Is marriage forever? In The Pact, it is. No one has ever left the Pact. The sanctity of marriage depends on it. Intriguing story that keeps the reader guessing, what will the Pact do next.

Great story line interesting and different however I felt it ended rather abruptly.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. Alice and Jake receive a special gift for their wedding. It is an invitation to join "The Pact," a highly exclusive club that helps support couples in their quest to stay married. In fact, no one in the Pact has ever divorced. It sounds promising to the newlyweds so they join. However, the Pact is not as it seems, and the newlyweds are in for a wild ride as they try to navigate the rules and regulations of the Pact. This is a very suspenseful story and totally unique. I found it a very captivating story!

Riveting nd suspenseful drama. Richmond is a gifted story teller. Some descriptions are unappealing,but overall an excellent story.

Newlyweds Jake and Alice appear to have it all - well-educated with good jobs, fairly well-off, and in love. Jake proposes to Alice at a particularly vulnerable time; Alice's father has died and she is selling her childhood home. Now she is truly an orphan; her parents both dead and her only brother a suicide. He wants to be married but he questions if Alice is as deeply committed as he. Her background as a rock singer provided her with a life/lifestyle that is far different than the one they have now as a corporate lawyer (Alice) and psychologist (Jake). This dichotomy supports their foray into the marriage pact.

On the surface, the gift of membership to the pact appears ideal. The mission of the group is to protect and value marriage. The rules seem simple: always respond to a text/phone call from a spouse, give small monthly gifts to each other, plan quarterly mini vacations to keep the spark alive. The consequences, which neither Alice nor Jake really believe, are rather dire. The mysterious nature of the group and its members adds to its appeal to Alice and Jake.

It isn't long before the specter of consequences appears. Despite the fact that Alice is an associate in a corporate law firm and Jake is a partner in a relatively new psychology practice, both manage to get unexpected time off with few ramifications. Intense pressure from bosses or partners is curiously absent.

I gave this book five stars because the concept is well-defined and the plot has lots of unexpected twists. It kept me guessing.

Is there a secret to a long and happy marriage? Is there one thing, a group of behaviors or conditions, which could ensure that a couple can weather the stresses and strains most marriages encounter and stay married until death do them part?

If you ask Jake and Alice whether they wanted their marriage to last, and believed it could, they'd say yes, although perhaps somewhat dubiously. While Jake, a successful therapist, grew up in a home where his parents' relationship was strong (and is still going), Alice, a singer-turned-lawyer, had a fractured home life, with a family whose demons ate them alive. While Jake saw proposing marriage as a way to hold on to Alice, she saw it as an opportunity for the security she never experienced.

Right before their wedding, Alice works on a case involving a somewhat-famous musician named Finnegan. In the flush of pride at the case's successful outcome, and the anticipation of her wedding, somehow Alice invites Finnegan and his wife to her and Jake's wedding. Surprisingly, he accepts, and the couple is a sweet addition to what turns out to be a beautiful day.

Finnegan's wedding present leads Jake and Alice to an organization called The Pact. The Pact has one simple goal: to ensure marriages succeed. Supportive of that goal, Jake and Alice agree to join. While at first they are dazzled by the parties that their fellow members through, and the fellowship of the group, it's not long before they realize that while some of The Pact's rules—you must give your spouse gifts for no reason a certain amount of times each year, you must plan a non-work-related vacation for just the two of you once a quarter, always answer the phone when your spouse calls—seem innocuous, no infraction of any rule is tolerated.

As Alice's work schedule heats up and she must spend more time at the office, she quickly runs afoul of The Pact's rules. When one minor infraction leads to another, she and Jake realize that this group isn't quite what they imagined it was. And when Jake learns from an old acquaintance some of the measures The Pact uses to ensure marriages succeed, he knows that they need to break their commitment to the group. But The Pact never leaves you, and you never leave The Pact...

I found this concept really intriguing at first, and Michelle Richmond's writing, which I so enjoyed in her previous book, Golden State (see my original review), definitely kept me turning the pages. But the further I got into the book, the more I didn't like it. I just found the whole concept of The Pact and its means to an end utterly preposterous, and I found it really hard to believe that a lawyer and a therapist would so willingly allow themselves to be controlled by a group like this.

Reading The Marriage Pact reminded me a little of reading some of Stephen King's books in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s. Not that there were elements of horror in the book, but that I felt Richmond, like King, had such a brilliant ideas for a book and then little by little, it went more and more off the rails until it was just completely out of control. And while I can handle that in certain books, because of the way this book was rooted in such a solid concept like marriage, suspending my disbelief so completely just didn't work.

I may wind up in the minority here, so if the plot as I've described it intrigues you, definitely give it a shot. I'll still be waiting for Richmond's next book to come along. And perhaps I'll pick up a few rules from The Pact, at least as suggestions...

NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group—Ballantine provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for this review.

Alice and Jake are in love. They are pretty much the perfect couple. After their wedding, they become part of the Pact, an exclusive, secret group that seems simple enough: keeping marriages happy. However, Alice and Jake quickly realize that this is more about glamorous parties when one of them breaks the rules.

Okay, the idea is really cool! It makes for great psychological suspense. However, some of it just seems so far fetched and impossible. I kind of got the sense that the author was unsure how to end the book because of that. I started off really liking Alice and Jake, but as the book went on, I wasn't too keen on them. Admittedly, the cult aspect was interesting, but again, it just seemed not plausible. Good writing though. I am torn on this one.

The Marriage Pact was extremely well-written and I could hardly put it down! What an interesting concept for a book, and very well-executed. The characters were believable, with just enough interesting back-story to make it seem real. The tension built gradually until the finale which kept me guessing right until the end.

First there was Gone Girl then Girl on the Train. They have nothing on The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond. This book starts off at a normal pace but the tension and suspense begin building. Then KA-POW you are knee deep in suspicion, paranoia and psychological terror. Jake and Alice are the two main characters and their strength and determination are called into play. Will they survive The Marriage Pact? Scary.

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.