I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing me this e-ARC.

I will admit that this was my first time reading something by John Marrs and it did NOT disappoint! This dark story is set in the future where virtual reality is common tech amongst the population and the UK has been hit with an economic crisis. The story centers around a reality TV show that is being used as marketing tool for the roll out of virtual children. Each family participating has a backstory that is brought out overtime and as expected the VR world is not without its own ethical problems.

This story kept me on my toes and I was really interested in how all the storylines were going to converge. I recommend picking this one up for an interesting story that leads you to feel a little 'icky' after. I will be sure to read other works by John Marrs in the near future.

John Marrs does it again! The next in his series set in a not too distant future delivers. With rich sci fi details, The Family Experiment explore what it means to be human and a parent as people compete to raise AI children in the Metaverse. Dark pasts are had by all, of course. Multiple POVs as well as chat comments and website news articles tell the story. The characters were interesting and easy to follow; I sometimes get lost when there’s too many points of view but Marrs did a good job making each storyline unique and characters defined.

I love the way the story came together. Well crafted! I’d recommend this book to anyone.

This is a definite 5 star read. Some likeable characters, some very unlikable. This story takes place as a reality show in an alternate MetaVerse. No spoilers here but I can promise its worth the read

Summary: The world's population is soaring, creating overcrowded cities
and an economic crisis. And in the UK, breaking point has
arrived. A growing number of people can no longer afford to
start families let alone raise them.
But for those desperate to experience parenthood, there is an
alternative. For a monthly subscription fee, clients can create a
virtual child from scratch who they can access via the metaverse
and a VR headset. To launch this new initiative, the company
behind Virtual Children has created a reality tv show. It will
follow ten couples as they raise a Virtual Child from birth to the
age of eighteen but in a condensed nine-month time period
The prize: the right to keep their virtual child or risk it all for the
chance of a real baby
Set in the same universe as John Marrs's bestselling novel The
One and The Marriage Act, The Family Experiment is a dark and
twisted thriller about the ultimate 'tamagotchi - a virtual baby.

Review: WOWZA John Marrs has done it again! This was a riveting read and I'm still trying to process what happened. Let's start with one of the craziest conccepts with his speculative series. The fact that the book talks about the Metaverse and AI technology blows my mind that this could be our actual future where technology fully runs the world.

Marrs has his classic writing of following 5+ different POVs. In the book we follow the POVs of different contestants competing in the Family Experiment. I'm still so curious as to how it works and how they actually create genuine feelings for an AI avatar. I did find it a bit confusing to follow so many different POVs and having to look back as to when they first got introduced, but the more you read, the more you start remember each couple/person and what their story behind competing.

There were so many twists and turns!!! This book had me eating it up. I love the cliffhangers at the end of short chapters. It kept me at the edge of my seat.

I did find that I enjoyed the Marriage Act more the Family Experiment just because maybe I'm not at the stage of having kids myself yet? The Marriage Act seemed to be more relatable.

I highly recommend this book when it comes out on July 9th for the US! Definitely read his other books in his speculative series and start with The One first. Marrs sprinkles a lot of Easter eggs from the earlier books :)

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC.

This was my first John Marrs novel and it didn’t disappoint. It was so thought provoking and I think one of the reasons it felt so creepy is that you can picture a world where this could happen. It also had some great twist and they kept coming in the last 20% or so of the novel.

I found it a little slow to really get sucked into the world with so many characters and so much going on but once I was in I was fulling invested.

I now canning wait to go back and read other John Matt’s novels in this same universe.

This was a very, very solid 4.25/5 stars for me and I would highly recommend it when it is released.

#netgalley #thefamilyexperiment #johnmarrs

The Family Experiment had an interesting take on building a family. There were several points of few in this book that were hard to follow at first but once you get into the book, it’s fairly easy to follow the story line. Every point of view is left at a cliff hanger making you want to continue reading to see what happens next.
The twists and turns near the conclusion were great. I like how there was overlap in some of the stories that we definitely didn’t see coming. It was a solid 4 star read for me.

Another amazing Black Mirror-esque read. Imagine a reality tv show where contestants raise a metachild for 9 months inside a VR set, while the voters vote who the favorites are. Each character has some good ole baggage and secrets that they don't want to come out. This is a wild ride with a ending that you wont expect.

Thanks to NetGalley for this pre release in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #HalequinTradePuishing for the book #TheFamilyExpirement by author #johnmarrs. I loved this book! It keeps your attention throughout & you want to know what’s going to happen next. Imagine if you desperately wanted to start a family, but couldn’t afford it. If you were given the opportunity to participate in a new reality show where you raise a virtual child from birth-18 in a 9 month timespan that would help make your dream come true if you won, would you do it? What would you risk or secrets would you hide to make your dream come true? I definitely did not see the ending coming at all! Such a great book. Make sure you read this!

Set in a near future with self driving cars, the metaverse, and DNA matched couples, the Family Experiment follows a crazy cast of couples and one single parent as they compete in a reality show of raising AI children from newborns to 18 years old. But it becomes so much more than that by the end!

For a while, I found it difficult to remember all the different characters. I ended up writing out a cheat sheet and sticking it to the back of my kindle with the couple names and their distinctive storylines; “basement daughter” and “sperm donor/gambling addict.” As the storylines progressed it was easier to keep up with, and I definitely got pulled in by all the drama and backstories.

The ending neatly wrapped up every storyline, every character getting a proper conclusion, leaving me with no questions, just a thoroughly enjoyed reading experience.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and John Marrs for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The concept of The Family Experiment (creating and raising children in virtual reality) is super interesting and I loved how it was combined with a reality show. At the very beginning, it was confusing telling the couples apart, but each couple's story was unique so I was able to tell them apart after the first part.

I thought I had it all figured out, but of course there ended up being so many twists that I was totally wrong in my guesses. I loved the ending and how Marrs had a concluding chapter for each couple after the experiment was over.

Thank you to Netgallery and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

this was such a twisty and immersive read!!! I enjoyed it so much, it really hit so close to home because none of this is too hard to believe considering the trajectory of our current technology... I adore how John Marrs writes this kind of book, he has such a strong handle on pacing and twists and plot that makes it so fun and captivating from the get go. Definitely recommend this one!

Whoa! This book holds you and does not let go. The topic is very contemporary and the story is very fast paced. Good read!

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of The Family Experiment. I love John Marrs’s books and this one did not disappoint. He references some of his other books, so it is good to read his backlist, but not necessary. I love how his books toe the line between thriller, horror, and sci fi. Fans of Black Mirror would love this. This book gives the reader a lot to think about like what does it mean to be a parent and how real is AI. The book takes you through each of the characters and their history. While the “audience “ in the reality show is forming opinions on which one makes the best parent, the reader is as well. Each revelation brings new horrors into each contestant’s past and their reason for taking part in the experiment.

Contestants who want to have a family, but are unable to financially compete on a reality show called The Family Experiment. They are given a child who in 9 months will raise from a baby tk an adult. Trials will be voted on by the audience and the one deemed the best parent will be given the option to remain with their child or receive enough money to have their own child. All the other contestant’s children will be terminated. Each contestant has a past that is revealed through out the book

I have read almost every book in the John Marrs universe and have loved all of them, this one most certainly included!

Marrs way of using the ideas of current technology to bring awareness to a potential not-so-distant future had me doing some deep thinking at the end of this book.

This book introduces us to several characters from the on set, which can be a little tricky to follow, but over time the reader just gets adjusted and each character group feels like family.

By the end of this book, secrets are revealed, story lines are tied up and you are left with a satisfying and thought provoking reading experience.

Lastly, I LOVED all the Easter eggs from previous works. Bravo, John Marrs!

The Family Experiment is a very engaging read that held me glued to the page from beginning to end. This book takes place in the same world as Marrs previous work, this time focusing on parenthood. I had just come from reading a thriller focusing on influencer culture so was a little sad to see that this one had many of the same elements. This is obviously becoming a trend! It didn't take long to get hooked on this reality game show, because you have to pay close attention to keep track of the wide cast of characters. There are many levels to the story aside from the reality tv indictment however, thanks to the extensive backstory that is teased out from each of the characters. Great character development, interesting AI science, thoughtful examinations of grief and parental love, and page turning suspense all combine to make this an excellent read that was hard to put down.

Grab your VR headset and jump into the Metaverse! It’s far enough in the future where reality TV has crashed and burned and is now ready for a comeback. The Family Experiment welcomes 11 contestants to a game that blurs reality and meta universes. Life is simply too expensive to have Real World kids for many people, this game is the launch of a new parenting alternative. Contestants will raise an metachild for 9 months, leaping to new ages/developments every month until a winner is announced at the end when the child reaches “18 years old”.

In true John Marrs fashion, there are a lot of characters to keep straight at first. Luckily with the premise of a game show they do dwindle over time. While the futuristic setting seems outlandish at times, it also feels eerily plausible. We watch as contestants show their desired persona while being watched by millions in the metaverse, but also get a look behind the scenes in the Real World. Each character realistically has baggage and secrets they don’t want exposed. (Hey-just like the world of social media!) The mini-cliffhangers kept me in the edge of my seat and the ending provided a conclusion for all the characters. This is a must read for everyone who has enjoyed the author’s other speculative thrillers.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this ARC opportunity!

The Family Experiment hooked me from the first couple of pages. Delving into the world of AI was intruding, scary & concerning. In this latest book Marrs makes you question how much is too much when it comes to AI. Wrapping up the story neatly in a "ladybird" suitcase (IYKYK) & additionally leaving the reader wanting more displays the magic of Marrs.

4.5
John Marrs has done it again and take the reader deep into his futuristic reality where you can now get and raise a child in the Metaverse. A reality show is the opening presentation of what this looks like as multiple couples are given a baby that will be fast tracked in their growth for them to raise. Anyone can watch the show by putting on your AI goggles and logging into the Metaverse. In a process of elimination for differing and shocking situations, the last one standing will be the winner.

First of all, apparently reality tv shows in books is a total sub genre going on that I haven't been loving, BUT it worked great in this book. Marrs intermixes a futuristic world showing concerns for AI, separating ourselves from human life in general, and throws in some thriller aspects and we get a really intriguing book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the advance e-copy of this book.

I will admit to being a huge John Marrs fan - especially when his book is about technology/science. So, I was really pleased to get a preview copy of “The Family Experiment.” This book is basically about a reality TV show that grips the UK. In it, 11 people (five couples, one singleton) compete to raise an AI “metasphere” child from newborn to 18 over nine months. The prize is either keep the AI child alive in the metasphere or delete the child and use prize money to start a real family. It’s a pretty interesting concept and, once again, Mr. Marrs uses social media and articles to move the story along. There are also some delightful “Easter eggs” if one has read Marrs’s other books - from mentions to characters. While I found the competition a bit odd (understandable in an age where seemingly anything can grip attention and anything can be made into a reality show program) it was oddly understandable and felt like it could happen. In the beginning I got a few of the couples mixed up, but it cleared up after a few chapters. My biggest comment reading these books is to ignore the science - or at least don’t look at it too closely. In this case, I thought some of the background of the “metasphere” AI company was a bit - well, odd. And some of the backstory for some of the characters after the reality program is over I felt dragged on a bit - though I realize that other readers would like loopholes closed; I just didn’t feel the need for all the characters left at loose ends at the conclusion of the game. I read this book rather quickly and found it to be a nice bit of escapism.

The Family Experiment is set in the same vaguely dystopian, near-future world as The One, The Passengers, and The Marriage Act, and in it participants in a virtual reality-reality show are responsible for raising an AI child from infancy to age 18 in a condensed 9-month timeframe, all while being watched constantly and having every parenting decision voted on by an audience of millions. The winner gets to either keep their AI child or collect enough prize money to support having a biological child.

This is my favorite book by Marrs thus far, and I could not put it down! The cast of characters was quite large, so hearing from their varying perspectives kept things clipping along at a breakneck pace. There was SO MUCH going on and so many surprises, and I loved it. Highly recommend for existing Marrs fans, and I think it would be a great entry point to the Marrs Cinematic Universe for new readers as well.