Wow. So many unlikeable characters. I had to read through this one so I could figure out what happened to them all. I like how it references some previous books too. John Marrs is one of the most readable authors in my opinion. I can’t wait for the next one.

**Review: The Marriage Act by John Marrs**

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 out of 5 stars)

*The Marriage Act* by John Marrs is a thought-provoking and gripping novel that explores the complexities of modern relationships within a dystopian framework. Known for his ability to weave intricate and unsettling narratives, Marrs once again delivers a compelling story that keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

In this novel, Marrs presents a world where the government has taken an intrusive interest in the institution of marriage, implementing policies that have far-reaching and often disturbing consequences. The characters, each dealing with their own personal struggles and secrets, are vividly drawn and deeply human, making their plights and triumphs all the more engaging.

Having enjoyed other works by John Marrs, I found *The Marriage Act* to be equally captivating. Marrs' talent for creating complex characters and intertwining their lives in unexpected ways shines through in this book. The tension and suspense build steadily, making it difficult to put the book down.

While the premise is intriguing and the execution skillful, there are moments where the pacing slows, and some plot points feel slightly predictable. However, these minor issues do not detract significantly from the overall impact of the story.

In summary, *The Marriage Act* by John Marrs earns a solid 4 stars. It is a compelling read that delves into the darker sides of societal control and personal freedom, all while maintaining a deeply human touch. Fans of Marrs' previous works will find much to appreciate here, and new readers are likely to be drawn into his unique and unsettling world.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book. I enjoyed the characters and their arcs, and found the plot interesting. I look forward to reading more from this author.

I'm a big fan of John Marrs' "murdery" books like Keep It In The Family and What Lies Beneath. Sci-Fi and/or dystopian thrillers aren't something I read regularly, but since I know Marrs delivers epic stories, I was excited to dig into The Marriage Act. And once again, Marrs delivers!

At first, I was low-key overwhelmed by the sheer number of characters and kept confusing some of the men. But I got passed that pretty quickly. And we need to talk about Arthur. His story broke my heart and hit me the hardest out of all the vignettes.

But the creepiest part? The technology and how it's used to control and conform people into the government's idea of a perfect citizen.

It seems like all I have to do is *think* about something and ads for products and services will flood my Insta feed focused on things that will help me be my best self

I don’t know about you, this story doesn't feel so dystopian these days…

Thank you to HTP and NetGalley for the gifted e-arc to read and review.

Unfortunately this was not for me. This author has a ton of books I LOVE, but this one just wasn’t a favorite.

This book was very easy to get into - I loved the propaganda for marriage (very "Black Mirror") and the shifting POVs of how the act impacted various people. The pace and intrigue of the book felt on par with his other titles, "The One" and "The Passengers." Overall, a very fun read and will happily recommend to patrons looking for "Black Mirror" type/sci-fi titles. Thank you for the arc!!

This one was slow going for me, but in the last 1/3 finally gripped me and and I finished it. Very interesting concept, and one I hope never comes about for real! It didn’t grip me as well as other John Marrs books, so that was a bit disappointing.

Apologies for the late review here - I couldn’t figure out how to send feedback as I was only using the app, and it doesn’t have that functionality.

I love books by John Marrs and couldnt wait to read this one. I was hooked and flew through this one! I highly recommend this!

Another fantastic book from one of my new favorite authors!! So addictive, complicated characters, and endless moral dilemmas to explore.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙬? 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙮? 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙈𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠, 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝-𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡.

I have absolutely loved this author’s books. John Marrs is easily becoming a favorite author for me when it comes to speculative thrillers: The One, The Passengers, and The Marriage Act are all must-reads!

While this can be read without having read those two books I mentioned, I do recommend reading them beforehand. First, because the whole idea behind those stories are mentioned in this one. Also, I just can’t stop recommending them.

I did go into this one not knowing a single thing - it’s John Marrs, I just have to read it. I’m so glad I went into it blindly because I had the time of my life reading it. It’s super addicting and I just couldn’t put the book down at all.

I was hooked from the very first page and my excitement never left a single time. There were twists here and there that I didn’t see coming.

Also, most of the characters aren’t that likable, but they’re each interesting in their own way. We also get multiple POVs with complex characters.

Something I’ve noticed John Marrs does so well is that each chapter always ends with a cliffhanger, hence why I can never put his books down. I always have to know what’s coming next, and most times I’m always blown away.

I honestly can’t stop recommending this author enough, his books are the perfect binge-able reads. This one was quite a delight and is now my second favorite book by him. I loved the audio with the full cast too. Highly recommend picking this book up - and anything else by this author!

Thank you so much NetGalley and HTP Books for the review eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I did not finish this one. It was just not for me. I have read this authors past works in the futuristic setting and I think I am done with them

This was my third John Marrs book. He always writes such interesting not-so-distant-future dystopian thrillers. This one was reminiscent of his previous book The One which I loved. It was written similarly with chapters relating to several different characters. I def loved this book!

Marrs has written yet another excellent work. The similarities to 1984 are evident, but I also felt like I was reading a different futuristic, frightening tale. The concept was intriguing and well-executed. There is also a mention to DNA testing from his previous work, so the novels appeared to be linked. There is suspense, as usual, but I particularly appreciated the influencer perspective. It felt like a more exaggerated version of what was already going on. The tale and descriptions were a little too dark at points, but overall, it was an excellent novel that I loved.

I loved The Passengers, it was my first Mars book. I did enjoy that this book tied in with that one. This book really made you think that's for sure. I enjoyed the multiple characters in the book, it seems to be his thing. The narrator was excellent as well.

A thought provoking read eerily reminiscent of what could possibly happen in the future given the nature of social media and the hold governing powers have over its people. It is told from 5 pov and at times I did find myself going back to reference a particular character. It felt a bit discombobulated but you can still get the gist. It reminded of Big Brother is watching. The Marriage Act is a piece of legislation put into law governing couples and their marriages post Brexit and the pandemic where everything has changed. In order to get the economy moving again scary measures are put into place and what ensues is crazy. I did find the acknowledgements page interesting and how JM came up with this compelling and plausible read. Overall not my favorite of his books but definitely worth the read. Ty #NetGalley for the ARC all opinions are my own.

“Just because I turn a blind eve does not mean I cannot see”

I read this book slowly because, honestly, sometimes it scared me. It’s really not that far off from what the world could be like & what technological surveillance could evolve to.

The Marriage Act follows several different couples who are all in some stage of a “Safe Marriage”. The book shows all the possible beliefs that surround such a system & how it affects different types of people. It emphasized the dangers of over surveillance & of people inserting themselves into lives that are not their own. The consequences of such greed, power, and control.

A really interesting book that I really enjoyed, very Black Mirror-esque. If you like that show you will like reading this twisted futuristic novel.

I love John Marrs and the universe these books are set in. This was great and honestly I wish it was a little bit longer so I could stay in this world for a little bit more time. Highly recommend!!

TW: Suicide, bullying, animal death (mentioned), dementia, cheating, rape, murder, sexual abuse, stalking, gaslighting, toxic relationships

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills — the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives — monitoring every word, every minor disagreement — and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honor and obey.
Release Date: January 19th, 2023
Genre: Thriller
Pages: 430
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. All the characters were so crazy
2. The storyline was so good

What I Didn't Like:
1. Very political
2. Started off slow

Overall Thoughts:
This book brings with it a lot of questions;
A) how are young children emotionally impacted when they are forced to have a random new step parent forced into their family?
B) are people granted an auto divorce if it's a pedo or murder?

Arthur killing himself because they were taking his house away and forcing him to remarry 6 weeks after his wife is buried. Poor Arthur. Oh and then he kills himself rather than losing his house and going to a retirement home. So sad.

All the characters have so much depth and development. I knew so much about them. I loved that.

I found myself completely enthralled with this book. I could not put it down. Every character got more and more insane. John Marrs writes soap opera books where you're hanging onto every chapter and gasping to know whats going on.

Jeffery's crazy ways of stalking and trying to be his clients took things to a whole new level.

Final Thoughts:
The biggest issue I had with this book was I would have liked to see how all this passed instead of this just being how it is. The ending also rushed and it seemed like everything was wrapped up way too fast.

Also some of the stuff that happens comes off a little outlandish (Luca being dead with no air but still surviving after so long with no air.)

Recommend For:
• Complex multiple storylines
• Horrible callous characters
• Soap opera drama
• Sci-Fi government take overs

The creativity John Marrs has is incredible. This book was so fun and so scary! Fun in the storyline, scary in thinking that could be our future 😬. It took some time to get into the various storylines, but once I got going, the stories just flew by. Such an enjoyable read. All the stars.

THE ONE is one of my all time favorite stories and one that has stuck with me for years. The Marriage Act was another wonderful story that had me hooked from the beginning.