Review: The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn

The Arrangement by Sarah Dunn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A novel about open marriage is not one that I’d normally pick up but I’m actually quite glad that I read this one. A normal couple opens their marriage up to see if it works at making things better. It felt a little like fiction about a social experiment. What could go wrong? After 15 years of marriage myself, I understand how complicated the marriage relationship is and I can’t even begin to imagine bringing in the open marriage piece. So, in some ways, this book was interesting in that it explores this fascinating idea of whether or not monogamy is best in a marriage. Some of the narrative about raising children was SPOT ON. It’s hard and it does impact a marriage. I found those aspects to be pretty interesting, particularly how they were explored in concert with monogamy. There is such humor in this novel, alongside the drama and darkness. The author has such wit and it really gives the book a nice punch. At times, I didn’t feel like the book was entirely sure what it was … humor, satire, family drama, parent drama, women’s fiction … but, overall, I really enjoyed the read and am glad that I picked it up, especially since it’s not something I’d normally pick up.

NOTE: Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced reader copy for an honest review.