Solid read! Story line drew me in almost immediately. I fluctuated between rooting hard for Mitch and Jessica and preparing for their demise. Mitch and Jessica faced many struggles and hardships, and the divorces of their closest friends certainly doesn't help matters much. Entertaining book, devoured it in one day! (Though being in a constant state of quarantine can help in that regard) I have already recommended this book to my book club gals and friends on social media. Defied my expectations in the best way possible!

I really enjoyed this,.... aside from the open marriage part. It didn’t bother me, but was just different and makes you think, LOL. Interesting was of making you think. I can certainly see now how it could potentially prevent a divorce if it came to that.

i was given this book by netgalley and publisher for an honest review
i felt like this book was a funny one to read. it wasn't laugh out loud tears rolling down my face by a dry humor that still kept you wanting to read.
it is center around one married couple who are realizing that their marriage is getting kinda stale. they realize that they are the only couple that is still married while their friends have divorced.. they end up having a "relaxed marriage"
good chick lit book with humor

I liked the idea of this one, but something in the execution seemed off. I also think it’s safe to say maybe the subject matter wasn’t for me. Personally, I’m not into the idea of an open marriage and think someone always gets hurt, so reading about it just felt uncomfortable. There weren’t any like-able characters for me and the chaotic ending felt rushed.

Last Couple Standing was a breath of fresh air in a world filled with dark psychological thrillers and all the other genres we all love that are the it things right now. This book was fun and while it covered a subject that is very common in our world, it did it in a way that drove home a point without preaching.

Jessica and Mitch were an interesting couple to get to know. I "felt" Mitch much more than I did Jessica. When they decided upon their idea to try to save their marriage, I wanted to yell at them and ask them to stop.

While I don't know that I'd have chosen the path they did, I really enjoyed reading about it.

If you need a bit of light relief, a story that isn't about someone not stalking, killing, ghosting or ruining someone, this is the one you want to read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own.

The Core Four have been best friends since college: they got married around the same time, had kids around the same time, and now 15 years later they’ve started getting divorced around the same time. Jessica and Mitch Butler are the last ones standing. To maximize their chance they decide to see other people - they begin to embark on this experiment to fix their marriage. What could go wrong?

This book, while the premise of the story was one I read before, the author tells the story in a unique way using dry humor. The chapters are short and told from the perspective of Jessica, Mitch, and Luke (the neighbor). Overall, I enjoyed all the characters. Jessica seems like the one who has it together, especially since she’s a therapist, but probably the one who least gets it! ha. And Mitch is this cute nerdy English teacher who just wants to save his marriage. I loved the relationship between Jessica and Mitch and the secondary characters, Luke and Scarlett. I do wish that they would have talked more about their college friends and incorporated them in the book more.

Overall, this story is funny, and real depiction of marriage and how even though relationships seem stale you truly still love each other. Obvi, I’m not suggesting you should try an open marriage haha! Great read if you are looking for something light and fun.

I love this book!!! Hard to explain exactly why but it was wonderful. I found myself laughing out loud well over 10 times which let me tell you is so rare. It was light hearted while dealing with the serious subjects of marriage and divorce. It could be that younger audiences might not enjoy it as much as a person who’s been married a while so I’m hesitant in recommending it to everyone, but I would highly recommend to everyone 35 and up and who’s been married a while.

This actually ended up being a cute read - surprisingly. You wouldn’t guess from the description - an open marriage in hopes of saving themselves for divorce. Seems like a heavy topic. It’s a light read, humorous, not dark whatsoever. See how this experiment goes, and what can go wrong. Told from both points of view, the husband and the wife.

[3.75 stars]

The premise of this novel is admittedly a little outrageous. But, if you’re able to just roll with it, Last Couple Standing is a fun palate cleanser of a novel. Mixed into Mitch and Jessica’s crazy idea to protect their marriage from crumbling are astute observations about marriage, reasons marriages become stale post kids, and divorce. I was impressed by Norman’s grasp of universal marital gripes from the female perspective, given he’s a man. And, there is hope and growth amidst all the carnage.

Last Couple Standing tell the story of Jessica and Mitch Butler, who met each other and their inner circle of friends while attending Johns Hopkins. After graduation, one-by-one, couples married, moved to the suburbs and began having kids. As their 40’s approached, they also started getting divorced until Jessica and Mitch were the only couple left standing. Both saddened and a little panicked, Jessica came to Mitch with a plan to save their marriage by adding some excitement in the form of one night stands. (This happens early, so it’s not a spoiler.) They set up some very serious, but incredibly funny “rules” for engagement. Matthew Norman took a humorous approach to his entire story which makes it perfect for right now.

“What they were agreeing to were dalliances: little breaks from their daily reality. Anything more than once would be an affair, and affairs were the hideous cliches of middle age. Affairs were ugly and required lies and guilt, and they ruined lives.”

I divorced around 40, as did two close friends. We all jumped into the world of dating apps, so I can attest to the accuracy of Norman’s hilarious take on what you get when you first go that route! That and many other parts had me laughing-out-loud. I particularly loved a bit that ran through the book on E.T. Mitch had made the mistake of showing the movie to his 9 and 7-year old children and they’d been terrified of their closets ever since, making his and Jessica’s nights a nightmare.

Norman’s cast of supporting characters was strong, from the two kids, to Mitch’s high school students, to Jessica’s clients, to their rather pathetic group fo friends. I truly enjoyed my time with Last Couple Standing. It made for fabulous, easy reading and would be outstanding as a mini-series. I read this one, but can guarantee that it would be great on audio. (I almost wish I’d listened to it.) No matter the format, get in line now for Last Couple Standing!

“Sure, the metal box in which he kept the image of her with another guy had sprung open a few times this week and melted his face off, like the last ark in the first Indiana Jones movie. But honestly, isn’t that adulthood in a summary? Constant feelings of pure, overwhelming dread?”

Note: I received a copy of this book from Ballantine Books (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.

I have some conflicting feelings about this book.

Was it entertaining? ABSOLUTELY!
The writing was great. The author is intelligent and clearly knows how to write about married life, both happy and mundane. There were parts of this, where he explains basic home life of a married with children couple, that made me laugh out loud at the accuracy. I myself have been married for almost 15 years and there were some serious truth bombs dropped in this. Married life - even happily married life - can be systematic and even boring.

Did I agree with how things were handled? NOPE!
What do you do when you are the only couple still married when all or your couple friends have divorced? And I mean, these couple friends were like closest in your life kinds of friends. This group of four couples spend all of their time together. They have become such fixtures in each other's lives that when Jessica and Mitch are the only ones still married in the group, it messes up the chemistry between the group as a whole. So, what do you do in times like this? Instead of holding onto the normalcy you have in your home, you naturally propose to your spouse the idea of an open marriage of sorts. Because the answer to staying together when there is virtually nothing wrong in a relationship is to openly sleep with other people. UGH!!!

It felt like Jessica proposes this brilliant and evolved idea because she literally wanted a free pass to sleep with someone else. That was the vibe I got from the whole book. Did I dislike her character? No... She was a good person. A good mother and a good friend. I really liked Mitch, too. The whole time this plan is in place (to have a relaxed marriage) he felt unsure. So, dates are made with other individuals, even with help from the spouse in some cases... Boundaries are made, but lines get crossed and people get hurt. All of this culminates in the most ridiculous clusterf**k at the end of the book. As silly as it was, I was entertained the entire time! It was a lot of fun. I went through this book fully engrossed, but all the while thinking to myself, I am so glad this is not my life!

Oh bad. bad idea. You know what's coming but you still can't stop reading. What I thought was going to turn out cheesy surprisingly turned into an emotional read. Surprised myself by how much I enjoyed it. Definitely worth picking up and reading. Happy reading!

Title: Last Couple Standing
Author: Matthew Norman
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Last Couple Standing" by Matthew Norman

My Speculation:

From friends that called themselves 'Core Four' were four couples from college who were now all divorced except one. Jessica and Mitch watched the marriages of their friends all fall apart and was left wanting to make sure that this didn't happen to them. I will say what they did was rather drastic that did have me shaking my head and saying what and why that? But I guess they had their reasons. What will happen when they realize this was not the right path they should have taken? Was this putting some fun into their marriage? What a ride this story will go as we see how these two were into saving their marriage before it needed to be saved. There will be some funny parts of the story that will put a smile on your face as you are found shaking your head and saying, wow! To find out all the answers to these questions, you will have to pick up this read to see how this author brings it all out to the reader.

I found "Last Couple Standing" was an entertaining, humorous, fast-paced, heartfelt read with a predictable ending that will keep you turning the pages to see what was coming next.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Last Couple Standing was a quick and easy read. I enjoyed the writing and the characters. The story was interesting about the change people feel and go through as they grow and evolve. Marriages sometimes are the things that seem expendable when you think something needs to change. I did enjoy this book quite a bit, however, as soon as I started reading Last Couple Standing, so much seemed vaguely familiar and then I realized why... this book is very similar to "The Arrangement".
Thank you NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for a digital arc of this title.

Jessica and Mitch are part of the core four - 4 couples who've been friends since college, moved to the suburbs together and are now navigating kids, marriage and middle age together- some better than others. When Jessica and Mitch find themselves the only couple in their friend group not getting divorced, they decide to shake things up in their marriage by relaxing rules regarding sex. Needless to say, things don't go as planned. In the hands of a lesser writer, this entire story could've gone very wrong but Norman's writing is excellent, the pace on point, and the dialogue and characterization so well done. This definitely read like a screen play. I found myself most invested with Jessica and while I didn't agree with her actions, I couldn't stop reading to see how big of a mess they both got themselves into. There's also well-drawn secondary characters who created more depth to the story. My only critique was that Mitch came across as annoying sometimes in his attempts at being too witty or too "hip." At times He reminded me of Phil on Modern Family - trying too hard to be funny and not pulling it off. Overall, this was hugely entertaining and I highly recommend!!

A couple determined not to end up like their divorced friends try a radical experiment—and get in way over their heads—in this hilarious, heartfelt novel from the author of We’re All Damaged.

Such a great read. Funny and very enjoyable.

I love Mr. Norman’s sense of humor and I always love his view on things. His view on marriage and parenthood in this novel are spot on. You don’t get bored in a marriage you get comfortable. With being comfortable comes less new experiences. How would you handle spicing up your marriage? While I wouldn’t do what Jessica and Mitch decided upon, I get the sentiment.

This book started out strong— sharp writing on a topic that interests me: modern marriage. Was hoping to see a fresh take on mid- life marriage. But plot took a sharp turn to sexcapafes if married people. Didn’t finish.

I really enjoy Matthew Norman's writing style! He sets scenes beautifully, his characters are relatable and complex and his dry wit adds a lot to this book.

In The Last Couple Standing, The Core Four, a set of four couples who met in college and have been very close friends for over 20 years, is falling apart. Divorce has already hit three of the four couples and the last couple, Jessica and Mitch Butler don't want to be next.

In an attempt to strengthen their happy and stable marriage against what felled those of their friends (infidelity), they come to an agreement, with rules. An experiment, so to speak. However, they find that delving into unknown waters, however controlled, has repercussions that they didn't expect. Will they be able to keep their marriage together, or will their marriage end in divorce too?

My thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My Review: When I saw this book coming up this year, I knew I had to read it. Being someone approaching middle age, in a long established relationship with a kid and a house and a steady job, surrounded by friends in a similar situation, it is refreshing to find a book that I can relate to so much. I found this to be a both sobering and an entertaining read. I can't tell you how many times it had me laughing out loud, a fun and realistic look at trying to make a marriage work while so many others have called it quits. I loved the cast of characters, they were all well developed and unique. The story has some great ups and downs, and while you know where it is going, you stay fully invested and keep the pages turning. Such a real look at life but in a fun refreshing way that will make you want to revisit it.

My Rating: I had so much fun reading this book, I could relate to so many elements in this book, the constant struggle to find a way to make it all work, and yet the most stand out moments are how those struggles lead to memorable moments. I give this one a rating of Four Paws!