📜Quick Summary: Dinah is a successful Los Angeles homicide detective. She lives a happy life with her psychiatrist husband Joe. Even though she says trust is what makes her marriage so perfect…she’s harboring a secret so big, she can’t ever let it out of the bag. But Dr. Joe also has some secrets…especially when their “jobs” crossover and the cases intersect. Will tension and lies tear about their happy marriage? Or will they be able to walk that fine line and have smiles on their faces at the end of the day?

❣️Initial Feels: I was hooked from the first few lines that Joe opened with. What a madman! I hope this book keeps up the pace and is hard to put down!

👀Trigger Warnings: serial killer, murders

🌶️Spice Level: nada

📖Read if you want: unreliable narrator, a slew of unlikeable characters, quick binge read, changing point of view chapters, messy thriller

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: Ummm… maybe Jessica?

💡Final Sentiments: This one is hard to rate. Although none of it was extremely surprising in terms of reveals or revelations, I really liked the idea of the story line. I think it could have been executed in a more in depth manner, and really added meat to the story. I loved the fast paced chapters, that really made you say, “Just one more chapter,” but the story seemed sloppily put together and very outlandish. For a quick, binge read, this will get you hooked and digging in. For character development or plot development… this one isn’t it. It felt confusing at times, like it just needed a little more organization. I have seen other novels by this author with amazing reviews, so maybe this just didn’t hit the mark for me. I will try one of her other reads though!

🌟Overall Rating: 3 stars

🔉Special thanks to A.R. Torre, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for this arc of A Happy Marriage!

📘Grab yourself a copy on June 24, 2025!

Wow! This book sucked me in from the get go! The variety of POVs made the plot thicken quickly! Around the middle things took a turn and I was really needing to suspend my beliefs. Joe (the MMC) was a doctor but, the things that went on made me question his ethics at first. The FMC was a police detective and I made certain assumptions. The story went right off the rails at the end with some twists and turns I could not believe that is why my rating is lower. I had a really hard time with the way it all played out, but understand that it is fiction of course.

Thank you Net Galley, A.R. Torre and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to preview this titles. The opinions shared are my own.
A Happy Marriage is expected to be released June 24, 2025.

A. R. Torre is back with another twisty thriller! Dinah and Joe are not your average couple. Dinah, a homicide detective, thinks she has the perfect life balance (even if it does include a secret), but when a woman attached to Dinah's latest homicide case ends up in her husband's clinic, everything flips upside down. I can't say much more, but this was a fun, fast read.

Detective Dinah Marino and her psychiatrist husband Joe appear to have the perfect relationship—until a missing woman connected to Dinah’s case ends up in Joe’s care. As secrets on both sides unravel, their once-stable marriage begins to crack under the weight of lies, professional boundaries, and deadly consequences.

Wow—what a wild, twisted ride! Trust me, the less you know going in, the better, so I’ll keep this spoiler-free and to the point. This thriller is packed with some of the most morally messy, deliciously terrible characters I’ve ever read—and I loved hating them. The plot is dark, unpredictable, and downright devious, with layer upon layer of secrets and tension that had me flipping pages late into the night. The short chapters keep the pace flying, and the multiple POVs crank up the suspense beautifully. Honestly, a more fitting title might’ve been “A 𝘍cked Up Marriage”, but hey, that’s part of the fun. 😂

Thank you Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Happy Marriage was a gripping and twisty psychological thriller that kept me turning the pages. From the start, I was pulled into the story of Dinah and Joe, on the surface, a happy and loving couple, but both hiding major secrets. I really liked how the tension slowly built up, and just when I thought I knew what was happening, something new was revealed.
The characters were complicated and not always likable, which made things more unpredictable. I especially enjoyed the creepy, uneasy vibe throughout the book. The plot had some shocking moments, especially toward the end. That one last twist had me gasping and the mystery and suspense kept me hooked. If you like dark stories with unreliable characters, give this one a try!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

Dinah and Joe definitely aren’t your typical married couple. Their careers intersect in some unexpected ways, and the suspense and plot twists are mind-boggling as you get to know them better.🤯I don’t want to give anything away, but if you like morally grey psychological thrillers, this one is amazing.

Thank you to AR Torres and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC!

Dinah Marino is a detective with a complicated family life, but her husband Joe makes her feel safe and steady. She makes sure to cater to Joe’s every want so he is always happy. If the secret she was keeping from him came out though, that might change things. Likewise, Dr. Joe Marino loves his wife more than anything but he has his secrets too. When a woman from one of Dinah’s cases is admitted to Joe’s hospital, it makes things a little bit complicated…

After devouring AR Torres’ last book, I knew I would be in for a treat with this one! Part police procedural, this psychological thriller had me a the edge of my seat. Dinah was an intriguing character; at times she seemed codependent, but at other times she seemed in total control. And Joe was equally as intriguing. Dark and disturbing, this book required a little suspension of belief but my gosh I was here for ALL of it! With crazy twists that reminded me of Freida McFadden’s style, I really was surprised by not only those twists but the overall ending too. Another solid thriller that we are loving at The Pulse! And I can’t wait to see what AR Torre comes up with next!

“A Happy Marriage” releases June 24, 2025. This review will be sha6 to my Instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Wow, what did I just listen to?! This story is wild. From the start, I was immediately drawn in. I knew right away there was something strange going on between Dinah and her husband, Joe. Both characters are flawed and have secrets, but Dinah’s secret was quite a surprise to me. If you like fast-paced stories you will probably enjoy this one. If you have read the author’s previous books, you know that her books always have a good twist. This one was an exception.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my gifted ARC.

Okay, so I gave it 3.5 stars, but I genuinely had a great time reading this—it was such a ride. The story centers around Dinah, a detective, and her husband Joe, a psychiatrist, but that’s pretty much all I’ll say plot-wise. The less you know going in, the better.

I’ll be honest, the beginning threw me a bit—lots of names, a little chaotic—but once I figured out who was who, I flew through it. I was fully hooked, coming up with wild theories (some hit, some definitely didn’t).

This book leans into the unlikable character trope hard. Everyone’s a little shady, no one’s totally trustworthy—and I kind of loved that. It kept me guessing.

That said, when I finished and stepped back, it felt a little much. The plot’s totally over-the-top, and you really have to let go of logic and just go with it. But if you’re looking for something fast, twisty, and a little unhinged? You’ll have fun with this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.

💉 W I L D W E D N E S D A Y review 💉 featuring “A Happy Marriage” by A.R. Torre!

MY RATING: 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

Dinah Marino has worked hard to become a Detective with the Los Angeles Police Department and has the stats to prove it. Her beloved husband Joe is a clinical psychologist and has his own private clinic. Together they make a dynamic duo and have a happy marriage … until secrets start to get in the way 🤐!

Dr. Joe starts treating a new patient at his clinic who just so happens to have a direct connection to one of Dinah’s investigations which involves a dead mother and a missing daughter. Now that they are navigating conflicting territory, the lies between them start to fracture their blissful dynamic and stir up a sinister side within each of them.

WOAH 🤯!! This book is truly BANANAS! I had so many WTF moments that totally rattled my brain! Their “perfect” marriage goes beyond co-dependency in the darkest and most twisted ways and there were so many moments that shocked me to my core! @alessandratorre4 is the QUEEN of psychological thrillers and knows how to really mess with you! I read this book in almost one sitting on the train to Rome because of how addictive, unhinged and wild the story was!!

Thank you kindly to @alessandratorre4 Thomas and Mercer @amazonpublishing @netgalley for my #gifted advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on June 24, 2025 and is a must read for your summer TBR!

I'm a huge fan of AR Torre's books and this book is now one of my new favorites! I tried to guess the outcome but was still shocked by the twists in the story and could NOT put this book down. What a marriage to read about - insane story! I liked that it had short chapters which only made it harder to stop reading because I kept telling myself just one more.

Wow—talk about dark, twisty, and totally unhinged! This was my first A.R. Torre read—and definitely not my last.

Joe and Dinah appear to have it all—but behind closed doors, their marriage is a tense game of manipulation, buried secrets, and shifting power dynamics. The deeper I got into the story, the more I found myself questioning everything: Who’s really in control? Who’s telling the truth? Joe and Dinah are absolutely passengers on the crazy train.

I love how Torre plays with perspective and moral ambiguity, keeping me hooked from start to finish. Even when I guessed a couple of the twists, it didn’t diminish the tension or my enjoyment. This one is fast-paced, addictive, and deeply unsettling in the best way.

I highly recommend this if you're into domestic thrillers that mess with your mind. It's a perfect pool or beach read!

TWISTY AF. That's it. That's the review.

Okay, just kidding, but really that's like the number one thing to know about A.R. Torre's latest; A Happy Marriage is so full of twists I bet you won't be able to predict what happens in it. You'll think you'll know and then she takes you down another rabbit hole that you could not have guessed. I love when I think I know and I don't. I love when I know some things, but can't predict how it'll play out. I love a book that's so unreliable that I can't put it down, because it'll consume my brain until I know the who, the how, the why. That's this book.

Are the characters likeable? Not really. But I love when a book asks me to choose an evil. Dinah Marino is a reputable detective, one with a particular focus on missing women. Joe Marino is a well-respected psychiatrist who loves his wife, even her secrets. Those secrets? They're damning, they're wild, and they land the two in hot water as their jobs and their side interests overlap. Tensions peak as the two begin to keep more secrets from one another for their own personal gain. What really is their end game? You'll have to read to find out.

There is just something about A.R. Torre's writing that is extremely addictive, and she is one of the few authors that can (so far) make me enjoy topics that are usually a major pet peeves. That is probably why I don't even read the blurb anymore before adding a new title... Although the premise of A Happy Marriage did sound intriguing. And there is no doubt that this turned out to be a wild wild ride indeed! This story hooked me from the very first page, and I loved every single minute I spent with this unhinged couple.

I don't usually read a lot of more domestic focused psychological thrillers anymore as they often don't work for me, but there is nothing ordinary about the domestic situation in Joe and Dinah's marriage. A little warning: you definitely have to be able to suspend your disbelief while reading A Happy Marriage, because the plot is without doubt on the crazy side... Guano style. I personally didn't mind though, because the entertainment factor is through the roof if you can look past the lack of credibility.

This is one of those books where it's best to go in completely blind, because the plot twists and certain truths about the main characters will hit so much better this way. Trust me, some of those twists are unhinged! I did see a couple of things coming, but I never guessed the full truth about what was going on in Joe and Dinah's life... I like to think that my mind simply isn't THAT twisted. Not that I minded the resulting story; in fact, I think this is my new favorite A.R. Torre story. A Happy Marriage would also work SO well as a movie adaptation as long as they are able to conceal the truth as effectively as the book.

A Happy Marriage uses a multiple POV structure, switching between Dinah, Joe and Jessica. The first two are the couple in question, and they have a LOT to hide... Especially Joe's POV starts with a bang, and I literally couldn't believe what I was reading. This ment that I was hooked from the very first chapter, and the story didn't let me go as I raced through the pages to see just how far the author would take things. Jessica's POV was cleverly incorporated, and I liked how everything came together in the end. I don't want to give away too much to avoid spoilers, but there is nothing domestic and tame about this story! Instead, be ready for a wild and twisted ride that ended up being way darker than expected.

As you might have already guessed, I absolutely loved my time with A Happy Marriage, and I already know that this book will be appearing on my list of 2025 favorites. If you like your psychological thrillers on the dark and twisted side and don't mind suspending your disbelief, I cannot recommend this story enough!

You know those thrillers that start like a slow burn and then absolutely explode with twists? This is that book. Everyone at The Pulse is talking about it and for good reason.
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Thanks to @alessandratorre4 and @thrillerbookloversthepulse for an advance copy.
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LA homicide detective Dinah Marino thought she had the perfect balance: a tough job, a loving husband, and a secret she planned to take to her grave. But when a woman tied to Dinah’s latest case ends up in her husband’s clinic, things spiral fast. calm, sweet, seemingly perfect Joe might not be the man she thought he was. And Dinah? Let’s just say she’s not exactly clean either.
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What follows is a jaw-clenching game of cat and mouse inside a marriage, where lies run deep, and nobody’s hands are clean.
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This one is so twisty and totally unputdownable. It will leave you side-eyeing everyone you love.

Sinopsis en español:

La detective de homicidios de Los Ángeles, Dinah Marino, puede tener una relación complicada con su familia, pero su marido psiquiatra, Joe, la hace sentir segura y feliz. Ella no podía querer un hombre más cariñoso o confiado. Pero a lo largo de su matrimonio de diez años, ella ha estado guardando un secreto de él, un secreto que se llevaría a la tumba.

Dr. Joe Marino ama a su esposa más que a nada en este mundo, pero hay cosas que ha aprendido a mantener cerca del pecho, incluidos algunos cadáveres. Cuando una mujer desaparecida vinculada al último caso de su esposa es ingresada en su hospital, la confidencialidad médico-paciente pone su matrimonio en algún terreno nuevo e desigual.

A medida que Dinah profundiza en su caso, la tensión se abre paso dentro de su casa perfecta. Ahora las mentiras cuidadosamente construidas entre ellos no solo amenazan el delicado equilibrio de su matrimonio, podrían matar.




Reseña: 3.5⭐️


Disfruté de la lectora, aunque fueron predecibles ciertos sucesos la autora supo mantener mi atención.

This was a wild ride and it went in directions I did not expect which is actually the best when I’m reading a thriller. The entire set up is a bit ridiculous and you def have to suspend disbelief to enjoy it, but if you want a read that is crazy in a fun way with a pretty unusual plot and unhinged characters this was fun and entertaining for me. I know I can count on the author when I want a dark thriller with lots of twists and this delivered.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and Net Galley for the most INSANE book I have ever read A Happy Marriage. Holy Cow this was the sickest book ever, I actually could NOT put it down and read in one day!! Crazy, just ridiculously unheard plots that this author thought up. I hope it becomes a movie. So far the BEST book I’ve read in years! Loved, Loved, Loved!!!! Jessica is an awesome character, constantly rooted for her. Dinah and Joe, there are no words. Fantastic novel! Thank you again.

Another amazingly sick and twisted thriller from AR Torre. I swear she can’t write books fast enough because I already NEED another.

I always bulldoze through her books, can’t read them quick enough. She really knows how to write a sick unhinged character.

This wasn’t my absolute favorite of hers but I loved it just the same. You’ll have to suspend a lot of disbelief but that doesn’t make it any less fun to read!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of A Happy Marriage!

Sadly, this was a DNF for me. The story was a bit slow, and I didn’t really feel connected to any of the characters. I loved The Last Party, so I’ll definitely keep an eye out for her future books!