The Marriage Pact is a thriller by Michelle Richmond. In an honor of it’s paperback release, lovely people from Penguin Random House decided to do an experimental blog tour in which bloggers won’t post a book review, but will stick to the rules that were given (for at least 2 weeks) and later will let everyone know how that experiment impacted their lives.
I want to thank Jenny Plat for invitation to be part of this experimental blog tour.
This is my story…
When I got the invitation and read the rules, I have to admit although I was pretty excited, some rules I didn’t like at first (like giving my boyfriend all of my passwords).
However, I wanted to do it and see if there will be some kind of big change in my boyfriend’s and my lives since we pretty much already stick for the most of the rules (spoiler alert: there wasn’t).
So… without further ado, these are the rules:
1. Always answer when your partner calls
2. Exchange at least two thoughtful gifts every month
3. Cook your partner dinner twice a week
4. Unfollow your ex on social media
5. Never spend more than two nights apart
6. Tell your partner all your passwords
7. Only wear clothes your partner deems attractive or
appropriate
8. Enable the ‘find my phone’ feature so your partner
always knows where you are
9. Have no secrets from each other
10. Don’t even think about trying
to escape
As I already stressed out, the rules we stick to (my boyfriend and me) are already pretty much similar to these ones. I personaly don’t see them as rules, I just think it’s the way our relationship functions.
However, some rules were new and some we had to adapt since they were imposibble to stick to because of higher force (read: work).
There was never a question whether I’d always answer his calls, because that what I always did, so that rule wasn’t hard to follow.
When it came to rule no 2, that was a funny story. I decided to buy him a pullover (it’s his favorite type of clothes and looks pretty good on him) pre Valentine’s Day and he loved it! But, he thought I bought it to him since there were final sales at the stores, so he didn’t even think about the rules.
The rule no 3 we kinda skipped or adjusted. The thing is, I always cook lunch, almost never dinner. It’s practically the same, only we eat earlier in the day. It’s because I work the way I work, and with his job, it’s just easier to cook lunch.
I love cooking so that one wasn’t hard to follow. I actually cook at least 4 times per week (I don’t only when I don’t have time or when there are leftovers from the day before), so to be honest, this rule passed unnoticed.
Deleting exes wasn’t a problem because I don’t have a contact with any of mine, and my boyfriend is not on any social media, so he didn’t have anyone to delete either!
The rule no 5 we just had to skip. It’s because of his job. Sometimes he has night shifts and we just couldn’t stick to that rule 100%. However, since we live together, we spent every other night together, so I am counting this rule as checked!
Tell you partner all your passwords – well, here is where I cheated. To be honest, I thought this rule was kinda stupid, so I just left open all of my passwords on my computer. If he wanted, he could have visited everything and read everything, but he didn’t, because he’s not nosy and he knows I have no secrets.
The rule no 7 was the hardest to follow. I would wear an attractive clothes for a day, then I would forget, or would feel stupid waring certain clothes. So this one was adjuted as well.
If it was up to my boyfriend, I would wear lacy body all the time, but that’s not how you can function 24/7.
But I tried, I really tried!
The rule no 8 we also skipped because trust it or not, I don’t even have that option on my phone (or maybe I just couldn’t/didn’t know how to find it).
I can safely say that I have no secrets from him, so rule no 9 wasn’t hard to follow.
It was even sad that there wasn’t that “I have to tell you something” moment that I usually read about in my books.
If nothing, this rule showed my how boring my life actually is.
And as for rule no 10 – I didn’t even cross my mind to escape. I love being in a relationship with him and I would only move forward with him, not without him!
About the book:
Newlyweds Alice and Jake are a picture-perfect couple. Alice, once a singer in a well-known rock band, is now a successful lawyer. Jake is a partner in an up-and-coming psychology practice. Their life together holds endless possibilities. After receiving an enticing wedding gift from one of Alice’s prominent clients, they decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known only as The Pact.
The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact, and most of its rules make sense: Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter. . . .
Never mention The Pact to anyone.
Alice and Jake are initially seduced by the glamorous parties, the sense of community, their widening social circle of like-minded couples–and then one of them breaks the rules. The young lovers are about to discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership, like marriage, is for life, and The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule. For Jake and Alice, the marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare.
Follow the tour:
Book Dust Magic 