I found the writing style to be a bit rambling and at times unorganized. And as I also felt when I read Under The Tuscan Sun, everyone was a bit too privileged. However, I kept reading to see how everything would work out for Dara and Austin. What I really did appreciate were the kernels of inspiration and insight provided by Charlotte. She was by far my favorite character.

While this book may appeal to a specific audience, I found it to be a slow, unsatisfying read. It reminded me of an Edith Wharton novel without the depth. Its cast of characters was large and difficult to keep straight at first. Its focus on a world of grace, good manners, education, success, and wealth, was its mainstay. While a problem arises early on to give the story a place to go, the course it took seemed unbelievable.

In a nutshell: The book opens at a beautiful southern homestead. Family and friends have gathered to celebrate the engagement of Dara and her English boyfriend, Austin. He is distracted and we, along with him, find out he has good reason to be. A former girlfriend is pregnant with his child.

I won’t spoil what ensues, but the situation Austin finds himself in is unbelievable. How wonderful it would be if a life changing situation arises and everything would be set up for you—money, apartment, support, job, etc. He adapts to these very big changes (except perhaps the loss of Dara) without skipping a beat.

Dara, on the other hand, is heartbroken but has the resources to have an idyllic few months to lick her wounds and decide what’s next.

The writing on the one hand is lush and beautiful. The setting and descriptions overshadow the story. On the other hand, it is annoying. Too much of everything. Too many names to keep straight. Minor character stories that are irrelevant. Too much proselytizing. Endless rambling thoughts. At the same time, it glosses over the complicated and potentially rich heart of the story. Does the reader truly get a sense of what a good marriage is?

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing —Ballantine for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I think this would have held my interest longer, if it was at least somewhat realistic

I honestly did not care for any of these people. It was so far-fetched I couldn't.

I enjoyed The Perfect Marriage mostly because of the author’s writing style. Layered with many well defined supporting character and beautifully described settings, the story of Dara and Austin evolves. A few weeks before their wedding, they are faced with an almost insurmountable crises that postpones the ceremony. Both spend the next few months discovering what is really important in life with the help of family and friends. It isn’t the perfect wedding. The ending is predictable but welcome.

I was very disappointed in this book. It lacked the usual great characters and interesting story that you can usually count on in a book by a Frances Mayes.

I ended up skimming this book because I did not like the characters and could not really identify with them. It was an interesting plot premise with a twist. I would recommend checking it out if you like stories about families and Elin Hildebrand books.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Books for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. A Great Marriage opens with the engagement party of our main characters, Dara and Austin, who are madly in love and excited to start their lives together. However, Austin receives some shocking news right before their wedding, which in turn leads Dara to abruptly call everything off. What follows is the story of the consequences and how their lives unfold over the following year.

I enjoyed the premise of this book and loved the very dramatic twist that propels the plot of this story forward! While I was reading, I kept thinking that the author was not going to take the story further down the winding, dramatic road that the characters were following but, we indeed did keep going! I think this high stakes setup positioned the rest of the story well because I became very invested in the outcome of the story and what was to become of the main characters.

While getting to know the characters over the course of this year period, I was very intrigued by the questions posed by the author around how you pick up the pieces of your life when the unimaginable happens— what do you do next? How do you keep going day to day and what choices can or should you make? I found this very interesting and appreciated the uncertainty the characters experienced as they navigated new challenges.

Overall, I did enjoy this book! There were points where I felt like we unnecessarily spent too much time with secondary characters without much purpose to the primary plot. This felt frustrating at times because these interspersed bits felt like they detracted a bit from the story. The ending was also a bit too neat, in my opinion, and seemed at odds with some of the points in the story about embracing new paths forward, when the unexpected happens. But, I can certainly appreciate the feel good nature of the ending anyway!

This was definitely an introspective and ultimately feel good contemporary fiction story. A great summer read, would definitely recommend to other readers!

A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes is my favorite novel so far this year! Well written beautifully descriptive with a story that will tug at your heart, I didn't want it to end! Thank you to the author publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the descriptions of the areas written about as well as the obviously wealthy people and to see that they too face real life dilemmas. What do you do when the love of your life betrays you? How do you move on? And can you ever get back together with that person and accept the baggage that comes along with them? It was a little confusing early on keeping track of all the characters and who was currently talking because some of them had more than one name. But once I got into the story, I didn't even notice that anymore and could just enjoy the story. This is a book that would probably best be enjoyed by an older female reader, which I am.

As other reviewers have said, there is a lot of rambling and unclear writing in this tale of the privileged. I loved her other books but this one fell flat for me. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher

Maybe 2 1/2 stars. Dara and Austin are about to get married, when Austin hears some news that causes the wedding to be cancelled. The author's writing style was not my cup of tea - it was rambling and rather confusing, and I had a hard time getting to the meat of the story. It may have worked better for me if I had the patience to read more slowly, but I really just wanted to find out what happened to Dara and Austin. Thank-you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Ms. Mayes for the ARC of this title.

Frances Mayes' "A Perfect Marriage" presents a tale of love, loss, and the complexities of relationships against the backdrop of well-to-do families and their seemingly perfect lives. The story follows Dara Willcox and Austin Clarke, two individuals whose whirlwind romance is abruptly halted by unforeseen circumstances, leaving their families grappling with the aftermath.

While the premise holds promise, the execution falls short. The characters, despite their privileged backgrounds, struggle to resonate on a deeper level. Their wealth and lack of substantial challenges make it difficult to connect with their experiences. Additionally, the sporadic shifts in perspective and the narrative style hinder immersion in the story, preventing a fully engaging reading experience.

Despite these shortcomings, Mayes' narrative does offer moments of introspection and exploration into the intricacies of marriage and family dynamics. The author's warmth and humor are evident throughout, creating a sense of familiarity despite the detachment from the characters.

Ultimately, A Perfect Marriage may appeal more to readers who enjoy exploring the nuances of relationships within affluent circles. However, for those seeking deeper emotional resonance and relatable characters, this novel may fall short of expectations. While not without merit, this particular work is not for me.

A Great Marriage opens right in the thick of it as Fayes drops us around a lavish dinner table. Friends and family buzz around the protagonists Dara and Austin, who are in the final weeks of preparations for their weddings. As the night winds down, it becomes clear that something is bothering husband-to-be Austin. Within days, and with a secret revealed, the wedding is off. The majority of the book follows Dara and Austin as they piece together their now fractured lives, Dara in California, then South Carolina, then back home to North Carolina, and Austin in London. Along the way the narrative is supported, and at times accelerated, by a cast of family and friends, each more successful than the last. Mayes scatters throughout some beautiful lines of poetry as well as musings about the makings of a great marriage.

I quickly became absorbed in Austin and Dara's story and was flying through the book to learn what would become of them and their relationship. At times, I found the writing hard to follow. There are entire sections where the writing is so clipped it reads like the clues for a logic/matrix puzzle. At other points, the narrative switches from first to third person or between different characters in entirety. There are also a ton of characters and I often lost track of the details of each. There is quite a bit of drama and while it ultimately leads to love, the journey there made me a bit sad. Others suggest this would make a great vacation read and I agree with that, by the end, everything ties up neatly in a saccharine scene set right where we began.

Thank you to Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Great book from this new-to-me author. The characters are strongly delineated and I wondered throughout who wasn’t what they seemed! I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue, making it a page-turner!

This is the first work of fiction I've read by Frances Mayes.. I loved her books about her experiences in Italy. This too might be a good book to take on vacation. This is a light read, a romance mixed with some philosophical musings about marriage and relationships (most marriages fail through a lack of Imagination). Other than the quirky, rich, writer, psychologist grandmother, I never got attached to the characters. Maybe I'm jaded, but I find it hard to muster too much empathy for a group who is so privileged, so attractive and without personal conflict. There is a blow up at the beginning of the book that sets the scene for drama and potential heartbreak. With all of the scene shifts and plot twists for the right reader the book provides a satisfying escape.

A beautiful, readable family saga filled with life, loss, longing and plenty of food for thought.

I loved Frances Mayes’ characters and would have liked to spend additional time with each of them. Her novel’s ending didn’t follow the trajectory I anticipated, but perhaps an ultimately more satisfying course. This was a wonderful novel.

Dara Wilcox and Austin Clarke seem perfect for each other. Their elaborate wedding is just days away when Austin confesses to a transgression he made before they became a couple. Stunned Dara cancels the wedding and flees to California to visit friends. Could she ever forgive Austin? Meanwhile Austin is dealing with a situation that will absolutely change his life. A warm, loving group of characters leads Dara to ponder the future and what a great marriage actually means. Lovely, poignant novel filled with self reflection and affection. An enjoyable read.

Four stars for a book filled with lush descriptions, beautiful (successful) people, and a “tied with a bow” ending. However…
It took me a while to get into the rhythm of the writing style. There are lots of characters, some of them are referred to with more than one name, they all take turns speaking (sometime first person, sometimes third person) and much of it is almost stream of consciousness. With each new chapter, you have to read several lines before you know which person is taking their turn.

Once into the manner/rhythm of the writing, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the descriptions of the various areas in which the story takes place.

I’ve seen several other reviews that say this story is probably good for older female readers, or a grandmother. I fit both those descriptions, so perhaps that’s true.

Nicely written, but every character is the most beautiful, rich, talented, and brilliant person in the room. They are at the top of the class, going to an ivy league college if they're young and still gorgeous and amazingly virile if they are older.
Two people immediately fall perfectly in love, ready to love each other forever, then one thing happens, the wedding is completely cancelled, and the inseparable couple split, living in different countries. The beginning is told by the pretentious grandmother, who famously wrote a book on marriage, introducing a confusing amount of characters all at once, as if the reader already knows them. I just could not like any of them. I found the plot to be predictable and the dialogue to be a bit cliched. It was not a bad book, just not for me. I think this book would appeal to older women, who like reading about rich people having a mildly scandalous heart rending romance.
It will probably be a best seller.

A well written story that centers around Dara and Austin who are about to get married until an unexpected obstacle occurs and contributes to the story including a great deal of soul searching by Nora about what a great marriage really is according to her grandmother!!. It has too many characters to mention here but they are all interesting and devoted to each other. It is a good story which includes a lot of interesting discussions among the characters about poetry and literature!!