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The Marriage Test
From the bestselling author of In an Instant comes a heartfelt short story about one couple’s journey to discover if there really is a secret ingredient to happily ever after before their upcoming holiday wedding.
When Ava Barnes’s boyfriend, Justin, proposes after a whirlwind romance, the young couple embarks on a quest that will test their love. For generations, engaged couples in Ava’s family have traveled into the Everglades to retrieve the egg of the magnificent frigate bird in order to bake it into a marriage cake. Those who succeed live happily ever after, while those who fail are destined for heartbreak. With Ava’s beloved grandmother gravely ill, never has the marriage tradition meant so much. Ava’s dream is to pass the test so her grandmother can attend Ava’s holiday wedding to the man she loves.
So Ava, Justin, and their best friend Walton as a witness set off on a remarkable adventure that will challenge the true depth of their character and devotion. An emotional, heartrending journey of self-discovery, The Marriage Test turns out to be far more than any of them imagined.
Is there any test more challenging than a test of love?
When Ava Barnes’s boyfriend, Justin, proposes after a whirlwind romance, the young couple embarks on a quest that will test their love. For generations, engaged couples in Ava’s family have traveled into the Everglades to retrieve the egg of the magnificent frigate bird in order to bake it into a marriage cake. Those who succeed live happily ever after, while those who fail are destined for heartbreak. With Ava’s beloved grandmother gravely ill, never has the marriage tradition meant so much. Ava’s dream is to pass the test so her grandmother can attend Ava’s holiday wedding to the man she loves.
So Ava, Justin, and their best friend Walton as a witness set off on a remarkable adventure that will challenge the true depth of their character and devotion. An emotional, heartrending journey of self-discovery, The Marriage Test turns out to be far more than any of them imagined.
Is there any test more challenging than a test of love?
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 23, 2021
755 people are currently reading
1201 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Redfearn
11 books2,340 followersSuzanne Redfearn is the award-winning author of Six novels: Hush Little Baby, No Ordinary Life, In an Instant, and Hadley & Grace, Moment in Time, and Where Butterflies Wander. In addition to being an author, she’s also an architect specializing in residential and commercial design. She lives in Laguna Beach, California, where she and her husband own two restaurants: Lumberyard and Slice Pizza and Beer. You can find her at her website, www.SuzanneRedfearn.com, on Facebook at SuzanneRedfearnAuthor, or on Instagram at SuzanneRedfearn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews
December 25, 2021
3.5★
“Since I graduated college, I’ve proudly stood on my own two penniless feet, and as far as I’m concerned, I intend to continue to do so.”
Ava is besotted with her new boyfriend, Justin, who seems just as smitten by her. His best friend, Walton, is Ava’s dive partner and close friend who is as committed as she is to saving coral reefs and marine species. They are trying to get funding to save what remains of an oil rig that is currently harbouring a lot of ocean life. Justin, on the other hand, is worried about some company merger.
Ava is devoted to her Granmama, whose health is precarious and who is worth a lot of money, but Ava never thinks about that. She just adores the woman with whom she has always spent her summers. She can’t bear to think of losing her.
“She taught me my love of cooking, the ocean, all earth’s creatures, and travel.
‘Exponential!’ she would exclaim whenever we did something wonderful. ‘One plus one is so much more than two.’
I’ve always loved that word because of it.
This summer will be the first summer we won’t take a trip together.”
Granmama is very proud of Ava’s accomplishments, but she doesn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the new boyfriend. Her family has a kind of mythical tradition about couples making a marriage cake in a special way to pass a test that will determine whether or not they are suited to each other.
Let’s just say that this is not your typical family recipe, it involves crocodile-infested waters, and I’m glad I never tried to make one!
This is one of Amazon's Original Stories, not as magic as the cake, but a pleasant read. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for review.
“Since I graduated college, I’ve proudly stood on my own two penniless feet, and as far as I’m concerned, I intend to continue to do so.”
Ava is besotted with her new boyfriend, Justin, who seems just as smitten by her. His best friend, Walton, is Ava’s dive partner and close friend who is as committed as she is to saving coral reefs and marine species. They are trying to get funding to save what remains of an oil rig that is currently harbouring a lot of ocean life. Justin, on the other hand, is worried about some company merger.
Ava is devoted to her Granmama, whose health is precarious and who is worth a lot of money, but Ava never thinks about that. She just adores the woman with whom she has always spent her summers. She can’t bear to think of losing her.
“She taught me my love of cooking, the ocean, all earth’s creatures, and travel.
‘Exponential!’ she would exclaim whenever we did something wonderful. ‘One plus one is so much more than two.’
I’ve always loved that word because of it.
This summer will be the first summer we won’t take a trip together.”
Granmama is very proud of Ava’s accomplishments, but she doesn’t seem particularly enthusiastic about the new boyfriend. Her family has a kind of mythical tradition about couples making a marriage cake in a special way to pass a test that will determine whether or not they are suited to each other.
Let’s just say that this is not your typical family recipe, it involves crocodile-infested waters, and I’m glad I never tried to make one!
This is one of Amazon's Original Stories, not as magic as the cake, but a pleasant read. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy for review.
December 5, 2021
Well! Hope spring s eternal
I enjoyed this short story. The ending was inevitable but that observation about the egg\cake test and the need to be willing to do things for one another and adapt to each other- now THAT is a perfect message and interpretation.
I enjoyed this short story. The ending was inevitable but that observation about the egg\cake test and the need to be willing to do things for one another and adapt to each other- now THAT is a perfect message and interpretation.
November 22, 2021
This is a short story by the author of In An Instant which I read and really enjoyed. This novella is a cute story with mostly likeable characters and a bit of a surprise ending. The marriage test is a family tradition involving the preparation of a cake using a frigate bird egg. The story is well written and a fast read. I looked up frigate birds on Wikipedia and learned some interesting facts about them.
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for a chance to read this novella. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: November 23,2021
Thank you to Amazon Original Stories and Netgalley for a chance to read this novella. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: November 23,2021
March 14, 2022
3.5 stars
October 17, 2022
Different idea that worked all right
November 19, 2021
I was given a review copy of this story in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon.
This is a good novella, that tells a very cute story. It twists and turns, but does not go down the obvious route. It's a real feel good story. But, you know when one thing bugs you, as a reader, so much that it distracts from the rest of a really solid story? In this case it was that the main character is scared she is going to loose her ring, so she keeps taking it off. What?? if they fit properly, the only truly safe place for a ring is on your finger. Not when you are diving, true, but yes when you are cooking and hiking. Just leave it there. I get that the ring was an analogy, but it still bugged me disproportionately. Still, this was cute and sweet and a lovely palette cleanser.
This is a good novella, that tells a very cute story. It twists and turns, but does not go down the obvious route. It's a real feel good story. But, you know when one thing bugs you, as a reader, so much that it distracts from the rest of a really solid story? In this case it was that the main character is scared she is going to loose her ring, so she keeps taking it off. What?? if they fit properly, the only truly safe place for a ring is on your finger. Not when you are diving, true, but yes when you are cooking and hiking. Just leave it there. I get that the ring was an analogy, but it still bugged me disproportionately. Still, this was cute and sweet and a lovely palette cleanser.
November 15, 2021
Nice, short and sweet.
This was about Ava and her family tradition of making the groom-to-be go through a marriage test of retrieving an egg to be used in a marriage cake. As you would expect, of course it wasn't about the egg, but about the couple's journey to find out about each other before committing their lifetimes to each other.
I liked Ava as a character, but the others were quite unmemorable. While the message was quite important (you need to really 'know' your partner before marrying them), it wasn't anything new or fresh. I'm not quite sure if I liked the ending, as a few things hinted throughout the story didn't actually eventuate and I was quite disappointed.
Having said that, I liked Suzanne Redfearn's writing. I actually wanted to check one of her books last year, but didn't end up getting a chance to read it. So, this was a good opportunity to check out her writing style and see if I'd like it (I did!).
This was about Ava and her family tradition of making the groom-to-be go through a marriage test of retrieving an egg to be used in a marriage cake. As you would expect, of course it wasn't about the egg, but about the couple's journey to find out about each other before committing their lifetimes to each other.
I liked Ava as a character, but the others were quite unmemorable. While the message was quite important (you need to really 'know' your partner before marrying them), it wasn't anything new or fresh. I'm not quite sure if I liked the ending, as a few things hinted throughout the story didn't actually eventuate and I was quite disappointed.
Having said that, I liked Suzanne Redfearn's writing. I actually wanted to check one of her books last year, but didn't end up getting a chance to read it. So, this was a good opportunity to check out her writing style and see if I'd like it (I did!).
January 5, 2022
I really enjoyed this wonderful story! The author was able to pack many emotions into a short story, along with fully-developed characters.
December 29, 2023
This was a really good short story.
November 23, 2021
This one really ticked a lot of boxes for me.
[x] A subversive approach to a familiar concept
[x] Layered character conflict
[x] Well-written food scenes with real movement instead of relying solely on detail
[x] An ending that simultaneously surprises and invites you to follow it through
[x] Fun phrasing that I see myself incorporating into my vocabulary, mon canard
I can't recommend it enough :)
[x] A subversive approach to a familiar concept
[x] Layered character conflict
[x] Well-written food scenes with real movement instead of relying solely on detail
[x] An ending that simultaneously surprises and invites you to follow it through
[x] Fun phrasing that I see myself incorporating into my vocabulary, mon canard
I can't recommend it enough :)
March 9, 2022
I truly loved this cute fast-paced short story. (Free on Kindle Unlimited 🎉) the author did a great job with character building and packing in a ton of emotions in just 68 pages.
Favorite quotes:
“Seahorses grow up floating the ocean in search of another, and when their paths finally cross, they spend days dancing together, trying to sync their rhythms to see if they are compatible, and if they manage it, they tether their tails and spend the rest of their short lives drifting the ocean as one.”
“A cake is a lot like a marriage. Both require love, patience, care, and certain essential ingredients you can’t do without. Success is all about the foundation, the balance between sweetness and substance. This is key—how you pour the batter is as important as how you mixed it. You need to fold it in gently so as not to undo all the love we put in by dumping it in without a thought.”
Favorite quotes:
“Seahorses grow up floating the ocean in search of another, and when their paths finally cross, they spend days dancing together, trying to sync their rhythms to see if they are compatible, and if they manage it, they tether their tails and spend the rest of their short lives drifting the ocean as one.”
“A cake is a lot like a marriage. Both require love, patience, care, and certain essential ingredients you can’t do without. Success is all about the foundation, the balance between sweetness and substance. This is key—how you pour the batter is as important as how you mixed it. You need to fold it in gently so as not to undo all the love we put in by dumping it in without a thought.”
November 18, 2021
What a cute little short story about finding your soul mate! I loved the whole idea about ‘The Marriage Cake’ tradition within Ava’s family that has been a tradition for years and years on end. I think this story sends off such a good message for young readers where we need to stop succumbing to the pressures of being married, having a house, and having X amount of kids by a certain age. Your time will come and there’s no reason whatsoever to rush fate ❤️
January 11, 2022
Ava and her fiancé Justin try to find a frigate egg as a test of their relationship.
It didn’t resonate that well for me.
It didn’t resonate that well for me.
November 21, 2021
I haven't read anything by Suzanne Redfearn yet. I have some of her books and have been intending to. This story was a nice appetizer though. It displays her beautiful writing style and has shown me what else she is capable of producing. I'll definitely have to add some of her books to my queue soon!
The Marriage Test was a good story overall. It was set up nicely and was engaging and thought-provoking. The descriptions helped me visualize everything that was going on without detracting from the narrative. The characters were really interesting, especially the supporting ones like Esther and Aylan. I loved Ava's connection with her feisty Granmama. I also loved the descriptions of baking cakes and the contrasts between the different techniques being used.
I didn't really see a Christmas connection aside from her plans to have a wedding around that time, so I was surprised at it being used for this holiday set. I felt like there were some gaps that could have been filled in better, like more backstory about Walton and Justin having a falling out. What was Walton's motive for not wanting Justin to be with Ava? The story did not go in the direction I was expecting and now I want it to continue to see what comes next.
Casting ideas:
Ava: Camille Kostek
Justin: Josh Swickard
Walton: Colin Woodell
Originally reviewed at Chick Lit Central
November 28, 2021
All my reviews can be found at: http://jessicasreadingroom.com
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This review will appear on my site on November 28, 2021.
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The Marriage Test is a novella that takes place in December, but that is all in regards to a ‘holiday’ story. Justin proposes to Ava after a short romance. Eva’s family has a long-standing tradition where engaged couples must go on a ‘quest’ of sorts to the Florida Everglades to retrieve a frigate bird's egg and then they make their marriage cake (not their wedding cake). For generations, the couples who have succeeded have had long happy marriage while the couples who do not complete the quest or fail to attempt the quest at all fail at their marriage, which includes Ava’s parents. And Ava is determined to complete this quest.
Ava and Justin prepare for their quest along with their friend Walton (who does not agree with the relationship) as a witness to the events. We get to go into the Everglades with the trio and have a bit of an adventure. For me, I was expecting more of the quest than what we got, so it was a little bit of a let down for me, but there is a reason to this. The shortness of the quest and other signs point to you knowing how this story should go.
This short story is a complete story and optimistic at the end. I really enjoyed the idea of couples going on a quest to prove their upcoming marriage along with the baking of the marriage cake. This short story shows how everything that is supposed to happen does.
Karissa Vacker narrates the audiobook. She is a narrator I enjoy, so her narrating the story was a pleasant surprise for me. If you enjoy short stories that have a little bit of an adventure and romance, The Marriage Test will be one for you to read!
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This review will appear on my site on November 28, 2021.
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The Marriage Test is a novella that takes place in December, but that is all in regards to a ‘holiday’ story. Justin proposes to Ava after a short romance. Eva’s family has a long-standing tradition where engaged couples must go on a ‘quest’ of sorts to the Florida Everglades to retrieve a frigate bird's egg and then they make their marriage cake (not their wedding cake). For generations, the couples who have succeeded have had long happy marriage while the couples who do not complete the quest or fail to attempt the quest at all fail at their marriage, which includes Ava’s parents. And Ava is determined to complete this quest.
Ava and Justin prepare for their quest along with their friend Walton (who does not agree with the relationship) as a witness to the events. We get to go into the Everglades with the trio and have a bit of an adventure. For me, I was expecting more of the quest than what we got, so it was a little bit of a let down for me, but there is a reason to this. The shortness of the quest and other signs point to you knowing how this story should go.
This short story is a complete story and optimistic at the end. I really enjoyed the idea of couples going on a quest to prove their upcoming marriage along with the baking of the marriage cake. This short story shows how everything that is supposed to happen does.
Karissa Vacker narrates the audiobook. She is a narrator I enjoy, so her narrating the story was a pleasant surprise for me. If you enjoy short stories that have a little bit of an adventure and romance, The Marriage Test will be one for you to read!
November 5, 2021
3.5 stars.
Despite being promoted as a holiday short story, The Marriage Test isn't very festive. Maybe being set in sunny Florida doesn't help, but Christmas also isn't a big part of the plot. However, it does involve a lot of baking, and the marriage cake sounds delicious!
“'No marriage is perfect,' she says. 'And not everything you do together will work. The question is what you can live with and what you can’t live without. For me, I could live with my husband not sharing my love of cooking, but I could not live with a man who did not understand my love of cooking.'”
The unique plot of an engaged couple needing to complete a task to guarantee their marriage will be a happy one kept me reading, however I never really connected with the main characters. Unfortunately I didn’t find them very likable, and the ending left me unsatisfied.
I’ve only read one book by Redfearn, Hadley and Grace, but I enjoyed it! I do have In an Instant, the book she’s best known for, but I haven’t had a chance to pick it up yet. The Marriage Test is well-written and I was a fan of the plot, but the execution left me wanting a bit more.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
Despite being promoted as a holiday short story, The Marriage Test isn't very festive. Maybe being set in sunny Florida doesn't help, but Christmas also isn't a big part of the plot. However, it does involve a lot of baking, and the marriage cake sounds delicious!
“'No marriage is perfect,' she says. 'And not everything you do together will work. The question is what you can live with and what you can’t live without. For me, I could live with my husband not sharing my love of cooking, but I could not live with a man who did not understand my love of cooking.'”
The unique plot of an engaged couple needing to complete a task to guarantee their marriage will be a happy one kept me reading, however I never really connected with the main characters. Unfortunately I didn’t find them very likable, and the ending left me unsatisfied.
I’ve only read one book by Redfearn, Hadley and Grace, but I enjoyed it! I do have In an Instant, the book she’s best known for, but I haven’t had a chance to pick it up yet. The Marriage Test is well-written and I was a fan of the plot, but the execution left me wanting a bit more.
Check out my reviews and playlists at A Book Wanderer
December 13, 2021
I do understand that a short story or novella has its limitations. However, that's where the author's skill lies. To create enough of background and context so that we feel connected to the stories and the characters and actually give a damn
and have been in a long-distance relationship for 3 months, afte which proposed to her and she accepted. Her friend, is not too happy about the whole thing because he feels like they hardly know each other. They are all set for the wedding, but first they have to complete a 250-year-old family tradition, which is to bake a cake that contains the egg of a frigate. Traditionally, all those who have passed the test have had successful marriages.
To make a ong story short, there are lies and deceptions, and in the end, she has to reconsider whether she wants to marry him at all. Will she end up with instead?
There's nothing different or exciting about the story. It's the same old been-done-a-million-times-before formula. It has some loose ends that were just left dangling, and would you determine who to marry based on whether you were able to bake a cake successfully? C'mon now. And if you heard your best friend and fiance in a conversation about YOU, would you never bring it up with either of them?
Overall, 2.5 stars, and yay for the fact that it was really short and hardly took me any time at all to finish!
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my hinest review.
and have been in a long-distance relationship for 3 months, afte which proposed to her and she accepted. Her friend, is not too happy about the whole thing because he feels like they hardly know each other. They are all set for the wedding, but first they have to complete a 250-year-old family tradition, which is to bake a cake that contains the egg of a frigate. Traditionally, all those who have passed the test have had successful marriages.
To make a ong story short, there are lies and deceptions, and in the end, she has to reconsider whether she wants to marry him at all. Will she end up with instead?
There's nothing different or exciting about the story. It's the same old been-done-a-million-times-before formula. It has some loose ends that were just left dangling, and would you determine who to marry based on whether you were able to bake a cake successfully? C'mon now. And if you heard your best friend and fiance in a conversation about YOU, would you never bring it up with either of them?
Overall, 2.5 stars, and yay for the fact that it was really short and hardly took me any time at all to finish!
Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Original Stories for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my hinest review.
November 22, 2021
The Marriage Test is a novella featuring Ava and Justin who are soon to be married along with Walton, Ava’s coworker and Justin’s best friend. As per a superstitious family tradition, Ava and Justin must embark on a journey to retrieve a rare egg to be used for their wedding cake. If they are successful in retrieving and baking the cake, fate has it that they will live to be happily married till the end of time. Should their mission fail, their marriage is destined for failure. Will they be successful and what role does Walton play in all of this?
The story is well written but the idea of placing the fate of an entire marriage on a old family tradition seems silly and therefore the plot wasn’t that great. Even the characters in the story doubted the legitimacy of the family tradition. Perhaps someone who is superstitious would like the story.
The story is well written but the idea of placing the fate of an entire marriage on a old family tradition seems silly and therefore the plot wasn’t that great. Even the characters in the story doubted the legitimacy of the family tradition. Perhaps someone who is superstitious would like the story.
November 18, 2021
What a wonderful story! According to a family tradition a couple must retrieve an egg from a bird in the everglades and bake a cake with it. If they do this successfully, their marriage will last forever.
It is a shirt story so it was a quick read. I loved the story and while it did not end up as I thought it would, that made it better. I expected a traditional ending and it was not. Read this story for a quick light story!
It is a shirt story so it was a quick read. I loved the story and while it did not end up as I thought it would, that made it better. I expected a traditional ending and it was not. Read this story for a quick light story!
November 24, 2021
Endearing
I enjoyed reading this book!
These emotional characters were filled with a great amount of depth, their background gave so much more to the development of the storyline which is solid and a consistent page turner. The story flowed easily throughout the pages. A must read!
I enjoyed reading this book!
These emotional characters were filled with a great amount of depth, their background gave so much more to the development of the storyline which is solid and a consistent page turner. The story flowed easily throughout the pages. A must read!
May 28, 2022
Interesting
This is a quick short story of a test that a couple makes to determine if they will have a successful marriage or not. I liked the conquest of the test and the twists and turns after the test. This book allowed me to think about the future and “fall in love” with the possibility of “putting your marriage to the test.”
This is a quick short story of a test that a couple makes to determine if they will have a successful marriage or not. I liked the conquest of the test and the twists and turns after the test. This book allowed me to think about the future and “fall in love” with the possibility of “putting your marriage to the test.”
July 2, 2022
A very quick read, with a strong dose of the wishful thinking people can get into around romantic relationships. I wouldn't want my deciding factor about the "rightness" of a relationship to be based upon the unusual factor key to this tale. But it did unearth some important truths that hopefully folks can figure out in other ways.
September 13, 2024
I love the concept of 2 people having to go on a quest for this special egg so they can make a cake to see if they are soul mates! The challenge and stress it puts you through to really show if you can make it as a married couple or not. This was a cute short story definitely worth the read.
November 30, 2021
Decent short story.
December 2, 2021
No nope no. Not my cuppa. Drivel. I know the author is a better writer than me and has written other books that I liked. But this was hallmark-lite.
December 6, 2021
I really enjoyed this story but it didn't end like I might have expected.
I enjoyed watching the story between Ava and Justin unfold. There are some surprising moments and some not so surprising ones (at least not for me).
Great short story and will check out more from this author.
I enjoyed watching the story between Ava and Justin unfold. There are some surprising moments and some not so surprising ones (at least not for me).
Great short story and will check out more from this author.
January 22, 2023
Todo por un huevo. 🤡
June 13, 2025
A soon to be married couple goes on a quest to find their future.
June 20, 2025
This was cute.
August 5, 2025
I could see the ending to this one from a mile away LOL an easy short story but definitely not one of my favs
Displaying 1 - 30 of 212 reviews