nordicowl's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
moominbit's review
3.0
I am not a romance novel reader. But this book might just change that.
Because even with all my prejudice and scepticism I have to admit that this book did me good to read. It made me laugh more than 8 times, once so loud that I startled myself, while also making me blush from the well written sexiness of its' content.
Maxwell simply writes too bloody well for even the most unromantic reader not to give her books a go. I chose this one because of the Scottish setting and was happily surprised by the amount of work Maxwell put into the scenery and historic background of her main story. The characters themselves hold a depth and a genre-reflective humor that I honestly didn't think I would find within this type of book and I found myself speed reading to discover whether the sturdy, stubborn, moxie Anne Black would ever manage to make a home out her husband's house.
Cathy Maxwell's "The Marriage Contract" is the book equivalent of a sugary treat, with a surprisingly lasting and rich flavour, and sometimes that is exactly what you need.
Something sweet for the soul. I'll certainly keep her works in mind next time I feel a craving ;)
Because even with all my prejudice and scepticism I have to admit that this book did me good to read. It made me laugh more than 8 times, once so loud that I startled myself, while also making me blush from the well written sexiness of its' content.
Maxwell simply writes too bloody well for even the most unromantic reader not to give her books a go. I chose this one because of the Scottish setting and was happily surprised by the amount of work Maxwell put into the scenery and historic background of her main story. The characters themselves hold a depth and a genre-reflective humor that I honestly didn't think I would find within this type of book and I found myself speed reading to discover whether the sturdy, stubborn, moxie Anne Black would ever manage to make a home out her husband's house.
Cathy Maxwell's "The Marriage Contract" is the book equivalent of a sugary treat, with a surprisingly lasting and rich flavour, and sometimes that is exactly what you need.
Something sweet for the soul. I'll certainly keep her works in mind next time I feel a craving ;)
ksangabriel15's review
4.0
British romantic comedy with a hint of historical fiction.
Official review at https://opinionatededucator.tumblr.com/post/621368097748713472/the-marriage-contract
Official review at https://opinionatededucator.tumblr.com/post/621368097748713472/the-marriage-contract
booksuperpower's review
4.0
This is the last in the "marriage " trilogy by Cathy Maxwell. Anne married Aiden by proxy. She must travel to Scotland to inform her husband he is married. It had been rumored for years that Aiden was mad. If you remember the last installment, Leah went to utter extremes to avoid the arranged marriage she was supposed to have with Aiden. But, when Anne meets her new husband, she finds he is quite sane, intelligent, and very attractive. However, Aiden doesn't want a wife and plans to send Anne back to England right away. Anne manages to convince Aiden to let her stay for awhile.
In the backdrop of the marriage issues, is the Rebellion. Although Aiden is English, he has Sottish roots and is a Laird. So, he is caught between the feelings of the Scottish people and wanting to stay out of the Rebellion.
This might be my favorite out of the trilogy. I liked the political intrigue and the way Anne perservered despite all the opposition she faced.
There were a few things that were less than perfect. The circumstances of their consummation was off. It just didn't seem the right time or place despite Aiden's explanation. Aiden's plan to get Anne to leave has been done before in one way or another in other historical romances. But, this plan went awry and that part if the story was brief.
I liked the ending where the three friends we met in the first book were reunited. Overall a B
In the backdrop of the marriage issues, is the Rebellion. Although Aiden is English, he has Sottish roots and is a Laird. So, he is caught between the feelings of the Scottish people and wanting to stay out of the Rebellion.
This might be my favorite out of the trilogy. I liked the political intrigue and the way Anne perservered despite all the opposition she faced.
There were a few things that were less than perfect. The circumstances of their consummation was off. It just didn't seem the right time or place despite Aiden's explanation. Aiden's plan to get Anne to leave has been done before in one way or another in other historical romances. But, this plan went awry and that part if the story was brief.
I liked the ending where the three friends we met in the first book were reunited. Overall a B
semiresponsive's review
3.0
I absolutely flew through the audio version of this book - and it was fine. Good story (good enough that I listened while cooking & eating dinner... and then for the rest of the evening). The romance genre generally begets predictable stories. That's fine and one of the reasons we love them! Person A meets Person B, they have a reason to dislike each other/not want to be together/resist attraction, they fall anyway, get ripped apart, and then come back together for the climax (often including an actual climax), and voila - romance novel! I love it. If I didn't, I wouldn't have read so many!
One of my biggest romance pet-peeves, though, was perfectly illustrated in this novel... couples fall madly, deeply in love WAY TOO FAST. In this book, if I heard right, the whole thing takes! I enjoy stories so much more when the relationship, when the feelings, are really earned.
So, this book, while good, wasn't exactly the best fit for me. I'm discovering that many romance novels - though I love the genre so, so much - really aren't because there's not enough space in 350 pages for the kind of character development I'm looking for.
Our heroine is probably the most well developed character in the book but, but that isn't saying much. The hero pulls some pretty crappy stuff, including mucking out the barn in one of the few remaining dresses she owns in the name of . She forgives him for this bad behavior very quickly. Also, he and there are exactly two sentences of emotional fallout.
The sugary-sweet ending didn't work for me because it wasn't ever earned. But it did work appropriately for the story. Also of note, this is the third book of a trilogy. You absolutely don't need to read the first two. However, the epilogue of this book is the three ladies, two from the first books and then our heroine, meeting up, meeting each other's husbands/kids, and talking about what they've learned about love. I can only assume they had a speculative conversation near the beginning of book one. But this was wasted on me not having read the first two books.
Overall, I enjoyed it enough to know that if I ever need a way to pass an evening or two, I would probably be entertained by another of this author's books. But I'd also probably feel like a lot of stones were left unturned.
One of my biggest romance pet-peeves, though, was perfectly illustrated in this novel... couples fall madly, deeply in love WAY TOO FAST. In this book, if I heard right, the whole thing takes
Spoiler
two weeksSo, this book, while good, wasn't exactly the best fit for me. I'm discovering that many romance novels - though I love the genre so, so much - really aren't because there's not enough space in 350 pages for the kind of character development I'm looking for.
Our heroine is probably the most well developed character in the book but, but that isn't saying much. The hero pulls some pretty crappy stuff, including
Spoiler
Spoiler
trying to make her leave by choice rather than sending her back to London, since she had no where to goSpoiler
kills two guys in the span of two daysThe sugary-sweet ending didn't work for me because it wasn't ever earned. But it did work appropriately for the story. Also of note, this is the third book of a trilogy. You absolutely don't need to read the first two. However, the epilogue of this book is the three ladies, two from the first books and then our heroine, meeting up, meeting each other's husbands/kids, and talking about what they've learned about love. I can only assume they had a speculative conversation near the beginning of book one. But this was wasted on me not having read the first two books.
Overall, I enjoyed it enough to know that if I ever need a way to pass an evening or two, I would probably be entertained by another of this author's books. But I'd also probably feel like a lot of stones were left unturned.
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