A Great Marriage: A Novel

This is a novel that asks the quest ion what makes a great marriage. The story begins as finishing touches are being made for the upcoming marriage of Austin and Dara who are very much in love. It is a story of twists and turns as suddenly the wedding is cancelled and Austin finds himself on an entirely different path. Dara decides to travel and try to figure out what and who she really is. There are a lot of characters and situations in the book. I enjoyed it. The reader has to pay close attention to the story in order to unravel it all. Can Dara and Austin learn from this lesson? A review of this book is hard to keep from creating spoilers. This is a book of strong family and friendships. I would call it an escape read and one you will enjoy.

I wish to thank Net Galley and the publisher Random House – Ballantine Books for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Random House and the author for the gifted copy of the book and to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook.

I tandem read and listened to this book and loved it. The multiple and diverse narrators brought these characters to life and made the reading experience incredible.

Dara Wilcox and Austin Clarke are about to tie the knot after a whirlwind romance. However, when Austin receives a life-changing call, Dara is left shattered and cancels the wedding. She keeps the news to herself as she struggles with feelings of failure. Seeking solace in California, she finds support from friends while Austin faces his own challenges in London. A visit from Dara's mom in London alters their fate, prompting them to confront their future together.

This story was a pleasant surprise. It beautifully delves into love, family, and the choices that affect our relationships. The writing is strikingly beautiful and evocative, with a poignant and thought-provoking narrative. The supporting cast brings unique and unwavering support to Dara and Austin, and the ending brings everything together with a sweet touch.

If you're in the mood for contemporary fiction with a heartwarming conclusion, I highly recommend this book.

This is an engaging romance which makes you think about a beautiful young couple that is about to step into the wonderland of marriage but maybe they shouldn’t.

The girlfriend’s parents, Lee and Rich, from North Carolina will do anything for each other no matter what. They are so much in love. The boyfriend’s mom died and his dad, Michael from London, enjoys books rather than getting involved in a relationship. Now it’s up to the couple, Dara and Austin, to take the plunge and live happily ever after just like a fairytale.

When Dara’s mother accidentally spills red wine all over the table at a dinner gathering before the wedding, I immediately think it’s a sign and I wonder what’s going to happen next. Dara’s grandmother is a psychologist. She wrote a book called, “A Good Marriage” which should have been required reading for two people that were about to say their vows. What could go wrong when everything was set up so perfectly?

While their future was easy to figure out, the book had its own charm and I enjoyed reading about how they were affected by their family and friends. I could easily imagine the characters with their jobs in so many directions. It makes you think a lot about how life sometimes goes so smoothly and then hits a wall. This is a perfect summer read and fun for a book discussion.

This is a fast-paced, compelling story with a varied cast of many interesting, memorable characters. Dara grew up with role models of great marriages. Her parents are totally devoted to one another. Her grandmother, a writer, even has written a couple books on great marriages, and she had a great second marriage with a Senator, until he died. Despite their different backgrounds, When Dara and Austin met there was an immediate connection – almost love at first sight. Now they are engaged and celebrating the upcoming wedding. Austin, an architect from London, England, and Dara from North Carolina, with plans for law school. All the plans for a beautiful wedding are in place, when one phone call changes the direction of many lives. Austin finds himself back in London, however, before he leaves, Dara gives his ring back. She consoles herself with a trip to California to visit friends, and plans to finally enroll in law school, which was her original plan all along. This story is somewhat of a wild ride, with unexpected events, as well as unexpected romances. Once I really got into it, putting it down was nearly impossible. I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

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!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books and the author, Frances Mayes for the opportunity to read an ARC of A Great Marriage. It is centered around the relationship between Dara Wilcox and Austin Clarke, a young and up and coming couple planning their marriage with the love and support of their families. All is going well until a former friend of Austin's changes everything with unexpected and unwanted news. A Great Marriage is a satisfying read as it goes, although I found it somewhat predictable, and I wasn't really fond of either Dara or Austin. I did enjoy Dara's maternal grandmother Charlotte-she was a unique character and added some color to the novel. A Great Marriage is a fast-paced, easy to read novel about love, family, reconciliation and forgiveness. 3.5 stars.