The Arrangement

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 show more 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. show less

The sizzle has gone out of Owen and Lucy's marriage. They are middle aged, in a long term relationship, and then there is Wyatt, their autistic son who sucks out the last of their energy. One night, while throwing a dinner party, Lucy finds out her friends are planning on having an open marriage. At first she and Owen are repulsed and then they become intrigued. They make up a list of rules and then they dare to test them out. Against the backdrop of Lucy and Owen's crumbling marriage we learn about some of the other residents and their own marital woes in the the yuppie town of Beekman outside of Manhattan that they all reside in.

I loved this story so much. It was a soapy addictive read. The author writes for television and I could show more easily see this as being the next limited series for HBO. She nails so many truths of what it is like to be in a long term marriage in your forties. She also knows what it is like to parent in 2017 especially if you parent a special needs child. In addition to the dishy drama the story is also quite funny and I chuckled out loud in a few places. RIP Fat Black. If you are looking for a juicy read that will make your own spouse seem like a dream or make you glad you are single then you need to make an arrangement to read this book. show less

Lucy and Owen fled Brooklyn for the suburbs not long after their son, Wyatt, came along. In the perfect little town of Beekman, they have a beautiful old house, a yard full of chickens, and interact with a cast full of eclectic characters. Lucy also has her hands full with Wyatt, a challenging kid with autism. One evening, when some friends come over and the drinks flow freely, they mention their open marriage. At first, Lucy and Own are a bit shocked. But as the exhausted duo look around at their life, they begin to consider "the arrangement." Owen grabs a pad and a pen and they eke out some rules. It still seems like a joke, until Lucy says she wants to give the arrangement--a six-month experience where they each have an ongoing, no show more questions asked free pass in their marriage--a go. Surely nothing will go wrong, right?

This novel is a different, oddly intriguing read, offering an extremely realistic portrayal of marriage and raising children. Warm and fuzzy it is not, yet it's still engaging and features relatable characters. Lucy and Owen's exhaustion is palatable, as is Lucy's frustration and love for Wyatt, who is an intelligent, fun, and extremely challenging special needs kid. (You will grow to love him, even as you completely empathize with why poor Lucy might need a break--one of the definite strengths of the book.) For a good early portion of the novel, I found myself thinking I would be reading a quite grim look at parenthood and marriage. And it is, in many ways. After all, why are Lucy and Owen so willing to embark on the arrangement, you wonder? Are they bored with their life, with each other? Are they simply tired parents? What causes them to choose this? As the arrangement begins, their reactions to its ongoing presence in their lives is surprising, and Dunn does a good job at capturing some nuance in their character that you might not expect. These are real married people, with real issues.

Still, there are definitely some odd bits and pieces stuck into the story. It seems disjointed at times, and some of the characters and their stories seem to pop up at weird times, forcing you to remind yourself how they fit into Lucy and Owen's life and the town of Beekman (for we don't hear just from our main couple, but several others who live in town). The novel meanders at times, and I wouldn't call the ending closure, per se, though it falls in line with the realism of the novel.

Where Dunn shines is her humor, which slips through even some of the darker moments. Moments with Wyatt are perfectly captured. Lucy's friend, Sunny Bang, is one of the best things about this book, and you'll love every second featuring her. There's a scene at the town church with many of the local kids (and their pets) that is solely worth purchasing the entire book. Seriously, Dunn writes with a sharp wit, and it's one of the main reasons my rating upped to 3.5 stars. The book is often smartly funny and feminist, even if it has its depressing, wandering moments. It's a fascinating look at marriage, for sure, and I was certainly intrigued to see how the arrangement would play out. It was also a welcome break from all the thrillers I'd been reading lately, so thanks! If you like sharp and witty characters coupled with a psychological inside look at modern-day marriage, you'll find this one quite compelling. 3.5 stars.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you) in return for an unbiased review. It is available everywhere as of 03/21/2017.

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Beach Read

Hand it to Sarah Dunn. She knows how to grab your attention and hold it, whether you are on a beach or flying to one. The Arrangement deals in fantasy, the fantasy some couples may have after five, ten years of marriage, and kids, and responsibilities. What would it be like to shuck all that, to feel like a newly minted twenty-something, to be truly and passionately (as in sexually passionate) in love? Here’s one version, courtesy of Dunn, albeit laced with a strong cautionary. People, it seems, have other emotions in addition to love and these can be ugly and rear their heads to make the whole affair rather unpleasant.

Owen and Lucy have been married a while. They have traded their life in Brooklyn for the bucolic, and more show more affordable, life in Beekman, NY (ah, yes, know it well; went to Sylvan Lake, next door to Beekman, to swim as a boy). They try hard to have a child, eventually go the IVF route. Wyatt, their son, appears to be autistic and quite a handful. You can appreciate how the couple might like to have a break from the daily, trying routine. At a patio dinner with friends from the city, they learn about a married couple, gay men with children, who are experimenting with a six-month arrangement, complete with rules, allowing each to seek sex elsewhere.

It isn’t long before Owen and Lucy decide to give it a try. Owen hooks up first and quickly with Izzy, who turns possessive and hounding. Lucy’s friend Sally Bang, the only really interesting name in the book, puts Lucy in touch with a divorced acquaintance, Ben. He turns out to be something of an emotional dream. Owen is harassed; Lucy is in love. (Male readers may ask why Owen gets the nut and Lucy the bliss? Duh, how dense you are, sir.) You’ll never guess? You guessed, the landing is hard for both and their marriage.

Dunn tosses in a couple of other stories that only tangentially link to the main plot. There’s the kindergarten teacher, Mr. Lowell, who decides to transform into Mrs. Lowell. Consequences follow, but many readers will wonder where the heck do you even find a male kindergarten teacher? The other concerns billionaire Gordon Allen and his wife, his fourth, a former cocktail waitress, whom he married spontaneously, so quick that he plumb forgot to have her sign a prenup. Talk about fantasy! Perhaps there are lessons in these tangents? The Lowell’s marriage appears to not just survive the change but flourish, whereas Gordon’s does what you’d expect, except for something of a novel reason.

Not to be too hard on the novel, because Dunn never intended it to be deathless prose, it’s perfect for the summer. It moves as quick as a summer thunderstorm. It often is hilarious, at least in the first half. And for those with thoughts of straying, of testing if the grass is indeed greener on the other side, of harboring any ideas of a similar arrangement, it is a kernel of reality. show less

Beach Read

Hand it to Sarah Dunn. She knows how to grab your attention and hold it, whether you are on a beach or flying to one. The Arrangement deals in fantasy, the fantasy some couples may have after five, ten years of marriage, and kids, and responsibilities. What would it be like to shuck all that, to feel like a newly minted twenty-something, to be truly and passionately (as in sexually passionate) in love? Here’s one version, courtesy of Dunn, albeit laced with a strong cautionary. People, it seems, have other emotions in addition to love and these can be ugly and rear their heads to make the whole affair rather unpleasant.

Owen and Lucy have been married a while. They have traded their life in Brooklyn for the bucolic, and more show more affordable, life in Beekman, NY (ah, yes, know it well; went to Sylvan Lake, next door to Beekman, to swim as a boy). They try hard to have a child, eventually go the IVF route. Wyatt, their son, appears to be autistic and quite a handful. You can appreciate how the couple might like to have a break from the daily, trying routine. At a patio dinner with friends from the city, they learn about a married couple, gay men with children, who are experimenting with a six-month arrangement, complete with rules, allowing each to seek sex elsewhere.

It isn’t long before Owen and Lucy decide to give it a try. Owen hooks up first and quickly with Izzy, who turns possessive and hounding. Lucy’s friend Sally Bang, the only really interesting name in the book, puts Lucy in touch with a divorced acquaintance, Ben. He turns out to be something of an emotional dream. Owen is harassed; Lucy is in love. (Male readers may ask why Owen gets the nut and Lucy the bliss? Duh, how dense you are, sir.) You’ll never guess? You guessed, the landing is hard for both and their marriage.

Dunn tosses in a couple of other stories that only tangentially link to the main plot. There’s the kindergarten teacher, Mr. Lowell, who decides to transform into Mrs. Lowell. Consequences follow, but many readers will wonder where the heck do you even find a male kindergarten teacher? The other concerns billionaire Gordon Allen and his wife, his fourth, a former cocktail waitress, whom he married spontaneously, so quick that he plumb forgot to have her sign a prenup. Talk about fantasy! Perhaps there are lessons in these tangents? The Lowell’s marriage appears to not just survive the change but flourish, whereas Gordon’s does what you’d expect, except for something of a novel reason.

Not to be too hard on the novel, because Dunn never intended it to be deathless prose, it’s perfect for the summer. It moves as quick as a summer thunderstorm. It often is hilarious, at least in the first half. And for those with thoughts of straying, of testing if the grass is indeed greener on the other side, of harboring any ideas of a similar arrangement, it is a kernel of reality. show less

Digital audio performed by Ellen Archer

Lucy and Owen have settled in a “perfect” Hudson Valley suburb. They have a large home, an autistic son, and a flock of chickens. Lucy and the other stay-at-home moms even cook the school’s hot lunch. When friends reveal that they’ve decided to have an open marriage, Lucy is stunned. But then she’s intrigued and after talking it over she and Owen agree to a six-month, no-questions-asked experiment with very specific ground rules. But while Lucy and Owen have rules for their arrangement, their potential partners do not.

Somehow, I had the impression that this was going to be a fun, farcical comedy of manners type book. It isn’t. There are some scenes that are quite entertaining (the show more blessing of the animals fiasco comes to mind), but by and large this is a pretty serious look at modern marriage and the work of commitment – to your partner, to your child, to your values.

I thought it was interesting that Dunn gave the couple the added responsibility / stress of an autistic child. My sympathies changed through the book as a result of how they interacted with their son and each other.

She also people the novel with other interesting couples: a gay couple raising children in the suburbs (the original open marriage on which “the arrangement” is modeled); a teacher who transitions from male to female but whose spouse remains with her; a billionaire with a gold-digger wife who seemingly cares nothing for their child.

Ellen Archer did a wonderful job narrating the audiobook. Her voice for Wyatt was particularly effective … with the rapid fire, higher pitch INSISTENCE of a young child … I certainly felt the parents’ stress in dealing with this challenge. show less

A very witty but also warm novel about marriage, really. I found myself laughing out loud numerous times as I read it.