whitneydaniell

Book #1 The Perfect Marriage (pub 2020)

Synopsis

Sarah Morgan is back, and this time it’s been twelve years since the murder of Kelly Summers—and only one year since her husband, Adam Morgan, was executed by the state for that crime.

It’s also been a year since Sarah and Bob got married, but now their once-in-a-lifetime love (sarcasm) is coming to an end. Sarah has traded defending her husband in the courtroom for sitting on the opposite side of a negotiation table—this time, across from her new husband. And their assets aren’t the only things they’re both trying to hold on to. They each have secrets and leverage, but how do you take someone down without bringing yourself down too?

Sarah was always one step ahead of Adam, but will she be as clever with Bob? Or will Bob finally beat Sarah at her own game?

Character Summary

Sarah Morgan – The once-young wonder lawyer of Washington, D.C., who made partner at just 33. She was well on her way to Gloria Allred status when her husband, Adam, was accused of murdering his mistress, Kelly Summers. Sarah took on the painful and dutiful job of defending him. When she failed to clear Adam of the charges, he was sentenced to death. Sarah eventually rode off into the sunset with her new love, Bob Miller, and their daughter, Summer. Sarah is portrayed as a sociopath, though she does genuinely care for Summer. She doesn’t quite fit the typical profile, but I think the label is implied.

Sheriff Marcus Hudson – Formerly a deputy during the time of Kelly’s murder, he’s now taken over as sheriff after Ryan Stevens fell off the wagon. Hudson is portrayed as noble and honest—a stark contrast to his predecessor. As the drama escalates and the bodies pile up, Hudson vows to do things by the book, but still lacks investigative depth. I’m not sure why we needed to know about his relationship with Chief Deputy Pam Olson, but okay.

Bob Miller – Sarah’s second husband and Summer’s father. Bob is also a lawyer who once worked at the same firm as Sarah. After Adam’s conviction, Sarah left to start the Morgan Foundation, clearing the path for Bob to make partner in her absence. He likes to believe himself to be cunning and sharp—but he’s not very smart. Sarah sure knows how to pick ’em.

Stacy Howard – By all intents and purposes, a sex worker who has a one-night stand with Bob. She robs him and later attempts to blackmail him over the encounter.

Alejandro Perez – A recently released felon going through reentry with the Morgan Foundation. Sarah takes an interest in him early on, and they eventually build rapport.

My Thoughts

Didn’t love it—but I’m a glutton for punishment, because I keep reading Jeneva Rose’s books hoping the next one will be the one I love. That has yet to happen. Her thrillers are consistently lackluster and disjointed to me. The Perfect Divorce was no different.

Sarah, once again, seems to live in a world where logic and common sense don’t apply. She runs around like a full-on psychopath while everyone remains blissfully unaware. And I get it—in my Perfect Marriage review, I criticized the sheriff’s department for their incompetence, and now we see a big emphasis on Sheriff Hudson doing things “by the book.” Yet somehow, it still stretches credibility.

One thing that repeatedly pulled me out of the story was the timeline. What year is it? What decade? Jumping ahead 12 years is a lot. I guess it’s implied that Bob and Sarah have been together since Adam’s incarceration. At the end of The Perfect Marriage, Summer is eight; at the start of this book, she’s nine—but Sarah and Bob have only been married a year? Okay. And capital punishment was abolished in Virginia in 2021… so again, what year is it?

The story is told from three POVs: Sarah, Bob, and Sheriff Hudson—but there are also a few chapters from Stacy Howard that felt unnecessary. Honestly, entire chapters from Hudson could have been trimmed into dialogue. His police work wasn’t that much better than his predecessor’s. Once all the plotlines are laid out, many of them feel far-fetched. Oh—and yes, I caught that Gone Girl reference. So unoriginal.

Anne is back again, being just as useless as before. I was convinced she’d be involved in the plot this time, but nope—still just floating around the periphery, bringing nothing.

And my final gripe? Why did the character with a criminal past have to be named Alejandro? There are plenty of Chads, Thomases, and Matthews who commit felonies and murders too.

Final Verdict

It was just okay.

Jeneva Rose writes very middle-of-the-road books for me. They’re never amazing, but never truly awful either. A solid three-star average. And, to no one’s surprise, I’ll continue reading them.