The Perfect Marriage: A Completely Gripping Psychological Suspense by Jeneva Rose
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The Perfect Marriage: A Completely Gripping Psychological Suspense

by

Jeneva Rose

(Author)

4.3

-

143,196 ratings


The Perfect Marriage

Would you defend your husband if he was accused of killing his mistress?

Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. At 33 years old, she is a named partner at her firm and life is going exactly how she planned.

The same cannot be said for her husband, Adam. He is a struggling writer who has had little success in his career. He begins to tire of his and Sarah’s relationship as she is constantly working.

Out in the secluded woods, at Adam and Sarah’s second home, Adam engages in a passionate affair with Kelly Summers.

Then, one morning everything changes. Adam is arrested for Kelly’s murder. She had been found stabbed to death in Adam and Sarah’s second home.

Sarah soon finds herself playing the defender for her own husband, a man accused of murdering his mistress.

But is Adam guilty or is he innocent?

What everybody is saying about The Perfect Marriage:

“The Perfect Marriage is a twisty, compulsive book that will keep you reading all night! Fast-paced with crisp writing and an intriguing plot. Jeneva Rose is one to watch.” - Samantha Downing, Sunday Times bestselling author of My Lovely Wife and He Started It

"With a tantalizing premise and twists at every turn, The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose is a sizzling, masterful debut about betrayal and justice. Expertly plotted with gripping characters who are all suspects, this brilliant suspense is a must-read for any thriller lover." - Samantha M. Bailey, #1 bestselling author of Woman on the Edge

"A book to be read in one gulp—this dastardly debut flies to a shocking reveal. I couldn’t put it down; I had to see what happened. Twists galore…” — J.T. Ellison, NYT bestselling author of GOOD GIRLS LIE

The Perfect Marriage is Jeneva Rose's unmissable new debut. It's the perfect read for readers of domestic noir, as well as for fans of authors like Louise Jensen, B A Paris and K.L. Slater.

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ISBN-10

1913419657

ISBN-13

978-1913419653

Print length

342 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Bloodhound Books

Publication date

July 12, 2020

Dimensions

5.25 x 0.86 x 8 inches

Item weight

10.4 ounces


Popular highlights in this book

  • It burns, but a good type of burn, like the small fires we sometimes need in our lives to remind us that we are alive.

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  • I’ve always believed the eyes cannot lie. They hold the truths we are unable or unwilling to speak.

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  • Even when you have nothing left in your life, hope is the one thing that can never be taken away.

    Highlighted by 12,710 Kindle readers


Product details

ASIN :

B09C6LW4XW

File size :

1867 KB

Text-to-speech :

Enabled

Screen reader :

Supported

Enhanced typesetting :

Enabled

X-Ray :

Enabled

Word wise :

Enabled


Sample

1

SARAH MORGAN

Not again.”

The disappointment in his voice fills the room and hangs there like a light fog, clouding us from one another. I take in a deep breath, removing the haze, and let it out just as quickly, clearing the path back between us. I don’t need to look at him to know his eyes are disheartened and his lips are pressed firmly together. I don’t blame him. I’ve disappointed Adam again. I run my hands over my hair, taming any flyaways. It’s wrapped tightly in a perfect bun. It’s always wrapped tightly in a perfect bun. I slide on a white blazer and readjust my pencil skirt. My eyes meet his, locking us back into place.

“I’m sorry.” I tilt my head down, avoiding his gaze to lure him toward me. He takes the bait, walking to me, his six-foot-two stature towering over my petite body. He puts his hand to my cheek, lifts my chin, and kisses me softly on the lips. Every hair rises on my body. After ten years of marriage, Adam still does that for me. After ten years of marriage, I still do that for him—disappoint, I mean.

“We were supposed to leave for the lake house yesterday. You said you’d be able to today.”

I break our embrace and begin packing up my briefcase, my sense of responsibility outweighing my levels of sentiment. “I know, I know. It’s just I have so much work to do and a huge closing statement to prepare for.”

Adam walks to the door frame of our master bedroom and leans against it. He folds his arms in front of his chest. There’s nothing more that I want at this moment than to be wrapped up in his arms rather than wrapped up in a messy court case, but there are some things even I can’t control.

“You always have so much work to do. There’s always a big case you’re working on.” He narrows his eyes at me playfully but in a somewhat accusing way, as if I were now on trial.

“Someone has to pay the bills.” I give a small smile. That lands. He shakes his head so slightly I almost don’t notice it, but I need to acknowledge it. I place my hands on his shoulders. He pretends he won’t lean down to meet my lips, but I know he will. He can’t resist me, just like I can’t resist him.

He smiles, but his game of tug-of-war only lasts a few seconds before his body bends toward me. Our lips meet again—this time more passionate. This time our mouths spread, our tongues swirl, his hands run up and down my back. I consider calling it all off at that moment. I’ll quit the firm. We’ll sell this house, and we’ll move to our lake house in Virginia, just the two of us running hand in hand into our own fairy tale.

But reality sets back in.

“I have to go,” I whisper into his ear as I pull away. I’m always the first to pull away. Someday, we’ll be everything I always knew we would be but someday isn’t today.

“But it’s our tenth anniversary tomorrow.” He frowns. He still has the boyish charm I fell in love with, and it would be annoying if I weren’t also smitten by it.

“I’m going to try to make it there tomorrow.” I take a step back from him, surveying his disappointed face, the damage I’ve done.

He lets out a huff. “After ten years, you’d think I’d be used to you doing this… but I’m not.” Adam rubs his chin as if he’s contemplating what he’ll say next. “I’m just really fed up with it, Sarah.” He lowers his head and shakes it.

I close the space between us and bury my face in his chest. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve disappointed you. But regardless, after this case is over, I’m taking a week off work. I’ve already talked to Kent.” I glance up at him with doe eyes, hoping he’ll be happy with this news.

He lets on a small smile. “Is this a real promise or a Sarah promise?”

“Oh, stop,” I say, lightly patting his chest.

He grabs my hands and pulls me in for another kiss. “I’ll stop when you stop.” He smirks. We kiss again.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” From the closet I pull out a small, wrapped box and present my gift to him. “I got you something.”

He looks at it and then at me. “You shouldn’t have,” he says, accepting the perfectly wrapped present. We had agreed after our fifth anniversary we weren’t going to do gifts anymore, but I couldn’t help myself. I know I’ve been neglectful, but this was my small way of making it up to him. He pauses for a moment and then carefully unwraps the gift. He lifts the box open unveiling a Patek Philippe grand complication watch with alligator band and a gold face. His mouth drops open.

“I’ve been looking at this watch for years… but this, this is too much,” he protests while admiring the intricacies and design of the watch face.

“No, it’s not—it’s ten years of marriage.” I pull the watch out. “Look at the engraving.”

Adam flips it over and runs his finger over the engraving of the number 5,256,000.

“What’s this?” he asks.

“That’s how many minutes are in ten years.” I plant a light kiss on his lips.

“You counted?”

“I’m always counting.” I laugh as I help him put the watch on.

He holds out his wrist admiring it. “Is this so I can keep track of every time you’re late or stand me up?” he teases. I roll my eyes at him.

“I’m kidding,” he adds.

“No, you’re not.”

Adam returns his attention to me and places his hands on my shoulders, running them down my arms. “You’re right, but I love you anyway, Sarah.” He kisses me hard.

After untangling ourselves from a passionate kiss, we make our way down to the kitchen, a large and modern space with stainless-steel appliances, cream-colored cupboards, and granite countertops. I set my briefcase on the island and rummage through the fridge for fruit and water. I take some sliced pineapple and a glass bottle of San Pellegrino, which should tide me over until I send my assistant on a lunch run.

Adam pours two cups of coffee and places one beside my black Bottega briefcase. He removes the used coffee filter from the machine and walks to the garbage, pressing his foot on the pedal to open the lid. Just as he is about to discard the refuse into the can, a brief glittering of silver catches his eye.

“What’s this?” Adam reaches down into the trash, pulling out the source of the luminescence. A torn envelope with a card inside.

“Your mom sent us an anniversary card,” I reply without looking up from my phone.

“And you just… threw it away?” He crumples up his face.

“I read it. Acknowledged it. Digested it. What more do you want me to do with it?”

He pulls the card out of the ripped open envelope and reads it aloud, “I can’t believe you lasted ten years! Happy Anniversary, my darling Adam and Sarah. P.S. Where are my grandchildren? Love, Mom.”

He smiles and walks to the fridge. “That was nice of her.” He begins searching through drawers for a magnet to secure his prize to the front of our stainless-steel fridge. I roll my eyes as I watch him add a piece of garbage to the refrigerator.

“What are you going to do today?” I change the subject. I’m just going to let this one go, and by this one, I mean his mother. I pick up the cup of coffee and bring it to my lips. It burns, but a good type of burn, like the small fires we sometimes need in our lives to remind us that we are alive.

“Well, now that I have nothing but time on my hands…” he says with a chuckle while looking at his new watch. I let out a small, polite laugh for his terrible joke. “I’ll probably head up to the lake house and get some writing done. Daniel needs more pages before he can pitch the book.”

I nod and take another sip. “The last ones you sent were wonderful. Your agent is going to love them. Make sure you send me your newest ones.”

“Do you mean that?” He skeptically raises an eyebrow.

“I mean everything I say… especially, about you.” I wink.

He sets his cup of coffee down and closes the distance between us, standing behind me with each hand on the countertop. He nuzzles and kisses my neck while pressing his pelvis into my butt. I giggle like a schoolgirl.

“Come tomorrow. Just for the day.”

“I’m going to try, even if I can just spend a few hours with you.”

“Do more than try. We’ve had the lake house for over a year, and you haven’t spent more than a night up there.”

“I said I’ll try.” I take another sip of my coffee.

He groans into my neck. “Please.”

“I’ll do everything in my power to be there tomorrow, and you and I can finally christen that lake house.” I playfully back into him. He pulls me in tight and kisses my neck.

“Now that is a plan I can get behind.” Adam turns me around to face him and runs his hands all over my body.

“Thank you for being patient with me.” I raise my chin so our eyes can meet, giving him my most bashful puppy-dog eyes to convey as much sincerity as I mean to express with my words. His eyes lock with mine.

“I’d wait a lifetime for you and then some.” He kisses my forehead, the tip of my nose, and then my lips. “Or at least another 5,256,000 minutes…” He smirks. “Now, hurry to work so you can hurry to me.” He playfully pats my butt as if I was running into a football game.

I pick up my bag and start toward the door. I tell him I love him.

“Love you more,” he says.

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About the authors

Jeneva Rose

Jeneva Rose

Jeneva Rose is the New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage, The Girl I Was, One of Us is Dead, You Shouldn't Have Come Here, and the Kimberley King series. Her work has been optioned for film/tv and translated into more than two dozen languages. Originally from Wisconsin, she currently lives in Chicago with her husband and her stubborn English bulldog. You can connect with her on Instagram @jenevaroseauthor, Tiktok @jenevaroseauthor, Twitter @jenevarosebooks, Facebook Jeneva Rose, or via her website.

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Reviews

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5

143,196 global ratings

E. B. Reads

E. B. Reads

5

Perfect

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2024

Verified Purchase

This is my first thriller to read. I'm usually a romance girly, but this was amazing. It kept my attention and kept me guessing trying to figure it out. It wasn't too long and the cast of characters was amazing. So so good. 5 stars.

Medina McKellar

Medina McKellar

5

The Perfect Marriage….

Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2024

Verified Purchase

This book was such a good read!! Very well written and I kept going back and forth wondering who did what. It kept me guessing until the last 3 chapters! Would highly recommend to those who love psychological thrillers and those who think they can always figure it out…. A+++

Peter Karabin

Peter Karabin

5

A shocking ending

Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2024

Verified Purchase

First of all, I thought this was a brilliantly written novel which has helped elevate Jeneva Rose to my list of favorite authors. The ending struck me as somewhat brutal, without giving away any spoilers. Definitely worth the read. The extent of deceit and treachery in these pages pushes human empathy (or lack thereof) to the limit. It's one of those literary works that strikes a chord in the soul and leaves you shaking your head and thinking long after the book ends. Don't fret over characterizations and other minor critical details. The devil's in the details. I was not disappointed.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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