Need To Know: 'You won't be able to put it down!' Shari Lapena, author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR

Vivian arbeitet für die CIA als Spionageabwehr - Agentin. Mit ihrem Mann Matt hat sie 4 Kinder. Es scheint die perfekte Familie zu sein. Vivians Aufgabe in der CIA ist es russische Spione in der USA ausfindig zu machen. Als sie die Dateien entschlüsselt, findet sich Fotos von 5 Schläfern und einer von ihnen ist ihr Ehemann. Es war ok. Man kann es lesen oder man kann es auch sein lassen. Wer einen Spionagethriller erwartet, wird eher enttäuscht sein, denn es geht überwiegend um die Familie und die Beziehung zwischen Matt und Vivian. Was ich Schade finde, denn die Autorin hat wohl selbst bei der CIA gearbeitet. Außerdem war es so ein typischer Roman wo natürlich die Amerikaner die Guten sind und die Russen wie immer die Bösen. Also voll das Klischee. Charaktere bleiben oberflächlich. Vivian war mir zu naiv, leicht dümmlich. Das Ende... Tja... Keine große Überraschung... Und total überzogen.. Wie schon oben erwähnt, die Geschichte ist in Ordnung, aber mehr ist es auch nicht. Eine seichte Geschichte für Zwischendurch. Die deutsche Version: Wahrheit gegen Wahrheit.

This is my live review while I read. Prologue A mom is holding a flash drive that must be very important, while she checks in on her kids in their cribs. Chapter 1 One of the babies babbles vowel sounds, no consonants. The mom is a spy who fears the Russians or the Chinese are listening in when she gets calls from her children's school. I am thinking that if this is a problem she shouldn't have had kids, because they could just kidnap them from the school and hold them hostage. She is looking for Russian spy sleeper agents who have blended into society. This book made me laugh! She is looking at files containing photos of suspected agents, and finds......... (super spoilers ahead) her husband!!!! Now I am interested in reading! My first thoughts are that she must be really sucky at her job. She is spending all day looking for Russian agents, and is married to one but has no clue! Chapter 2 When she had the file open other people were around. She is afraid they saw it on her computer screen. She asks her husband if he is a Russian spy that night after family dinner. I imagine that the point of the book is dealing with the answer she gets. The book has spent time so far talking about their family and how they have several kids together of various ages including 2 babies. What is she going to do depending on his answer? It's very personal for her. It doesn't seem to be a book about a wife who argues or hates her husband or wants the relationship to end. This does make the story interesting. Also if he is a spy, she has to turn him in, since she discovered him. This isn't really a good book to live review. I have gotten engaged in the story and it seems worth reading to see what happens. I wouldn't want to ruin the book for anybody. So I probably won't say anything else, until the book makes me angry and disappoints me.... Chapter 3 Not disappointed in the book, just thinking how if the person you are married to IS a Russian spy, it's the perfect relationship. It's their job to stay in the relationship with you. It's like relationship insurance. They are not going to turn into a spouse abuser or be mean to you, because that would make you leave them. They want you to stay! And if you secretly found out, you could use that to your advantage. They can't leave you, so they have to put up will all your relationship demands. They have to do whatever you want, however you want it or you would say you will leave them. Chapter 6 This book has not whizzed forward into the world of spies and excitement. It has taken a journey to review the past. These past moments with the woman and her husband feel very uncomfortable, because we know he is a spy. I guess it's to show how she got caught up in love, but all I think is you got caught up in a spiders web. It's hard to root for her and love, so I might just start skimming chapters to get closer to the end. It's a nasty feeling to read about someone's marriage proposal when you know its not prince charming she is marrying. This is going to lead to everything bad. Chapter 7 "But he doesn't look like he's manipulating me. He looks so sincere." My thoughts at this point are, this book is like listening to a stupid person talk and taking them seriously. I really hope it works out well for this woman because she is making all the bad choices. Maybe the point is that there are no good choices. But, if you just found out hour husband was a Russian spy, are you going to accept it and keep going? What if he was Hitler? Do you say, oh well, we just won't tell anybody.... She is telling him things she shouldn't, with no hesitation. I am thinking, the long con really works. She didn't even say "I know we've been married for years and that's why I trust you, but it did turn out you are a Russian spy, so promise me you won't tell this to anybody." STOP! How am I supposed to take this? In the past, the book is showing how he suggested she should focus her spy efforts on Russia, instead of the country she was working on before. I don't like seeing him manipulate her. She doesn't even realize the importance of working in this division because he told her to. He is a Russian spy who obviously wanted to know what was going on in that division. Now, he can just get the info out of her, because she is ....stupid and clueless. Chapter 11 This book would be better if the male spy/husband who is manipulating the woman was kind and romantic with her. All we see is him talking her into what he wants, and her saying he is the man I love. Maybe if they kissed or had passion in their relationship, it would make it better for me to see why she is so into him. The story is going back and showing how she is not as happy with him as she first made it seem. I am not having any sympathy for plight. Chapter 21 Not reading with any level of enjoyment. Just want to get it over because I came this far... Chapter 22 The stupidest part of this book: The setup - (last chapter): An evil Russian is threatening to kill her kid "tomorrow." Her husband is holding a gun. She looks at her husband, wondering why he is not shooting the Russian. The payoff- (this chapter): "'Are you okay?' His voice is flat, like he doesn't much care one way or the other. And it dawns on me: He blames me. He blames me for the fact that he killed someone. And he's furious with me." This is a reason to NOT ONLY STOP READING THIS BOOK, BUT TO THROW IT IN THE TRASH AND SET IT ON FIRE! IT IS JUST TOOOOOO STUUUUUPIDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!! Chapter 22 How she can stand having to argue about him killing the man who threatened their child? I don't know why she is not filling out divorce papers. She is ACTUALLY saying I'm sorry to him!! I shouldn't still be reading this book because it is going to a new level of stupid. I just really hope it works out for her in the end. They had better be just so happy together in the end. Otherwise this whole book is a waste of time. The Ending Why did the author have to antagonize me with the ending paragraph? The only way to express my frustration is with my rating. It's over. I'm glad. Not glad I read it, just glad it's over. If Charlize Theron plays this woman in a movie, she will be playing one of the dumbest female characters in the movies. One that was fooled by her man at every turn. And who didn't have the common sense to question anything. They will most likely change the character for the movie, so the audience will not lose all respect for her. Unless that is actually the role Charlize is dying to play. A woman with no clue.