When Di and Christian are trying to find their forever home, Christian finds a perfect, newly-built property, and it seems that they will be the first owners of this house. Di finds it "soulless" but she knows time is running out for the family as they will soon welcome their second child, so the family moves into their new home.This is supposed to be their forever home, until Di discovers a hidden note with a warning that something had happened to the couple who lived there before. This new shocking information, along with the weird neighbors and the controlling estate owner, convinces Di that something is wrong with this "community". Christian thinks she's being paranoid, but Di won't drop it and wants to uncover the truth!

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller.
It has all the twist and turns I can hope for and it kept my mind wondering and wanting for more! The ending alone - WOW!
Di was amazing and a little paranoid, which was a little annoying sometimes, but at the end I just felt sorry for her.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for this amazing ARC!

I read The Couple Before Us in one sitting, literally stayed up all night because I had to know what was going on. Daniel Hurst knows how to hook a reader from page one, and this book didn’t let go.

The pacing was just right, not too fast, not too slow, with a solid build of tension that kept me curious. I liked the main character’s voice a lot; she was suspicious and determined in the exact way I imagine I’d be if I were in her shoes. Her perspective felt realistic and relatable, and even though the story follows just her POV, it worked really well.

I originally thought I had the plot figured out early on, but Hurst got me, there were several small twists that caught me off guard in the best way. It reminded me a lot of Freida McFadden’s writing: addictive, readable, and filled with just enough surprises to keep things interesting.

This is a great pick for readers who love thrillers, mysteries, and books where secrets unravel in unexpected ways. A fun, bingeable read with a satisfying ending. Definitely recommend!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
An absolute must-read for thriller fans!

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of The Couple Before Us by Daniel Hurst (thank you so much for that!), and WOW — what a ride! This book releases on July 17th, and if you’re into psychological thrillers, you absolutely need to add this to your TBR list.

From the very first page, I was hooked. The suspense, the secrets, and the plot twists — I couldn’t put it down. Just when I thought I had things figured out, another twist would hit me out of nowhere. It kept me guessing the entire way through.

Daniel Hurst proves once again that he’s a master of tension and pacing. This story is gripping, intense, and full of “she is gonna get Caught “moments that stay with you long after you finish reading.

5 stars, without hesitation. Mark your calendar for July 17th — this is one thriller you won’t want to miss.

Daniel Hurst is one of my all time favourite authors and I have read all of his books. I was therefore super excited to read this new one, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The writing is fast paced and comes packed with twists. I’d definitely recommend this book.

Let’s just say: if I found a creepy note hidden in my brand new house, my next stop would be a hotel!. But in classic thriller fashion, our heroine digs in (literally and emotionally), and I was hooked from page one.

Daniel Hurst delivers a psychological thrill ride in The Couple Before Us, where dream homes become nightmares and husbands may or may not be hiding dark secrets behind blue-grey eyes (note to self: suspicious eye colours are always a red flag).

The unease builds deliciously as our FMC, pregnant, isolated, and increasingly unsure of who to trust follows a trail of unsettling clues left by the mysterious previous tenants.

Think The Girl on the Train meets Property Brothers gone rogue.

There are gaslighty moments, a ticking time bomb of secrets, and just enough "WAIT WHAT" twists to keep you flipping the pages .

What an amazing book loved every minute of it.
Full of drama and twists lies and deceit
Very fast paced book I couldn’t put it down even recommended it to family and friends

Wow, is all I can say!
Daniel Hurst is among my favourite authors, and his books never disappoint.
I really enjoyed the main character in this story, Dionne.
I enjoyed all the twists and turns among the story
I was shocked when all of the secrets started to unravel , and i was left feeling genuinely sorry for Di.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

I have never read a Daniel Hurst book until now and it did not disappoint. I did find the book to be slow in some parts but the twist and turns scattered within definitely made up for that, and kept me guessing right until the end.

With the chapters being short this was an easy read to get stuck into. Would highly recommended to anyone who is after a thrilling read.

Excited to see what Daniel next has in store!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fast and thrilling, the characters were fantastic and the storyline moving and gripping, recommend to all that love thrillers

4.25 Stars. Blew through this in one day! Very suspenseful and easily binge worthy. At one point I was literally holding my breath hoping the main character would get out of a scary situation. I love when you don't entirely know if a character is just paranoid or things are actually happening, and this had me questioning things most of the book. Very fun read. Would definitely recommend.
Thank you to Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. He is one of my favourite authors and his books always are excellent to read. I finished this one in a day and did not want to put it down.

Summary: Pregnant Di, her husband Christian, and their son Kai move into what's supposed to be their forever home. Right away Di feels like something is wrong. When she finds a hidden note warning them about what happened to the couple who lived there before, she can't let it go. Christian thinks she is being paranoid and wants her to drop it, but Di is determined to uncover the truth.

Thoughts: This was my first Daniel Hurst book. Dispite me not 100% loving this story, I liked his creativity and he is a very discriptive writer, so I will totally try out his other books. I have mixed feelings about this book. Daniel Hurst actually does a pretty good job writing in the POV of a female. Di's voice felt believable at first and the premise hooked me early on. I was actually curious to find out what was going on in this house.

I really wanted to like Di. I just had a baby and I can absolutely relate to being in the last trimester and trying to hold your family together. Having just been pregnant, I did find it difficult to see Di do some of the things mentioned in the book, such as getting under the bed. Now I know the bed was descri.bed as being taller, but her getting up and down would have been very slow if she was anything like me. Unfortunately, I didn't find Di likable. She came off dramatic and made huge assumptions constantly. At one point, someone cried and she immediately decided it had to do something with her house. That kind of thing happened more than once and it got annoying. Like hello, not everyone is obsessed with what happened in your home.

Her internal monologue became repetitive really quickly. She kept going over the same thoughts and fears over and over again. It made the story drag on in places. Then something happened that could help her, something she was waiting for the whole book and she went totally out of character. It was really frustrating, because it didn't match the version of Di we had been getting to know.

The ending felt like it came out of nowhere, and not in the twisty way. The pacing felt off. After all the buildup, I turned a page and the person admitted to everything. It felt rushed.

That being said, the book was a quick read and I did stay interested. I kept wondering if Di was paranoid and mentally unstable. The book had potential and there were definitely some twists that surprised me along the way.

Overall, it had a strong concept and a suspenseful setup, but the repetition and strange character choices pulled me out of the story. I wanted more from the ending and more character development. Still, if you enjoy fast-paced domestic thrillers and don't mind a bit of over-the-top drama, it may still be worth a read.

The Couple Before Us is a fast-paced, twisty domestic psychological thriller. Dionne and her husband Christian are excited to move to a new housing community. While Dionne had had some reservations, she's hoping it all works out. They obviously need a bigger place before their baby girl arrives in a couple months. However, upon moving in, Dionne's concerns intensify, especially after she finds a note warning her that something terrible happened in the home prior to them moving in. Considering Dionne and Christian were supposed to be the first people to live in this new house, Dionne begins to investigate. The more she looks into the neighborhood, her house, and the super suspicious estate owner, the more she realizes that their new home may just be their demise. After hearing a phone conversation between her husband and a mysterious stranger, Dionne acknowledges that her husband isn't telling her everything. What secrets is he keeping, and are they related to the couple that apparently lived in their house before them?

The Couple Before Us is an exciting, can't-put-down, fast-paced read. There are plenty of surprising twists and the reader truly does not know who to trust until the end. I appreciated the short chapters - leading to me saying "just one more before bed." This was my first book by Daniel Hurst, and I can honestly say I'll be reading more! I will definitely recommend The Couple Before Us to anyone looking for a great summer thriller.

Great book that keeps you wondering what is going on! Each character gives off vibes that are misconstrued until they’re not!! Fast, exciting read.

3.5 ⭐️

In true Daniel Hurst fashion, he delivered a fast paced, domestic psychological thriller that had me turning pages faster than I could read.

“The Couple Before Us” followed Dionne and Christian a newly wed couple who moved into a beautiful new-build home in a freshly developed estate. While settling in, Dionne discovered a mysterious note hidden in a closet: it warned that “something terrible happened to the couple who lived here before us”—though Christian insists they’re the first occupants. Strange occurrences started to happen and Dionne grew increasingly paranoid. As Dionne investigated, she realized that danger was closer than she had imagined.

A few aspects I liked was the pacing and the unsettling emotional impact. In all of Hurst’s books, the pacing is fast with short chapters including the most likable and unlikable characters. I also liked how Hurst instills a chilling, spine tingling atmosphere and creepy tension.

A few aspects I didn’t like were the underdeveloped characters and repetitive inner monologue. The characters were not well developed and had rather shallow personalities. In fact, the dialogue relied heavily on Dionne’s inner dialogue and it became rather annoying and exhausting as the narrative progressed.

Altogether, Daniel Hurst’s “The Couple Before Us” was entertaining but didn’t necessarily bring anything fresh to the psychological thriller genre.

Thank you to Net Galley and Bookouture for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Imagine being pregnant and moving into your new family home that no one has apparently lived in before and finding a note that warns you of something terrible happening to the couple before…. That’s what happens to Dionne but is she paranoid or is there something more sinister going on?

I really enjoyed this book and I loved the main character, it had lots of little twists in it and it really kept me guessing until the end. Hurst puts a lot of description into the characters and the setting so it’s easy to imagine all this whilst reading. It has a nice pace and I found the second half quicker than the first or maybe that’s because was eager to know what was going on! I liked that the reader doesn’t really know who to trust. I would definitely read another one of Hursts books.

📚 Book Name: The Couple Before Us
✍️ Author: @danielhurstbooks
🏢 Publisher: Bookouture
📅 Pub Date: July 17, 2025
📖 Genre: Mystery & Thriller

⭐ My Rating: 4.5/5

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Daniel Hurst proves yet again why he's the master of jaw-dropping twists and addictive thrillers! 👏

Blurb:
‘Something terrible happened to the couple who lived here before…’

Dionne and her husband Christian, along with their five-year-old son Kai and an unborn baby on the way, move into what’s supposed to be their dream home. But right from the beginning, Dionne senses something is off. When she discovers a hidden note warning them about the fate of a previous couple, she can’t ignore it—even though Christian wants her to let it go.

Driven by curiosity (and a questionable sense of self-preservation), Dionne starts digging deeper. But the more she uncovers, the more dangerous things become… and the more she puts herself and her family at risk.
(Full Description in the comments)

My Thoughts:
I finished this in 6 hours flat—it didn’t give me a minute to stop! The story unraveled at such a pace that I was completely hooked.

I was internally screaming at Dionne so many times: “Don’t do it… STOP… it’s dangerous!” You’re pregnant, woman! Take care of Kai and that baby!

Honestly,Dionne annoyed me in the beginning. She was more concerned about neighbors than her own safety and family. Finding that creepy note should’ve been a red flag to run, not investigate. But nope Detective Dionne activated. And then? She threw herself into the chaos.

I was totally siding with Christian… until she found Rosie. That was the twist that turned everything upside down. From that moment, I was running with Dionne till the end!

And I'm sad that Dionne had no one on her side. It’s heartbreaking that she was betrayed by her own people and had to fight alone for what she believed was the truth.

This is a fast-paced domestic thriller that kept me on edge the entire time. If you love suspenseful stories with twists that hit hard, The Couple Before Us is a must-read!

And Theo you won my heart!
#TheCoupleBeforeUs #DanielHurst #netgalley

This was my first Daniel Hurst read, apparently I have been missing out! I was obsessed with this book. From the beginning I was confused yet intrigued but what seemed like a paranoid pregnant women - I truely had no idea which direction this was headed but loved every twist and turn!

It feels majorly unrealistic but it draws you in and you can’t stop reading.

If you enjoy a quick thriller then this is definitely for you.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this early, absolutely wonderful!
#Netgalley #Thecouplebeforeus

My very first Daniel Hurst book and totally loved it. So full of suspense and heart throbbing incidents that I didn’t want to stop reading when I had to. Ending wasn’t too bad but I think could be better. Overall a great suspense story! Thank you NetGalley for this great opportunity!!

Daniel Hurst hits again! Was Di's suspicions about what was going on with her neighbour based on paper-thin, irrational and far-fetched ideas? Yes. Was she annoying and insufferable? Yes. Was everything about this story unrealistic? Yes. Did I still gobble it up in one sitting, impatient to find out what was really going on in that sordid estate? Also yes 🙂
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.