Romance & Reality

Author: Jeneva Rose

Publisher: Bloodhound Books

Publish Date: July 13, 2020

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 337

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Thriller, psychological thriller, suspense, psychological fiction, domestic fiction, legal story

Content Warnings: abuse and manipulation, violence and crime, infidelity, sexual content, blood, infidelity, pregnancy

This read was a true page turner for me. There was so much going on, I just couldn’t put it down. Marriage, infidelity, feminine rage, homicide, power struggles, just so many things going on all at once. After the mistress was found dead in Sarah and Adam’s lake house, it was an ongoing spiral from there. While reading, I never would’ve suspected the murderer to be who it was, but after a bit of reflection I noticed there were more breadcrumbs than I thought.

The story is told from the perspective of Sarah, a highly successful criminal defense attorney, and her husband, Adam, a struggling writer. Sarah is extremely driven and career-focused. She’s extremely calculated, always in control and never takes a loss. Nothing is ever out of place with Sarah. She’s what some of us call a “shark”. On the other hand, Adam is still trying to find his place in his career. So there’s a bit of jealousy and envy coming from Adam. His wife’s dedication and work ethic makes him feel powerless, inadequate and forgotten in some ways. He loves her, but the power dynamic  deeply troubles him. This leads to him having an affair with a waitress, Kelly, who he also loves and “thinks” (in my opinion) he loves her more than Sarah.

When Kelly is found dead in Sarah and Adams lake house, that’s when everything begins to spiral. As the plot thickens, several characters become suspects as they appear to have possible motives for killing Kelly. Several characters have their own dark pasts and connections, which could possibly misguide the reader from solving the case because their credibility becomes questionable.

There came a point in the story where Adam was beginning to stress me out. I don’t know how many times I yelled “you big dummy!” while reading from his perspective. His paranoia got the best of him and he began to maneuver in a desperate manner. He threw logic out the window and allowed his emotions to take over. However, I enjoyed reading about his “Cruella de Vil” of a mom, Eleanor, who was just as much of a shark as Sarah. But Eleanor wasn’t a high-profile DA like Sarah, so her calculations weren’t as impactful as her daughter-in-law’s.

Lastly, I really enjoyed the little gems that the author sprinkled throughout the chapters. The most impactful takeaway that I gained from this book is that timing is everything. It doesn’t matter what you do or how you do it. What matters is if you are patient enough to logically calculate your actions and commit them at the perfect time, leaving no stone unturned. Sarah had mastered this skill, which is what led to the perfect ending of The Perfect Marriage.

Curious for more? Indulge in the full story on amazon:  The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

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