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The Power Couple

Alex Berenson (Goodreads Author)

3.90 · Rating details · 133 ratings · 91 reviews

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and Edgar Award winner Alex Berenson comes a supercharged thriller about marriage and the dangerous secrets spouses keep.

Rebecca and Brian Unsworth appear to have it all. A nice house in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Two well-behaved, healthy teenage children. Important government jobs—Rebecca working in counterterrorism for the F ...more

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Hardcover, 432 pages

Expected publication: February 9th 2021 by Simon Schuster

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Nov 16, 2020 Meredith rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Exciting Premise

The Power Couple is a suspenseful thriller about the kidnapped teen of an FBI agent.

I went in blind, and I think this is the way to go, so I am not going to include a plot summary.

The narrative is split between “The Power Couple,” Brian and Rebecca, with another view shared from their 19-year-old daughter’s perspective. I didn’t love the characters. I was rooting for one, felt nothing for another, and despised the other.One character was so revolting that they actually made th ...more

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Sep 27, 2020 Christina rated it really liked it

A domestic thriller with an espionage twist! An international domestic thriller! Great fast-paced and original book. I don’t normally read espionage thrillers and didn’t know this was going to be one — and I’m glad because I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this. Though it’s a spy story, it’s primarily a story about a marriage — what happens when that marriage is thrust into crisis and long-held secrets bubble to the surface.

I think it’s best to go into this book as blind as I did for maximum fun wi ...more

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Dec 11, 2020 Theresa Alan rated it really liked it

Parts of this novel are extremely fraught with tension. Other parts go back over the Rebecca and Brian meeting and raising of children while Rebecca got her law degree and then became an FBI agent while Brian was the primary caregiver who lived where Rebecca’s career took her.

When their nineteen-year-old daughter is kidnapped in Spain, Rebecca thinks it might have something to do with her job as a counterintelligence agent. Or it could be that she was kidnapped for a ransom or to be sold into hu ...more

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Nov 04, 2020 Anissa rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020, arcs-analog-netgalley-edelweiss-etc, contemporary-fiction

I read this in a day and it was very good at keeping my attention. I wasn't expecting it to be so much an espionage tale but it wove well around the troubled marriage of the Unsworths. I most liked how Kira was portrayed and her relationship with her mother reminded me a bit of Elizabeth and Paige of The Americans. I don't want to spoil (and my mind is a bit on other things this week) but there was something of a lull but the momentum did reengage carrying the story to a decent end.

This is my f ...more

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Nov 21, 2020 Bandit rated it really liked it · review of another edition

According to Tolstoy (and who are we to argue) all happy families are alike and each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. This is a story of a family that doesn’t fit precisely into either of those categorizations, it’s superficially happy to all appearances, two adults, two kids, financially comfortable, with both parents in high powered jobs, she in counterintelligence offices of the FBI) and he as a coder for NSA. Two decades together and the couple still physically fit and mentally and According to Tolstoy (and who are we to argue) all happy families are alike and each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. This is a story of a family that doesn’t fit precisely into either of those categorizations, it’s superficially happy to all appearances, two adults, two kids, financially comfortable, with both parents in high powered jobs, she in counterintelligence offices of the FBI) and he as a coder for NSA. Two decades together and the couple still physically fit and mentally and sexually engaged with each other. All the accoutrements of the happy life. Right?...Wrong.
Because there’s only so much you can know about a person from the appearances. Apparently, even after two decades together these two can still surprise each other. And not in a good way.
I’ve read another reviewer describe this book as Mr. and Mrs. Smith meets Taken. That’s actually pretty good, though it doesn’t quite cover it. Because this is no mere popcorn thriller, this book deliberately goes further and darker, to create multidimensional characters in a profoundly flawed relationship and take it all the way to its logistical finish.
So the plot…Mr. and Mrs. ~~Smith~~ Unsworth are in Europe, with their kids, celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary. Their nineteen year old daughter, usually a fairly responsible child, suddenly forgets mother instilled caution, remembers she is a stupid teen after all and gets herself charmed by some eurotrash and subsequently abducted. And since the local police is jurisdiction tangled and not all that interested in helping, it’s down to the FBI superpowered mother and NSA connected father to save their baby from the evil clutches of the suspicious men. So far pretty Taken, right?
But wait…then the author spins it around and takes you back in time, for both of the parents characters, so that you can discover for yourself how they came to be together and their very singular way of power imbalance. You find a potently driven young woman who wanted it all and on her own time, determined to have both career and a family, though knowing that the former would always overshadow the later. You’ll find an aimless young man with detached, almost sociopathic like emotional constitution, who found someone who interested and excited him and hitched a ride, settling for years into the role of a supporting player.
By the time you’re brought to the present, where they are working together to save their baby girl, who is actively working to save herself all along, they won’t seem like the same couple, not the couple you met initially. It’s one of those things where the more you get to know someone, the less you knew them, but then again that only works for real life, in fiction, it’s a great thing, it creates much more fascinating conflicts and dynamics. The title is perfectly apt...this book is, after all, all about definition, distribution and balance of power in a relationship.
So where do you think two spouses who finally, after all these years together, really got to know each other go after all? Why, to celebrate their 21st wedding anniversary, of course. In a dramatic, inevitable final chapter.
So there you go, that’s the book. I’ve never read the author before, thought of him as someone who does the sort of thriller series I normally stay away from, but this was a standalone and it was very good, an excellent introduction, really. It has all the slick finishes of a bestseller along with all the dark psychological thrilling elements I love in this sort of fiction. Normally, I don’t care for spy stories, but here it worked well, actually. In fact, the book somewhat reminded me of the tv show Americans, which I only have a passing knowledge of, but it seemed similar in some way.
All in all, this was a very fun ride, long, but didn’t read like it and plenty entertaining. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley. ...more

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Dec 27, 2020 Andrea Pole rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

The Power Couple by Alex Berenson is the first novel that I have read from this author. It is, at its heart, a tale of espionage, although a large part of the story falls firmly in the genre of a domestic thriller.

Rebecca Unsworth works for the FBI in counterterrorism, and her husband Brian is a coder for the National Security Agency. By all outward appearances a successful couple, Rebecca and Brian treat their two teenaged children to a family holiday in Barcelona. Shortly after arrival, daught ...more

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Dec 19, 2020 Tammy rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020, 3-star-okay, netgalley-read

This book was just okay for me. It was a fast paced domestic thriller with a touch of espionage mixed in. There was a lot of focus on their marriage along with many secrets. I personally just had a hard time connecting with the characters and just couldn’t root for either of them.

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Oct 15, 2020 Elaine rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, netgalley, am-i-thrilled

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Power Couple.

Oh look, I actually liked this one!

The blurb caught my eye so I was excited when my request was approved.

This is not a typical domestic thriller; oh, there are some standard tropes; a marriage gone sour after many years, lies and secrets being kept from the spouses, the day to day grind of work, minutiae and reflection that makes you wonder: why did I marry this person?

** Minor spoilers ahead **

After 20 years of marriage and two kids, R ...more

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Nov 28, 2020 Amanda McHugh rated it it was amazing

I haven't read a Berenson book in a few years, but when this title popped in my feed, I knew I had to request it. The cover and synopsis were interesting, and I was thrilled to be approved.

On the surface, Brian and Becks have a lovely relationship. Married for twenty years, two beautiful children, and careers they love. A twentieth anniversary trip abroad, however, highlights the cracks in their love, as Kira, their daughter, is abducted one night in Barcelona. Desperate to find her, they must I haven't read a Berenson book in a few years, but when this title popped in my feed, I knew I had to request it. The cover and synopsis were interesting, and I was thrilled to be approved.

On the surface, Brian and Becks have a lovely relationship. Married for twenty years, two beautiful children, and careers they love. A twentieth anniversary trip abroad, however, highlights the cracks in their love, as Kira, their daughter, is abducted one night in Barcelona. Desperate to find her, they must figure out if her kidnapping was a random act or was she targeted for a specific reason. Becks works for the FBI counterintelligence; Brian works for the NSA. Both have secrets. One has the answer.

I loved this book.

After a string of books that covered serious, heavy topics, it was nice to dive into a high-octane thriller with an entertaining, yet high-stakes plot. This gave me definite Mr. and Mrs. Smith meets Taken vibes, and at first, I was a little worried this would fall into a predictable trope. However, where on paper this might sound familiar, the execution proved to be a breath of fresh air. Becks' level-headed and rational approach to the kidnapping was a welcome change in a genre dominated by female characters who worry on the couch while the men go out to Liam Neeson their way to the hero ending. Brian, too, while I didn't like his voice as much as Becks' chapters, I enjoyed his POV and the way Berenson tied their history together. The flashbacks worked well here to highlight their differences and raise the tension of the kidnapping.

The plot is cinematic, and I could see this being a perfect fit as a 24-esque mini-series. It has all the ingredients of a watchable action thriller while tackling some serious issues, including mental health, eating disorders, and gender roles.

Overall, The Power Couple is an engrossing, fast-paced page turner that will leave you guessing until the very last page. Out in February, this is one you'll want to add to your TBRs now.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration. ...more

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Oct 28, 2020 Bob rated it liked it

Bottom line: It’s just an okay book and not one I’d highly recommend you rush out to read.

Without going into detail about the plot, the focus of The Power Couple is on Rebecca and Brian Unsworth - she’s works in a senior position In counterterrorism for the FBI, he works in software at the NSA — whose marriage has been less than ideal for years due to their differing career and personal trajectories. To try to bring them closer together, they decide to take a family vacation in Barcelona with t ...more

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Nov 22, 2020 Toni Osborne rated it really liked it

“The Power Couple” is a look into a modern marriage and the challenges of parenthood, sex and love.

The main players are the Unsworth : Rebecca works in counter-terrorism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Brian is a coder for the National Security Agency they live in a suburbs of Washington DC with their two teenage children. The story brings the family to Barcelona on a well-deserved holiday but things take an unexpected and frightening turn when Kira, the daughter, does not return hom ...more

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Oct 24, 2020 Dianna Marshall rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Power Couple, Berenson's new novel, is a powerhouse of deceit , intrigue and secrets. On a weak and trembling foundation such as this, is it any wonder that the couple's daughter is kidnapped and in mortal danger. In fact, it should come as no surprise that her younger brother internalizes much of the guilt for the kidnapping, since neither of the parents have the wherewithal to own up to their own share of the responsibility.

Fortunately, Kira is a smart, industrious character, who learned ...more

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Dec 25, 2020 Erika rated it really liked it

Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rebecca and Brian are on a 20th anniversary trip to Europe with their kids. Kira, their 19 year old daughter goes to a club in Barcelona one night and doesn't come back. They begin the search for her, wondering if she has been kidnapped and it if has something to do with Rebecca's job as an FBI agent.

3.5 stars.

I am sort of torn on this book. There were things I really liked and things I didn't. It was ...more

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Nov 20, 2020 Mich rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, suspense

The book starts out as a fairly typical family vacation in Barcelona with one daughter getting kidnapped. The mother, who is quite successful is in the FBI while the father is a slack off computer/ systems operator for NSA with a low level job who it turns outs is turning over secrets to the Russians in exchange for money. The plot drags quite a bit at times when background stories are used to fill in.

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Dec 31, 2020 Brenda | books.asusual rated it really liked it

The Power Couple by Alex Berenson is a suspenseful read. It is told from three perspectives: Brian and Rebecca Unsworth as well as their daughter Kira, who is kidnapped during their stay in Barcelona. The book focuses on Brian and Rebecca's complicated and troubled marriage as well as the chase to find their daughter and figure out why she was kidnapped. As the book progresses, secrets are unveiled and we see why their current relationship is the way that it is. The Power Couple is a page turner ...more

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Nov 08, 2020 theliterateleprechaun rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

How well do you ever really know someone? You can’t know every little thing about them. Do you? Your neighbour. Your best friend. Your kids. Your husband. I’ll wager you don’t know them as well as you think you do. Alex Berenson, in ‘The Power Couple,’ to be published February 9, 2021, probes the possibility that of all relationships, spouses keep the most dangerous secrets.

This fast-paced and exceptionally written domestic thriller appeals to readers immediately; it’s an armchair journey throu How well do you ever really know someone? You can’t know every little thing about them. Do you? Your neighbour. Your best friend. Your kids. Your husband. I’ll wager you don’t know them as well as you think you do. Alex Berenson, in ‘The Power Couple,’ to be published February 9, 2021, probes the possibility that of all relationships, spouses keep the most dangerous secrets.

This fast-paced and exceptionally written domestic thriller appeals to readers immediately; it’s an armchair journey through the sun-drenched streets of Catalonia, Spain and ends up in the aquamarine waters of St. Barts, French Caribbean. At this time in history, a chance to experience travel, though vicariously, is a welcome treat. Rebecca Unsworth is not someone you want to mess with; after all, she works for the FBI’s Counterterrorism Department and is the mother to two teenagers. She can sniff out when something’s gone awry and knows a cover-up better than anyone, just ask her teenagers. Her husband, Brian, is a coder for the National Security Agency and has developed a profitable app in his spare time. Having devoted himself to raising their children in their formative years, he thinks he knows them better than his career-driven wife. When they make time to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary as a family in Spain, their life suddenly becomes much more difficult. Their daughter, Kira, is kidnapped from a nightclub and both parents pull out all the stops in an effort to find her and secure her safety. Can their modern marriage withstand the pressure of a kidnapping? Who will fold first? Will the secrets remain hidden or will they come to light? Most importantly, is Kira found?

My heart pounded for the first third and the last third of this globe-trotting espionage adventure. The middle third is a necessary and important part of the novel, don’t allow yourself to skim pages. You’ll want to know the ‘why’ and you’ll miss it if you pass over the slightly humdrum life events. This is my first Berenson novel and I love how he sets up the storyline with a bang and then slows down to give you more information and then ramps it up at the end. He created refreshingly strong female characters; they were well developed and neither of them allowed the men in their lives to make them a victim. When it mattered most, Kira was composed, level-headed and clever. Her smart, edgy comebacks made me smile. She’s her mother’s daughter and she knows how to ‘work’ men. Rebecca didn’t get this far up the corporate ladder without knowing how to take charge and, although an ocean away from home, she flashes her badge and doesn’t let anyone push her around. Patrick Swayze said it best in ‘Dirty Dancing’ – “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” Rebecca may have put her career first, but she knows her daughter best and proves it.

If you love giving your heart a good workout, this is the read for you! A five-star, nail-biting, rollercoaster read.

Thank you to Alex Berenson, Simon and Schuster Canada and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Dec 10, 2020 Maureen rated it liked it

Shelves: finished

This was a fast paced, edge of your seat novel. Lots of twists and turns made for great reading. Highly recommended! Looking forward to more by this author.

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Nov 16, 2020 Janet rated it it was amazing

Shelves: k-e-k, zz-2020-rev-when-i-read

Date reviewed/posted: November 16, 2020

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us, superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and Date reviewed/posted: November 16, 2020

When life for the entire universe and planet turns on its end and like everyone else you "have nothing to do" while your place of work is once again closed and you are continuing to be in #COVID19 #socialisolation as the #secondwave is upon us, superspeed readers like me can read 300+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today.

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author and Edgar Award winner Alex Berenson comes a supercharged thriller about marriage and the dangerous secrets spouses keep.

Rebecca and Brian Unsworth appear to have it all. A nice house in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Two well-behaved, healthy teenage children. Important government jobs—Rebecca working in counterterrorism for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Brian serving as a coder for the National Security Agency. Their lives stand to improve even more as Brian, in his off-hours, has just developed and sold a highly profitable app.

However, the Unsworth's’ marriage isn’t as perfect as it seems. After two decades together, they’ve drifted apart, talking little and having sex even less. Seeking to revive their strained relationship, they decide for their twentieth wedding anniversary to take their two kids, Kira and Tony, on a European getaway.

They have a blast…until one night in Barcelona when Kira doesn’t come home from a dance club. She’s gone. Abducted. Over the course of a single weekend, the Unsworths will do everything possible to find her—as Kira herself discovers just how far she’ll go to break free of the trap that’s been set for her. And even as Rebecca and Brian come together for Kira, they realize their marriage is more tenuous than they realized.

The Power Couple is both a fast-paced, globe-trotting espionage novel full of surprising twists and a nuanced look at modern marriage—the challenges of balancing career, parenthood, sex, and love.

I am a serious Alex Berenson fan due to his John Well's series of books but I am welcoming The Unsworths into my stable of excellent books. The story is expertly crafted and it was a delight to read - one will find themselves holding their breath at times and wondering if their own marriage could handle this stress. It is a wonderful book to read and to gift and I will recommend it to patrons and friends alike.

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I simply adore emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/Tik-Tok and YouTube Millionaires/snowflakes / literally-like-overusers etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 😷😷😷😷😷 (Stay inside, stay safe!!)
...more

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Nov 23, 2020 Kristine rated it really liked it

I have been a fan of Alex Berenson's John Wells series and when I saw that there was a new book available on NetGalley by this author, I immediately out in a request for an ARC. It wasn't until I received my approval that I realized that this book was a stand alone novel, and had nothing to do with the Wells series. Did it bother me? Absolutely not. I couldn't wait to see what Mr. Berenson had in store for his readers.

This book is told in various time frames (we get the past perspective, and the I have been a fan of Alex Berenson's John Wells series and when I saw that there was a new book available on NetGalley by this author, I immediately out in a request for an ARC. It wasn't until I received my approval that I realized that this book was a stand alone novel, and had nothing to do with the Wells series. Did it bother me? Absolutely not. I couldn't wait to see what Mr. Berenson had in store for his readers.

This book is told in various time frames (we get the past perspective, and then a current point of view - a Then and Now ) and we hear from different POV's. We get to see the history of a married couple from each partner's perspective while at the same time, we hear from their daughter in real time as she experiences the trauma of a drugging and kidnapping from a family vacation in Europe.

Without going into any spoilers, which I have to admit is hard to do and still give my opinion of the book ...... but here it goes. The book starts off by showing us a family of 4 - a Mom and a Dad and their two almost adult children (One is 17 and one is 19...I think) deciding to take the family on a vacation in Europe to celebrate the couples 20th wedding anniversary. Something goes wrong and the daughter - she is the 19 year old - makes a tragic error of judgement and ends up missing. The book then deals with the history of the marriage from each partners POV. A kind of...how did we get to this point? The reader is left to try to figure out if this was a preplanned event, was it random? Was the daughter taken as revenge for one of the parents? There are many questions floating around while at the same time the parents are trying to move mountains to find their daughter. AB does a great job of building the suspense and we (the reader) can feel the tension build up as we get to the climax of the story. For me, it became apparent during one of the POV's that there is more than meets the eye with a certain POV (again, no spoilers - so this is going to be vague).

This story is about a kidnapping, yes. But it is also about the life of a marriage, and how what begins as one type of relationship can change over time. Or maybe, not necessarily change, but maybe magnify the crevices that were always there. There are chilling revelations and honestly, part of me wondered how they got from point A to point B? The story is nicely written and the issues seem to have a basis of realism to not knock the reader out of the story. Since I have been married for almost 29 years myself, some things seemed completely realistic, while others made me thankful for the husband that I have...seriously.

The ending is something that, while shocking, seemed as if it was set in motion and like a car speeding down a mountain without brakes, the end was inevitable. But was it? That answer is going to be different for each reader I think. It definitely caused me to pause and think, but by the time we got there, the story development gave us the playbook.

So, this wasn't a John Wells book, but I did enjoy it. I also ended the book a bit disturbed and had to take some time to just process. But, a writer that can create an emotional response from the reader has done something right, isn't that true? ...more

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Dec 17, 2020 KKEC Reads rated it really liked it

Published: February 9, 2021
Simon & Schuster
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Berenson is a former New York Times reporter and now a gifted author. He has published over 15 works, and his storytelling only gets better.

“Fire. The Daenerys Targaryen of kidnapped American chicks. Of course, it hadn’t ended so great for Daenerys.”

Becks and Bri have lived a relatively charmed life together. She works for the FBI, and he works for the NSA, they have two children ab Published: February 9, 2021
Simon & Schuster
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alex Berenson is a former New York Times reporter and now a gifted author. He has published over 15 works, and his storytelling only gets better.

“Fire. The Daenerys Targaryen of kidnapped American chicks. Of course, it hadn’t ended so great for Daenerys.”

Becks and Bri have lived a relatively charmed life together. She works for the FBI, and he works for the NSA, they have two children about to be grown and out of the house, and they decide to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in a big way: a family trip to Spain. They have overcome so many struggles in their 20 years together, so they decide to take this trip and spare no expense. But neither was prepared for their world to come crashing down when their 19-year-old daughter Kira is taken. Now, they have to figure out how to find their girl in a foreign country, with zero leads. Soon, secrets will be spilled.

This is the first novel by Alex Berenson I’ve read. And the man knows how to build a story. I enjoyed how this unfolded. Berenson has an extreme gift for telling a story. He weaves the backstory and the current plot so effortlessly together, and he keeps you engaged the entire time.

I enjoyed the espionage angle of this novel. I learned some things about how the NSA operates and about the limitations of the FBI. And also about the reaches of greed.

The main characters, Becks and Bri, are written so vastly different. Becks is the perpetual good girl. She has done everything right, or as close to right as possible. She is a rising star in the FBI, often sacrificing her home life to pursue a case.

Brian is a lazy narcissist. He feels entitled to great things but doesn’t want to do the work to earn them. When a deal falls into his lap, after a series of bad decisions, Brian decided to betray his wife, family, himself, and his country.

The twists in this book are insane. I did not see the slap coming. The story was built in such a powerful way, and just when you think you have a hold on where the story is going- wham! Something you did not expect.

Berenson has a gift for writing his characters in such a detailed manner that when they dive into their backstory, you find yourself feeling almost betrayed. As though a friend has revealed their darkest secret.

I very much enjoyed this novel. It is fast-paced, deep, and twisted. The storyline is unique, and the characters have all the qualities you want from an intense story. I recommend this one!! ...more

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Dec 25, 2020 Joyce rated it it was amazing

Brilliant Political Thriller

If you want to read a page-turner with authentic twists, this multi-layered thriller will not waste your time.

The Power Couple is Brian Unsworth, the husband, who is a decoder for the NSA and Rebecca Unsworth, the wife, a devoted, FBI agent who knows all the angles. They have two children, Kira, a student at Tufts, beautiful and adventurous and Tony, a rather awkward, younger brother. The setting is Barcelona, Spain where the family is vacationing to celebrate Brian ( Brilliant Political Thriller

If you want to read a page-turner with authentic twists, this multi-layered thriller will not waste your time.

The Power Couple is Brian Unsworth, the husband, who is a decoder for the NSA and Rebecca Unsworth, the wife, a devoted, FBI agent who knows all the angles. They have two children, Kira, a student at Tufts, beautiful and adventurous and Tony, a rather awkward, younger brother. The setting is Barcelona, Spain where the family is vacationing to celebrate Brian (Bri) and Rebecca (Becks) 20th anniversary. We are introduced to Kira when she is planning to upend her curfew and meet a handsome Frenchman later in the evening.

When Kira does not return that evening, their lives become a parent’s worst nightmare. Where is she? Is she ill? Was she kidnapped? Narrated from different points of view, the story evolves into an exciting chronicle of this family’s history, their marriage, and the strengths and weaknesses of each character, including the children.

The plot moves, transporting me into the workings of the FBI, the National Security Agency and the private agonies of their marriage. The children play a big role, their personalities are keys to the interchanging plot. The four of them seemed to work hard, Kira, trying to return to her family and Tony, his guilt in leaving his sister. It was unusual for an author to depict how hard Bri and Becks (silly nicknames), work to sustain their marriage through the years.

Sometimes the plot is held up by the detailed backstories of the parents, but it does indicate that this family is complicated. The only weakness was the first few scenes when Kira is so enthralled with Jacques that she agrees to meet him later. In much later scenes, we discover Kira is not naïve and is as smart as her mother. Berenson quickly changed Kira from a silly teenager to a creative, brilliant young woman.

This book is spot on for the big or small screen series.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. ...more

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Nov 15, 2020 Eva rated it really liked it

When Rebecca and Brian and their two young adult kids Tony and Kira head for Europe to celebrate their parents’ 20th anniversary they could never have guessed that 19 year old Kira would not come home one night after meeting a guy in a bar.

By the next day, Kira still hasn’t returned to her family. Her parents, an FBI agent and an NSA coder / “hacker” are wanting to bring in the big guns for this investigation while the smaller police branches still wonder if the daughter just went home with a b ...more

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Nov 27, 2020 John Hebert rated it liked it

I received an ARC of The Power Couple by Alex Berenson in exchange for my review. I read no other reviews before I wrote my review.

I am a fan of Alex Berenson. I have read all of his John Wells novels and I enjoyed them very much. I was really excited to get to read an ARC of his new book. I think The Power Couple is a good book.

The story relates to a couple who work for part of their careers at the FBI and the NSA. Intelligence is part of their professional lives. They are not, however, trained ...more

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Jan 04, 2021 Hermione rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc

I feel a bit bad giving this one a two, but I thought a 3 might be misleading. It's not a bad book, it just tries to do something and doesn't quite succeed.
The book opens with the teen daughter of a couple being kidnapped. It then undercuts the tension of this by going back and looking at the wife's memories of the marriage. These memories have nothing to do with the kidnapping, and are a bit odd because they introduce people who have no impact on the kidnapping, or on anything other than that ...more

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Dec 06, 2020 Hayley rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery, contemporary, realistic, survival, adult, thriller

3.5 stars

A gripping thriller with an interesting structure and at least one good twist.

Rebecca and Brian Unsworth are celebrating their 20th anniversary with a family trip to Europe. When their 19 year old daughter, Kira, goes missing in Barcelona they have to decide if it’s a random abduction or if it’s connected to them specifically: Rebecca works for the FBI in Russian counterintelligence and Brian is part of an elite hacker team in the NSA.

The novel moves between the past, viewing Rebecca an ...more

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Oct 25, 2020 Mary G. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020, arc, crime-fiction, family-drama, thriller

The perfect fusion of domestic suspense and spy novels - I was totally hooked by this novel! Prepare to read this book in one sitting!

In Barcelona, tourists would expect to eat tapas, drink sangria, and wait in a long line to see the Sagrada Familia. Unfortunately for Rebecca and Brian, their family trip gets a lot more complicated when daughter Kira doesn't come home from a night off. Rebecca, a successful FBI agent, is sure that Kira has been kidnapped. But why was she taken, and how can they ...more

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Sep 29, 2020 Wendy rated it it was amazing

Domestic thrillers are my favorite genre ever and this one is the perfect example of why. I seriously couldn't get enough of The Power Couple.

This novel introduces us to Rebecca and Brian Unsworth, an upper class couple living in a pretty house on the outskirts of DC with their two teenage kids, Kira and Tony. But Rebecca and Brian's marriage isn't actually doing so well, so they decide to take a family vacation in Europe to have some fun and revive their sex life.

The key here is that they don't ...more

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Dec 18, 2020 Carmen rated it it was amazing

Rebecca Unsworth works for the FBI and her husband, Brian, is a coder for the NSA. After the couple plans a European getaway in honor of their 20-year anniversary, their teenage daughter comes up missing in Barcelona. Rebecca’s first thought is that the kidnapping must have something to do with her job. But how? And why?

I have to admit that when I first began reading this novel, I wasn’t too crazy about it. Most of the characters aren’t particularly likeable or relatable. I continued reading for ...more

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Oct 11, 2020 Heather rated it it was amazing

Thank you to Simon Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. It is one of Berenson’s rare stand-alones. He also writes the John Wells series.

Brian and Rebecca (Becks) seem like they’re doing well. He codes for the NSA and she works for the FBI. But their marriage has stalled. So they decide to go on a European vacation and take their two teens, Kira and Tony.

All is fun and games until the night Kira doesn’t come home from a dance club. After a weekend of searching for her, Becks and Brian ...more

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Oct 14, 2020 Maryellen rated it liked it

Alex Berenson is a very talented author of a successful series of suspense and espionage novels. This novel with twists and turns reminiscent of "Gone Girl" is a departure for him and doesn't quite pay off. Like "Gone Girl", the "Power Couple" is a two-person narrative starring Brian and Rebecca chronicling their first meeting, courtship, wedding, developing careers and child rearing throughtthrough twenty years of marriage. Rebecca is an esteemed FBI special agent that works on Russian counteri ...more

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