Name of Book: The Marriage Test
Author: Ellie Monago
Genre: Domestic Psychological/Thriller
Publisher: Bookouture
Pub Date: September 3, 2024
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 380

Four couples are participants on the TV show “Relationship Rescue” which talks place on a tropical island. The purpose of the show is - to save their marriages.
But the people behind the cameras know all their secrets so it appears all the marriages need to be rescued.

Who will pass this marriage test? Actually who will survive?
The Couples are:
• A surgeon and partner
• High school sweethearts
• A husband and wife running a successful business together.
• Lauren and Tristan a young couple who are expecting their first child and thrilled at become parents. However, Lauren make a comment sunder her breath – ‘What we aren’t – is in love!’.
(Although only four couples there are a lot of characters in this story but I was especially curious about these two.)


I have read several stories with this similar plot and was hoping for something ‘way’ different.
Although it kept me curious – it wasn’t ‘way different.

This is my third Ellie Monago novel. I look forward to her next story!

Thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 3, 2024

For me, “The Marriage Test,” by Ellie Monago, is yet another reminder of why I don’t ever want to be on a reality TV program - and also why “reality TV” is really a huge misnomer. That being said, “The Marriage Test” is about four couples technically with marital or relationship issues. They all agree to “air it all” on a (heavily edited) TV show. The beginning opens with a bang that hooks one in. Then the backstory and introduction to the characters begins (including some of the production staff). It took me a while to keep the characters separate, although the chapters were headed with the character’s name I do wish that the “voice” had been slightly different for each character [maybe this is a time when an audio book would’ve helped!]. Once the murder happens, I felt like the book dragged on a bit too long with explanations, twists, and “who done it”s galore. I cannot even say I was satisfied by the ending - which was kinda sad because I was rather hoping for a more solid ending. I think if you like reality TV shows gone wrong (though some of the behind the scenes things seemed to be plausible), this might be a book you’d enjoy reading. It was a quick read.

I loved the reality tv show cover concept - it was very different and more exciting to read. I definitely couldn't guess any of the twists and turns because it was so well written and not as predictable as one would think.

This reality tv show is going to be different. Different from the past two seasons. Different because some of the participants may know each other. Different because there are very dark, dangerous secrets hidden. Different because this year, some of the contestants refuse to play the producer’s games. And very different because this year, losers will leave the island… in a body bag.

The are four couples here to play the marriage counseling challenge, hoping to win prizes and have a better marriage. They are Cain (The Major) and Naomi, Tatiana and Zarine, Blanche and Joshua, and Lauren and Tristan. At first the couples follow the semi scripted instructions. These instructions seem planned to cause cheating among the couples and to force the secrets mentioned earlier to be aired. Couples are built up (Tristan and Lauren) to be fan favorites then pulled down (Lauren). Some secrets are too difficult to deal with and those lead to murder. Being trapped on an island, knowing there is a killer among you, could not possibly be part of the producers’ plan. Could It?

The Marriage Test is a quick read that looks at the underbelly of reality TV and how far people will go to be favorites and become influencers, possibly with their own shows. The isolated island location and the silently spying cameramen ad to the suspense. This is a fun, five star read.

Thank yo to NetGalley, Bookouture and Ellie Monago for this ARC.

What a different concept for a book. I loved it. It kept me guessing right up until the very end. Every time I thought I had it all figured out I wasn't even close.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoture for the ARC

Twisty, twisty, twisty. An isolated-setting thriller with unlikable characters, secrets and betrayal. This book is perfect for reality-tv lovers. It has you in a chokehold for large parts of the novel and never cease to surprise you. A definite summer thriller.

I enjoy watching a reality show every now and again. The one I always make time for is Married at First Sight. Although the base is the same for every country, there a quite some differences. Some seem a lot more scripted than others. Some seem more like people coming on the show to promote their business or trying to get a job in the world of media. Some have down to earth people and some are like publicity shows for all kinds of products. 

How real is a reality show? If you have wondered about it, like I do, this will answer a lot of your questions.

The author alternates the points of view of different characters giving them the opportunity to voice their thoughts and this combined with short chapters makes it a fluent read. 

Secret after secret surfaces, each time throwing a different light on the characters. The twists seem to have twists and you need to pay proper attention in order to not miss out on anything. 

When someone stands by you, do they do it out of the kindness of their heart or do they have a hidden agenda..?

A well written story with interesting characters and a great setting. 4,5 stars

Thank you

This book will be a great read for fans of reality TV and social media but it wasn't really my cup of tea. Four self obsessed couples sign all their rights away to appear on a reality TV show and allow themselves to be manipulated in anyway the producers desire and require to make 'good telly'. The format for all reality TV I expect. However, things go wrong when murder interrupts the filming. Social media goes wild and the producer uses the murder as an excuse to extend her TV programme. I think my main problem with the book came from the fact that I couldn't warm to any of the participants despite their constant repositioning and character changes. In some ways I suppose this means the author was doing a good job! There were some clever twists during the search for the murderer but I found the ending very sudden and dissatisfying. I did finish the book but found it hard going so it's a 3* review from me. Others may well enjoy it more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own

The Marriage Test by E. Monago is a fast paced, complex thriller written in multiple povs.
1 dream holiday, 4 couples whom not ll'll make it back...
Blurb: One tropical island. Four couples. They believe they’re on a TV show to save their marriages. But the people behind the cameras know all their secrets. They’re going to be revealed, one by one. Because everyone has something to hide…
An incredibly successful surgeon and her gorgeous partner enjoy a life of luxury. To get it, one of them had to hide a dark past…
A young couple are expecting their first child. Has one of them been unfaithful?
High school sweethearts, missing their two young children. But the suburban dream is becoming a nightmare…
A husband and wife running a successful business together.
But their secrets aren’t the only thing coming out under the bright lights. Because some of the people on this island have met before.
And one of them has a secret they'd kill to protect…

6.5/10

I devoured this in less than 24 hours. I only had to sleep in between. It was thrilling and addictive but then... It just kind of fell off in the second half. The characters became irritable and one dimensional. There is this issue where they keep saying very cliche lines and it becomes obvious what their true intentions are like Blanche and Lauren who were more likeable initially. It's kind of sad, I wanted to like it more but the final conclusion and reveal was boring. Overall, I think it was worth reading but I wish it ended better.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy.

This was a good story line, but i feel like there were too many characters to keep track of - that’s just my personal preference. overall it was an enjoyable read and the writing was well executed. The author did a subvert job of creating and building suspense, keeping tension, and encouraging the reader to expect the unexpected.

Four couples go on season three of a reality show in hopes to save their marriage. Turns out all of these couples have secrets, Cheating, failing business, connections between people from the past etc. Tensions rise as the therapists on the show seem to be out to destroy lives and turn people against each other more than anything. But even more secrets come out when we find out couples are even plotting against their partners to get what they want. One body is found. Then another. Who killed these two and why? What is Marla (the show producer) really up to? Book was good. I think it was too long and could have been better if it were shorter.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I loved this one up until about 60%, and it sort of slowed down. If you’ have ever been a fan of the Show Temptation Island it had a few parallels. At least the set up of the reality series. Overall I did enjoy the book, but I think it could’ve been more enjoyable if it wasn’t quite so long. I did appreciate the short chapters. I still give it 4 stars, because I read it in two days. It was well written and it was obvious the author put a lot of time in writing a rather complex storyline.

This is a juicy piece of storytelling which brings together four couples - each hiding their own secrets - competing on a reality TV show.

On a tropical island, a young couple expecting their first child, a surgeon and her glamorous partner, a suburban couple with 2.5 kids, and a pair of business owners gather, ostensibly to work on their relationships. But not only do they each have secrets, some of their secrets even overlap...

Ellie Monago has written an enjoyable story with believable characters. Aspects of their personalities have been crafted in a way that makes them relatable to most readers - something that also applies to a story that touches on everything from potential infidelity to possible divorce. Finally, the book delivers twists and turns aplenty keeping the suspense level high. It gets 3.5 stars.

Quick read. Perfect for fans of Shari Lapena. Plenty of twists and turns. You won't be disappointed.

Struggling marriages and reality tv, what could go wrong. So much! Read The Marriage Test to see if you can figure out the twist!