Golden Couple

APRIL 2022 - 4 STARS. If Avery Chambers can’t fix you in 10 sessions, she wont’ take you on as a client. Her successes are phenomenal - she helps people overcome everything from domineering parents to assaults - and almost absorb the emptiness she sometimes feels since her husband’s death. Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem like the golden couple, until Marissa cheats. She wants to repair things, both because she loves her husband and for the sake of their 8-year old son. After a friend forwards an article about Avery, Marissa takes a chance on this maverick therapist, who lost her license due to controversial methods. When the Bishops glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three lives are set on a collision course.

Many varied friends’ reviews on this one. gottapeanow thought it had too much processing and not a fan of w rating style; cannmom enjoyed it; cadoodlebug really like it - 4 stars; Rhondito started out really strong but the last 20% she didn’t care about - 3 stars; maryland really liked it. I was curious where I would end-up

Previous books by this duo for me were You Are Not Alone (‘20 - 5 stars), An Anonymous Girl (‘19 - 4 Stars) and The Wife Between Us (‘18 - 3 Stars). I loved the flow of this duo’s writing which I find amazing since they can make their voices blend so seamlessly. Two strong women with lots of drama. Many pieces in this puzzle which all kept me intrigued. I loved the revealing of everyone’s secrets.

I gave this twisty psychological thriller <b>4.5 Stars</b>.

<b>SUMMARY</b> Marissa and Matthew appear to be the Golden Couple. They are both beautiful, they have the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood and a perfect eight year old son, Bennett. Matthew is very successful and Marissa not only owns a popular boutique, but she is a model mother and tireless volunteer at Bennett's perfect school. Marissa and Matthew met and dated as teenagers, reunited later and married, such a sweet story. 😍 Yes, Marissa and Matthew were perfect, until they weren't.

The book opens with Matthew and Marissa in a therapist's office. With the help of (unconventional but amazingly effective), therapist Avery, Marissa confesses to Matthew that she slept with a man she met at the gym. Just once, its completely over, but she did it. Although Matthew is devastated (!), he agrees to work on their marriage and try to recover.

But, weird things begin to happen. Little, subtle threats some to them and to their marriage; an old girlfriend of Matthew's is too pushy, flowers arriving with no card, Marissa's employee is acting strangely. Then Matthew is attacked in a parking lot.

As stated previously, Avery is not a typical therapist. She digs in and tries to help solve the problems that threaten the marriage. Avery investigates these threats, tries to figure out who is behind them AND the answer is not what she was expecting!

<b>WHAT I LOVED</b> This book had many layers, there was always more to the story than I was anticipating. I loved the characters, my favorite was a rescue dog, but all the characters were interesting. I particularly liked Avery. I wouldn't hate it if there was a new series about Avery and her clients... I loved the DC setting, its a unique town. I loved the story itself, it was a fresh take on the "perfect marriage that was not really perfect" thriller genre.

<b>WHAT I DIDN'T LOVE</b> I really cannot think of anything I didn't like about the book, I'm just not sure I can give it 5 stars. I reserve my 5 star rating for books that are more timeless and will stick with me long term.

<b>OVERALL</b> If you're a fan of thrillers and are wondering what to read next, this book will not disappoint! You'll find yourself reading past your bedtime, unable to put it down.

This character-driven domestic thriller was a little slow on the uptake, but it didn’t take long to jet its way into primetime. Any doubts I might have had through the first couple chapters vanished into thin air and I was quickly swallowed up in a messy whirlwind of chaotic events.

The Golden Couple’s marriage is tarnished by infidelity -- and maybe more. Marissa and Matthew Bishop seek the help in repairing their marriage from an unlicensed therapist whose methods are anything but conventional -- to say the least. Avery Chambers’s 10-Step Program -- Confession, Disruption, Escalation, Revelation, Devastation, Confrontation, Exposure, The Test, Reconciliation, and Promises -- comes close to crossing the line of intrusion and stalking as she trolls those she “counsels.” Her past is haunting in ways nobody can imagine. Her best buddy is a dog named “Romeo” that she rescued from the shelter, so she can’t be all bad. Or can she?

What seems like a normal decision by the Golden Couple to keep their family that includes a young son, Bennett, intact soon explodes into anything but – and the red herrings are dropping at every turn. Readers will find a crowd of questionable characters vying for attention in this fast-paced muddle of lies, secrets and threats.

This adventure is told from dual points of view by Avery and Marissa. What seemed a bit strange to me is that one is given in first person and the other third person. Don’t believe I’ve ever encountered an instance like this before. Both women share the limelight and it worked, so I won’t grumble.

The ending did slip up on me a little too quickly without carrying much of an impact or shock value that I’ve come to expect from my favorite thrillers. A slight letdown but still cleverly and well-written. Wrapped up neatly with a large cast of intriguing characters that kept me turning the pages, it earns a thumbs-up as a riveting and well-worth reading tale.

I feel like it should have been obvious but it wasn't until it was ready for the big reveal. This was a good story the characters were well developed and the hints were just right. Just enough to keep them in the peripheral of your thoughts. I give it 3 out of 5 for being a good solid story. If you like a good lifetime movie mystery, I think you would really enjoy this book and I would also recommend if you like a good twist that when you get it you're like how did I not see it sooner, well played.