Reviews with content warning for Bullying - The Golden Couple

Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Golden Couple by Sarah Pekkanen, Greer Hendricks

10 reviews

cassiealexandra's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

4.25

This was definitely what I’d call a slow burn thriller. The pieces came together so gradually that, at first, it almost read like a family drama. I kept waiting for something to happen. I’ll blame my own recent television habits with crime procedural shows. Not all thrillers are the same as a “whodunnit.” This was more of a, “what is happening?” kind of book. Avery says there are “invisible threads” tying herself to the Bishop family that she is slowly unraveling; I felt the same as a reader.

I appreciated the interesting characters about whom I was constantly wondering. Which person is unstable here? Is anyone a reliable narrator or source of information? It had plot points that were hinted at just enough to keep me in suspense, hoping that I’d figure it out just before the characters did.

I also loved the points of view choices here with Avery being in the first-person perspective and Marissa’s chapters being third-person. This is the first I’ve read by Hendricks and Pekkanen and I wonder how their writing process goes and if this unique POV thing has to do with their team dynamic.

The narration on this was also excellent. I’d never listened to Marin Ireland on audio before, but I see why she’s popular.

My two slight issues were that after the slow opening, it sometimes felt like too much was going on by the end and that the wrap up was convenient by my gut feeling. But, after reflecting for a while, I realized the ending and loose ends made sense and weren’t as coincidental as I’d originally felt.

The bottom line: A solid slow thriller with lots of moving pieces to puzzle out, strong characters, and great audio narration.

— NOTES —
Genres: slow burn thriller
POV: dual—first-person, Avery; third-person, Marissa
Content: infidelity, murder, cannabis use, death, vague memories of romance

— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)
Pace: 4
Enjoyment: 4.5
Craft: 4.5
My Gut Feeling: 4
Total Stars: 4.25

Content Warnings

cyndi1966's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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blueyogi's review against another edition

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tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I always enjoy this author duo, and I was very sucked into this story. It felt weird that it was set in an area where I've spent so much time! Will read more by this pair.

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nurseann7161's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

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frantically's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I was rooting for you

Matthew

, we were all rooting for you! (Actually, I don't think anyone other than me was rooting for

Matthew

.) (I'm still disappointed.)

Content Warnings

polarplays220's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This was a spontaneous read for me while I was on vacation and it was a great book for that (albeit, a little stressful due to its suspense!) I didn’t see all twists coming and so the book definitely kept me on my toes and interested! I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed and came out at you all-at-once but that’s a minor critique. The DC references felt a bit heavy handed and at times I felt like the switching back between narrators were a bit clunky, which is why my review puts this book in the 3-star range. Ultimately it was a book that kept me interested and engaged on vacation which is exactly what I was looking for.

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kfquarium's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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roeschcj1's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Absolutely loved this book and could not read it fast enough. The character development was wonderful and the storyline was engaging and finely crafted. I will definitely be looking for other books by these authors!

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hatchison86's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

I received an advanced copy from Netgalley for my honest opinion.

Since reading The Wife Between Us, I have been hooked on this writing duo & this book did not disappoint. In this suspenseful thriller, we follow a Avery, counselor with an unconventional 10 appointment plan and the Bishops, an attractive couple who appear to have everything. When Marissa Bishop confesses her infidelity, she and her husband Mathew enlist the help of Avery to save their marriage. However, Marrisa's betrayal is not the only secret that will be exposed.

This book was a roller coaster ride & the authors had me guessing to the very end. At the beginning, I didn't like Avery. She seems distant, paranoid, abrassive. Turns out, she became my favorite character. While she is an unconventional counselor, she is a strong, independent, smart woman who isn't apologetic about who she is or what she wants. It's also pretty cool when a character teaches you how to get what you want from people using therapy tactics.

Avery is the perfect diametrical woman to conventional Marissa. Since the book is told with alternating points of view from the two women, you really see the differences between the two. Sometimes, with this kind of storytelling, I get stuck on one story line and groan when the POV changes, however, I never felt that way throughout this novel. Each chapter is balanced just enough to never get bored with either narrative.

I really enjoyed this novel and all the small secrets that were revealed within it.

It's also worth mentioning that I listened to this novel read by my favorite narrator, Marin Ireland.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Marten's Press for this ARC.

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