Last Couple Standing

December 2, 2019
In Norman’s funny and heartwarming novel (following We’re All Damaged), a Baltimore couple tries to head off the demise of their marriage with an unusual arrangement. Therapist Jessica Butler and her high school English teacher husband, Mitch, have been married for 15 years and have two kids. Recently, their closest friends have all split. Jessica and Mitch are determined it’s not going to happen to them, but things have been a bit stale, and they decide that a few “dalliances” outside the marriage might liven things up, with caveats such as no hooking up with social media friends and no more than one jaunt with the same person. Jessica wastes no time setting up a date with hot bartender Ryan, even as Mitch struggles to make a connection. As they both try to make the experiment work, with mixed results, it inevitably clashes with their jobs, kids, and most importantly, reality. Readers will have to suspend disbelief a bit to make this premise work, and a few scenarios, especially the climactic scene, veer close to farce. Still, Norman skillfully uses his gift for gentle humor to prod at the foibles and joys of marriage, parenthood, and love in this endearing charmer.

January 15, 2020
A couple decides to save their relationship by attempting an open marriage. Jessica and Mitch Butler have a happy marriage. Well, happy enough. Married for years with two children, it's inevitable that they won't feel the swells of passion every day, right? But when their three best couple friends get divorced around the same time, Jessica and Mitch start to reevaluate things. They thought their friends' marriages were fine, but something tore them all apart. And, naturally, Jessica and Mitch start to wonder if the same thing could happen to them. So, to stave off the divorce that now seems inevitable, they try something dramatic: an open marriage. More specifically, an "evolved" marriage, one that allows each of them to have sex with other people, with several rules in place (no repeats, no one they know, etc.). Jessica immediately hits it off with a young, sexy bartender who sweeps her off her feet, but Mitch has more trouble connecting with women. And both of them realize, with help from their divorced friends, that dating is a lot different now that apps are on the scene. Although Jessica and Mitch's plan may be a bit out of the box, their relationship and feelings are believable. Norman (We're All Damaged, 2016, etc.) also creates a plethora of rounded, quirky side characters, including Jessica's teenage therapy patient Scarlett and Mitch's nerdy student Luke. When all of those characters come together in the story's climax, the result is a scene worthy of a Shakespearean comedy. A quick-witted and ultimately hopeful look at what it takes to make a marriage last.

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Starred review from January 1, 2020
After a rash of divorces blew up Mitch and Jessica's core friend group?the people with whom they carpooled, shared dinners, and even vacationed?they were determined not to succumb. The bedrock of their marriage was strong, but they understood the creeping sense of complacency and seemingly unavoidable boredom that can accompany monogamy. Like so many well-intentioned, progressive couples before them, Jessica and Mitch institute a series of rules around what they decide to call a relaxed marriage: just open enough to let in some outside influence, and bring the spark back to their marriage. And like so many of those couples before them, they find that no amount of guidelines and conversations could have prepared them for their Tinder-assisted, tequila-soaked, head-spinning new reality. Norman (We're All Damaged, 2016) brings his signature blend of wit and suburban pathos, following in the thematic footsteps of Richard Russo, Meg Wolitzer, and Jane Smiley. With references to his previous work cleverly sprinkled throughout, Norman's latest novel fearlessly tackles the tough questions around marriage and parenthood. Charmingly realistic and clear-eyed about the peaks and pitfalls of modern relationships, Last Couple Standing explores the vulnerability required to make a marriage work.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)