The Marriage Act: A Novel

Written by John Marrs

Narrated by John Marrs, Clare Corbett, Nathalie Buscombe and 3 more

What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey? Black Mirror meets thriller with a dash of Naomi Alderman’s The Power in this dark, high-concept novel by the bestselling author of The One.

Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to society’s ills—the Sanctity of Marriage Act, which actively encourages marriage as the norm, punishing those who choose to remain single.

But four couples are about to discover just how impossible relationships can be when the government is monitoring every aspect of our personal lives—monitoring every word, every minor disagreement…and will use every tool in its arsenal to ensure everyone will love, honor and obey.

“The king of near-future what-ifs is back with a smart and chilling page-turner. Twisty, unsettling, scarily believable and thought provoking, this is his best yet.” —Ellery Lloyd, author of The Club

“Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible. A near future nightmare that grips from the first page and never lets go. THE MARRIAGE ACT is a brilliant examination of relationships and the power we let others have over us. And talk about a page-turner. This one will leave you with paper cuts!” —C. J. Tudor, author of The Chalk Man

Don't miss other suspenseful reads from John Marrs (you'll never see the twists coming!):

• The One
• The Vacation
• The Family Experiment (coming soon!)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harlequin Audio
• Release date: May 2, 2023
• ISBN: 9781488228551

John Marrs

John Marrs is an author and former journalist based in Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers, magazines and websites, he is now a full-time author. Follow him at www.johnmarrsauthor.co.uk, on Twitter @johnmarrs1, on Instagram @johnmarrs.author, on TikTok @johnmarrs.author and on Facebook @johnmarrsauthor.

Reviews for The Marriage Act

[Scott Cheney · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Welcome to the not so distant future where AI and technology govern life. This rich, full cast recording of, The Marriage Act, is a heart palpitating look at where we may someday be if we are not… smart.

[Daisy Kirby · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

WOW!! This author is just incredible at observing the nuances of a relationship, and how to tear them apart, and have you shaking your head with disbelief and dismay. This book, the idea, the plot and definitely not least, the narrators, are spellbinding. I couldn't stop listening. It seems to start off slow, but that doesn't last long, and damned if you don't want to yell at your radio to hurry up and tell you what happens now!
This is a great listen!
Oh, and in the story, a previous technological game changer is mentioned many times, and though this book stands just fine on it's own legs, I found it a happy coincidence that I'd already listened to "The One" by the same author, because it just fleshes the background nuances out that much better if you know about that wild app. The One was definitely a book that's stuck with me years after having finished it.

[Heather Creighton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book and narration! And an awesome story to ponder.

[Joyce · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

REALLY fun futuristic (but no so futuristic) scary book! The issues brought up regarding social media, deep fake bed etc are already at our back door

[Holly Backus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely loved it! Definitely an author I have and will continue to watch out for. Pairing this book with “The One” - a previous John Mars novel - makes me want a third installment in this dystopian world.

[Gary · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Marrs has done it again with this outstanding, unique and frighteningly believable book! While the book’s concept of AI wasn’t all that appealing to me at first, I quickly found myself drawn in by the characters and to their complex lives, many having been impacted by the book’s title, The Marriage Act. I’m so glad I ignored that initial thought and decided to give it a shot. Enjoyed the varying voices who read the characters too.

[Bonnie N Eldon Wurban · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow!!! Another astonishing storyline from John Marrs!! So many futuristic ideas that aren’t so far in the future!

[Bianka Rubio · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best novel I have listened to in a LONG time! I was a bit confused in the beginning, there are several key characters and some have names which sound similar. About an hour in I started it over and paid better attention. So glad I did. Love this book!

[Christopher Garcia · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

John Marrs has the ability to get you invested in characters that you really should not like. The book was excellent with twists and turns you're anticipating, but still send a shock down your spine. All of his books I've read so far are great, but I feel like I need a break in between them just to escape his technology driven dystopian worlds.

[Courtney Lee Engle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a great book and I can’t wait to recommend it to friends!!

[Pam Allard · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Why have I never heard of this author? I listened to the Good Samaritan and now this book and now The Marriage Act. It kept me riveted until the end. I listen to psychological thrillers for 98% of the time and his will be next.