The Necessary Marriage explores the tension between intimacy and desire for freedom. It is an intense, intimate portrait of how couples come together and grow apart, and the passions that drive us to do crazy things.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

I just could not get into this book at all. I found the characters boring. Although Jane had a bit of fight in her Leonard just came across as a creepy older man.

It begins in the 1970's. Jane is one of Leonard's students but despite him being so much older, she decides she wants him. They marry but Jane isn't very happy with her lot. Neighbours Andrew and Marion are also discontented. The main characters were all annoying in various ways. The writing was a bit clunky at times, describing mundane things that even the people involved would've found less than riveting! The cover was lovely and the idea for the story intriguing. My first book by this author and I would be happy to read others.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. The first section of The Necessary Marriage is a gripping tale of a teacher/student relationship which leads to marriage when the student, Jane, becomes pregnant. I really enjoyed this book

Excellent storyline. Wonderful main characters. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly.

The Necessary Marriage,  Elisa Lodato

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:,General fiction (adult)

Its kind of hard to rate this book. I didn't particularly enjoy it, but it was gripping reading and I could see how easily the situations could have happened in real life.
I felt pretty uncomfortable over the relationship between Jane and Leonard, he is so much older, and I'd have though both parents and school would have put a stop to it. Still, they didn't and it leads Jane into a situation that she later realises she may have been too young for.
Marion and Andrew, there are couples similar to this on every street and I could see how Jane got sucked into their lives and the problems that brought her.
I felt for her eldest daughter – can't recall her name now, some kids so have issues that follow them into adulthood, and the situations she found herself in as an adult were very hard for her. I really was sad for her, could see how upset she was over the art exhibition, and think I'd have felt the same.
I didn't expect the ending, that came as a bit of a surprise, but looking back was a culmination of events going back years.

Stars:three, a well written book, with some gripping situations but one I didn't really enjoy, and won't re-read.

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publisher

The first section of The Necessary Marriage is a gripping tale of a teacher/student relationship which leads to marriage when the student, Jane, becomes pregnant. Her husband, Leonard is a serious, quite strait laced man and as the years pass Jane becomes restless and wonders if she is missing anything by tying herself down so early. The second section introduces Marion and Andrew living on a sink estate until his father dies and he inherits his house, which is next door to Jane and Leonard. They move in with their two sons, who become friends with Jane's children.

Jane is aware that Andrew and Marion's relationship is a fiery one, especially as Marion hankers after returning to her birthplace in Ireland. One day she disappears and Andrew tells Jane that Marion has left him and gone to Ireland leaving him to care for the boys. To say any more about the plot, which twists and turns, would be wrong and, although I enjoyed the book, I felt the ending was rushed and I wasn't surprised by it. May thanks to NetGalley and Orion for the opportunity to read and review The Necessary Marriage.