This is by far one of the most original books I've read in a long time. Packed with engaging characters, stark themes and a wonderfully dystopian storyline, I definitely didn't want to put this one down, or for it to end. One particular strand of the story was heartbreaking, others were infuriating or jaw dropping. I've read John Marrs before but this is definitely my favourite.

Set in a similar near future as the authors last book, The One, this new offering The Marriage Act, is a scary possibility of what the future could hold.

Moving on and building from finding your own dna match in The One, the book explores a future where marriage is controlled and monitored by artificial intelligence and for those unlucky enough to fall foul a marriage responder may be on the cards.

AI plays a huge part in this book, which I sincerely hope is not how the future plays out. The impact of social media and deepfakes are the basis of the troubles that lead to the breakdown of relationships, interference from unknown individuals and control of others with deadly consequences.

Well written, interesting and a wealth of interesting characters feature in this book, which I would highly recommend, especially to readers who have previously enjoyed The One.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

John Marrs is a writer that needs no introduction due to his incredible and near-future thrillers. The Marriage Act shows just how dangerous a newly issued can be, especially when abused. A twisty and scary tale!

Love this author and was excited to read the new book the marriage act! The Marriage Act is a new law that offers preferential treatment to married couples above those who are single. This book looks at the lives of several couples under this Act, and the impact that it has on them.
John Marrs book are always thinkers! Set in a slightly dystopian near-future, this book once again made me terrified of technology, of the government, and of the human race! An absolute page turner. Giving it top marks!

Set in the same world as The One and The Passengers, this Black mirror’ish dystopian Sci-fi thriller/drama is more of a horror story on how AI in the wrong hands can go horribly wrong, even with the most apparently honourable intentions.

The story is set in a world (UK in the near future) where a Smart Marriage is the Government approved agenda through the Sanctity of Marriage Act. Couples can choose to ‘upgrade’ their marriage to a ‘smart’ one. Being coupled up is the desired state of being, deemed to be contributing more to the society. And those who choose not to get married or are single for any reason or are not actively looking to couple up are looked on as less than desirable. Couples in smart marriages can be monitored through tech, with AI listening in, and intervening if tensions are detected in their marriage, even forcibly divorce them. In return of the invasion of privacy, couples in Smart marriages are incentivised by the government with tax breaks, better housing, healthcare, education etc.

The story revolves around four couples who are about to experience the ramifications of all the privileges they reaped by signing up. A social media influencer seeking validation and fame, a gay couple whose banter was flagged off as problematic and is assigned a counsellor who has his own axe to grind, a separating couple where one partner is pulling all the tricks to not let the other go and this lose the privileges of their smart marriage, an old couple who are hiding their health difficulties to stop the Government from separating them.

Reading this is disturbing and chilling, and made me think of what price we pay for convenience. And if our increasing dependence on AI backed technologies is not leading to just this, or something similar.

4.5 stars. I love this authors books and have read every single one. They are all very cleverly written with unique storylines. It was full of suspense and tension that kept me glued to the pages. There were lots of different characters and it all tied together well in the end.

I only know — and love — John Marrs as a writer of psychological thrillers, so this was my first meeting with him in his speculative fiction guise. And contrary to expectations, I really enjoyed it. Largely, I think, because it was more about plausible reality than outlandish science fiction.

Set in a near-future Britain, where memories of Covid and Brexit still linger, Marrs’ vision of a “Smart” society, in which everything is controlled by Artificial Intelligence is compellingly, terrifyingly real. In this imagined society, happy marriage is deemed the desired state and the country’s route to economic advancement.

We are introduced to the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which encourages people to sign up to a “Smart” marriage, with genetic matching available to assist individuals in finding their perfect partners. Inducements include lower taxes, cheaper mortgages, and access to better healthcare, amongst other benefits. In return, couples must agree to have their every move tracked by IA and enter mandatory counselling if IA identifies discord in their relationship.

Far-fetched maybe, but it’s a premise that holds an unnerving kernel of plausibility; enough at least to set your antennae twitching. Marrs has clearly done his research about the potential scope of AI and presents a very convincing case; seductive detail adding to the sense of authenticity.

The narrative — a multiple POV, following four couples as they navigate the pros and cons of their smart marriages — is a delicious slow burn, and I found myself wholly invested in both the characters and their stories. I saw much of the Marrs I’m familiar with in the use of ever shortening chapters towards the end to increase pace, which ultimately builds to a frantic, shocking conclusion.

It was a great read, but I was left wanting. All the way through, I was waiting for the various strands to come together or at least to intersect, and oddly, they never do, instead remaining separate and distinct. This absence of homogeneity in the narrative both bothered and baffled me. Only a niggle, perhaps, but it did detract from my overall enjoyment. It won’t, however, stop me reading more by Marrs in this genre.

Thank you Pan Macmillan, Macmillan and Netgalley.com for the arc. It was a great surprise to received it. It was an honour to read it.

The book was not short but I flow through. I really loved how everything was written and thr dynamic of it, I loved short chapters. And Maybe I have not liked the characters and could not conneted but I could connected to the story of unbelivable future. I would read it in one sitting if I had no others obligations. I am not easly surprised by endings but this one was a mind blowing for me. I was not expecting after the slow burning. The story developed so well that was incredible.

Immagine you are married and you can get so many things your neighbour that is not is denied. And that is not all, you can be monitored and someone come to you anytime and give you advice. What can you do?!? People are afraid, people are terrified. And some people get power they should never get. Sounds familiar? I guess the vibes are familiar unfortunately.

"Love is free"

I've read a few of John Marrs' books, my preference is generally for Psychological Thrillers over Speculative Fiction but I'm always open to persuasion and trying to expand my tastes.

The Marriage Act is set in Northamptonshire in the near future. The Marriage Act is a state intervention that rewards marriage, with benefits for married couples and swift interventions to try and help couples achieve the state ideal of a happy marriage.

There's a lot of characters and it takes a while to get going.

There's no doubting the author's imagination or the complete vision of this brave new highly regulated world.

Enjoyable once I got into it, but I have to concede that Speculative Fiction still hasn't fully won me over. It's almost like playing a new board game and having to learn the rules before you can play the game.

If you enjoy Speculative Fiction you'll probably love it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan

Set in a time not too far away, this is a dark and rather creepy tale that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Would you 'upgrade' your marriage if it meant getting preferential treatment ... the best jobs, the best houses, better health care, education, etc., etc., etc.? But then what if that meant artificial intelligence was listening in to snap shots of your conversations and then analysing them to make sure you are keeping to the terms of your marriage? And if not, a scale of interventions would be put into action. Would you still do it? Well, The Marriage Act will probably make you think again!

Mr Marrs certainly gets you thinking and poses really interesting questions and dilemmas in this well plotted, perfectly paced book told from the viewpoints of his well created characters and with some great twists and turns.

Thoroughly enjoyable and quite an unsettling book that actually doesn't feel that far from becoming a reality! How many have an Alexa, Siri or similar digital voice assistant in the home or on your wrist that just sits there? I'm not a conspiracy theorist, however I imagine it wouldn't take much for a law to be passed in the name of improving the economy or society in some way, then a switch is flicked and the process would start ... definitely not beyond the realms of reality and very scary!

This is the second of Mr Marrs' books I have enjoyed and I will definitely read more in the future and thanks must go to Pan Macmillan, Macmillan and NetGalley for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of The Marriage Act.

First of all, thank you to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for this ARC! This review was written by me voluntarily.

It is a tough review to write because this book makes me filled with various emotions throughout my reading journey. Sometimes, I’m filled with sadness and pity and sometimes I just want to punch somebody. This book goes dark quite fast but the pace is a little bit slower for me at the first part which is understandable. Written from viewpoints of several characters in different sides and roles of the Marriage Act, it is really interesting to read on how the act affects people’s lives and how these characters and couples are affected by the act and their reaction to it. Because this is my first book from the author (even though it is the fourth novel in this universe) the writing and the plot development and some references to the previous installments are quite clearly written making it easier to grasp the story. One thing that makes me feel a little bit disturbed is because I do some work and learning on some of these technologies, reading the misuse of them makes me afraid of the future. I think I may have to read the previous novels in this universe to understand their world more.

My rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Deliciously dark and thoroughly gripping, this is John Marrakesh at his best. I always love his work but this is definitely him on top form

John Marrs is a master of speculative fiction; ‘The Marriage Act’ cleverly weaves events which have already happened or you can believe happening and placing them in an alternate future of the country. There’s a big cast of characters who all neatly fit together to tell a wider story. The plot is mostly fast paced and easy to follow, as well as keeping me interested throughout. I actually gave this 4.5 stars and that’s just because I go with gut feeling, there is nothing stopping it from being 5 stars and I would definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy of The Marriage Act.
As a big fan of John Marrs I couldn't wait to read this, What Lies Between Us is one of the best thrillers I have read so I was excited to read this.
A fellow bookstagrammer had said they DNF this and I had just started it so thought I would continue reading and from the beginning it was addictive. However I found there was too many people and stories and I did find it hard to keep up with who was who. I can see why they DNF it, as the story went on, not much seemed to be happening and everytime I picked it back up I couldn't remember their back story or what had happened. I didn't find any of the characters remotely interesting and I didn't connect with any of their stories.
There was a few moments that I didn't see coming and thought OMG but it wasnt enough for me to really get into the story and enjoy it.
John Marrs has some brilliant books but unfortunately this one just wasnt for me.
3 stars

He's done it again! John Marrs has produced another absolutely brilliant, engaging and engrossing story, set in a frighteningly believable potential future.

I didn't think I would find another Marrs book as compelling as The One, but I think this has done it. Characters are well developed, complex and believable; the tech is worryingly easy to imagine as an extension of what we have now; and there are several twists and reveals I certainly did not see coming.

If you read this book, please make sure you continue after the story ends. John's acknowledgments explain just how plausible the society depicted really is, based on CURRENT tech and social practices...

Can't wait for his next speculative fiction release!

John Marrs has a genius form of writing with a tailored plan to be inclusive of previous books and stories, with a sprinkling of real life into the mix and I laughed out loud at parts of this book.
Marrs does the research and builds each character so well that you are champing at the bit at the end of each chapter with the need to find out what happens. It’s a cliff hanger in all chapters but that just makes this book thrilling!
I could not fault any of this book or writing it was throughly wonderful to read and I am excited to discuss this book with everyone who will and needs to read it.
#netgalley #TheMarriageAct

The Marriage Act by John Marrs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication date: 19/01/2023
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The government have finally got what they want. To monitor everything. As the population of Britain are encouraged to upgrade to Smart Marriages, the government get a better insight into what is going on behind closed doors.
A multiple narrative that Marrs so cleverly writes in, twisting and turning and some unsuspecting links between the characters who at the beginning seem unconnected. Marrs brilliantly writes with each chapter leaving you on a cliffhanger, making it almost impossible to put this book down. Links to his previous books are subtle making this a stand alone book but perfect for his fans who want to see where his ideas come from.
Thank you to NetGalley, John Marrs and Pan MacMillan for this ARC in return for an honest review.
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#books #booknerd #bookworm #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstack #bookchallenge #booklover #reader #read #2023Reads #readersofinstagram #reading #bookswithcookandacuppa #netgalley #JohnMarrs #TheMarriageAct

THE MARRIAGE ACT by John Marrs
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5/5)

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧 + 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝘼𝙍𝘾, 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬. 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙤𝙬𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 @𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 (𝙄𝙂).

READ IF YOU LIKE:
⚡️ Short, fast paced chapters
👀 Multiple/interlinking POV
💭 Thought provoking social issues
📺 BLACK MIRROR
❔ ‘What if?’ plots
🔪 A darker side to your thrillers
🩸 Unlikeable but gripping characters

✍🏼 What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey? Four couples are about to find out what happens if you do, as the government monitors their every word and action.

☁️ THOUGHTS:
What a book to start 2023 off 👏🏼 is there a better feeling than sitting down with a new John Marrs read, just knowing you’re in for the wildest ride?

Brilliantly written, fast paced, creative, and terrifyingly plausible, this is set in the futuristic dystopian world Marrs has created so perfectly. I’ve definitely read this set of books in the wrong order as this links into THE ONE and the Match Your DNA aspects, but equally I thoroughly enjoyed it as a standalone book. (I have read THE MINDERS and the PASSENGERS, both of which I can’t recommend enough.)

Marrs’ trademark multiple perspectives allows for real immersion into the plot, as we see the range of effects the Sanctity of Marriage Act had on the different characters and their relationships. The chapters are lightning speed, nearly always ending on a cliffhanger to entice you to read just one more chapter, and I LOVE the subtle way the characters end up being connected.

This plot cleverly relies not just on plot twists and murders, but how scarily believable this futuristic world and its concepts are. We already have so much more technology than we probably imagined possible and the events in THE MARRIAGE ACT are chillingly not so unrealistic! Fascinating, gripping, engaging and unputdownable - I highly recommend reading this! 👏🏼

Wow, I hated this book in the best possible way.
Set in future UK and in the same world as 'The One' marriage is encouraged and those opposed to it face certain mistreatments.
The whole of this book had me feeling the worst dread, multiple POV with quick chapters and each one was horrifying in its own way - ahhh just so much government manipulation!!!

I love this author’s writing & The Marriage Act is a return to an Orwellian landscape of the future.

The Marriage Act encourages Smart Marriage, which incentivises couples via life style benefits such as better health care options & more desirable areas to live in. However, all conversations are recorded & couples are allocated advisers to assist if the government feels they are straying away from the AI prescribed life.
Each chapter relates to a different character & you either love them or loathe them, there is very limited middle ground. Add in an underground movement gaining momentum against this dystopian landscape & confrontation awaits.

A great read but you can’t help thinking, what if? Recommended.