Found this to be a fascinating story but would have liked a more conclusive ending.

I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed The Marriage Pact. I was expecting it to be predictable and it wasn't,. When Jake and Alice join an exclusive group for married couples, everything seems intriguing and exciting. But when Alice "acts out" things take a dark turn. If you like cults and unpredictable thrillers, this is one for you.

I found this book to be unique and unlike any other I have read.
Alice is a former rock star turned lawyer and Jake is a therapist. They fall in love and invite Alice’s client to their wedding which changes their lives and marriage forever as they are invited to join The Pact.
On the surface The Pact seems like a good idea it promises marriage longevity and rules to help make their marriage happy and healthy. Don’t ignore partners phone calls, buy each other one thoughtful gift each month, take quarterly vacations, never put work in front of your relationship and don’t snoop or cheat. All worthwhile rules but once your a member compliance is compulsory and if broken punishment can be severe.

Jake and Alice soon discover they want out!! The big question is this possible? The cult like feel of the pact and the invasinessness of punishments made me tense but wanting to read further.
The couple face these obstacles together and finally face the decision which will change their future forever.
Overall I found the book compelling and although I found some parts uncomfortable the suspense of disbelief was brilliant. The ending for me was perfect for the book as it continued the suspense . A totally different read for me but creepily enjoyable.

I admit I don’t know if I liked this book or not. But the subject was so annoying that I kept reading. At first sounded like fun and something different from the usual psychological thriller. A couple in their mid thirties (he is psychologist specialising in families counselling, she is an attorney moving in the world of music, bands and singers) on their wedding day receives from the famous singer a packet called The Marriage Pact. Everything looks like some game about how the marriage should work, what it should be about. Some suggestions included in “The Manual” are just common true until the point when someone is trying to ”enforce” them and the whole point is how it is done…. I am not overly religious person (especially when the religious ideas become too “pushy”) and any cult ideology is completely out of question for me. So reading this story I couldn’t understand how two well educated people, clearly knowing something about life, could have signed it (because there is an official procedures of signing it – at this point I would be more than suspicious about the whole thing). It had a feeling of mixing The Stepford Wives and Scientology. Why when it went too far they never called the police but blindly followed the rules? Why none of them have ever talked with their friends what they got involved into? Unless this is to show how the cult or any similar movement is working. You are blindfolded, you are on your own, you are trapped.
The story plot is very good, I don’t thing there is a boring moment in the whole book. It is fast paced, you are curious so cannot stop reading. You want to know if these two are going to find their way out. And here I have the problem with the end: it is too abrupt, too open, too much left to our imagination. Just one chapter more would help.
So, even if I am not sure if I liked the book, I would still recommend reading it. Just in case you will meet one day someone with the offer of The Marriage Pact.

When newlyweds Jake and Alice join a secret society whose members agree to put their marriages at the centre of their lives and never divorce, it seems like a rather sweet way of symbolising their commitment to each other. However, the organisation quickly starts to exercise a sinister and disturbing grip on the couple, and their relationship is dramatically put to the test. Although slightly reminiscent of The Firm, it’s a clever idea. Well written and well characterised, I read The Marriage Pact avidly, but even within the context of the novel I found the last third somewhat implausible and the ending rather disappointing.

The marriage pact' by Michelle Richmond is a psychological thriller that will have you unable to put the book down. It’s a very believable plot
that could actually be true. I would not be surprised if this sort of thing is really happening somewhere in the world. I felt so reeled in that it feels like you are reading a true story. Even now after finishing the book yesterday I can't stop thinking about it and find myself wanting to say to my friends "have you heard about this marriage cult?" then I remember it’s just a story!
The only thing that I felt was a little let down was the fact that Alice is a lawyer? I’m sure a lawyer would have been a little more apprehensive signing such documents !
However overall I loved the book and could see this becoming a trilogy. It would also make a great movie - some of the scenes, especially those inside the “prison” would be perfect for the big screen

I received a digital copy from #Netgalley in return for my online review.

Jake and Alice receive a wedding gift of an introduction to a mysterious group called The Pact from a relative stranger.

Despite Alice being an attorney, they don’t read the small print and it’s not long before they discover what happens when you break the rules.

The premise sounds fantastic but I found the book problematic in many ways. You only hear Jake’s side of things, you never really know what’s going on in Alice’s head. Also, the punishments meted out for breaking the rules for me were over the top, and unbelievable. Even takin the fact that it’s not real life and only a novel you have to have some form of reality and you really must suspend your belief that this could be true.

I was going to abandon this book half way through, but when I hit delete I realised that I needed to find out what happens. It’s a good thriller that runs out of steam and just finishes.

Three stars for keeping me going to the end, and not giving up half way through.

I started reading this book and was quickly taken in by the plot. I thought that it would be a really great read but started to get bored about a third of the way through and found it repetitive.
There were parts of the book that were well written and very intuitive about relationships, however it just wasn’t enough to make me love this book.

Absolutely loved this book. Made a change from psychological thrillers for me and I was gripped from the start. Brilliant storyline - I could quite believe The Pact existed, the detail and rules were so cleverly thought up - such a unique premise - and the story executed beautifully. Great characters and some quite horrendous scenes made it a fast paced read. Will definitely read this author again. Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC in return for an independent and honest review.
Have already recommended this many times over .

I received a digital ARC of #TheMarriagePact by #NetGalley for an honest review.

Having read some of the reviews for this book, it seems the main criticism is that it isn't very realistic. If you are happy to be drawn in to a story that is a bit far fetched (and that is definitely not a bad thing or a criticism of this book - plenty of books are based on events that would never have happened!) then give this a chance.

The whole premise is that a couple receive a gift of The Pact on their wedding day by a relative stranger. Curiosity gets the better of them and they accept and get drawn in to The Pact, which over time they realise is more of a cult that they are trapped in, than the promise of a happy secure marriage that lasts forever.

The book takes a very dark, creepy and slightly haunting turn, with a couple of twists in the later stages of the book. I think for me it just got a bit too creepy and sadistic - it made for some very uncomfortable reading at times - but others will find this is okay and adds to the story. I did like the ending though. It felt right and appropriate for Alice and Jake, and I would have been disappointed if it had been different.

There are a number of spacing and layout errors in this book, but I'm assuming that this is because it is an uncorrected ARC and that they will have been corrected prior to the book being published.

Interesting concept! Jake and Alice are approached by a new friend a strange wedding gift - membership to a special group where marriage lasts forever! They find it easy at first and laughable when they start to break the rules but then things become very scary for them and they realise that there isn't an easy way out of the Pact. Really enjoyed this book a fresh new sort of thriller and would love to see this as a film

I wasn't too sure about this books premise to begin with and I probably wouldn't have chosen to read it, but I was given a copy by NetGalley to read and review. I am a self-confessed thriller junkie and it did keep me wanting to read on.
Newlyweds Jake and Alice invite a virtual stranger to their wedding who invites them to join 'The Pact'. They sign up to a marriage with the promise of never divorcing, with serious rules and regulations. Completely unbelievable but an OK read.

Jake and Alice are newly married. A mysterious man that Alice has met through work gives them a wedding present of an invitation to sign The Pact. The Friends are a group of people who aim to help them keep their marriage intact and avoid divorce. Over time they have to decide is it for them or not, are they willing to put everything into their marriage?
At times I found the story far-fetched. The story is told from Jakes perspective and I liked him. Alice however was a strange character, a former wild child who has become a lawyer and is very willing to throw herself into The Pact, even signing a contract without reading it first!! The idea behind the book is very interesting but I lost interest in the characters in the end
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Wow. Hooked from beginning to end. Great storyline. Kept me wanting more

Loved this book! From the start it was different and totally engaging. Would recommend again & again. From a married persons perspective it really made me think about what it means to be a ‘good’ spouse. The writing & content was modern and clever. The characters relatable and believable. The story line.... far fetched yes, but not totally unbelievable. There could be groups out there like the one in the book (couldn’t there?!) I loved the push & pull dilemma of the couple trying to rationalise and think about their own free will to just say no to the demands put upon them battling with the mind game of ‘what will happen if we say no?’ Great for any readers interested in cult psychology or studying sociology. The end was surprising & a little disappointing. Not because it was badly written but because of the couples decision. I thought they could influence change for the better in lots of ways. I’ll say no more. I don’t want to spoil it for other readers. I will be seeking out more books from this author.

Sometimes, what are you really need after a really dry and boring read is something fast-paced and more on the side of popcorn than heavy mental lifting. So The Marriage Pact slotted into that quite nicely and, for the most part, did exactly what I wanted it to.

Alice and Jake are a perfect couple, newly married, and in their joy and their hype, I guess, they join an organisation that's dedicated to maintaining the perfect marriage. Like Fight Club, the Pact doesn't talk about the Pact, and it has some very sensible rules: surprise your partner with thoughtful gifts; be focused and involved in your relationship; plan holidays together once a quarter and always answer a phone call from your partner.

But most importantly, never mention the Pact to anyone else.

Soon though, it seems that the Pact goes just beyond a set of rules about valuing your spouse and Alice and Jake find themselves embroiled in a life of parties and a true sense of belonging. Until one of them breaks a rule and they find out that beneath the glitz and glamour, there are harsh punishments for those who transgress. Their perfect marriage is about to be put to the test in unimaginable ways.

I'll give Richmond this, she does manage to keep you reading, turning the page and wanting to know what happens next. I was certainly caught up in the story and the sheer amount of creepy cult-like behaviour that everyone indulges in. The story is told entirely through Jake's point of view, which does limit the amount of information the reader gets, but on the other hand, it makes everything feel much more claustrophobic. It causes certain situations to seem murky, confusing and hesitant, where you feel for Jake but also you feel his fear, his paranoia. Everything happens quickly and when things get really bad, they seem to escalate from chapter to chapter.

Which is also there the book seems to hit a wall. As things escalate, it seems to lose touch with reality. Some of the things that Pact gets up to, (view spoiler), the way it escalates to something that doesn't really make sense by the end... As I was reading this, I kept thinking that actually, this could be a really good read, a 4 star book and not just something I would recommend as 'popcorn for the brain'. Unfortunately, by the last third, it seems to lose itself in its own over-the-top cult stuff and I stopped feeling all that sympathetic towards both Jake and Alice. The ending, when it comes, is almost downright stupid. (view spoiler)

I liked The Marriage Pact better when I thought it was going somewhere completely different. The book seems to really be heading that way and then veer off at the last second. I wanted to love it so much more than I did, which isn't that ringing of an endorsement. The focused POV did prevent me from connecting to Alice and I found some of the pacing issues in the middle to be... questionable. Yes, overall the book is a quick, zippy read, but Richmond goes from a breakneck pace to sometimes quite introspective parts, completely killing the pacing of the chapter. Jake's reasons for marrying Alice are, at times, quite a bit dodgy and I wasn't always entirely on his side.

However, this was entertaining and I did finish it in a couple of days, so I'll give it that. Would I 100% recommend? No. But if you have the time and inclination, you could zip through this in a few sessions. I just really wish that Richmond has seen it all through rather than back off at the last minute.

Not really my genre
Some interesting ideas and twists
Good characters

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was intrigued by the blurb of this novel. After all, who wouldn't want to guarantee their marriage to be happy and successful?

But The Pact is downright creepy. And wrong on so many levels. Although the writing was good, and the initial idea good, I struggled to believe an organisation could behave like that without any recourse - although maybe I'm just naive!

I didn't particularly buy into the main characters either. They seemed far too intelligent to get sucked in like they did.

An interesting read, if only to provoke a reaction.

I really could t get into this book so I can’t have much of an opinion. I did try but it wasn’t capturing me very well

This was a fast paced novel with twists, turns and unexpected events. I often felt uncomfortable throughout the book because I was just waiting for the next bad thing to happen to our newly married couple. In the book we have a newly married couple who have accepted a somewhat strange gift from a large client in Alice’s law firm. What at first seems like a nice club of likeminded adults slowly emerges to be a cult and this is where my discomfort comes in. I realised how badly things could escalate before Jake and Alice did, yet I think I would have behaved like them and given the other members of the club chance after chance while dismissing their unacceptable behaviour as my own paranoia. As a reader you want to scream at Jake and Alice when they start to distrust each other or get themselves into even more trouble. Altogether a good, thrilling read but not entirely comfortable reading!