This book was so thought-provoking, interesting, thrilling and terrifyingly realistic for how things could possibly pan out in the not too distant future. It makes you question how far technology will go, how much people could be or should be monitored by the government and what you would do if in a similar situation. Would you opt for better healthcare, education and places to live with the catch that you have to be monitored daily?
All the characters are interesting and very different from one another. Most are not very likeable, but I particularly liked the characters Arthur and June. There are also some touching moments throughout the story and a very emotional conclusion. The posters and advertisements etc. throughout the book add interest, and I really enjoyed them as it made it very realistic.

Thank you you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I had to deliberately read this book over several sessions. I think because it is actually scary how the content could potentially be very real in the near future. How easily we are all sliding towards a world where this could be the reality and we will accept it unaware of the repercussions.
When you hear the words psychological thriller, this will now be the benchmark.
This book plays with your mind.
Set in a near future timeline, it very cleverly references events and items of today which are seen as “the olden days” but helps to clearly show the evolution trail to how things get to where they are in the book.
The way it is written makes it massively believable that this could be come a reality. And if the circumstances can become a reality then of course the frightening events of The Marriage Act can become a reality - and that is what makes this book terrifying!
I’ve read a few of John Marrs books and I have to say this is one of the best. There are other books by John that are good and you are gripped and race through the pages - this book is on another level in that is it so good and so psychologically terrifying that you have to read it slowly otherwise your brain might just explode with unnerving paranoia and leave you rocking silently alone in a corner!
One of the best books I’ve read in a while, I would highly recommend this and rate it a very strong 5 stars.
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Thankyou to #netgalley, the publishers and Author John Marrs for allowing me to read an advanced copy of #TheMarriageAct in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Set in the same near future as one of his previous books - The One. The Marriage act follows several characters, some of who have upgraded their marriage to a smart Marriage. This entitles them to certain benefits like NHS+, better homes, cars etc. Some characters are also against this government act. I feel the most thrilling aspect is that this could very well happen in the not so distant future.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for this ARC.

Have you read The One by @johnmarrs.author ? Well if you haven't, I recommend it, and I certainly recommend that you read that before you read this. The Marriage Act is not a sequel to The One - but they certainly compliment each other and they are set in the same world.

The books are similar in another way - each chapter switches between characters telling their separate tales, and over the course of the book we see how their stories combine. It's a really effective way of telling a story and I enjoy it.

The book questions the role of government and technology and how much faith and trust we give to the people we elect, as well as 'social influencers' - and also the mistrust we have of each other.

I found this to be an entertaining read that raises some interesting ideas and questions.

Also, Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends celebrating today 🇺🇲

QOTD - You're in charge for one day - what law would you introduce?

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#themarriageact #johnmarrs #johnmarrsauthor #netgalley #netgalleyreads #panmacmillan #november #novemberreads #thriller #thrillerbooks #scifi #bookstagramuk #bookstagram
1w

Well wow I don’t know how he does it but the super talented John Marrs just produces such sublime stories and this will be another rip roaring success of that I’m sure.
So set in the same world as some previous books this takes the “big brother is watching you” life to the extreme and it’s devilishly clever and addictive. The story takes us on a journey into the lives of four very different couples where the government is monitoring every aspect of their lives and ensuring they abide by the sanctity of marriage and oh boy it’s suffocating and creepy.
I have loved every book that this author has written and each are special in their own individual way and is I think why John Marrs is loved by many he can take a story and have you hooked from the start and you sure as hell never quite know just where it’s going to go.
So why did I choose to request this book, well the author yes but I also knew this would be a story that would be twisty and different, one that would be though provoking and shocking and one that would leave me thinking way after the book was finished …. It had everything and a huge thank you to Mr Marrs for once more writing a superb 5 star read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

I have read and loved every John Marrs book so was really looking forward to this. When I started The Marriage Act I didn't think I was going to like it. The characters took a while to get used to and I wasn't sure about the storyline. As it was John Marrs I kept going and I'm glad I did as it really took off.

Everyone signed up to The Marriage Act lives a better lifestyle than single or bereaved people. Significant financial benefit, bigger houses in more affluent neighbourhoods and upgraded health care. The downside is that your conversations are monitored by the Audite system in your home and responders sent in to help if the AI senses a problem. The Freedom For All party are fighting for a change in the system. Why should people be forced into marriage just to have a normal life? And what happens when all the AI goes wrong?

A really thought provoking and gripping read. John has done it again. And the subtle nods back to The One and The Passengers really work with the concept of the story (Don't worry if you haven't read them. It's explained but won't make a difference if you're reading as stand alone.)

Highly recommended 5 stars.

Another absolute corker of a read by John Marrs. I was intrigued by the premis of this story and like John's previous books, this didn't disappoint. The characters are brilliantly written, I don't know how John does it but you feel like you are part of each characters story even though they are uniquely different. This is a complete rollercoaster of a book. If you're like me it will leave you tearful (at a certain point), shocked, and most of all gripped!

Thank you for the publisher for allowing me to read this!

So I loved this book. It had me on the edge of my seat, and the short chapters kept me reading. I needed to know what happens, especially with how the chapters end it makes you read more. I was reading in my lunch break because I needed to know the ending.

None of the characters were particularly likeable (other than Arthur), but I didn't mind that so much, because of everything that was happening, I needed to know what was going to happen.

It is really hard for me to say how I feel about the ending, and it felt disappointing. I get that there was probably no other way to finish it, but it just left me like 'oh'.

Overall, an amazing read (excluding the ending), and a book I would recommend to others.

I love all John Marr's books and was thrilled to get an advanced copy of The Marriage Act. I admit that I struggled with the first few pages of this due to the introduction of all the main characters and I had to keep looking back to check who was who but this only lasted for a short while and then I flew through it! The characters interlinked in many ways though not overtly and I found myself wanting to race ahead to find out what happened to each individual/couple but held myself back! The premise of a Marriage Act and all that it entails is scary in that it's set in the near future and is set out in such a real and relatable way that you actually begin to feel that it could be something that could happen in society, it is so well written as all the books are that their reality begins to feel like yours!. The way the story is told from all the different perspectives is fantastic and the dilemmas that are faced make you feel immersed in the decisions. I cannot recommend this book highly enough and I did not want it to end - it thrilled me, made me anxious, made me smile and made me cry - what more could you ask for!!

Oh this is great! A real dystopian horror, the government monitors most things we do, now it is assessing the state of our marriages. I don't like books set too far in the future or too far fetched, this one is plausible in that we have smart everything else so why not smart marriages.
This one was deliciously twisted, people are being manipulated to achieve not just government priorities but personal agendas.
Really good read.

The sanctity of marriage means that it is spiritual and sacred. It should be permanent and reserved exclusively for couples that truly love each other.

That is until you want to upgrade your marriage by agreeing to be part of the marriage act. It will give you exclusive benefits including housing in the New Northampton, health benefits, cheaper mortgages, whilst you and your partner agree to upgrade you also agree to have you conversations recorded at spontaneous times by Audite and if the AI sees problems occuring in your marriage then they will send out a relationship responder to help fix your problems or decide if you need to attend court to have your marriage desolved even if that it not want you heed or want.
Throw in a deranged responder,a vlogger that believes in the marriage act but is now suffering from hate speech. The organisation for FFA (Freedom For All) and so many twists that it will have your head spinning like the exorcist!
John Marrs has done it again with his extraordinary talent for writing about what the future could hold for us all.
Absolutely brilliant!

A rating of 3.5 stars as this one was a little too dystopian for me. Each chapter is told through a different character which I usually like but I found myself getting a little lost and didn't really get into the book until around 75% when things started moving and wrapping up more. Just a bit too far fetched and sci-fi for my usual choices but I'm sure others will love this.

Unusually for a John Marrs book this took a while for me to get into. I think it was because there were so many characters and it took time for me to work out who was who and what was going on. Once it all clicked into place I raced through the chapters not wanting to stop reading as I was so engrossed in the story and what the outcome would be. Clever, gripping and quite frightening as a glimpse into the future. Another masterpiece by John Marrs. I loved it.

Set sometime in the future, around the time his previous book ‘The Passengers’ was set Is John Marrs latest offering ‘The Marriage Act’ where a right-wing government answer to societies problems is to promote marriage to couples in exchange for a better class of living. But whilst in this marriage. Couples are monitored using Audites and if by any chance the marriage is having complications, they will be introduced to a relationship responder that will help them sort out their problems. Single people are shunned a left in poorer housing and don’t have the benefits as married couples have.
I thank Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for a copy of John Marrs latest offering. When you read a John Marrs book you know you going to get something special. The author has such a vivid imagination, and The Marriage act depicts in his writing.
Written in several points of view, this is a unique, thought provoking and quite scary story about a government controlling not only regarding marriage but basically how to live in all aspects of our lives. It would be quite disturbing if it ever came true. I enjoyed this imaginative tale 5 stars from me.

Believe me when I say no one is more surprised than me when I say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This is my third John Marrs and I think I've referred to the previous two as codswallop with a huge slice of complete rubbish.

However The Marriage Act is set in the not too distant future (William is king so that should give you a vague timeline) where AI is in charge of almost our whole lives but certainly of relationships. The Marriage Act has been brought in by a government trying to steady the economy. It actively encourages couples to upgrade to a SmartMarriage where their every activity and interaction with each other is monitored.

We look at the effects through a variety of people - Jeffrey Beech a Relationship Responder with a closetful of secrets; Luca and Noah who are Jeffrey's clients; Roxi, a wife and mum who wants nothing more than to be adored by the public;Corinne, an activist actively seeking a way out of her marriage and Anthony who is not at all what he seems.

It's an interesting look at social media, government control, the AI already in our lives and our relationships with each other and our children.

I certainly found it easier to read than his other books because it is pure fiction, set in a semi-dystopian future. I'm not a believer in conspiracy theory and I don't believe the public to be so gullible but its easy to see how insidious AI/social media/peer approval can take over our lives. (This review could be said to be case in point).

I'd definitely recommend this for fans of a dystopian novel, existing Marrs fans or those who (like me) have dismissed previous novels as farfetched and unrealistic. After all, what's more unrealistic than a maybe/maybe not future.

I never cease to be astounded at how John Marrs' mind works! Every one of the books he has penned is cleverly set in a time just slightly ahead of the present day, so the scenarios he creates are scarily possible given the technology we currently have.
In this latest book, The Marriage Act, he has taken idea of smart speakers to another level and linked them into a government network of monitors to completely oversee our private lives. To try and improve the standard of living across society the government has brought in a policy of Smart Marriage, the belief being that married couples provide a much more stable and beneficial environment for us all to live amongst - it doesn't matter whether the marriage is between a single sex couple or the more traditional heterosexual couple so long as you sign up to the new policy. There are socio-economic advantages to signing up: NHS+ provides better healthcare systems, the area you live in has much better facilities, and the tax benefits see you much better off financially. The pay-off is that the government can listen in to and even record the conversations you have within your home; should they feel you are not putting sufficient effort in to maintaining certain standards within your marriage they can send in government representatives to get you back on track.
The book follows four truly diverse couples and their experiences of The Marriage Act. There's the elderly couple who have a long-established traditional marriage, the same sex couple who have no issues with their marriage until a government approved relationship counsellor is sent to monitor their home life, the online influencer who craves the high-profile media life but whose family just wants privacy, and the guy who works behind the scenes for the government but is beginning to look towards retiring in the sun as he begins to question whether life really is better this way. All I'll say is: I don't think I'd want any dealings with government officials!
The story leads you through the many and varied arguments for and against a society which lives under constant scrutiny and will have you pondering how much of your own privacy you would be prepared to sacrifice for the benefits on offer. I was pleased to see the author include a strong section of society willing to stand up and fight for what they believe in so the reader gets a very balanced representation of all points of view.
A fascinating taste of what life could be if Big Brother were allowed to step up a notch. Thank goodness it's only fiction!

Every time the latest John Marrs arrives I wonder if it can possibly top the last one. I’m pleased to confirm that it does.

This is set in the same world as The Minders and The One. Government interference is getting worse. Couples are now being encouraged to sign up to “smart marriages” in order to improve their lives. This means having a device listening into your every conversation.

We follow four very different couples as they navigate life within these confines

Highly recommend

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of John Marr’s writing and that I have followed his career for years as a reader and friend, so when he asked me to read his latest book The Marriage Act prior to final edits and proofing as usual I jumped with joy and said “Yes, please!”.

John Marrs’ books are all standalones and fit within the genres of pyschological thrillers or speculative fiction. The Marriage Act is his latest novel which sits firmly in the speculative fiction category, but as with his other books in this genre, The One and The Passengers, this story could be a scary glimpse into the not-too-distant future.

Set in the same world as The One, the government believes in “Marriage” and has passed laws to encourage couples to sign up to The Marriage Act. These couples are offered huge tax benefits, jobs, security, homes and healthcare as long as they live by The Marriage Act’s very strict rules and regulations.

One of these rules includes having a device called The Audite in your home which listens to everything you say and decides if your marriage needs outside help. The interventions come in stages and if the goverment think your marriage is in trouble they send in the professionals (Marital First Responders) to help save or dissolve your marriage.

As you would expect from John Marrs, the story is cleverly plotted with some frightening realistic scenarios and some brilliant characters. This story might be speculative fiction, but it’s also thought-provoking. We follow 4 very different couples as they try to live under The Marriage Act.

I would 100% recommend this book if you loved The One, and I can definitely see this being made into another Netflix drama and in my opinion, this is his BEST book yet in the speculative fiction genre.

Really really love this author and this what another amazing thriller adventure. There is no other author that can produce these types of stories. F
Go in blind and enjoy the ride xx

I loved this book… although I took my time with this book as the whole idea of a smart marriage is very hard to digest.. but such a brilliant book and quite different from his usual ideas! A must read!!