Name: Jessica Roberts's review of Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy
Item: Goodnight Beautiful
Rating: 4
Author: Jessica Roberts

Aimee Molloy

From "master of clever misdirection" (Kirkus Reviews) Aimee Molloy, author of the New York Times bestseller The Perfect Mother, comes an irresistible psychological thriller featuring a newly married woman whose life is turned upside down when her husband goes missing. Golden boy and reformed heartbreaker Sam Statler is looking forward to returning to his hometown of Orlando, New York, with his clever new wife, Annie. They've bought the house of their dreams and Sam, a therapist, is finally opening his own practice, attending to the egos of his (mostly female) clientele. Sensitive, curious, with a dimple to die for, Sam is a changed man--nothing like his no-good father, who left his own wife for a Talbots catalogue model. From the outside, Sam and Annie are building a picture-perfect life. But when Sam disappears and his secrets are exposed--including a house facing foreclosure and a mountain of debt he hid from Annie--everyone assumes he's following in his father's footsteps. Of course, assumptions being what they are, the truth is far more complex--and shocking. Showcasing Aimee Molloy's deft ability to subvert norms and expectations and culminating in the kind of unexpected twist that is becoming her trademark, Goodnight Beautiful is a thrilling tale of domestic suspense that explores just how far individuals will go to protect the ones they love--and to hide their own secrets.

Goodnight Beautiful

Brileigh Talbert

This is that book that you physically cannot WAIT to finish. 

Everytime I turned the page THEY WERE PLAYING NEW TRICKS ON ME

twisty, engaging, not terribly scary but an addicting read 

Jessica Roberts

This is that book that you physically cannot WAIT to finish. 

Everytime I turned the page THEY WERE PLAYING NEW TRICKS ON ME

twisty, engaging, not terribly scary but an addicting read 

Krystyna 

** spoiler alert **
           Let me start by saying that I'm probably providing an unpopular opinion for this book. There are so many people that thoroughly enjoyed this one, which is great...it just wasn't the case for me. I did enjoy some of the twists that were presented in the book but I had some big issues with it. I didn't appreciate the complete rip off of Misery by Stephen King. If you're familiar with that story, it ruins one of the major plot twists for this book. On top of the Misery rip off, they referenced Misery numerous times in the book, which is where the characters get ideas from to progress this story. 

While reading this, part of me was thinking seriously, let's just be original...and the other part of me was thinking, it's interesting to have a plot where characters are inspired by other characters and give credit where credit is due. However, for me thrillers are all about guessing the ending and trying to figure out if you can guess plot twists along the way...and as I mentioned previously, if you're familiar with Misery, count any surprises out. I also didn't appreciate the role playing between the couple, when she assumed the role of a mental health patient. I thought that was a bit distasteful. Another issue that I had with this book is the use of mental health as a plot device, specifically referring to the antagonist of the story. I know that other thrillers do this as well, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth. 

Overall, I thought the story was just okay, but I wouldn't recommend it. I think that there are much better thrillers out there and I don't really think I'd read any other work by this author. I just don't think it's a good fit for me. I feel like the characters were quite flat and the story was a bit unbelievable. I want a thriller to wow me and have a shocking ending..and this book didn't quite fit the bill for me.

Jenna Pascale 

QUICK TAKE: Goodnight Beautiful follows psychologist, Sam Statler, who suddenly goes missing on a stormy night. His wife is worried, but others think he just ran away. 

READ IF YOU LIKE: 
-	Multiple POV’s 
-	Unpredictable twists 
-	Unreliable narrators 
-	Missing person’s investigations 

MY THOUGHTS: 
To start this off, this was an extremely quick and easy read. It would have been finished in one sitting if life and responsibilities weren’t a thing – I managed to finish in two sittings. The book is broken up into three main parts, with the twists revealed at the end of each part. I was a bit confused when the first twist was revealed because I genuinely felt as if I missed a chapter or two – I found myself going back and trying to retrace my steps but all in all, Molloy just perfectly executed a twist I truthfully NEVER saw coming. And it didn’t stop there. This is a book I would definitely recommend going into with little to no knowledge of the premise and one that will take you for a ride without needing to know much. Overall a captivating yet somewhat light and easy read – and I highly recommend for any thriller lover!

From “master of clever misdirection” (Kirkus Reviews) Aimee Molloy, author of the New York Times bestseller The Perfect Mother, comes an irresistible psychological thriller featuring a newly married woman whose life is turned upside down when her husband goes missing. A handsome psychotherapist. His lonely wife. And in his home office ceiling, a vent … You’d listen too, wouldn’t you? (You know you would.) Newlyweds Sam Statler and Annie Potter are head over heels, and excited to say good-bye to New York City and start a life together in Sam's sleepy hometown upstate. Or, it turns out, a life where Annie spends most of her time alone while Sam, her therapist husband, works long hours in his downstairs office, tending to the egos of his (mostly female) clientele. Little does Sam know that through a vent in his ceiling, every word of his sessions can be heard from the room upstairs. The pharmacist's wife, contemplating a divorce. The well-known painter whose boyfriend doesn’t satisfy her in bed. Who could resist listening? Everything is fine until the French girl in the green mini Cooper shows up, and Sam decides to go to work and not come home, throwing a wrench into Sam and Annie's happily ever after. Showcasing Molloy’s deft ability to subvert norms and culminating in the kind of stunning twist that is becoming her trademark, Goodnight Beautiful is a thrilling tale of domestic suspense that not only questions assumptions but defies expectations.

A Novel

Alexa M

god i really enjoyed this! not as much as Molloy’s debut but still a lot. i didn’t see anything coming which is always nice in a thriller, it took a very unique and unexpected route! can’t wait to read more from her in the future.

Jennifer mitchell

it is so bad I want to give you a zero, but that’s not possible so I give you a one.

Ariana Morris

Cheri McElroy

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sam and Annie are newlyweds who are head over heels. They have moved to Sam’s hometown in New York state to care for Sam’s mother as Sam opens a new therapy practice. Little does Sam know that there is a vent in the house where every therapy session can be heard. Then one day, Sam vanished, and Annie is scrambling to figure out that things she didn't know.

This book is polarizing. Yes, it's a bit of a take on another novel. But I liked how roles were flipped on their heads, and I liked the strength I saw in certain characters—a fun ride.

kate humphreys 

Terri Arnold

I originally saw this book on a TikTok video titled "Psychological Thrillers that messed with my head" with this book saying to "go in as blind as you can" because it was "full of twists and turns." And that much is true....for the first 92 pages of the book. From then on it was mostly just disappointing. Without spoiling too much of the plot a womans husband goes missing and they cannot seem to find him. The wife studies feminist culture and has recently written an article on the book Misery (one of my all time favourite thrillers) and that seems to be a lot of where the inspiration for this book came from. And to me it raises the question "how far can you go with inspiration before calling it a cop out?" 

(view spoiler)[If Molloy had maybe left the big plot twist for later in the novel it would have been more impactful. After the reveal that what we thought was Sam's wife in the beginning of the novel was in fact his elderly male landlord with childhood trauma, my interest in the story began to wane. I'm not sure if I would have preferred the story with or without the mention of the landlord taking inspiration from Annie Wilkes because from then onwards it felt like a cheaper, less scary version of Misery. Also the MC's wife is called Annie....sus. 

I'm also not sure if it was just my interpretation of the character or if it was intentional; but the landlord was almost written in a stereotypical "gay men are predators/pedophiles" manner that demonises older gay men, and something about that characterisation just left a bad taste in my mouth. While it was never explicitly written, the manner in which Albert wants to care for Sam seems romantic bordering on infantile. Especially in contrast to the other male MC who wasn't particularly a good guy but seems to get off scot free from consequence. Just a bit odd. (hide spoiler)]

Would I recommend this book? Ehh maybe? It's a nice, easy to read thriller that doesn't go too far into the darker side of the genre - so would be a good introductory novel for those new to the genre. But once they've read this book I would say go read Misery to cleanse your palate...

Heather

5 Stars ⭐️ 
I will be processing this one for the rest of my life! I can’t talk too much about this book without spoiling anything. However, if you love psychological thrillers that keeping you guessing, THIS IS IT. The mind games this played on me 😵‍💫! It was so insane and a rollercoaster worth riding! Definitely give this one a read! It’s so crazy.

Alex Flagg

This thriller took me on so many twist and turns I could never properly describe it without giving away major surprises. Except not in your normal “no way!” kind of twist but more of in a “wait what does that mean?? ” kind. They caught me so off guard that several times i had to reread entire sections. The author keeps BASIC parts of the story hidden for so long without you ever knowing and you realize you’ve been making assumptions the whole time. She deserved an award for the misdirection in this. 1 star off for the ending. It was too anticlimactic and neat for how crazy the rest of the book was

courtney garrison

I’m not really sure on how to go about reviewing this without giving so much away. There are so many twists and turns through out the book. I never really expected what I got. About half way through I was in the wtf am I reading mood. Sam and Annie are really great characters to follow along. They move back to chestnut hill to visit sams mother and watch over her to make sure she’s taken care of while he opens his own psychology practice in the Lawrence house thanks to a generous landlord. This book genuinely reminds me of the silent patient in the way the twists and turns are. The second half of the book is something new at every corner. This was a really good thriller for me and completely unpredictable. I highly recommend it. 
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Trigger Warnings for 
Abandonment, cheating, overdose, Kidnapping

Madie Houston

So the book is broken into 3 parts, the plot twist at the end of the first part is the best plot twist out of the book. I literally had to go back because I had no idea what I just read. The second plot twist at the end of the second part was okay. But I was just really disappointed in this book I kinda guessed the other plot twists and it didn’t blow my mind. I could definitely see how a lot of people were shocked with this book but I read a lot of thrillers so I kinda guessed everything. Overall I thought it was okay

Lacey Feigl

Dr. Sam Satler is going home as a newlywed with his wife Annie to be closer to his mom who has dementia. His psychiatry practice is thriving in the small New York town but his life is far from perfect. Dr. Satler has many secrets that are about to come to light and become public knowledge… when he goes missing.

Goodnight Beautiful is 289 page long and took two days to read.

I enjoyed this book so much and am giving it a 4 out of 5! It’s a perfect weekend thriller that will keep you hooked from the first page!

Thank you, Harper Books, for sending me this copy!

Here’s to the adventure of finding a novel novel!

Lacey

Eleanor Luhar

If you like a book full of twists and multiple narratives, this is the book for you. But if you're a psychology student like me (or a qualified psychologist or psychiatrist) and are fed up with how the field is portrayed in media, I should warn you that aspects of this book might irritate you a bit.
So this is a kind of mystery, thriller novel where Dr Sam Statler suddenly goes missing. He has recently moved to a small town with his wife, Annie. Through multiple narrative viewpoints and from different time points, we as the reader begin to piece the story together and try to understand what has happened to Sam. As I said, it is very twisty, and there are definitely some elements that surprised me. I have seen some other reviewers criticise this book for relying too heavily on the twists, which I do understand. But I enjoyed it overall and appreciated how clever it was.
The portrayal of the psychiatric profession in this book did get a little under my skin. I won't discuss it too much so as to avoid spoilers, but the ending just didn't sit right with me. It was just too farfetched, I think. I don't know, maybe I'm being picky.
So overall, I did enjoy this book and did not see a lot of the twists and turns coming. Now I've read it once, I don't know how much I'd enjoy it a second time round. 4 or maybe just about 4.5 stars.

From 'master of clever misdirection' (Kirkus Reviews) Aimee Molloy, author of the New York Times bestseller The Perfect Mother, comes an irresistible psychological thriller featuring a newly married woman whose life is turned upside down when her husband goes missing. 'Aimee Molloy is a master of deception and Goodnight Beautiful is a thrill-ride packed with twists. Enthralling, sharp, and clever, this book will keep you guessing.' SAMANTHA DOWNING, bestselling author of MY LOVELY WIFE 'Goodnight Beautiful isn't only the most suspenseful novel you'll read this year; it's likely to be the funniest, too. I wish that every book, in every genre, were as deeply imagined and fully inhabited as this one.' A. J. FINN, bestselling author of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW 'Aimee Molloy is a magician. With Goodnight Beautiful, she will artfully deceive you while holding you firmly in her grasp...What begins as a sexy, smart domestic thriller turns out to be so much more. If you think you've figured this one out, think again: Molloy will be three steps ahead of you all the way through.' CRISTINA ALGER 'Psychological thriller fans won't want to miss this one.' - PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY A HANDSOME PSYCHOTHERAPIST, HIS LONELY WIFE, AND IN HIS HOME OFFICE, A CEILING VENT. . . YOU'D LISTEN TOO, WOULDN'T YOU? Newlyweds, Sam Statler and Annie Potter are ready to begin their lives together in a small town in upstate New York. Whilst Annie spends most of her time alone, Sam, her therapist husband, works long hours in his home office, tending to the egos of his mostly female clientele. Little does Sam know that through a vent in the ceiling, every word of his sessions can be heard from the room upstairs. The pharmacist's wife, contemplating a divorce. The well-known painter whose boyfriend doesn't satisfy her in bed. Who could resist eavesdropping? Everything is fine until the French girl in the green Mini Cooper shows up, and Sam disappears into thin air, throwing a wrench into Sam and Annie's happily ever after. This is a brilliant story of a whirlwind marriage in which untold secrets and games threaten to destroy them both. READERS LOVE GOODNIGHT, BEAUTIFUL . . . 'This kept me gripped and desperate to keep reading' 'I loved this book, brilliantly crafted and an immersive plot that was full of surprises'

Goodnight, Beautiful

Autumn Hunsinger

Okay first off WOAH. i can’t even count how many plot twists were in this book! first we find out that Annie isn’t even in the house with the office (it’s some random person) and then that random person turns out to be a GUY. like wasn’t expecting that lol. Definitely a page turner and one I will recommend to others for a good thriller read. 

Lauren Attaway

I really enjoyed this slice of crazy life! Although I was concerned it was too standard at the beginning, happy to report it really went of the rails! Goodnight beautiful has one of the best twists I've read this year. It was a struggle to stop each time I had to stop reading it once I got about half of the way through. I like anytime a book twist can make me go what did I just read about everything that came before in the story.

Mimi

This was my first book by this author and I have to say wow. 

She did so well at hiding the truth of the story until the middle of the book when the reveal of what was going on would make the most impact. 

Just wow.

Anna Wilson

Part one of this is the best, it’s down hill after that and that makes me sad!

Katrina White

What an unputdowable, fun, and twisty ride. I yelled "what the actual f@ck is going on?!" at about the third or FOURTH twist.

Brileigh Talbert &
Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy

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