Always thanks to Netgalley for the ARC for my Kindle!
This was one of the strangest books- "a marriage cult."
Sorry, Michelle Richmond, I've enjoyed some of your books but this one wasn't one of them.

This was a thought provoking, yet original plot for a novel. The Marriage Pact sounds like a great idea to newlyweds Jake and Alice. A group of people bound together with the same values working together to keep one another accountable for following the rules of having a safe, happy, healthy and loving marriage. However, it involves a legally binding contract that no one else may know about. There is a large manual that both husband and wife receive that they must read carefully since they are responsible for following all of the rules within the agreement. Some of the rules are quite good and seem to make a lot of sense, Others are very strange and Jake and Alice soon find out that their "Friends" within the marriage pact seem to know their every move; whether they follow all the rules or not. Then there are consequences, which turn out to be punishments (some very graphic and almost hard to believe). So Jake and Alice try to get out of the pact. Only, no one has ever left the pact! What follows is the rest of Jake and Alice's journey within the marriage pact. Will they make it out? Will their marriage survive? Will they even survive? It's a bit nail-biting at times. This seemed like a long book, but I kept reading because I really wanted to know what became of Jake and Alice. I still wish I knew a bit more about what really happened to them. There are some unanswered questions (another reviewer mentioned this). I would recommend this book. Good summer read!!!!

Author Michelle Richmond molded couple Jake and Alice into the perfect characters for this twisted tale. This book is not my usual forte, but the description intrigued me and I took a stab at it. Boy am I glad I did. It is a heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat mind bender that kept me guessing until the last page.
A big thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Michelle Richmond for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Here is a review by Jennifer: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2017304328

Great book, easy read… Held my attention and was sad to see it end. Thanks for the opportunity to read it!

The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond

2017

I received an unedited ARC from NetGalley for review.
I really enjoyed her novel, No One You Know, so I am hoping this one doesn't disappoint.

Not only was I not disappointed but overwhelmed as this book exceeded my expectations. The Marriage Pact is an eerie psychological story about how easy it can be to allow other people to tell us what's best for us. The incredible journey of the mind where you questions only lead to more questions. When the narrator, Jake says, "In hindsight, I realize we should've known, right then, something was wrong" you can prepare yourself for a long outrageous ride. When Jake states, "The Pact had the mysterious draw of those things that both repulse and attract you at the same time" I thought that's exactly how to describe this story! This book is too good for anyone to provide spoilers. The only negative aspect from my opinion were the meanderings of Jake's thoughts as the story is told from his perspective. Again, that is my impatient bias as I enjoy psychological novels and like to predict where they will lead.

http://stephnoelpeterson.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-marriage-pact.html

Jake and Alice receive a special gift for their wedding. It came in a beautiful box with an envelope labeled The Pact. Now they have to decide, should they sign the pact that promises them wedding bliss forever? Would you? What's the price for perfection?
The Marriage Pact is a fast paced, entertaining read that you won't be able to put down till you find out all the answers. Not a deep read but if you're looking for a quick page turner full of suspense then sit back and enjoy! And remember.....always think twice before signing!

I was so intrigued by the idea of this whole pact and what on Earth was going through some of these people's mind. I wasn't disappointed in anyway about where the plot took me but I did cringe and skim through rather quickly on some of the punishments that Jake, Alice and other faced! I will say I was a bit dissatisfied with the ending but mostly because I would've made a different choice then Jake and Alice did so that's not technically a fault. Overall I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it! Thank you to Netgalley and Michelle Richmond for the ARC!!

I loved this novel! I was grabbed from yhe beginning to the end of the novel. The characters and their own trials were so gripping. This book will satisfy anyone who enjoys thrillers.

This takes the idea that everyone wants a satisfying marriage and gives it a spin. The pact turns out to be more than the characters expected. This book kept my interest and I will be recommending our library purchase it.

Fantastic read-- caught my attention right at the start and didn't let it go throughout the entire book. Intriguing plot, and gave me goosebumps as I was reading-- cannot wait to share this with my customers!!

I'm not sure how I completely feel about such an indepth look at marriage through the opinions in this book. I know that while there was much in this story that was intriguing, I still found myself only do I pushy reading it just so that it would be done. I don't think it was a terrible, or even bad, book. However, I feel like while there was so much action to keep me going i still left feeling unsatisfied.

This seemed like it had potential to be a great read, but it took way too long to get to it.

The Marriage Pact was wonderful. I loved the concept of a story about a marriage cult, and how basic human rights and privileges can be corrupted if we are not careful. The factoids about marriage were an nice addition, and I found myself bookmarking them to come back to later. And the ending, wow. I did not see it coming. I can't wait to discuss this book with others.

If you're willing to suspend some disbelief, the story takes off strong in the beginning. You have two flawed people entering into a flawed marriage and they somehow magically end up in a super-exclusive, secretive club dedicated to facilitating strong and lasting marriages. The initial problem of course is that jumping into this arrangement doesn't really fit the characters (an attorney who doesn't read a contract and a marriage therapist who doesn't see through the guidebook's directives) but the pacing is enough to pull you through that. I found the tense choice of the prose itself was a little strange but engaging and I liked the protagonist.

Unfortunately the longer I read, the more the book sagged. I think overall it could have been condensed as the actions of the characters and events surrounding them became repetitive after a while. Instead, it would have been interesting to see more subversion on the part of the protagonists rather than repeatedly 'caught'. I also think that the book should have veered even stranger toward the end. If you read it, you'll see why but, if you accept the basic premise of the book, it could have been much more dramatic and dark. Also, the ending was disappointing. I think the other option would have been more intriguing than the one written but that's just my opinion.

Overall, it was an alright read. I finished it but I don't think I would have purchased it for myself. I did like the writing though so I think I will check out other books by this author in the future.

Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and the author Michelle Richmond for the opportunity to read this novel.

A cultish marriage pact a pair of newlyweds embark upon provides suspense and intrigue throughout the whole book. The husband is a therapist for troubled teens as well as marriage therapist, which provides interesting insight into the cult practices the couple gets ensnared in. I read this book start to finish on a recent trip and loved it. Did not want it to end, but was happy in the end.

How Far would you go to protect your marriage? Alice and Jake are newlyweds. She is a lawyer and he is a psychologist. They receive a wedding gift from one of Alice's clients. They decide to join an exclusive group called The Pact. The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. And most of its rules make sense. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter. . . . Never mention The Pact to anyone.
But things don't quite seem to be what they are and before they know it their horror begins.
I could not stop reading this book. I had to get to the end to see where these 2 would end up. I would have given this book a 5 star but the end leaves you wondering and hanging.

The Marriage Pact is the first book I've read by Michelle Richmond but definitely will not be the last. The Marriage Pact is a compulsive page turner. The reader immediately becomes a part of this couple's life and has to keep turning pages to see what happens next. I read this story in less than 24 hours, impossible to put down! I was given an early copy to review.

This has been the book that I have been recommending to my friends lately. It is one of those books where the story stays with you because of its intrigue.

"How far would you go to save your marriage?" This question stuck with me throughout the book. The characters were realistic, and the story made me want to keep reading. In a way, and I don't mean to offend anyone, but it reminded me of Scientology. Once you agree to a "pact," you are expected to follow that pact for the rest of your life. I liked that the book actually does give some great advice on how to keep your marriage together, but "the pact" could put everyone's lives in danger.