I did expect a bit more in this one. Leaving me a little more disappointed than I had hoped.
Rating: 2.5/5
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.
This was voted as my April #EnchantedReadsBookClub pick!
This was my first book by this duo. And after finishing, I just wasn’t as shocked as I expected. I had heard this wasn’t their best, so that gives me hope and further interest to pick up another by them. But for this Golden Couple, I expected a bit more.
This is a suspense thriller that follows a married couple seeking a therapist to save their marriage after an affair. However, the therapist they turn to has some unconventional ways of helping her clients. Shortly after they start their sessions, there are much deeper secrets of their marriage than just an affair to be uncovered.
This is a complicated thriller where none of our characters are entirely upfront with certain details. And we’re left guessing for a majority of the book on some things. Usually, I find this an entertaining aspect of a book when done well, but the execution in this one was just more frustrating to me than entertaining.
This is a complicated thriller where none of our characters are entirely upfront with certain details
There were just a lot of secrets left to be uncovered. But their timing wasn’t always good. And a few felt more like afterthoughts than these major reveals they probably could have been. One of these secrets in particular definitely came across as more of a “by the way” which was a bit disappointing to me, especially given that it was mentioned several times before the entire details were finally revealed. The shock factor just wasn’t there when it came to being revealed. There were also secrets I was expecting to surface that just never come.
There were also secrets I was expecting to surface that just never come.
One of the bigger aspects of this book is the focus of our “therapist”, Avery, and her unconventional methods to treat her clients. This sort of reminded me of the owner of the health resort in Nine Perfect Strangers. Though, I found this book to be much more entertaining. Avery’s methods were often alarming, making me question who’d actually agree to this sort of help? Then, there is Avery’s personal life, I was honestly more intrigued by Avery’s life rather than our golden couple. I found her life much more interesting to follow.
I was honestly more intrigued by Avery’s life rather than our golden couple.
Speaking of our couple though, I really don’t know how I feel about them. For most of the book, I felt things were too simple. Marissa has an affair and Matthew is way too forgiving about it. I’m sorry, what? Again, sort of going back to the lack of upfront details.
Overall, I did expect a bit more in this one. Leaving me a little more disappointed than I had hoped. But I appreciated its ability to keep me captivated all the way through the end. I definitely plan to read more by this duo. This book also made for a fun book club pick!
I think if you enjoy complicated suspense thrillers featuring marriages, you might like this one too!