“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!

John Marrs is a genius. I've said it once and I will say it again. I haven't read a bad book from him. All this books have been 4 or 5 stars and this one is no different.

This book really makes your think. The way that technology is used to control us in such a way is certainly something that you could certainly see happening in reality as Technology is such a huge part of our life.

This book is full of twists and turns and I absolutely loved every minute of it. Every John Marrs book I read I find hard to put down. A couple of late nights was spent on this one!!

Awesome as always from John Marrs. A dark and scarily real idea. I have yet to read a book of his and be disappointed. One of my go to authors. Thank you!

As with his previous books, the author has written something which isn’t outwith the realms of possibilities for us. So many of us have smart devices in our homes which can record our voices in order to suggest new products for us. How difficult would it be to turn that ability against us?

Loved it, love the author, bring on the next one.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

The Marriage Act is a dystopian thriller set in the not too distant future. The government has created the Sanctity of Marriage Act which is designed to encourage citizens to maintain happy marriages. They even have a system in place for monitoring everything that goes on within couples' relationships to ensure they stay on track.

This book has such a dramatic opening chapter that completely shocked me.

I immediately fell in love with the premise of the story. I can't even imagine having my every conversation recorded and listened to for signs of disagreement. However what is even more terrifying is how realistic it seems that our home electronic devices could be doing more than we realise. This is the kind of idea that really gets inside your head while you are reading.

I enjoyed how the story followed different couples throughout and continually switched between their lives. Every couple was completely different and there were so many secrets just waiting to be revealed. As you get to know these characters you will definitely feel more and more gripped as the book goes on.

The plot is incredibly clever and has some truly mind-blowing twists that you won't see coming.

The Marriage Act is one of those books that you will be racing through until the last page.

Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Marriace Act is set in a near future where Britain has approved the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which encourages marriage as the norm, while punishing those who choose to remain single. Furthermore, those who get married are spied and monitored by the government. The book follows different characters who are differently involved in the Sanctity of Marriage Act.

John Marrs' newest release is set in the same world of The One and The Passengers, which I greatly enjoy. The premise was wonderful, and, even though I liked The Marriage Act slightly less than the two previous books, it was still a very enjoyable and addicting read. I liked how the book followed both characters who were for and against the Act, and who were dealing with different situations. The middle part felt a little slow at times, but for the most part the plot was fast-paced, with some nice twists. I would definitely recommend.

Most of us have smart electronic devices that we use in our homes to switch lights on and off, play music and ask questions - the concept of this book takes it a step further, offering the benefits of a 'better' lifestyle if the devices listen in to your relationship conversations. It felt scarily real.

Having previously read The Passengers by John Marrs, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was looking forward the The Marriage Act. I certainly was not disappointed. It was a great read, characters were interestingly portrayed and the fact this could potentially happen in a very dystopian future was the element that kept me quickly flicking through the pages. It gave a few hat tips to The Passengers, which I liked too.

Really enjoyed it, awaiting the next John Marrs book with anticipation! Thanks to #NetGalley the author and the publishers for an ARC of #TheMarriageAct

Very interesting book about the role that social media has a society. As well how the impact on our lives private vs personal conversations can have
3/5

'The Marriage Act' is a spectacular triumph and I cannot recommend this enough. Marrs writes this in the not too distant future and the concept is one that I can imagine a bit too well. I adore books like this for the very real and very terrifying possibility that this could actually happen. I spent my whole time reading this thinking that could happen and that could be true. Not only was the plot extremely exciting but it was extremely believable.
There are a lot of characters in this and we get to read the book from their different perspectives, it takes a little while to get used to who everyone is but it is absolutely worth it. I especially like how Marrs eventually weaves everyone together, it is very clever and satisfying.
I honestly could not put this down, it sounds like something people say all too often but honestly this book is one that pulls you in and does not let go. This is exhilarating, well written, thought out and a little bit too real. I loved it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy.

If Marriage were the Law, would you disobey.?
The far I gut government ruling future Britain, brings in The Sanctity of Marriage Act, encouraging couples to marry and punishing those who choose to remain single

In the Marriage Act, we meet four couples who are about to discover how impossible relationships are when the government is monitoring your every move. You must Love, Honour and Obey to stay the right side of the law

This is a futuristic dystopian type of read, with a big brother is watching vibe. The government is monitoring your every move. Marriage is the law, married couples get health and financial benefits, their single counterparts don’t, being single is very much frowned upon. However does the perfect marriage exist, could even the happiest of couples survive the constant scrutiny couples in this future endure?
I found this an interesting concept and once again enjoyed John’s writing. I could almost believe this was in fact happening and can almost see how we’re heading that way with smart technology in our homes

I highly recommend this title. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this title

If you like the TV show Black Mirror then I'd recommend picking up John Marrs' books because they're so dark and twisty!

The Marriage Act is set in the not-so-distant future where couples now have the option to upgrade to a "smart marriage." By doing so, they gain access to certain privileges (for example, better housing and healthcare) however in return they are monitored by the government, and if any problems are detected in your relationship, they can intervene.

It's hard not to compare this to "The One" by John Marrs, which is one of my favourite thrillers of all time. What I loved about The One is how there were multiple POVs and every perspective kept me engaged. Whereas with The Marriage Act, I found some characters more interesting than others.

The twists also weren't as satisfying. There were a few I didn't see coming but a few that I guessed, so even though it was entertaining and I'm glad I read it, I was left feeling a little disappointed.

This book seems to be an extension of the themes set out The One, a previous book by the author, about genetic matching to find your ideal partner. In this book couples sign up to The Marriage Act in order to benefit financially and socially compared to couples who don't. The downside is that the couple are monitored 24/7 to make sure their relationship is on track and, if not, subjected to intervention which can result compulsory divorce and loss of all privileges. The idea is believable, given the amount of data kept on individuals already, however I found the main problem with the book to be the characters. Most unlikeable so it's hard to care what happens to them.
I enjoyed this book more than The One, but I was left with the feeling that if there had been fewer characters the themes could have been explored in more depth. It's a quick read, told from multiple points of view and was interesting enough to keep me reading but it's no Orwell.

This was my first John Marrs book. I have wanted to read one of his books for a long time and was so appreciative when I was given a digital copy from NetGalley to read an review.

Wow - this book really gets you thinking about what life could be like in the future- with technological advancements and the constant realisation that we are always being watched and monitored by our phones, computers, CCTV, and the the government.

This books throws you into the 'not too distant' future where the government have implemented a scheme where couples who upgrade to a 'Smart Marriage' receive NHS Plus, better housing in better towns and all kinds tax incentives. Sounds good right? Hrmm, yeah, no. By signing up an Audite is placed in your house, along with Smart watches, both of which records random snippets of your conversations with your spouse. The technology decides for you if your marriage is 'in trouble'. You are then 'levelled up' and a Relationship Responder will come and stay at your house where they observe and scrutinise your marriage, deciding if you should go to court for potential divorce.

This is terrifying!

There are so many characters, each of them dealing with their own situations in relation to Smart Marriages. There is an influencer wannabe, a government worker, a relationship responder and more. The book shows you different POVS and how the Marriage Act is affecting their lives - because of the multiple POV's this book was so fast paced I couldn't catch my breath. I had a few jaw dropping moments.

The story gave great perspectives for people both supporting the act and being anti it, and who decided to fight back. There was betrayal and murder and blackmail and secrets and lies. The whole shebang.

I will think of this book a lot in the future and will forever feel uneasy with the idea that the world we live in is actually not too far away from this!

Great opening scene in the first chapter which hooks you from the beginning.
The last couple of lines of the book may have confused my slightly and where I was reading an ARC on my Kindle and it ran immediately into the author's note I hadn't realised I had come to the end.. but in print I'm sure the ending will be easily identified.

Thrilled to have finally read a John Marrs book and can't wait for the next!

In another book set in the world of bestseller 'The One', Marrs has once again taken the near future and made it both believable and terrifying. The story follows a number of relationships, in various states, as the men and women within them navigate a world where the government has invaded every part of our lives. You'll be shocked, angry and heartbroken as Marrs, a master of his craft, guides you to the stunning conclusion.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t like John’s speculative (futuristic) thrillers. In future I am only going to read his psychological thrillers, and that is ok.

Unfortunately this book felt like a chore for me to get through. Majority of the characters felt underdeveloped, and I wasn’t really rooting for any of them. The first 30% of the book felt really messy, but the ending did wrap everything up nicely with a twist that I didn’t expect.

With its subtle suspense that holds you in its enthrall from the beginning to end, The Marriage Act was a fantastic read. The plotting is incredibly good and the characters a privilege to follow. Each person is multi-faceted, credible and convincing. The tension is really cleverly built and I like the way the novel ends.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Pan Macmillan via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

If you love thrillers, this is a must read! It’s gripping, fast paced and totally unpredictable!

The story itself is kind of ‘Black Mirror’-esque. It depicts a future 50 years from now where the Government offers incentives to couples who upgrade their relationships to ‘smart marriages’.

In exchange for things like significant tax breaks, cheaper school fees for their kids and better healthcare, all couples have to do is put listening devices (a bit like Alexas) in every room in their house and wear smart watches that monitor their vitals and can listen to them/record them on the go.

These smart devices then tune in to random bits of their conversations every day and offer them advice on how they can improve their relationship. If the devices pick up on any issues then the couple gets upgraded to Level 2, where the devices increase the frequency of listening in. If they fail Level 2, they move up to Level 3 at which point a real life ‘Relationship Responder’ comes and moves in with them for a few months. At the end of their stay the Relationship Responder decides whether the couple have passed or whether they must get divorced.

This might not sound like a thriller but what if the Relationship Responder that you are told must move in with you turns out to be a serial killer? Yeah, it’s a thriller.

This is the second Marrs book I’ve read and his writing style in both has been lots of lead characters and short chapters where he jumps between them all and tells their stories in parallel before bringing them together. I personally find this really interesting although it can take a bit of time at the start to figure out (and remember) who each of the characters are!

Overall, it’s another absolutely brilliant book by John Marrs!

You should also check out the book review I did of another of his books, The One, which is now a series on Netflix!

Despite not being a sequel to the author's previous near future The One there are references within this book. It is easy to see how the Marriage Act takes the concepts of finding 'the one' that bit further within political and societal control. In some parts a scary concept but also not too unrealistic to visualise as a reality based on how governments of today operate! The story is intertwined with various themes relating to the abuse of power and control and morality through the various characters storylines. If you enjoyed The One then you will easily enjoy this.

Absolutely brilliant book. Unique premise and characters that felt so authentic.

The prose was accomplished and the plotting meticulous. The storyline captivating my thoughts throughout.

Looking forward to seeing this on TV sometime.

John Marrs really is a master craftsmen of literature. I particularly enjoy these science fiction genres as they present a key issue in society and plays on it expertly. ‘The Marriage Act’ was relentlessly engaging, told through multiple points of view. Each chapter ended in a cliffhanger, making it impossible to put down! As always, an excellent read- highly recommend this author.