megs004's review
3.0
I am a huge Mary Kubica fan, but this book was a letdown. Just The Nicest Couple is a story centered around two friends and the sudden disappearance of one of the husbands. One night, Jake suddenly disappears, and his wife, Nina, thinks he ran away due to the high stress of being a surgeon, and they also just had a major fight. Lily, their other friend, was the only person who last saw him alive. Lily told her husband, Christian, about her predicament, and they bowed to keep what they know a secret. Sequentially narrated by Nina and Lily, we find out that their secret may cause more harm than good when Nina is determined to find out the truth behind her husband’s disappearance.
The book had the perfect setup, but it was a straightforward thriller with no major twists. The plot was still solid enough to keep me interested with the short chapters as I waited for something significant to happen. The ending also had so much potential, but it fell flat. The book left me wanting more, and I felt disappointed that I did not feel the same shock factor I was hoping for as I had with her other books. The book was still an entertaining, easy read, but it was very anti-climatic and not one of my favorites by Mary Kubica.
Thank you to NetGallery and to Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me a copy of the book.
The book had the perfect setup, but it was a straightforward thriller with no major twists. The plot was still solid enough to keep me interested with the short chapters as I waited for something significant to happen. The ending also had so much potential, but it fell flat. The book left me wanting more, and I felt disappointed that I did not feel the same shock factor I was hoping for as I had with her other books. The book was still an entertaining, easy read, but it was very anti-climatic and not one of my favorites by Mary Kubica.
Thank you to NetGallery and to Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me a copy of the book.
sophiagormley7's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
josiannepf's review against another edition
2.0
Totally guessed "who dun it" 1/3 of the way through the book. I just kept reading to see if it would get better and if we would learn a little bit more about the motivations of the killer. Would have loved to have read the killer's perspective as well. Might read this again when it releases to see if there are any edits to the story.
ksmithcpa's review
4.0
Thank you Thoughts From a Page Podcast for access to the digital ARC.
Just like any great thriller, I found myself sucked into this book each time I picked it up. Told from two perspectives, I did not know who to trust, which definitely kept me on my toes. And like most thrillers, this is hard to review without giving anything away. So, I’ll leave it this way - this was my first book by Mary Kubica but definitely won’t be my last!
Just like any great thriller, I found myself sucked into this book each time I picked it up. Told from two perspectives, I did not know who to trust, which definitely kept me on my toes. And like most thrillers, this is hard to review without giving anything away. So, I’ll leave it this way - this was my first book by Mary Kubica but definitely won’t be my last!
sparetimereader's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Short synopsis: Nina’s husband Jake goes missing, and Christian’s wife Lilly just might have something to do with it.
My thoughts: This was a twisty thriller with the big reveal not happening until the very last pages. Some of it was somewhat obvious to me, but the big twist while not completely original did come as an unexpected surprise.
This is told from the POV of both the spouses of the victim and the last person known to be with him, which made the telling interesting and unique.
I was gripped from the very first pages and was very anxious to find out what really happened to Jake! How far would you go to protect your spouse!
Read if you love:
- Multiple POV
- Twisty thrillers
- Couple friends
- Short chapters
TW: Death, murder, miscarriage, infertility
Thank you Park Row and Netgalley for the early copy of this book! Publication date is January 10, 2023.
mrscorytee's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
showingshelflove's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
lynburn's review
3.0
Just the Nicest Couple is the first Mary Kubica book I’ve read. And it was a solid thriller, if not the most interesting one I’ve ever read.
The story starts off in the woods with someone fighting for their life.
From there, the story is told from Christian and Nina’s points of view. Christian has come home to find his pregnant wife, Lily, has been attacked in the woods by Nina’s doctor husband, Jake. Lily, in defending herself, may have left Jake to die in the woods. But she’s not sure.
Nina and Jake have had a fight due to her increasing time spent with her mother, who is in poor health. When Jake doesn’t come home from work, Nina thinks he’s left her.
As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the stories being told aren’t what they seem. Christian and Lily may have secrets they haven’t shared, and Jake may not be the good doctor that Nina believes he is.
And throughout the story, the reader is left guessing where is Jake?
I loved the twists and turns as more details were revealed throughout this story. It definitely kept me turning the pages. I did think the ending sort of fizzled out which left me a little disappointed.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and will read more from Mary Kubrica. I was able to read and discuss as an early read with Cindy from @thoughtsfromapage , which I always enjoy.
Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the early e-copy of #justthenicestcouple .
The story starts off in the woods with someone fighting for their life.
From there, the story is told from Christian and Nina’s points of view. Christian has come home to find his pregnant wife, Lily, has been attacked in the woods by Nina’s doctor husband, Jake. Lily, in defending herself, may have left Jake to die in the woods. But she’s not sure.
Nina and Jake have had a fight due to her increasing time spent with her mother, who is in poor health. When Jake doesn’t come home from work, Nina thinks he’s left her.
As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the stories being told aren’t what they seem. Christian and Lily may have secrets they haven’t shared, and Jake may not be the good doctor that Nina believes he is.
And throughout the story, the reader is left guessing where is Jake?
I loved the twists and turns as more details were revealed throughout this story. It definitely kept me turning the pages. I did think the ending sort of fizzled out which left me a little disappointed.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and will read more from Mary Kubrica. I was able to read and discuss as an early read with Cindy from @thoughtsfromapage , which I always enjoy.
Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the early e-copy of #justthenicestcouple .
katiescott's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage and Infertility
Minor: Blood
ondbookshelf's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0