Have you ever sat around with your best friends, venting about the absolute chaos of navigating your late twenties, and thought what if we just gave up on traditional expectations and stuck together instead? That is exactly the premise of a sparkling new novel by Lindsay MacMillan titled The Anti-Marriage Pact that I want to share with you in this review.
Disclaimer: Some links found on this page might be affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Set against the vibrant, fast-paced backdrop of Brooklyn, the story introduces us to four roommates who call themselves the “Redstockings.” Fed up with the societal pressure to tie the knot and settle down, they make a solemn pact to completely avoid marriage and motherhood. Their goal? Put their careers, their personal ambitions, and their unbreakable sisterhood first.
Our narrator is EJ, a fiercely talented aspiring playwright who is fully committed to the cause. But as any fan of a good contemporary drama knows, life has a funny way of upending even the most carefully crafted plans. The pact begins to fray when the girls start doing the one thing they swore they wouldn’t do, namely falling in love. For EJ, the ultimate test arrives in the form of Chris, a grounding tax accountant who challenges every single rule she’s set for her future.
Why This Book Captured My Heart
What makes this novel shine so brightly is that it never takes the easy way out. It would be easy to make a story like this a predictable romance, but MacMillan does something much sweeter and smarter. She gives equal weight to the romance and the female friendships, which gives it extra appeal.
The roommate dynamics feel incredibly real. If you’ve ever shared a cramped apartment with your favorite people, shared clothes, and stayed up until 2:00 A.M. dissecting your career goals, you will see yourself in these pages. MacMillan brings her own sharp background—graduating from Dartmouth and working at Goldman Sachs—to give these women an authentic, fierce sense of professional ambition.
The Ultimate Takeaway
At its core, this story is a beautiful, hilarious, and honest exploration of modern feminism. It asks a really profound question: Is choosing love a betrayal of your independence, or is true freedom simply about having the courage to change your mind?
It is the perfect balance of cozy roommate drama, humor and genuine self-discovery. I hope The Anti-Marriage Pact by Lindsay MacMillan I found reading this book for this review helps you decide on your next great read. If you are looking for a book to throw in your beach bag or read on a rainy Sunday afternoon with a giant mug of ice tea, this Brooklyn roomates novel is absolutely the one.
Thanks to Harper Muse and HarperCollins for this #gifted book for this review.
