Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks, Sarah Pekkanen

14 reviews

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Murder, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Stalking

Minor: Blood, Pregnancy, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infertility, Gun violence, and Medical content

nataliebootlah's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

To outsiders, the Bishops are a picture-perfect couple—wealthy, successful, and very much in love—but behind closed doors, their marriage is falling apart. This is your typical domestic thriller laced with infidelity, a former therapist and her unconventional approach, and the secrets everyone is keeping. All the Bishops have to do is go through ten sessions with therapist, Avery, and then they’ll be the golden couple once again. Right?

I wanted to see more from Avery’s character, her bizarre 10-step approach, and way less of Marissa’s whining. Although there were some notable twists, the back plot was kind of forgettable, and the big twist felt predictable. Ultimately, this one fell flat for me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Murder, Violence, and Sexual content

axkerti's review

I just couldn't deal with the story, the plot was absolutely dragging and while I finally got one question answered when I DNF'd there was literally no energy left to the book. I was bored and I was starting slump. Chances of ever giving this book another try are really slim.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Death, Infidelity, Stalking, and Infertility

Minor: Sexual content

adventuresinfictionland's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Stalking

briannad4's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Stalking

Moderate: Murder and Sexual content

emotionalsupportsandwich's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Minor: Sexual content

arthur_ant18's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Gun violence, Murder, Terminal illness, and Sexual violence

Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content

kfquarium's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity

Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Stalking, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Death, and Gaslighting

Minor: Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Infertility, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, and Sexual content

jordanc810's review

challenging dark 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? Yes

3.75

This was good but I didn't love it. I can't exactly put my finger on why, but this didn't feel as good as some of Hendricks & Pekkanen's book. It kind of fell flat. 

I think expecting something to happen the whole book...I wasn't surprised at all when it did happen. Maybe too much of the book was given away by the title and synopsis. I'm not sure...but it just didn't work well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Infidelity and Stalking

Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual content

toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

1.5

So this book is about a therapist who's lost her license and now she treats her patients with out-of-the-box methods, because she can, and somehow no one steps in to question her ethics. Literally, not a single person in this entire book stops for one second to say, "this isn't ethical." Right off the bat, it's asking me to suspend a little too much of my disbelief.

So much of this book hinges on you being patient with mediocre writing, hollow characters, twists that make absolutely no sense with very little evidence throughout the book to support it, and for you to keep track of a bunch of side characters that add little to the story as a whole. Not to mention, by the time I was less than halfway through, I was already so tired of reading about these privileged WASPs - literally characters with lineage dating back to the Mayflower. I just stopped caring, but I *did* want to know if my theories were correct, because I am a freak who is obsessed with being right.

I can't say this is a complete dud - the book did have its moments that were genuinely creepy, and where I thought that Avery, the therapist, was sort of interesting. I enjoyed her chapters because at least they didn't feel as hollow as the chapters that followed Marissa, her client and one half of "the golden couple" in question. I also enjoyed her dog, he was adorable. I also thought that one of the scenes toward the end was very chilling, but it quickly became cringey and far-fetched, so it didn't really amount to much. Though I did enjoy Avery at times, it became increasingly hard to believe that she is as smart as these authors want to pretend she is.

All of this said, for once, I didn't call the ending of a thriller, which I enjoy, usually...except...I only didn't guess this ending because it made no sense in any realm.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Blood, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Murder, Alcohol, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Child death, Pregnancy, Infertility, and Medical content

Minor: Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Animal cruelty