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A review by zostev
The Golden Couple by Sarah Pekkanen, Greer Hendricks
4.0
This was such an easy read. The writing style was addicting and I loved the dual POV. I really had no idea where the story was going, so the twist at the end definitely threw me for a loop. I totally suspected Polly of being more involved in the situation, and actually hoped she was. She was weirdly obsessive with Marissa and I think it could have been a cool plot line. Creepy and similar to ‘The Roommate.’ However, I do wish Avery’s “unethical” therapy methods were more, well, unethical. There was nothing unique about the therapy, other than her stalking and digging for information. I was expecting something much more taboo and extreme.
At first I thought that the story lines in the book were slow to unravel, and when they did, the information was disappointing. However, I enjoyed reading about Marissa’s upbringing and Avery’s day to day activities, particularly because she had to be weary about the big pharma coming after her. The authors were careful to describe their environments and the mundaneness of life as a boutique owner and consultant, while also being sure to slowly reveal the dark secrets one by one.
I do wish Avery included more psychoanalysis. Sure, there were break downs of body language and tiny observations of details that would otherwise be easy to miss. However, I have read other psycho-thrillers that included more in-depth analyses of client behavior, which I enjoyed reading. It’s also telling of what kind of character the therapist is based on how they are analyzing them — are they narcissistic? A sociopath? Missing something? To me, Avery seemed to always be one step behind. And this was disappointing because her character seemed to be very thorough and on top of her game. This is where the “unethical” therapy methods could have gotten more interesting.
Lastly, I found Avery’s reflections on grief at the end to be very touching. It was revealed that she really did overdose her husband, on his own terms. She said the death of her husband set her free, but she still grapples with the sadness and reality of losing a significant other, which is made clear when she cries at the end. Grief is funny in that it will hit you periodically when you least expect it. It will creep up on you when you thought you’ve moved on. The reality of it is that we cope with it forever — life is a never ending cycle of grief.
At first I thought that the story lines in the book were slow to unravel, and when they did, the information was disappointing. However, I enjoyed reading about Marissa’s upbringing and Avery’s day to day activities, particularly because she had to be weary about the big pharma coming after her. The authors were careful to describe their environments and the mundaneness of life as a boutique owner and consultant, while also being sure to slowly reveal the dark secrets one by one.
I do wish Avery included more psychoanalysis. Sure, there were break downs of body language and tiny observations of details that would otherwise be easy to miss. However, I have read other psycho-thrillers that included more in-depth analyses of client behavior, which I enjoyed reading. It’s also telling of what kind of character the therapist is based on how they are analyzing them — are they narcissistic? A sociopath? Missing something? To me, Avery seemed to always be one step behind. And this was disappointing because her character seemed to be very thorough and on top of her game. This is where the “unethical” therapy methods could have gotten more interesting.
Lastly, I found Avery’s reflections on grief at the end to be very touching. It was revealed that she really did overdose her husband, on his own terms. She said the death of her husband set her free, but she still grapples with the sadness and reality of losing a significant other, which is made clear when she cries at the end. Grief is funny in that it will hit you periodically when you least expect it. It will creep up on you when you thought you’ve moved on. The reality of it is that we cope with it forever — life is a never ending cycle of grief.