Best friends, Jo and Lydia, book a dream holiday to India with their husbands and children. While they are enjoying a glass of wine on the beach, with the little ones being watched by 14-year-old Rachael, Jo‘s little boy, Ajit, is taken.

This book had massive Madeleine McCann vibes! The parents anguish, the police involvement and potential corruption, and then the press; they certainly put Jo on trial!

There were lots of twists and red herrings and the only way to find Ajit was if everybody told the truth and hoped that their secrets wouldn’t destroy them. How's that going to work out?!

I love Renita’s writing, her ability to describe and set the scene, and her character development is incredible. This was a really enjoyable book, that was brought to life by Melissa Advani's excellent narration.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Renita D'Silva and Bolinda for an ARC of this book.

This wasn’t my first book by Renita D’Silva. Two Perfect Couples is a slow-burn domestic fiction, nicely narrated and filled with twists and turns. A good one-time listen. My only grouse with many Indian-origin writers is that they tend to caricaturise Indian characters and base their portrayal of India on a somewhat outdated lens. That aside, it was still not a bad read.

Well... What a listen.
I did not see what ending. AT ALL.

So many twist and turns and i really liked it.
Actor was good. Wish there was more the one voice but she did a great job.
Read very well.

Whoa — talk about a parent’s worst nightmare. 😱

Two couples are vacationing together when one pair returns late one evening to check on the kids. They’ve been left in the care of the other couple’s 14-year-old daughter… but when Mom tiptoes in to peek at her three sleeping children, her heart stops cold. One of the beds is empty. Her baby. Her youngest. Her only son. And the one who might not be her husband’s biologically.

As panic sets in, it’s clear she’s not the only one holding a massive secret — and the more the night unravels, the more it seems everyone has something to hide.

This FOUR STAR read gripped me from the very first chapter and never let go. As a parent, I had to know — would they find the child? How long would it take? And, maybe most chilling of all, how on earth did he disappear in the first place?

This was my first time reading Renita D’Silva, and it definitely won’t be my last! Not only did I devour the book, but I also listened to the audiobook, narrated by Melissa Advani. I’m an obsessive audiobook listener and know many narrators by voice alone — but this was my first time hearing Advani. Just like the story itself, her performance was immersive, enthralling, and delightfully chilling. I’ll be keeping an eye out for more of her work!

Big thanks to NetGalley, Renita D’Silva, Bookouture, and Belinda Audio for the opportunity to read, listen, and review this engrossing story.

Two Perfect Couples draws you in at the very beginning and then slowly takes you through the story of two couples desperately trying to find the child of one of the couples. There are so many lies and betrayals. You have to keep reading/listening until the very end to find out what truly happens and see what the outcome will be. It was a masterfully written story. The narration by Melissa Advani was spot on and made the characters come to life.,
Thank you to Renita D'Silva, NetGalley and Bolinda Audio for the chance to read/listen to this ARC addition of Two Perfect Couples.
Pub Date: 22 Aug 2025

Two families are looking forward to a dream holiday together in Goa, but disaster strikes on their first evening when one of the children goes missing. Fear, guilt and recriminations abound. The involvement of the local police brings lots of secrets bubbling to the surface.

Two Perfect Couples by Renita D'Silva is a slow-burn psychological thriller that puts you right into the mind of a mother wracked with guilt. Jo and are family are holidaying in the country of her husband Yash's birth. With them are their close friends, Lydia and Paul. The disappearance of Ajit, Jo and Yash's youngest child, throws the whole situation into turmoil. Has the boy climbed out of the window and wandered off, or has something more sinister happened?

Narrated well by Melissa Advani, you get a true sense of Jo's rising panic as the hunt for Ajit by the two families produces nothing. Jo is consumed by remorse, convinced she has failed her son. After the unsuccessful search of the beach and the surrounding area, the families know that they need to involve the police.

The local police are convinced that Ajit has been kidnapped. As Inspector Sharma begins to question the adults, we discover that there are a number of possible suspects and that everyone is hiding secrets. There are plenty of shocks in store as secret after secret is revealed, leaving the friends questioning if they truly know each other. The burden of responsibility for Anjit's disappearance is placed firmly on Jo's shoulders, a combination of accusation and self-recrimination. Jo's mental state isn't helped by a series of taunting text messages she receives, which disappear after being read, and those around her fail to believe her.

I had a vague inkling as to the reason for Anjit's disappearance, but the author produced a twisty and shocking conclusion that left me gasping as the true motive behind the kidnapping was revealed.

This is a good slow burning thriller, I liked the multiple POVs, whilst the characters weren’t particularly endearing, their secrets were certainly interesting.

There is plenty of suspense and their differing status twists were good.

I really liked the narrator and would listen to them again.

Thank you to NetGalley and @Bolindaaudio for the opportunity to read/listen.

A slow-burnt and long domestic emotional drama. Basically the whole story narrated at one character’s angle which it’s easy to follow her ups and downs and feelings.

Her missing son, her best friend, a holiday turn out to be something that changed their lives upside down.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Bolinda and the author for my copy.

This was a brilliant intense edge of your seat reading, I certainly didn’t see that ending. Two couples are on holiday in Goa with their children when the small boy goes missing. The unraveling of all the lies begin. There is a lot of them. It’s gripping, read it in one sitting and can’t fault it. A thrilling 5 star read.I also listened to the audio book and can’t fault the narrator, she read very well and really enhanced the story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

A decent enough easy listen but I’m not sure I felt the tension that the subject matter should have developed. It’s a crime/family drama told in the main by Jo ( the mum) and it didn’t help that her feelings for various people seemed to be a bit flaky. Well that’s what I took from it at least. Mental illness is included n the drama but it seemed only to give an alternative narrative to certain situations and that didn’t work for me at all
Pleasant narrator. .

Thank you Netgalley, Bolinda Audio and Renita D'Silva for the audio Arc of Two Perfect Couples.
Narrated by Melissa Advani

This is my first read from Renita D'Silva and it will not be my last. Two Perfect Couples is a twisty, psychological domestic thriller set on India when two families go on Holiday. I loved Renita's writing style, combining character building, setting the scenes with beautiful places and the plot line. You get a very good sense of these families being very close. This is a multi POV narrative and when Jo's son goes missing, secrets are unravelled in the cold light of day. This isn't your normal fast paced thriller, it is a slow burn with more character building. These character are flawed and felt real which I loved. I know not everyone enjoys a slow pace but if you do and don't mind just letting everything unfold. This is for you.

Two Perfect Couples was narrated by Melissa Advani, who brought ethnicity to the book with her beautiful Middle Eastern accent. Her voice suits this slow burn thriller.

4 stars

Two Perfect Couples drew me in from the start with a slightly different take on the every parent’s worst nightmare trope. I liked how the story unfolded through multiple perspectives, gradually revealing the cracks behind what first seemed like ideal relationships. It is a slow burn, but one that builds nicely, with plenty of emotional layers and just enough suspense to keep me listening.
The writing is descriptive and the themes are weighty, but I found the pacing quite slow and the plot repetitive in parts.
This was my first time reading Renita D’Silva and I would definitely read more. The audiobook production was clear and well-paced, and I thought the narration was strong overall, helping to bring the different characters to life.
Thank you to NetGalley and @Bolindaaudio for the opportunity to read/listen.

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is looooooong😳
a light domestic drama, but it turned out to be a slow-burn emotional untangling of secrets, jealousy, and the lies we tell ourselves and each other. It’s got that voyeuristic “peeking into other people’s perfect lives only to realize they’re a mess too” kind of vibe, which I always fall for.

The story revolves around two couples on the surface, picture-perfect but obviously things aren’t what they seem. You get rotating POVs, emotional tension, and the kind of quiet suspense that’s more psychological than action-driven. It’s less twist-heavy thriller and more watching the façade slowly crack, which I actually appreciated.

That said, it was just on the edge of being a little too long. Some parts dragged, and I did catch myself skimming now and then. Also, a couple of character decisions had me raising an eyebrow like, “girl… be serious.” But by the final few chapters, I was invested. The payoff felt earned, even if it took a bit to get there.

Definitely not one for people who need fast-paced drama, but if you’re into domestic fiction that simmers before it boils over this one delivers. A solid 4 stars for the writing and the emotional payoff, even if I considered docking it half a star for the pacing.

❤️shaye.readss

Jo and Lydia and their families take a vacation together. Jo’s son ends up kidnapped one night and tempers flare. Secrets come out about everyone’s marriages and kids. Who took Ajit and why? I tried reading this a few times and couldn’t get in to it. However it really caught my attention when I listened to it. I really liked it.

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗣𝗟𝗢𝗧 𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗞
Two “perfect” families head off on a beach holiday - but when Jo’s young son vanishes, panic sets in. As police and media swarm, cracks in both marriages begin to show and secrets spill fast.

𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗢𝗡
This character-led popcorn thriller kicks off with a dramatic, high-stakes opening, but quickly slows to a more internal story. It’s told simply in third person from Jo’s POV, and there’s a lot of confusion, self-doubt, and gaslighting - both from others and herself.

We get some backstory on her family, but it felt more told than shown, and I struggled to really connect with anyone beyond Jo. With so much time spent in her head, the tension and pace started to dip for me.

I did enjoy the whodunnit of it all but think it could’ve packed more punch with multiple POVs and timelines.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗?
The audiobook narrator was great, and it made for an easy, undemanding listen - good for background entertainment or a vacation read - just keep an eye on your kids!!

Thank you @Bolindaaudio and NetGalley for this #gifted ARC.

🎧 Narrated by Melissa Advani
📖 Publishes 08•22•25 | 422 pages | 10h 18m

🎧Audio Book Review🎧

Two Perfect Couples
Renita D'Silva

🌟🌟🌟🌟

This isn't my first read by this author so as soon as I spotted this new release, I knew that I was in for a great read.

I was instantly drawn to this by the front cover image which looked like the perfect read for these summer months.
However, that title - I mean I think we all knew that these couples would be anything but perfect!
I was pretty shocked that this becomes obvious within a very short time of reading.

As a mum myself, I obviously felt so sorry for Jo - after coming back from a night out - only yards away from the cottage that their children were sleeping in - she discovers that her son has gone missing.
As the investigation and search progresses, we see the strained dynamic between the 2 couples stretch further and further as more and more secrets and lies come to light.

There was so much going on right from the off here and I came to so many different conclusions each time something else was revealed.
I didn't know what to believe or who to trust and went round in circles suspecting each of our main characters multiple times ...as well as others....before the big reveal - which still shocked me!

I loved that the two couples were originally presented as totally normal, relatable couples heading off for a nice summer break together.
This endeared us to each of them and I was totally invested in their backstories and current lives.
But as the story unfolded, the tension built and I just couldn't put this down until I'd found out what had really happened to Ajit(?).

An intriguing read with a few lessons about trust and holidaying abroad - friendships and relationships - and that secrets will always come out eventually!

Looking forward to my next read by this author.




💕Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my ARC copy - this is my honest review 💕

A dark and twisty thriller packed with family secrets, lies, infidelity and more!
When two couples and their children go on holiday together their relationships are all brought under scrutiny when one of their children goes missing from their apartment whilst the adults are out drinking on the beach. I couldn't help think that the story was very closely related to the real life Madelaine McCann case.
The book started off at pace and certainly ended in a similar way but did lag somewhat in the middle in my view.
Lots of dark characters, dual timelines, plenty of intrigue and an epilogue that packs a real punch.
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this very well narrated audiobook.

The holiday of a lifetime for your family and your closest friends, what could possibly go wrong?

The synopsis for this had me really looking forward to this read (listen). The narration was very good and if I am honest had this not been an audiobook I'm not sure I'd have finished it as the pace wasn't there enough to hold my attention.

There is a mystery within / throughout the storyline but despite Jo's understandable focus on her sons disappearance it almost played out as the back story. There was such a significant amount of the backstory of the two families to the point it became a family drama rather than a thriller.

If you like your mysteries on the slower side with a lot of detail (repetitive detailing) you will possibly enjoy this more than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARAC which was very much appreciated.