I am a sucker for a romance. I simply love them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.
That being said, it does have a rather large cast of characters, which I found difficult to keep straight in the beginning, at least until their personalities emerged more fully and the events unfolded. Interestingly, there were snippets here and there, within the framework of the cushion a wealthy family can provide in the wake of an event that causes a major undoing, that revealed true thoughtfulness about what it is to love deeply and with unconditional commitment.
4.5 stars

4.5 ⭐️ Lyrical & captivating.
Beautifully written & told.
The rich imagery ... the gorgeous language. The literary references abound and delight.
One of those rare books you cannot wait to continue reading yet never want to end.
I am not a re-reader of books, but this one ... yes, a must. I want to continue to dwell in it.
And such a stunning cover.

With great thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group — Ballantine for this e-ARC!

No one writes sweeping sagas like Frances Mayes. A Great Marriage was a real treat! I know I’ll be seeing copies of this book everywhere come August.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC!

I enjoy Frances Mayes's books, but I confess I loved her memoirs about moving to Tuscany (one of my favorite places) and starting a new life there. "A Great Marriage" is a perfect book to take on vacation, because it has lots of plot, a variety of characters, romance, heartbreak, but satisfying resolutions.

The criticisms are that unless you are very wealthy and privileged, you might not be able to relate to the characters. Still, I enjoyed the book, and it was a quick read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the eARC to review this book.

This romantic tale centers on Dara and Austin, who appear to be the ideal couple on the brink of marriage. But as their wedding day draws near, unexpected events compel Dara to cancel the celebration, throwing both their relationship and their optimistic families into chaos. Now separated and in different places, the question remains: will Dara and Austin repair their bond, or is this the conclusion of their love story?

If you love happily ever after and Hallmark movies, then this is the book for you. There’s no angst, no conflict, and only one dramatic moment. Every relationship is the perfect marriage or will be. The characters are weakly drawn and could stand in for each other..

Rollercoaster of a ride with this book. Dara and Austin have a fairytale romance with their pending marriage in one month. Dark clouds enter the horizon when an ex girlfriend pops back into the picture. Beautiful layed plans are turned upside down with life and death decisions. Very good read. I was given an advanced reader copy of this well written book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review

This is a fast-paced, compelling story with a varied cast of many interesting, memorable characters. Dara grew up with role models of great marriages. Her parents are totally devoted to one another. Her grandmother, a writer, even has written a couple books on great marriages, and she had a great second marriage with a Senator, until he died.
Despite their different backgrounds, When Dara and Austin met there was an immediate connection – almost love at first sight. Now they are engaged and celebrating the upcoming wedding. Austin, an architect from London, England, and Dara from North Carolina, with plans for law school.
All the plans for a beautiful wedding are in place, when one phone call changes the direction of many lives. Austin finds himself back in London, however, before he leaves, Dara gives his ring back. She consoles herself with a trip to California to visit friends, and plans to finally enroll in law school, which was her original plan all along.
This story is somewhat of a wild ride, with unexpected events, as well as unexpected romances. Once I really got into it, putting it down was nearly impossible.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

I found one of the most poignant lines of this book is that in a great marriage and relationship, that there should be no but when describing your partner. In stating and while wanting them to be the best and selflessly putting their goals and desires besides oneself, that the results will certainly be better than one could have imagined. It certainly was evident in Lee and Rich and was a great demonstration as to what Dara wanted to have. She thought she had it in Austin and they floated through idyllic bliss when the intent of marriage and always having their lips on each others. However, circumstances change and what Austin had to take on is a drastic change and commendable that he took on the role so well and celebrated Hawthorn. He let his career as an architect take a back seat to the greater role he needed to play. Dara had a hard time coming to grips with this as evidenced by her inability to share the news with her parents nor Moira or Mei. As the book.evolved and further events played out in London, the reader truly realizes the preciousness of life and like at the end, it really needs to be celebrated. Nothing is more important than knowing you are loved.

The author of Under a Tuscan Sun is BACK!
In, A Great Marriage, Southern-born Dara Willcox is set to marry Brit Austin Clarke. It's close to love at first sight and they both quite young. Dara's family has rallied for the cause and a great wedding is set to happen when a sudden es vent jettisons both of the engaged far from each other.

Mayes introduces us to many, many characters and we learn a lot about them via there inner thoughts. The novel moves quickly and you surely do not know where it will go. By the end, you are half in love with most of the characters and wish you could step in tot he book and live along with them. A Great Marriage reminded me a bit of A Little Life as it was all-encompassing and beautifully wrought. It is a great deal happier than that story though, don't worry!

It goes unsaid, but these families are quite wealthy. I don't hold it against them, but I think it could have been mentioned a bit more. Volunteering a few hours at HUD in college does not offset the great great familial wealth that is on display. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic book and I know you will love it!
#randomhouse #agreatmarriage #francesmayes #underatuscansun

“A Great Marriage” is the delightful new novel by Frances Mayes.

Dara meets Austin and thinks she’s found her happily ever after, even though they’re headed on different paths. However, soon after their engagement, when Austin receives surprising news, Dara backs out, surprising her parents and grandmother, the latter who wrote a book about how a good marriage works. While Dara flees, first to California, and then to South Carolina, Austin returns to his home in London to take on the possibility for his previous actions.

I did not enjoy this book as much as “Under the Tuscan Sun,” but it does a good job about exploring relationships—especially marriage—in a way that is not sugar-coated. Expect a few surprisingly plot points and a few memorable moments.

Four stars.

Thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for a chance to read and review this memorable book.

I enjoyed Frances Mayes prior books and relished reading A Great Marriage. A little twist in this book, however I managed to get reorientated quite easily. Austin and Dara were the main item in the story. They lived separately in London and North Carolina, D.C., or New York. Austin's family lived in London and were the proprietors of book stores. He traveled from London to wherever his job as an architect would take him. Dara and family was from North Carolina. She was working on a Senators life works and a Law Degree. Austin and Dara were just about to get married when he gets sidelined by his ex who hit him with "I'm pregnant" at eight months. Mayes gets to sort things out by having the worst thing happen to Shelley and that is having her die in childbirth. Austin mans up and does the right thing and takes the child. Mayes turns things around and gets them back together and that's what the story is about. It's interesting and amazing how Mayes works things out. Read it, you won't regret it.

I like Mayes' books as they give me a glimpse into how the other half lives. A Great Marriage doesn't disappoint in this regard. I really liked Austin with his flaws and earnestness. Dara is an entitled, unlikeable, spoiled brat. I wish that Austin had moved on from her. The ending was a little rushed. All in all, Mayes' fans will enjoy this book (without the satisfaction of Under the Tuscan Sun, but still...).

Premise great. Not a fan of the writing.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

A Great Book! Fantastic drama and exploration of relationships. I enjoyed the writing and pace. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the eARC!

This novel was not at all what I expected. I’ve never read this author before, and her prose is certainly… unique! I liked that it had a lot of voice, but it was also confusing. In the same vein, I liked that there were multiple POVs given, but that was confusing too. However, it was interesting to see the same situation from different angles. Haven’t we all wished to be in someone else’s head and wonder what they’re thinking about something?

Overall, this book was a bit too dense for my taste. I think it’s probably suited to older audiences who have more experience in these kinds of situations. I don’t like novels that take themselves too seriously, and this was one.

A great marriage? Does that exist? This talented author has written a novel with realistic characters who keep the story moving. This would make a great movie. I enjoyed reading about the family and friends in this book of fiction that read like nonfiction, at times. The author kept me guessing...the characters changed throughout the story...they were not static...they came to life on the pages...real people. Thanks Netgalley.

When Dara Willcox of Hillston, North Carolina (just outside Durham/Chapel Hill) and Austin Clarke of London meet at an NYc art opening it’s love at first sight. She’s headed for law school; he’s an architect temporarily working in the city. They quickly decide they are ready for a life together.

However, just after their engagement dinner Austin gets distressing news from London which upsets their plans and Dara cancels the wedding. She won’t tell anyone why, which is surprising, her parents, Lee and Rich have a great marriage and her grandmother Charlotte, married to a late Senator, actually wrote a book about good marriages.

Dara flees to California, then South Carolina to recover while Austin returns to London to face what he must. Ultimately, it’s Dara’s parents and grandmother who take a trip to London….what happens to both families?

I’m not much on romances, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book, although Lee and Rich seemed a little too good to be true to me, as did Charlotte and her late husband. No wonder Dara was so worried she would suffer by comparison! And it killed me that Dara could just blithely take time off to do what she wanted….um, where do you get the money to support yourself? Where do all of these artists in South Carolina get money? See, I guess I’m just too cynical for romance!

All that said, I still liked the book, especially the line, “Plan B for southerners is always to return home.” That is so true. Love that. So, if you are a romance fan, read this!

Thank you @randomhouse and @netgalley for the eARC of A Great Marriageby @francesemayes in exchange for an honest review!

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Dara is descended from a line of great marriages, couples that foster love and honesty that awes and inspires. Naturally, it would seem as though she would follow suit. When she meets handsome Austin in NYC while traveling, it seems as if the stars have aligned in the universe for her to follow in the footsteps of her family. Except right before the wedding, Dara calls it off and her family and friends are left wondering what happened. One secret, one unknown truth, one letter can change our life as we know it in a split second. Frances Mayes writes an absolutely mesmerizing, poetic story full of every human emotion imaginable. A Great Marriage is an artful tale by a master storyteller, a gripping and heartfelt must-read novel.

5/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review is posted on Goodreads and will be on Instagram ahead of the publication date

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes.

It is always a pleasure to read words written by Ms. Mayes; perfectly chosen poetic words building the most beautiful scenes and descriptions.

I loved this story of Dara and Austen's love, their family and their friends. It's a book I'll be recommending to everyone I know.