Jack and Jill (just like the nursery rhyme) have been together since college, back when Jill set her sights on the wealthy young fraternity president and vowed to make him fall in love with her. Now they’re a married couple with an empty nest, and things are feeling a bit stale. Jill thinks a road trip might be just what they need to rekindle their romance. Because Jill will do anything to keep Jack, and she’ll fix everything just like she always has.

I couldn’t get enough of this twisty cat-and-mouse domestic thriller! This is the kind of juicy, fast-paced popcorn thriller with crazypants characters that I know I can always count on Kaira Rouda for! Jill is downright diabolical, the kind of character that’s so much fun to hate! The dual timeline, dual POV structure means we get to get right inside both main characters’ minds, and the inside of Jill’s mind is bonkers but her inner musings are also darkly humorous. I flew through the pages just to see what she would do next!

Without spoiling anything, I will say that the ending is wide open, so I’m asking the author pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top, can we please get a sequel? I just know Jill’s story isn’t done yet!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thriller Book Lovers: the Pulse, and MBC Books for the advance reader copies!

This is a wild ride! Jill and Jack, living in Southern California, have been married for years, and take a vacation road trip to Utah. The “fun” begins. Kaira Rouda is a go-to author, and I have read several of her books. This is a page turner and a good story. Recommend this book and this author!

Kaira Rouda’s Jill Is Not Happy is a clever, sharply written exploration of suburban life, personal dissatisfaction, and the unexpected truths that surface when we least expect them. The story follows Jill, a seemingly perfect wife and mother, whose seemingly flawless life begins to unravel as she confronts the realities of her own unhappiness. Rouda does an excellent job of delving into Jill’s psyche, capturing the complexity of her character and the quiet tension brewing beneath the surface of her perfect façade.

The writing is witty and engaging, with a fair amount of humor that offsets the darker themes of the book. Rouda’s ability to depict the challenges of modern life and relationships in such a relatable way makes the story compelling. While the pacing occasionally slows, the character development and emotional depth more than make up for it.

Overall, Jill Is Not Happy is a great read for fans of domestic fiction who enjoy a blend of humor, drama, and social commentary. It’s a story that will leave you reflecting on the complexities of happiness, self-fulfillment, and the masks we wear in our everyday lives.

Jill is not happy because she is a psychotic narcissist. In true Kiara Rouda style this book is entertaining and addictive, and will make you truly glad you don’t have Jill in your life. Jill’s unlucky husband has been dealing with her for twenty years but has finally had enough and is desperate to break up the marriage. But Jill has spent her entire life making sure things always go her way and will stop at nothing to make sure this continues. Fun, fast paced read that is grabs you from the first page.

After reading “Best Day Ever”, I knew I had to get this ARC for Jill is not happy! Kaira Rouda does such a fantastic job at writing characters you love to hate! They are so diabolical in the best way and it makes for such an entertaining read!!

When Jill tries to reconnect with her husband on a trip to Utah, the fun begins! They’re both awful in the best way and truly deserve each other!

Wow! I know when I pick up a book by Kaira Rouda I’m not going to get much else accomplished and on a snowy Sunday, I was perfectly okay with that. Jill has Jack and she will do anything to keep him. If you like suspense with surprises around every corner, this is for you! I look forward to reading what’s next!

Jill is not happy by Kaira Rouda

Jack and Jill like the old nursery rhyme riddled with a lot of vindictiveness, especially when unknowns surface. Who shoved who down the hill and who is to blame in this book!

What a crazy popcorn thriller about a couple who has skeletons in their closet for days. As they have secrets like anyone else it’s a chess match to see who folds first.

I loved the premise of the book and the ruthlessness of the characters. When their daughter goes off to college and the two are left with resentment from the past the fangs come out.

I was not incredibly satisfied with the ending but I loved the curiousness of the summary and how the author brought it all together.

Thank you NetGalley and Penzler Publishers!

I wanted to like this story but it felt very forced and predictable. I did finish it because I wanted to know what happened.

Jill Is Not Happy
by Kaira Rouda
Pub Date: Jun 10 2025   
Thank you NetGalley and thank you Penzler Publishers for the opportunity to read this one early in exchange for a honest review.
To say Jill is not happy is an understatement, she sure isn’t happy and doesn’t want anyone else to be either. She is nuttier than a fruit cake and her poor family has had just about enough of her shenanigans! This is one twisty novel. I haven’t read too many of Kaira Rouda books but this will not be the last. At times I did feel like where is the story line going and other times I thought what did I just read! This author sure can spin a tale. 4 stars!!

I always have such a fun time with the authors books, she writes some over the top characters that you love to hate and this book introduces us to two new classic Kaira Rouda characters. Jack and Jill are playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse the entire book and I was hooked on their crazy antics. There are some secrets and surprises along the way too, overall a fun and sometimes silly popcorn read that will keep you entertained over a weekend!

This book is a wild, twisted ride—literally and figuratively. Jill and Jack’s road trip starts tense and only gets more unsettling as their secrets unravel. Jill is one of those characters you love to hate (or maybe hate to love?), and watching her manipulate every situation was both fascinating and chilling.

The pacing is sharp, the tension keeps building, and the psychological games are chef’s kiss devious. Some parts felt a bit predictable, but the execution was so entertaining that I didn’t mind. If you love domestic thrillers with unhinged characters and mind games, Jill Is Not Happy is definitely worth the read. Solid 4 stars!

Title: Jill Is Not Happy
Author: Kaira Rouda
Publisher: Penzier Publishing – Scarlet
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: June 10, 2025
My Rating: 3.5 Stars! Hated not to give this 4 stars as I do love this author
Pages: 256
Remember - Jack and Jill is a nursery rhyme and not a fairy tale!

If you ask Jill Tingley, she’ll tell you that she and her husband Jack met at USC their senior year and immediately became college sweethearts and are now living the dream in their charming cape cod style home in Southern California
If you ask Jack Tingley he’ll say now that their daughter Maggie is attending UC Santa Cruz, he is seriously getting ready to file for divorce.

True Jill will also admit their marriage has become complicated but she is sure the ‘get-away’
trip to Bryce Canyon, Utah is just what they need to reset.

Jack agrees to the Utah trip but would much rather do anything else.

He’s only stayed married for their daughter’s sake. But there is a shared secret- something happened in the past he wanted to keep buried. Jack has decided he is filing for divorce as soon as they return, no matter what.

Although the title is “Jill is not Happy” she certainly does her best to make everyone else unhappy. Yikes what a character!!!

This is my seventh Kaira Rouda novel ~- "The Second Mrs. Strom" was my favorite! True all were good!
I requested this knowing nothing about only that I love this author! Have to admit she did surprise me with this ending as I ended up being the one not happy!


Want to thank NetGalley and Penzier Publishing – Scarlet for granting me this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for June 10, 2025.

WHEW...Jill is as crazy as they come lol. I enjoyed this book so much I could not put it down! I look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you NetGalley and Scarlet for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Jill is not happy, Jill is psycho. I enjoyed reading this book and couldn’t put it down. However there was no grand twist at the end. There was no ending at all. It was just abruptly over.

Damn, she evil.... and I love her.

The ending is screaming for sequel and I am dying for it...

Only 4 stars because of that ending. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!

Like other reviewers have said, Jill was not my favorite character. I did not like her but I did want to see how the story ended. The ending felt blah to me, and this isn't my favorite book that the author has written. It was a good read, but not great. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.

OOooooo this book was good it felt very gone girl and rock, paper, scissors I loved this. I liked that we got to see both perspectives and the unreliable narrator is always amazing for a little twist.

This was a fun and fast read. I figured out the majority of the twists, so I found it pretty predictable. But it didn't matter to me because it was just so crazy and twisted, and I was happy to be along for the ride. It ended as I expected. I would have liked a bit more of a shake-up there. But I really enjoyed it overall.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Jill isn't happy and neither am I. Usually I love a crazy FMC but this character had me rooting for the cheating husband. She took psycho to a new level with her never ending lies and disturbed mind.

What bothered me was the ending. It felt...flat? Like we're hanging on for a sequel that isn't coming. I wanted the husband to get revenge or some sort of growth for the FMC, but instead it ended stuck in the same situation as page 1.

I found the protagonist, Jill, deeply unappealing from the beginning, which made the reading experience challenging. Despite this, the story held my attention, and I was compelled to finish it. However, the ending was disappointing, and I'm curious if the author plans to continue the story in a sequel or even a full-on series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.