Arrangement (Dunn) - Book Reviews

Book Reviews
Author Dunn is a bit of a genius when it comes to depicting upper-middle-class social mores, and this book will have readers snorting (yes, snorting) with laughter.
New York Post


For couples who have ever considered having an open marriage, or relationship, or whatever — sure, go ahead, have an affair — pick up a copy of Sarah Dunn's novel first. Because it's possible The Arrangement could push couples on the fence one way or the other, as she delves into the lives of one duo weighing whether to give that "open marriage" a test drive.… Of course, rules are broken, as are hearts and lives even in their cozy little suburban bunker. And Dunn writes it all with a removed grace.
St. Louis Post Dispatch


Sarah Dunn has a terrific eye for the absurd, especially the ridiculous in everyday life.… Dunn's harpooning of the self-righteous denizens of Beekman is deliciously spot-on.… It's an arrangement worth telling — and reading.
Newark Star Ledger


The way this novel pushes and explores boundaries is commendable.
Toronto Globe and Mail


Meshes humor and hardship.
Time


This funny, honest novel pushes you to ponder what makes us happy.
Good Housekeeping


A smart, side-splitting exploration of contemporary attitudes toward love and commitment…not just revelatory and intriguing, but often downright hysterical.
Harper's Bazaar


Sarah Dunn's take on that point in middle-aged married life when everything falls apart is pure comedic genius, and you will absolutely find yourself looking at everyone you know and wondering who in the novel they most resemble.
Newsweek


Dunn's latest, about an attempted open marriage, is damn funny.
Marie Claire


Dunn has a keen eye for the comforts and absurdities of upscale suburban life.… Sensible insights about love are the novel's ultimate destination, but the ride is wildly entertaining.
People


This funny and relatable tale from the writer who crafted many of the mishap-laden stories on Murphy Brown and Spin City delivers the perfect escapist read in these angsty political times.
Esquire


Deliciously inventive…refreshing.
Elle


Dunn again plumbs the messiness and fallibility of romantic relationships in her latest novel.… At times…minor characters’ foibles border on the cartoonish, but they nevertheless contribute to an overall levity of tone that helps buoy what could otherwise have become a veritable catalogue of failing relationships.
Publishers Weekly


Dunn expertly reveals the intricacies that make up a marriage. Her characters are sure to strike a chord with readers, as they struggle to define themselves and their roles as spouses.… [A] multilayered novel that takes readers from funny to serious in a story full of truths, lies, and everything in between. —Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN
Library Journal


Dunn's television-writing background is evident in her witty dialogue. She grounds her novel in the minutia of suburban life, contrasting the heady days of new romance with school drop-offs and soccer games.… [An]engaging and exhilarating exposé.
Booklist


(Starred review.) Despite Owen and Lucy's self-made troubles, they are eminently sympathetic and disarmingly appealing. [W]itty and well-written, it's the most satisfying sort—a true guilty pleasure. Dunn's dryly humorous story about a marriage that goes dangerously off-road never loses its groove.
Kirkus Reviews


The book charms with the author's compassion for all her foolish, bumbling characters...The Arrangement will make you smile.
BookPage


Dunn has perfectly captured middle-aged marriage, with its mix of the boring quotidian and moments of deep happiness.… Readers will be laughing helplessly as circumstances grow ever more fraught, but will also muse about what makes a truly happy marriage possible.
Shelf Awareness