Goodreads says, "The next electrifying novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo behind The Wife Between Us. Wealthy Washington suburbanites Marissa and Matthew Bishop seem to have it all—until Marissa is unfaithful. Beneath their veneer of perfection is a relationship riven by work and a lack of intimacy. She wants to repair things for the sake of their eight-year-old son and because she loves her husband. Enter Avery Chambers. Avery is a therapist who lost her professional license. Still, it doesn’t stop her from counseling those in crisis, though they have to adhere to her unorthodox methods. And the Bishops are desperate. When they glide through Avery’s door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it’s no longer simply a marriage that’s in danger."
Avery Chambers, a therapist, has lost her license due to her unconventional methods; however, this hasn't caused her to leave the field. In fact, she is more popular than ever and is known for multi-step approach to get back her clients back on track. That is exactly why Marissa Bishop hires her to save her marriage. Marissa has cheated on her husband and confesses this during her first therapy session with her husband, Matthew. This shouldn't be too difficult for Avery to fix, right? Her ten step approach can fix anything, that is until she meets Marissa and Matthew who are hiding too many secrets for their own good. On the surface, they look like the perfect "golden" couple; however, there's many dark secrets lurking below that Avery uncovers slowly and some of the secrets, surprisingly, trip Avery up! But Matthew and Marissa aren't the only characters hiding secrets in the novel. Avery has made some enemies along the way, starting with a drug company that she reported to the FDA. The drug company is hot on her trail and isn't happy with her all. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen's The Golden Couple is a solid thriller that had me flipping the pages.
Marissa is, at first, an intriguing character despite her affair. However, once readers get to know her, they realize that the you don't really know her at all. She hides many secrets and omits the truth quite frequently. For starters, she says her affair was with a guy from her gym, which we find out isn't true at all. I do give her credit for trying marriage counseling, but can it really work when there's too many secrets between a couple? Slowly Avery tries to figure them out by using her unconventional ways that make her feel more of a detective at times. She visits Marissa's boutique, talks to Marissa's assistant who raises some red flags, trails Matthew, and even visits Marissa's gym to find the guy she had an affair with. As Avery uncovers more of Marissa's story, she realizes there's more to this than meets the eye.
The other characters are equally interesting in The Golden Couple. Matthew raises some red flags from the beginning, but he wants everyone to recognize him as a victim since he is the one who was cheated on. Slowly readers learn more about Matthew and Marissa's past, how they met, his background, and all of this helps the readers better understand their relationship. Then there's Polly, Marissa's assistant, who seems entirely unstable and a bit Single White Female at times. Readers can't help but feel like she is withholding some secrets, too. Then there's the Avery, who is supposed to be figuring out everyone else's problems, but she has some of her own that are starting to look bigger than she can handle as this drug company's stalking is getting dangerous.
There are many twists in The Golden Couple and although I enjoyed the novel more than their last novel, I still felt that some twists were a bit forced and I didn't entirely believe some of them. However, that didn't stop my enjoyment as I thought it was an entertaining thriller despite its downfalls.
So, are you a fan of Hendricks and Pekannen's collaborations? Have you read The Golden Couple? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
I've enjoyed their books in the past and have this one on hold at my library!
ReplyDeleteI hope you like it and I look forward to your thoughts on it! Thanks for visiting, Michele!
DeleteSometimes it can be a bit overwhelming when it seems like every character has a secret (or more than one!), but I'm glad to hear the authors were able to overcome some of those crazier moments.
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