Thank you for the opportunity to read this book and give my opinion.

I absolutely loved this book. I haven’t been able to put it down. If you are a fan of The Handmaids Tale then you will enjoy The Marriage Act. The story is both disturbing and fascinating. How much of your life would you let the Government control in return for a nice home, fancy cars, stability and a good job? I have already recommended this book to friends. 5 stars from me.

I am a huge fan of John Marrs’ work, but this book didn’t really do it for me. It is set in the future, where lockdowns are still referred to but are very much in the past. The government has introduced a bonus scheme for couples who marry - with them receiving better housing and vehicles, for example. However, there is a resistance group who the all-controlling government wants to control. I found the amount of characters to be too many and none of them were likeable. It took a long time for the story to get going, although the ending neatly tied everything up and there was a huge surprise which I don’t think anyone would see coming. John says in the author’s note that the idea for the book was not his, but his husbands, and perhaps here lies the fault. Having said this, I will eagerly await John’s next book.

Another exceptional read from John Marrs
Extremely thought provoking plot
A lot of it goes in different directions
With the characters who have their own stories
This is very cleverly written and keeps you gripped
And also gives an insight into what could be
SCARY

Thank you netgalley, John Marrs and Pan Macmillan

This is the third John Marr book I've read and I liked it as much as The One and Passengers. All three are set in the near future and are interlinked to a degree. The Marriage Act starts with the premise that the government decides that those who commit to a 'smart' marriage will gain certain benefits such as paying lower tax and access to an enhance health service. Why wouldn't you sign up? Buyer beware as they say. The catch is that your marriage is intermittently under surveillance and if the listening device thinks your marriage is in trouble then the government steps in.

I really enjoyed this book although I did think there were perhaps too many characters. However the world it builds is scarily real and a reminder that we need to think about what we are doing with AI. For anyone who enjoys speculative fiction this is a must.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I bloody loved this!

This book has a really unique plot (for me anyway, I haven’t read anything like this). Very futuristic and believable… I’m a little hesitant with new technology because my instinct is not to trust it because I dread a futuristic world like the one created in this book.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. It’s told from quite a few different perspective and I loved them all… Arthur and June have my ENTIRE heart though,

I’ve had to learn that ARCs aren’t perfect and sometimes that can make reading them a little weird/difficult but this was SO easy to read. I’ve read Marrs’ What Lies Between Us which was easy too and I think I’ve found a new auto-buy author.

Not that this is a necessity for me, but there wasn’t much physical world-building in this, as in describing the locations. I only say this because the actual world-building in terms of the “way” people live in the future was so well-thought out. It wasn’t far-fetched and scarily, it felt very possible. This isn’t a factor I’ve really considered before and just wanted to highlight how well it was done in this book. I genuinely felt part of the world that Marrs created and it really isn't that big of a reach from where we are and what we can do now.

I don’t have anything constructive to say about this book, I really enjoyed everything about it. I think my only negative experience with it was the layout issues with the ARC but it didn’t affect my enjoyment and I'm lucky enough to have been able to get an ARC.

Unfortunately I struggled with this book because there’s a lot going on and there’s a lot of characters. You’re introduced to so many different characters at the same time, it was hard to get my head around it and I kept forgetting who people were. The storyline was an interesting idea, and I’m gutted that I didn’t enjoy it more. I normally love John Marrs’ books, and I’m looking forward to reading more in the future.

I’m new to John Marrs writing so it took me a while to get into it and grasp what was going on and with who but once I got the hang of it it turned out to be an enjoyable read and I can’t wait to read more from this author

I love John Marrs and think it's fab that his books are all based around the same world. I haven't read all of his so some elements go over my head, but the marriage act seems like a sensible move forward after 'the one'. In this day and age it does seem feasible that the government would offer you better health care and other benefits if you have a 'smart' marriage. One where you are listened to by an echo type device 'an audite' (reminds me of lana in too hot to handle lol) and if strain in your marriage is felt, then there is a process to try and rectify the marriage, and if all stages fail, you are forced to divorce. It also touches on euthanasia as you are asked to leave your partner and find someone else if they get terminally ill. I loved the pace of the book and the multifaceted views of the same issue, something I've come to love with John's books. My only gripe was there were so many characters it took me half of the book to get to grip with who's storyline I was following.

Rating: 4.5/5

I am clearly a little late to the party as regards the work of John Marrs. Although "The Marriage Act" is his tenth novel, it is the first I have read. I have no idea how typical this is of his writing, but what I can say is that it is very, very good and one heck of a way to be introduced to an author who had thus far passed me by!

Set in England in the not too distant future (Prince William has become King William, which gives a rough idea of the time frame, even though it is never actually specified) "The Marriage Act" depicts a speculative future where the government of the time has introduced the concept of Smart Marriage (under the Sanctity of Marriage Act) as the key to addressing many of society's ills. The policy is very much one of the carrot and the stick, whereby those who sign up to the scheme are offered a number of inducements, while non-conformists frequently find the odds stacked against them.

This book grabbed my attention from the outset with a dramatic and blindsiding opening that gives context and sets the scene. "The Marriage Act" has a distinct feel of Juvenalian satire about it, in much the same way as the work of George Orwell. There are numerous aspects of modern society that the author takes aim at including (but not restricted to) coercive government control, the proliferation of "smart" technology, social media and the culture of online influencers. There are darkly humorous elements running throughout the narrative, but there are certain sections that go beyond being simply dark and disturbing to become actually quite brutal. Against this there are aspects which are, by turn, sweet, sadly poignant and moving.

If you are not a fan of multiple perspectives in your reading material, then you may find the style of this a little disconcerting. In total there are eight separate viewpoints represented during the course of this novel. So many points of view can become confusing if they are not handled well, but to his credit, John Marr does just that. The various viewpoints are clearly signposted and the author succeeds in giving each one a clear and credible voice. As a result, I was soon able to distinguish between the various protagonists quite easily and I am sure most readers will find the same.

The most effective and disturbing speculative fiction tends to be that which can be imagined as a potential reality without there being too much of a stretch involved in the process. That certainly applies here. This may well be the first novel by John Marrs that I have read, but I have a very strong feeling that it won't be the last.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

This one didn't grip me as much as I had expected it to. I struggled to get into it, I found there were too many characters, and I couldn't remember who was who. However, as I got more familiar with them, I started to really get into it.

The concept is really intriguing, but I didn't expect anything less from this author!

What a wild adventure!!
Britain, future times. Couples agree to the Smart Marriage, where they are monitored from time to time. If their marriage is in trouble, a relationship responder will come in and help iron out the issues. If they can't, then they may separate. Except not everyone is playing by the rules and disharmony in a marriage can lead to more than separation. 

This was hilarious in parts, if you were to analyse your own relationship in this way:) it was terrifying in other places and completely addictive. Other novels have contemplated situations where arbitrary rules were set by government but this was an entirely unique take on that premise. Brilliant!

Another cracking dystopian read from John Marrs following five lives after the Smart Marriage Law has been passed, which gives rights for people married, although retaining these rights comes at a cost that involves surveillance and an investigation from the marriage counsel to check that everything is okay. This was a thought-provoking read, although it could’ve been more relatable perhaps if they had a single character to show what it’s like for people not married. At times this world did feel distant and I did find myself feeling unconnected. However there were surprising twists and reveals.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A right wing government in the future has decided that marriage is the key to prosperity so they encourage citizens to partake in a "smart marriage". Those that upgrade their marriages to this level get better insurance rates, better houses, make more money, all for signing up. In exchange for those perks, there is a device that listens in on their conversations and refers them to marriage counselors when it detects issues in the marriage. Meeting with the counselor is not optional. Of course there are people that oppose the Marriage Act and people that engage in it because they can't afford not to and people who actually believe in it and it creates yet another issue for people to be divided over.

3.5 stars.

5 stars for the concept. It is definitely interesting, and of course you think this could never happen in real life, but who knows anymore. I think it took me awhile to get into this book because so many characters were introduced and it took me awhile to keep them straight. I don't know exactly what kept me from loving this book, maybe it was just that I really don't normally like futuristic novels, but decided to read this one after liking other novels from this author. It lagged at times for me, but I think it will be a big hit with the right reader who liked this author's other futuristic novels.

Well, this book certainly opens up a lot of thoughts and questions!
I’m happily married and very secure in my relationship, so would I want to upgrade to a smart marriage to be able to claim all of the benefits? Or are the ‘big brother’ style surveillances just not worth it? I asked my husband what he thought, and he looked at me like I’d gone crazy! I still don’t know his thoughts on the matter!
So, the book was very intriguing, and I love this alternate future Marrs has developed, along with the Match DNA and driverless cars. I say alternate, but we are very close to some of the things he has in his books.
It didn’t grip me as much as I expected; I wanted to get stuck in and enjoy it, as he doesn’t bring that many books out. However, I did find it quite hard to get into, to begin with, and I found it hard to remember who the characters were. I don’t think it helped me that there were two characters whose names started with an A - Arthur and Anthony. Jeffrey didn’t feel like a Jeffrey to me, either. So the names didn’t help me remember who was who.
As I progressed through the book and came to terms with the characters, I found myself settling down into the story much more. Jeremy and what he was doing to poor Lucas and Noah had me angry, and I was rooting for Corrine to come out on top, but I wasn’t a big fan of Roxi and her family.
So, overall I enjoyed the dystopian feel of the book, and it gave me a topic for discussion with people. What would you do? This was a solid four-star read for me; it was as gripping as others I have read by John Marrs, but it was still excellent.

Like many readers, I adored The One which was such an original and compelling read that didn’t sacrifice on pace and characterisation in return for exploring topical themes. The Marriage Act is set in this same world. I wished I liked this one, because Marrs is such a consistent author; he’s an auto-buy for me. However this didn’t quite have the same hold for me. It felt too busy and I wasn’t as invested with this world which uses a Big Brother/Alexa device to monitor couples. I think they’re some intriguing ideas. I liked the way those with Smart Marriages held certain privileges and the pressure to keep marriages working in exchange for those benefits. But the problem was the story felt too cluttered. I couldn’t keep a track of the characters and there was too much politics, such as Corinne’s storylines. I also couldn’t stand Roxi and her social media obsession felt like a theme that has been explored in many suspense novels. Some of the plot-lines weren’t really concerned with being married, so it felt tonally out of place for me and I just couldn’t connect. I feel like the themes were and they were compelling but the execution was not. I’m very conflicted about this read. I will definitely continue to support John Marrs, as he is an author who writes intriguing novels with unique hooks.

John Marrs is one of my favourite authors, ever since I read 'The Good Samaritan', so I was really pleased when my request for 'The Marriage Act' was not rejected. Thank you NetGalley for the approval.

The Marriage Act, is a speculative thriller, a bit like 'Black Mirror'. We already have Alexa and Siri listening in on our conversations, we have SMART homes. Imagine an Alexa that monitors your marriage, a 'SMART Marriage' and decides whether you need relationship counseling. All are controlled by a government-led Act 'The Marriage Act', and obviously if you upgrade to a SMART marriage, the more tax relief and better you are.

This book initially felt slow because like 'The One' it follows a few different couples, and until you get to know them, it was difficult to get started, but once you read more, you get to know each couple and each person and as always, the ending is always the best!

'The One' was referenced in the book, so I would suggest you read 'The One' however, it didn't feel necessary to have read it.

Always recommend a John Marrs book to anyone, you won't be disappointed.

I have never read any John Marrs books before but I love books that explore how our society might change in the near future and the premise of this one really intrigued me.

I was not disappointed. The book follows 4 couples as they live their lives under the Marriage Act where every conversation is monitored by an Audite (think Alexa but even more intrusive). Each of the couples are very different but they all find the ramifications of the Act more than they had bargained for. Not all of the characters are particularly likeable but it was easy to see how they had ended up in their situations. The plotlines are complex and include some very unexpected twists. I especially liked Roxi’s storyline which I could see being very real with the current trend of lives being lived on Instagram and Tik Tok.

It’s a very dark society portrayed by John Marrs but the book kept me gripped right until the end.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers, Pan Macmillan, for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm a newcomer to John Marrs but have watched "The One" on Netflix. "The Marriage Act" was an interesting and clever premise - Upgrade to a DNA-matched Smart Marriage and access NHS+ and many other perks. I really enjoyed the fact it was set in the near-future so didn't feel as "dystopian" or out of reach than some other books. The characters covered an array of scenarios representing various aspects of the pros and cons of Smart Marriage, although by the end it was generally deemed as an unsuccessful project by the government. Nothing like the government experimenting on the public. Speaks volumes!

I have to say that this was an uncomfortable read. The control of the government was sickening and probably because it was not far fetched at all given the relationship we currently have with technology and our growing dependence on it. It was like seeing a window into a future and a warning to us all. I loved it and I especially loved the ending. The characters were diverse and interesting and I found it easy to get to know them all.

I hate the fact that I didn't love this as much as John Marrs' other books, but it felt really busy with different storylines and I just found it confusing. The premise of the story was ace though, it was an interesting concept and I really wish it had worked for me. I will always read and buy John Marrs' books as he is an auto buy author for me, but this one left me feeling a bit baffled.