Review to come (whenever GR decides to load for me & let me log in)

 

IDK how I'll end up rating this book but I don't recall being as conflicted yet...absorbed? confused? about the MCs & this type of storyline since Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas. Huge upside = well-written, so straight-forward, fast read for me.  May stay up late to finish b/c need to know if suspicions re: certain plot points are correct. :)

This kind of romance always makes me ache and even though I know there will be a happily ever after again and love that has been tested is sweeter. 

 

This list goes out all loving partnerships that bend and cradle. 

 

Marriages in Trouble Historical Romances

 

1. Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas 

2. An Affair Before Christmas by Eloisa James

3. The Marriage Bed  by Laura Lee Guhrke

4. The Book of Scandal by Julia London 

5. Trial by Desire by Courtney Milan 

6. Lord and Lady Spy by Shana Galen

7. Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March 

8. The Slightest Provocation by Pam Rosenthal

9. Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley 

10. Colorado Dawn by Kaki Warner 

 

Marriages in Trouble Contemporary Romances

 

1. Turning Up the Heat and Snow-Kissed by Laura Florand

2. Suburban Renewal by Pamela Morsi 

3. A Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr

4. Reason to Believe by Kathleen Eagle 

5. Love in a Small Town by Curtiss Ann Matlock 

6. Forget Me Not by Marliss Melton 

7. Always in My Heart by Catherine Anderson 

8. Home Front: A Novel by Kristin Hannah 

9. On Target by Catherine Mann

10. One Fine Day by Theresa Weir 

 

Marriages in Trouble Category Romances

 

1. The Santangeli Marriage by Sara Craven 

2. The Fourth Child by C. J. Carmichael 

3. Stranded With Her Ex by Jill Sorenson 

4. A Marriage Worth Fighting For by Lilian Darcy

5. A Perfect Marriage by Laurey Bright 

6. Once a Ferrara Wife... by Sarah Morgan 

7. Mr. and Mrs. Wrong by Fay Robinson

8. Becca's Baby by Tara Taylor Quinn

9. The Second Mrs Adams by Sandra Marton 

10. The Greek's Christmas Baby by Lucy Monroe 

11. Making It Last by Ruthie Knox (forgot this one is a Loveswept--an utterly wonderful read)

 

These list are especially for some very fine women on Twitter who just love these kinds of romances. @JenniferRNN @mharvey816 @PennyRomance @SOSchmieg @LauraFlorand (threw a few amnesia ones in there for your pleasure)

 

If you want to vote for the Marriage in Trouble Romance, go to the Goodreads list: Trouble: Marriage on the Rocks Romance. 

6 stars for the first half and 3 for the second.

The first part of the book was amazing: one of the few books I've read that the hero and heroine don't feel nothing towards each other, no special *zing*, no goosebumps, no magnetism from start. Instead they are cautious, even apprehensive about each other, but slowly get closer and begin seeing beyond the layers society imposed on them and that's when the attraction begins. The writing and dialogues itself feels fresh and not re-compiled from previous HRs as most ones do these days IMO, the emotions strong and not melodramatic, the heroes interesting and imperfect enough to be realistic.

However, after the heroine stupidly does what she does, as she had no plans on what to do after day #1 of her rebellion but decided to burn her bridges with everyone -and I mean everyone- just for one night's "fun", the plot started facing problems. In fact, the heroine was like a totally different person from here on, as gone was the decisive, rebellious, intelligent woman of the first half. What we get in part #2, is a insecure, hesitant girl, who couldn't trust no man or herself. I found that part dragging for too long and Sebastian being too understanding for his own good. In fact the book could have started in part #2 and the reader being none the wiser, as the connection they'd established in the first half was somehow forgotten completely and these two start again with a clean slate:(

That said, I adored the first half so much, and the refreshingly witty writing enough to rate this with 4 stars and I'm looking forward to read more books by Ms March in the future.

22yo duchess can’t believe her estranged husband of 3 years would show any interest in her now. The day after what she thought was a love-matched wedding Hero coldly informed her that he married her only to seek revenge against her brother and then left her for his mistress. Heroine has tried her best to push him to grant the divorce she wants by acting scandalously. Hero realized that he wanted his wife after all 6 months ago and tried to woo her but to no avail. So he kidnaps her to their country estate and devised a plan to make her jealous while promising her to grant her a divorce if she teaches him to be the perfect husband to his future wife. It works but also makes her feel betrayed once again. How will Hero succeed in making her trust him with her love?

Started out strong in emotional tone, sexual chemistry, and character development. Hero and heroine were playing an emotional one-upmanship with each other. Their mind games were intricate and made their reunion a great challenge. It also gave an added excitement to their sexual tension. Their r/s dynamics continued to build through 2/3 of the book. But after that it tapered off when H & h confessed their love for each other yet h was betrayed yet again by H’s manipulations. Things became awkward and anti-climactic after that. I was hoping for a really good end with H groveling or at least clearly showing how he was truly in love and faithfully devoted to h. But H became kinda hopeless and showed his love for her secretly/passively by buying off all her nude paintings and renouncing his dukedom. He couldn’t let go of his pride and didn’t want to humiliate himself with her even more (I didn’t think he humiliated or better yet humbled himself for her well enough) so he did things for her in a hidden manner. It was heroine who ultimately humbled herself and chase him down and tell him she’ll couldn’t live without him. He was going to just let her go. And I don’t like that in my Heroes. I like my Heroes who’ll fight to his last breath to get heroine back when he knows she still cares for him and it is his fault that she left him. This Hero didn’t fight for her enough.

Recommended with some limits -- 3.5 stars.