Lily Scott and Nina Hayes are friends from work. They teach high school in a suburb of Chicago, Lily in her algebra classes and Nina teaching honors English. They met when Lily started, Nina acting as a mentor to her when she was taking on her first year of full-time teaching. The mentorship turned into a genuine friendship, with the occasional dinner with their husbands.

Christian comes home from work one day to find Lily in the living room, barely able to move. When he asks if she’s okay, she says that she is, but it’s clear that she’s lying. But he doesn’t want to push her for an answer. She’s pregnant again, and her past miscarriages has him worrying that there is something wrong with the baby, but he chooses to give Lily some space to find her voice. It’s not until the next evening that she’s able to talk about what is on her mind.

The previous night, she had gone to a local park after work, Langley Woods, and she had run into Nina’s husband Jake there. They had walked on the main path for a while, but then he persuaded her to veer off onto a side path, into the woods. He had seen some deer, he’d said, and wanted to show her. But once they got away from the main path, Jake had tried to kiss her, to force her to do things she didn’t want to. She’d been thrown to the ground. She managed to grab a rock and hit him in order to get away, but there had been a lot of blood. She was worried about what could have become of him.

And now he’s missing.

Christian is appalled by Jake’s behavior, but he starts to worry about how this could affect Lily and the baby. He finds the clothes she had been wearing and sets them aside, to get rid of them. He has Lily go back to Langley Woods to the place where it happened, to see if they can find any evidence that might lead back to her. They find the blood on the ground but nothing more.

Meanwhile, Nina is increasingly worried about Jake. He hadn’t been home for days. They’d had a big argument the night before, with both of them saying really hurtful things, so Nina wasn’t surprised when he didn’t show up at home the next night or wouldn’t answer any calls or texts. But when the head of surgery at the hospital called and told her that he hadn’t shown up for any of his surgeries, Nina knows something is very wrong. Jake had worked hard all through medical school to become a neurosurgeon. He might shut her out for a bit from anger, but he would never abandon his job. She files a police report.

As Christian and Lily scramble to try to cover Lily’s tracks, they find themselves turning inward and hiding, afraid of what the truth might eventually reveal about Lily’s actions that day. Meanwhile, Nina is becoming increasingly worried about Jake’s safety. He’s not used any of his credit cards or withdrawn any cash from their account. His phone just goes to voicemail. And then she finds out that the gun he had kept in the safe in his home office was gone.

All Nina has now is her mother, whose macular degeneration is getting worse, and her friends from work, Lily and fellow English teacher Ryan. Will she be able to find the answers she’s searching for, or will she discover that the people she trusted most are the ones who have caused her life to break apart?

Master of suspense Mary Kubica is back with Just the Nicest Couple, a tale of knife-edge suspense that keeps you awash in anxiety and wondering just who is telling the truth at any given moment. The contrast of the couples, Christian and Lily versus Nina and Jake, is a teeter-totter of half-truths and misdirection, until the end.

Just the Nicest Couple is told in alternating viewpoints of Christian and Nina, so you get an inside glimpse of both couples without getting the whole story of what happened to these four people. As the truths slowly come to light and the secrets are revealed, we find out that there is so much more going on with these characters than even they realized, and the tale finally comes full circle. But until that point, I was on pins and needles, wanting to know more and having to keep reading to find out the real story. I really enjoyed this thriller, and I could not stop turning the pages until I finally got to the end.

Egalleys for Just the Nicest Couple were provided by Park Row through NetGalley, with many thanks.

4.5⭐️. As I am writing this review, the feedback on this book is…well it’s mixed. However, I loved this bingeable new thriller from the master of twists, Mary Kubica. I read this one in under a day, and was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time. What a ride!

My favorite part of this book is how the author took the pretty common storyline (both in real life and fiction) of the missing wife, and turned it on its head. Here we see what happens when an affluent surgeon goes missing and his wife is the one to report it to the police.

The character development is top notch, per usual, and all four characters and even supporting characters were fully flushed out. There is not one character in this story about which I do not understand their motives or actions. By the time we reach the conclusion, everything becomes crystal clear. As someone who hates messy conclusions to thrillers, I really appreciate this about Kubica’s writing.

Thank you to Park Row and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

I finished this book in 24 hours. Wow! I couldn’t put it down! The plot unfolded at a breakneck pace from the beginning. I thought the character development was perfect and I definitely didn’t see that ending coming!

Ahhh I was on such a great streak with Mary Kubica’s novels, but Just the Nicest Couple was a big miss for me! The plot and the characters just weren’t doing it for me and sadly that counts for a large majority of the novel.

We get the thoughts of just Nina (wife of missing surgeon) and Christian (Nina’s friend Lily’s husband). Nina was ok. I didn’t mind her, but I feel like we don’t get anything more from her, other than the role of wife of missing spouse. She was your typical wife and was distressed about the situation (obviously), but I couldn’t feel a connection with her. I HATED Christian. He bothered me so much and I could only read so much about his pregnant wife. Maybe if Christian went missing, it would of been a better book…

I’m glad that some other reviewers mentioned that the writing felt off. I wasn’t interested in the plot at all and the story never ended grabbing me in. I was surprised by the ending, but by that point, I was just happy that I was done.

2 calculators out of a potential 5. Hoping for a better read next time!

Thank you to Netgallery and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When you have friends, secrets can kill your relationships--especially when one of those secrets includes the death of someone close to you both.

Jake Hayes goes missing. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks he is taking space since they argued the night before. Lily Scott, Nina’s friend and coworker believes she was the last to see Jake before he went missing. After Lily confesses this to her husband, Christian, the two decide that nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jake’s disappearance. But Nina now knows he isn't coming back and someone that wasn't her or Jake has been in the house.

This book has an interesting premise and had a promise of complex characters and premises. But the characters are rather one-dimensional. Lily was always sad and crying holding in too much. Christian, the savior who wants to save her. Nina, who only wants to take care of others. Jake, ironical, showed a second side: an egotistical surgeon who gave was actually emotion when a patient died.

The pacing is a huge issue. There were some basic bones of tension and “what could happen” that really pushed on the first third on. This kinda sucks because the basic story takes too long and I was ready for the ending hoping it would wow me. Instead, the author dumps the ending at your feet. The twists and turns don't have too many details and we jump along to the epilogue only focusing on two of the characters.


This book was disappointing. It had such great bones to it. But the author was unable to fill in those outline points with quality writing.

This was not my favorite Mary Kubica novel, but I did enjoy it. Just the Nicest Couple was fast passed and kept me guessing. Told from the points of view of Christian and Nina, the story tells the timeline of events that unfold once Nina’s husband goes missing. I enjoyed the two points of view, but felt Nina’s chapters to be more enjoyable and more interesting. Christian was not a likable character for me and I felt his character was very one dimension. I do appreciate that these felt like two truly different characters when reading their points of view and not just the author slapping two different names as chapter titles. I enjoyed the twist, but wish there was a few more clues sprinkled in. This was a 3.5 rounded up to a 4.

Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica
Pub date: January 10, 2023

This is a story about Christian and Lily and Lily’s friend and co-worker, Nina and her husband, Jake. When Jake and Nina have a disagreement one evening and he doesn’t return home. Nina initially thinks that Jake is just blowing off steam after their fight and will be waiting for her when she returns home from work. When he doesn’t show up for days, she must admit the possibility that foul play has occurred. As it turns out, it seems Lily has a few confessions of her own to make leading the couple, and Nina, on a wild journey to find out what exactly happened to Jake.

While this was abit out there at times, I found myself really enjoying the story. It had a sinister undertone and suspenseful plot, making me question everyone’s motives.

My thanks to @HTPBooks for this gifted DRC.

Being that this is my 7th Kubica, clearly I'm a fan. My favorite is still Every Last Lie and I highly recommend that one if you're looking to start your Kubica journey.

JUST THE NICEST COUPLE is a domestic thriller encompassing couples Jake & Nina and Christian & Lily. Nina and Lily are friends and coworkers whose husbands know each other by proxy. When Jake goes missing, a whole slew of craziness happens... which sometimes led to me going, "uh, what".

There's definitely misdirection at play but I figured things out fairly quickly so wasn't shocked at any of the reveals. It was a very easy read but somehow felt very surface level, which is different than I felt about her other novels. Of course, I was still mesmerized and wanted to know what was going to happen. However, a couple of times I just wish it would get there already. And I'm not particularly happy about that ending if I'm being completely honest.

Would definitely recommend for those who like a lighter domestic suspense read where the characters are cuckoo for cocoa puffs. Pour yourself some milk and eat up!

Mary Kubica never ceases to amaze me! Another novel well written and highly recommended. I feel dizzy from pointing the guilty finger in every direction!! lol So many juicy surprises!

At first when Jake Hayes goes missing, his wife Nina thinks he’s avoiding her after their argument the night before, but becomes concerned as more time passes. While Nina searches for answers behind her husband’s disappearance, Nina’s friend and coworker, Lily Scott, and her husband Christian work to hide what they know.

This was a fairly fast-paced suspense novel, told from the multiple POVs of Lily, Nina, and Christian. While I enjoyed reading the book, the writing seemed a bit choppy, so it wasn’t my favorite structurally. It was a decent story, but since I struggled with the writing style it just wasn’t the best match for me. However, there’s not many characters so they’re easy to keep track of {unlike many thrillers that have an abundance of characters}, so it’s definitely worth a shot if you’re looking for an easy read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Books for providing me with an e-ARC!

Although I loved her first book, the rest, including this one, pale in comparison. I very likely will not request her again.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Just the nicest. Refreshing book.

I'm a fan of most all of Ms. Kubica's books but this story felt a little flat compared to others. It started off strong but seemed to lose momentum as the book progressed. Many of the characters were unsympathetic. Not as strong as her previous titles.

I love a great thriller and Mary Kubica really delivers with her latest novel.

Nina is a high school teacher having marital problems with her husband Jake. Jake is growing increasingly resentful of Nina's time away from him, caring for her mother who is grappling with sudden vision loss. With her father long out of the picture, Nina feels a responsibility to care for her mother and Jake, a brain surgeon with a highly stressful career, cannot contend without Nina's undivided attention.

After an explosive fight between them, Jake leaves for work the next morning- and doesn't return home. Nina is upset but assumes that Jake just needs time alone. But as a couple of days pass without Jake's return, Nina begins to fear for Jake's safety.

Nina confides in her friend, Lily, a fellow teacher at school. Lily and her husband Christian are social acquaintances with the couple and understandably concerned about Jake's disappearance.

Lily soon realizes however, that she may have been the last person to see Jake before he disappeared. After confiding in Christian, Lily decides to conceal this fact from Nina so as not to raise suspicion or implicate herself unnecessarily.

As the police begin to ask questions and Nina desperately searches for her husband, she begins to realize that Lily and Christian may not be the friends she believes and that the secrets they hold may have deadly consequences.

This one was so twisty with a mind-blowing ending!

If you love multiple POV, a slow burn, and twisty thrillers, definitely check this one out!

Mary Kubica is a suspense author whose books I have enjoyed for many years - Local Woman Missing and Pretty Baby are among my favourites. But it pains me to not be able to add Just The Nicest Couple to my list of Kubica favs.

The story is centred around two couples who are friends - Christian and Lily, and Nina and Jake. When Jake goes missing, readers are given a few nefarious reasons why he hasn't turned up, but the possible culprits and motives weren't shocking with most feeling felt farfetched and overly contrived. The story started out strong, but the tension quickly fades into a very slowly paced story with writing that felt surprisingly repetitive and choppy (not Kubica's usual style or caliber). I ended up skimming the middle of the book until the tension picked up at the end, but by then it felt 'too little, too late'.

This didn't feel like a typical twisty suspenseful Kubica book to me with its lack of tension, flat characters and its writing style. It was a very odd read for me, but even though Just The Nicest Couple wasn't as strong of a thriller as I've come to expect from Kubica, I continue to be a fan of hers and eagerly await her next book.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Park Row Books who provided me with a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Just The Nicest Couple is the latest book by bestselling author Mary Kubica and revolves around two friends/coworkers at a local high school Lily and Nina. When Jake Hayes goes missing, his wife Nina thinks he is just needing some time alone after a heated argument the night before. However after several days pass Nina suspects something sinister has happened. Lily thinks she was the last person to see him alive and their encounter may have contributed to his disappearance. After Lily confesses to her husband Christian what happened, they immediately work together to cover up what they know. They agree to keep this information secret, especially to Nina. As the story progresses more lies and deceits are unfolding and shows how no one appears to be as they seem.

What I liked about the book:
-the high school workplace setting
-the alternative chapters of Christian and Nina
-the beginning grabbed my interest right away
-the twists and turns
-short chapters
-mother daughter relationships
-build up of suspense and tension

What I didn’t like about the book:
-strong start but fell flat later and got repetitive after a while
-couldn’t connect with any of the characters
-characters frustrated me with their actions, though it does work in many books, I felt it was lacking

My rating: 3 out of 5

My final takeaway:
Mary Kubica is an amazing author whose previous books, especially Local Woman Missing, are some of my favorites. However I was disappointed with this book because it seemed to lack her usual style. If you are a fan of Kubica then I would recommend it, but just have low expectations going in.I’d also recommend this book to people who enjoy twisty domestic thrillers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Park Row for this eARC.

Last year I read Local Woman Miissing by this author and it was one of my favorite reads of the year. I was really looking forward to this book,but it just fell flat for me. I could not connect to the characters and I actually thought 1 of them was so stupid that I couldn't even read anymore.
Told from the alternating perspectives of Christian and Nina, neither has any personality. Nina is married to Jake, a neurosurgeon who has gone missing. Their marriage is on the rocks, and Nina is just trying to hold it together. Her character is flat but somewhat likable, whereas Christian is just a moron.
The dialouge just drones on and nothing exciting happens. It was just a real let down.

Well.... I have had a lot of misses with this author.

Oh goodness... where do I start with this one? Yikes.... this was a complete mess.

The writing is very simple and short. The main characters make dumb decision after dumb decision. The pacing is so slow and every page that I turned I was thinking "this is going to be a DNF soon.". NOTHING was happening and I mean NOTHING.

Finally.. we approach the ending and everything was completely rushed. I just had a huge eye roll and was left completely disappointed. I think this is the end of Kubica and I.

Now, many others have enjoyed this one but I need way more twists and action in my thrillers to enjoy them,

1.5/5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the review in exchange for an honest opinion.

Pub date: 1/10/23
Published to GR: 1/8/23.

BLOG TOUR INVITATION: EXCERPT:

BLOG TOUR: JUST THE NICEST COUPLE
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Just The Nicest Couple: A Novel by Mary Kubica
BOOK SUMMARY

A husband’s disappearance links two couples in this twisty thriller from New York Times bestselling author Mary Kubica

Jake Hayes is missing. This much is certain. At first, his wife, Nina, thinks he is blowing off steam at a friend’s house after their heated fight the night before. But then a day goes by. Two days. Five. And Jake is still nowhere to be found.

Lily Scott, Nina’s friend, and coworker think she may have been the last to see Jake before he went missing. After Lily confesses everything to her husband, Christian, the two decide that nobody can find out what happened leading up to Jake’s disappearance, especially not Nina. But Nina is out there looking for her husband, and she won’t stop until the truth is discovered.

2 stars

Are we being punked? I’ve read Kubica’s work previously and really enjoyed it, and this novel reads, truly, as if it were written by a different author. I’m confounded and I cannot recommend this one, even (and maybe especially) to Kubica fans.

There are two couples featured in this novel, and really none of the individuals who comprise them are what one might consider “nice” in any way. Of course, some are worse than others. Unfortunately, none of the characters are compelling, and the same is true for their storylines, which are surprisingly repetitive and - frankly - a little boring. Again, these are not terms I have associated with this author previously, so the surprise is real (and unpleasant).

I came very close to DNF’ing this one, but I persisted exclusively to see if there was a payoff I was nearly certain would come. It didn’t. I remain a fan of this author in part because this is such an anomaly. However, I am hoping for a swift and significant turn around in all future efforts. It hurts to say, but even the staunchest Kubica fans should really skip this one.