📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

Jill Is Not Happy By Kaira Rouda
Publication Date: June 10, 2025
Publisher: Penzler Publishers | Scarlet

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Penzler Publishers, Scarlet, and NetGalley for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review! And a special thank you to the author for the really cool swag package to go along with this e-ARC!!

📚MY REVIEW:

Jill Is Not Happy is a twisty domestic thriller that will keep you guessing! Kaira Rouda is a favorite author at The Pulse, and this read reminds me why!

This book is told in the dual POVs of husband and wife, Jack and Jill, and also told in dual timelines: then and now. Jill and Jack are college sweethearts living the dream in Southern California. Wealthy, popular and genetically blessed, theirs is an enviable life, though they’ve grown distant in recent years. Newly empty nesting with their daughter Maggie away at college, Jill suggests a road trip to reconnect. Jack would rather do anything else than take a road trip with his wife. He’s only stayed in this marriage because of a shared secret, a tragedy in the past he wanted to keep buried. And for his daughter’s sake. But Jack is finished with the charade of his marriage and plans to file for divorce as soon as they return, no matter what. But Jack doesn’t realize what else Jill is hiding.

The short chapters in alternating POVs made this a really fast-paced read! The cat-and-mouse vibes kept me waiting to see which spouse was going to outsmart the other next. The secrets of each of the spouses just kept dropping as the book went on, and each time something new was revealed, my jaw seemed to hit the floor a little harder.

If you're a fan of cat-and-mouse vibes in your domestic thrillers and love watching spouses try to enact revenge against the other, you're going to love reading about Jack and Jill Tingley. Jill Is Not Happy is available June 10th!

#JillIsNotHappy #KairaRouda #PenzlerPublishers #Scarlet #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARCs #thrillerbookloversthepulse #thrillerreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #domesticthriller #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my e-ARC of Jill is Not Happy!

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
👰‍♀️ believe wholeheartedly in “til death do us part”
🥗 enjoy a side salad with dinner
🌄 have ever dropped your phone off the side of a canyon
🍷 love the finer things in life

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Some secrets keep a couple together.

If you ask Jill Tingley, she’ll tell you she and her husband Jack are college sweethearts living the dream in Southern California. Wealthy, popular and genetically blessed, theirs is an enviable life, though they’ve grown distant in recent years. Newly empty nesting with their daughter Maggie away at college, Jill suggests a road trip to reconnect.

Jack would rather do anything else than drive to Utah with his wife. He’s only stayed in this marriage because of a shared secret, a tragedy in the past he wanted to keep buried. And for his daughter’s sake. But Jack is finished with the charade of his marriage. He’s filing for divorce as soon as they return, no matter what.

But he doesn’t realize what else Jill is hiding.

So begins a cat-and-mouse road trip as a cunning wife—think Ripley in yoga pants—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.

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was such a wild story! Jill was absolutely bonkers. At first, I really felt for her. I was all, Oh no, her husband and her are having a tough time, I wonder what he did, to, okay, she’s actually the one causing the absolute chaos in this marriage! I really enjoyed her absolute bluntness, because it proved how absolutely unhinged she was. She stated everything so matter of factly, even when it was cruel. Total psychopath behavior. I enjoyed their time in Utah, and honestly wanted to see a bit more of it. Arches National Park is gorgeous, and I was disappointed they never ended up making it to that destination. Overall, if you love to hate the FMC, pick this one up!

This was my first book by Kaira Rouda, and I really enjoyed it.
We meet Jack and Jill and learn about a failing marriage...or is it?!
Two different POVs and past and present references. Fast-paced , twists and turns, and short chapters make the reader want to read just one more chapter before lights out.

I look forward to reading more of Kaira's books.

Thank you to Penzler Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

Riveting read from star author Kaira Rouda! Jill Is Not Happy, therefore no one else can be which includes husband, Jack. Fascinating take on psychopathy and what people will do to get what they want. Well done!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers/Scarlet for this ARC!

I loved Jill’s character, especially how messed up she is. Her personality drives the narrative and makes for an entertaining read. I don't want to give anything away, but let's just say that Jack has more than met his match. Fans of popcorn and domestic thrillers will enjoy this book.

I'm not real happy either after finishing this book. Jill is a nightmare. Jack's an idiot. The end of the story does not feel any way near the end of the story. There should be more. I feel like I traveled in a big loop, ending up where I started. Frustration!

✨️ The team at @thrillerbookloversthepulse are reviewing Jill Is Not Happy and it's definitely an addictive ride.

Jill Is Not Happy is one of these popcorn thrillers you just can't tear your eyes from. It's impossible to put down or look away. Right from the start with the dual POV and dual timelines it had me hooked. It is highly fast paced and dives straight into the action without any useless fluff.

The FMC is definitely high on the scale of delusional and unhinged. I couldn't wait to see what she would do next. Was there major twists and turns, not really, it still kept me hooked and entertained throughout. The ending was a little rushed and too open ended for my personal enjoyment. Is there going to be a sequel ? Maybe ?

Overall, this was a solid fast paced popcorn thriller. Very fun and entertaining if you don't mind an open ended conclusion, that might leave you with a lot of questions.

✨️Thank you to @thrillerbookloversthepulse, @netgalley, @penzlers & Kaira Rouda for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Everything about this novel is perfect. Jack and Jill are married, and everyone thinks they have the perfect life. Neither of them are innocent.

The pacing of this novel is fantastic - the short chapters with alternating timelines, and points of view kept me turning the pages, and was easy to follow. I hope there is a sequel because these are great characters and there has to be more to their story.

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown, And Jill came tumbling after.

Jack and Jill met in college and have been inseparable ever since. In the way that if Jack leaves, Jill will tell all of his dirty little secrets. Between the two of them they have many and not just your run of the mill secrets. These are dark and deeply disturbing. They are both characters that I could not relate with to any level. They are the kind of people you grab some popcorn and sit back and watch the destruction of their lives tumble around them.

I could not stand Jill. She is one unreliable, unlikable character that was over the top. Jill not only wants to be physically attached to her husband, but she despises her daughter. It was an intense mix. The book is a quick read, I tore through it to see how these two were going to destroy each other and those around them. Thank you to Kaira Rouda and Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse for my gifted copy.

I will read anything Kaira Rouda writes including her grocery list. Now that I think of that, it's probably filled with red herrings.

Jill has planned a getaway to see some of the national canyons and to make Jack, her husband, fall in love with her again. She has lots of tricks up her sleeve for that because she's very devious and you'll grow to despise as the book goes on. Jack and Jill have been together since college when they forged a secret together that no one must know. They have a daughter in college, Maggie, who favors her father and will do anything to keep him away from her mother.

Rouda has a knack for psychotic characters that are bigger than life. I highly recommend this domestic thriller to all my thriller reading friends.

However, I was hoping for a different ending with this one.

Deliciously dark and delightfully unnamed, Jill is not Happy is a razor-sharp dive into one woman's unraveling. Rouda serves up her signature trademarks: toxic marriage, ambition, and revenge with a venemous bite. Twisted fun from start to finish.

Jill Is Not Happy is a wild and addictive ride. Kaira Rouda delivers another gripping psychological thriller with a main character who is completely unhinged in the best way. Jill’s voice is sharp, sarcastic, and twisted, and I could not stop reading as she slowly unraveled.

The story is fast-paced and full of dark humor. Rouda does an amazing job making you love to hate Jill. The ending was chilling and left me thinking long after I finished.

If you enjoy messy characters, toxic relationships, and smart, entertaining thrillers, this one is a must-read.

There’s a lot to dig into in the seemingly perfect marriage of Jack and Jill. There’s a long-ago hit and run. A couple of suspicious fires. Money missing from the town budget. And now this very strange road trip to help the lovebirds reconnect. Or is the vacation meant to help a predator catch its prey? Loved it.

Rouda is a MUST read author for me. I love her style and creativity. Have you heard " if the wife is not happy, no one is happy"?

Jill Tingley is living life with her husband Jack and things have gotten stale. She is very controlling and manipulative. They are living well and everyone thinks they have the perfect life. But Jack and Jill KNOW they are not living that life. They are stuck in this marriage because they share a secret which could destroy both their lives.

Jill talks Jack into a road trip to UTAH, and he reluctantly goes, because he wants to tell her something. Will this be a trip to save their marriage or will all HECK break loose? GET READY FOR A BUMPY RIDE!

Another fun one by Rouda. Thank you MB Communications and Thrill Book lovers THE PULSE for having me on tour.

Jill and Jack Tingley, college sweethearts whose relationship has grown distant over the years. With their daughter away at college, Jill suggests a road trip to Utah in an attempt to reconnect. Jack is secretly planning a divorce once they return. He has a kept a secret from their past that has kept them together. However, Jill has her own hidden agenda, setting the stage for a tense and suspenseful journey.

This is a "cat-and-mouse" game, with both characters engaging in a psychological battle, each trying to outwit the other. Rouda's ability to craft twisty revenge narratives is amazing! The book is so good, with an intense story and very flawed characters!

Dark Secrets, Underlying Tensions, and Betrayal! 4.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy! This book will be released 6/10/25.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early digital copy of Jill is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda. I have always like Kaira's books; to me, they are popcorn thrillers that are fun to read over a weekend. I really enjoy domestic thrillers, especially those that take place between husband and wife. This one was a fun read, and it kept me hooked throughout the story. It was a good palate cleanser, and one that I would definitely recommend to my friends and other book lovers.

Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for an early copy of OH MY GOSH Jill is Not Happy, I didn’t think there was a worse character than Paul BUT Jill is INSANE LIKE OUT OF THIS WORLD INSANE!! I am sooo sad I’m done reading this book, it was soooooo crazy and I loved everything about it. Every character, every storyline, every scenario was Awesome! Thank you again.

Kaira Rouda writes the best psychopaths! Jill is just so awful, think Paul from Best Day Ever, one of my all time favourite thriller books. She just gets worse the more you read and learn about her scheming ways. This book is highly addictive and so entertaining as are all of this authors books

Jill is not happy and you do not want to be on Jill’s bad side. Jack and Jill go on a road trip to Utah. Jill wants to reconnect with her husband, and Jack just wants out. But Jill knows all of his deepest darkest secrets so it is not that easy. I had serious doubts that both of the, would survive this road trip.

A bingeable thriller that is so hard to stop reading.

Thanks so much to Penzler Publishing on NetGalley for my advanced copy of one of my favourite authors books to read. Out on June 10th.

Thank you MB Communications/ThrillerbookloversThePulse, #partner, for the advanced copy of Jill Is Not Happy in exchange for my honest review.

Kaira Rouda is a favorite amongst us over at The Pulse – @thrillerbookloversthepulse – & we cannot get enough of her devious characters. This latest book has all buzzing!⁣

Is it possible to love an author just because of the characters she creates? Because that is why I love Kaira Rouda’s books! She always manages to give us the most deliciously unhinged characters & I always look forward to meeting her newest ones! ⁣
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In Jill Is Not Happy we have such a fun cat & mouse game…one between a husband & wife that takes us on quite the adventure. There are so many twists & turns here that it’s more fun to just sit back & enjoy the ride, rather than try to figure out where this might be headed, at least I found to be the case. ⁣
⁣
With a dual timeline & dual POV, the author allows us to be in the characters’ minds & feed us just enough information to hook us, while also building suspense & leaving us wanting to know more. And that ending…without spoiling it, I’ll just say it’s satisfying but open enough as to maybe hint there’ll be more???

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.