Book Review: A Matter of Choice
A Matter of Choice by Laura Landon
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Frequently I like forced-marriage stories because they are about two people learning to work together cooperatively as a couple. In this one, I felt that the inevitable conflict was too obvious.
She has been badly wounded by a man previously. Her fiance was shot dead in bed with another man's wife. Also, her sisters are all in non-faithful relationships, at least on the husbands' part. Allison is very sensitive to the thought of people laughing at her for being cheated on. I find this interesting, as it is presented as pretty normal, and most wives in the book were dealing with the same problem. So her anxiety about being laughed at or pitied seemed sort of overblown.
Allison, of course, meets poor-little-rich-boy Montfort, and instantly dismisses him, because he's a rake. In fact, it was pretty infelicitous, as he kissed her under the impression she was his chere amie.
Through circumstances, the two are constrained to wed each other, but Allison makes Monfort sign a pre-nup specifying that if he cheats, she gets all his money, including his beloved home. I find this historically implausible, but whatever.
Then, of course, there is conflict, and she has to learn to trust him and he has to learn to start communicating, and everything is better, yay!
Overall, the infidelity theme was very pervasive. I wonder if it's an author theme or a book theme.
Read if: you are in the mood for a forced-marriage romance where the woman retains some power and wit.
Skip if: themes of infidelity are going to bore you, you want a heroine who is not defined by her fears.
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