Thank you Thomas & Mercer for a digital copy of this book. The opinions are my own and freely given.

Dinah is a detective with LAPD. Her husband, Dr. Joe, was her appointed psychiatrist.

Joe tries to learn everything about his wife by observing and watching her and those around him.

Dinah is called to the discovery of a dead body, and things kick off from there.

Dinah is tasked with filling in for someone on leave, then she has to take a newbie under her wing. Meanwhile, Dr. Joe is giving lectures at the University and working at his clinic.

I spent a lot of time wondering what would happen when Dinah finds out her husband is a killer, (not a spoiler alert, that part is in the first paragraph) because she is so in love with him.

This book was not what I was expecting it to be, but I'm a "wow, that happened" way.

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers and A. R. Torre for an ARC of A Happy Marriage! I know when I’m reading an A. R. Torre book I’m going to get hit blindsided and this didn’t disappoint. It was a lot of build up and then the second half going wait what!? The rest of the time. Many times I thought I knew where it was headed and I thought wrong. The story follows LAPD homicide Detective Dinah Marino and her husband psychiatrist Dr. Joe Marino. There is so much into this story that can’t give too many details away - but they have the most secure loving relationship. Except Dinah has a major secret. Joe may have some secrets too though which include some dead bodies. A woman has gone missing and Dinah is investigating, but the woman turns up in Joe’s facility. This could cause some issues in their work place and marriage. All their secrets are at stake and it may be the end to all of their happiness. You won’t want to miss this new thriller!

We were excited at @thrillerbookloversthepulse to get our hands on an early copy of Torre’s newest release.

A Happy Marriage was fast-paced, twisty and binge-worthy. The unhinged characters were the cherry on top.

I finished this one in just over 24 hours, which almost never happens. It had a similar vibe to Freida McFadden books, which I really enjoyed [3.5 stars rounded up to 4].

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

Read if you like:

✨ Freida McFadden
✨ Majorly unhinged characters
✨ Easy to get into books
✨ Juicy secrets

3.5 stars

Having read all of Torre's books, both under her romance brand and the A.R. Torre moniker, I have to say this story is the first one I've ever been confused on how I feel about it. On the one hand I was so invested, glued to the pages to find out what happens, but at the same time, having a ton of reservations as to whether the story worked for me or not.

Admittedly, there are a lot of twists and turns in it. I like the way Torre structures the story so that she's dropping hints about things in the way she phrases her sentences. She fed us clues drip by drip all the way until the end when everything finally clicked into place. Very genius but at the same time, it didn't have the impact on me I thought I would feel.

The ending felt very anti-climactic to me, like really? That's all we get? I'm being intentionally vague here, so I don't spoil anything, but after all the build up through the whole story, I really expected a mic drop moment at the end and I didn't get it.

As others have mentioned, I thought all three voices were unreliable narrators, and you never knew at any point if what they were saying was true. What was that old commercial? "Is it live or is it Memorex?" That's how I felt most of the time, especially during Jessica and Dinah's chapters. Joe to me just came across as a very cunning psychopath.

I don't know what it is about these psychological thrillers of Torre, but I never like any of the main characters, especially the women. Dinah grated on my nerves quite a bit, especially in her interactions with Freddy, her temporary partner. Jessica I just felt sorry for, and Joe just seemed to fade away at the end. Like I said, I was expecting some last minute "oh em gee!" moment that never came. There were quite a few moments I felt I was expected to suspend belief, things that I cannot imagine would ever be allowed to happen in real life, considering Dinah was an LA police detective. But that is the beauty of storytelling, it is all fiction.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but as mentioned before, it fell flat for me at the end. I am looking forward to seeing what Torre has in store for us next, she always comes up with the most twisted things!

What is a "happy marriage?" Well, that's obviously different for every couple and when you find out what makes a happy marriage for Dinah and Joe I bet it won't be what you think, lol!

Part murder mystery, part psychological thriller, Dinah is a LAPD homicide detective harboring a bit of resentment towards her family, mainly her mother and sister, Marci. The only family she needs is her husband, Joe, a psychiatrist and teacher who also sees patients at a clinic. After 10 years they are still so in love, putting each other first with a huge emphasis on trust in their relationship. No secrets. Except they do each have secrets and those secrets start to unravel when Dinah is assigned a murder case, with a potentially missing person and that same missing person ends up as a patient at Joe's clinic.

I'm not sure if the narrators are unreliable or just delusional or just withholding info, but things definitely are different behind the scenes versus the front that Dinah and Joe show the world. It's kind of far out, kind of wacky, but still kept me reading, right to the last darkly humorous chapter. Not my favorite book by this author but still page turning, addictive, and slightly unhinged. Definitely not what you expect.

I found this one to be a little confusing at first and I I felt like the ending came up so quickly. I liked the premise but I didn’t find myself engrossed in the story or particularly shocked by any “twists”

I don’t know that I’ll ever recover from the heart palpitations this book gave me! This was quite the adrenal rush that kept me guessing the entire time.

I don’t even want to know what goes on inside A.R. Torre’s mind. She writes the most convoluted thrillers. This was a page turner, and flowed effortlessly. I felt like something funny was going on but I just didn’t know what. The twist was perfection.

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4⭐️
A HAPPY MARRIAGE
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: thriller
📖 254 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 🕵🏼‍♀️🤫🚔🏥💊😱💍📧💉🥼⛓️‍💥
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 6/24/2025

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ domestic thrillers
◽️ multiple POV
◽️ unreliable narrator
◽️ short chapters

🤍𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲🤍

Thank you @alessandratorre4 @thomasmerceruk for the #gifted copy!
@thrillerbookloversthepulse is loving this!

She did it again—what a wild, twist filled ride! This thriller hooks you from the opening chapter & doesn’t let go. With short, punchy chapters & multiple POV, it’s impossible not to keep flipping pages. While the plot feels a bit disorienting at first, everything clicks into place in a brilliantly executed way that feels totally worth the wait.

The story is told through 3 unreliable narrators, keeping you constantly guessing about who to believe. Just when you think you have it figured out, a late in the game twist hits like a bombshell & will leave you reeling 😵‍💫 . Fans of MY LOVELY WIFE will devour this one. Don’t miss it—mark your calendars for 6/24/2025!

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: Homicide detective Dinah Marino has built a life of safety & love with her psychiatrist husband, Joe, despite secrets she’s buried deep. Joe adores Dinah, but he’s hiding a dark past of his own—one that includes more than a few corpses. When a missing woman from Dinah’s case turns up at Joe’s hospital, their secrets begin to unravel. As Dinah investigates, the tension creeps into their marriage & home. What they’re hiding from each other may not just destroy their trust—it could turn deadly.

#thrillerlover #thrillerbooks #AHappyMarriage #mystery #psychologicalthriller #thriller #suspense #giftedbooks #kindle #bookaddict #whattoreadnext #botwxbs #bookcollector #booksaremylife #booksonbooks #crimewithaclaw #cozycorner #thepulse

If you are in the mood for an unhinged thriller, look no further! This book is a quick read and super fast paced. It packs a lot into not a lot of pages, so you can really fly through it. I thought the plot of the story was pretty clever, but be prepared to suspend your disbelief for some parts of the story. This book is definitely worth the read.!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A Perfect Marriage is a fast-paced thriller with plenty of twists, but it sometimes sacrifices depth for shock value. While the plot keeps you guessing, some character motivations felt underdeveloped. I absolutely devoured and loved A Familiar Stranger by A.R. Torre so I was really wanting to love this latest book by her but this one fell short for me.

I usually really enjoy books by A. R. Torre. The Happy Marriage presents an intriguing premise that unfortunately fell short for me. The novel revolves around Dinah Marino, a homicide detective, and her psychiatrist husband, Joe. While the idea of a couple caught in a web of secrets and deception could lead to thrilling plot developments, the execution felt flat and predictable.

Dinah is portrayed as a strong, capable detective, but her constant struggles with her family dynamics and the secret she harbors make her seem more like a caricature rather than a fully developed character. Joe, while initially presented as the perfect husband, becomes increasingly one-dimensional as the story progresses.

The novel's pacing drags in parts, with some scenes feeling unnecessarily drawn out. There are instances where the dialogue lacks the authenticity required to bring the characters to life.

Overall, The Happy Marriage highlights the potential for a compelling narrative but ultimately does not deliver on that promise for me. The novel might resonate with some readers interested in domestic thrillers, but it was just an okay read for me.

#AHappyMarriage #NetGalley @AmazonPub

4 stars

Readers familiar with Torre's work will KNOW that the titular happy marriage is not referencing some charming romance or sappy chick lit. No. This particular marriage is even more disturbing than Torre's experienced readers will already expect.

Dinah and Joe are an apparently respectable couple. She is a homicide detective, and he is a psychiatrist. Obviously, there's a shared interest in darkness and the inner workings of the human mind, but these two take things to unexpected places.

When the novel begins, Dinah is working on a new case. Multiple perspectives are introduced, and this really highlights not only the characterization but also the slow, disturbing unfolding of events and hidden realities.

As is so often the case in these books, the fun is in the journey, so I'll keep that vague, but I will confirm that this is a creepy read. I enjoyed it accordingly!

I am sorry to say I did not finish it due to the graphic depictions of dead bodies. I know there are readers that eat this up! And I was drawn to the cover and had heard good things. But it's not for me. I wish the author all the best. Giving 3 stars for the quality of the writing.

Bookflap copy here:
Los Angeles homicide detective Dinah Marino may have a complicated relationship with her family, but her psychiatrist husband, Joe, makes her feel safe, secure, and happy. She couldn’t want for a more loving or trusting man. But throughout their ten-year marriage, she’s been keeping a secret from him―a secret she’d take to the grave.

Dr. Joe Marino loves his wife more than anything in this world, but there are things he’s learned to keep close to the chest―including a few dead bodies. When a missing woman tied to his wife’s latest case is admitted to his hospital, doctor-patient confidentiality lands their marriage on some new and uneven ground.

As Dinah digs deeper into her case, tension works its way inside their picture-perfect home. Now the carefully constructed lies between them don’t just simply threaten the delicate balance of their marriage―they could kill.

AR Torre is a master at writing psychological thrillers, and this book was no exception.

Dinah and Joe, the two main characters, have an "interesting" marriage. They say that trust is everything in a marriage, yet both are keeping secrets.

As the book progresses, little breadcrumbs that allude to how all the characters are intertwined are dropped here and there. I honestly never saw many of the twists coming. Such an unpredictable, cleverly written book.

There were a few errors in the book, but they didn't detract from the storyline. The error that really made me question my comprehension was when Dinah was at their ranch for the weekend, and she poured herself a drink in the middle of the night. She poured a glass of orange juice, but then a few paragraphs later, she finished off her glass of milk.

This book, like the author's other books, is a MUST read!!

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion/review.

Taut, chilling, and emotionally charged, this psychological suspense novel dives deep into the secrets that can fester beneath even the strongest marriages. At the heart of the story are Dinah and Joe Marino—a homicide detective and a psychiatrist—who appear to have a solid, loving relationship. But as the layers begin to peel back, it’s clear that both are keeping dark secrets that could shatter their lives.

Dinah’s inner conflict over the secret she’s kept from Joe for a decade is compelling, but it’s Joe’s calm, calculated demeanor and hidden past that really raise the stakes. When their personal and professional worlds collide through a missing person case and hospital admission, the tension skyrockets.

This was fine. I've really liked A.R. Torres works in the past, but I think im burnt out on marriage thrillers. Its been done and nothing is surprising anymore. This was a good popcorn thriller, but not anything I will remember going forward.

Dinah is a detective for LAPD and Dr. Joe is a clinical psychiatrist. They have what is often seen from the outside and thought of by them as the “perfect marriage” - but one that readers come to see is filled with many unimaginable and unforgivable lies and secrets. One of Dinah’s recent murder investigations entangles both of them and their jobs, threatening to pit them against one another and spill both of their deceit.

The setup of this book can be best described as a zipper or a puzzle. Slowly, piece by piece, chapter by chapter, you begin to have a complete puzzle picture of Dinah and Joe, their marriage, and what makes them tick. I could not have seen the ending coming!

The chapters were very short, alternating POVs, and it was a very easy and quick read, what I enjoy in my thrillers. It was my first A.R. Torre book but it won’t be my last!

Thank you to A.R., Thomas & Mercer, Thriller Book Lovers Pulse, and NetGalley for the e-galley.

3.5 stars

The dynamic between husband and wife had me rolling my eyes. Everyone except for Jessica was unlikable. I did enjoy the storyline, as weird as it was.

A marriage based on secrets and lies is surely to hold together, right? A Happy Marriage takes us on a journey through the life of Los Angeles homicide detective Dinah and her psychiatrist husband Joe. This was one wild ride of a dark and twisty thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.