This book had me gripped right away, it was one that I couldn't put down as I needed to know the truth, especially with the fantastic twists,

I love Samantha Hayes' books, and this one did not disappoint. I did not see the ending coming, even through thinking back, I can see where the hints were that would lead to this conclusion.

Very shocking ending that I did not see coming! This book will have you yelling at the FMC only to conclude with “oh” when you realize what is truly taking place! This story will draw you in from the prologue.

Fiona & Jason married quickly after meeting. Jason has a dozen of insane rules that Fiona & their 2 daughters must follow at all times. With severe punishments in store, they tend to follow these carefully or at least try their very best to ensure Jason doesn’t find out if they break 1, as the consequences are not pretty.

Overall, a highly enjoyed read that I would recommend for domestic thriller fans! Twists that you won’t see coming, with jaw dropping & shaking your head moments. Well paced overall, there was a bit it in the middle that was not as engaging, however the ending came with a bang & explained while all of it was necessary. Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Fiona Fisher lives a quiet and contented existence. A former nurse who married Jason, the doctor of her dreams, she is now mother to his two daughters and living in the sort of cosy village home she's always wished for, Life is pretty much perfect in every way. As long as they stick to their rules:- Everyone in bed by 8 pm sharp. No loud music, no news on the TV, no social media. The house phone is for emergency use only. Locks on every door. No leaving the house. And absolutely no talking about the past. But one day, someone starts breaking the rules....

Jason and his new wide Fiona, live by strict rules. The story is told from Jason and Fiona's perspectives. It also has a dual timeline. This is one twisted read and I never saw the big twist coming. I was pulled in before the end of the first chapter. The story builds gradually, giving us just enough intrigue to keep us reading. There was something throughout this book that had an uneasy feel about it. I loved it.

Published 9th April 2025

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #SamanthaHayes for my ARC of #TheMarriageRules in exchange for an honest review.

Wow!! I was hooked from the very start of this book. Very twisty! I didnt see the ending coming at all. What a shock. Absolutely love books like this. Will definitely be reading more by this author. Very well done! Thanks Netgalley and Bookouture for letting me read this book for my honest review.

This book is one of those that just when you think you have a handle on everything that’s going on completely ripped the rug out from under you and makes you realize that you know nothing, to semi-quote Game of Thrones.

I mean, just when I thought I had everything figured out and knew the direction the book was going to go in, the author threw in a new twist that completely changed the direction of the book. My jaw seriously dropped open about three or four times as I was reading this one. But in a way it all made sense, and there were no major contradictions with each of the twists, which was nice because I’ve read books where authors create twists that don’t make sense when you look back at how the plot has developed. This was not like that at all. The twists definitely made sense, when you looked back at them in context.

That also made the book creepier, because it made you think about all the signs that you missed throughout the book. It was one of those, “Man I really should’ve seen that coming,” moments because honestly, everything was there, you just don’t see it until the author wants you to. It’s really the sign of good writing.

The book also has two main narrators, at least one of which would be considered an unreliable narrator, which throws another wrench into things, so the whole time we’re wondering if what she’s seeing and thinking is true or if she’s being manipulated or if she’s not quite seeing the whole picture. like I said, it’s just creating a really creepy atmosphere that is really amazing.

If you’re looking for a creepy edge of your seat thriller, don’t hesitate to pick this one up. It’s a great book for anyone looking for a super twisty nailbiting psychological thriller that will leave you reading late into the night!

"The Marriage Rules" by Samantha Hayes is a twisted 4-star read! Fiona and Jason are newlyweds who have both given up their careers in the medical field to start a new life together with Jason’s two daughters. To help ensure their happiness, they agree on a set of marriage rules designed to keep their relationship on track. But when those rules are broken, the consequences can be serious.

The story is told from both Fiona and Jason’s perspectives, shifting between the past and the present. It starts off at a great pace that had me hooked from the beginning. The middle does slow down a bit, but if you stick with it, the tension builds and things pick up toward the end.

While the twists weren’t entirely shocking—since the author drops hints along the way—the final twist completely caught me off guard! That one really took me by surprise.

Thanks to Bookouture, Samantha Hayes, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

From the moment I read the prologue in The Marriage Rules, I knew I was in for something seriously gripping. Samantha Hayes sets the stage with a list of eerie, rigid rules that instantly gave me a creeping sense of unease—and that tension only built from there.

Told through a dual timeline, the narrative moves seamlessly between past and present, making it easy to follow yet impossible to predict. I went in expecting a domestic thriller, but what I got was something far darker and more psychologically disturbing. The author has a real gift for creating atmosphere, and the unsettling dynamic at the heart of this story had me second-guessing everything.

The suspense builds gradually, pulling you deeper into the mystery with each chapter, and then—bam!—the twist in the middle completely blew the story apart. I didn’t see it coming at all, and I love when a thriller can still surprise me like that. Just as I was starting to process that twist, the ending delivered even more shocks that left me reeling.

Fast-paced and packed with twists, this was a wild, spiralling read that kept me turning the pages late into the night. If you're looking for a psychological thriller that keeps you on edge and plays with your expectations, this one’s well worth picking up.

This is a really clever book with an unusual plot. There is plot twist mid way through that took me completely by surprise. This is one of Samantha Haye’s best books and I would definitely recommend it.

I love this book, it is entertaining and SO clever!!

The plot is beautiful revealed (with parts tantalising hidden between smoke and mirrors!). The skill that has gone into writing this book is mind blowing!

We are introduced to main characters, a newly married husband (Jason), and wife (Fiona) who is also step mum to his 2 teen/preteen daughters. We are immediately confronted with some very tight marriage ‘rules’ that Jason has set for his family to live by - to say these are somewhat controlling is an understatement as Fiona and the girls are not allowed to leave the house while Jason is at work, and the girls are only allowed to grieve for their mother for one hour allowed hour every week!

As the novel progressed the family become embroiled in a police investigation and where it all leads is dramatic to say these least!

I can’t say much more on the plot as this book is definitely going to be best enjoyed without spoilers but I will say it is a really, really good read!!

My thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an advance copy.

Fiona and Jason lead a strange life, but to them it is a normal healthy marriage, Jason lives by a set of ‘rules’, he thinks they are life enhancing…Fiona tends to agree, his 2 daughters reluctantly follow them, the eldest getting more and more annoyed as time goes on

Now I have to admit at first I was fuming with Fiona, I kept thinking ‘it’s 2025 do not do as he says’…..but kept reading and am glad did as nothing is quite as seems in this book

Its dark, chilling, claustrophobic and although I thought had figured out the big ending very early on I only a third had and the true true ending was cleverness itself

To say anymore would give too mmch away but bare with Fiona’s cloying obedience and let the book unfold and you will see why

More than happy to be tricked by a book and when its a good book then even more so

I really enjoyed this thriller! Things get crazy when Fiona and Jason fall in love. Jason, a doctor on a psych ward, is unhappily married and falls for Fiona. When they move to start their new life together, they establish a set of rules that must be followed within the new marriage. Jason’s daughters are along for the ride and are not happy! In the middle of the story, there’s a huge twist, followed by the biggest whammy toward the end. I was NOT expecting it!

If you are looking for your next great read, check out The Marriage Rules by Samantha Hayes. It’s a great book.

Completely surprised me , with its twist and turns , and Field with lots of suspension that will leaving you wanting to know more with each turn of the page .

Imagine having rules in your marriage that your husband said you had to abide by. No lying. One drink at the weekend. Don’t leave the house unless absolutely necessary. Those are just some examples.
Samantha Hayes writes a wonderful thriller with lots of lies, murder and suspense. I never would have guessed the twist!!

Release date April 9, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc

This book was phenomenal! The character and plot development was very well done. The amount of detail in the story and the characters were truly great. This book pulls you right in and doesn’t let go until the very end. I was left truly speechless but in all the best ways.

Jason and Fiona have a list of strict rules in their marriage. Some of them are pretty absurd, and Fiona's friend questions if Fiona is ok. What could go wrong if the rules are broken?

This book started off strong and really kept me hooked for the first half or so. I enjoyed the dual perspectives and timelines. The middle was a bit slower, but I hung in there as I knew something was coming. I only realized the final twist right before it happened and the final quarter of the book picked right back up until the end. I'm not a huge fan of the far-fetched, out-of-left-field twists, but Hayes does a great job of sprinkling just enough hints through the book that if you look back, it does make sense and the clues were there. You'll certainly have to suspend some disbelief to appreciate the twist, but as a long time fan of this author I was able to do that. While this was not my favorite book by her, I thought it was pretty unique and definitely entertaining and unexpected.

This book starts off fairly typically for a domestic thriller. Fiona and her doctor husband Jason live the dream life in a village with Jason’s two daughters.
So far, so straightforward. But we learn from the get-go that Fiona and Jason are not your average couple.
They follow a strict set of rules, instigated by Jason. No lying. No social media. No watching the news. Never talk about the past. You get the gist.
But when Fiona starts getting threatening notes through the door, and starts not just bending but breaking the rules, their ordered life begins to implode.
When you read a lot of psych/domestic thrillers, as I do, you become pretty adept at guessing the twists.
Not this time!
Samantha Hayes had me not once, but twice. Huge kudos to her for that. You do have to suspend disbelief over certain aspects of the book - if this situation happened in real life, it would have been on every news bulletin across the country until it was resolved, and there’s no way the police would have acted as they did towards the end of the book.
That aside, I found the ending not just surprising but deeply touching and felt the author tackled a difficult and oft maligned subject with compassion and sensitivity.
If you like a book that delivers unreliable narrators, a creeping sense of unease and some jaw-dropping twists, you’ll love The Marriage Rules.

When a twist knocks you off kilter like this one you can truly truly say you've found a talented author.
From both sides there a differing narrative whenever you here of any two lives. And in a.cse like this families who do we trust. I certainly know what I thought I NEW at the beginning
Hearing Fionas story I was not too pleased on the husband. I tell you,just wait. Wait for the pages to need to keep turning and have you stirred up.and fired up as you finish this excellent book. I really really want to know how others took what happened.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first half of the story reads like a typical domestic violence thriller, dark, unsettling and hard to digest as Jason's controling behavior towards his wife unfolds. Then the narrative shifts to his perspective, and just when I thought I could predict the twist, BAM- it completely blindsides you. The twist is so unexpected that it reshapes the entire story, almost to the point where it could stand as a book on its own.