Fiona is married to the man of her dreams, the handsome doctor Jason. She is loves living in their lovely country home and Jason's two daughters are quickly feeling like her own, She knows that Jason has a number of strict rules for the family but she is sure that for their own good. However rules are there to be broken, but when the family have a suppertime confessional they are expected to confess. The girls are allowed to mourn their dead mother for an hour on Saturday. They have to lock the doors & not go out. No internet & social media for them. The story is told by Fiona & Jason. I kept reading trying to understand how a grown woman could accept this life.

You read quite a lot of books where the blurb say, "With a twist you won't see coming" and usually it's not that amazing-this one was! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read and review this book.

Edge of your seat, that's where you will be from beginning to end! You just know something isn't quite right, something off with those rules - and who would accept so many rules anyway? So many questions - and answers you won't see coming. Taut and complex domestic mystery, you will be hooked.

Regrettably, I was unable to complete the book and therefore cannot offer a comprehensive review at this time. While the sections I did read suggest potential in both content and style, it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions without engaging with the work in its entirety. I hope to revisit the book in the future to provide a more informed.

Big thanks to Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Marriage Rules is a gripping suburban domestic thriller.
Samantha Hayes is one of my favourite psychological thriller authors.
I tend to forget everything around me while reading one of her book gems.
Fiona and Jason lead a great life and have a great marriage with two daughters.
From the view of a person looking on, it seems perfect but once the doors are closed everything is not as it seems.
Jason has a set of rules that the family must follow.
The rules are there to protect.
Fiona agrees but their daughters, Tilly and Ivy reluctantly do.
Rules are good until someone starts breaking them…
An intriguing premise and a bingeable plot give the reader an invested and enjoyable experience.
A suspense and engrossing filled ride that will tempt your reading senses.

I love Samantha's books but this one I found very hard to read . The emotional abuse was relentless. Having said this I still liked it reading other parts and the ending made the book for me.

Yet another brilliant psychological thriller from Samantha Hayes. She never disappoints. The Marriage Rules brings us unlikeable, unrelateable characters with different POVs that had me switching my feelings right up to the final pages when, WOW I didn't see that coming.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion..

My thanks to BookOuture and NetGalley for a copy of “ The Marriage Rules” for an honest review.

With Samantha Haye’s books you know you are going to get a well written totally immersive story , that will keep you guessing right up to the end.I honestly would never have guessed what was happening in this book.
.At the beginning i was so angry with one of the character’s actions that I had to put my Kindle down, in disgust,but things aren’t always as they seem. !
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this , and found it a real page turner., and possibly the author’s best so far .

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

If someone said that you would have to follow ten rules in order to marry them, would you do it? The Marriage Rules by Samantha Hayes is a psychological thriller that will have you stunned at the end.

My Thoughts on The Marriage Rules:
This is definitely a book about damaged characters! Each time I read about the rules, I cringed. Who would agree to such a thing? Samantha Hayes does a good job of setting up the story, so you are surprised throughout the book. I didn’t love the adult characters, but I liked reading about the girls and their strength throughout the story. I didn’t know whether to trust Jason or Fiona’s part of the story. Both of them were unsettling. When the rules start getting broken, that is when the story really becomes interesting.

I had so many questions about certain details throughout the book. The ending answered my questions. It tied them up nicely. If you enjoy stories about mental institutions, dysfunctional families, or childhood trauma, you will enjoy this story. You will also enjoy it if you like stories about the loss of a spouse.

I gave this book four out of five stars. I wanted to keep reading and there were some surprises along the way. It also made me wonder what I would tolerate to marry someone I loved.

Would you be able to abide by these rules in your marriage?

I was very engrossed in the story. There were times I was literally confused about what is happening and who is stirring the pot. I definitely did not see that ending coming! This book is brilliantly written and it keeps you at the edge of your seat!

The Marriage Rules is a book that will have you shaking your head in disbelief and yelling why are you letting him do that to you?

It is a twisty domestic thriller that will keep you guessing to the mind blowing ending and leave you questioning everything you have just read.

4 stars.

Have always loved Samantha's books but this one.....oh my goodness....it absolutly blew my mind away.
This story is told in three parts. Firstly we focus on Fionas accounts and are led to believe she is in a relationship where the rules are hard. Alongside being newly married she has also taken the role of step mother to Jason's 2 daughters, whose mother has just died.
Part 2 sees Jason's side and we begin to see that perhaps Jason's rule arent as hard as we originally perceived but serve to keep Fiona safe.
And then part 3 where everything is totally thrown out the park . Fast paced with so many twists and a real WOW factor.
I cannot recommend this book enough....brilliant.

An interesting story but so many twists made it quite confusing in places.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review

Fiona is married to Jason. She used to work as a nurse at Radmoor Hospital, a mental health facility, where Jason worked as a psychiatrist.

The couple recently moved to a new location with Jason’s daughters: 15-year old Tilly, and 8-year old Ivy. The girls have recently lost their mother who died in a car crash.

Fiona and Jason reckoned that they all needed a fresh start.

However, Jason keeps a tight ship. The whole family must abide by his rules, such as not leaving the house without a valid reason and family confessional every day at 6pm.

Then, someone starts breaking the rules… and Fiona receives an anonymous note saying that she broke a rule. Who’s watching? Are the family safe?

Soon, events spiral out of control and the family’s life unravels…

Wow, what a story! I was gripped from the start all the way to the finish.

As I was reading, I was shouting at my Kindle: “Fiona, why are you with such a man?”, because I couldn’t comprehend why someone would sustain such emotional and coercive control.

Then, the author threw a twist which I didn’t expect, and I thought (for a short while) that it explained Jason’s actions.

But then – the ending!!! Holy moly, that blew my mind.

If you love twisty psychological thrillers, then this book is for you.

I definitely recommend it!

Who is making them? And who is breaking them?

That line on the cover was enough for me to know I wanted to grab this one and dive right in. I didn't even read the blurb for this and went in totally blind and I'm so glad that I did. Not that the blurb gives much away ... I'm sure you'll be shocked too! This book was addictive and quite a ride. Not at all what I was expecting.

I honestly don't want to say anything because it's just one of those books you have to read for yourself.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is an interesting book with an ending you won't see coming. Pay attention because otherwise you may just not know where you are. This book will have you wondering from the beginning all the way to the end.

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Marriage Rules by Samantha Hayes is the first book I’ve read by this author. It will not be my last! There were so many twists and turns in this psychological thriller! I kept thinking I figured something out and then I was totally wrong. The only ending was a surprise. I really liked this book!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This is a first book I've read by Hayes. It will not be my last one by her. I gripped me at the first chapter. The ending i ever figured out in millions years. I can't wait to read more by hayes.

Samantha Hayes' The Marriage Rules audiobook delivers a chilling and suspenseful tale of a seemingly idyllic family life built upon a foundation of unsettling regulations. From the outset, the description hints at a darkness lurking beneath Fiona's "perfect" existence, and Hayes masterfully builds tension as the reader, and eventually Fiona herself, begins to question the rigid rules that govern their household.

The premise is immediately gripping: a family bound by an extreme set of rules – early bedtimes, media blackout, locked doors, and a strict prohibition against discussing the past. The audiobook format enhances the sense of unease, allowing the listener to feel the claustrophobia of Fiona's controlled world. As the rules begin to be broken, the narration effectively conveys Fiona's growing anxiety and the creeping sense that something is deeply wrong.

Hayes skillfully peels back the layers of Fiona's seemingly contented life, hinting at a past trauma that the rules are designed to suppress. The mystery of who is breaking the rules and why becomes increasingly compelling, driving the narrative forward with a palpable sense of dread.

The Marriage Rules is a psychological thriller that explores the fragility of family and the dangerous consequences of secrets. It's a captivating and unsettling listen that will keep you on the edge of your seat, questioning the true cost of safety and the devastating impact of a past that refuses to stay buried.

Well, I’m not sure how to explain this one, lol!

So many ups and downs, twists and turns, highs and lows, suspicion and transparency.

If you enjoy stories about doctors and patients who cross lines, I’d recommend checking this out.

If you enjoy thinking you’ve got it all figured out, then telling yourself “oh okay, NOW I know what’s going on!” and to change your mind a couple more times, then you would definitely want to check this out.

I certainly did not expect the ending and I greatly enjoyed this because of it!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Samantha Hayes for allowing me the opportunity to read this in exchange for a review.