The Marriage Pact: A Novel drew me in immediately, and author Michelle Richmond's style of writing made it difficult to put down. I did wonder why attorney Alice didn't look deeper into this agreement before committing them, but I decided to just chalk that up to a form of literary license. While some of the rules seemed easy enough, always answer your spouse's phone call, a set amount of vacations together, and a monthly exchange of thought out gifts, the punishments for breaking the rules built in intensity and became outlandish.
This book is a bit horror, a bit psychological thriller and a bit of a love story, and the reader needs to allow for several inconsistencies to really appreciate what this clever author is presenting. She definitely gives us a great deal to think about as far as determining what constitutes a good marriage. It is true that even the most loving of couples can begin to take each other for granted, and an occasional little gift or an extra bit of attention can bring a couple closer, but somehow being forced into being attentive seems wrong.
Although the punishments were a bit over the top for me, I found this book to be a definite page turner and recommend it for anyone looking for something a little different.
_ Beverly
Publisher -Bantam
Date of Publication - July 25, 2017