Blog Tour: The Marriage Pact (Michelle Richmond) @michellerichmon @MichaelJBooks

Earlier this year, my friends at Penguin Random House UK approached me to take part in an experiential blog tour; they said they wanted to do something with a bit of a twist and I was sold! I am always up for trying some new content on Clues and Reviews. So, when I found out that the tour had to do with the psychological thriller, The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond, I was thrilled. I read this creepy, cult thriller last year and I really loved it (if you missed it, you can check out my review for that one HERE).

The rules of the experiment were simple: I was to take part in the marriage “contract” featured in The Marriage Pact; the one that wreaks havoc on the lives of the protagonists as they go deeper and deeper into this strange marriage cult.  Since I am a newlywed, I figured, why the heck not? Might as well stretch my marriage wings.   So, for two weeks, I lived by the rules and tracked whether or not it impacted my relationship and then reflected on whether or not I would be willing to sign a contract like this one in real life. I did not let my husband know I was partaking in this experiment until the second week since I didn’t think he would really get what I was even talking about. When I finally told him, I was right.

The rules I followed were as such:

1)      Always answer when your partner calls

2)      Exchange at least two thoughtful gifts every month

3)      Cook your partner dinner twice a week

4)      Unfollow your ex on social media

5)      Never spend more than two nights apart

6)      Tell your partner all your passwords

7)      Only wear clothes your partner deems attractive or appropriate.

8)      Enable the ‘find my phone’ feature so your partner always knows where you are

9)      Have no secrets from each other (and confess any old ones!)

10)   Don’t even think about trying to escape…

Care to see how my challenge turned out? Keep reading to see my experience following the contract from The Marriage Pact!

Week One: Sunday, January 21, 2018- Saturday, January 27, 2018

Woke up ready and willing to start following my contract. I figured it wouldn’t be too difficult: I cook dinner every single night of the week since Chris absolutely does not cook and I enjoy eating food that is edible so I knew I would have rule number three down.   Spent the morning trying to reveal all my secrets to Chris (example: I really hate those weirdo shorts he wears to workout). Tried to get him to reveal his secrets to me; I think he thought it was a trap because he quickly shut up and went to play X-Box. I figured I followed my side of the bargain. On Monday, I find myself rushing home from work when I see a missed call from Chris on my phone. Rule number one, broken!! Tried to call him back and goes straight to voicemail. I leave him a voicemail containing my Facebook password. Needless to say, he is slightly confused. On Tuesday, Chris comes home feeling sick and therefore, man baby crabby. I contemplate escaping to my parents to avoid watching him mope but stay since Rule 10 clearly states I should try not to escape, I stay home. Instead, I made him dinner. How about that? Two rules followed!   Wednesday, I run out of my eye cream, so I lure Chris to the mall with me and end up purchasing him a couple of hats and a t-shirt for an early Valentine’s Day present. I decide that I am an overachiever for use this as my THREE thoughtful gifts a month. I tell him he should buy me a gift and he looks at me like I’m crazy. I end up buying myself a gift. Does that count? On Thursday, tragedy strikes as I wake up and find out that my TOOTH has fallen out in my sleep??!! WHAT!!?? So, feeling sorry for myself as I wait for my emergency dentist, I am absolutely breaking rule number seven when I roll out of bed and immediately put on my rattiest pair of sweatpants and my old university sweatshirt. #sorrynotsorry. By Friday, I finally decided to let Chris in on the experiment and he is extremely confused.   When I suggest he should practice the new rules by purchasing me a thoughtful gift he tells me that he was the gift I received when we got married. I tell him that does not count.

Week Two: Sunday, January 28, 2018- Saturday, February 3, 2018

Now that Chris is in on the experiment, he is participating fully.   He cooks me dinner twice this week; he orders pizza. Beggars can’t be choosers I guess?   I try to enable the “find my phone” feature but I can’t really figure out how. Instead, I just make extra attempts to call him and tell him where I am. We don’t spend more than two nights apart and I continue to attempt to get him to reveal all his secrets. He keeps telling me he has nothing. During my interrogating, I start feeling like maybe I am participating in some sort of CIA novel experiment so I back off.

Overall, I didn’t find the experiment to be too incredibly different or difficult from my normal relationship, but, to be fair, I do not have a hoard of people hounding me if we break one of the rules. Sometimes I miss a phone call or don’t feel like cooking dinner and it would freak me right out to have someone punish me for that. So, did the experiment change anything? Not really. Do I want to sign a contract in real life? HECK NO! I don’t need that kind of pressure!

 Care to see what others experienced which participating in this challenge? Check out the other stops on the blog tour AND be sure to check out The Marriage Pact!!