"The Marriage Pact" kept me swiping my Kindle right until the end. I sat down to read and didn't stop until the book ended. While there were some bits that were predictable, it had lots of twists and unexpected events. It did stretch plausibility quite a bit but it also was provocative. It made me think about marriage - what it is, expectations of it, how you make it work, what happens when things go wrong, as inevitably they will. It also made me think about the future of marriage as a social construct, peer pressure, and commitments, not just the marital kind. When you sign up for something, you agree to the good and the bad. But at what point does the bad outweigh the good and is it right to keep that commitment in those circumstances?

The Pact seemed like a good thing, and a harmless one, at first. Alice is both a free spirit and someone who's strongly competitive. Her husband Jake admits, to the reader, that he 'trapped' Alice into marriage. He was afraid of losing her and hoped marriage would help tether her to him. What neither expected was just how strongly Alice would buy into The Pact when it was offered to them. Jake is more lackadaisical about it than Alice is, though initially he's more committed to the marriage. And at first, Jake loves the changes in Alice's behavior that The Pact brings about. But he starts to have doubts, starts to question The Pact, and that's a major no-no. That's when the action really kicks into high gear.

As I mentioned, there were some implausible bits but they're spoilers so I don't want to get specific. But, The Pact is a full-time commitment, that takes precedence even over your job. It's also not for anyone on a budget or who might be considered lower class. It's quite elitist. Even with the implausible bits, it was an engrossing story that kept me guessing. The next time you are in the mood for a psychological thriller, pick up The Marriage Pact.

The Marriage Pact is a creepy psychological thriller by Michelle Richmond

Jake is a therapist and Alice,a musician turned attorney ,receive an invitation to join The Pact as a wedding present . On joining The Pact they receive a Manual that has a list of rules and regulations that they have to follow so as to keep their marriage happy and intact. If there are some infractions punishments are meted out ranging from mild to severe. The Pact is extreme and everywhere but once you join there is no escape from this cult like group.

The book started off real well and I enjoyed Michelle Richmond’s writing .The concept is interesting and it did keep me intrigued but fell short of my expectations. The story is narrated from only Jake’s point of view and leaves Alice’s perspective out of the picture. The part that really bothered me was Jake was portrayed as this perfect husband and Alice trying to prove herself worthy of his love. The ending was anticlimactic as well thus my rating 3 stars .

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Bantam & NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest and fair review.

This and more reviews at https://chloesbooksblog.wordpress.com/

This took a simple marriage and turned it into a nightmare. What would you if you received wedding present that promised a happy marriage above all else?! For Alice and Jake, they decided to sign the contract and join the Pact.
They had to memorize rules and procedures and if they screwed up in any way, they were punished. The events and repercussions that Alice and Jack and the other members of the Pact participated in were outrageous.
This was an interesting twist to a story about a cult-like organization. It has a suspenseful atmosphere and is categorized under a few different sub-genres. I would read something else from this author.

I liked this so much I had a hard time choosing between 4 or 5 stars. I didn't know how much I would enjoy it by the description, but it is a very original story that is a super fast-paced psychological thriller. While original, it definitely gives a nod to a mix of Quitters, Inc. by Stephen King, The Circle by Dave Eggers, and The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin. Up until the last minutes of the book, you don't know how it is going to turn out until the last few pages, keeping me on edge all the way through! I had fun relaying the story and premise to my husband after I was done reading it.

I'm an avid reader and get really excited when I find a book with a premise that hasn't been written over and over. This book has an interesting and original story line that was pretty creative. There were alot of twists throughout that kept me reading well into the early morning hours! The author did a great job developing the main characters and making them relatable. This is a story the author can build on to write a series (hint hint). I will be keeping an eye on this author to see what she releases next! Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book had some really great parts. I really enjoyed most of it. I was disappointed with the ending. Everything led up to this big event and then it's just over.

I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Jake and Alice, a newlywed couple who are new members of The Pact. The Pact is a secret organization whose goal is to help its members have strong and lasting marriages. Founded by a woman in Ireland whose first marriage failed but was determined for her second marriage to succeed, The Pact is a complex series of rules and punishments which seem outrageous but each member of the group seems to be happy in a hypnotized / cult kind of way. And once Alice and Jacob start getting into trouble they realize that there is a lot more danger with being a part of this group than they first realized. 
Overall this book was ok. There was some interesting pieces to the book and it was a creative idea. And there were definitely some good plot twists included. I wasn't super thrilled with the ending though. I just felt like there was a lot of build up for a weird and kind of anti-climactic ending. It was still good so I would recommend but it wasn't my favorite.

Some of this well plotted novel is implausible and frankly irritating but darn it- I read the whole thing in a gulp so I can't complain! Jake and Alice really should have been smarter about things. It's never a good idea to sign onto something like the Pact, it just isn't, but people do stupid stuff all the time. Richmond has written a page turner which has enough twists to keep you guessing and created characters you can boo/hiss and cheer. I liked this one and thank Netgalley for the ARC. Good travel book.

I didn't care for this book. It ended abruptly and it reminded me of The Stepford Wives. Wasn't interesting and it was very slow to me. Alice is a rocker turned lawyer and Jake is a therapist so you would think they were intelligent people. NOPE. Jake and Alice get an interesting gift that starts their adventure in "The Pact". Miss a meeting, punishment. Work to long, punishment. Any slight infraction of "The Pact", punishment. Ugh.

This book needs a mega shot of adrenaline. The description makes it sound so much more interesting than it actually is. Not the book for me, too slow.

Premise: the narrator (Jake) is a therapist who is married to an overachieving lawyer (is there any other kind?!) named Alice. We flash back to their wedding when they received a strange box as a gift that had no key to open it. They end up finding out that they have been invited to join an exclusive club to keep their marriage afloat. As (very) newlyweds, they jump at the opportunity, both out of curiosity and a desire to sustain their marriage. They end up being given a rule book which is filled with mostly reasonable items. The thriller aspect of the book starts to take over when Jake and Alice have a perceived indiscretion or two and learn what The Pact thinks of their "friends" who fall out of line. This was an extremely interesting read that you won't want to put down.

Even though this book was a little slower for me to get through (whether because of book burnout or just the story itself, I'm not sure) I still give it a full 4 stars because it was fascinating and new territory.

A newlywed couple finds themselves members of an exclusive club, dedicated to maintaining a loving marriage. Sounds great, right? Wrong. Instead of a fun-loving club, their new life together takes a turn for the worse when they find themselves the focus of a terrifying cult whose influence runs deep.

The main characters were really likable, and I could especially relate to the main character, as he was a marriage/family therapist, just like my husband, and seemed to have a similar temperament too.

The book is a psychological suspense thriller and asks how far would you go to preserve your marriage. I really could not get into the book and did not finish it..

The Marriage Pact is a psychological thriller about the lengths people might go to ensure the vows of marriage are upheld. This book features newlyweds Alice and Jake. They are a pretty normal couple who inadvertently get mixed up with a group that will take unbelievable actions to make sure their members stay married - or at least do not get divorced. Some of the concepts in the book are a bit far-fetched, and some scenes are downright creepy with a bit of S&M thrown in. However, if you are willing to suspend some disbelief, this is a fun book. It is an easy, quick read that leads you on a roller coaster ride of shock and surprise. I truly could not put it down and hid in my laundry room so that I could keep reading. There were some clever plot twists which kept me guessing, and I was surprised and ultimately happy with the ending.

I received this book as an e-galley, and for such a quick read, page-turner type of book, The Marriage Pact has really stuck with me. Michelle Richmond is an excellent writer with an amazing imagination, and I would love to know her thoughts about this book. Is she making a commentary about the controlling aspects of our society? Is she issuing a warning about losing one's identity inside a marriage? Is she reminding us to read the fine print? I definitely look forward to reading more of Ms. Richmond's work in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bantam and Michelle Richmond for the opportunity to read this creepy, addictive book!

Alice and Jake are a newly married couple. Alice left the rock and roll world to become a lawyer while Jake is a therapist. Jake feels he pressured Alice into marrying him so he wouldn't lose her and doesn't quite feel confident that she truly loves him. Alice felt that she didn't have what it took to make a marriage work and was scared to fail.

So they are the perfect people to be brought into The Pact. They are given a box as a wedding present and are later presented with the key and an invitation to join a special group of individuals who are putting their marriages first above all else. There are strict rules and strict punishments - all of which become horribly clear as time goes on.

I loved all the marriage statistics and info and The Pact's ideas to put marriage first were great. Until all the rest. Seriously creepy but you definitely couldn't put it down until you figured out what was going to happen!

I paused for a while before writing this review as I wanted to process what I had just read. If I am being honest, I don't know how I feel about this book. It's as if after reading it I feel battered and bruised and a bit numb and shocked after finishing it. This book lulls you into a false sense of security as it starts off very nicely. A married couple, Alice and Jake are in love, happy, on the road to success and a happy life. And then they get introduced to the pact: an initially attractive group with specific rules and regulations to adhere to in order to live out the 'perfect marriage' and stay together as a married couple forever. Alice and Jake sign the pact and their lives begin to change and not for the better. As soon as they realise how deep they are immersed in this 'cult' called the pact, they recognise with horror that they can't leave; well not unless they want to die!
When I say this book lulls you into a false sense of security, I mean that in the beginning it flows nicely: nice imagery and lovely relationships carved out, great descriptions of lavish lifestyles, parties and surprisingly such convincing descriptions of food that I felt hungry the whole time. So a quarter of the way into the book, you are on-side with Alice and Jake and you sense impending psychological suspense looming on the horizon. Yes, you think to yourself as you settle into bed with your book and your cocoa, this is another psychological thriller with a nice twist at the end.It'll be similar to all the others out there at the moment but I do like a good puzzle.
NO! NO! NO! This is not a lovely psychological thriller that takes you on a bit of a twisty, turny ride. This is a psychological suspense/horror/Stephen king-esque book that is not for the faint hearted! It'll grab you in the stomach, twist and turn it and leave you panting and shaking your head, yet weirdly unable to stop turning the pages. Put it this way, if they make a movie of this book, I'm not going to watch it alone in the house! EVER!
So back to lovely Alice and Jake, with their cosy life and nice million dollar house in San Francisco . . . after not adhering to the terms and conditions of the pact, Alice gets fitted with a bracelet which monitors her, has a collar fitted around her neck, taken away in chains and handcuffs to a makeshift prison in Nevada and no, that's not great, but wait, keep reading, keep wondering what is going to happen next. So that's it right, she's been punished and then everything goes smoothly and the couple find that the pact is the best thing ever and their marriage is improved as a result? Nope. After an initial visit to the prison when we see the prison for what it is though Jake's eyes, what we witnesses is disturbing but he leaves almost unscathed. But when Jake gets sent to prison properly and punished, nothing and I mean NOTHING prepared me for this! It was horrific, scary, horrifying and quite graphic and totally shocking. So if you're looking for a lovely little psychological thriller that won't overly shock you and will rock you gently to sleep, then this book isn't right for you. If you like being scared, shocked and screaming 'OMG, No, no, no" on the train into work, then this book has your name on it.
The ending was a bit of an anti-climax but then again, after the book being so unpredictable and such a rollercoaster ride, I think it would be hard to get an ending that lives up to the rest of the book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.
I'm going for a lie down in a dark room!

Marriage can be a lot of things, but none are the kind of thrill ride that Alice and Jake find themselves on when they join the Pact just after the honeymoon. Alice’s client, Finnegan, recommends them for membership in this organization whose mission is to improve marriages. What The Pact is not so up front about is the “the manual” has to be followed strictly and punishment for a violation may be swift and severe. When Jake and Alice start meeting other members they begin to have second thoughts about joining the group. But very soon, they discover that getting out is not an option…

This story had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. I loved Jake and Alice right away, both as individuals and as a couple. As they get deeper involved in The Pact their resiliency and love for each other just keeps growing. The Pact tries to control every aspect of the members’ marriages but Alice and Jake are not OK with that and will not allow their brutal system of punishment to break them. I found this story so creative and engaging that I read it in record time. One note of caution: there are a couple of brutally violent scenes in this story that some readers may not be comfortable with. Overall, I loved this story for its great characters and creative story line.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
Slightly mixed feelings about this book. The premise of the book was interesting albeit slightly weird and hard to believe that things like this exist in real life. A group of individuals involved in a cult like group, by invitation only, deemed to strengthen and preserve the sanctity of marriage. Sinister tones were obvious to me from early on. *** no spoiler alerts ****
However on the positive side, the book is extremely well written and the characters are brilliantly portrayed. A book once started, that had to be read to the end. A book which was quite depraved but fascinating. A book that will stay with me. Overall 4.5 stars because I just could not put it down, but not 5 ***** because some parts were hard to believe as truly credible.

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond is a recommended novel of suspense.

Alice, a lawyer who used to be a singer in a well-known regional rock group, and Jake, a partner and therapist in a psychology practice, are newlyweds living in San Francisco who have been given an odd wedding gift that requires some explanation from the giver. Alice impulsively invited Liam Finnegan, a client who is a famous Irish musician, and his wife to her wedding. They not only attend the wedding, but he sent the gift, a special wooden box that can only be opened with a key. Inside is an offer to join The Pact, a secret group that enforces rules to keep marriages intact and partners committed for life. Jake and Alice decide to join the group, after all its goal is to keep marriages happy and intact, and sign the contract without carefully reading it or the huge manual of rules.

They are instructed to memorize the rules and are not allowed to talk about The Pact. At first it doesn't seem too bad, They are invited to glamorous parties hosted by members who live in the area, but Alice mistakenly talks about her long days at work, which gets her into trouble with The Pact, resulting in reconditioning, and monitoring. Soon it is apparent that enforcement of The Pacts rules results in greater consequences than one would expect, including incarceration and torture in a private prison. The rub is the contract is for life and there is no backing out or changing your mind.

The Marriage Pact starts off strong. The quality of the writing is good. The concept of a secret group that enforces rules to keep marriages strong and the partners committed for life is intriguing. Most of the rules make perfect sense: always answer your partner's phone calls, take a trip or vacation once every three months, give your partner a gift chosen specifically for them monthly, don't keep secrets from your partner, and, naturally, no adultery.

Soon, however, the story becomes increasingly implausible. It was difficult to believe that a lawyer and a therapist would enter into the cult-like Pact without carefully examining the contract and the rules manual. No matter how secret membership in the group is, people aren't going to passively tolerate many of the enforcement policies. You can't always ignore work expectations just because some overtime or staying late to finish up a big project is required. Admittedly, one of my first thoughts when Pact enforcement officers broke in to take someone to the prison was it was a home invasion - first arm yourself, then call the police. Also an organization like this is not going to be kept a secret. (Look at other cults/organizations that expect secrecy.)

In the end, I enjoyed The Marriage Pact as a pleasant diversion. The narration is through Jake's point of view, so that is how we are introduced to all the characters. Although he is a trained observer, character development is lacking. This can be overlooked because Richmond keeps the action moving along at a fast pace (or it can be read quickly). I found myself able to suspend the majority of my disbelief and scoffing at the character's reactions as I anxiously read what happened next to Alice and Jake. Great choice for an airplane book. It is an engaging book that will hold your attention but you won't cry if you lose it or misplace it.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Penguin Random House.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/07/the-marriage-pact.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2073798629

Jake and Alice are like any other newlywed couple. In love and cant wait to spend the rest of their lives together. But they aren't any normal couple anymore after the sign The Marriage Pact.

Jake is a therapist with an expanding practice with two colleagues, and Alice is a rocker turned lawyer who rarely takes no for an answer. Jake and Alice love each other so much that they are willing to sign the Marriage Pact, but they don't really know what they are getting into from the vague questions they are being asked before they sign on the dotted line.

After signing the Marriage Pact they are invited to a party to celebrate their joining and are asked to memorize "The Manual" to prepare themselves for the Pact. Alice memorizes it front and back and Jake skims in places. After Alice gets into trouble, Jake is willing to do anything it takes to keep his wife out of trouble. With help from an old friend he starts learning secrets about the Pact and starts looking for answers.

When those answers come at a price Jake learns the hard way what an old friends help really is in the end. Jake and Alice are given the ultimate decision in the end, will they choose the right path?

The Marriage Pact was definitely a roller coaster ride of a book, and I would definitely take this ride again!!! It would have been a 5 STAR review for me except for the ending. I was hoping for the opposite outcome so that they could do some good with their decision instead of leaving everything like they did.

But besides the ending the trip along the way was beyond fantastic. Once I picked it up I couldn't put it down!! If you are looking for a thriller with loads of suspense then this is your book! I am hopeful that there will be another installment to this whether it be for Jake & Alice or another couple within The Pact!

The Marriage Pact is a book that will always show how Marriage can be as strong as you and your partner are willing to make it!

The Pact takes work, sometimes much more work than a marriage to an extent, but for some it may be the best way to prove to your partner that you are committed.


I don't want to say too much about this book because it gives away too much! But IMHO it is definitely worth picking up!!

I want to thank Bantam, Michelle Richmond, and Michele Richmond for the early access to this book!