A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes is such a beautifully layered, thoughtful read.** It’s not just a love story — it really digs into what it *means* to build a life together: the joys, the doubts, the small everyday moments that matter so much.

Frances Mayes has this gorgeous, lyrical writing style that makes you want to savor every sentence. She weaves in food, travel, art — all those sensory details that make her books feel so rich and alive.

It’s one of those stories that makes you reflect on your own relationships and what “a great marriage” really looks like, beyond just the big romantic gestures.

If you love books that feel wise, warm, and a little indulgent (in the best way), this one is definitely worth picking up.

The story follows Dara Willcox and Austin Clarke—two ambitious people who fall hard and fast for each other—only to be torn apart by secrets, family expectations, and a life-altering twist.


Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this arc!

I enjoy a non traditional relationship story - I like that they represent reality, that not everything lasts or is perfect, even when it starts out perfect! The characters were pretty unlikable but again, thats reality. I enjoyed but people will need to be in the right mood for this!

A Great Marriage: by Frances Mayes is an interesting novel that starts with a canceled wedding. It’s a look at generations and what happens afterwards. Readers who enjoy multi-layered family novels will enjoy this book. It is quite well written, with great thought behind it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

A heartwarming story of the complexity of life and love and how to make it work! I highly recommend this book!

I just finished reading A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes, and it’s one of those books that really makes you reflect on love, relationships, and personal growth. 💖 The story follows Dara Willcox, who, after calling off her wedding to Austin Clarke, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and healing. This novel explores the complexities of marriage and what it means to build a meaningful relationship, not just with others, but with yourself.

Mayes' writing is absolutely captivating—her eloquent storytelling and deep insights into human nature make this a page-turner. If you love stories that delve into the intricacies of love, commitment, and finding yourself along the way, A Great Marriage is definitely worth reading.

I have read a few of Frances Mayes books and enjoyed them. This one wasn't my favorite. There was a lot of insecurity and doubt. There were situations that seemed highly unlikely to be possible. When a book has more than a few characters to follow it becomes hard to stay connected to the whole storyline. Overall I probably wouldn't read it again but that doesn't mean someone else won't enjoy it.

Actual rating 2.5, rounded up for the lovely cover, but sunk by the story.

I've not read Mayes' famous book, nor have I seen the movie, but I know it is quite popular, so I had high hopes for this book, which were ultimately dashed. Dara was unpleasant and self-centered, which made it hard to feel any sympathy for her in the breakup of her wedding plans. And I'd love to know how she managed to afford all the travel she was doing since she wasn't actually independently wealthy. Too much of the story lacked believability and didn't make me want to know more, or even hope for the obvious HEA. I definitely was not the target audience for this story.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, the author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a very slow paced book with many many POVs. It was very difficult to get into the plot. The characters were not very engaging.

Dara and Austin are set to get married. They have some hurdles to overcome, such as where to live. Austin is from England and Dara lives in the US. Bigger bumps arise and Dara decides to flee. Austin goes back to England to face his past. Dara has examples of great marriages, her parents and her Grandmother. How can she resolve what is best. She loves Austin, but can she cope with their new dynamic?

This books wasn't my cup of tea. The writing style is easy to read and the premise of the story is good. I just didn't like Dara much. She is selfish and runs rather than trying to discuss things with the man she loves. She also did a lot of reflection. Thinking. I don't care for characters/books that have the dialog in their heads.

I knew nothing of the contents of this novel, other than the author had written another novel of which I like the film version very much.
I love a story with multiple perspectives, but nothing prepared me for the gigantic storyline that would rock all of their worlds.
Reminding me yet again of how interconnected we all truly are.

I just could not get into this book. I didn’t fully get what it was supposed to be about and what the hook for the reader was. I’m sure it will be great for someone else but it was not for me.

I enjoyed this book. It was thought provoking and emotional and hit me in all the right places. It definitely deals with the age old theory of what makes a great marriage through many successful and unsuccessful matches, but focuses on one center marriage that may or may not happen. Great overall read - would be a perfect for a book club discussion!

A Great Marriage is a modern generational story. The matriarch of the family is a famous psychologist who wrote books about marriage but had her own divorce before she found love. Her daughter has found a much steadier marriage. They are gathering for the wedding of her granddaughter, which seems perfect as well, until they cancel it without explaining. This is actually explained in the book pretty early, and is not a big surprise. The book jumps around a lot from different characters' perspectives, even within the same chapter, and from first to third perspective, which can be a little confusing. I liked most of the characters, although I didn't quite understand the love story between the engaged couple, it just seemed like they were two charming people who found each other, but everyone else would have fallen in love with them too. There were a couple of glimpses into side characters which I thought would have been interesting to explore further as well.

A poignant novel that delves into the complexities of love, marriage, and a broken engagement. It is beautifully written and captures the turmoil and effects of the broken engagement. Dara’s journey of self discovery and Austin’s struggle to navigate his challenges are portrayed with depth It is a thought provoking story.
Many thanks to Random House and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book, though it took me a while to get through. It asks the central question, what makes a good marriage? The two main characters--Dara and Austin--are deeply in love and on their way to a huge wedding celebration. A bomb is dropped in the middle of their seemingly perfect lives that could derail everything. I don't want to give too many more details because I loved going in blind on this.

This is a story about romance and friendship and family, and how we support and forgive one another. It is well written and I enjoyed a number of the characters and the settings. It did seem a bit far-fetched at times, but I still enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you @netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy of A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes. Dana and Austin meet in New York, quickly fall in love and plan their wedding. But before their engagement dinner, Austin gets some news that derails the marriage plans. They split up, both try to move on, and deal with the new reality. Don’t want to give too much away, but it is a journey for both of them, and ends up with friends and family appreciating what is important in life. I enjoyed this one, likeable characters for the most part. #agreatmarriage #francesmayes #netgalley #advancedreadercopy #bookstagram #lovetoread #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook

After a whirlwind romance, Dara and Austin are getting married. With just weeks to go, Dara unexpectedly calls off the wedding. Only they know the reason, their families and friends are left In the dark. Life can be messy when you least expect it.

At the beginning I found this book very hard to get into, but as I read on and got use to the writer’s style, I enjoyed it more. The cover is abstract, much like this book, overly descriptive, flowery. So many characters made the beginning hard to follow. I just couldn’t connect with the characters, their situations or their choices. But the supportive aspect of the family and friends was endearing. The ending was a little too neat for the whole storyline and felt rushed. But, even with all this I couldn’t put it down.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine Books for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Dara and Austin are passionately in love and days away from consummating their marriage, and then an earlier indiscretion results in the relationship dissolving, or at least it appears to dissolve. Dara runs away with little explanation and the rest of the book is the restoration of their union. I enjoyed Mayes’ lyrical writing but felt lost on many occasions in the tangle of characters who seemed to have endless pots of money, a great deal of education and lots of patience. Nevertheless, it is a sweet tale and I enjoyed it very much.

This book follows the story of Dara and Austin as their love story twists and turns when the unexpected happens right before their wedding. This was an exploration of different love stories and how our lives shape who we are and how we love. The book felt a little long with not much nuance in characters and the author wrapped it up in a happy ending that I’m not sure would have played out in real life.