Author: Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen
Narrator: Karissa Vacker, Marin Ireland
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: March 2022
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Buy the Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: 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.
My Thoughts: The Golden Couple is an intense roller coaster ride of a book that left me shocked and blown away by all the twists and turns that I never saw coming. On the surface, this story centers on therapist Avery Chambers and her clients Matthew and Marissa Bishop who come to Avery to help them fix their marriage after Marissa has been unfaithful. Avery’s technique is very unorthodox and caused her to lose her professional license. She is very up front with her clients…if she thinks her ten session system won’t work, she will not take them on as clients. She expects her clients to take the sessions seriously and put in the work she expects of them. She will not tolerate tardiness, absenteeism or dishonesty. I honestly did not know what to make of Avery upon first meeting her.
Avery’s impression of the Bishop’s upon first meeting them is that they are a golden couple. Shiny, bright and beautiful on the outside and to all appearances living a perfect life. Avery knows it’s all a façade and is determined to get below the surface layers to discover the truth.
As the story progressed, I struggled with figuring out who I could trust. All of the characters seemed to be playing their cards close to their chest and keeping secrets. The writing team of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have woven an intriguing tale with so many layers that I had absolutely no idea how it would all turn out. Every projection or suspicion I had proved false and when all of the secrets began to unravel and the truth was finally revealed, it knocked my fuzzy little socks right off.
The characters are multi-layered and complex. Knowing a lot of their background, I still struggled to figure out who they really are. The supporting characters are equally mysterious. The interesting thing for me is that though I loved this story, I struggled to like or trust any of the characters.
This was my first time reading the work of this writing team and I am most anxious to read more. The audio format was narrated by Karissa Vackman and Marin Ireland and their performance was stellar, with the story being told from the points of view of Avery and Marissa. I thoroughly enjoy stories told from multiple viewpoints, which helps me get to know the characters better.
My Final Verdict: This story packed a mighty large punch that required me to pick my jaw up from the floor. I highly recommend this story to readers who love twisty thrillers that keep them guessing only to be blown away at the end.
Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Audio, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.
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