I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Jill Is Not Happy
by Kaira Rouda
Published by Thomas & Mercer on June 10, 2025
Setting: California
Genres: Psychological Thrillers
Pages: 256
Format: Audible Audiobook, Hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
Source: the Publisher
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Bonfire of the Vanities meets War of the Roses in this latest thriller from the USA Today bestselling author of Best Day Ever and The Next Wife, in which an ill-fated road trip resurrects a married couple's darkest secrets.
Some secrets keep a couple together.
If you ask Jill Tingley, she’ll tell you she and her husband Jack are college sweethearts living the dream in Southern California. Wealthy, popular and genetically blessed, theirs is an enviable life, though they’ve grown distant in recent years. Newly empty nesting with their daughter Maggie away at college, Jill suggests a road trip to reconnect.
Jack would rather do anything else than drive to Utah with his wife. He’s only stayed in this marriage because of a shared secret, a tragedy in the past he wanted to keep buried. And for his daughter’s sake. But Jack is finished with the charade of his marriage. He’s filing for divorce as soon as they return, no matter what.
But he doesn’t realize what else Jill is hiding.
So begins a cat-and-mouse road trip as a cunning wife―think Ripley in yoga pants―and a reluctant husband match wits and drive each other to the edge. But everything will be fine. Jill still loves Jack and believes he’s the only one for her. She’ll do anything to keep him. Anything. She always has.
Jill Is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda is a fantastic thriller that gets crazier with each chapter.
The book title says it all…Jill Is Not Happy, and heads will roll.
Jill Tingley
Jill is the main character, and she is far from normal. She was brought up in a very Christian home with strict parents until she pushed them too far and they exiled her. However, that worked to Jill’s advantage. You see, she decided what she wanted and set out to get it. If anyone gets in her way, she handles the situation. Let’s just say, don’t cross her.
Jack Tingley is Jill’s obsession and partner in crime. Jill makes sure that Jack is aware of the partner part of their marriage. At first, I thought Jill was just a fixer, but throughout the plot twist, I realized that I would not want to be her friend at all. I felt so sorry for Michelle.
Jack Tingley
Jack is one of the big men on campus when he meets Jill, little does he know she has decided that they are meant for each other. Jill completely changes Jack’s life plan and creates one where she is the most important person in his life. Well, except for their daughter Maggie, who Jack loves completely and Jill tolerates because Maggie is part of her.
I did like Jack and felt sorry for him at first. But then I started to see him as a bit weak. Yet, he surprises me throughout the story, and his innocence isn’t as he portrays it.
Four Stars
Jill Is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda is four stars. I love the book, but I’m not a fan of the ending. Not that the ending is bad, just that it abruptly ends, or maybe it really doesn’t, but returns to the beginning. Either way, it’s a fantastic read, and I recommend it to all you thriller readers.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Jill Is Not Happy by Kaira Rouda.
Until the next time,
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About Kaira Rouda
Kaira Rouda is an award–winning USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Her novels of domestic suspense include The Favorite Daughter, Best Day Ever, and All the Difference. To date, Kaira’s work has been translated into more than ten languages.
A former magazine editor and society columnist, Kaira won the Stevie Award for Women in Business for creating the first female-focused residential real estate brand, Real Living, and growing the brand to more than 22 states before its sale to Berkshire Hathaway. Her first book, Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, led to a national speaking tour where she inspired thousands.
Active in the areas of homelessness, food security, and empowering women and girls, in her twenties, as a volunteer, she created the first walk-in emergency shelter for homeless families in Central Ohio. Kaira has received numerous awards for her community service, including the national Kiwanis Service to Mankind Award, among many others. Kaira Rouda lives in Southern California with her family.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 Cloak and Dagger JEN
- 2025 Goodreads RC JEN
- 2025 Medical Examiner Mystery RC JEN
- 2025 Thriller RC
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