Overview
The Golden Couple is a psychological thriller by the writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, published in 2022. It centers on a seemingly ideal married couple, an unconventional therapist, and secrets that go well beyond the affair that brings them to counseling.
Premise (spoiler-free)
Marissa and Matthew Bishop look like a perfect pair, with a comfortable life and a young son. Then Marissa admits to infidelity. Hoping to save the marriage, she turns to Avery Chambers, a therapist known for fast results and unorthodox methods. Avery promises to fix the couple’s problems in ten sessions or not take them on. Reviewers note that Avery has lost her professional license because of her controversial approach, and that she is willing to investigate her clients’ lives herself.
Characters
- Marissa Bishop, who confesses to the affair and wants to repair her marriage.
- Matthew Bishop, her husband, whose reaction becomes a central question.
- Avery Chambers, the therapist, who carries her own grief and past.
- Supporting characters such as colleagues and friends, who turn out to be more connected to the main cast than they first seem.
Structure and style
The story alternates between Marissa’s and Avery’s viewpoints. One reviewer noticed that Marissa’s chapters use third person while Avery’s use first person, which gives each narrator a distinct voice. Chapters are short and the pacing is quick, so many readers finish it in a few sittings. A drawback mentioned by reviewers is that the large number of connections between characters can be hard to track.
Spoilers and ending
Spoiler warning: the rest of this section discusses the ending.
According to a widely used summary, Matthew is not the wounded and forgiving husband he seems. He is revealed to have been orchestrating events, and he is responsible for the death of a friend of Marissa’s. Avery’s own storyline involves a separate conflict tied to a pharmaceutical company, which some reviewers felt was bolted on rather than integral. The book builds to a violent confrontation in which Avery acts to protect others.
As with all secondhand summaries, details may vary, so use this as a map rather than a transcript. One reviewer noted there is no huge “twist of the century” in the manner of the authors’ earlier novel The Wife Between Us; the surprises are spread throughout instead.
What readers liked and did not
Many readers praised the compelling setup, the evenly spaced twists, and Avery as a character who is both well-meaning and reckless. Criticisms include a somewhat predictable ending for some, and too many threads for others.
Other books readers search for
- The Perfect Couple is a different novel by Elin Hilderbrand, a mystery set around a wedding on Nantucket.
- Golden Girl is another Hilderbrand novel and not related to this one.
Best books by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Their best-known titles include The Wife Between Us, An Anonymous Girl, You Are Not Alone and this one. If you like it, similar tension plays out in the Twenty Years Later summary, and for another household-secrets story see our guide to The Perfect Family ending.