Thought-provoking psychological suspense that explores the lengths people will go to in order to preserve marriage vows. An original novel that will keep you reading and guessing!

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. At first things seem simple. Jake and Alice are getting married and her boss sends her a gift called The Pact. It is presented as a group of people trying to help people navigate marriage. Then things get creepy. Is it legit or a cult? I must've stared at the book a dozen times shocked at what I was reading. This author did such a good job at weaving this story. I love books with twists. This story didn't disappoint.

This book was a page turner. It was actually different plot know/mystery than what I expected. If you are look for a fast past book that is slightly different, would recommend this book.

I honestly don't know where to begin with a review of this title! The book did not disappoint yet at times I felt it dragged. However, every spare moment I had I just had to keep reading to see where the book was going. Filled with juicy content, surprises and fun and faithful characters it had me guessing and wondering what path the book was going to take. Truly---I really enjoyed this book and would highly suggest it to anyone looking for a different and enjoyable book----especially the ending! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this title prior to publication!

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for the ARC of "The Marriage Pact" by Michelle Richmond for my honest review. The genres of this book are Mystery,Thriller and Adult Fiction.
The author questions "How far would you go to protect your marriage?
Alice, a former musician, now a prominent attorney and Jake, a pyschologist are a newly married couple. The story is told in Jake's point of view.
One of Alice's prominent clients gives an unusual wedding present. In a box, there are pens and a box that says "The Marriage Pact." Before long they have a visit from someone who calls them "Friends", and tells them they have to read the manual in the box. Alice and Jake are invited to a party for members of The Pact. The manual consists of rules to keep the balance in a perfect marriage. The rules include frequent memorable gifts for each other, vacation time, attending parties, and most importantly making themselves the priority in their lives.
Both Alice and Jake are intriqued and consider this a challenge,until they realize there are consequences if they don't abide by the rules. Alice is working late at her law firm, and is called in by the members of the pact to attend mandatory counselling by one of their members. Alice has no choice.
Alice is summoned to meet with one of the members again, and she declines to go because of a conflict at her law firm. This is now considered an infraction by the members of The Pact. Two members come to the house and put Alice in chains and take her away. Jake is told she will call and be home in a few days if all is well. Jake is warned not to tell anyone. For the first infraction, Alice is fitted with a bracelet that cannot be taken off. For the next infraction, Alice has a neck brace that forces her to focus. It seems Alice was in jail, and had an attorney to represent her.
It appears that "The Pact" now is part of their life. There is no turning back or leaving . The Marriage Pact has become a nightmare.
Michelle Richmond describes her characters as complicated and complex greedy, power hungry, and good and evil
Be warned, there are some uncomfortable torture scenes, if you get queasy.
Will Alice and Jake survive? Will they be able to escape the thousands of members of The Pact, many in prominent positions?
I found this novel intriguing and chilling. If you like thrillers, this is for you.

THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond is a fast paced chilling, psychological suspense novel.

Interesting facts and statistics and psychological "tells" are incorporated and lead into the action of the story. Jake is an engaging character and has a strong voice in the story's development. Alice seemed to be more self absorbed and not as likeable. There are some passages that were uncomfortable to read but are an integral part of the story.

Whoever believes rules were meant to be broken, Friend, you had better think again. Another lesson learned......read thoroughly any document before signing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

This was a fabulous read. I was kept reading late into the night not wanting to put the book down as I had to see them through each situation. I kept thinking I had what the author was going to do next figured out and was always surprised by the twists that were thrown in.

I love the concept of the Pact, but the way it was executed make me glad I was never offered such a thing, the desire to keep your marriage at all costs, when you are newly married, sounds so enticing. But no one goes into marriage with the idea this is not going to work out.

I would highly recommend this book for those who enjoy psychological thrillers, it has everything needed to be a book that will haunt you long after you have read it.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book two days ago and am still trying to decide how I feel about it. The fact that I'm still thinking about it is a good thing?
The book seemed very long, unnecessarily so, but it was fast-paced so I never felt like I wanted to just give up. It gave an interesting view of a cult, and when looked at in the context of keeping a marriage together it was very interesting.
The torture scenes were intense and uncomfortable. And I definitely found the ending wanting, as much as I found the main characters' marriage wanting. I was tired of the both of them by the end of the book...and I never liked the wife at all. She was the cause of getting them embroiled in the entire mess, and I never really thought she was worth it.
Also, while this is no reflection on the author, the typos in the book threw me off repeatedly.

I'm on the fence about this book overall. It's worth a read but I wouldn't place it on the top of my wishlist.

ARC provided by Random House via Netgally, but does not influence my review in any way.

The Marriage Pact is the story of Jake and Alice, told through the view point of Jake. They are newlyweds, who are introduced to a secret society called The Pact. They are a society that wants to keep marriages from failing, whatever the costs. They do this with rules, and consequences.
I found some of the consequences over the top and quite violent for the couples supposed crimes. I wasn’t really held in suspense. I struggled a lot to connect with the characters. The book was predictable, and I found myself skimming quite a bit. I was bored through most of the book. Unfortunately, I don’t think this book was for me.

I just couldn't get into this book. The writing style didn't work for me.

The view was not worth the climb.

First of all, let me be clear - I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I may never receive a free copy again after this...

In all seriousness, I wanted to like this book. I really did. I saw that the author was a New York Times Bestseller with a major publishing company and I expected a really polished read. This was not that. I can only hope, for the sake of everyone involved, that what I read was either an unedited or unproofed copy of the manuscript because it was very rough. I counted four mistakes in one sentence. Four. That alone is normally enough to turn me off, but I was determined to get through it because I felt an obligation to do so.

Initially, I was drawn into the book. The premise of a signed contract with an organization whose objective is to help support and protect the institution of marriage is an interesting one. But at some point near the middle, the pace of the book slows down and I found myself repeatedly checking the count at the bottom of my Kindle to see how much farther I had to go before the plot started wrapping up. Again, a good edit to cut some of the fat would likely go a long way to resolving that issue.

My biggest issue is that after I had waded through the murky middle bits of the book and my trusty Kindle led me to believe that I was nearing the finish line, the ending was somewhat predictable, brief, abrupt and unsatisfying. There is a very long windup for how few pages are actually dedicated to the conclusion of this story. I'm not a gal who needs a happy ever after ending, but I do prefer some sort of clearly defined ending. Complete cliffhangers, especially when it's not written to be part of a series, leave me feeling like I wasted my time. For as emotionally invested as I became in the characters and their story, not having a concrete ending just frustrated and annoyed me.

Bottom line: This one was not a good use of my time.

Alice, a upcoming lawyer and Jake a successful psychiatrist are in love and about to get married. Alice is a junior partner in her law firm and wins a successful case for Finnegan, a famous rock star. She mentions to him she is about to get married and he says he loves weddings and invites him. Thinking he wouldn't show up. Her and Jake receive a present from Finnegan, a beautiful box that is locked and can't be opened. They received a call from Vivian who wants to explain the contents. What she revealed on her visit are they are invited to join the "Pact". A very select group of people to ensure your marriage will be forever. They will help you keep your marriage happy and alive! Or will they? Jake and Alice take the oath and commit their self to the greater cause. At what cost? What will they endure to be involved in this select group? Is the end worth the means ? To what end will you go through to stay in the Pack?

Oh my goodness ladies and gentlemen, this book is a roller coaster ride of what's real and what's not. How much pain and suffering can one person endure to stay in the Pack? This is a must read and I thank NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read this book! What a roller coaster ride. I didn't want to stop once I started. My daughter was flying in from VA to TX and I kept watching time time thinking one more chapter, just one before I need to go!! A very thrilling book!!

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book for my honest opinion.

This book is about a secret society or some may call it a cult in which you need to be nominated by another to become a member. There are very strict rules about how to be a better spouse in order to have a happy marriage and not become a divorce statistic. Along with this nomination is a contract which you can never get out of once you sign and a manual that you must memorize. There are consequences to disobeying the rules of the manual and you will get caught as The Pact goes far and wide with very influential people and you will have to pay for your mistakes. What started out as a very good idea, turns ugly as there are some power hungry couples in the group who you don't realize and learn about until almost the end.

To be honest I didn't get truly hooked in until middle of the book when I didn't want to put it down. I had questions about Jake's punishments and why he didn't question Neil's jealousy issue as being against the rules of The Pact. It was interesting to read what Jake and Alice learned in the beginning about themselves as well as their young marriage and how far Alice was willing to go for it. I was uncertain as to what they both would choose in the end when given a choice to actually leave the group.

I imagine that this book will appeal to some readers, but it seemed to take forever to get to the "so what" of this book. Interestingly, although most of the story dealt with main character Jake's insecurity as the spouse of a hot and smart woman, I don't think the end showed readers that he grew, or became more secure.

THE MARRIAGE PACT BY MICHELLE RICHMOND

This was a compelling book and an absolute gem until I reached the point of 60% mark. After that point it felt like I was walking in quicksand to finish it. I don't exactly understand why the novel just died for me at that particular place, but make no mistake it just lost me as a reader. I just loved the beginning all the way until just past the middle. I think with some editing towards the second half would make this a winner. It felt like I had to slog my way through to finish it. So overall I would give it 3.5 stars rounded up.

Jake and Alice recieve a strange wedding gift from Liam Finnegan whom is a client of Alice's law firm. Alice is a junior attorney and Jake is a counsellor for at risk teens and does some marriage counselling. They have bought a house in San Francisco that gives them a sliver of a view of the pacific ocean. Alice and Jake are just back from their honeymoon and Jake is making them both breakfast when Alice's phone pings with an email from Finnegan. Finnegan basically states that Jake and Alice reminds him and his wife Fiona of themselves twenty years ago.

Finnegan goes onto say that The Pact is something that Fiona and him received for their wedding. He says that The Pact turned out to be the best gift that they received and it's not for everyone, but in the short time that he has known Alice and Jake, he senses that it may be right for them. Finnegan asks if he may ask them a few questions. Alice types back, "Yes." He then goes on to ask them "Pardon my boldness, but would you like your marriage to last forever--yes or no? This only works if your honest." Alice types "Yes" Ping. "Do you believe that a long marriage will go through periods of happiness AND sadness, lightness AND darkness?" Alice types "Of course." Ping "Are both of you willing to work to make your marriage last forever?" Jake responds and Alice types "That goes without saying." Ping "Do either of you give up easily?" Alice types "Nope." Ping "Are you both open to new things? And are you willing to accept help from friends if they have your success and happiness in mind?"

This is the beginning of the nightmare that Alice and Jake endure. I loved the parts of the book where Jake who is the narrator gives out statistics. One was that couples who spend extravagantly on the cost of big weddings are more likely to get divorced than couples that spend a small amount. That if your ring finger is longer than your index finger you are more likely to commit adultery. The Pact seems very much like a cult. You sign a contract and are given a manual which if you don't follow the rules you are led off in a straight jacket to a prison in the dessert in Nevada. Depending on which rule you don't follow you are charged with either a misdemeanor or a felony. You are assigned with a public defender and a judge sentences you to a fine, probation for a period of weeks and members of The Pact are always watching.

What constitutes a cult? You have to keep its existence a secret. Once you join you cannot quit. Your every action is monitored. You have to adhere to the rules of a manual. You are asked to do things which you cannot say no without punishment. You have to have the same ideas as the group. Perhaps Alice and Jake's repeat incarcerations and their inability (which I don't blame them) to follow the manual got tiresome for me. In any case what started out so promising in premise did not extend through out the whole book. It was a brilliant idea for a book. I absolutely adored the first 60%. With some editing in the last 40% could yield a winner. I really liked the ending and wish this book gets some help for the last 40%..

Thank you to Net Galley, Michelle Richmond and the Publisher for my ARC.

I just finished The Marriage Pact, given a free digital copy by Netgalley. I really liked it. As an avid mystery reader, this fit the bill for me. It was a very different topic and definitely got me thinking about how I would react given an apportunity, to join a group large and multifaceted that's goal was to make your marriage as great as it could be with a NEW SET OF RULES you must follow or face the consequences. There are parts that go off the deep end. But I enjoyed it, recommend it, and would read this author again. One complaint- wish it was juicier.

This was one suspenseful book. I read it quickly because I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen. I have not read this author before . I will read more.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Have you ever read a book, that you could not quite figure out if it was brilliant, or if it was terrible? And I don't mean that as a bad thing, at all. This book walks that line. Just as I was starting to think, ehh this book is so unrealistic, the author does something to draw me in, and at that point, I have to keep reading, to figure out how its going to end.

I did struggle a bit to connect to both Alice and Jake, for most of the book, they were just characters on a page, and as far as the plot twist, it was fairly predictable. But even with the negative that I have said, I still enjoyed the book very much. It made me question how much I give, and how much I sacrifice in my own marriage. The premise of this book is pretty clever, and I feel a lot of readers will enjoy it. *Thank you Netgally and Bantam for allowing me to read this book, in exchange of my honest review*

Loved the book! I just finished it, I'll be back with my full review.