Title: The Marriage Act
Author: John Marrs
Series: Dark Future #2
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Rating: 3.25
Pub Date: January 19, 2023

I received a complimentary eARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Disturbing • Reflective • Lengthy

📖 S Y N O P S I S

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?

Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society's ills--the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives - monitoring every word, every minor disagreement... and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honor and obey.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Having previously read and loved The One, I was super excited when The Marriage Act was chosen as the May selection for my in-person book club. The premise was super intriguing and my expectations were sky high given how I devoured the first book in this world. I went in expecting a book that would make me think and contemplate both sides of the coin and it ended up being more centrally focused on social commentary and government interference.

Told through alternating POVs and following four different couples, this dystopian thriller was an absolute ride! It does a lot and I didn't see half of it coming. It took some time to settle into the each of the characters perspectives, but such a large cast was necessary for this type of story. None of the characters were all that likeable and I never quite knew what wild and disturbing thing was going to happen next.

The pacing was entirely uneven starting out quick, slowing through the middle, only to pick up again near the end. For this reason, it felt overly long (hello editing?) and didn't hold my interest as much as I had anticipated it would. My biggest complaint is that it only included the coupled side of the coin, and would have been made better if the single perspective had been included or even a more positive side of the benefits of the Marriage Act.

At the end of the day, The Marriage Act had a fantastic premise, yet the execution didn't live up to my expectations. I appreciated the interesting take on the role of AI and technology in our lives and the move towards government control. It sure offered an awakening that this whole concept is all too feasible in the here and now. And there was certainly lots to think about and made for lively discussion during this month's book club meeting. While I didn't love this one as much as book one, I am still interested in picking up The Family Experiment.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• social commentary
• unlikeable casts
• John Marrs' books

⚠️ CW: murder, suicide, death, grief, violence, injury/injury detail, blood, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, emotional abuse, car accident, toxic relationship, dementia, classism, gaslighting, pedophilia, child abuse, fire/fire injury, fatphobia, sexual content, cursing, suicidal thoughts, infidelity, infertility, mental illness

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"When you’re confronted by negative behaviors you don’t like, try to find one positive. It doesn’t matter how small it is. It’ll be there if you look hard enough for it."

"Human beings are born selfish. We want warmth, we want food, we want love, we want shelter, we want attention, we want to feel safe . . . when did a baby last put its parents’ needs first? Some of us evolve into more thoughtful human beings while others carry these child-like traits throughout their lives."

This was an interesting concept for a book, but I couldn’t really get into it. I think the multitude of characters was too much and I did not care for any of them. The sci fi aspects were really cool though.

I love John Marrs. His books always freak me out because they don't seem that far off from real life, and this is no exception. An interesting premise and story, good characters. I'll definitely recommend this. Thank you Hanover Square Press and NetGalley for this ARC!

Wow. So many unlikeable characters. I had to read through this one so I could figure out what happened to them all. I like how it references some previous books too. John Marrs is one of the most readable authors in my opinion. I can’t wait for the next one.

**Review: The Marriage Act by John Marrs**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)

*The Marriage Act* by John Marrs is a thought-provoking and gripping novel that explores the complexities of modern relationships within a dystopian framework. Known for his ability to weave intricate and unsettling narratives, Marrs once again delivers a compelling story that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

In this novel, Marrs presents a world where the government has taken an intrusive interest in the institution of marriage, implementing policies that have far-reaching and often disturbing consequences. The characters, each dealing with their own personal struggles and secrets, are vividly drawn and deeply human, making their plights and triumphs all the more engaging.

Having enjoyed other works by John Marrs, I found *The Marriage Act* to be equally captivating. Marrs' talent for creating complex characters and intertwining their lives in unexpected ways shines through in this book. The tension and suspense build steadily, making it difficult to put the book down.

While the premise is intriguing and the execution skillful, there are moments where the pacing slows, and some plot points feel slightly predictable. However, these minor issues do not detract significantly from the overall impact of the story.

In summary, *The Marriage Act* by John Marrs earns a solid 4 stars. It is a compelling read that delves into the darker sides of societal control and personal freedom, all while maintaining a deeply human touch. Fans of Marrs' previous works will find much to appreciate here, and new readers are likely to be drawn into his unique and unsettling world.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and their arcs, and found the plot interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I'm a big fan of John Marrs' "murdery" books like Keep It In The Family and What Lies Beneath. Sci-Fi and/or dystopian thrillers aren't something I read regularly, but since I know Marrs delivers epic stories, I was excited to dig into The Marriage Act. And once again, Marrs delivers!

At first, I was low-key overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters and kept confusing some of the men. But I got passed that pretty quickly. And we need to talk about Arthur. His story broke my heart and hit me the hardest out of all the vignettes.

But the creepiest part? The technology and how it's used to control and conform people into the government's idea of a perfect citizen.

It seems like all I have to do is *think* about something and ads for products and services will flood my Insta feed focused on things that will help me be my best self

I don’t know about you, this story doesn't feel so dystopian these days…

Thank you to HTP and NetGalley for the gifted e-arc to read and review.

Unfortunately this was not for me. This author has a ton of books I LOVE, but this one just wasn’t a favorite.

This book was very easy to get into - I loved the propaganda for marriage (very "Black Mirror") and the shifting POVs of how the act impacted various people. The pace and intrigue of the book felt on par with his other titles, "The One" and "The Passengers." Overall, a very fun read and will happily recommend to patrons looking for "Black Mirror" type/sci-fi titles. Thank you for the arc!!

This one was slow going for me, but in the last 1/3 finally gripped me and and I finished it. Very interesting concept, and one I hope never comes about for real! It didn’t grip me as well as other John Marrs books, so that was a bit disappointing.

Apologies for the late review here - I couldn’t figure out how to send feedback as I was only using the app, and it doesn’t have that functionality.

I love books by John Marrs and couldnt wait to read this one. I was hooked and flew through this one! I highly recommend this!

Another fantastic book from one of my new favorite authors!! So addictive, complicated characters, and endless moral dilemmas to explore.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙬? 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙮? 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙈𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠, 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝-𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡.

I have absolutely loved this author’s books. John Marrs is easily becoming a favorite author for me when it comes to speculative thrillers: The One, The Passengers, and The Marriage Act are all must-reads!

While this can be read without having read those two books I mentioned, I do recommend reading them beforehand. First, because the whole idea behind those stories are mentioned in this one. Also, I just can’t stop recommending them.

I did go into this one not knowing a single thing - it’s John Marrs, I just have to read it. I’m so glad I went into it blindly because I had the time of my life reading it. It’s super addicting and I just couldn’t put the book down at all.

I was hooked from the very first page and my excitement never left a single time. There were twists here and there that I didn’t see coming.

Also, most of the characters aren’t that likable, but they’re each interesting in their own way. We also get multiple POVs with complex characters.

Something I’ve noticed John Marrs does so well is that each chapter always ends with a cliffhanger, hence why I can never put his books down. I always have to know what’s coming next, and most times I’m always blown away.

I honestly can’t stop recommending this author enough, his books are the perfect binge-able reads. This one was quite a delight and is now my second favorite book by him. I loved the audio with the full cast too. Highly recommend picking this book up - and anything else by this author!

Thank you so much NetGalley and HTP Books for the review eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I did not finish this one. It was just not for me. I have read this authors past works in the futuristic setting and I think I am done with them

This was my third John Marrs book. He always writes such interesting not-so-distant-future dystopian thrillers. This one was reminiscent of his previous book The One which I loved. It was written similarly with chapters relating to several different characters. I def loved this book!

Marrs has written yet another excellent work. The similarities to 1984 are evident, but I also felt like I was reading a different futuristic, frightening tale. The concept was intriguing and well-executed. There is also a mention to DNA testing from his previous work, so the novels appeared to be linked. There is suspense, as usual, but I particularly appreciated the influencer perspective. It felt like a more exaggerated version of what was already going on. The tale and descriptions were a little too dark at points, but overall, it was an excellent novel that I loved.

I loved The Passengers, it was my first Mars book. I did enjoy that this book tied in with that one. This book really made you think that's for sure. I enjoyed the multiple characters in the book, it seems to be his thing. The narrator was excellent as well.

A thought provoking read eerily reminiscent of what could possibly happen in the future given the nature of social media and the hold governing powers have over its people. It is told from 5 pov and at times I did find myself going back to reference a particular character. It felt a bit discombobulated but you can still get the gist. It reminded of Big Brother is watching. The Marriage Act is a piece of legislation put into law governing couples and their marriages post Brexit and the pandemic where everything has changed. In order to get the economy moving again scary measures are put into place and what ensues is crazy. I did find the acknowledgements page interesting and how JM came up with this compelling and plausible read. Overall not my favorite of his books but definitely worth the read. Ty #NetGalley for the ARC all opinions are my own.

“Just because I turn a blind eve does not mean I cannot see”

I read this book slowly because, honestly, sometimes it scared me. It’s really not that far off from what the world could be like & what technological surveillance could evolve to.

The Marriage Act follows several different couples who are all in some stage of a “Safe Marriage”. The book shows all the possible beliefs that surround such a system & how it affects different types of people. It emphasized the dangers of over surveillance & of people inserting themselves into lives that are not their own. The consequences of such greed, power, and control.

A really interesting book that I really enjoyed, very Black Mirror-esque. If you like that show you will like reading this twisted futuristic novel.

I love John Marrs and the universe these books are set in. This was great and honestly I wish it was a little bit longer so I could stay in this world for a little bit more time. Highly recommend!!