Dinah is a homicide detective for LAPD. She is one of the best detectives in the department. She is assigned a newbie to train. Meanwhile her husband runs a clinic as a psychologist. This power couple is juggling a lot but Dinah’s number one priority is protecting her perfect marriage.

I thought this book was very interesting. It was fast paced and engaging. I had an idea of what was going on in Dinah’s life but it was much more demented than I suspected. This book held my interest until the end because I really wanted to know how this story ended.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book.

This is ai interesting take on what makes a marriage happy. The beginning of the book was very absorbing and thought provoking as more secrets got revealed about who they were and what was keeping them together. It lagged a bit in second half and there was one plot point that didn't make sense given who they were and how prepared they were but overall a very good read. 4.5 rounded up

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. First off, I was insanely excited to be able to read this. I love A.R. Torre and her writing! This book was very good, I loved the premise overall and again her writing was unique, fast paced and an easy read. I did decide on 3.5 stars vs a full 4 stars just because I guessed the twist kinda early on. However, I would still definitely recommend especially if you need a good fast paced palette cleanser. This one was multiple POV, which I tend to like because it keeps me on my toes.

*Special thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer and A.R. Torre for providing me with an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was good, and twisted! I’ve really enjoyed AR Torre’s books. They are such good mystery/thriller books. I would definitely recommend this one!

I am a Fan of A. R. Torre books!!! I was excited to read this one. It started off strong and had promise. For me, "A Happy Marriage" felt predictable. In addition, I have to have a connection with all the characters in the story and I did not have it with this book. I wanted to love it as I've loved other works by this author. This was okay for me. My opinion is mine. I would definitely encourage readers to read "A Happy Marriage" themselves.

2.75* A.R. Torre has been one of my go-to authors, an instant-buy for me every time. (And I say this regardless of whether the plots are a miss, because I'm just a massive fan of her writing style). So I was super excited to dive into A Happy Marriage. Only... it didn't quite hit it for me. I'm all about unhinged, toxic main characters; they're my absolute guilty pleasure (her book, The Last Party, for example, THAT was a WILD ride and I gave it a solid 5 stars!).

But this time around, the writing felt flat. The dialogue was kind of monotonous, making it hard to stay engaged. While the plot had some twists here and there, the characters felt pretty surface-level.

On that point, taking the FMC, Dinah, for example. One of the only few things we know about her, which is the absolute bare minimum, is that she's a detective with the LAPD. That's it. We don't know how, where, or when she got here. So when I say bare minimum, I mean it - there wasn’t anything interesting about her (my opinion, of course) that made want to empathize / relate / root for her. Unlike some of Torre's other books where the MCs have always been linked to some sort of monumental past trauma, Dinah's background feels underdeveloped. I felt like she kind of just 'fell' to her 'darker' side without much explanation or objective. There's no 'focus' or character development/background, so it was pretty hard for me to invest her the characters in this book, including Dinah.

I also noticed that the tone in this book might vibe better with readers who prefer simpler writing styles, kind of like what Freida McFadden does in her narratives. While that can work for some, it isn't for me. I really missed the author’s sharp wit and depth, which has always been present in her other books.

That said, if you're into stories that explore darker themes and complex relationships, you might find some gems here. But for me, it just didn't deliver the ‘crazy thrill’ I was craving.

***

<i>Shout out and many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.</i>

I was hooked from the start! Though I did guess the main twist before I got to it, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The dynamic between Joe and Dinah was well written and the deep secrets and deceptions of their marriage and their respective lives was compelling. I would definitely recommend picking up this book.

I’ve been seeing so any reviews of this authors book so when I seen a book available on NetGalley I was excited about being one of the first people to be able to read and review this new book. I’m hoping her other books are better because this was just an okay read for me. I couldn’t wait to be done reading this book. The title seems misleading to me as someone who did not read the book summary. The entire book del more like the couple’s individual life and not their marriage. Throughout the whole book only a few things from their marriage was actually brought up. So I was expecting something else diving into this one. But if you loved this authors other books you may enjoy this one. It just wasn’t for me.

Short, exciting chapters will keep you on the edge of your seat. One more chapter turns into three or more every time. This was a fun and quick read with a unique and captivating story.

A. R. Torre is always a great choice for a quick thriller! I haven’t been disappointed yet!

Thank you to NetGalley, A. R. Torre, and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Can a marriage built on lies be a happy marriage? What about a career, or family? Those questions are at the heart of this twisting, suspenseful, multi layered gem of a book. From the first page, I was drawn in and didn't want to stop reading until I knew all the secrets and the mysteries were wrapped up. I suggest going into the story blind as I did and try figuring out what's going on as you read. Warning...you will change your mind with every chapter! Grab a drink and a snack, curl up in a quiet spot, and enjoy this book!

‘A Happy Marriage’ is a brilliantly twisted, darkly romantic thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish. The couple at the centre of the story is twisted, unique, and unsettlingly romantic in the best possible way. Their dynamic is mesmerizing, making this book perfect for fans of ‘You’ or ‘The Teacher’ by Freida McFadden.

A.E. Torre masterfully weaves suspense with psychological depth, creating a story that feels both intimate and dangerous. The tension builds steadily, keeping you questioning motives and second-guessing every move. If you love dark, twisted couples and a thriller that keeps you on edge, A Happy Marriage is a must-read.

My only complaint would be that I wanted to know more about the couples relationship… lots of intrigue and loose ends unfortunately left me wanting more!

This book kept me interested the entire way through, i thought i had it all figured out but of course i was wrong.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer for this gifted ARC.

If you think you can sense the twist coming in an A.R. Torre book, no you don’t.

I feel slapped after this book. Like legitimately shocked by it. A.R. Torre gets me every single time. With every new book, she one-ups herself and manages to set the bar even higher.

I am truly struggling to formulate words for how messed up and intelligent this book was. I thought I had it pegged. Thought I knew which direction it was going, and I was *so* wrong. And happily so. This mind blowing twist pulled me right out of my reading slump.

What words do I have to say to convince you to read everything she’s written under both pen names? I can’t even pick my jaw up off the floor after reading it. This. Just. Damn. Read it. And then everything else she’s written.

One star for sheer audacity

Ah, love. That sacred bond held together by secrets, ethical violations, and a plot that requires Olympic-level suspension of disbelief. Dinah, a homicide detective, and Joe, a psychiatrist, have spent ten years lying to each other with the confidence of people who have never watched a single crime show. When a missing woman from Dinah’s case winds up at Joe’s hospital, their perfect marriage crumbles faster than this book’s logic.

The suspense is about as subtle as a flashing neon PLOT TWIST AHEAD sign. The dialogue has all the charm of a procedural drama running on fumes. The twists require you to turn your brain off for the season, hibernation mode activated.

Instead of a gripping thriller, it’s two people playing who can be the worst spouse while occasionally pretending to solve a crime.

Final Grade: D-, an unhappy book

I am a longtime fan of Alexandra Torre and her books written under her own name and her pen name of A.R. Torre. This one was a twisty, dark, complicated thrill ride from page one to the very end. I thought I had the twist figured and boy, was I wrong! I didn't predict all of the nuances of the relationship between Dr. Joe and Dinah. This one kept me hooked until the very last page to see how it all shook out. Thank you to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC.

📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

A Happy Marriage By A. R. Torre
Publication Date: June 24, 2025
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer | Amazon Publishing

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
(Rounded Up To 5⭐)

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

I've been hearing people RAVING about A. R. Torre for a while, so when I saw her upcoming read available on NetGalley, I JUMPED at the opportunity to read it. And let me tell you, this read lived up to the hype! A Happy Marriage was a twisty and wild ride about a happily married couple... And I'll just leave the synopsis at that. Just go into this one blind... And buckle up.

The short chapters - told from alternating POVs - had me FLYING through this book! The main characters, Joe and Dinah, are a married couple who seem like your average, very-much-in-love husband and wife after all these years together. She's an LAPD detective, he's a professor and psychiatrist, and everything seems to be nearly perfect in their lives. But what thriller is about a perfect married couple?! Something feels a little bit off about Dinah and Joe, but there was no way I could've predicted what I would come to learn about them! I was completely riveted and couldn't put it down... Even though I had absolutely no idea where this book was leading me for the first third of it. 😂

Once the twists started appearing, they did not stop. I had to pause, go back, and re-read some jaw-dropping sentences several times, because I wasn't sure I'd read what I just thought I read. Torre was masterful in the way she wove these deliciously shocking twists into the pages so subtly. The second half of the book was so diabolical that it was almost TOO salaciously enjoyable!

Torre really crafted a suspenseful psychological thriller that had me questioning Joe and Dinah every step of the way. If you're a fan of characters that are more than a little unhinged, unexpected twists, and jaw-dropping reveals, be sure you grab your copy of A Happy Marriage as soon as it's released in June!

#AHappyMarriage #ARTorre #ThomasandMercer #AmazonPublishing #ARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #mustreads #psychologicalthrillers

Another great and twisty book from A. R. Torre. I was hooked from the beginning on what the history of Joe and Dinah was and I loved how things were slowly eked out while keeping me on me toes and wanting to know more. I really enjoyed this book but I do wish there was just a little more tension or that the epilogue ended on a questioning twist.

Ya know, for the first 30% or so of this book I was completely invested. I knew some sketchy things were going on but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. In the end, I never could have guessed where this chaos would end up. It was just too much for me. It felt like every twist was thrown in for giggles. I was overly disappointed because I could see the potential. I think if it was scaled back a bit, this would have worked out much better for me. Dinah was such an intriguing character.

4.5 ⭐ A.R. Torre does it again! One of the most captivating and concise thriller writers of our time. Each of her books takes you on a thrill ride from the very first page and doesn't let up until the last sentence. A Happy Marriage may be her most gripping tale yet - Joe and Dinah's union will be stuck in my head for a long, long time.

My only hesitation giving it a full 5 stars is that I have a few questions I still wanted more info on if we're being honest! While Torre is a master at all killer, no filler books it sometimes leaves me wanting just a little bit more.

A.R. Torre’s novels are always fun, juicy, and suspenseful. No exception here. The wrap up was a bit too clean, but the writing is so compulsively readable. I really enjoyed this one.