The Perfect Divorce

After The Perfect Marriage dragged me completely out of my Romantasy comfort zone and proved that apparently I do, in fact, like thrillers, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on The Perfect Divorce. I wanted to see what Jeneva Rose had planned for Sarah Morgan next. Apparently, I learned absolutely nothing from the first book because once again, I spent entirely too much time thinking I knew what was going on.

More than a decade has passed since the events of The Perfect Marriage, and Sarah has built a new life with a husband, a daughter, and a career outside the courtroom. Unfortunately, her second marriage is falling apart, and divorcing another attorney who knows her extremely well was never going to be a simple sign-the-papers-and-move-on situation. Add new developments in an old murder investigation, suspicious disappearances, and plenty of secrets, and suddenly everyone has something to hide.

This time, the story follows several POVs, including Sarah, Bob, Sheriff Hudson, and a mysterious narrator. I enjoyed having different perspectives because each character seemed to hold another piece of the puzzle, leaving me to figure out which details mattered and how everything connected. The short chapters kept the pacing moving nicely, even with more characters and storylines than the first book.

Sarah was once again one of the most fascinating characters for me. She’s intelligent, calculating, controlled, and frighteningly good at staying several steps ahead of everyone around her. There’s something incredibly entertaining about watching people underestimate a woman who clearly has far more going on behind that calm exterior than she’s willing to reveal.

Bob, meanwhile, spent a good portion of this book making me seriously question his survival instincts. Sir. You know damn well who you married. Of all people, you should understand that getting into a nasty divorce with Sarah Morgan probably isn’t going to end with everyone politely shaking hands. I’m not saying he should simply give her everything she wants, but a healthy respect for self-preservation might have been worth considering. Seriously, Bob. Why are we poking the freakin’ bear?

Their increasingly hostile divorce was almost as entertaining as the investigation itself. Between the mistrust, manipulation, and constant attempts to gain the upper hand, I never knew who was going to make the next move. Both characters are intelligent, stubborn, and entirely too familiar with each other’s weaknesses, which makes their conflict particularly interesting.

The mystery kept me guessing throughout. There were plenty of suspicious circumstances, questionable motives, and shifting possibilities to keep my attention. I had theories. I was confident in those theories. I may have even mentally congratulated myself for figuring everything out. Unfortunately, Jeneva had other plans. Again.

I also appreciated that the suspense wasn’t dependent on one big revelation at the end. The different storylines gave me plenty to question along the way, and as the pieces began coming together, I found myself reconsidering earlier details. I’m definitely not spoiling any of those discoveries because trying to figure out what’s really happening is half the fun.

As much as I enjoyed The Perfect Divorce, it did feel a little busier than The Perfect Marriage. With several POVs and overlapping storylines, there were moments when I had to mentally reconnect who knew what and how everything fit together. A little more breathing room between certain developments would have helped, but it never became frustrating enough to pull me out of the story.

As for the spice, there is some explicit sexual content, but it’s a relatively small part of the book. The focus remains on the divorce, investigation, secrets, and psychological games rather than romance.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! But I strongly recommend reading The Perfect Marriage first. Knowing the characters and their history makes the tension, suspicion, and questionable decisions that much more entertaining. And if you do, I suspect you’ll spend at least part of this book asking the same question I did: Bob, what the hell are you doing?

My Final Verdict: The Perfect Divorce was another entertaining, twist-filled thriller that kept me invested and questioning everyone. It was a little busier than the first book, which kept it from earning a full five stars, but I enjoyed the suspense, the character dynamics, and the challenge of trying to piece everything together. Apparently, there’s a little Sherlock Holmes BookDragon hiding underneath all those Romantasy scales. Give her a magnifying glass and a few more thrillers. We’ll find out.

-SASSY

Final Book Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.5/5) | Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️ (2/5)