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!

Unfortunately this was not for me. I struggled to connect with any of the couples- and it was hard to keep track of who was who. I’ve loved John Marrs books in the past, but I couldn’t find my groove with this one.

“The Family Experiment" marks my introduction to John Marrs' writing, and I must say, it left a lasting impression, despite my usual inclination away from sci-fi genres.

Marrs seamlessly blends elements of thriller with a thought-provoking exploration of scientific innovation and its ethical implications.

What immediately drew me in was Marrs' ability to create a gripping narrative that kept me on the edge of my seat. The suspense builds steadily as the story unfolds, weaving together multiple perspectives and intertwining plotlines that converge in unexpected ways.

As someone who typically avoids sci-fi, I appreciated how Marrs grounded the speculative elements in a relatable human drama. The ethical dilemmas posed by advancements in technology and the pursuit of scientific progress felt not only timely but eerily plausible.

"The Family Experiment" is more than just a sci-fi thriller; it's a cautionary tale that raises profound questions about the intersection of science, morality, and the essence of humanity itself.

In conclusion, "The Family Experiment" exceeded my expectations and piqued my interest in Marrs' other works. If you're looking for a novel that challenges the boundaries of genre while delivering a suspenseful and thought-provoking story, I highly recommend picking up "The Family Experiment." It's a testament to Marrs' skill as a storyteller and his ability to engage readers, even those who are not typically drawn to sci-fi literature.

John Marrs does it again. I loved his typical twists with the inclusion of AI . A series of contestants have the opportunity to play “The Family Experiment,” a game show with a virtual child. At the end the winner can choose to keep their AI child or use their winnings to help them grow their human child .

This had me shook for pretty much the entire book. The book bobbed and weaved constantly and left me in a state of shock. I could NOT put this down and now I wish I had read "The One" and "The Marriage Act" before reading this one since those two were referenced a bit in this one. I definitely plan to go back and read those two since this book was AMAZING. I loved the writing style, the mixed media, the plot, and the character dilemmas. Everything was so well plotted out and shocking that I could have kept reading this book for another 1000 pages and wouldn't have been bored. This is an easy 5 star and I can't wait to read the backlist of John Marrs.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book.

Absolutely loved this book!! John Marrs is so brilliant. This whole concept was so interesting and every page I was just desperate to know what would happen next. Thank you so much NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Hanover Square Press for sharing this wonderful sci-fi journey’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts. GO READ THIS BOOK!

I am a huge fan of Marss, especially his writing in the The One universe. This was my least favourite of those. I still give it 4 stars because this author really has a way with words, but I simply couldn't get as immersed in this one as I have with the others.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. I’ve absolutely devoured other John Marrs books and while the premise of this book intrigued me, the story got a little too out there for me. I enjoyed it but wouldn’t rate it as highly as his other books.