Good premise with decent characters, but I had a hard time getting into this one. It was hard to relate to the characters, but it was still a good, easy read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this one!

“The Last Couple Standing” had a great premise. The writing was fairly easy to follow along with. I did like the characters for the most part and found them to be pretty believable, I just wish they were a tad bit more developed than what they were. There were some aspects to this story that I found quite unbelievable, especially towards the end. This book definitely had some cringey moments. Overall, it kept me engaged, I just wanted more. More development, more in the end, just more. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

An oddly unique love story.

Jessica and Mitch are the “last couple standing” in their friend group with their other three couple friends recently getting divorced. They come up with a half-baked plan to save their marriage that does not go quite as planned. Everything comes together in the end with a final confrontation having me laughing out loud.

In summary, this book is a good example of the grass not being greener on the other side.

I was so excited to read this book! I haven't really read on that followed this type of storyline and I really did not know what to expect. While I'm still processing the actual plot and events of the book, I will say that the writing was fantastic! This is my first book read by this author and I cannot wait to read more! The writing was captivating and descriptive - so good.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a good exploration of adults entering middle age in suburbia and, in particular, one couple that finds themselves the only ones in a formerly tight friend group that are not separating. The characters, especially the main couple, felt real-to-life, and I found myself consistently engaged with both of their journeys. I also enjoyed how the author integrated Baltimore into the story. An entertaining read that would make a good selection for a book club.

Last Couple Standing by Matthew Norman
Source: NetGalley and Ballantine
Rating: 2½/5 stars

Jessica and Mitch are the last couple standing among their original group of four. Known as the Core Four, the group has known one another and been a group since college. With the pairings and marriages coming so naturally, no one, especially the Core Four ever thought there would come a time when they would be something other than together.

Life and adulting suck . . . .

Yes, life and adulting have a tendency to suck and a harsh result of the suckiness is Jessica and Mitch being the last couple standing. They have seen their friends fall apart, their marriages end, and their lives radically changed and it, quite frankly, scares the hell out of Jessica. Though Jessica and Mitch have no serious issues in their marriage, Jessica proposes a radical experiment, a sort of preemptive strike to keep their solid marriage from going the way of their friends. To Jessica’s way of thinking, if they get out ahead of the problem then there won’t ever be a problem and she and Mitch can go about their lives and live to tell the tale of their happily ever after.

According to Jessica, each of their friends’ lives and marriages fell apart because of sex. With Mitch in agreement, Jessica proposes she and Mitch stray from their marriage and vows and have sex with other people in an effort to ultimately strengthen their own bond. In order to be fair, they set a series of guideline that will dictate the terms of the experiment and should not be violated by any party. According to Jessica, once the experiment is completed, she and Mitch will be stronger than ever and proof positive that some marriages are meant to go the distance.

Though Mitch agrees to Jessica’s madness and even contributes his own thoughts to the rules/guidelines, he isn’t as certain as his wife is that this experiment even needs to take place. Mitch is happy in his life, he loves his wife, and their family is damn-near perfect. While having a free pass to sleep with other women sounds awesome on its face, the reality is far different than the fantasy. Mitch not only struggles with the idea of sleeping with someone other than Jessica, he actively works to avoid participating in the madness. Jessica, on the other hand takes her free pass and runs with it, right into the arms and bed of a sexy young bartender who desperately wants more than Jessica is prepared to give. The ultimate result of the experiment is a very public display of lunacy which results in a small car wreck, one swift kick to the balls, and everyone, including their young children, knowing their business.

The Bottom Line: Oh, how I struggled with this book and it all comes down to one character, Jessica! I found Jessica to be a tremendously selfish, arrogant, and rather stupid woman. Rather than simply admitting her fears to her husband – a very understanding and accommodating Mitch! – Jessica concocts a ridiculous plan that will allow her to screw some young guy with zero guilt and/or consequences. This whole mess boils down to Jessica wanting to have sex with someone other than her husband and her selfishness threatens to destroy a solid and remarkably good marriage. Jessica wraps her plan in logical and psychobabble as a means of justifying her actions and, in an effort to support his wife and continue to make her happy, Mitch agrees to the madness. As the whole plan unfolds, Jessica’s selfishness becomes magnified and she becomes harder and harder and harder to like. On the flip side, Mitch is a rockstar and I wanted nothing but the best for he and his kids, even if it meant keeping Jessica and not kicking her sorry ass to the curb. At the end of the day, I can’t say I liked or even enjoyed this book. One bad character really can ruin a book and Jessica is a fine example of this. Finally, I don’t at all understand how this book is billed as “hilarious” and/or “heartfelt.” I found it to be frustrating, ridiculous, and the furthest thing from either hilarious or heartfelt. This is a novel of pettiness and selfish behavior that ultimately ends up nearly destroying something that is, in actuality, quite good.

Mitch and Jessica have been married for 15 years, have two kids, and they're happy. Unlike all their friends who are divorced and diving into the shark-infested waters of dating apps, they enjoy monthly date nights and still find each other attractive. They're in it for the long haul. They're safe...right? When Jessica gently suggests they each explore sleeping with other people, Mitch goes along with it until she actually comes home having done it. So is he supposed to rush out and find someone to sleep with, too? Does he even want to? How would he begin? Between Jessica being all gung-ho about setting up his online profile and his newly single guy friends raving about new love but secretly grieving while setting up the kids' "weekend" bedrooms in their apartments, Mitch is feeling a little lost. And Jessica, despite being the one who came up with this brilliant idea in the first place, isn't so sure she didn't make a huge mistake. They might be the last couple standing, but will they stay that way?

I didn't really know what to expect going into this book, but I enjoyed it. Male authors can be kind of hit-or-miss when it comes to writing things from the female perspective, but Norman did a good job telling both Jessica's and Mitch's stories. Having said that, Mitch's side was far stronger and funnier, and I found myself frustrated with Jessica's POV and wanted to get back to Mitch. His interactions with his old college buddies and his kids, especially, made me laugh. The book is compulsively readable, and I wanted to see what would happen.

I did think that the ending was entirely too pat and sudden. With all the build-up and then the chaotic climax (which was HILARIOUS by the way), it was weird that everyone just went back to normal afterwards. I mean, I'm sure they didn't...but I wanted to see a little bit more of them all putting the pieces back together. It's like Norman got to a certain page count and was told to wrap it up before the story was really over.

Overall, it was an entertaining read.

**Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.**

Last Couple Standing follows Mitch and Jessica as the last married couple in their friend group from college. They question how they will survive when none of the rest did. Their answer is completely unconventional and could tear apart most marriages. As they go down this path they find out how easy it is for one wrong choice to hurt each other and the ones they care about.

There were definite funny parts to this book, but the characters weren't very developed. Jessica especially was hard to relate to. The author kept describing her as though she were extremely attractive and that was the only thing about her he seemed to focus on when describing her. I never grasped why Jessica wanted to rock her marriage by opening it up to other people. Especially since she was a therapist.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and took it as the rom-com it read as even if the author might have been going for something more. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! It started with the back round about the Core4- 4 couples who met in college and stayed best friends. Fast forward to 3 of the 4 getting divorced and the "Last couple Standing". I for one could not do what Jess and Mitch try to save their marriage, but it was so interesting to read both sides of their journey. Mitch was hands down my favorite character, I hope there is a second book with a follow up!

If you're reading this review, you likely know the basic premise of this book. Mitch and Jessica a couple around 40 years old, and are part of a friends group comprised of 3 other couples and dating back to college. Over the past couple of years, they've watched the other 3 marriages implode, causing them to take a closer look at their own union. After a lot of years and 2 kids, their relationship has understandably changed, and they fear they will end up going the ways of their closest friends. Jessica concocts a plan for them to each sleep with someone else - just a one time thing to spice things up and fulfill fantasies guilt free, so they're less likely to end up feeling the need to stray permanently like some of their friends. As you'd expect, one of them jumps in with both feet, while the other half-heartedly tries but ultimately can't follow through. The repercussions of all of that is simultaneously sad, heartwarming, funny, and totally unrealistic. The collision of it all at the end is straight from a crazy rom-com movie - completely contrived, yet hilarious.

This book is not great literature or anything, but it is a good "beach read" - quick, easy, light, and some interspersed humor.

I think the book could have been a lot more than what it was though. I thought the premise was kind of intriguing and was interested to see how the author developed it, but the actual story was shallow and flat. The main characters had no real depth, I would have liked to know them better. Without that depth, I frankly didn't care much for Jessica at all. I honestly wanted to clobber her for a good chunk of the book. There were lots of little subplots going in this book, and I think the book would have been stronger if those had been dialed back. That time would be better spent getting to know Mitch and Jessica as individuals and learn more about their relationship. There was also unrealized opportunity to delve more into what they were doing and how it affected their relationship going forward. Granted, all of my critiques would have made this a heavier read than it was, which was likely not what the author wanted. I think there could have been a little more "story" here without losing the levity of the current story. I told a friend as I was reading this that it felt like a guy was telling this story - meaning all of the important points were there, but it lacked in emotion or detail. Then I realized a man actually DID write the book and it all kind of made sense :)

This was an interesting and entertaining Rom Com. It was a fun and fast paced read, and a great beach read.
Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When I first started this book, I was a little bit disappointed. It's the THIRD book I've read featuring couples that agree to sleep with other people in the last two months (the others were The Arrangement and Beside Herself). This seemed crazy to me and a sure sign that this plot is way overdone. But? I ended up really loving Matthew Norman's writing and finding myself really enjoying the characters and the story. Though the overall theme was the same, the story is told in a unique way.

Another thing all three of these books feature is the characters are in their 40s with kids and have friends going through divorces. I'm not yet in my 40s, don't have kids, and don't currently have friends divorcing, so I guess I don't totally understand the urge to make a deal with your spouse that allows you to sleep with other people, but I do see why it makes for an entertaining story. Last Couple Standing features four couples that have been friends since college. Three couples are going through divorces and though the last couple remaining (Jessica and Mitch) is relatively happy, they decide to keep their marriage fresh by letting each other sleep with other people.

I think it's interesting that people knocked off stars for too many subplots in the novel while this is precisely why I loved it! I felt like the book was dynamic with lots going on (like life!) and it kept me on my toes. I feel like I really got to know the characters and was invested in them. There were a couple things that bugged me about the book- like how hard Jessica was trying to set Mitch up at some point with no discussion of how this would have emotionally effected her- but overall, I thought the book was well done.

I'm really hoping I don't see another book with this plot for a longggg time, but for now, I'm glad I gave Last Couple Standing a chance as it's a super enjoyable read!

My appreciation goes to Ballantine and Netgalley for letting me preview this title in exchange for a review.

The Core Four met in college. It’s four young couples who still remain friends. When three of the pairs announce they’re divorcing at around the same time, Jessica and Mitch become a little anxious about their own union. Finally they agree to try an open marriage for a while. I’m sure you can see where that gets them. It’s very predictable.

I liked the book, it was funny at times and heartbreaking at others, but there were too many coincidences for my taste. In Baltimore, with a population of over 600,000, you just don’t encounter the same people wherever you go.

It’s light reading if you want an escape from your daily worries.

These seems to be your typical Rom-Com that was actually a quick read for me.

Jess and Mitch are the last married couple out of their friends. The rest are divorced (hence the title, last couple standing) but they decide to loosen some of their marriage in order to make it stronger, that is never a good idea to be honest. There was some humor and some fun in the book, but there was something missing for me.
Perhaps its because I never connected really with the characters and there were also so many subplots that I almost lost tracked!

Jessica and Mitch are the last married couple of their friend group. After three divorces happen among their friends in quick succession, the two struggle to determine if they are missing something about the status of their relationship. When Jessica suggests an open marriage (with rules) to try to maintain the strength of their connection, Mitch agrees. What follows is at times awkward and at others quite thoughtful. Mitch and Jessica struggle through this to determine if they will actually continue to be the last couple standing. Both characters were very real. This was a funny but thought-provoking book about what marriage actually means.

This is such a whip smart book, filled with crackling dialogue and plausible scenarios. I rooted for Jessica and Mitch. There were times that I was chuckling because I totally get the dilemma and the absurdity of what midlife can do to a person.

An amusing story of a couple who sees their closest friends all divorcing, and wants to try something to help their marriage? They agree to have affairs. Like that's going to help a marriage! This book is worth the read if you're looking for light entertainment.

Thanks to the publishers for this book I didn’t think I would like this one because of the open marriage aspect but the author made the characters likeable and the story very funny and easy to read so I liked this one a lot

All of Mitch and Jessica's best friends have gotten divorced. They're absolutely the last couple standing. Then, Jessica suggests relaxing the marriage rules, and you just know things are going to change in big ways.

I received an ARC ebook version of this book, courtesy of the publisher and Netgalley.com.

Told with a light and often humorous voice, this story of marital infidelity and miscommunication is a pretty fun look at the woes of online dating apps and the misadventures of trying to find sexual partners after 40.

Toss in a couple of teens with their own preoccupation with sex and a couple of young children with a huge fear of E.T. (of the movie fame), and you've got yourself a nice little read.

(This review will appear on Goodreads, my Facebook account and on The Book Club Girls, 52 Books and Books, Brew & Bibliophiles Facebook groups.

I like rom-coms on occasion but I like smart comedy and this was just silly. A ridiculous premise and an even worse ending. I hated the characters and finally put it down without finishing.