Last Couple Standing: A Novel

Matthew Norman again tackles the complications of domesticity in his signature style. Jessica and Mitch Butler have reached the point in their lives when they recognize that they are no longer young. The carefree days of only having to worry about each other's needs are gone because they are parenting two adorably inquisitive children under the age of ten: Jude and Emily. Mitch is a high school English teacher, while Jessica is a psychotherapist. Juggling the demands of careers and family life leaves them understandably tired, and intimacy is a priority less often than either would like. And predictable. They haven't fallen out of love, but their relationship has evolved into one of comfort and reliability. Watching their friends' relationships fall apart -- some surprisingly -- frightens them. Neither of them want to live without the other and, as Jessica texts Mitch during a girls' night out with her now-single friends, "Divorce is awful. we're never getting one."

Jessica and Mitch are likable, earnest, and devoted to their children. Clearly, they have an enviable relationship as illustrated by Norman through their frequently hilarious conversations. They know each other well, they anticipate each other's thoughts, and they co-parent effectively. Well, except for Mitch having taken the kids to see E.T. which has convinced both of them that the scary little extraterrestrial is lurking in the closets of their bedrooms. As a result, the kids are having trouble sleeping, and the bleary-eyed parents end up sleeping with them when efforts to convince them that E.T. went back to his home planet fail.

A series of believable discussions lead to Jessica and Mitch agreeing to an "open" marriage -- with ground rules, including a prohibition on repeat instances of intimacy with someone else because that would venture into the realm of an affair. They agree to be honest about their extramarital activities, but are limited to three questions that can be posed to each other about their encounters.

The arrangement leads to complicated feelings and Norman explores them with candor and empathy. The situation becomes competitive. And there's the issue of where to meet new people in the age of dating apps and swiping right or left which leads to complications.

Set in Baltimore -- Smalltimore, as Norman dubs it -- the story is populated with an intriguing and entertaining cast of supporting characters, including the other members of the Core Four and Luke, a sensitive and outstanding student in Mitch's class who also lives next door. Jessica and Mitch spend several evenings observing Luke's father moving out of the family residence while Luke hides on a tree stump in the backyard, reading. And there's Scarlett, an extremely intelligent but wild student who is Jessica's client, as well as one very hot bartender who builds furniture from repurposed wood.

Are sexual encounters with new partners an effective way for married couples to find their way back to each other? Norman examines what actually constitutes love in the context of marriage, as well as jealousy, societal norms, parenthood, and the logistical considerations when children must be cared for. In his capable hands, the results of Jessica and Mitch's experiment are frequently hilarious, often heart-wrenching, and always, despite the seeming absurdity of their thesis, engrossing and touching.

Last Couple Standing is extremely entertaining and thought-provoking, and could inspire dialogue between married couples about how to safeguard their relationship from destruction.

Thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of the book.

This book showed a marriage falling apart and how ugly it can get when you decide to date others and get caught outside your driveway. Life gets real messy so this book definitely taught me about commitment and how important it is for the future life stages.

You think you know, but you don’t. Sooooo soooooo good!!