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A review by yourbookishbff
Compromised into a Scandalous Marriage by Lydia San Andres
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This took me a bit to get into, but once I did, I inhaled it. Set at the turn of the 20th century in the Dominican Republic, the story is inspired by a true account of a forced marriage (a man threatened with imprisonment if he won't consent to wed). Our male main character, Sebastian, owns a now-prosperous sugar mill in San Pedro, and has recently reconnected with the neighbors to his country home, the reclusive Paulina and her sadistic and abusive older brother, Antonio. What begins as a seemingly innocuous encounter in town quickly spirals, as Antonio schemes to force Paulina and Sebastian into marriage for his own gain.
This hit so many of my favorite beats for forced marriage - resentment, repressed longing and unlikely alliances - and the backdrop of San Pedro politics, blackmail and bribery made this is a high-stakes plot. While a few of the twists were fairly predictable, the conflict resolution directly addressed the nuanced power imbalances between our main characters - he grew up poor and was orphaned young, she grew up rich but fell into the care of a controlling and manipulative brother, and they find their circumstances largely swapped in adulthood. I loved seeing how they navigate what they are to each other and whether or not they will be in a position to truly choose a life together.
And this third act!! Holy heck she WENT THERE! I haven't seen a villain meet such a satisfying end since Captured, by Beverly Jenkins. Whew, I was reeling. This was a STRESSY and atmospheric read and I can't wait to read more by Lydia San Andres!
Note: there are some continuity errors here that were a bit distracting, and a few missing beats in the MMC's POV, but honestly, I had such a good time reading this that these weren't deal breakers for me.
This hit so many of my favorite beats for forced marriage - resentment, repressed longing and unlikely alliances - and the backdrop of San Pedro politics, blackmail and bribery made this is a high-stakes plot. While a few of the twists were fairly predictable, the conflict resolution directly addressed the nuanced power imbalances between our main characters - he grew up poor and was orphaned young, she grew up rich but fell into the care of a controlling and manipulative brother, and they find their circumstances largely swapped in adulthood. I loved seeing how they navigate what they are to each other and whether or not they will be in a position to truly choose a life together.
And this third act!! Holy heck she WENT THERE! I haven't seen a villain meet such a satisfying end since Captured, by Beverly Jenkins. Whew, I was reeling. This was a STRESSY and atmospheric read and I can't wait to read more by Lydia San Andres!
Note: there are some continuity errors here that were a bit distracting, and a few missing beats in the MMC's POV, but honestly, I had such a good time reading this that these weren't deal breakers for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content