Every time I read a John Marrs novel set in the near future, I begin thinking this: Interesting idea, but it would never happen. And always, by the end, I'm convinced it absolutely could, if not in such an extreme way. As I finished this book, it was in the news that our government is considering imposing fines on parents divorcing who will not enter mediation. The intentions behind this seem reasonable, but is it the government that should decide this? John Marrs just might be from the future!

So the book is very clever, as I've come to expect from.Marrs but is it good? Well, of course it is. The author has created an almost dystopian alternative (hopefully) universe, and with each book starting with The One adds another "what if" nightmare scenario. His world is all too familiar. The stories within are compelling, insightful, and scarily thought-provoking. It would be easy to make these into action thrillers with one lone man taking on the powers that be. But the stories are about normal people either accepting or fighting. And often, both actions are futile. Like I said - all too familiar.

If you want like thrillers, Sci fi, or dystopia, you will like this, and I'd highly recommend reading the whole series. You don't need to. They're all great standalone books, but each one compliments the others. This is an excellent addition to the series. An easy five stars.

I waited to read this one and read it with our BitCrack Book Club. Speculative fiction, dystopian sci-fi and thrillers are amongst our greatest reads as a collective and boy did we devour this latest one from Mr Marrs!

This was so close to home, you can literally feel it happening, I think that's what made this so great. The plot was set in the same reality as The One and I was here for it!

The multiple character arcs and the way the intertwined with the AI additions was just fab! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it.

I am a massive John Marrs fan and this did not disappoint. This book is scary because even though the scenarios are speculative they are also scarily plausible. This is a wonderful book that unnerves you but you just can't stop reading. If you haven't read John's books yet then you need too.

The Marriage Act

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?
Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills—the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

A dark and twisty Thriller based on 4 different couples each chapter goes back and forth from each character which kept me so hooked on reading to get back to each couple. It was quite scary to think how this could be a reality in our future. Would highly recommend picking this book up!

Thank you to Netgalley, Pan Macmillian and John Marrs for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of John Marrs, but unfortunately this book just didn’t grip me like his others. I found there were too many characters and storylines for me to be invested. There was nothing wrong with the book, I just didn’t find it as gripping as others I have read. I look forward to the next one. Hopefully it will be a better story.

John Marrs has done it again, this is another absolute gem that is impossible to put down.

This is a scary plot that makes you think about how technology is evolving and how eventually it could be used.

Marrs has created an array of characters who will definitely give the reader a mixture of feelings. The book develops and we can see tensions and issues as we get to know the characters that fill the pages.

I’ve had mixed opinions of the individuals that fill the pages of this book. Arthur and June have definitely stolen a part of my heart.

I love how Marrs has considered all aspects with the characters of this. You definitely see all parts of the argument as you read. There is nothing predictable about this either.

Imagine having a device recording all parts of your relationship and then judging you by it. As a result, you may be visited and judged further by a stranger and eventually taken to family court… slightly terrifying but Marrs really makes this believeable with this book.

The plot unfolds at the perfect pace. This is an addictive read that I have been completely unwilling to put down.

I’ve read many books by this author but this is definitely a favourite. I’ve found myself lost in the pages and unwilling to put this book down.

Marrs never fails to deliver and this is an absolute gem. I highly recommend this masterpiece to other fans of the genre! This is a book I have loved.

‘Don’t do as you’re told when you know something is morally wrong. Have the strength to stand up for what you believe in. Don’t be afraid to confront your enemy or they will continue to rise in the most unexpected ways.’

I’ve read and loved a few of John Marrs’ psychological thrillers but this was my first of his speculative thrillers - and I loved it!

I loved the chapters being written from the view of different characters, all their different situations were so interesting (and messed up). It left you constantly wondering what would happen and where they were going next. I needed to keep reading constantly because I just couldn’t wait to find out more.

The storyline was clever and really interesting. The pacing was slower than the others of his I’d read, but I was so intrigued that it didn’t make it drag or anything like that. The characters were well written and developed brilliantly throughout - flawed and messy, making it all the more of a gritty read. Jeffrey, Noah & Luca’s story arc had me hooked! I bloody hated Jeffrey, he actually made my skin crawl.

I think the way the story takes place in the modern-day UK with this right-wing government causing havoc with its weird laws and ideologies makes it seem so real. This emphasis on the government trying to control and own all aspects of your life, using surveillance systems is frightening. Not only does it make the book have this dark and scary undertone but I think also because it’s something you could see happening in the future.

Massively loved this and will be reading all his spec thrillers now!

This was a very unnerving book and you can relate to so many scenarios that came up in it.
Some great characters that all have differnt involvemnt with the Marriage Act some behind it and some opposing it.
A future that is dictated by AI and power crazy authority that hides behind it., makes you think about unplugging the Alexa!
Thank you Netgalley, the author John Marrs and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity

Blurb - What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?

Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills – the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

Just like his other dystopian reads there are such a range of characters and story lines that, although it takes a little while to get who’s who straight in your head, each could easily become a book in its own right.

It’s a very clever and well written book but I was missing that one character that I was really rooting for, plus it was lacking a big twist or reveal that I look for in my thrillers. However it was certainly a thought provoking read so would still recommend to anyone who’s enjoyed his other books.

Another good one from John Marrs, although this isn’t actually a sequel to ‘The one’ it is set in the same world and its focus is around similar hi tech lives. Another enjoyable read with many different stories entwined.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Pan MacMillan for a copy of “ The Marriage Act” for an honest review.

Another excellent book by John Marrs , that reads like an episode of Black Mirror .I like the way he references his previous books, although I’m sure this would read fine as a standalone..The characters are really well written and the storyline , doesn’t feel too far fetched..This book deals with AI , the increase use of modern technology and the reliance on social media.
The book was gripping and scarily realistic, another triumph

I absolutely loved THE ONE and THE PASSENGERS but unfortunately, this one wasn't for me. Brilliant writing, of course!

This book is quite chilling and is like and episode of Black Mirror. It is so good and I really enjoyed it Mars is such a talented writer and I cannot recommend this book enoughh.

The Marriage Act follows a huge cast of diverse characters at various points throughout their ‘Smart Marriages’. Set in the UK’s future ‘Smart Marriage’ is a new government scheme in which couples can upgrade their marriages to receive NHS+, tax breaks, and new houses in a segregated part of towns with fellow ‘Smart Marriage’ couples in exchange for AI monitoring and supporting their relationships.

As always with Marrs’ books there’s a dystopian black mirror vibe that just sits a little bit too close for comfort. Marrs’ writing style with many alternating POVs is a firm favourite of mine because I can’t put it down! This book has links to ‘The One’ which I would also recommend reading (or watching on Netflix) but could be read as a standalone. I still have ‘The Passengers’ to read in Marrs’ collection of near-future books but I can only assume it will be as addictive as his other works!

Some TW of note include suicide and sexual assault.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thankyou to John Marrs, his team and NetGalley for my eARC copy, I still can’t believe I am lucky enough to receive eARCs and will be always grateful 🥰

The Marriage Act highlights the true cost of having liberties stripped. Cleverly woven and makes you truly sit and think. Addictive to the end.

The Marriage Act…well what can I say? For one I was afraid, John Marrs has a devilish mind. As a married woman, it still brought a chill to my veins. I enjoy being married, but as a choice, I wouldn’t want to feel railroaded into it. I wouldn’t want that choice to be marred by outside sources. I wouldn’t want that very important decision to be made because as a couple we could get lower mortgage rates, better cars, better homes, and access to healthcare at a reduced cost. The scariest thing is, I could imagine an act like this being adopted and that truly frightened me.

I’m ashamed to say that this is the first Marrs novel that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. Blogger friends rave about his skill and yet I just never got around to it. Now that I have, I almost wish I hadn’t.

The Marriage Act is told from the POV of five individuals, Arthur, Corinne, Roxi, Anthony, and Jeffrey. Each person has different experiences of the Act, but all are feeling the cracks beginning to widen. It’s post covid and Brexit and the government is trying to find a way to rebuild Britain. The economy was at an all-time low, and the sanctity of marriage was no longer held in high regard. The government needed to act and with corrupt politicians at the helm, The Marriage Act was born. You can now find your perfect match with a DNA database and with higher penalties for staying single, entering into a marriage with your significant other unfortunately makes financial sense. Just don’t let the Alexa-type device hear friction…

These devices can hear a lot, installed when couples sign up for the marriage act or when already married couples level up. It automatically records snippets of your conversations to assess whether your marriage is in trouble. Marriage isn’t always a bed of roses and to think I’d need to censor myself in moments of frustration would be well, frustrating. If your relationship is flagged as needing help, then you have the delight of being allocated a relationship responder who has the option of setting up camp in your home for up to 8 weeks for intensive counselling. That is the role of people like Jeffrey…

WOW, Jeffrey really was a calculated piece of work. I instantly disliked his conniving, holier-than-thou persona. He is allocated the clients Noah and Luca who have been identified as having problems. He is instantly taken with Luca and promises to find any kinks and make them bigger. If they didn’t have problems before they will by the time Jeffrey is finished with them.

Anthony has the hard job of keeping what he really does for the government hidden from his family. He doesn’t have long until he can retire and move his family to St. Lucia, the sun and the glorious palm trees are calling him, but when the next job comes in, he finds it’s all a little too close to home and wants out now before it’s too late.

Now to Roxi whom I have to say is a character that epitomises what I dislike about the whole influencer culture that has emerged in recent years. She’s a nasty shade of green and compares her life to others that appear to have it all, especially Jem Jones who was the poster child of The Marriage Act. She had everything until the trolls pushed her to her death. Roxi sees an opening for her to become the new Jem Jones, even when it negatively affects her family. She has it all – the loving husband and two beautiful children, but she’s too foresighted to see it. I see so much of this on Tik Tok, I think it’s addictive, once those followers start increasing its like a drug and you can’t stop.

Connie despises The Marriage Act. It has kept her in an incredibly toxic marriage with her husband, Mitchell. She wants out and she wants out now. She’s joined the opposition party that is against the act and together they get dirt on one of the government’s main players MP Harrison.

Arthur’s story touched me the most. He and his wife levelled up their marriage and enjoyed the benefits but when June develops one of the last incurable dementias, he does everything he can not to be detected by the devices. Time runs out and his relationship responder discovers something that can’t be ignored.

I’m a big fan of John Marrs and I like that his Black Mirror style books all slot together in this world he’s created. For me he hasn’t yet captured the obsession I had with The Passengers or The One, but it was an interesting instalment in his world.

The marriage act set in the same universe as Marrs previous works the one. But I feel you don't have to read them first to fully enjoy this work. Marrs has a style of writing that just draws the reader straight in and you just can't stop reading. At times I forgot I was reading that is how good this book is.

Well done John Marrs - you’ve done it again! What an amazing read. An original plot and great characters - Arthur’s story neatly reduced me to tears. Highly recommended.

This is incredible. Social media, dystopia and love is a strange old premise but it doesn’t fail to thrill.

I was dedicated to finishing this quickly from the second I started, twists and turns and suspense that made me on edge.

Cannot recommend enough.

4.5 Stars

“Be careful what you wish for.”

John Marrs never ceases to thrill us, entertain us, and leave us on the edge of our seats with his nail-biting suspense. We love this author’s stories! They’re improbable, yet so eerily believable we find ourselves always wondering ‘could this really happen?’ such is the brilliant way he tells his stories.

“Love is one of the last remaining things in this world that is free.”

The Marriage Act is another unnerving suspenseful novel set in the future and told from differing viewpoints, another aspect this author does so well, weaving each POV together. It’s full-on and so gripping! Once again, every narrator has a story – whether it be sad, grisly, peculiar, or uncomfortable, and every POV is a page-turner! We frantically turn each page, taking everything in whilst waiting for the pieces to fall into place sending our heads spinning and stomachs churning.

John Marrs has created a dystopian world where the Government has set about controlling people by having them sign up to The Marriage Act. It’s a way the Government monitors the couples by randomly recording their conversations, leaving it up to AI t\(Audite) to decipher whether a couple is happy or doomed, and the success of it is dividing the country.

‘Even in these so-called enlightened times, it’s more of a sport to try and shut down a woman with a voice than it is with a man who says the same thing.’

Couples are enticed to sign up by way of financial freedom – cheaper mortgages, better living standards, better health etc, but are they selling their souls (or their hearts) for the privilege? It’s an interesting notion and one full of pitfalls and those seeking to abuse the system.

Through each viewpoint we see how the Sanctity of Marriage Act affects each person – the dire consequences they face for financial comfort. Is it worth it? And can a government really be trusted to know what the heart wants? Allowing a computer to decide if your marriage is at risk is a slippery slope. After all, artificial intelligence can’t feel, it has no sense of humour, and it can’t detect sarcasm or wit. It’s going to be fraught with danger, right?

And doesn’t John Marrs explore this so wonderfully! When our brave new world of AI and Deepfakes, Government control, and the dangers of social media is so topical at the moment, John Marrs picks at our insecurities and intensifies our thoughts and imagination.

“Then why not just leave social media?”
“Because, without it, you might as well not exist.”

With complex characters, nail-biting suspense, and intrinsically woven storylines that lead to its unputdownable climax, John Marrs has once again delivered an entertaining yet alarmingly thrilling suspense, that leaves you pondering…could it? Would they? Scary stuff!