The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

Hey, it’s Diego.

This week I read The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose.

And I loved it.

Let me tell you all about it in my spoiler-free unbiased review.

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The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose Review

Sarah Morgan, a high-profile case attorney, wakes up one day to discover her husband Adam has been accused of murdering his mistress. She takes on the case because she still loves him but can their relationship survive as Sarah discovers the lies her husband has been feeding her all this time? Adam is an adulterer but is he guilty of murder?

This is a domestic thriller. The story alternates between Sarah’s office in Washington, D.C., and the lake house in Virginia where the murder occurred.

What attracted me to this book was the premise - a woman who has to defend her husband when accused of murder is juicy - and the comparisons to “Gone Girl” where we get both points of view throughout the story were also appealing.

That said, I found the writing clunky. The dialogue and phrasing felt stilted and awkward at times. It’s not polished or poetic, but if you’re more about the plot than the prose like I am, it might not bother you. I still found it easy to fly through it because of its short chapters and fast pace.

The story moves quickly, even at the start. The story alternates between Adam, the husband accused of murder, and Sarah, his high-powered attorney wife who decides to defend him. This dual perspective adds tension, and although it’s hard to connect with Adam initially, I felt for Sarah in her discovery of the truth both as her attorney and broken-hearted wife.

The tone is dramatic with a sense of unintentional humor because of how over-the-top things can get. It’s not creepy or scary—it’s more like watching a tense cop drama with some thrilling, occasionally humorous, moments.

While romance isn’t the focus, infidelity is central to the plot, and there are explicit and steamy sex scenes involving Adam’s affair. Definitely not a clean read, and there’s quite a bit of swearing throughout.

Expect graphic descriptions of violence, including a brutal murder. The thrills are there, but mostly in the sense of “Will Sarah prove Adam’s innocence or will he end up in jail for life?” —I found the drama gripping, and read the whole thing in a couple of days.

So, what about the ending? (No spoilers obviously)

The ending wraps up all loose ends, but I can see it being controversial. There’s a good denouement as well which was much better handled.

I had no problem binging this one. I can suspend my disbelief and get over the clunky writing to enjoy a good popcorn thriller and this one hit the mark for me. It was fast-paced, entertaining, with a ticking clock and high stakes.

Similar Books to The Perfect Marriage

• Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

• Verity by Colleen Hoover

• Works by Shari Lapena

That’s all for this week.

See you next time.

— Diego Dunne

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