies run deeper than Olivia could ever have imagined - and this time it's not her freedom that's in jeopardy - but her life....

Olivia, Dominic and Dani are complex characters, the story is told from their perspectives. It's descriptively written and the pace is fast. We start at the guilty verdict being read, then it jumps to five years later and the sentence has been served. Now Olivia wants to prove that she was innocent. This is a tense and twisted read. I did guess correctly at some of the reveals, but not them all. This is an enjoyable thriller that held my attention throughout.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #AvonBooksUK and the author #CLTaylor for my ARC of #TheGuiltyCouple in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars

I really enjoyed _Her Last Holiday_, so I was thrilled to be able to read the latest from C.L. Taylor. Though this is an entertaining read, more backstory is needed to build connections.

Readers meet Liv, the m.c., just as she is about to be released from prison for what she maintains is a wrongful conviction; she did not, she reasserts, attempt to have her husband, Dom, killed. Now that she's out, Liv has two goals in mind: (1) reconnecting with her now 12-year-old daughter Sophie and (2) finding out how she got framed in the first place.

The characters are operating with incredible vitriol and on what they claim is intense love (in various cases), but I found this really hard to buy based on limited background on the central (now former) marriage and on Dom's relationship to Liv's and his daughter. All of the important actions are supposed to be based on these intense emotions, but there is just such limited evidence of these strong feelings based on the characters' backstories and actions. The entire novel, I felt a strong disconnect as I continued to look for the why of it all. I can handle an answer like "because this person is a dirtbag," but that's not really what comes up here.

In addition to some confusing motives, there are just too many bizarre conveniences and loose ends (there's a whole subplot with Sophie that seems important and then disappears, there are characters who are average folks but then develop incredible heist-related talents, there are service providers who basically offer up those services on good faith, etc.). Am I too cynical? Too far from a creative criminal element? Maybe, but I read a lot of thrillers, and this one left me really wondering at times.

Taylor has some great books, and this was just not among my list of favorites. I'll be enthusiastically back for more from this author but will not share this as a top rec.

Another great story from this author but I did find it a very complex story. Lots of twists to keep the reader gripped .Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC which I definitely recommend

4.5 which I gladly rounded up to 5 as the ending I did not see coming .

The Guilty Couple is full of twists and turns as you watch Olivia be released from prison for planning to murder her husband.

Innocent she shouts and I believe her after meeting her ex husband Dom.

Dom is hiding many secrets from everyone and is just nasty.

Olivia sets out to prove she was framed and find out what happened to her boyfriend Jack

Lots of surprises along the way keep the pages turning and the lights on.

C.L. Taylor always entertains writes books that I can not put down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a nail biting read.

A convoluted story of lies, deceit and unfaithfulness. A long period in prison for a wife, guilty of embarking on an illicit affair yet innocent of the crime she was accused and found guilty of. Released , angry and intent on revenge, she reconnects with ex husband, friends, and acquaintances, only to become embroiled in a madcap scheme to extract retribution from her devious husband and regain custody of her daughter. Emotionally unstable and unable to rationalise the impact and implications of her actions, she ricochets from one crazy course of actions to yet more dangerous behaviour implicating and putting in jeopardy everyone in her path. An exhausting series of actions and reactions that defy probability. furthermore destroy the trajectory of events, to give any chance of delivering an exciting storyline. An early promising premise for a story that could have delivered so much but was compromised by improbable actions and erratic unbelievable characters culminating in an unbelievable conclusion. Many thanks to author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Name of Book: The Guilty Couple
Author: C. L. Young
Publisher: Avon Books UK
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: June 23, 2022
My Rating: 3 Stars!

The book's blurb states: Olivia Sutherland was wrongfully convicted of attempting to murder her husband is now free.
Olivia has three goals:
1. Repair her relationship with her daughter,
2. Clear her name, and
3. Bring revenge on her husband who allegedly framed her.

Story was interesting and kept me curious.

Want to thank NetGalley and Avon Book UK for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 23, 2022.

Thank you #NetGalley #TheGuiltyCouple #CLTaylor for providing me a copy of an ARC of The Guilty Couple for my honest opinion.

I highly recommend this 5 star domestic thriller. I was hooked from the first chapter until the very last page!

The characters were very strong and like able, even the not so good ones!

The main focus is on Olivia who gets out of of prison after six years for being setup to have her husband at the time killed. She feels her husband is the one behind the setup and intends on finding out why and clearing her name. She desperately needs to have her daughter believe she is innocent and build back their mother-daughter relationship.

I loved the plot, it was both thrilling and exciting, there were many twists and turns. A great surprise ending!

This would be a great summer beach read!

A fantastic page-turner!

I picked this book as my second holiday read and what a fab choice it was! Hooked from start to finish, I devoured this book in just 2 days!

Olivia has just been released from prison after serving a five-year sentence for plotting to murder her husband! She swears she’s innocent and certain that her husband framed her, she will now do everything she can to prove her innocence and get her young daughter back in her life.

We follow Olivia on her quest to clear her name. Joined by a group of friends, some old and some new, it is hard to know who we are supposed to trust. I love this kind of uncertainty in a book as it keeps me guessing, I also love it when my guesses are wrong, which they definitely were in this book!

There are plenty of twists and turns making this book very hard to put down. Olivia had my heart racing with some of the things she does, part of me was rooting for her, and the other part was screaming ‘no don’t be stupid’ 😂

This is an incredibly well-written book that is fast-paced and full of suspense. I was captivated throughout and surprised by a lot of the twists. The ending was perfect and fantastic!

I’ve read a couple other books by C L Taylor and enjoyed them, but this one has to be my favourite so far!

If you’re looking for an unpredictable and unputdownable read this summer then make sure you read The Guilty Couple. Out on June 23rd!

Thank you to C L Taylor, Avon Books and NetGalley for my copy of this fantastic book!

Catchy thriller of a ride. Though not my favorite of this author. Fast passed, short chapters makes it an easy read.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

Five years ago, Olivia Sutherland was wrongfully convicted of plotting to murder her husband.

Now she's finally free, Olivia has three goals: repair her relationship with her teenage daughter, clear her name, and bring down her husband – the man who framed her.

Just how far is she willing to go to get what she wants? And how far will her husband go to stop her? Because his lies run deeper than Olivia could ever have imagined – and this time it’s not her freedom that’s in jeopardy, but her life…

I could not put this book down for the entire time I was reading it. It's definitely one of those binge in one day typ of reads! I have seen reviews stating that there are too many side plots and characters but I think that is what kept me engaged, my head spinning, and the pages flipping (electronically of course). I love a multiple perspective thriller as well and this fit the bill. Taking off one star for the unbelievability of some things, so keep in mind that you need to have an open mind with this book. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the #gifted e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Guilty Couple is a page turning thriller that has short snappy chapters and a storyline to shock you and keep you engrossed in equal measure. I absolutely loved every page. 5 stars from me.

I wanna thank Netgalley and Avon books for giving this arc of The guilty couple. From the start book was so catchy. I think through the small chapters which I appreciated a lot, you want to find out the truth. I feel like the first 2/3 of the book was really good and the end was too but I was expecting something more twisting.

Thanks NetGalley, Avon Books UK and C.L.Taylor for an ARC to review.
After spending 5 years in prison for plotting to murder her husband..Olivia gets out aiming to clear her name and rebuild her relationship with her daughter.
A fast pace engaging page turner. I loved it.

I normally love Ms. Taylors writing but I have to be honest and say that The Guilty Couple was not one of my favourite reads. The story, to me, felt rushed and no where near her normal standards. There were flaws in the story, what policewomen have time for second jobs! It just felt unrealistic.
I’d like to thank Netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. Also to point out to other readers this is my opinion only, most reviewers love this fast paced book.

I’ve read a few books lately where a criminal has been released from prison and is trying to clear their name. This is probably the best of the bunch in terms of reintroducing the ex-con to the world again. However, it didn’t quite grip me, and I found the reason for Olivia being framed and Dominic’s actions quite weak.
The book is relatively fast-paced, and there is some heart in the mouth moments. Taylor’s high standard of writing certainly prevailed for the majority of the book. I liked how strong Olivia was; she wasn’t backing down; she took risks and wasn’t portrayed as a woman no one believed. She had people supporting her, and this was a refreshing change.
Dani was a strange character; how on earth did she manage to be a police officer and a personal trainer? It was like the author wanted this person to be two different people but stuck them into one body. I understood she needed to have a profession that would make it possible to entrap Olivia. She also needed to be on the force for inside information and access to databases. However, it just didn’t make sense. Whenever I’ve read crime novels following a detective, they don’t have time to sleep, never-mind have a full-blown second job! Also, her lack of funds made no sense with having two jobs. Surely she had the second job in the first place to make herself better off, but she couldn’t rub two pennies together; she was so broke!
My main gripe with the story was Dominic; why did he wait five years for Olivia to be released for him to carry out the plan he’d had before Olivia was imprisoned? He would have gotten away with much more had she not been running around trying to prove her innocence. She scuppered his plans, but she wouldn’t have had he executed them while she was still inside.
The story was very unbelievable, and the ending left me exasperated. We aren’t really told how Olivia ended up being framed for trying to kill her husband. We don’t even know how the attempted murder took place. Was she caught in some act, or had she hired someone, and was there a paper trail? We are left with a lot of questions and not enough answers.
So even though the book had some good moments and was relatively fast-paced, and I got through it quickly, it was a disappointing read from this author. She only brings one book out a year, and I always highly anticipate them. So, for this to be such a let-down was a double whammy as I’d gone into it thinking it would be a sure thing in terms of good reading.
This certainly wasn’t the best Cally Taylor book I’ve read, I’ve loved all of her other books, but this was mediocre. So just three stars from me.

CL Taylor has been an auto read author for me for a long time now and I am always excited when she has a new book for us to devour. Once again, she has nailed it with this fast paced, twisted story where it is impossible to o know who to trust. Yes, some of it was far fetched and hard to believe but isn’t that why we read fiction? I couldn’t stop reading this and was finished in less than 24 hours. So fun and addictive 😊

Olivia was such a mess of a character. She was framed for conspiracy to kill her husband, Dom, and sent away for 5 years. On her release, she is determined to show her daughter, Grace, how much she loves her and prove her innocence. But he lover has disappeared, she has no money or job and is sleeping on a friends couch.

This is full of unlikeable characters, and people who cannot be trusted. Olivia will do anything to get her name cleared and Olivia back in her life, but it seems that Dom will do anything to stop her learning the truth. The the short chapters always had me wanting more. So much going on in this book with a lot of characters, but it wasn’t hard to stay on track, it all comes together in a shocking ending.

Really well done and highly recommended. Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. Published on June 23rd.

So well done and

Anything written by Ms. Taylor is a treat. She’s the queen of psychological crime thrillers and if you’ve looking for a clever story with believable characters, read this!

I enjoyed the character development of Olivia, her husband Dom, their daughter Grace and the cop involved in the arrest, Dani. Ms. Taylor cleverly wove their relationships into a tense drama that kept me guessing until the conclusion.

It’s a clever story that was well presented through the different POV’s and I alternated between wanting to finish it and wanting to savour it. When you’re both desperate to reach the end, and dreading it, you know you’ve got a good one in your hands!

#netgalley #cltaylor #theguiltycouple #avonbooksuk

I enjoyed this audiobook. The story was believable and I liked the main female character. When Olivia is framed by her husband she is sent to prison, once she gets out she needs to prove she wasn't guilty. What follows is lots of searching, asking questions and doubting those closest to her. The narrator was the correct one for the story.

I did enjoy this book mostly but not as much as most of the author's previous books. It is very fast paced with more twists and turns than a dozen roller coasters. The cons were that there were so many characters, pretty much all of whom seemed to turn to criminal or decidedly dodgy behaviour at some point and there were so many times when I had to suspend belief about aspects of the plot,

The basic premise is that the main character, Olivia, has come out of jail where she's spent five years having been framed for the attempted murder of her husband, Dominic. Their daughter, Grace, is now twelve and Olivia is keen to not lose any more years and will seemingly do anything to get back close to her daughter even though she is initially only going to be allowed supervised visits with her. She also has a score to settle with her ex-husband following her false conviction. The first time I had to suspend belief was when Olivia persuaded a friend to drive her to her daughter's school the day after she'd been released and then she jumped out of the car to talk to her daughter. Really? Loads of people would potentially have seen them and Olivia would be straight back in prison for a serious breach of her parole. Many friends of Olivia then entered the plot, most of whom seemed quite happy to go along with her crazy schemes as the plot twisted and twisted and twisted.

There were some things that didn't make sense to me but maybe I missed some points as I started skim reading. Why did the cleaner still have Dominic's set of spare keys after five years. Had Dominic not realised that he no longer had a spare set of keys, including ones that the cleaner didn't need and really shouldn't have, in five years? How did one character get multi million pound loans on the back of a claim that she was an heiress when she wasn't? You can't even get a tiny loan these days without masses of paperwork and proof of everything under the sun. There was mention of a prison cleaner at the end holding a pin and I have no idea what significance the pin had or why it is mentioned.

Not my favourite of the author's books but I have loved her others so will certainly read more. With thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is another compelling C.L. Taylor read, with cliff-hanger chapters that kept me hooked.
I enjoyed the premise, which is original and intriguing. A mother is framed by her husband and imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit. When she is free, she’s determined to get to the truth, get revenge, and rebuild her relationship with her daughter, none of which proves to be particularly easy. In fact, things get messier and messier.
Short chapters, great writing, engaging characters, plenty of lies and deceit, as well as some human interest elements all add up to a great read.