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jayleeswanson's review against another edition
3.0
Decent- but wouldn’t liked more details at the end of the story!
Interesting plot, concept, etc. at the end of the story it skipped ahead and left out details that I would’ve loved to read about and understand more. Overall, a nice casual read.
Interesting plot, concept, etc. at the end of the story it skipped ahead and left out details that I would’ve loved to read about and understand more. Overall, a nice casual read.
rachel_smrt's review against another edition
3.0
The central plot about Lucy and Owen opening up their marriage works well--they're funny and likable and while the arc is predictable, it's fun to follow. Overall, Dunn's sense of humor propels the action forward. The tertiary plot around the town billionaire and his trophy wife is weaker, because you're just waiting around for the unlikely/shocking/silly/horrifying incident that'll throw these characters together (which comes near the end). Enjoyable, witty, a bit flat towards the end.
amchica's review against another edition
3.0
Chick-lit. that will mainly appeal to the suburban, married, nearing middle-age, mom demographic.
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
4.0
In The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn, Owen and Lucy, a couple with a special needs kindergartener decide to take six months off of fidelity. They have rules, primarily the time limit and that any activities not affect their happy family life and remain secret. They live in a storybook town with an intensely involved PTA and friends who keep an eye on them. As one might expect, things don't go as expected, let alone smoothly.
Dunn writes for the sit-com American Housewife and that shows in the dialogue, which feels like regular conversation, only faster and wittier, and in the often funny situations the characters find themselves in. But Dunn is also going for more than an entertaining read here, and manages to handle a morally ambiguous topic with a great deal of nuance. It does wrap up a bit too neatly at the end, with all characters settled and accounted for, but as an escapist novel with a bit of substance, The Arrangement suits very well.
Dunn writes for the sit-com American Housewife and that shows in the dialogue, which feels like regular conversation, only faster and wittier, and in the often funny situations the characters find themselves in. But Dunn is also going for more than an entertaining read here, and manages to handle a morally ambiguous topic with a great deal of nuance. It does wrap up a bit too neatly at the end, with all characters settled and accounted for, but as an escapist novel with a bit of substance, The Arrangement suits very well.
alixrob's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the dialogue on this one. Interesting premise. I didn't love the ending. (Though, upon reflection, I'm not sure what ending I would have loved, given the story line.)
lisawreading's review against another edition
3.0
The Arrangement wants very badly to be funny and topical, but only partially succeeds. While it's a quick and quirky read, there are just too many illogical moments for this book to fully hit the mark.
Lucy and Owen love each other, struggle with their special-needs son Wyatt, and are more or less happy living in their little community, where people seem committed to providing their children with an idealized, wholesome quality of life. The idea of open marriage drops into their laps during a drunken dinner with friends, and it seems like with barely any real thought, Lucy and Owen decide to give it a go.
They launch their arrangement with a list of rules written in Sharpie on a legal pad: No talking about The Arrangement. (Yes, there are references to Fight Club). There's a six-month duration, and then it's done. No falling in love. Always use condoms. (No Costco condoms, either; make sure they're good quality.) No prostitutes. No sexting inside the house. It starts as a joke, but within one conversation, they decide to actually do it.
Owen falls quickly into a sexy relationship with a local woman, who at first seems to provide him with just the sexual adventure he's look for -- but who quickly turns into a high-need, demanding girlfriend who's combining their trysts with household chores like caulking the bathroom. And really, if Owen were going to start doing repairs for a woman, he might as well have stayed home. At the same time, Owen doesn't really believe that Lucy will follow through on her side of The Arrangement, and has no idea that she's found her own regular sex partner, who could turn into something more.
Meanwhile, the people of Beekman figure heavily in the background of the story, as we see one unhappy marriage after another, each with its own oddities and hidden secrets. The marital problems of the town seem to escalate throughout the book, as relationships tumble downward, fast.
I'll admit that I had fun with The Arrangement while I was reading it. It had enough clever and interesting bits to keep me wanting more, and I read it all in about two days. At the same time -- and maybe this is just because I don't match the demographics or lifestyle or geography of the characters -- I just couldn't relate to these people at all.
The main characters are mostly in their 30s, with young children, experiencing life on the other side of wedded bliss. They all seem to be struggling with the reality that hits once marriage and family life is no longer new, when there are bills and groceries and school projects and home repairs to deal with. The initial euphoria is gone, and all of the characters in the book seem to be hitting a form of mid-life crisis at the same time.
Lucy and Owen's decision makes little to no sense. They each feel weighed down by their lives, and miss the romance and excitement of their earlier years. But it's a big step to decide to try an open marriage, and the fact that they launch themselves down this path with practically no discussion seems unbelievable.
The antics of the town are too cutesy to take at times, with the emphasis on organic foods and community organizing and non-stop mommy pressure. There's a blessing of the animals event that becomes a big focus for the entire town later in the book, and it's clearly intended to be a big comical moment in the story, as each family tries to outdo the rest by bringing more exotic animals than their neighbors. But when the event gets completely out of hand and ends in disaster, it's so utterly predictable that it loses its comic value.
Likewise, the insistence on shifting focus away from Lucy and Owen to go inside others' marriages becomes tedious and makes the storytelling seem more scattered than it needs to be. There's far too much attention paid to the marriage of a 60-ish billionaire and his much younger 3rd wife, and they're just not that amusing or important to take up that much space.
The Arrangement is a fun, light read, and as I said, I zipped through it. But there's an inconsistency in the tone; not everything is funny, particularly not seeing a marriage dissolving in a way that could have been prevented had the characters not made ill-considered, bone-headed decisions. The foolish way in which the two main characters risk their marriage and their family life irked me too much to keep me from truly enjoying the story.
This review also appears at Bookshelf Fantasies.
Lucy and Owen love each other, struggle with their special-needs son Wyatt, and are more or less happy living in their little community, where people seem committed to providing their children with an idealized, wholesome quality of life. The idea of open marriage drops into their laps during a drunken dinner with friends, and it seems like with barely any real thought, Lucy and Owen decide to give it a go.
They launch their arrangement with a list of rules written in Sharpie on a legal pad: No talking about The Arrangement. (Yes, there are references to Fight Club). There's a six-month duration, and then it's done. No falling in love. Always use condoms. (No Costco condoms, either; make sure they're good quality.) No prostitutes. No sexting inside the house. It starts as a joke, but within one conversation, they decide to actually do it.
Owen falls quickly into a sexy relationship with a local woman, who at first seems to provide him with just the sexual adventure he's look for -- but who quickly turns into a high-need, demanding girlfriend who's combining their trysts with household chores like caulking the bathroom. And really, if Owen were going to start doing repairs for a woman, he might as well have stayed home. At the same time, Owen doesn't really believe that Lucy will follow through on her side of The Arrangement, and has no idea that she's found her own regular sex partner, who could turn into something more.
Meanwhile, the people of Beekman figure heavily in the background of the story, as we see one unhappy marriage after another, each with its own oddities and hidden secrets. The marital problems of the town seem to escalate throughout the book, as relationships tumble downward, fast.
I'll admit that I had fun with The Arrangement while I was reading it. It had enough clever and interesting bits to keep me wanting more, and I read it all in about two days. At the same time -- and maybe this is just because I don't match the demographics or lifestyle or geography of the characters -- I just couldn't relate to these people at all.
The main characters are mostly in their 30s, with young children, experiencing life on the other side of wedded bliss. They all seem to be struggling with the reality that hits once marriage and family life is no longer new, when there are bills and groceries and school projects and home repairs to deal with. The initial euphoria is gone, and all of the characters in the book seem to be hitting a form of mid-life crisis at the same time.
Lucy and Owen's decision makes little to no sense. They each feel weighed down by their lives, and miss the romance and excitement of their earlier years. But it's a big step to decide to try an open marriage, and the fact that they launch themselves down this path with practically no discussion seems unbelievable.
The antics of the town are too cutesy to take at times, with the emphasis on organic foods and community organizing and non-stop mommy pressure. There's a blessing of the animals event that becomes a big focus for the entire town later in the book, and it's clearly intended to be a big comical moment in the story, as each family tries to outdo the rest by bringing more exotic animals than their neighbors. But when the event gets completely out of hand and ends in disaster, it's so utterly predictable that it loses its comic value.
Likewise, the insistence on shifting focus away from Lucy and Owen to go inside others' marriages becomes tedious and makes the storytelling seem more scattered than it needs to be. There's far too much attention paid to the marriage of a 60-ish billionaire and his much younger 3rd wife, and they're just not that amusing or important to take up that much space.
The Arrangement is a fun, light read, and as I said, I zipped through it. But there's an inconsistency in the tone; not everything is funny, particularly not seeing a marriage dissolving in a way that could have been prevented had the characters not made ill-considered, bone-headed decisions. The foolish way in which the two main characters risk their marriage and their family life irked me too much to keep me from truly enjoying the story.
This review also appears at Bookshelf Fantasies.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
A really interesting exploration of one couple’s marriage experiment, taking a six month pass where they are each free to sleep with other people with no consequences....but there are always consequences, let’s be serious, and the results aren’t what either of them envisioned at the start. I also really enjoyed that they were parents to a child with sensory processing issues, which I could relate to a lot and sympathize with. An entertaining read if you enjoy stories about marriage, suburban life and mid-life crises.
carolpk's review against another edition
The Hook - I’ve got to ask myself “Why am I reading this book?” If I don’t know why how are you supposed to know.
The Line - Lucy explains how children change your life
Shoes that tied were the first thing to go.“
The Sinker - A basic definition of sinker A weight of lead or other metals designed to sink a hooked bait or lure.
A couple decide to embark on an experiment to spice up their marriage. What could possibly go wrong?
Ugh-hah? You think? Hmmm…can this really work? I was determined to find out.
I’ve always been interested in stories that explore marriage. Lucy and Owen, a married couple with a child “on the spectrum” jokingly outlines an open marriage, writing down the rules on a yellow legal pad.
”Rule number one: “No one can ever know,” Lucy called to him.”
laughingly sketching out five rules to stray by. Be careful what you joke about, as soon the joke becomes a reality as Lucy and Owen dip their toes into adultery. Is it adultery if you both approve?
This is perhaps the most irreverent domestic fiction I’ve ever read. I’m almost ashamed of myself for laughing my fool head off while reading The Arrangement. Not just quiet laughter but the boisterous kind. It’s not just the open marriage, there are some really strange characters here saying the most awful things. One of these involves a transgender teacher and it just seems wrong to laugh at that. And Wyatt! He’s precious and precocious and he says the darndest, funny things that bring a smile to my face.
But you can’t blame me. I can’t take blame for really enjoying this book about Lucy, Owen and their child, Wyatt. “It’s not my fault”. It’s Elyse’s, whose review I read, which hooked me; the one who made me read this book. Blame her!
Elyse’s Review
The Line - Lucy explains how children change your life
Shoes that tied were the first thing to go.“
The Sinker - A basic definition of sinker A weight of lead or other metals designed to sink a hooked bait or lure.
A couple decide to embark on an experiment to spice up their marriage. What could possibly go wrong?
Ugh-hah? You think? Hmmm…can this really work? I was determined to find out.
I’ve always been interested in stories that explore marriage. Lucy and Owen, a married couple with a child “on the spectrum” jokingly outlines an open marriage, writing down the rules on a yellow legal pad.
”Rule number one: “No one can ever know,” Lucy called to him.”
laughingly sketching out five rules to stray by. Be careful what you joke about, as soon the joke becomes a reality as Lucy and Owen dip their toes into adultery. Is it adultery if you both approve?
This is perhaps the most irreverent domestic fiction I’ve ever read. I’m almost ashamed of myself for laughing my fool head off while reading The Arrangement. Not just quiet laughter but the boisterous kind. It’s not just the open marriage, there are some really strange characters here saying the most awful things. One of these involves a transgender teacher and it just seems wrong to laugh at that. And Wyatt! He’s precious and precocious and he says the darndest, funny things that bring a smile to my face.
But you can’t blame me. I can’t take blame for really enjoying this book about Lucy, Owen and their child, Wyatt. “It’s not my fault”. It’s Elyse’s, whose review I read, which hooked me; the one who made me read this book. Blame her!
Elyse’s Review
taylorolivia's review against another edition
3.0
So I picked this book up at Barnes & Noble amidst this pandemic because my local library was closed and I wanted to pick up a couple of fluffy romances. My dad suggested I check out the 5-6$ table and I did. This one immediately caught my eye - maybe it was the cover, I'm not sure.
Anyways, I reserved it for a trip I'm on and read it in roughly a day. It started off interesting - once I got past the obvious plot points and the intros and got used to the character as well as the often switching of character perspectives, I was interested! But after getting to pages 200-250 and so on, I found myself having fewer moments where I was like: "I'm actually genuinely interested in finding out what he/she does next". I just didn't really care. The only parts I found cliffhanger-ish were to do with Izzy (Owen's recurring hookup) and Ben (Lucy's recurring hookup) because it actually threatened to change something and disrupt the happy ending that Lucy and Owen were supposed to have. Everything else did interrupt it but it felt a little different. Maybe it was the author trying to focus on the main conflicts or something of the sort, but I just fell completely uninterested with the other challenges that Owen and Lucy were facing. Their son is an exception - I liked how things didn't just get easier out of the blue and they were actually struggling rather than living in a magical bubble.
Aside from the plot, I have a few things to say about the characters:
By the end of the book, I completely swapped perspectives on Lucy. I never really liked her but I merely blandly read about her. I get that Owen was hooking up with someone and things became pretty invested with Izzy (also Lucy had to deal with the fiasco that was Izzy's insanity) but she chose to become angry at Owen for um wanting to spend time with her? Now...I do see that maybe it wasn't fair for Owen to want to cancel the agreement once he'd had his fun and Lucy was only getting started - but he tried to communicate with her about it and being the seemingly immature person she is, she acted irrationally and became angry at Owen for being oblivious to the fact that she was falling in love with Ben? It doesn't make much sense. This theme continues on throughout the rest of the story with Lucy. When Ben cancels on her because he needs to do things with his children and meet with his ex-wife (to do with his children), she expresses how angry she is at his ex-wife for merely living her life. I hate how Lucy failed to realize that she was the intruder in their lives. Lucy obviously had issues (take the lipstick debacle for one thing and the coal argument at the very beginning of the book). Lucy definitely needs to resolve issues on her own before she can resolve them with Owen.
Not to say that Owen is perfect as well but at least he didn't flip out and blame every walking person that got in his way. He tried to communicate and that's what stood out to me. Still rubbed me the wrong way when realizing that it was his selfish needs that forced him to communicate but then again, at least he did.
This book was an odd read for me and I probably won't read anything like this again.
Anyways, I reserved it for a trip I'm on and read it in roughly a day. It started off interesting - once I got past the obvious plot points and the intros and got used to the character as well as the often switching of character perspectives, I was interested! But after getting to pages 200-250 and so on, I found myself having fewer moments where I was like: "I'm actually genuinely interested in finding out what he/she does next". I just didn't really care. The only parts I found cliffhanger-ish were to do with Izzy (Owen's recurring hookup) and Ben (Lucy's recurring hookup) because it actually threatened to change something and disrupt the happy ending that Lucy and Owen were supposed to have. Everything else did interrupt it but it felt a little different. Maybe it was the author trying to focus on the main conflicts or something of the sort, but I just fell completely uninterested with the other challenges that Owen and Lucy were facing. Their son is an exception - I liked how things didn't just get easier out of the blue and they were actually struggling rather than living in a magical bubble.
Aside from the plot, I have a few things to say about the characters:
By the end of the book, I completely swapped perspectives on Lucy. I never really liked her but I merely blandly read about her. I get that Owen was hooking up with someone and things became pretty invested with Izzy (also Lucy had to deal with the fiasco that was Izzy's insanity) but she chose to become angry at Owen for um wanting to spend time with her? Now...I do see that maybe it wasn't fair for Owen to want to cancel the agreement once he'd had his fun and Lucy was only getting started - but he tried to communicate with her about it and being the seemingly immature person she is, she acted irrationally and became angry at Owen for being oblivious to the fact that she was falling in love with Ben? It doesn't make much sense. This theme continues on throughout the rest of the story with Lucy. When Ben cancels on her because he needs to do things with his children and meet with his ex-wife (to do with his children), she expresses how angry she is at his ex-wife for merely living her life. I hate how Lucy failed to realize that she was the intruder in their lives. Lucy obviously had issues (take the lipstick debacle for one thing and the coal argument at the very beginning of the book). Lucy definitely needs to resolve issues on her own before she can resolve them with Owen.
Not to say that Owen is perfect as well but at least he didn't flip out and blame every walking person that got in his way. He tried to communicate and that's what stood out to me. Still rubbed me the wrong way when realizing that it was his selfish needs that forced him to communicate but then again, at least he did.
This book was an odd read for me and I probably won't read anything like this again.
ashleybhaley's review against another edition
3.0
What happens when a marriage goes stale?
Owen and Lucy's story was completely relatable and I absolutely loved it. They are trying to save their marriage... they love each other, they want to raise their son together, and they want to remain partners in life forever, but their intimate life is undesirable. So together they agree on "The Arrangement" where they get 6 months to have meaningless sex with anyone they want, no questions asked.
I know I'm a minority with this one... I really enjoyed Lucy and Owens story and it was indeed funny (can I just say chickens in church, anyone?!?! 😂) However, there were a couple of things that got me down. First, I really struggled with all of the other stories that are interwoven in the book from other people that were connected to Owen and Lucy. I found it boring and I didn't like any of the other characters so I had no connection to their successes or failures. Second, I felt like the ending was really rushed. Had this book been just about Owen and Lucy, I would have liked it a lot more.
Owen and Lucy's story was completely relatable and I absolutely loved it. They are trying to save their marriage... they love each other, they want to raise their son together, and they want to remain partners in life forever, but their intimate life is undesirable. So together they agree on "The Arrangement" where they get 6 months to have meaningless sex with anyone they want, no questions asked.
I know I'm a minority with this one... I really enjoyed Lucy and Owens story and it was indeed funny (can I just say chickens in church, anyone?!?! 😂) However, there were a couple of things that got me down. First, I really struggled with all of the other stories that are interwoven in the book from other people that were connected to Owen and Lucy. I found it boring and I didn't like any of the other characters so I had no connection to their successes or failures. Second, I felt like the ending was really rushed. Had this book been just about Owen and Lucy, I would have liked it a lot more.