This is the story of Jake, a therapist and Alice, an attorney, who have recently got married. One of their wedding presents, from Alice's newest client, Finnegan is a box which is entitled 'The Pact', they are both intrigued and following a meeting with Vivian who has come to explain what is involved, they have signed contracts and joined the club which has been brought about by a woman who wants to ensure that marriage is for life and should anyone threaten this then they have to face the consequences as written in 'The Manual'

Told by Jake, the story is intriguing, as it unfolds that all is not as it seems and once you join 'The Pact', how easy is it to leave? I found that even though the plot wasn't always believeable, it wasn't easy to put down as you just had to see what happened next and I could actually see this being made into a tv drama.

I would like to thank Penguin Random House for the approval to read this book, I will post my review on Goodreads now and on Amazon UK & US on publication day.

Thought provoking and gripping.
Alive and Jake are busy professionKs and newlyweds who want their marriage to work. When a wedding guest offers them the gift of joining the Marriage pact they accept. It starts as a simple concept a manual to follow to make your marriage work with other members to support you. Then there is the dark side of consequences should you not follow the manual precisely.
I really enjoyed this book and it is perfectly placed in today's society with high rates of divorce within marriage. At first the pact seems a great idea and something many couples would happily sign up to but then it becomes much darker.
I read this in one sitting and loved it. Would definately read a book by this author again.

Brilliant. This book had me gripped the whole way through. It is a totally unique idea. The writing style is great and makes it an easy read. The characters are well explained and it was easy to empathise with them. It can't be easy having your marriage being policed in that way. I did not notice time passing as I was totally engrossed in this book. I wanted to know the ending. I thought the ending was the perfect way to finish the book.

This book was amazing. The author added the right amount of suspense to leave you thinking about it long after you finished, everything about it pulled you into the story Ms Richmond definitely has a knack for storytelling.
5 Stars from me.

Well this book is really like no other. What a thrilling read that keeps you guessing until the final page.
Would I want to join the Pact? I'm not sure. But this book make me think about the values of marriage and the trials and tribulations. Fantastic plot!

This is a psychological suspense thriller with an interesting premise. In a world where so many marriages fail, what would you be prepared to do to make sure your marriage will be successful? Jack and Alison are given a box as a wedding present from Liam Finnegan, a client of Alice. Once a singer, Alice is now a lawyer and Jake is a therapist. part of a successful psychology practice. Liam asks them questions about their marriage where upon they are invited to join a rich and exclusive group. On returning from their honeymoon, Vivian explains The Pact, and the rules and regulations which aims to ensure that their marriage succeeds. They are presented with a manual with the rules which include that they have to answer every phone call from their spouse, give gifts, travel etc.. Failure to uphold the rules will result in penalties. The Pact was set up by Orla upon the failure of her marriage to support marriages. The story is told through Jake's perspective.

For different reasons, Jake and Alice are drawn to joining The Pact and without looking closely at the contract, sign it. At first, things are hunky dory, Jake and Alice's social life become a string of glamorous parties held by members who refer to each other as 'friend'. However, Alice's professional obligations, like preparing for trial, impede her capacity to adhere to the rules. In some strange and eerie way, The Pact appear to be remarkably well informed on their infractions, and punishments are enforced. Jake meets someone who implies that The Pact are a sinister organisation that controls couples and their marriages. There is only one problem, it is difficult to disassociate themselves from this cultish group. The Pact never leaves you and you never leave The Pact. Jake and Alice have fallen down a very dark rabbit hole.

The novel requires a fair degree of suspension of disbelief to get the most out of the story. However, if you are prepared to do that, then this is a fast paced and entertaining story with shades of the Stepford Wives. Jake and Alice are educated people operating from a place of insecurites and misplaced hopes to surrender control of their marriage to an outside agency and signing contracts without fully understanding what they were letting themselves in for. Michelle Richmond's writing is really good in enticing you into the book and in sustaining your interest through out with suspense. The Pact is a seriously creepy phenomena, I was imagining it being imposed throughout society, yikes! Whilst this not a novel without its flaws, I enjoyed reading it. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

The blurb:

Newlyweds Alice and Jake are a picture-perfect couple. Alice, once a singer in a well-known rock band, is now a successful lawyer. Jake is a partner in an up-and-coming psychology practice. Their life together holds endless possibilities. After receiving an enticing wedding gift from one of Alice’s prominent clients, they decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known only as The Pact.

The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. And most of its rules make sense. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter. . . .

Never mention The Pact to anyone.

Alice and Jake are initially seduced by the glamorous parties, the sense of community, their widening social circle of like-minded couples.

And then one of them breaks the rules.

The young lovers are about to discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership, like marriage, is for life. And The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule.

For Jake and Alice, the marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare.

For the first 15% I really didn’t like this book that much. But I carried on reading and I’m glad I did. I was absolutely shocked with what happened (no spoilers) and wow what an ending! 4*

Chilling! When presented with an invitation to join an exclusive club why would alarm bells ring? The newly weds were keen to be accepted until they realised the cost of leaving. This story could, worryingly , be reported in current news media as fact.

I found this book quite intriguing, with lots of twists and turns, always unsure of where it was going to go.

What an amazing book!!! The Marraige Pact reminds me of the book THe Firm..... a couple get married and get sucked into a bizarre world involving a Pact which has scary consequences....this book I could not put down!!!! I walked along the street reading and could not put it down! It was everything I wanted it to be from the description....please read it if you want a book to be devoured!!!!

An absolutely gripping psychological thriller, lulls you into a false sense of security with a slightly slow start before grabbing you a little way in. You'll be unable to put this down! Will be included in the Sarah Hurley Book Club after publication.

This was a very intriguing read. The newlyweds join the pact and see it as a way of strengthening their marriage although they don't really understand what they are getting themselves into. They manage to break some of the rules of the pact although not meaning to. It can get a bit violent in places so it's not really for the faint hearted but all in all a good read.

This book is about a young couple called Alice and Jake. Alice is a former rock star turned lawyer and Jake is a counsellor. A big client of Alice's firm more or less invites himself to Alice and Jake's wedding. After they return from honeymoon they receive a mysterious gift from the client. It turns out they are invited to join an exclusive group called the Marriage Pact. On the surface the group seem harmless enough, just a group of people who are willing to follow a set of rules to ensure a successful marriage. The reality of the group is a bit more sinister.

This book felt a lot different to my usual psychological thrillers. It is the first book in a long time that I thought about constantly, it even invaded my dreams. It really made me think a lot more about marriage and also whether there may be groups/cults like this that really exist. I thought that the characters made a few mistakes but I really don't know what I would do in that situation. I am very unsure about the ending and it was not the ending I hoped for.

It took a while to get into this book but after the first couple of chapters I couldn't put it down! It was a little odd in places but very intriguing, I didn't expect the ending and wasn't convinced I liked it but after stepping back for a couple days I think it ended in just the right way. A way written and compelling read, definitely worth a read!

An extremely clever book, I thoroughly enjoyed this twisted tale. Thought provoking and terrifying all at once, the story took me in so many directions. Definitely a page turner!

OMG !!!! a well and truly chilling thriller ,i couldn't put it down , would recommend

This gripping tale of a newlywed couple drawn into an innocent-seeming marriage support network was tense and fascinating with some thought-provoking commentary on the idea of marriage and how couples navigate the inevitable pitfalls. As a single person, I found myself dying for married friends to read the novel and tell me their views. How far is it ok to interfere with a relationship in order to protect it and is it an institution worth preserving at any cost? I didn't realise until I read this that the cultural norm of monogamous marriage only really began in medieval times and there was lots of other interesting stuff in a well-paced and sinister thriller. I intend to seek out this author's other books now.

"The Pact has no divorces, but it also has more widows and widowers than you would expect."

I really wasn't sure what to expect from The Marriage Pact. The title sounded a bit Mills and Boon, and I'd never heard of the author. In fact I was engrossed from the start, and - while a love story is at the novel's core - there's nothing remotely Mills and Boon about it.

Newlyweds Jake - a psychotherapist- and Alice - a former rock musician turned lawyer - are both intrigued and flattered when invited to join The Pact, a somewhat shadowy organisation devoted to ensuring its members stay married. As it turns out, they have some rather unusual methods of ensuring that. Things quickly become rather weird and unpleasant. Then they become even weirder and yet more unpleasant. Still, they can just leave.... can't they?

Tightly plotted and skilfully characterised (the story is told by Jake, but I particularly liked Alice, who had a certain unpredictability about her), this is a thoroughly absorbing read, even if a few questions remained unanswered by the end.

The premise of this book was intriguing and I enjoyed reading from the male character's perspective. There was suspense and a creepiness from the all-knowing Pact members that kept me hooked in to the story. It definitely gives food for thought that some of the punishments for infractions did indeed strengthen the marriage of the central characters. I also liked some of the 'rules' like having to give monthly gifts and regular trips away, and then feeling the anxiety when such simple things were forgotten.

I find it hard to share the things I enjoyed less about the book without spoilers, but I'll try! Some parts just didn't add up for me, like such a dedicated lawyer signing a contract without reading it, how Jake and Alice never got into trouble from work for all the time they were missing due to punishments, and why all the Pact people were prepared to go to such lengths to 'protect' the marriage of others. The biggest was the offer they received at the end, maybe it's just me but I don't really understand where that came from given their previous position as fugitives.

Overall I enjoyed the book, I devoured it in a day by the pool. It just requires suspending belief, which at times I felt was conflicting with the real life themes.

I did enjoy this book but at some points I struggled with it as, well I'm not sure. It was slow in places but had a totally unique storyline and when it got going god it defo got going which made it worthwhile!!!

So your married and join a group called the pact, a group which at all costs is there to make sure you stay happily married! More like a cult and once you're in there's no escape!

A great storyline very unique and the main couple joining the pact were likeable, I enjoyed the ending tho in a way I wanted them to choose the other door (don't ask me why haha)....good story though wasn't sure who to believe at some points and the twists were good.

I'd read more from the author.