The marriage rules follows Newly weds Jason and Fiona as they embark on their new lives, Jason’s daughters Tilly and Ivy move in with them after the death of their mother. Jason has instilled the marriage rules for them all to abide by in order them to be safe and to live a happy life.

Problems start when Fiona breaks a rule and receives an anonymous note threatening to expose her and then her neighbour and new friend, Sasha goes missing.

Fiona begins to question herself and her actions as teenager Tilly starts to question the rules and rebel. The story is told from Fiona and Jason’s POV across two timelines, present day and looking back to when they first met and their relationship developed.

The characters, although infuriating are totally believable. The tension increased through the book as my frustration increased and I raced through to find out what happened and why the hell Fiona was still with Jason!

I thought I had it figured out but was totally shocked at the ending (in a good way!).

A really tense and twisty psychological thriller.

Fiona has a perfect life, newly married to Jason and with his 2 young daughters from his previous marriage it's a ready made family.
Why then is their a gnawing feeling in her stomach that something happened, that all is not as it seems.
Yet another fantastic book from this author..

Release: Apr 9, 2025
Author: Samantha Hayes
Publisher: Bookouture

Rating: 4.25 ★ 

Samantha Hayes delivers a gripping psychological thriller in The Marriage Rules, a novel that plays on the complexities of marriage, trust, and deception. The story is fast-paced and filled with twists, making it difficult to put down. The alternating perspectives create an immersive reading experience, allowing readers to piece together the puzzle alongside the characters. Hayes masterfully builds tension, keeping the suspense high until the final reveal. While some plot points may feel slightly predictable for seasoned thriller readers, the execution is strong, and the emotional depth of the characters adds another layer of intrigue. If you enjoy domestic thrillers with secrets lurking beneath the surface, this one is worth reading.

Fiona Fisher’s life appears peaceful and fulfilling. Once a nurse, she married Jason, a doctor, and now cares for his two daughters in their charming village home—the life she always dreamed of.

Everything runs smoothly, as long as they follow the rules:
• Everyone in bed by eight.
• No loud music, news, or social media.
• The house phone is for emergencies only.
• Every door stays locked. No one leaves.
• And most importantly—never speak about the past.

Favorite Quote:
"the truth is always easier to bear when it's out in the open, but secrets have a way of eating you from the inside out."

Holy toasted pop-tarts!! Batten down the hatches for this one. If you like a dark, twisty, delusional shocker, The Marriage Rules by Samantha Hayes is a must read. I got whiplash from this as my mind had it going one way but the sory turned in a totally different direction. I was hooked from page one, but it was that shocking, coming out of nowhere ending that had me gasping out loud.

After the tragic death of his ex-wife, Jason, Fiona, and his young daughters are starting over in a new home. To keep them all safe, he comes up with a list of "marriage" rules they all must follow or suffer the consequences. At first it seems to be an easy thing to do, but slowly the rules start to be broken. Once that happens the floodgates are open and tragic things start occurring.

Full of action and so many twists and turns, I loved this entire book,but once again it was that perfectly crafted ending that blew me away. Told in multiple perspectives and dual time-lines, the chapters are short and easy to zip through. This is an absolute must read for domestic suspense lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy

I've read a lot of books by this author so I knew to expect a good plot twist at some point and when I came to one I thought it was very clever.. But in this book the shocks just kept on coming. . Every time I thought I'd figured out what was going on I'd turn a page and come to another twist. It was like being in the world's biggest labyrinth. The final twist left me gasping for breath but laughing at the same time. This is 100% worthy of 5 stars, I'd give it more if I could.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Imagine marrying someone with a list of rules or contract?

You know this going into the marriage and children are involved so maybe this makes things run more smoothly?

One twisted story! What happens if you break the rules? Is everyone whom they seem? The ending got me, which is something I always enjoy.

I genuinely ate this up. Samantha did a fantastic job of making me absolutely hate the husband in no time 🤣 I couldn’t put this down and some of the twists had my jaw dropping. One of my favorite recent thriller/domestic suspense reads for sure! The rules? Had me so livid for Fiona until we got a further look into “why” (they still freaking sucked)
The last 25% had me unable to put my kindle down and I damn sure wasn’t expecting some of the twists about Jason 🙃🙃 this was so good! Also, I was NOT expecting to cry in the final chapter 😅 but man they got me in the feels.

The Marriage Rules by Samantha Haze, If rules are meant to be broken it’s not a sentiment that Dr. Jason Hewitt has ever heard or agreed to he has certain rules in his home but it’s to keep his wife Fiona and two daughters Tilly and Ivy safe. with the recent loss of his first wife and their mother he even has rules in place for grieving, one hour on Sunday. After all grieving would break one of the rules which is not showing emotion not talking about the past and oh yes I want you to meet Fiona and you’re to call her mommy. if you think Jason having all these rules is outrageous well just know Fiona has issues of her own. when she starts receiving notes warning her about breaking the rules she believes someone knows her secret but she breaks one of the rules by not telling Jason about the notes not at the 6 o’clock family confessional nor their nighttime couple confessional before bed. by the time Fiona knows who wrote the notes she will also learn she isn’t the only one hiding something and people will be dead but who did it is the question. are all these rules really to keep Fiona and the children safe and if so safe from who? I think what makes this book so good is by the end not everyone you think is going to be the bad guy is actually a true villain.!! I mean they’re not the greatest person but not the worst either. I do want to say this book relies a lot on hyperbole and over exaggeration although I think that’s the same thing lol! Either way there still was a clever story and one I read to the end and couldn’t wait to find out exactly how it was going to end and OMG I didn’t think it would end the way it did. I think this author is a good one I just don’t like these overly emotional overly traumatized victimized scenarios that for the most part just make me roll my eyes. I still really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.#NetGalley, #BookOut, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview, #SamanthaHaze, #TheMarriageRules,!

Wow! This is truly a twisty, winding roller-coaster of a read! I thought I knew what was going to happen early on, but no way! Amazing read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Well well well Samantha Hayes has done it again blown me away with another psychological thriller which I could not put down. I loved everything about the marriage rules I thought I knew how it was going to end but wow I did not see that ending coming. From the first page until the very last I was gripped there was suspense and tension throughout. I loved how well written and developed the characters were and the writing style just flowed. Honestly can’t praise this book enough and can’t wait to be recommending it to everyone. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this great book.

This is another twisted excellent story from Samantha Hayes, I have never read a book by her which I have not thoroughly enjoyed and I was immediately taken in by this one.

Fiona is married to Jason who has two daughters but life with Jason would not be everyones cup of tea. To live with Jason you must follow rules, and believe me there are many of them. At the beginning we are provided with a list of the rules and my head reeled, I immediately knew this book would be a very wild ride and wow was I right.

Fiona is a nurse and Jason a doctor and life should be great for this couple but the rules dominate their worlds and that of the children. Life is stifling, oppressive and tense and the author captures the essence of this brilliantly. Half way through the book we are hit with a gigantic twist and this is just the first. I love a book that I can’t get my head around and the book is so cleverly crafted and the writing so original I could not turn the pages fast enough.

The ending left me absolutely floored and speechless, there are not that many storylines that stay with me for a long time as I read so many books but I know that this one will remain in my mind for a long time to come. Hats off to you Samantha Hayes, you really know how to engage the reader and leave a lasting positive impression on them.I can’t wait until the next. Loved it!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all options expressed are my own.

I didn't like how the book change the point of views in which the story was told in. I found the writing to be very juvenile and could not get into this book.

I went into The Marriage Rules expecting a gripping domestic thriller, but I wasn’t quite prepared for just how unsettling those rules would be! Reading them at the start was genuinely shocking—I even read them aloud to my husband, convinced that no one could possibly live by such rigid, suffocating conditions. Right from the outset, the book had me hooked, and I knew I was in for a wild ride.
Samantha Hayes has a real talent for creating tension, and this book is no exception. The story builds gradually, pulling you deeper into the unsettling dynamics at play. There’s an underlying sense of something being ‘off’, but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is. The way the narrative keeps you second-guessing is brilliant—every time I thought I had figured out where things were heading, something unexpected would throw me off course. It’s one of those books where you feel a creeping unease with every chapter, sensing that something huge is about to happen but having no idea what.
And then it does.
The twist in the middle is absolutely massive, blowing the entire story apart in a way that I didn’t see coming. It completely reshapes everything you think you know and forces you to look at the characters and their actions in a whole new light. I love thrillers that can genuinely surprise me, and this one delivered in spades. Just when I was wrapping my head around that revelation, the ending threw in even more twists that left me reeling. It’s the kind of book where you reach the final pages and realise that nothing—absolutely nothing—was as it seemed. You’re forced to reevaluate everything, questioning what was real and what was deception. I loved that feeling of being completely thrown off balance.
However, while I really enjoyed the book, I did feel there were a few loose ends that could have been tied up more neatly. Jason’s job at the university, for example, seemed like it played a key role in the subplot with Roseanne, but it was never fully explained. It felt important, yet it was left hanging, which was a bit frustrating. There were also a couple of other small threads that I would have liked to see resolved just to give the ending a bit more closure. That said, none of this took away from my overall enjoyment—I just found myself wishing for a little more detail in certain areas.
Despite that, this was a fast-paced, gripping read that I tore through in record time. At one point, it really felt like everything was spiralling out of control, and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see where it would all end up. If you enjoy psychological thrillers that keep you constantly guessing, challenge your perceptions, and leave you with that satisfying mind-blown feeling, I’d highly recommend The Marriage Rules. It’s dark, unpredictable, and incredibly well-crafted—a true page-turner!

This book is just wow wow wow..

I was intrigued by the plotline and once I started reading it became my one sit read for the day.

I did not move until I had finished.

It is a book that you want to talk about and without giving any spoilers I was shocked with the ending. I just did not see that...

brilliant..

All I can say is, I did not see that ending coming. I was shocked and swept off my feet. In addition I want to say that the way the mental issues were handled in this book was incredible with such care and compassion while still creating a phenomenal thriller.

This book "The Marriage Rules" definitely will keep you on the edge of your seat! It is an insanely twisty adventure that had me holding my breath with every turn of the page. The storytelling is absolutely brilliant—seriously, I couldn’t believe the twists! Just when I thought I had it all figured out, the plot took a jaw-dropping turn that left me gasping. The twists just kept getting bigger and wilder, making this an unforgettable reading experience. Trust me, once you start this wild ride, you won’t want to put it down! Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow at times but for good reason. As things progressed, you are taken on a bit of a ride into a twisted mess of a good time.
This book revolves around Fiona and Jason. The book starts out with Fiona, Jason, and his two daughters. When tragedy strikes, the girls are made to move in with the two, who couldn't be happier to have them. Fiona and Jason are extremely happy to start their lives together. Of course, they all must follow the rules that were laid out. Rules that are quite stifling and, well, a bit weird.
This book is well written and so very twisty. As you read on, you find yourself second guessing the things that you've read and trying to figure out who has done what.
I definitely recommend this twisty good story with a fantastic ending.

Such a good book! I read the synopsis and was very intrigued. The book starts by stating the marriage rules so you have an idea of what to expect from the start. However; this book is filled with twists and turns that were so good. It did start a little slow but it quickly picks up and takes you on a wild ride.

Fantastic, fast paced, twisty and had my heart pound and my bum on the edge of my seat. I loved it and finished it in a couple of hours

Okay, this was an amazing fast-paced thriller. My first by Samantha Hayes and won't be the last.

It kept me on my edge of my seat all the way long, and twists were definitely unexpectedly good.

Totally recommend.