This book was such a great cat and mouse chase! Buckle up and have the ride of a lifetime
With Jill and Jack!! Highly recommend

Not happy is an understatement when referring to Jill. Mentally unhinged? Sociopathic? Yeah, those are a bit more defined and descriptive than happy. But, oh my goodness! What a nasty twisted path she leads us down. And that means that readers are happy. Or more precisely shocked, surprised, addicted, losing sleep. Yeah, those are a bit more defined and descriptive than happy. Jill's long game is thoroughly impressive and I loved all the warped connections throughout the story. As another reviewer mentioned, I hope we aren't done with Jill. She is not finished and I am here for it!

With their daughter gone away to college, Jack and Jill Tingley (yes, like the nursery rhyme!) need to get used to being empty nesters. Jill has proposed a road trip to Utah to reconnect and rekindle their relationship. Jack reluctantly agrees in order to keep Jill from exposing a terrible secret from their past.

I don't read a lot of what are known as "popcorn thrillers" but Kaira Rouda hits all the right notes with Jill is Not Happy and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Characters that you love to hate doing mean things to each other - what more could you ask for?! With short snappy chapters it's definitely fast-paced and a quick read. The ending is open-ended so I can definitely see a sequel in Jack and Jill's future! 3.5 Stars rounded up.

Thank you to Penzler Publishers, via Netgalley, for approving my request to read a digital ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: June 10, 2025

I will read anything by this author. I always love her books and this one is no exceptions. It was a true thriller; fast paced, diabolical, crazy characters that kept me turning the pages.
Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.

The queen of thrills and dark humor, Kaira Rouda (favorite), author of the popular Best Day Ever, The Next Wife, The Second Mrs. Strom, and The Favorite Daughter, returns with another deliciously wicked, sinister, and twisted domestic thriller, JILL IS NOT HAPPY.

Prepare for a thrilling roller coaster ride as you embark on an entertaining game of cat-and-mouse to discover which spouse will outsmart the other. My bet is on Jill, a woman who always gets what she wants, no matter the cost.

About...

Jill and Jack met in college. Jill was immediately drawn to him and was determined to make him hers, even if it meant resorting to manipulation, blackmail, and even murder. Her happiness was all that mattered to her.

However, they are now married, years later, and their daughter, Maggie, is away at boarding school. Jill still loves Jack, but it has become complicated.

However, she will fix them. She always does. She lets everyone believe they are the perfect couple. The perfect family. The charming home.

Jill is a freelance writer. Jack is a skilled communicator both with his small law firm and as a politician. Everyone at the magazine loves her stories. But Jack lost the election. There was a scandal.

But behind closed doors, Jill is NOT happy. He is not the Jack she fell in love with. They are good at getting themselves out of trouble. Jack is misbehaving. She is always one step ahead of them. She will fix this.

She is planning a road trip to Utah. They will rekindle their love. Right?

However, Jack has something else in mind. He wants nothing more than to leave the marriage and not go to Utah. With Daddy's girl safely tucked away in Santa Cruz, Daddy has turned back into Jack. Jack has drifted, and that drives Jill crazy.

Jill needs to ensure that Jack reverts to the person she fell in love with in college. They have been married for 21 years. The love of her life. Not someone else.

After all, he is the only man she has ever loved or will love. Jill dislikes anyone who conspires against her. She will not allow him to step outside the marriage. Does he realize what she has done for him?

Jill manipulates. She controls. Jack must find that notebook that could ruin him. He must be able to video record her admitting her deceit and misdeeds.

Let the unpredictable, sinister games begin. How will this trip, filled with twists and turns, conclude?

My thoughts...

A captivating page-turner! Kaira Rouda, you devil, how you skillfully capture the devious minds of the most scandalous and troubled marriages. From past to present, we hear from the perspectives of Jack and Jill, as they unravel their journey from courtship to marriage, revenge, and the tumultuous present.

A slick, edgy, sinister game of cat and mouse, and Rouda pulls out all the stops with her dark, sinister humor that will keep you entertained between this husband and wife duo.

Dark and satisfying, fans of Gone Girl (vibes), you better get JILL IS NOT HAPPY on your list. Neither party is especially likable, but naughty and witty. I do believe Jill is the worst, and I'm not sure Jack can get one over on his psycho wife.

A read-in-one-sitting, you will be assured to keep the pages turning to find out what surprises Jill comes up with next to keep Jack in line. But Jack does have some secrets of his own.

A massive fan of the author, I have read all her books. She never ceases to come up with another brilliant plot and characters you love to hate.

You must sign up for Kaira's newsletters. I get the biggest kick out of reading, and you'll laugh out loud as the characters take over the newsletter. Bonus: We also hear from her dog.

Another fabulous popcorn psychological thriller from the queen of dark humor, domestic conflict, and dysfunction in a marriage. I love her style! I hope we hear from the duo again.

Audiobook...

I had the pleasure of reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook narrated by the fabulous Marnye Young, who delivered an outstanding performance with the character Jill, which I enjoyed; however, I think it would have been even better with two narrators (male and female) for Jack's portion.

Recs...

JILL IS NOT HAPPY is for fans of the author, Gone Girl, Liv Constantine, Frieda McFadden, Jenova Rose, Victoria Helen Stone, and Kimberly Belle. The last part reminded me a little of Blake Crouch's Letty Dobesh in Good Behaviour (loved).

Thanks to Scarlet and NetGalley for a gifted advanced review copy, and to Highbridge Audio for an advance listening copy, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 10, 2025
My Rating: 5 Stars
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I’ll read anything written by Rouda!
Jill Is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda is a compelling and addictive story.
A roller coaster of a ride that will have you twisting and turning till the very end.
So many twists and turns in this book that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Fast paced, entertaining and intense, the storyline is taut and perfectly plotted.

I’m a big fan of this author, so it pains me to say that this one just wasn’t a hit for me. I did enjoy the first third of the book, but after that it was a struggle to connect. The main characters was deeply unlikeable, and this was a big distraction for me. I didn’t find the ending to be enjoyable or satisfying, unfortunately. I will still read this author and hope that others enjoy this one more than I did.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a fun cat and most story of perhaps the worst married couple ever, Jack and Jill. The story bounces between the two characters and neither of them is particularly likable. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters to life, especially Jill who narrates much of this story. Jack is cheating on his wife and planning on leaving her. He’s going to break the news on the trip to Utah. Meanwhile Jill has planned their trip to bring them back together even if she has to help things along. The story also bounces around in time showing the beginning of their story and the present. It was a quick read and very fun. A perfect summer beach read thriller.

Fans of diabolical characters rejoice! Jill is Not Happy brings an unforgettable one. I felt the pages just kept turning themselves and my eyes needed to keep up.

Jack and Jill are college sweethearts. With their daughter away at school, cracks in their marriage start to show. Jill decides they need a road trip to Utah to rekindle their romance. And what Jill wants, Jill gets one way or another!

I love a good popcorn thriller especially when it entails cat and mouse games and domestic suspense. Dual timelines and dual POV really kept me engaged. Of course there are always secrets and lies, and this book had plenty of both. I wholeheartedly hope there’ll be a sequel because the ending felt full of possibilities of it!

@thrillerbookloversthepulse crew knows what thrillers to bring to your attention - this one would make great summer reading! A huge thank you to Penzler Scarlet for my ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was deliciously unhinged in the very best way! If you’re looking for a fast-paced domestic suspense with unlikable characters doing deeply shady things—Jill’s Not Happy is calling your name!

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned—and no one knows that better than Jack. He met Jill in college and it was a match made in heaven… until it absolutely wasn’t.

Now, after nearly 20 years of marriage and a college-aged daughter, Maggie (who just so happens to be a total daddy’s girl), Jill is fed up. Feeling Jack is growing more and more distant, Jill decides a getaway is exactly what they need to “reconnect.”

But Jill isn’t just planning a romantic vacation—she has something much more permanent in mind. And what she doesn’t know is that Jack has been doing some scheming of his own.

Told from different POV’s and timelines, you won’t know who to trust, but you’ll be hooked watching it all unfold.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kaira Rouda, Penzler Publishing, and HighBridge Audio for the opportunity to both read and listen to this four star, twisty domestic thriller.

Jack and Jill have been together since college. They live a great life, but have drifted apart. Now that their daughter, Maggie, has moved out, Jack wants to end their marriage. But Jill is determined to find the spark they lost along the way. She knows all of Jacks secrets, and she's willing to play dirty if he doesn't do what she wants.

Another brilliant book from this author, with a twist. Usually in thrillers, it's always the husband, right? Well, this time, it's the wife. It left me feeling sorry for Jack and Maggie, and pretty much everyone else who crossed Jill.
This was brilliantly written, and had me flying through the pages. Given the ending, I would love a sequel. A definite must read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. I read this so quick, I couldn't put this or my popcorn down. Love the revenge angle and how different each character thought it was going to go. Lots of secrets!

This was a wild ride! Jill is delusional in her relationship with Jack. Jack wants out of this marriage and keeps getting trapped into staying by Jill's words and actions. The more the story goes on the more unhinged Jill becomes. A really good thriller I would recommend to people who read the genre.

This book is filled with unlikable, unhinged characters. It’s not clear who is a reliable narrator and who is not.

The strange thing is so much happened in this story and yet it felt like nothing happened. There was this buildup and extra storylines. Nothing gets resolved and then the ending seemed flat. I feel as though it’s left open for a sequel. But I’m not sure I’d want to read a sequel if there was one.

One positive was that it was the male main character who kept doing silly things. It’s nice to not have the story built on a female making questionable choices for a change.

I have read and enjoyed this author before so I would likely read another of her books. And I’d encourage you to try this one for yourself because it may just be me who didn’t connect with this one.

2.5 rounded up

What a gripping read about a couple who makes terrible choices and you really do not root for. A quick story that kept me turning pages, though I didn’t find the end to be particularly satisfying.

Jill is not happy with her husband Jack. Jack and Jill are college sweethearts, but a couple decades of marriage, things are not good. Jack is only staying in the marriage because of a shared secret about a tragedy that happened in college; Jill wants Jack to be her one and only forever.

This book is diabolical. Husband and wife play a cat-and-mouse game that puts them both in the crosshairs of death. This is a classic Kaira Rouda book with characters you love to hate, and you just cannot stop reading. Totally bingeworthy! A great escape from the real world.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Penzler Publishing | Scarlett, Highbridge Audio , and MB Communications for gifting me a physical, digital and audiobook of the latest psychological thriller by a favorite, Kaira Rouda, with the audiobook perfectly narrated by Marnye Young. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Jack and Jill seem to be the perfect couple - childhood sweethearts with a daughter just off to college. But Jill decides that a road trip would be the perfect way for them to reconnect. Jack may have other ideas.

Ooh boy, this is just a wickedly fun read - a cat-and-mouse adventure into a couple that is staying together for all the wrong reasons. There are some deep dark secrets preventing them from separating, and watch out when Jill is not happy! Kaira Rouda wrote one of my all-time favorite books, Best Day Ever, along with its sequels, so trust me when I say that she has this dark humor, twisted storyline down to an art. Go into it blindly and enjoy all of the craziness inside! The audiobook was wonderful and I couldn't stop listening!

Jill Tingley tells everyone that she and her husband Jack have the perfect marriage, the perfect life, everything is just perfect. They were college sweethearts, and now they live in Southern California....newly empty nesters, since their daughter Maggie just went off to college. However, lately Jill knows that they have grown apart and she plans to fix that. So she plans a road trip just for the two of them to reconnect. Jack has only stayed in this marriage because of two things: their daughter, and a secret he & Jill share that he doesn't ever want to get out. But Jack is finished with this charade of a marriage - he has found someone else, and he wants a chance at a happy life. So begins a cat-and-mouse road trip as a cunning wife and a reluctant husband match wits and drive each other to the edge. But everything will be fine. Jill still loves Jack and believes he’s the only one for her. She’ll do anything to keep him. Anything. She always has.

This author is a master at cat-and-mouse psychological novels. Normally I have a rule never to read a book where there are no likeable characters, but, how can you say no to someone so twisted as Jill? Jack was not that likeable either, but mostly it was when he was around Jill. When he was with his new girlfriend, or just away from Jill period, he was much more tolerable. Jill would go to any lengths to keep her man, and I do mean any lengths. I highly recommend this one!

Jill Is Not Happy is an understatement. Jack and Jill (yep, just like the nursery rhyme) met and fell in love in college and Jill was happy… unless someone stood in her way. Jack’s best friend Ted thought that he could do better. Jack’s parents didn’t want him rushing into marriage. You can only imagine what happened to any obstacles to Jill’s pursuit of happiness and true love. Then Jack decides that it’s time to move on, but Jill will stop at nothing to make sure he finds his way back to her

Kaira Rouda’s Jill Is Not Happy is her most unpredictable, twisted novel yet. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC that is perfect for fans of Gone Girl and The Perfect Marriage.

Jack and Jill seemingly live a charmed life in So Cal but they have a shared secret that has kept them married all these years. After their daughter leaves for college, Jack decides he wants to file for divorce, but Jill will do anything to keep him. As they embark on a road trip at Jill's insistence, they each must keep a careful eye on the other as their united front has fallen apart.