Customer Reviews

The Perfect Couple (Thorndike Romance)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I agree with the first reviewer here that said this book was seriously creepy. I was just cringing thinking about what was going to happen to the kidnapped Sam, but it wasn't enough to make me stop reading, just the opposite, I couldn't wait to see if she made it out ok or irreparably damaged by her ordeal. I also agree with the other reviewer that the romance was a little weak and really not much a part of the story at all, which is different than most of Brenda Novak's book. It was appropriate for this story though b/c a mother terrified for her daughter's safety and not knowing her whereabouts isn't going to be jonesing for some guy night and day no matter how hot he is or how much he's into her. I think it was handled appropriately and realistically for the characters and the situation and I can see her further developing their story a bit in future books where they are secondary characters dealing with The Last Stand.

I got halfway and quit, which sucks because I usually love this author. Great writing but the story was way too dark and unromantic for my personal tastes. It was creeping me out, and that is NOT why I read romance novels. But those who like that edge-of-your-seat book with a nail biting scary bad guy (or couple in this case), you may just love it.

I usually discover author's I like and stick with them. In this case Brenda Novak, has been one of thos authors for me. However, in this book, she has certainly gone very dark. The story is about a creepy couple who kidnaps their next-door neighbors daughter...

If you like dark novels this may be for you. I couldn't finish the book as it was not to my liking and unlike Brenda Novak's other works.

I always try to at least finish the book I am reviewing for the Amazon Vine Program. But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't do it with this one. Brenda Novak's "The Perfect Couple" was too dark for me.

Starting out a book with detailed descriptions of a sick, twisted, murderous couple was not the way to go in order to get me hooked. Colin and Tiffany were repulsive figures. I didn't want to read about them at all. In fact , they reminded me of that notorious couple in Canada. That couple was seemingly "perfect" on the outside but they were a murderous twosome bent on murder, rape and torture.

This book was so hard to read, that I could only get through the first 50 pages. By that time, I had a thorough understanding of Colin and Tiffany, but I hadn't even met Jonathan, the hero yet. I met Zoe, the heroine, briefly in those 50 pages as well as Sam, her daughter and kidnap victim of Colin and Tiffany.

I am giving this book two stars because I couldn't fully determine its merits. It obviously wasn't the book for me, but maybe the subject matter won't be as off-putting to others. While I knew it was a romantic suspense novel, I wasn't prepared to go to the places this book went.

After reading this book about Colin and Tiffany I fear my neighbors will never look the same. This is an interesting read (as long as the violence done to the children doesn't get to you)but there were a few disappointments for me. Ms. Novak usually writes great mysteries . but there was no mystery here. We knew from the beginning who the guilty parties were. Not having to solve a mystery greatly took away from this novel for me. Also the romance was almost non-existant. We were repeatedly told that Jon was in love with another woman and yet he wanted to sleep with Zoe. That is not a romance. As I said it was an interesting read, but it was not a great read.

Had I realized how deeply this is about child abuse and pedophiles, I would not have gotten it. I do not mind reading about sick people in the sense of killers and all, at least when part of a broader story. But, this was just too much for me. Just not my cup of tea.

Probably a true 3.5 stars!

This is a dark story about a seemingly "perfect" couple next door that harbors dark secrets. When Sam, the teen daughter of a woman in love with greatly less than stellar stepfather-to-be, goes missing, many assume that she has run away from future life. However, her mom knows that not to be the case and turns to private investigator Jonathan Strivers for help. Having never read any of Brenda Novak's previous books I had no preconceived notions about her writing or any prior introduction to Jonathan Strivers, who apparently has appeared in prior novels. However, I took the description of the book as a mystery/romance seriously. I have too say the mystery/intrigue part, though dark, was well done. The book was, however, seriously light on romance. I spent a great deal of time trying to understand the psychological insanity of Tiffany and Colin. That alone speaks of good writing. Though it is not my type of fare, I can't deny that the writing was good.

Plot Summary: Single mother Zoe Duncan has escaped her trailer-park childhood and landed herself an upper-middle class fiancé in an upscale neighborhood. Her thirteen year-old daughter Samantha isn't too fond of the match, and when she goes missing one afternoon, Zoe finds her relationship strained to the breaking point. No one has any leads, and pro-bono private investigator Jonathan Stivers is Zoe's best shot at finding Sam. The reader is privy to the entire mystery though, and we learn that Zoe's next door neighbors, a seemingly perfect couple, have Sam locked in a soundproofed torture chamber.

I'm sorry to say that I didn't like The Perfect Couple at all. This should be right up my alley, since I'm such a romantic suspense fan, but this story actually put me in a bad mood. Ms. Novak says in the introduction that she was `intrigued' by her villainous couple, and in retrospect I think that was a mistake. So much time was lavished on the sadists that I didn't feel like Zoe or Jonathan had enough time in the spotlight. I've read some pretty hardcore thrillers involving disgusting, unspeakable crimes, but for some reason this book pushed my buttons in a bad way. I'm not squeamish, but I don't want to spend that much time with the sickos either.

My other big gripe involved Zoe and Jonathan's relationship. It was unhealthy to the extreme, especially given the emotional baggage each one was carrying; Zoe was half out of her mind with her child missing, and Jonathan was still carrying a torch for his newly married coworker. It struck me as the wrong time and place to have sex, and when it backfired on them I wasn't surprised, just disappointed. The romance angle was sadly unsatisfying.

I thought Ms. Novak's style was fluid and easy to read. She obviously has a creative imagination, but there were too many holes and strange moments that had me disbelieving in this creation.

The Perfect Couple
This book is very well written and has a fresh approach to the thriller scenario with the `couple next door' as the villains. Though it is known from the first pages who the perpetrators are when a young girl goes missing, the mystery and tension are high. Zoe Duncan is a beautiful, vulnerable young woman whose life has not been easy. Jonathan Stivers is the private eye who is dedicated to helping her find her child, and is attracted to his client. As the story unfolded, this reader rooted for the couple to find each other as well as finding Zoe's daughter.

The characters are well developed and that alone makes this story great. It is so realistic that I felt I could `see' inside the head of a serial killer and his minion--as much a victim as the youngsters he abducts. Ms. Novak presents a story that has a strong plot, no loose threads and enough twists and turns to keep you on edge as you turn the pages. This is one I had to force myself to put down so I could sleep.

Highly recommended
Diane Davis White,
Author, Moon of the Falling Leaves

While a romance does take place, its not at the center of the book. Instead the book presents a very disturbing story involving child abduction and abuse. I won't go into detail, but the author does in ways that make the reader cringe. So if you're looking for a romantic thriller, this isn't it. And in fact, any reader should be okay with reading truly gritty, dark stuff regarding the nature of crazy, deeply disturbed people and the horrors they can inflict on others. With that said, its an interesting plot and Novak is a good writer. For me, its was a little dark.