The Family Experiment is John Marrs' most recent thriller set in the same dystopian world as his previous books The Passengers, The One, and The Marriage Act. Five couples and one singleton compete in a reality show where viewers livestream the competition and vote on the winner(s). The competitors are given $250,000 to use toward raising an AI child in the ‘Metaverse’ over a sped-up period of growth of 18 years in the span of 9 months. The winner can either keep what is left from the money they were given to raise their AI child AND keep their AI child, or they can choose to receive another $250,000 to use toward starting a family in the real world, but their AI child will be unplugged/destroyed.

I have read The One and The Marriage Act, which were entertaining, however, The Family Experiment is my favorite out of the three. The book is incredibly entertaining, and each couple has their own shocking secret that make the book even more exciting. The chapters are short and there are plenty of twists. The book itself is less than 300 pages, so I flew through it. There was only one couple that I did not find as entertaining as the rest. Also, while the last 30 pages tied all the stories up, I found that it dragged on for me. Overall, it is a great read for someone who enjoys dystopian/sci-fi thrillers with multiple POV’s and short chapters. I would read it again and recommend it to anyone interested in the genre.

Do you have to read the other books first? Some readers say one should read John Marrs’ previous books before delving into this one, however, I do not think that is entirely true. I think this book can be read as a stand-alone if you aren’t interested in the others, as the characters in this book and their situations are independent from characters in The One and The Marriage Act.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and @hanoversquarepress Square Press for the pleasure of reading this e-book via @netgalley All thoughts are entirely my own: instagram.com/bookslug_

I’m a huge fan of the author so I always get excited when a new book of his appears on the netgalley shelves. Having enjoyed The Marriage Act, I was ready to settle in and get lost in this world for a while, and get lost in this I did but not in a good way at some points. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to his others for me, but I think it’s more of a me thing and less the book. That being said, the book is very confusing and very Meta so be prepared to take notes going in to be able to keep up with who’s who and when and where stuff is taking place or you’ll quickly find yourself losing track.
A reality show about families of all types who have 9 months to raise a virtual child who’s age progresses years each month so that by the time the 9 months is up they are adults and the contestants have to decide if they want to keep the child or have the prize money to have a child in the real world. You use a VR headset and enter a separate universe to spend time with the child and then you take it off and you’re back in the real world. Each family dynamic was different-there were traditional families, single parents, etc, but none of them were exceptionally likable which made it hard to root for any of them.
It’s an interesting concept and totally John Marrs’ style so if you like his work, you may want to check this one out.
Thanks to Macmillan and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Anything that John Marrs writes is something I immediately add to my TBR list. This book, The Family Experiment, was so captivating, so intriguing, that I couldn’t put it down. I absolutely loved the futuristic vibes it gives, and the premise of virtual reality and AI was extremely cool. I loved this book so much.

This takes place in the near future world and apparently in the same metaverse as some of the other books by this author. It was really cool actually. It follows 5 different couples and the ability to have like a AI child, you can create your own child and have it look like you and your partner and you raise it from birth until adulthood.

John Marrs’ The Family Experiment is a read that fans of his previous work will especially enjoy. This novel explores a high-stakes experiment where participants get a chance to "reset" their lives by entering an idealized family simulation. It’s a fascinating look at the complexities of family dynamics and ethical dilemmas.

What stands out is how Marrs weaves in elements from his earlier books. If you’re familiar with The One or What Lies Between Us, you’ll spot some familiar themes and clever nods. The book continues Marrs’ exploration of technology’s impact on human relationships but takes it in a fresh direction with the family experiment.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, which keeps the suspense tight and the plot twists unpredictable. The characters are well-developed and add depth to the narrative, especially Evelyn, who grapples with her own past while navigating the experiment’s moral challenges.

Overall, The Family Experiment is a gripping read that balances suspense with thought-provoking themes. It’s a great pick for anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers with a twist. I enjoyed picking up on the small nods to his previous books.

* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press in exchange for my honest review

THIS BOOK! Marrs is a master, and this? THIS?? This was further evidence of that. He always leaves you with something that haunts you. The story is always tied up nicely, but there's always some gristle on the bone at the end too. Like what??? The intrigue! The storytelling! The way he made me feel something for every character?? The premise was gold, and I'm normally a bigger fan of his intimate, domestic thrillers over this high-concept, but this changed that. It was so. Good. SO GOOD. Read it. Solid, solid 5!

If you have never read a John Marrs book, this one would give you a very good idea of his writing style, at times unfathomable it boggles the mind. A television station is showing a reality show, The Family Experiment, shows 5 couples and 1 single father as they via for a prize that would enable them to pursue raising a family. They are given the task of raising a virtual child through several development staged, newborn through 18, the child will 'jump' ahead in development at certain points, from newborn to 9 months, the contestants are aware of the jumps but as the child grows the development catches some unaware (the single father is raising a daughter, when she reaches puberty and suddenly has breasts he's taken aback). The story follows each couple and the single man through the development jumps, there are also chat room conversations that follow the show and can send red or black hearts to the contestant, too many black hearts and the couple faces elimination. A flashback involving a young boy that had been trafficked to an unknown location where is his kept in a secure building and has to complete certain tasks, those that don't do well are shown the door on the left and are not seen again. Each of the couples have issues that they hadn't disclosed during the interview process, one couple had a child, and they keep that child in a locked room in the basement of their house after she had been accused of killing a roommate. All of the secrets are eventually brought to life. This is a very good book John Marrs is one of my favorite authors, his previous books, The Passengers and The One are also both very good and aspects of those two are mentioned in this one. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Hanover Square Press for the ARC.

6 couples competing in a reality show to raise a baby in the "Meta-verse." Everyone has a story--different reasons for being on the show. And everyone has a secret.

I stayed up until 2:30am to finish this book because I absolutely couldn't put it down.

What I really love about Marrs' work is that despite it being futuristic technology, it's not so far off from our own that I could totally see all of this happening.

Because there are so many characters, we don't get a deep-dive into each of them. However, each has many secrets to reveal as the book goes on, so that by the end of the book, I was so engaged with them that it didn't matter.

The plot was riveting and I felt like I literally couldn't put this book down.

Marrs did refer to The One, The Passengers, and the Marriage Act in this book. Some spoilers for The One, but none for The Passengers (as far as I could tell). I haven't read The Marriage Act yet, so not sure there. But as of the time of reading this book, I'd only read The One, and I didn't feel like I was missing out on any plot or information. I think it's just to give you the background of -- these worlds are all the same.

Overall, man, I wish I could erase my brain and read this book all over again. The twists and turns to get where we got were incredible.

This was, by far, a 5 Star read for me.

Set in the same universe as his other novels (although not part of a series), John Marrs once again has us questioning the nature of humanity in The Family Experiment.

I really enjoy John Marrs’ creepy, slightly dystopian stories…*just* far enough in the future to be believable and a bit frightening when he shows the intersection of the dark side of technology & evil. I love the multiple POVs & short, cliffhanger chapters that keep me turning the pages long after my bedtime.

★★★☆ 3.5/5 stars

⟡ 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 :
-dystopian/speculative fiction
-artificial intelligence
-tons of suspense
-moral quandaries
-large cast of characters & POVs
-completely original & interesting plots

⟡ 𝙈𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 :
I loved getting to jump back into this world. The writing style is the perfect blend of sci-fi & suspense, with short chapters that end on cliffhangers, tons of epic twists & the use of mixed media like chat rooms, news clips & interviews.

Like with all the other books in this series, there were lots of characters & story lines. But in this book, I had a bit of a hard time keeping track of everyone.

I think my biggest issue with this premise was believability. DNA matched partners, Self driving cars, & Alexa-like technology listening devices in our homes - these were topics had a level of possibility to them. Raising a completely virtual child in a hyper realistic metaverse was just hard for me to relate with & buy into.

That being said, I did have a lot of fun reading this. I thought it was so interesting & unique. I do love the way Marrs has built this futuristic world, & I will definitely be reading any more books set in this universe!

*technically* these can be read as stand alone, but I highly recommend reading them in order of publication to really appreciate this world Marrs has created!

Here’s my ranking of Marrs’s speculative fiction novels:
1. The Passengers
2. The One
3. The Marriage Act
4. The Family Experiment
5. The Minders

Thank you @htp_hive @htpbooks
@netgalley for the ARC!

A few years back, I was enticed to try The One by John Marrs and was blown away by how insightful and eerie it was. While fiction, it was all too possible and all too horrifying. The Family Experiment followed suit. This book explored the idea of raising AI children, and it was premised on a tv reality show where couples (and one singleton) were competing to raise their “child”. This in itself was an interesting concept, but as the story unfolded, all of the secrets hidden within its layers were phenomenal. This was another wonderfully executed novel by John Marrs, and I would highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this arc!

Creative, futuristic story from a brilliant author. It took a while to get the characters straight in my head but I promise everyone and everything makes sense in the end. The twists in every chapter kept me engaged and wanting to keep reading. The ending completely blew me away. Keep them coming sir!

This is a very unique and futuristic twist on reality tv. A group of people who want a baby join a reality tv show - The Family Experiment. They all go in knowing what the outcome will most likely be, but lots of twists and turns keeps the contestants and the reader wondering what will happen next. AI is really advancing, but I hope this book is never our reality.
3 1/2 stars

The Family Experiment by John Marrs
This was a wild one! There were a lot of characaters to keep track of, and that was cumbersome for me as a reader.

With a growing world population, you have big tech companies racing for the latest, greatest thing, AI. This story takes you through a journey for perfection. Couples are looking for the perfect life with the perfect child. They enter a contest where all of their dreams and secrets get exposed. there are some interesting scenarios that really make you think and there are some really fascinating twists.

This was kind of mind blowing for me. It is a very intricate work of dystopian fiction. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either, it was intriguing. I am still processing what I read. The world building and intricate character development kept me turning the pages. I am conflicted as to how to rate it. It takes a great imagination to write a story like this and John Marrs did not let the reader down in that respect. Overall, I would say it’s a 4/5 ⭐️s. I would recommend it to a friend. I did purchase a copy of this book.

I would like to Thank Net Galley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to give my honest opinion.

The Family Experiment is the perfect "next book" in the John Marrs speculative fiction universe. Set in the same world as "The One," "The Passengers," and "The Marriage Act" where the economy is in crisis and couples are struggling to create the families they'd like. Luckily there is a new reality show called The Family Experiment where five lucky couples and one single dad have a chance to raise a MetaChild in the Metaverse. Over the course of 9 months, the metachild will age from newborn to eighteen years old. A constant live stream will air to the public who can vote on different challenges and send hearts to to approve or disapprove of parental behavior. Full of twists and draw dropping turns, and Marrs' typical cliffhanger chapters The Family Experiment is sure to thrill and excite all fans of speculative fiction!

I absolutely LOVE John Marrs and this world he has created! I’ve been hooked ever since reading The One! I find I do have to pay extra close attention towards the beginning of the books until I get the characters down, or I’ll get them mixed up pretty easily, as it switches perspective every few pages. This book was so twisty! I could not put it down! I only have one book left to read from his “speculative thrillers” and I ordered it the second I finished this book! Onto the next! Can’t wait for more in the future!

Unfortunately, this didn't work for me as well as his others like, The One and The Marriage Act. You can feel the typical John Marrs in it like the others however, the plot and characters were not as well developed as his other books. I will say, I think part of my lack of enjoyment has to do with the the whole baby thing, that's just not my favorite trope. Knowing John Marrs though, I thought it would still create a creepy and thrilling experience. There are a lot of people out there who will enjoy it, so I hope they give it a chance. I'm not done with John Marrs, this one just didn't work for me the way I hoped it would.

5 ⭐️

I enjoyed this book so much. Everything comes together so well from the characters, their lives past & present. I loved getting to switch between the contestants storylines and the sci-fi elements. So good. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good thriller mixed with Sci-Fi. 10/10

The Family Experiment follows different couples on their journey to parenthood. Impress the viewers and win the competition and keep your virtual child or collect a check to help start your own biological family. This experiment puts their parenting skills to the test while they’re being live streamed by viewers. Each contestant seems to be harboring their own secrets that could mess with their chances of winning.

This is the fifth and final book in Marrs’ speculative thrillers that are set in the same universe as “The One”. This was such a good one, and I enjoyed the direction he took this clever story. I enjoyed the short chapters and thought that the pace was great. Each chapter has me wanting to keep reading to find out what happens next. This story was wild, and a little scary to think about. I would definitely recommend this one!