Somewhere around 50% of all marriages in end divorce, depressing no? If there was a group designed around the idea of supporting marriage and helping to make the institution thrive instead of fail, would you be interested? In theory, it sounds like a great idea but in practice...
Psychological thriller? Definitely! This premise is something that I can actually see happening...for the most part. I was so intrigued by this concept that I kept talking to my husband about it. I think you will be sucked in as well. Is The Marriage Pact perfect? No, but if you don't mind one or two bits of straying from the main focus a bit, you will keep reading and be as enthralled as I was from page one.
I struggled to like Alice. I felt she was rather immature at times especially when she kept changing her personality to fit with whomever she was with at the time. I identify much more with Jake in this story and felt for him at times when Alice was ridiculous.
This was a very intriguing psychological thriller and even though the last few chapters were a bit clunky for me it is still 4/5 stars read!

The Marriage pact was a book with a lot of potential that turned out to be a dud. I found The Pact to be exhausting and as the story went further on, my interest in it completely waned.

ALWAYS READ THE SMALL PRINT BEFORE SIGNING ANYTHING!!!!!

If you've just gotten married, obviously you believe in marriage, and hopefully plan to do anything you need to do to ensure your marriage lasts and is satisfactory to both you and your spouse. Good basic premise. Why would anyone be against a group that believes that marriage is important and vows to help your marriage be successful? Good question. So signing a contract agreeing to be part of this group (The Pact) that will help you towards that end seems harmless, right? Well, think again, my Friend!!!!

This book is a fascinating psychological suspense read. We follow Jake and Alice from their dating days, through their wedding, their agreement to sign the contract and beyond. It's the beyond that will keep you turning pages!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Random House Ballantine for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this very good book!!

How far would you go to protect your marriage? The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond is the story of newlyweds Alice and Jake. Two successful professionals whose whole lives of wedded bliss is ahead of them. One came from a happy and strong family, while the other did not have such a shiny example of marriage.

Alice, who is an attorney, does very well on a case she is working on and invites the man she was representing and his wife. They accept and come to their wedding. As a gift, they give the newlyweds membership to an organization called The Pact.

The Pact has one goal, to ensure marriages succeed. As newlyweds determined to have a good marriage, they agree to join. The rules seem simple enough and they are lured by allure of the parties, other members and purpose of this group. But what happens when what they thought was a group to help and support is really so much more? If things that seem trivial are taking seriously and punishments are given?

As Jake and Alice continue with their lives, they begin to see the affect and consequences of being part of The Pact. Is it worth it? Can they even leave? What will happen next?

This book was a fast-paced psychological suspense that will consume you. Without giving any spoilers, it is hard to talk about this book, however, I found the plot intriguing and the suspense had me at the edge of my seat. There are aspects of this story that may seem unbelievable to some, but if you just let yourself get lost in the story, you will not be disappointed.

“Fidelity to the Spouse , Loyalty to The Pact. Till death do us part.”

"Simply put, The Pact is two things. It is an agreement you make with your spouse. And it is membership within a group...a fellowship of like-minded individuals, to support and enforce that agreement."

Alice and Jake are newly married. Alice is an attorney who used to be lead singer for many popular groups that performed in venues around the San Francisco area. Jake is a therapist and counselor for children and at-risk youth and also decides to do some marriage counseling.

As a wedding gift they receive The Pact and they agree to join, believing it will strengthen their marriage.

The premise behind this book is one of the creepiest, most disturbing I've read (probably because I know I could NEVER be a good Pact member).

I'm not going into any more details. You need to read this psychological thriller and follow that path yourself. It is well written, though I did find some unbelievable moments that I just couldn't wrap my mind around and had to just forge forward.

But this is a story that really got me thinking and asking questions. I'm still pondering the ending. It would be a great choice for a reading group.

I received this book from Random House Publishing through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.

3 stars. (4 for the concept, 2 for my actual enjoyment, so rounded to 3.)

This novel requires a lot of suspension of disbelief.

If you're able to do so, you'll be treated to a fast-paced novel about a creepy cult with an overwhelming amount of power, disguised as a benign organization created to help marriages succeed.

If you're not able to do so, you'll be rolling your eyes at a preposterous concept and characters that make a lot of stupid decisions.

By the end of the book, I was starting to suspect that The Pact was less about this particular story and characters and more a metaphor about government (or corporate) control. It's an interesting idea that brings another layer to the book, and I think Richmond is a clever writer.

However, I didn't really enjoy this story very much. It just wasn't any fun to read, if that makes sense. I also think some readers might be frustrated by the ending.

I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

I had a difficult time putting this book down.. It was scary, creepy and intriguing. The Marriage Pact is an agreement made between spouses. It is an exclusive club between like minded people...a club to help married people stay married. The problem is that the contract can't be broken. Great summer read! Not to be missed!

Creepy, unnerving, but thought provoking.

Hello, Friend.

What we have here is a very original and well thought out story. It's very intricate. The characters are multi-layered and complex. Alice especially, I found fascinating. In a way, I wish we had been granted looks into her head... but not knowing what she's thinking definitely ups the suspense factor. Like an actual relationship, we are left wondering what's going on in the other person's head with no way to know for sure.

Alice is a former wild child rockstar turned lawyer. Jake is a therapist. They've found love with each other and seem to have a good relationship. Alice's decision to half jokingly invite a client to her wedding will alter the course of their lives and relationships forever. He and his wife are all too happy to accept, and offer the newlyweds a very strange gift... an invitation to join The Pact.

Buy your partner one thoughtful gift a month. Take quarterly vacations with each other. Don't snoop on your partner. Don't cheat. Never ignore the phone when they call. Don't put your career before your spouse. Many of the rules that form The Pact seem like a great idea... a way to keep marriages happy and healthy. The Pact members don't get divorced. The couples involved seem like newlyweds, content and in love.

The thing is, once you sign those papers... you're in for life, Friend. They can demand your presence at any time. Attendance at their functions is mandatory. Breaking the rules (of which there are many) results in punishment, varying from a slap on the wrist to things much more extreme.

It doesn't take Jake long to resent The Pact. They signed without much thought. Worried about keeping his free spirited wife by his side, he has no problem signing when she wishes to. He has worried about keeping things new and exciting now that they're husband and wife. This is certainly different. So begins their journey with The Pact.

No spoilers in this review. I refuse to potentially ruin it for anyone. This is a bizarre book. Immensely readable but a palpable sense of dread can be felt by the reader throughout.

So why four stars instead of five? I had a hard time wrapping my head around a lawyer signing a contract without knowing absolutely everything it entails. The book also slowed down and almost lost me somewhere around 60-65% where things started to feel a little stale. I think there's a few parts that could have been eliminated without sacrificing the story. It did eventually pick back up and held my attention again. Worth the read.

I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley and Random House, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.

Review By Stephanie

The Marriage Pact was a great, fast paced thriller! I was hooked right away and could not put down until the very end! Michelle Richmond wrote a smart novel that kept me on the edge of my seat and glued to my kindle.

Jake and Alice are newlyweds who are ready to start thier lives together. Then they receive a mysterius wedding gift....after they open the box then wind up signing a contract that will change their lives forever!

What is The Pact....is it an exclusive group of happy people or is it a dangerous cult that doesnt let people leave.....alive that is..

The Marriage Pact was a gripping novel that had me glued to my kindle.

Friend, how far would you go to protect your marriage? This book is a psychological thriller about a newlywed couple, Alice and Jake. Both have wonderful jobs, and the couple is happy. After a strange wedding gift their life take quite a turn for the odd. The Pact seems to good to be true and perhaps it is, but what does this newly married couple have to lose. It could only make their marriage stronger right? Once things start turning weird and slightly cultish, the "happy"couple wonders if the Pact is not what it appears to be.

One of my favorite quotes from the book...
"Looking back on that night, it strikes me that we were both a little scared, but not nearly as cautious as we should have been. The Pact had the mysterious draw of those things that both repulse and attract you at the same time. Like a sound in the garage in the middle of the night, or a romantic overture from someone you know you ought to stay away from, or a strange, shining light you follow deep into the woods, not knowing where it will lead, or what kind of danger awaits you there. We were both drawn to it, despite reason. It had a strong, inexplicable pull, which we were unable, or unwilling, to resist."

At one point towards the beginning, I was thinking to myself, ohhhhh a cult, fun. Then it became so much more. I am not sure I am completely sold on the ending but no spoilers here so you will have to read and decide for yourself. I liked Alice and Jake as main characters and I really felt the strain The Pact was putting on their new marriage. The whole time I was reading this book I could imagine the movie and how amazing it would be. Great story, wonderful characters, but I feel the ending was a bit rushed. It was a quick one day read for me. I needed to know what happened to my new favorite couple. I needed to make sure they were okay in the end.

This book was released to the public today and I would recommend it for a fast paced thriller, with likable main characters. Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.

What makes a marriage last? Love helps. Commitment, certainly. Hard work. Supportive friends. Respect. And balance. As newlyweds Jake and Alice find out, balance is complicated. So when a new friend offers them a chance to join an exclusive group that supports the idea of marriage, they sign on the dotted line. Literally. And just like that, they are part of The Pact. 

The Pact has rules. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Give each other gifts every month. Take trips together often. Stay fit. And The Pact members have fancy parties in beautiful homes, with successful people. It's a beautiful life. 

Until a rule gets broken. 

When successful attorney Alice spends too much time at the office, when psychologist Jake starts to question The Pact and its ways, they start to see that The Pact may be more complicated than they originally thought. Is their marriage strong enough to survive the consequences of their carelessness? Are Jake and Alice strong enough to survive? 

Michelle Richmond has woven together a powerful story that looks at all the stresses of modern marriage and what it takes to stay committed to another person through all the challenges that life presents and that we ourselves concoct. In Alice and Jake, she has created two amazing characters whose strengths and weaknesses, gifts and struggles bring them closer and threaten to tear them apart. They seem completely real, and I couldn't help but cheer for them from page one until the end. 

The Marriage Pact is the perfect read for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller that keeps you guessing while taking you on a roller coaster of a ride. Phenomenal characters, genuine peril, chilling twists, and an ending that will make you want to stand up and cheer. This is one not to miss! 



Galleys for The Marriage Pact were provided by Bantam through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.

The Marriage Pact is about what happens when a couple, newlyweds Jake and Alice, enter into a group known as The Pact. The Pact initially sounds like a good idea as it is designed to keep couples together and marriages happy. It has a set of rules that each spouse is supposed to follow--things like exchanging gifts and going on trips together. Once a couple is part of The Pact, they can never leave. The Pact ultimately uses threats and surveillance to force its members to follow the rules. If someone breaks a rule, that person goes before a judge to be sentenced for his crime. Everything is fine between Jake and Alice until a rule is broken.

The Marriage Pact sometimes went beyond what most normal people would probably tolerate and requires readers to stretch their belief somewhat. Characters in the book accepted punishments that most people would probably reject, and at times, it seemed completely unbelievable. If you can suspend your disbelief, you will enjoy the book. It was a bit farfetched at times but was overall a good book.

Great read. The book was very different. There were some behaviors the characters exhibited - like a lawyer signing a contract without reading it - but I didn't care! The book for me was gripping and kept me turning the pages. Partially because it was so unbelievable that this could happen I kept going.
In this book we meet Alice, a lawyer and Jake a psychiatrist who are newly married. Alice is afraid the marriage may not stand the test of time so they enter into a marriage pact to keep the relationship exciting. Wow, what a marriage pact the got themselves involved with. The ending really leaves you hanging so perhaps a sequel is in order. I'm not one who wants to make my own ending. I like to tie things up and know for sure what happens, but that's just me. A definite book to read this summer!

I can't believe two brilliant and professional people will fall for this 'Pact' cult. Or, is it that the author wants to tell us being literate does not mean being educated? The thing is, Alice is a brilliant and practising lawyer and Jake is a marriage therapist. So, they must know a thing or two. Then, subjecting yourselves to being beaten or, 'punished' in the name of what? For whatever reasons this is a no no. The book is so tedious to read. If I can only not finish it. I finished but with a lot of skipping. Not for me.

The story begins about 50 percent into the story to lasso in the reader, when husband Jake is flying home in a small plane. He has been taken somewhere against his will for retribution...beat up and ruminating on his decision to join "The Pact" along with his wife Alice. The stage is set for a rewind back to the beginning of their marriage to inform the mystery of how Jack and Alice found themselves in such a predicament.

Alice is a former rock singer with a bit of success, but is now a lawyer. Jake is a therapist, building up a new practice. They get married and are gifted an elegant box labeled "The Pact" by a wealthy client for whom Alice had won a recent legal case. This box cannot be opened, only to the extent that two expensive pens are retrieved from it. The story unfolds later when a visitor comes to unlock the box, explain its contents and formally invite the young married couple to join "The Pact."

Without revealing too much here, the ride this book takes you on is surprisingly terrifying in its capacity to make you feel as if you have no place to hide, enjoy privacy or take your life and marriage on its natural course. Claustrophobia, paranoia and sheer terror are just some of the unpleasant feelings you will experience while reading this book. The unexpected twists and turns and fear of the unknown are what makes this book quite a thrill to read.

I haven't read a psychological thriller in a while and I really enjoyed this one. It was extremely fast paced and had very interesting characters. I was so intrigued by the Pact and I loved reading about Jake and Alice trying to navigate their new marriage with it hanging over their heads. Jake and Alice were a great couple and I was really routing for them throughout the story. My only complaints were that I was hoping we'd get a little bit from Alice's POV-the whole story is in Jake's. And I wish the ending hadn't been left open ended. I felt for everything that they had been through, Jake and Alice deserved a solid ending. Other than that, I loved the book!

The Marriage Pact, written by Michelle Richmond, is the first book that I have read by this author. I must admit I wasn't sure what to expect, but was intrigued by the description of the book. Overall, I have to say this book definitely held my attention!

Alice is a successful lawyer, and Jake is a partner in a psychology practice. They are newlyweds that have received an unexpected, yet intriguing gift from one of Alice's clients. They have been asked to join The Pact. The Pact is an exclusive group of people that all have one goal...to have successful, happy, and long lasting marriages. This isn't a group that just anyone can join...you have to be invited. After some thought, Alice and Jake decide to join this mysterious group of people, and agree to abide by the rules of The Pact. Initially, they are loving this new group of friends and believe in the concept that marriage is for life. What they are about to find out is that marriage isn't the only thing for life, so are the rules of The Pact. Their biggest dreams are about to come crashing down, and their lives are about to take a turn for the worse...all because they didn't abide by the rules of The Pact.

I found this concept quite intriguing...after all, who doesn't want their marriage to last forever? I mean, nobody gets married with the thought that it won't last forever. However, the gift was a locked box, with a note saying that the contents of the box would be revealed after the honeymoon. In my mind, that immediately set off a warning bell, but like Jake and Alice, I found my self pushing that to the back of my mind and wanted to see how it played out. What unfolds is a fast-paced, page turner of a story that has you questioning everything, but yet a part of you can't help but wonder if this is the solution to keeping marriages together. The further into the story you get, you soon realize that you should have listened to that warning bell that went off early in the story. Yes, I know I'm being cryptic and not revealing much, but this is a story that you just need to read to find out what happens! Overall, it is well told and captivating, and will hold your attention from beginning to end. I would definitely recommend this book.

I was given an advance copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My views are my own and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

This book is a bit horror, a bit psychological thriller and a bit of a love story, and the reader needs to allow for several inconsistencies to really appreciate what this clever author is presenting. She definitely gives us a great deal to think about as far as determining what constitutes a good marriage. It is true that even the most loving of couples can begin to take each other for granted, and an occasional little gift or an extra bit of attention can bring a couple closer, but somehow being forced into being attentive seems wrong.

Although the punishments were a bit over the top for me, I found this book to be a definite page turner and recommend it for anyone looking for something a little different.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC

This book was an exciting ride! From the first page it sucked me right in and I couldn't put it down. The premise seemed a bit hokey, but it was so well written, even the unlikely twists and character choices became believable. It was creepy. And it messed with my head: who was good? Who was evil?

I almost wished the final chapter didn't exist. When you read it, you'll see what I mean!