I really tried to like this book, but after working my way through it over a long period I just couldn't connect with the characters or the storyline. I kept reading a bit, stopping and coming back, finally getting through it.

The premise was good and should have been a great mystery, but I overall I felt an underlying current that Lucy was being gaslit by her husband Adam and their friends Cora and Scott. She always did feel a bit on the outside anyway, since the 3 of them met in school and she was late to the party.

I know there are many people who will thoroughly enjoy this story, but it just wasn't for me.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

This was an okay read for me. It started off pretty fast-paced, and who doesn’t love a domestic thriller? But I felt like it kind of just hit a lull and never picked back up. The characters started to get on my nerves and the constant gaslighting of Lucy sucked. It was always the other 3, who are supposed to be her people, telling her she was crazy so they could keep each other’s secrets. There was definitely potential for this to be better- I think dual POVs might have been cool? But there just weren’t enough twists in the plot so the ending was just meh.

The Couple in the Photo is a satisfying and fast-paced novel by Helen Cooper. Lucy and Adam Taylor and their daughters Tilly and Fran are best friends with Scott and Cora Waugh and their children Ivy and Joe. Cora and Scott were university friends of Adam, however they whole- heartedly embraced Lucy into their lives and saw each as extended family of the other.
Lucy has always been fascinated by photos so it was no surprise that she was eagerly looking at the wedding photos of her teaching colleague, Ruth's, wedding and honeymoon photos. What was surprising was that Lucy was sure she saw a photo of Scott with another woman talking with Ruth in the Maldives while on her honeymoon. What was Scott doing in the Maldives when he was to be in Tokyo setting up an air show? That is the backdrop for a suspense filled story of betrayal, murders, deceit, devastation and ultimately resolution.
I am grateful to NetGalley and Penquin Random House Publishing for the opportunity to read an ARC of The Couple in the Photo, that in no way influenced my review. 3.5 stars

Lucy and her husband Adam are best friends (practically family!) with another couple, Cora and Scott. When looking at a coworker’s honeymoon photos, Lucy swears there’s a photo of Scott in the bunch with a woman who isn’t Cora. In her search for answers, Lucy bites off more than she can chew and the foursome’s secrets start to reveal themselves.

THE COUPLE IN THE PHOTO by Helen Cooper is a domestic thriller full of intrigue and a codependence I haven’t seen in a while!

This book started off pretty strong for me - the setup of the mystery and the gaslighting made me want to keep reading.

However, the characters soon became grating and the twists just weren’t twisty enough for me in terms of making the plot more interesting.

A fine read that makes me just a bit hesitant to dive into Cooper’s backlist.

Thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: December 5

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Lucy has a lovely life. A great marriage until she looks through a friend's phot album and she's her husband with another woman. This book had me questioning everything.

This book had me questioning everything from the very beginning. It kept me on my toes and I wasn't able to guess that plot twist.

BOOK: The Couple in the Photo
AUTHOR: Helen Cooper
PUB DATE: 12/5/23 by @penguinrandomhouse
PAGES: 368
RATING: 4.5 stars
GENRE: Psychological Thriller

A BIG thank you to @netgalley & @penguinrandomhouse for gifting me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

SYNOPSIS: Lucy and her husband, Adam, have been best friends with another couple, Cora & Scott for years. The four are practically family at this point--they vacation together, co-own a beach cottage, and their young children are inseparable. So, Lucy is devastated when, while looking at a colleague's photos of a trip to the Maldives, she spots a picture of Scott, apparently on a luxurious holiday with another woman. Lucy is determined to protect her best friend from her husband's seeming infidelity, but when she learns that the woman in the photo has gone missing, she can't help but fear that Scott was involved. As she searches for answers, she uncovers secrets about her friends and her own husband that could destroy the wonderful lives they have built...and she suspects that everybody around her knows much more about the missing woman than they are letting on. Is Lucy actually the one most in the dark? If so, what are the consequences of discovering the truth?

REVIEW: This was one of my top suspense arcs this year! The story was engaging from the very beginning, and I had a difficult time putting it down. It was also my first time reading from this author and I’m excited to read more by her! Look for this one! It comes out on December 5th! I highly suggest it!

Happy Reading!

When Lucy sees her best friend's husband in a co-worker's honeymoon picture with another woman, she is confused. When she sees the other woman reported missing on the news that night, she starts to panic. She goes to her husband, Adam, about it all, but he tries to shut it down saying Scott would never cheat on Cora. But as more secrets start to unravel, and the missing woman is found dead, Lucy starts to wonder how much she really knows about Scott and Lucy and if she can trust any of them, including her husband, at all.

I really liked Lucy's character. It is rare to find a book where the MC is unraveling secrets and lies in a realistic way and actually confronting people as secrets are discovered. Nothing drives me crazier than a naive protagonist that ignores all basic logic or that refuses to confront people in hopes of getting to the truth in a different way. I appreciated how realistic her character seemed. That said, I found the overall story pretty far fetched. Had Ruth not been involved, I could have accepted it, but her involvement in the story just seemed way too coincidental to be believable.

Overall I enjoyed reading the story, but at some points it felt like it was dragging a bit, Cora's parts felt like they were trying to lead us to think it was Scott thinking it, but I never doubted it was Cora and read it in her voice the entire time. I also thought the killer was very predictable.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.25⭐
Genre ~ mystery
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ December 5, 2023
Est page Count ~ 367 (35 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 45 minutes
Narrator ~ Naomi Frederick
POV ~ single 3rd
Featuring ~ secrets, lies, murder, infidelity

4 best friends, Lucy & Adam & Cora & Scott, do everything together. 3 went to uni together and 1 married into this tight knit group, which is who our main narrator is, Lucy.

Once Lucy sees an incriminating photo she becomes obsessed with trying to figure out what's going on. And then the person in the photo turns up missing and she really amps up her obsession. I could totally see my nosy self trying to figure out what was going on my own, too, but I'm not sure I would make all the same decisions as Lucy. I was quite curious how it would play out, but it turned out to be a bit predictable to me. It did move along at a quick pace, so that was a good thing. The extra POV from an unknown adds some intrigue, but unfortunately that's easy to guess who it is. There were some heart pounding moments, especially in the car at the end, but Lucy's actions is the final scenes were just too implausible in my opinion.

Overall, I think it was well written and would appeal to unseasoned mystery reads.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.

This was a very twisty, who done it thriller. The author did a great job consistently confusing you as to who could have done what, which made it a lot of fun. I liked that this wasn’t a straight forward X person was guilty kind of case, and There were so many twists over the course of the story,

This smart and suspenseful story unfolds as a woman discovers her best friend's husband with another woman in a photo, coincidentally revealed by her coworker while sharing honeymoon pictures.

Lucy has always been a big fan of pictures, always shoving a camera in everyone’s faces to document every experience (much to their dismay). One day her coworker Ruth is showing honeymoon photos and she sees a picture of another couple who they spent time with named Jason and Anna, but that’s her best friend Cora’s husband Scott, and Anna is not Cora.

Lucy’s husband Adam has been best friends with Scott and Cora ever since university, so the three of them have a deep rooted past, and that past seems to be full of secrets.

With only Lucy’s POV, we follow her as she tries to put the pieces together and figure out if Scott is cheating, or if she’s just being paranoid. If this mystery isn’t already distressing enough, Lucy ends up seeing the woman in the photo on the news because she is missing.

This book will have you questioning Lucy’s reliability, and not trusting anyone. Is her husband in on this? Is Scott guilty of more than just cheating? Does Cora know what’s going on?

I found this story to be unpredictable and it kept me intrigued from the first page. I love the way the author played with something most of us do, take photos to capture memories, but she made it sinister.

This was twisty, cloaked in mystery, and the ending absolutely surprised me. Some aspects were predictable, but as a whole I really enjoyed this suspenseful story and I definitely recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC! Pub day is 12/5/23!

Thank you NetGalley and Putnam Books for the chance to read the story of The Couple in the Photo. This is a book with very few very flawed characters. They lie, cheat and murder and do a good job of covering up their actions. One character, Lucy, is the only one who is innocent. The twists are huge and unexpected. Each person blames the others for their actions and it's a puzzle to figure out who is telling the truth. There is lots of tense moments as the story becomes clearer with a dramatic climax and a satisfying ending. It is a fast read and hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone

5 stars

Phew, I don’t think I could have held that in until the end of this review, so I might as well get it out of the way.

5 stars

Yes, I think I’m still in shock, hence my repetitive speech

5 stars

Ok, I think you got it now.

If you haven’t already pre-ordered this book, you need to now. I promise you won’t regret it .

The Couple in the Photo

This book is straight up twisted! I mean, wow!

Holy, moly, my head might have just spun right on off my shoulders!

Helen Cooper, has done it again!

Lies, Secrets, Deceit.. Well, now you're just speaking my love language!!

Talk about a scandal, this book delivers!

Cooper has just swung herself into the “auto buy” category and I can not wait to see what comes next!

Check out this teaser :

Be careful who you sleep with...They've already made their bed.

Lucy and her husband, Adam, have been best friends with another couple, Cora and Scott, for years. The four are practically family—they vacation together, co-own a beach cottage, and their children are inseparable. So Lucy is devastated when, while looking at a colleague’s photos of a trip to the Maldives, she spots a picture of Scott, apparently on vacation with another woman.

Then she learns that the woman in the photo has gone missing. Lucy can’t help but fear that Scott was involved. But searching for answers might uncover secrets about Scott, Cora, and even her own husband that could destroy the picture-perfect lives they have built together. Or maybe she was never part of the picture at all. Is it possible everyone knows more than they are letting on? If so, what are the consequences of exposing the truth?

#TheCoupleInThePhoto was sooooo hard for me to read . I found it to be such a slow burn & honestly boring ... The idea sounded good & interesting but imo fell flat & in the end the whole "why" was again imo completely far fetched & hard to believe so I guess in short I wasn't feeling this book .

I appreciate the opportunity to read the Arc though . Thanks again #NetGalley

R E V I E W 🫶🏼

✨ This was an ARC gifted to me by the Putnam Books via Netgalley. The following review is my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions. ✨

📚The Couple in the Photo
📝 Helen Cooper
📌 Book 69/50 for 2023

𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4)
𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘: Psychological Thriller
𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗟𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟: 🚫

𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 📖
This was a super fast read for me, with great pacing from start to finish. The author did a great job with adding in little details about people throughout the book that keeps the reader skeptical of every character. I enjoy suspenseful reads like this where there is several feasible outcomes, and while the culprit was one of the people I’d suspected, the plot was not expected. I enjoyed the short timeline, with most of the story happening within the span of a week or so - some chapters giving the reader minute-by-minute action. I felt that the characters were complex and the single POV provided a wonderful level of mystery. I’m definitely interested in reading more from Cooper! 📸

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 ⤵️
betrayal 💔, secret lovers 🤫, whodunnit 🔍, fast reads 📚, unexpected endings 😳, friend group drama 🎭

3.5 rounded up
Lucy has been shown some vacation pictures. These vacation pictures happen to have a couple in them. The man is surely her best friends husband, Scott. The next day, the woman from the photos is shown on the news as missing.
Lucy wants to see the photo of the couple again because surely she was mistaken about the guy that was in the photo. But now her friend is acting strange and won't show her the photo again
Lucy feels in her gut that something is wrong
She starts investigating and quizzing Scott but keeps coming up short
Should she tell Cora, her best friend, what she saw
Or should she keep digging so she can have proof to take to the police that Scott most certainly hurt the woman he was cheating with
Everyone is lying, it seems, and Lucy is determined to figure out why

This was your run of the mill thriller. Affairs, secrets, murder…all common themes. This was about a group of friends with some deep secrets tying them to the disappearance of an old classmate. When the story starts to come to life, the ending was guessable but the playing out was well done.

The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper
Narrator: Naomi Frederick
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 12/5

This rollercoaster of friendship, betrayal, and unexpected twists hooked me from the first page! Lucy, Adam, Cora, and Scott are two couples with an unshakeable, tight-knit friendship until Lucy stumbles upon a photo that threatens to shatter everything.

I love how Cooper takes a simple photograph and turns it into a catalyst for uncovering years of hidden secrets. Lucy's internal struggle about whether to reveal the photo to her best friend or confront her own husband adds an extra layer of tension, which kept me on the edge of my seat.

The characters are well-developed, and as more of the truth comes out, their lives begin to unravel in unexpected ways. Lucy is the most relatable as she attempts to navigate the tangled web of emotions and loyalties among the friends. My heart broke for her the closer we got to the truth.

I do wish Lucy had been more assertive in expressing herself. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this story and its exploration of the complexities of seemingly perfect relationships. The story's pace and the surprising twists kept me engaged, making it a fast and gripping read. Thank you so much to Penguin Group Putnam for my advanced copy and PRH Audio for my complimentary audiobook. The narrator, Naomi Frederick, did an excellent job bringing all the characters to life.

The Couple in the Photo comes out on 12/5.

I thought the idea was good for a book but seemed difficult to believe . I found it to be a slow burn with boring characters , I felt the characters got confusing for me .

In these days of normal Instagram-stalking (“Where is this geolocation?” “Who is the tagged person?”), seeing a picture with a surprise face probably happens quite a bit. But when the surprise face is a mystery woman being cozy with a married friend, that sets Lucy into a spin. Adam, Scott and Cora were close college friends; Lucy, the odd person out, married Adam. Scott and Cora have been their best friends for 15 years. But when Lucy is looking at co-worker Ruth’s Maldives week old honeymoon photos, there’s Scott, supposedly on a business trip in Japan now, with someone who is definitely not Cora. Ruth insists Scott and his female friend were the “smoochiest” couple, but she also says their names were Jason and Anna. Lucy almost considers a doppelgänger scenario, but a news report shocks her again: a British woman is missing in the Maldives — and it’s Scott’s photo companion, now identified as Juliet, an aerospace journalist (and Scott is in the aerospace industry).

The story builds as Lucy just can’t let go — unable to believe that the photo was an illusion, she risks her friendship with Scott and Cora and creates tension in her own marriage after confiding to Adam. It’s easy to think that maybe Lucy is just being a busybody, but she keeps uncovering more and more unsettling things. The tension builds with each revelation and you get hooked as Lucy realizes that she’s really an outsider. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO No eye colors mentioned at all.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO But there are unnamed scarlet and blue wildflowers behind the cottage. I imagined bee balm and bachelor’s buttons.

Thank you to GP Putnam/ Penguin RandomHouse and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!