This wasn't my favorite by AR Torre; however, I was hooked from the first page. The storyline kept me intrigued throughout the book and I honestly couldn't decide who was lying, who was telling the truth. The book is full of unreliable narrators, which I actually love! I did see a few of the 'little' twist coming, but one did surprise me.
Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC

after being pretty disappointed in torre’s previous release, i was hesitant to start this one. i was hooked from the beginning, and while the plot was completely outrageous, it was a fast-paced, enjoyable read. the twists were crazy. even though you think you have it figured out at the beginning, i can guarantee that you do not!

This is a very fast paced psychological thriller that will keep you turning pages. It’s hard to say much about the story without giving anything away. There’s no real deep character development, the main characters are really unlikable, and I found some of the chapter transitions a bit confusing (both because of the story and the multiple POVs). Overall, I enjoyed the book, but it left me a bit unsatisfied.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dinah is an LAPD detective and her latest case-the murder of a dying woman and disappearance of that woman's daughter Jessica- is about to blow a hole in her carefully constructed and curated marriage to Joe, a psychiatrist. They both have secrets, big ones that are about to come out. Classic domestic thriller territory but I liked that it's combined with a procedural of sorts. Oh and there's a rookie cop who is poking around in Dinah's cases, and , effectively her life. Dinah's secret wasn't really a surprise but Torre knows how to keep you reading even when you think you know the outcome. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

A.R. Torre is good at writing psychological thrillers that go a little off the rails, and this is no exception, always going to the more bonkers route. This sometimes means that the character development in this one leaves a little to be desired, but the plot is propulsive and kept me reading.

Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy!
A little bummed on this one. Felt like this wasn’t as good as other books I’ve read by her. Story fell flat to me and the twists weren’t super mind blowing.

Married couple Dinah and Joe had a very close relationship...if you call toxic codependency close. She was a detective and he a psychiatrist, a deadly combination. They would do anything for each other, except divulge secrets.

This multiple point of view thriller is dark and disturbing, not to mention implausible. Most of the characters are despicable and easy to hate, though not in a good way, and they were superficially crafted. Greater characterization would have intrigued me. I enjoyed the writing and suspense now and then but not enough to keep me engrossed. There's just something about this novel which didn't connect with me. It didn't thrill me but it may scratch the itch of other readers.

I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, had me interested from the start and kept my attention. The characters were written well and I overall really liked this authors writing.

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This was so fast paced, twisty, and intriguing. I wanted to know what was going on so badly. I thought I had it figured out but I definitely did not. A.R. Torre is always a hit for me. I loved The Last Party so much and this one was just as good!

I really enjoyed having a bit of police procedural included in this one because I love a good detective case. I do wish that there was a little more clarification on the FMC and her work and why someone showed up out of no where. Like maybe a chapter with that person, for their point of view. I can't give anymore than that because I don't want to spoil it. But honestly it really doesn't take away from the story, I just need answers to everything.

This book could easily be finished in one sitting, especially if you are a quick reader. I am so happy to have received another book from A.R. Torre, how did I get so lucky! I cannot wait for her next one, these are such a fun treat to read and if you're in a reading slump, she will get you out!

I flew through A Happy Marriage—the short chapters, multiple POVs, and fast pacing totally held my attention the whole time. It’s definitely the kind of book that keeps you turning pages.

That said… it was unhinged in the most far-fetched way 😅 I can usually roll with that depending on the story, but this one pushed it a little too far for me.

Some readers will love the wild ride, but I personally needed just a bit more believability to stay grounded in the story. Still, entertaining overall!

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘐 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥.

And that my bookish friends is how this novel starts! With a bang!

Do you love domestic thrillers featuring completely unhinged characters? A Perfect Marriage takes the idea of “domestic bliss” to some pretty dark but entertaining places and I was wholeheartedly there for it.

Dinah is a homicide detective. Her husband Joe is a clinical therapist. They are committed to keep the fire in the marriage alive and they both work hard to make it perfect. Minus a few lies and secrets. And a few missing or dead people.

This was a wild, entertaining ride of a book with an intense but satisfying ending. Highly recommend this one if you want to lose yourself in a dark and twisted book! My @thrillerbookloversthepulse also can’t stop raving about this one.

A huge thank you to Thomas & Mercer for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Being a fan of this author's previous work, I found myself not as impressed with this one. It didn't feel quite as polished and was a little over the top. The characters were very unlikable, which is fine. They just didn't make as big of an impression that I felt they should have given the nature of the story. The writing itself was still addictive and the story was intriguing, to say the least. I did like this. I just didn't love it. Three stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer, for this ARC.

3.5-A.R. Torre is a must read author for me! This just felt a bit flat compared to her others. Joe and Dinah are married. He is a psychologist, she is a detective. She has several unsolved missing women cases and now is working a suicide where the daughter is missing. Dinah is hiding secrets, from her husband and from her police department, and she will do just about anything to keep them hidden. There are a few interesting plot twists, but my hatred for the characters made it hard to like this book more. I kept picturing them as Shakina and Sarper from 90 Day Fiancé and that did it in. I will forever be a fan even if this wasn’t one of my favs. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to @alessandratorre4 for providing me with a complimentary digital copy. All views expressed are my own.

Dinah and Joe Marino present themselves as a happy married couple who thrive on their drama-free lifestyle by adhering to the unconventional rules they've mutually established. Dinah is a police detective working on the recent disappearance of a young woman. Joe is a college professor and practicing psychologist. Their careers, thoughts, and actions add layers to their characters, and influence their interactions and decisions throughout the story.

The narrative kicks off with a gripping case: a mother has been murdered, and her adult daughter is missing. Dinah is on the case and a handsome new detective has been assigned to work with her. However, this case hits strangely close to home for Dinah and soon tensions begin to rise and threaten her job as well as the stability of her marriage.

MY THOUGHTS: I was immediately drawn into this story, which unfolds through multiple perspectives that definitely kept me guessing. The tension begins to build in the middle, and picks up dramatically towards the end, leading to an unexpected conclusion. I found the author’s writing style engaging; even though I did, feel that the premise was a bit far-fetched. This story explores themes centered around parental death, adoption, kidnapping, betrayal, murder, drug use, and trust, making it a thought-provoking read. Fans of domestic thrillers will enjoy this one .

A terrifically weird and creepy suspense story that’s absolutely unbelievable, yet all too real! I really loved the bad guy pov in this book.

I was so excited to get this as I loved The Last Party. For me, I think I loved A Happy Marriage more. I mean…talk about a thriller that’s completely deranged & unhinged! There’s so much to unpack with this one & I was front & center for the entire drama from start to finish.

I absolutely LOVE an unreliable narrator & Torre hit the nail on the head with this one.

This is definitely a fast paced read with lots of jaw dropping twists that make it hard to put down.

After reading The Last Party, if A.R. Torre writes something, I’m reading it!

A Happy Marriage is just as twisted as the previous book, which was so satisfying for me. I was constantly questioning if things were really getting ready to go down the way I thought they were headed because WTF?! I loved the twists and the ending and was so happy that this was just as depraved, it lived up to the hype I planted in my head. I don’t want to say anything that gives any of it away, so I’ll leave it at this: if you loved The Last Party, you will love A Happy Marriage. Thanks to Thomas and Mercer for my eARC.

LA homicide detective Dinah and her psychiatrist husband, Joe each believe they have a wonderful marriage until they realize that they are each keeping secrets from one another. When a woman connected to a case Dinah is working becomes a patient of Joe's, they are driven further apart. A fast paced thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.

A psychological mystery thriller, A Happy Marriage (2025) by A. R. Torre is an engaging, yet underlying menacing story. Dinah Marino is a Los Angeles homicide detective who is happily married to psychiatrist, Dr Joe Marino. Dinah is called to a Beverly Hills house, where a woman’s body is discovered by the postman. She is joined by Freddie, a trainee detective who suspects the woman’s missing daughter may be responsible. As Dinah investigates, Freddie gets caught up in the case and reveals the real reason for their pairing. Meantime, Joe works in a psychiatric facility with Jessica, a young woman who does not remember her name, or why she has been hospitalised. The narrative switches between these three characters, in a tension building tale with lots of secrets and surprise reveals. A tip-top psychological thriller with protagonists not being as they seem, makes for a four star read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement. With thanks to Thomas & Mercer and the author for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes.

I generally LOVE this author but this wasn't my favorite. I just wasn't invested in the characters and the pacing felt off to me. still one of my auto-buy authors though.