In the couple before us, we meet Dionne and her husband Christian as they move into their brand-new home on an exclusive estate, with their five-year-old son Kai. Dionne is heavily pregnant and they are keen to settle before the new baby arrives.

Dionne very quickly discovers that all is not as it seems, their alleged new house seems to have had somebody live there before but who? And where are they now? These questions were all answered very easily, theoretically, yet Dionne persisted in searching for what she believed to be some underhand behaviour. I must admit, I found Dionne extremely irritating and paranoid, and was amazed that so close to giving birth and with a five-year-old to care for, she was so actively pursuing this mystery that didn’t even seem like it existed...

But oh boy was she right! I didn’t guess the outcome, however with hindsight there were some very cleverly disguised clues that passed me by, so I put my hands up and admit I was wrong and Dionne was absolutely right to persist like she did! She knew there was danger and she fought for her family like a true warrior!

The characters were all fairly unlikable which made all of them suspects so it was fun trying to guess who could be trusted and who couldn’t and I got it completely wrong! An enjoyable read, if a little far-fetched, with some very unexpected twists, so suspend your disbelief and trust in those enhanced pregnancy senses!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Daniel Hurst and Bookouture, for an ARC of this book.

I didn’t love this one. I’ve read most of Daniel’s
other books but felt this one didn’t really flow. Cesar was weird. I thought it was a bit far fetched, if you want to know if there’s a previous house owner it’s public knowledge. A bit too much going on for me

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.
This was a wild ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So many twists and turns throughout the second half of the book I really didn’t see the ending coming. The MFC did get on my nerves the first half of the book, she was very repetitive and came across annoying, however I feel she redeemed herself as the book went on. I really loved the concept of a quiet suburban community being controlled by the estate owner with dark secrets, it made me not want to put the book down and continue on reading to see what happens next.

The premise of this book sounded interesting and initially drew me in. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t work for me. While it’s a quick read with short chapters (and the plot does somewhat picks up in the middle), I found myself struggling and had to push myself to keep going.

My main issue was with the main character, Dionne. I thought she was annoying, and her inner monologue felt a bit over the top and dramatic, making it hard for me to connect with her or the story. The twists and the ending didn’t really work for me either, they felt abrupt and didn’t make much sense.

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. I loved the concept and really wanted to enjoy it, so I ended up feeling a bit disappointed. That said, I’m sure there are readers who will enjoy the domestic drama and unexpected turns more than I did.

Another great book by Daniel Hurst! I tried coming up with the outcome as I was reading but this time I had no clue, it kept me guessing the entire time. So many twists and turns. Loved this book!

It is always exciting to see another Daniel Hurst book released having read 52 of them now. Thoroughly enjoyed 'The Couple Before Us' with its clever twists and turns. Who can I trust now. Today's gym session was delayed by half an hour to complete this can't put down book. Highly recommended. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Daniel Hurst has delivered yet again with this gripping, thrilling, and twist filled book! I really enjoyed this! I really thought I had this one figured out but then I was hit with a twist! This was an fast paced thriller that I couldn't put down!

This was a twisty read. I did enjoy the characters but I do agree that the scenes and dialogue were a bit repetitive at times. I didn’t expect the ending at all.

Another quick, easy and twisty read from Daniel Hurst. This one definitely surprised me because I didn’t see any of It vibing. Mr. Hurst is the master of writing very dislikeable characters- I couldn’t stand Ceasar!

Daniel Hurst has become an all time favourite auto-read author so fast and he never fails to deliver! His writing style is engaging and addictive, he'll have you guessing till the very end and just when you think you've cracked the whole mystery he'll throw a twist when you least expect it! The only reason I knocked one star off is due to the pacing; I felt as though the plot slowed down near the middle to build up.. overall I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I normally enjoy books by this author but I only made it to 40 percent and gave up. It was ridiculous. The main character, who happens to be about 6-7 months pregnant is so annoying. She takes a walk in the middle of the night, calls the police because she sees two minute carrying a carpet and assumes there is a dead body in it and breaks into her neighbor's house because she is basically nosy. I just couldn't finish it.

Another 5 star read from Daniel! This book was wow! It kept me on my toes until the very end and I seen none of the twist that kept coming!

For fans of Freida McFadden and Jennifer Ruff’s Agent Victoria series.

This is what I’d call a starter thriller. It has a suburban setting, which makes it feel grounded and readable. It’s twisty and has cliffhanger chapters that will keep you reading all night. It’s easy to sink your teeth into this.

That said, as a regular thriller reader, the story didn’t quite meet my expectations. I just felt the story didn’t have as big of a mystery and lacked that big, satisfying payoff that I love from a thriller. I also found some characters to be a little farfetched (despite the grounded setting) and it affected my reading experience.

Overall I’d recommend this to those looking for milder thrillers or readers new to the genre. This was my first Daniel Hurst book and I hope to check out his other works!

A fun, quick read thriller that will keep you in suspense. I liked the main character of the book and some of the twists. I wasn't surprised by the big twist, but it was still a fun book to read.

Thankyou @netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review… Eeek.

I hate to give a bad review, as I’ve enjoyed a fair few books by this author, but I really didn’t enjoy this one. I found the writing clunky and everything was over explained - all very bizarre. Far fetched and ridiculous, not one likeable character. Plot holes galore.

⭐️⭐️

#itsbookedup #netgalleyreviewer

I really enjoyed this book. Definitely couldn’t put this book down kept me on my toes!!!

Blurb

Moving to this gorgeous house was meant to be a new start for our family. My hand rests on my growing baby bump as I walk through our home, the smell of fresh paint in the air, but my heart no longer feels full of hope for the future.

My husband Christian wraps his strong arms around me and tells me to forget the note; he wants this to be the perfect home for us. But as I look into his blue-grey eyes, I wonder if there’s something he’s keeping from me or if I’m just being paranoid.

Was there a couple who lived here before? And what happened to them?

I try to forget my worries like Christian asked, but then I see something in our next-door neighbour’s garden that I can’t ignore. I know I need to find out the truth if I’m ever going to feel safe again.

Except when I overhear Christian revealing a secret on the phone, I start to question: do I even know the man I married?

As I get closer to the truth of what happened to the couple before us, I realise one thing: I should have run when I had the chance…

I enjoyed this book from the first chapter. It was easy to get imursed and kept me wanting to read more.

Di (short for Dionne) and Christian are expecting a baby and also have a school-aged child Kai. With the family growing, they are looking for a new home.


They buy a new home in an estate that is currently building all new homes. After moving in, Di finds a disturbing note warning her. A neighbor is struggling to tell her something. Di starts to investigate herself only to uncover a series of lies she has been told. What happened to the couple that lived in the house before them? Who can she believe, and who will help her?

Thank you, Net Galley for the early copy!

i was hooked right from the first page. It was exciting and a real page turner. The plot was exciting and well thought out. Thebook was well written. There were lots of twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. Fantastic ending which i wasn't expectng

The first 50% was getting me frustrated because I don’t see any reason why the FMC react the way she should react. I find her overreacting for no visible reasons. It was making me feel a lack in details and felt a little lost. However, the plot start kicking in around 50-60% into the book, and I must say, it got me interested and started to binge read through in a single setting. In conclusion, i will recommend this book if you are looking for a quick thriller, the writing style is simple to understand, no big chunky words. It’s friendly for non native reader.

I just finished “The Couple Before Us” by Daniel Hurst, and I thought the premise of the story was good. It’s about a husband, his pregnant wife, and their son moving into a brand new house. The wife gets a disturbing note and comes to the realization that they aren’t the first people to live in this brand new house. From there, crazy things start to happen. Like, what happened to the couple that lived there before??

During the beginning and middle of the story, the pacing was great, however the ending was rushed. Also the wife was very emotional and illogical, so I did not care for her character that much. She reminded me of the dumb teenagers from that commercial that run to the shed of saws and knives to hide from the serial killer. Like seriously??

It was a good thriller and I would rate this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book publishes July 17th.

#bookstagram
#TheCoupleBeforeUs
#netgalley