No spoilers. Read via ARC kindle.

This is my first John Marrs book, and however I felt like this kind of dragged and got slow in some parts, I felt like it was still a good book and would read more from him. I would absolutely love seeing this be turned into a TV series! I felt like I was truly reading a TV show, so I loved that aspect of this book. As it is in the UK, I did have to figure out some words with being in the US, but did not feel like it hindered the book in anyway. The way he has you cheering on characters, to find out that you shouldn’t be cheering for that character(s), had me on the edge of the seat. The thrill and twists were shocking! I definitely did enjoy the majority of this book, and am excited to read more from John Marrs!

Would I recommend? YES! If you are okay with a longer book that plays in your head like a TV show while you are reading, I think you will really enjoy this!

Ten couples raise a child virtually in a nine-month period on a reality show. The winner will either get to keep their virtual child without the subscription fee, or get a chance for a real baby. What a concept! John Marrs really knows how to take you right to the edge of reality. I love that he knows how to take you into a sci-fi world, but keep it close enough to reality that it seems like it's actually possible. I am not usually a sci-fi/dystopian person, but John Marrs makes the genre worth it. I am always on the edge of my seat waiting to see where the story will take me.

OMG!!! What a ride! If you plan on reading this one just plan the whole day, because every single chapter ends in a cliff hanger and you'll want to keep going. My goodness this man's brain must just be on fire from all this what if stuff, where do these ideas even come from, but some of these ideas scare the hell out of me, because this stuff could be coming to a world near me. I did a combo of listening and reading. I would probably recommend reading merely because of the amount of characters to keep straight. I'm an avid audiobook person so I don't say this lightly. This was a page turner and thought provoking book. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read this for my honest opinion. My opinion is get this book now!!! Please John I need the next speculative book!

John Marrs has quickly become one of my favorite authors. After reading his book “Keep it in the Family” last year, I jumped on the chance to get an eBook ARC of his latest book. “The Family Experiment” is a slightly different genre, more dystopian, speculative fiction. However, it still has John Marrs’ trademark building suspense, plot twists that blow your mind, and characters and situations that may make you question your morals. I was intrigued by the synopsis, and the book didn’t disappoint.

While reading, I could see the parallels between the book and reality. The sad truth is that we’re headed toward something like this with AI being completely integrated into our society. Eventually, we may reach a similar predicament as the book, where couples desperate for children will do anything to have a child and let their lives become consumed by a virtual reality where they have AI children. That’s a terrifying thing to grasp.

I recommend this book for thriller lovers and readers who enjoy dystopian books involving AI!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eBook ARC.

Rating: 4 stars!

A reality tv show + AI children + a competition to see who is the best parent + real world drama = an interesting ride of a book! The intro chapter for this book had me scratching my head as to what the heck I was about to read... But I'm so glad I stuck with it! The ending had me screaming! I loved this!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Here at Re:Born, we are now taking pre-launch orders for Metababies - children that exist entirely in the metaverse. ”
Here are reasons to read the Thriller book:

Reality TV - In a new reality tv show following multiple couples
Child - we see what it’s like to take care of a child from birth to 18 years in just 3 months
Competition - and at the end of this socially voted on competition
Sinister - one couple may win either a child or money - but is there something even more sinister happening here?

This book is set in the same universe as The One, The Passenger, and The Marriage Act. And while it does help to read those to get a feeling for what is going on, it’s not totally necessary, as only a few minor references are made. I read this with my buddy readers Erin, Francesca, and Jenn. This book is overall very crazy. But I still continue to struggle with this author’s style. There is always a large amount of characters to keep track of, whiplash twists, long wrap ups, and yet you still don’t feel fully satisfied at the end. While this did end up being my second favorite from him and still will read more, just be warned that it takes time to get your bearings.

I always look forward to the next John Marrs book. The ride through the metaverse was full of twists and turns as expected. He set this story up as a reality show set within an AI generated world called The Metaverse. Several families are selected to participate in a reality show called The Family Experiment, where they are each given an AI generated baby and for 9 months. They raise that child in The Metaverse and are exposed to various challenges, both expected as with childrearing, or generated as an additional challenge from the producers.
The best thing about these books is following the track of the author’s imagination as he creates this futuristic environment as AI becomes more prevalent in society. He explores the pros and cons and ethical issues that arise.
I definitely recommend this. His books always include parts of previous stories. This makes it helpful to read the books in order but they are entertaining as standalone novels as well.
#TheFamilyExperiment #NetGalley #HarlequinTradePublishing

I loved this one! John Marrs’ speculative fiction novels are some of my favorites. The One will always be one of my favorite novels. I also really really loved The Passengers. I really enjoyed that since those novels, he incorporates those into each new spec fiction novel. I didn’t love The Marriage Act, so I was happy to enjoy this one more. I pretty much loved it until the very end; I was hoping for a little more shock factor with the ending. However, I did enjoy overall, and would recommend to my audience!

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

If you write speculative fiction, I WILL read it! I enjoyed the way this story was presented. A group of mostly unlikeable characters who all have differing reasons for entering this experiment. It’s a very intriguing look into the psyche of people.

When John Marrs writes any sort of speculative fiction, I am genuinely giddy to read it. The creativity in this book regarding AI is downright terrifying but irrevocably entertaining. While I personally know the situations in THE FAMILY EXPERIMENT cannot happen, he writes in such a way that makes you think "okay but what if??"

John Marrs never disappoints. He’s great at short chapters, gripping thrills and character development.

This one was tough for me. Even though I know the "babies" were virtual, they represented real babies, and I just could not get into this story emotionally. The characters were all generally horrible people, and while I fully understand that other readers may love this book, it is 100% not for me.

This was my first John Marrs novel but certainly will not be my last. What a ride! This had exactly want I like in a sci-fi read: new technology, desperate people with a bonus of a reality tv aspect. I stayed up way too late to finish this because I wouldn’t put it down. The writing, characters and pacing was fantastic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

In the same speculative universe that the author has written The One and The Marriage Act, John Mars collides with the world of reality television with the latest AI advancement- virtual children.

That's right, The Family Experiment is a nine-month all-access reality show where eleven childless British couples compete by raising a virtual baby from the newborn years to adulthood. John Mars is not lighthearted about this topic as all these characters are put to the test and of course, they ALL have their secrets.

This was a very compulsive read. It was terrifying AND addicting. As I read, I was getting deeper and deeper into the Metaverse along with the contestants.

We follow the progress of the television show and the growth of the virtual children through the eyes of the different contestants. As this is a reality show, there are plenty of shocking events that lead to the elimination of some of the contestants. After all, money is at stake and the chance for the winning couple to pursue IVF and have their baby afterwards.

I would have given this a straight-up 5 but I did find that the story lost a little momentum at the end with the last number of chapters explaining and wrapping up storylines. Overall, this was one of the most original storylines I have read in 2024.


Publication Date: 09/07/24
Goodreads Review 18/07/24
#TheFamilyExperiment #NetGalley

Gripping. Eerie. Suspenseful.


Could you imagine a world where AI had infiltrated even the most intimate parts of your life? In a guilty-pleasure-consuming-reality-tv way The Family Experiment does exactly that + leaves no secret unshared.

Marrs has added another component to his near-world setting with The Family Experiment. 11 contestants face off to become the best virtual parent. The prize? Keep your metaverse baby or keep the funds to help have a biological baby. If you’re a loser? Your child will simply cease to exist. Is it possible to feel a connection and as much love with an AI baby? Stay tuned.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

John marrs never fails to weave an intriguing modern story. This book had mr flipping through the pages, always something shocking at the end of each chapter. In intriguing and thrilling read with a modern crazy story!

What a strange book. It was hard to follow the flashbacks because they weren't separated from the rest of the story at all. The characters were all terrible people (maybe that was the point?), but I couldn't seem to really care what happened to any of them. The way certain characters were "disposed of" was also disappointing- it was like he didn't know what to do with them next, so let's just kill them off in strange ways. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first John Marks book and it will not be my last. The world is becoming overpopulated and an economic crisis is looming. The solution is to pay for a virtual child. The company decides to promote this idea with a contest to see who the public thinks did the best in raising their child. After I was able to understand all the characters and their pasts, the story was fascinating. The different POVs made this a page turner. The modern topic of how social media and virtual games affect our lives is prominent. I loved this book!

Loved it! Very thought provoking on how far will you go to have a family using AI? The secrets of the families own families shadows the new ideal family. As usual John Marrs put the last twist in to tie it all up!

Oh my goodness, this was one of the best new books I've read in a very long time. The twists and turns were amazing and just kept me wanting to read and find out what was coming next... everything was not as it seems all the time! It was the perfect sci-fi future AI thriller I wanted. I loved the wide variety of characters, their stories and how the real world played into the game show. I loved how the story was broken up into chapters following different characters and how it was sort of mixed media with news headlines which made it seem so realistic. It also is releasing at such a great time when AI is so popular. Wow, I loved it so much, I need to read more by this author right away!