Jake and Alice are newlyweds, a picture perfect successful couple. Alice once a singer in a rock band is now a successful lawyer, whilst Jake is a partner is a successful psychology practice.

When they receive an intriguing and exotic gift as a wedding present from one of Alice's most high profile clients. In short it is an invitation to join an exclusive group known only as the Pact.

The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact.

Sure, the Pact has rules, but most of these rules make perfect sense to ensuring a happy Marriage; Always answer the phone when your spouse calls, exchange thoughtful gifts monthly, plan a trip together once per quarter. . . .

And the biggest rule of all;

Never mention the Pact to anyone.

Enticed into the group by its mystery and promise of glamorous gatherings (Alice loves a party!) Jake and Alice are keen to make new friends and embrace their new lives as members of the Pact and very happy newly weds.

Sadly only one of these things can last... Jake and Alice are about to find out that the Pact isn't all it appears to be. Particularly if you break a rule!

The Marriage Pact is a novel that may seem a little far fetched, but although I've not yet researched this online, I wouldn't be surprised if some sort of "cult" like this did in fact exist.

For that reason alone I recommend accepting future gifts with caution. If you're married, then just remember, you don't need anyone except your spouse.....

Wow, what can I say 'friends' I was sceptical of this book to start with and restarted it twice but after a slow start I couldn't put it down.
The story tells us of newly weds Jake and Alice who find themselves signing up to what essentially is a cult, and we experience the regrets from the minute the ink is dry on the paper
There are some serious plot twists in this book, one chapter I loved Alice and then I hated her.
Fantastic book which some interesting ideas, I'm not sure I'll be introducing them in to my marriage anytime soon though!

Wow this is a strange one! Incredibly creepy and so different than anything I've read. I kept thinking I'm not sure I like this, I don't know where it's going and considered stopping reading it BUT then bam about 70% in it just had me gripped! Unusual and I think one of those books that's really memorable which in this genre says a lot!

This started off as a real page turner but rapidly went into complete nonsense that I couldn't suspend belief about to go along with the story.

You can read great reviews with a lot more detail about the plot but basically a recently married couple Jake and Alice get involved with a group known as The Pact. It's portrayed as a privilege to be invited to join this group of people who are committed to marriage and making it work so they have lifelong marriages. There's a contract to sign and a very large manual to be read. It quickly becomes obvious that this is something quite sinister and the plot takes a lot of very unbelievable and dark turns. There are many gruesome descriptions of torture. Frankly I wish I'd never started this book. I did get to the end to see how it would finish and was very disappointed. It completely fizzled out.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be 'sinister'. A young couple, recently married, find themselves drawn into a secret society intended to help strengthen and maintain a happy marriage. They are invited to posh parties and given expensive gifts, but it quickly becomes clear that all is not as it first seems and Alice and Jake find themselves torn apart, put under intense scrutinary and heading off for brutal re-education sessions for the slightest transgression.

This is a very thought-provoking read and therapist Jake's narration helps with this. He mulls over his conversations with clients and lays bare his own musings on relationships and life in general. There is a salutary warning in there too - about the power and corruption that those in charge can become carried away with.. Ultimately, we all need to find our own path through life. A recommended thriller with a modern twist.

This is getting a lot of attention but I'm afraid this one just wasn't for me. The premise was interesting but I think that I'd have had to care more about any of the characters to find it a more compelling read. At times it got a bit silly and the suspense just wasn't sustained as to how they might - or might not - manage to extricate themselves from this empire of matrimony. Not bad, but not as great as the hype would suggest.

I requested this book because the description was a domestic thriller, exactly the kind of book I like to read, and it was not a disappointment.

It was not like any other book I've read, the plot was superb and kept me up way past my bed time on a number of occasions.

The book is told by Jake, who has recently married Alice, they join the pact and are promised the will help them have a happy and successful marriage, but all is not as it seems and Jake then believes the marriage pact to be some kind of cult. Some parts of this book were shocking and had be gripped. Will definitely be purchasing more titles from this author. Thank you Netgalley

I received an ecopy of this book from Netgalley never having previously read anything by Michelle Richmond before. This is a very unusual plot, in fact it is a quite ridiculous plot but somehow it is still a very engaging plot.

I liked Jake and Alice, Jake more than Alice but that probably says more about me than it does about the character. Could a woman really walk through her front door and kick of her shoes (yes); remove and drop her skirt (maybe) but also take off her tights and leave them where they fall (really) In fact, joking aside I didn't really 'get' Alice.

The plot quickly became thrilling, and then sinister and scary, and mostly quite unpredictable, I was hooked and just had to keep reading.

Unfortunately the found the ending rather disappointing but if you enjoy a thrilling suspense novel that doesn't involve murder and mayhem then I would recommend this book and I will certainly look for others by this author.

If you could ensure your marriage would be successful, would you? Of course every newly wed couple would say yes to this, but the costs of the pact quickly come back to haunt Jake and Alice as their new club makes ever increasing demands and punishments.

A simple story that rips along at a fast pace this asks questions of everyone who has experienced marriage. It almost reads like the basis of a Hollywood film. The pay-off doesn't quite match the premise though as it feels a little forced at the end. However, it will leave you thinking after you turn the last page and well worth the time this summer.

3.5 Stars but rounded up.
Once I managed to successfully get over the niggles I had regarding the credibility of the story I was reading, once I just started to accept the choices and decisions that the characters were making and just go along with the story being told I actually started to really get into it and, when we got to the conclusion, I was left mostly satisfied as the ending really did justify the journey.
Jake and Alice are on the verge of marriage. They come from totally different backgrounds but they appear to fit together quite well on the paths they are currently taking. Then Alice, out of the blue, invites one of her clients to her wedding. The present that he and his wife leave them with, on face value seems a little weird. it's an invitation to join The Pact; a rich and exclusive group of married couples. Based on rules and regulations contained within a Manual, it appears on face value to be a handbook on how to make a marriage succeed. Rules include always answering when your spouse phones, frequent gifts and travel arrangements. But, as much as that is positive in the manual, it also has a rather dark side with the penalties for rule infringement. A dark side that sadly Jake and Alice both experience at cost.
The basis of this book is set around the worries and fears that I would imagine all couples have just before tying the knot; especially the fear of things going stale. I know that I did when I got married back in the day. But, instead of positive reinforcement when things are going right, when things start to go awry, instead of giving the couple time to sort things out in their own way together, the Pact jumps right in and takes over, disciplining and reeducating the offender on their own. This is the thing that I had the most time struggling with. I mean, Jake himself is a therapist and one the main parts of his job is marriage guidance and the parts where we see him in sessions with his clients didn't really sit well with me when compared with what was going on with him, Alice and their part in The Pact. There were many other things I couldn't initially get my head round with respect to the rules but to list them here would probably include spoilers so I will leave it there. Conversely, there was quite a lot in The Pact that I found to be useful and helpful with respect to aiding and assisting married couples so to say that I was torn throughout the book would be an understatement. But, as I already said, as the book reached its conclusion and the point of it all was explained, and the reasons for the, sometimes quite awful discipline came out, the book actually started to come together nicely and left me mostly satisfied at its conclusion. Mostly aided, I hasten to add, by the often quite brilliant writing by the author. It's also an ending that leave the reader quite a bit to ponder further. Well, I did!
The book itself is narrated throughout by Jake. I think that his perspective is what helped me put my reservations aside and carry on as I really did connect to him as a character. At times I wanted to give him a slap and wake up to what was happening and do something about it but, as time went on and I learned more about him and his personal fears, i sort of understood why he did some of what he did and, ore importantly, didn't do what I really wanted him to. Some of his inner thoughts were quite enlightening.
All in all, although a book that initially was hard to swallow, I am glad I made it to the end. It definitely gave me food for thought as I am still thinking about some of what I thought was positive from The Pact but now thinking that even these are pretty worthless. I mean, if the rules say that you give your spouse a thoughtful gift on a regular basis, surely the fact that you HAVE to do it devalues it somewhat... surely it's better to do something cos you WANT to... where does want end and need begin...

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I found this book very gripping and I certainly wanted to keep reading. The premise was just a little far-fetched for me, and this stopped me really loving it. However, would definitely recommend as a real page-turner.

Almost impossible to put down. From the very first page I was completely hooked and the gradual build in tension throughout meant that I was reaching for this book at every possible opportunity. It’s not without flaws but there is something about the narrator that is instantly likeable and the premise is so unique that these are very easy to overlook.

Honestly, having read this book and the rules you apparently have to follow to have a happy and successful marriage I have to say I’m happy to be single. In all seriousness though, this is a book with a very unique and thought provoking premise. Just what does it take to make a marriage work and what would you be willing to sacrifice to ensure it lasts?

The whole story is told from Jake’s point of view and I found him to be an instantly likable and seemingly honest narrator. He’s a psychologist, who comes across as very empathetic (he really cares about his patients), self deprecating and completely devoted to his new wife Alice. As he tells the story of their relationship, his proposal and their wedding it seems very clear that he worries he’s not good enough for her and that she’s not as committed to the relationship as he is.

This is perhaps why, when they are offered membership of an exclusive club known as The Pact which guarantees a successful marriage, he jumps at the opportunity. He’ll do whatever it takes to hang on to Alice.

Alice is a bit more of a mystery. We only see her through her husband’s eyes so it’s difficult to tell exactly what’s going on in her head. It’s frustrating as hell but it does work incredibly well (although I would have loved just one chapter from her pov). She was once a singer in a well known rock band but is now a successful lawyer. She’s ambitious, single minded and determined to be the best at whatever she does. She’s more interested in joining The Pact because of the exclusivity and to prove that marriage is something else she can succeed at (in case you can’t tell, I didn’t find her the most likeable of characters).

Neither Jake nor Alice realize what they’ve let themselves in for when they sign on the dotted line and they’re provided with a huge manual of rules to follow. A lot of the rules seem sensible and are mostly around prioritizing your spouse (buying them meaningful gifts, going on trips) but some are a little more extreme and failure to follow them has some very serious consequences, something it takes Jake and Alice a bit of time to discover.

I loved the mystery around the Pact that the author managed to create. It’s a secret almost cult like organisation with some very important and influential members. We, the reader only discover all of the rules, the punishments (or re education as it’s often referred to) and extent of the organisation as Jake and Alice do and this creates a real tension in the novel. You’re never quite sure how far the Pact will go, who’s a member or what their true motivations are. It all starts fairly mildly but builds and builds until I actually found myself becoming a little paranoid and freaked out.

I also loved the way the author used Jake’s move into marriage counselling to compare their relationship with those of other couples and scatter in facts and statistics about what factors increase (or decrease) the probability that a marriage will succeed. A lot of these were quite surprising to me and absolutely fascinating (I highlighted a lot). It definitely makes you think and I couldn’t help but wonder, alongside Jake, whether his marriage was headed for the rocks. I have to admit I wasn’t convinced they were a well matched couple, but then you only hear from Jake’s point of view and he’s not exactly objective.

It’s not a perfect story and there were a few bits that niggled at me, the fact that they signed up to the Pact without reading the rules first, the jumps in time in the beginning, but these are fairly minor and very easy to overlook.

This was a book that took me completely by surprise. I thought I was becoming a little bit fed up with psychological thrillers but this kept me completely engaged throughout, on one sleepless night I found myself reaching for it at 3am (not something I recommend if you want to get back to sleep). It was just completely addictive and genuinely thrilling.

Definitely one I recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Thoroughly enjoyed The Marriage Pact although parts were similar to one of John Gishams early novels it didn't fail to entertain me. I became deeply involved with the characters and at times worried about them, a sign of how immersed I had become in their story. I thought I had guessed the outcome but got it wrong and still left me breathless to the final moment.

I can't wait to read more from this author.

Weird, unlike anything I've read and a little creepy.

I have a love-hate relationship with this book. On the one hand it kept me guessing, it freaked me out and got under my skin, but on the other hand it frustrated me so much. I wanted to scream at the characters, it was completely unrealistic and the ending was a bit of a cop out honestly - but it still had an impact on me.

I'd definitely suggest picking this up to see where you fall on the love it / hate it scale. Michelle Richmond is a great writer, she knows how to keep your attention and I can tell this book will stick with me for a while - even if the ending was a bit ambiguous.

This is an intriguing story where you are never quite sure who is right and who is wrong. Alice and Jake receive an unusual wedding gift from one of Alice's clients. It appears to be an invitation to join some sort of club. They are intrigued and Alice in particular is eager to see what it has to offer. Surprisingly her lawyer's brain doesn't ring any warning bells to begin with, but as they become involved, Jake becomes increasingly concerned about the rules of the 'club'. Their marriage is tested to its very limits as they face some frightening and testing challenges. The twists and turns keep you guessing to the end.

Loved this !!!! I kept comparing it in my head to The Firm by john Grisham , the similarities of something too good to be true usually is run through this cautionary tale too . Although that is where the similarity ends . Alice and Jake who are newlyweds are offered a gift by one of their wedding guests , I was screaming nooooo don't sign it even though I knew they would . They have joined an "organization " called The Pact who publish a book of rules regarding marriage . There are a lot of consequences for disobeying any of the rules and as Alice and Jake get sucked further in it makes for an excellent fast paced story . Fantastic , would love to see this adapted into a film !! Thank you for the opportunity

Wow! What a great, unique book, perfect combination of strange, fascinating and slightly creepy. Totally grabbed my attention and read in one sitting, definitely recommend.

A tense, twisty turny book with a truly original story. The Marriage Pact was a gift but one with a difference. This creepy, disturbing in a good way story is a good one and will keep you riveted. Told from Jake's POV we meet him and Alice as newlyweds. This intriguing story will have you speed reading to find out what is happening next!

I loved this book, I loved the way it was written. I will look out for more of this authors books. It grabbed me from the start and I could not stop reading it. It was very well written and easy to read.

Absolutely loved reading this book - great story that unravelled as the book went on. You really started to feel for the characters and could almost imagine this happening to you.