The Arrangement

A Novel

By: Sarah Dunn

Narrated by: Ellen Archer

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

Should Be Titled Terrible Arrangement

This story was a tough one and the characters annoying but I guess it circled back around to an ending that was relatable.

Fabulously Written and Performed!

There are no words to describe how much I enjoyed this book it was addictive and I even woke up earlier to listen to my book while I drank my coffee in the morning.

Awesome Narration

Ellen Archer gave a stunning and entertaining narrative. She Kees the listener engaged with her talent.

Love love loved it!! I couldn't stop listening.

Truly a captivating story. Addictive. Hilarious. A work of art. Anyone & everyone will love this book.