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The Marriage Rule

Brief Description
Love. Honour. Obey? 'A whale of a read; a stomach-roiling page turner and a disturbing look at how women end up in such bad places... I was so invested' Observer 'A riveting domestic thriller with a fresh twist' John Marrs 'Raw, riveting and painfully timely' Kia... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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Love. Honour. Obey?

'A whale of a read; a stomach-roiling page turner and a disturbing look at how women end up in such bad places... I was so invested' Observer

'A riveting domestic thriller with a fresh twist' John Marrs

'Raw, riveting and painfully timely' Kia Abdullah

Elle never dreamed she’d end up with a man like Dom. He’s handsome, successful, the perfect father to their baby girl.

But Elle doesn’t feel the joy she knows she should. She's struggling with being a mum, failing at work, even her post-baby body doesn’t feel like her own. Not that Dom cares. He worships Elle and craves intimacy as deeply as troubled Elle wants to shy away from it.

Elle starts relying on red wine and the attention of new colleague Gabriel to get through her day. But the morning after a team away day, a bewildered and hungover Elle wakes up with a lifeless body in her bed. She knows devoted Dom is the only person who’ll give her any chance of getting out of there a free woman.

Elle would never have ended up in such danger if she’d followed the Marriage Rule, the one thing she’s been told a wife needs to do, even if it breaks her...

Readers are gripped by The Marriage Rule:

'An intelligent, suspense-filled exploration of marriage, motherhood, and the secrets we hide'

'Heart-stopping'

'Gripping and hard-hitting'

'The twists are insane'

'Compulsive and intelligently written'

Praise for Helen Monks Takhar:

'Nail-biting' Harriet Tyce

'Explosive' Will Dean

'Twisted, dark and shocking' Jo Spain

'Compelling and suspenseful' Diane Jeffrey

'Unnerving and propulsive' Allison Buccola

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780008735852

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 January 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: HQ

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 26.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 240g

Pages: 352

About the Author

Helen Monks Takhar has been working as a journalist, copyeditor and magazine editor since 1999, having graduated from Cambridge. She began her career in financial trade newspapers before writing for national newspapers including The Times, The Observer and The Daily Telegraph. Originally from Southport, Merseyside, she lives in Stoke Newington with her husband and two young children.

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