really good mystery. Kept me on my toes and loved all of the characters and what they went through on this journey. Loved that they a happy ending happened.

It started slow so I was not sure I was going to make it. The scenes on the current timeline were most interesting. Everyone seemed like unreliable characters to me. There are multiple reveals towards the end. You may figure out some but I challenge if you saw the last one coming. Love how it ends

The Marriage Rule by Helen Monks Takhar is a dark domestic thriller that delivers twists, turns and suspense.

Elle is a new mom struggling with trying to balance the demands of motherhood, her career, and her marriage to Dom. Even with her husband's support, Elle often feels inadequate and overwhelmed and she typically resorts to alcohol to cope with everything. When after a work trip, Elle wakes up from a boozy night in a hotel room, she finds her life has taken a free fall into chaos. Because beside her in the bed is a dead man, and it's not Dom. With very little memory of what happened, Elle calls the only person she knows can help her, her husband.

This is definitely a book that takes a dark turn!! Some heavy themes are explored including; alcoholism, DV, SA and infidelity. The story develops through a dual timeline where we go back and witness Elle's descent into alcoholism, and then forward to the present where she is questioning everything. I really liked how raw and real Elle's character was even though I found her unlikable at first. And then that ending?!? I am definitely interested in reading more from this author!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Helen Monks Takhar, and Random House Publishing for this ARC!! Publication date is May 13th 2025.

I was excited to read this domestic thriller and found myself interested at the first page. The more I read from the main character, I found myself not liking or appreciating the way they are portrayed and it took away from my interest in the story. I was also able to figure out the way the story would unravel but it didn't ruin too much for me.

I am happy and grateful when books are written to highlight real issues facing women around the world and for that I enjoyed reading. There was a lot of great female camaraderie and support, There were a few storylines I wished were fleshed out more but I liked the ending a lot! Absolutely high stakes and important stories to tell.

Another twisty novel where I thought I knew where everything was going but had no idea. SO many twists and turns along the way and characters you love to hate. Really satisfying ending!

Elle is a new mother grappling with the competing demands of parenthood, her professional aspirations, and her marriage to Dom. Despite her deep affection for her child and the support of her husband, she frequently feels overwhelmed and alienated from her own body and intimacy with Dom. She resorts to alcohol as a coping strategy. This descent into self-alienation prompts her to reevaluate her life decisions.
Following a work trip, Elle awakens in a hotel room beside a deceased man, with fragmented memories of the preceding events. Realizing that Dom is her only avenue for assistance, she confronts the daunting prospect of seeking his help, while simultaneously fearing the potential repercussions for their marriage. The narrative intricately explores her inner turmoil as she reflects on the moments that led her to this juncture, particularly her adherence to the so-called "marriage rule," which dictates that a wife must always fulfill her husband's needs.

The story unfolds through a combination of contemporary events and flashbacks, offering insights into Elle's declining mental health and her struggle with alcohol dependency. While the plot is rife with suspenseful developments, it also delves into darker themes such as domestic violence, infidelity, and betrayal. You will encounter a multifaceted portrayal of Elle, who, despite her imperfections, elicits both empathy and frustration as she grapples with the ramifications of her choices.

This book is intriguing, but at times, I felt it was disjointed. I appreciated that Elle’s character was authentic, but I found it difficult in the beginning to empathize with her. The narrative was slow in the beginning, but did pick up. Nevertheless, I was engaged until the very end- and was surprised at the ending. The Marriage Rule is a compelling domestic thriller, that delivers suspense and twists and turns. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, you will enjoy this one as well.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my review.

If you need a unput downable book, this is the book you need to immediately pick up and read. I read it twice back to back to go back and catch parts I hadn’t caught the first time around. You could hear me audibly laughing, gasping and wide eyes. This is one where you stay up all night because you can’t put it down! The writing is amazing and as my first introduction to this author, I will immediately be reading her books! Sooo soo good! MUST READ OF 2025

Bad decisions and twists make this implausible thriller compulsively readable. Elle is unhappy in general and then she wakes up next to a dead man who is not her husband Dom. Oops. Can he, will he help her out? This moves back and forth in time to tell the story. Know also that there's dark domestic issues here. Elle is, btw, annoying but I had to know what happened. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A popcorn read for travel or the beach.

Slow start to this book, but the twists & turns kept me reading.
I had a hard time getting into this book, as I couldn't relate to the characters. The idea of The Marriage Rule is pretty old fashioned and didn't make total sense with the story line. The second half of the book provided some surprising twists that I wasn't expecting though!

Thanks to NetGalley for the early read!

The Marriage Rule by Helen Monks Takhar is a domestic thriller that explores marriage, motherhood, and personal secrets. The story centers around Elle, a new mother who struggles to balance her career, parenting, and her relationship with her husband.

Elle's life takes a turn when she wakes up in a hotel room next to a dead man who isn't her husband Elle realizes that Dom is the only person who can help her escape without ruining their future. Throughout the novel, Elle has to manage the inadequacy and the pressures of motherhood, while also dealing with the dynamics in her marriage.

The novel switches between the present day and the events leading up to the murder. Throughout the story, Elle's character develops and it follows her journey of self- discovery and some abuse. She learns how to find her strength. The plot keeps you guessing until the end.

It was a good read.

Thanks to Netgally and Random House Publishing for the advanced copy.

Wait, WHAT?!

The first chapter started off really strong, sucking me in with so many questions. But after that it got slow for the next 30 or so percent. I actually thought about not finishing it but I am glad I did.

The second part of the book is where it really picked up for me and I couldn't stop until I knew what happened. The twists (Some way out there) just kept coming.

It has some hard subject matter so please check trigger warnings but it is fairly worth it.

I will say the ending, to me, left me a little "lost." Good book though and I will definitely check out more from this author. 3.5 Stars

*I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this ARC!

I don’t know how to properly rate this book, if I’m being honest. While thrillers and suspense aren’t my everyday reads, I do usually really like them, just in smaller doses. I was really intrigued by the premise of this one, and I was enjoying the suspense in the murder mystery sense but it takes such a turn halfway through that all I could think was thank god I wasn’t reading it at night or it would have actually given me nightmares. It goes DARK. So dark that it absolutely should have had trigger warnings made extremely clear at the beginning. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to, but I did finish it. That being said, the content in it gets so disturbing at one point, that I had to skim through some parts.

I went into this book really liking it but towards the middle I started to have to push myself to get through the book. I do think others would really like this book, it just wasn’t my favorite. I do think others should give it a try and see if they like it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC.

This one just wasn't for me. It was very reminiscent of many other popular thrillers that have come out recently, but it just was not wow'ing me.

3/5
This book took way longer than it needed to. While reading this book it put me into a bad book slump and I had forced myself to read the book even though I wasn’t truly enjoying it. This book was interesting to read. It bounced from the present to the past between each chapter which made it interesting and stay on your toes. I didn’t really like the idea of the marriage rule in general I think that’s a bit dated but for the book it made sense. I had a hard time connecting with the characters especially our main chapter Elle. I just found her annoying. As a person that has no clue what to do with my life either I understood Elle on that level but other than that I just wanted to slap her in the face. Even though I didn’t really enjoy the characters the concept of this story did want me to know what happens and the writing. The twists and everything keep me wanting to know what happens next. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending me and allowing me to read this ARC that comes out on May 13, 2025.

2.5 stars. I loved this author's first book, but this one didn't wow me. Just a very bog standard thriller, with characters you have seen before and won't remember the day after you've finished reading. It engaged me enough to keep reading, especially the present day passages, but the lead up to that got a bit boring. I think I am in a bit of a rut with thrillers right now, where I feel like I've read them all and need something extra for it to feel fresh and worth reading. So with that in mind, I might be extra hard on some of the books I'm reading now. There's certainly nothing wrong with this if you're looking for an entertaining story, but I also wouldn't recommend it specially over other domestic thrillers.

I just finished reading this book. The plot was absolutely fantastic! It was quite the page turner, and I could not put the book down once I began reading it. I can't wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Elle is a struggling new mom, who can’t decide if her life is what she truly wants. While she loves her child she feels as if her husband forced himself into her life and melded it into what he wanted.

Her good friend brings up the “marriage rule” to encourage her to fix her relationship issues…. To keep your man satisfied no matter what.

After a night away for work, Elle is left with glaring black spots as to what has happened…and needs to piece her evening together before she loses a lot more than her dignity.

Highly recommend for a fast paced, jaw dropping twist of a thriller! Loved it!

I have really mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the characters just didn’t do it for me—they felt underdeveloped and kind of bland, which made it hard to get emotionally invested. It’s the kind of story where I found myself forgetting names and personalities pretty quickly.

But the storyline itself? That’s a different story. It’s raw, it’s real, and it tackles domestic abuse in a way that doesn’t sugarcoat or look away. That part hit hard, and I respect the author for going there. It’s a topic that absolutely needs to be addressed, and the message behind the book is one that sticks with you.

Even though the plot and characters felt familiar—like I’ve read versions of this before—the message is what makes it memorable. The open ending was a nice touch, but honestly, it wasn’t quite enough to redeem the rest of the book for me. It had potential, but it just didn’t land as powerfully as it could have.

I would like to express my deep gratitude to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for their generosity in allowing me to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.