I really enjoy Matthew Norman's writing style! He sets scenes beautifully, his characters are relatable and complex and his dry wit adds a lot to this book.

In The Last Couple Standing, The Core Four, a set of four couples who met in college and have been very close friends for over 20 years, is falling apart. Divorce has already hit three of the four couples and the last couple, Jessica and Mitch Butler don't want to be next.

In an attempt to strengthen their happy and stable marriage against what felled those of their friends (infidelity), they come to an agreement, with rules. An experiment, so to speak. However, they find that delving into unknown waters, however controlled, has repercussions that they didn't expect. Will they be able to keep their marriage together, or will their marriage end in divorce too?

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My Review: When I saw this book coming up this year, I knew I had to read it. Being someone approaching middle age, in a long established relationship with a kid and a house and a steady job, surrounded by friends in a similar situation, it is refreshing to find a book that I can relate to so much. I found this to be a both sobering and an entertaining read. I can't tell you how many times it had me laughing out loud, a fun and realistic look at trying to make a marriage work while so many others have called it quits. I loved the cast of characters, they were all well developed and unique. The story has some great ups and downs, and while you know where it is going, you stay fully invested and keep the pages turning. Such a real look at life but in a fun refreshing way that will make you want to revisit it.

My Rating: I had so much fun reading this book, I could relate to so many elements in this book, the constant struggle to find a way to make it all work, and yet the most stand out moments are how those struggles lead to memorable moments. I give this one a rating of Four Paws!

I may be overly reactive to self-indulgent people deciding that their own needs are more important than the needs of the people they have committed to love and care for. I found this book more disturbing than I anticipated!.

Amidst the ruins of the marriages of their best friends, Jessica and Mitch decide that they want to open their own marriage. Predictably enough, this decision has broader implications than they anticipate. First, of course, is the inevitable emotional cost of jealousy. Second, they are part of a community, and that community is watching what they do. Largely ignored in the story is the impact on their children.

This story was very believable, and well written. My reaction is completely emotional and may not be as visceral for other readers.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book is a surprise in itself and has very many smutty moments. I believe this will be a reread in the future. It was such a cute story.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Ballantine Publishing, and Matthew Norman for the opportunity to read this book - even if you may not agree with the premise, this was a very fun, engaging book. 4.5 stars!

Jessica and Mitch are part of the Core Four - a group of four couples who met in school and ended up all living close by. Fast forward to when they are in their 40s and 3 of the 4 couples end up getting divorced. Jessica and Mitch (last couple standing) get scared and try to see how to stave off divorce and stay married. Late one night, they come up with a plan for a relaxed marriage. And every plan must have rules so they come up with those too. Ahh...but rules are meant to be broken and is this setting up a faster way to divorce?

Wonderfully written - you will laugh and cry at the same time as you watch these couples navigate their new single life in today's world. Even though I'm certainly older than these couples, it was a fun escape read.

Four couples have been together since college. Three of them divorce leaving the fourth couple worried that they will be joining their friends. Jessica and Mitch decide to try an open marriage in the thought that this will keep them together (yeah, um probably not). This story is told with a little bit of angst but a lot of character development and humor. The climax is especially funny I thought-kind of reminded me of the movie Crazy, Stupid, Love. This book is not for those who are especially triggered by marital infidelity obviously.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House-Ballantine for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I tried. It's well written and humorous in spots but the open marriage thing left me cold. I appreciate that Jessica and Mitch want to keep their marriage together but sorry- this isn't the way. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

It seems a little absurd to call Matthew Norman’s new book a romantic comedy considering it’s about four couples, all of whom divorce save one, and how that remaining duo reacts. And yet...it really is! Anyone in a long term relationship with children will find much to identify with in Mitch and Jessica’s plight, and the questions they begin to ask. Should they stay together? Is their marriage really that rock solid? It’s this gnawing idea of the grass being greener that has them unlock the marriage door and try widening their prospects with rules in place to create boundries. Things like: complete honesty with each other, limiting questions after, and never double dipping on any potential lovers are designed to make them feel like they’re in control, but it’s evident from the outset, this is going to spectacularly backfire. Mitch and Jessica are written with warmth, wit and loads of humor which is smart cause otherwise the whole premise could feel downright ugly. I can say cast Jennifer Garner and Paul Rudd stat for what will certainly be on a big screen or streaming service soon.

The book feels reminscent of Jonathan Tropper, in its ability to inject a wealth of chuckles while hammering down some astute observations about love, fidelity, family and commitment. And while the conclusion felt slightly hokey and straight out of a movie (even the character Mitch comments on it) it doesn’t detract from the sheer overall enjoyment of the read.

Last Couple Standing is an interesting take on being the last couple that hasn't divorced out of their tight knit group of friends from college. I thought the characters were well thought out and had real reactions to what they were presented with.

I enjoyed this book and I would recommend it. I would have liked to see a bit more in terms of their decision making and process as to what led them to their choices regarding their arrangement. 4 stars

I had never heard of this author or this book until someone I follow on goodreads posted a review with a 5 star rating. When I read the description of this book, I knew I had to read it. It did not disappoint! The premise of this book is that 4 couples have been friends for decades. They went to college together, got married together, had kids, and went through all the life stages together. Then 3 of the couples get divorced. This book is about what the last couple standing does to try and keep their marriage together. As someone who has been married for 14 years with 3 small children, I found this book so relatable. It gave me all the emotions and I adored the ending. I loved the way the author used part of the ongoing story line to tie into the ending when he could have just used a cliche way to end it. I read this book in a day and a half (which pretty much never happens) and I loved it! Go get a copy so you can love it too!!!

Thank you Random House Ballantine and netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!


#LastCoupleStanding #netgalley

I read this one fast. I think in under 24 hours. The book is short so that probably was a big factor. The story had its funny moments, the “oh no” moments and hopeful moments. There are four couples who have been friends forever. Three out of the four couples have divorced. The last couple is trying to hold onto what they have. Jessica recommends they try an open marriage and sleep with other people. You can tell Mitch isn’t on board which may partially contribute to why I didn’t love this book. I don’t think everyone will enjoy this book. I myself cannot imagine participating in this experiment. I’m sure there are some that do and I can respect that. I think if you can keep an open mind you will enjoy this story.

Mitch and Jessica have a solid group of friends that they have known since college. They all got married around the same time, and all but Mitch and Jessica, have gotten divorced around the same time.

In order to make their marriage last they decide together to go about making some unconventional rules for a relaxed marriage. This is in an effort to make sure their marriage lasts.

As a married women of 13 years I was definitely intrigued by this concept. My spouse and I are fully committed to one another and happy, but the reader in me likes to see the drama and romance of other's lives play out on pages.

I found this to be an easy, fast-paced read. I enjoyed the third person writing of Norman. He developed his characters wonderfully and I was able to easily understand them from his writing style. I lived in the Baltimore area for a few years and enjoy knowing where some of these settings take place.

As for the story I found this plotline perplexing, and yet entertaining. My thoughts remained throughout that this wouldnt end well. There were some great comedic moments that I definitely found amusing.

I didnt understand the multiple storylines throughout until about two thirds in. I was confused as to why we were getting the stories of two teenagers. Norman does wrap up their storyline as well, and adds some additional comedic drama with them as well with the entire gang present.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. As stated it was a fast read. It has some great moments. As someone in a steady relationship I had issues with understanding the motives as they may have been intended to be presented. As a piece of fictional drama however, it was a fun read.

I loved this book so much! It was funny & entertaining while also exploring the challenges of marriage and parenting. I think you’d still enjoy it if you’re not a parent/don’t have kids, but I just found it so relatable. Super short chapters and extremely readable.

This is a light, quick read about a couple who are the only ones in their group of friends who are not divorced. To insure they stay married they decide to sleep with other people believing this would strengthen their commitment to each other. Things start to get a little crazy but the highlight of the book to me was the hilarious ending. I enjoyed this diversion from the more serious books I usually read very much. I highly recommend.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC.

When all three of the other couples in Mitch and Jessica's group of friends get divorced, the Butler's decide to take drastic measures to make sure they don't follow the same path. All three divorces seemed to boil down to issues related to sex, so their solution is to try an "evolved marriage" full of set rules and experimenting.

Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman was a smart, fast-paced and well-written story. While I personally found the premise of the story to be a bit uncomfortable I was still engrossed in the drama and had to find out how it would all turn out. It was full of unique and compelling characters, including the secondary ones. Last Couple Standing had a great blend of heart and humor, I definitely recommend checking this one out when it releases on March 17.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

4/5 stars

I feel a new Netflix movie or series in the making…

Last Couple Standing is a hilarious, touching, and slightly edgy novel about learning to love what you have well.

Four married couples have known each other since college. They’ve lived practically all of the major life milestones together. Suddenly, three of the couples have headed for divorce. Mitch and Jessica are the last couple standing as a semi-happy married couple with children. When they start investigating their own marriage, each of them question whether they are truly happy and embark on an adventure that will teach them what true happiness looks like.

Although the characters in this novel are in their 40s, I recognized many of them as people in my own life. I can also see relatability as far as how marriage can evolve over time. This novel was an unexpected binge read for me. While I do not read novels with this basic premise, I was instantly engaged with the almost slap-stick adventures of the couples mentioned. Mitch was an absolute joy to read with his witty and unique humor. All of the characters were worth pulling for including the wayward Scarlett. The plot was fresh and interesting enough to keep me wanting to know how the last couple standing ended up.

There were times in the middle and towards the end of the novel that the plot slow down for me and I felt myself skimming. I attribute this to the fact that I did not always relate to the age group in this novel. Otherwise, the plot probably would have been more of interest to me at that point in the story.

This novel earns a solid four stars from me for enjoyable characters, truly great writing, and a story that is surprisingly touching and raw.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Last Couple Standing will be released on March 17, 2020

This is a story about “The Core Four.” 8 friends from college who ended up married to each other. We learn how they met, how they paired up, how they married, and eventually how 3 of the 4 couples ended up divorced. The story mainly focuses on Jessica and Mitch who are determined to save their marriage no matter what it takes. Even if that means trying the radical approach of casually sleeping with other people.

I found Jessica and Mitch to be extremely relatable and the comfort and ease of their relationship likable. While I thoroughly enjoyed the journey it did remind me of a similar book that I read last year called “The Arrangement” and the ending was somewhat predictable. However, it was a quick, easy read, with some laugh out loud moments and I would recommend it to friends so it was a solid 3 stars for me!

This was my first book by Norman and it won’t be the last. The story was well written, characters well drawn and kept me very intrigued.

Eight friends have gone to college together, gotten married, had children and lived happily for over 15 yrs in Baltimore. They are the closest of four couple- The Core Four.
That is until they begin divorcing one by one ...until just Mitch and Jessica are left standing. They think they are happy until they see their friends bar hopping, dating hot younger women and wearing sexy new dresses.

Is there marriage in trouble too? Is there more to life than being a boring English teacher and a child therapist? Or do you stay together just for the kids?

When Jessica and Mitch devise ‘rules’ on an open marriage to test it out... Sometimes you have to do the unthinkable to find your way back home.

I loved this. It reads like a rom-com but with more depth and exploration of relationships and marriage.

A quick one day read that shows you sometimes you have to miss something to truly appreciate it. This book reminded me of when I binge watched Netflix's Friends From College. I enjoyed the character development and seeing how much one thing can impact more people than you think.