The Arrangement

A Novel

By: Sarah Dunn

Narrated by: Ellen Archer

Length: 9 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

National best seller: A hilarious and emotionally charged novel about a couple who embark on an open marriage-what could possibly go wrong?

Lucy and Owen, ambitious, thoroughly-therapized New Yorkers, have taken the plunge, trading in their crazy life in a cramped apartment for Beekman, a bucolic Hudson Valley exurb. They've got a 200-year-old house, an autistic son obsessed with the Titanic, and 17 chickens, at last count. It's the kind of paradise where stay-at-home moms team up to cook the school's "hot lunch", dads grill grass-fed burgers, and, as Lucy observes, "chopping kale has become a certain kind of American housewife's version of chopping wood".

When friends at a wine-soaked dinner party reveal they've made their marriage open, sensible Lucy balks. There's a part of her, though-the part that worries she's become too comfortable being invisible - that's intrigued. Why not try a short marital experiment? Six months, clear ground rules, zero questions asked. When an affair with a man in the city begins to seem more enticing than the happily-ever-after she's known for the past nine years, Lucy must decide what truly makes her happy: "Real life", or the "experiment"?

©2017 Sarah Dunn (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Dunn ( The Big Love) again plumbs the messiness and fallibility of romantic relationships....with hilarious results." ( Publishers Weekly)

A funny look at middle age sex and marriage

Any additional comments?

A great and fresh premise for a novel: a married couple tries an open marriage for six months. At times laugh-out-loud funny with quirky, likable characters who have depth and a plot that's something new. A great, entertaining read.

really good read!

surprisingly good and could not stop listening to. So relatable in the world we live in today in regards to the marital arrangement. I would definitely recommend for a good listen to anyone interested in this particular topic. The synopsis does not do this book justice. Give it a listen. You won't regret the time you took to do so.

Great Book

Great take on an intriguing ideology. Storylines were woven together perfectly. Only a few audio-editorial misses, otherwise a good performance.

Great Audio Book

The narrator was excellent. Very engaging. Story line and character development was awesome. and the ending was great. Wish there were a part 2!

Great story! Great narration!

I rarely write a review and when I do I mention this because I am only compelled to write when the book was either really good or really horrible. This one was really good! When I first started it, I didn't think I was going to like it and I went to sometime else. I have a very low patience tolerance (just ask my family lol), and switch books when I get bored. I eventually came back to this one to try again, and I have no idea why I put it down! After I picked it back up, I couldn't put it down again. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Politically correct agenda

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

no, I got tired of the political view of the writer. I felt like she was lecturing about recycling, gay rights, transgender causes, which were not necessary for the story line. For example, she mentioned a happy gay couple in the beginning of the book, and never mentioned them again, what was the point? And she described the only conservative in the story as a rich, heartless bigot. I listen to books to get away from this kind of bias, not to have it intertwined in the story.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Get off the political soap box

What about Ellen Archer’s performance did you like?

it was OK

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

not at all

Lessons in Married Life

Despite the editorial mistakes, which were very noticeable and often, I enjoyed the story. And yes, there is a lesson to be learned. This couple went through a unique process to learn it. Very unconventional (in my world, at least). It held my interest all the way through. The humor kept it from being as heavy as it might have been.

The ending really could go either way

What I loved about The Arrangement was that until he very end, I could easily see the ending going either way.

It's an interesting take on an idea that I'm sure more marriages have considered than most people would expect. I love the dual perspectives of Lucy and Owen and how they approach their agreement.

The performance really carries the story so it was no surprise when I found myself up for hours past my bedtime. I was hooked! I gave up trying to figure out what I was rooting for and just sat back and enjoyed the story.

This is definitely one to which I will return; my next source of in-flight entertainment I think...

Great reading

Would you listen to The Arrangement again? Why?

No, I do not usually listen twice to a book

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character was Lucy. She was interesting in that she realized something was lacking in her life, but didn't blame someone else. She just came up with a way to try and get her "self" back in focus. Which she did, but almost went in a direction that might have led to losing her real self again.
I also really enjoyed the characters of Kelly and her husband. So funny and witty situations with them.

Which character – as performed by Ellen Archer – was your favorite?

I would have to say that Ellen Archer is a great reader. I loved that she could change her inflections to convey every character in a unique way. Excellent voice work. Best narration of a book that I have listened to.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, very much. It really hooked me right away.

Any additional comments?

A wonderful story. I liked that it was drama as well as humorous. Kelly's physical problem in her marriage due to the bees- fantastic- sly and witty addition to this story.

It was just meh

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I guess if you want an easy read then go for it. I found it tedious.

What about Ellen Archer’s performance did you like?

She kept the characters interesting for me.