Customer Reviews

The Marplot Marriage

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Beth Andrews has a lovely "voice" and a humorous style. In The Marplot Marriage, she gives us a likable duo in Charles and Phoebe Hargood, whose accidental indiscretion results in a marriage of convenience. Unfortunately, some of the humor, especially in the opening chapters, comes at the expense of logic: Phoebe's reactions to her predicament are contradictory and, although undeniably funny, frankly don't make much sense. The "other woman" conflict seems contrived and the "other woman" herself a bit over the top. Still, I probably would have given the book 4 stars, had it not run on for almost 30 pages after the hero & heroine had settled their differences. I got the feeling the author had been instructed to make the book longer, and had just stuck on an additional chapter or so at the end. Still, this was a promising first effort, and I'll be watching Beth Andrews's growth as a writer.

Arriving home to Camberly hours before he was expected, Charles Hargood went immediately to bed and to sleep. It is hard to say who was more surprised when he awoke snuggled next to his cousin's widow, he or Phoebe, who had been assigned his room for the night by his mother. Perhaps it was Phoebe's friend, Letitia, who found them, and whose scream awakened the household. It didn't really matter for no one, least of all his fiancée and her fearsome mother, would believe that nothing had happened--nothing at all.

This is just the beginning of the tale of a somewhat stuffy hero and a mischievous hoyden of a heroine as they find themselves landed in marriage. Sparks of antagonism had flown between the two from the day they met. Would society and their own natures let those sparks ignite into love?

One of the best loved themes of the Regency romance, the marriage of convenience, is very well done by the author who has a fine feel for the era and its customs and language. While the plot may not be new, Charles and Phoebe are an engaging pair who give it freshness. Both protagonists are fully formed characters who are shown to act and react with consistency. Enough of their histories was revealed to engage our sympathy as they play against each other and their circumstances. Both are thoroughly likable with admirable qualities but with exasperating flaws to overcome. There are well-drawn minor characters, some friend, some foe. The latter provide Phoebe with some of her wittiest scenes.

Beth Andrews is a polished writer who moves the people and the story along smoothly. The bumps on the way are those met by the characters and not the reader. THE MARPLOT MARRIAGE is either a thoroughly enjoyable romp with an affecting romance, or a gripping love story with some very funny bits. In either case, it will satisfy the taste of any Regency lover.

Jane Bowers (AKA Lily Martin) Romance Communications

This book was oddly disappointing. The story theme sounded fascinating. ....The theme of a forced marriage is always provocative; after all, the couple are married, and what the book has to be about is how the couple manage to come to a workeable agreement or a rapprochement (or better still, fall in love of course).

Unfortunately, this book did not deliver for me. I did not mind the portrayal of Charles as stuffy, since I learned enough about his past to explain his behavior. [Seeing him interact with his friends would have helped but...] The problem was the heroine, who starts out badly by causing trouble for herself in joking about the horrible situation she finds herself in, and then makes matters worse in flirting roundly when she is left alone in London after her marriage. Reading these descriptions, I found it hard to have sympathy for her.

The "other woman" and her role in the story seemed rather contrived as well. I could understand Phoebe's worries about this woman, but I could not understand the subsequent misunderstandings. Compared to that, the Big Misunderstanding between the couple is at least comprehensible.

The humor seemed forced at times, and the heroine's behavior really made it hard for me to enjoy the story. Despite these flaws, it was a good first novel by the author.

This is such a fun book. Phoebe considers Charles a boring prig. Charles thinks Phoebe is a wild hoyden. When they are discovered sharing a bed, a wedding must be the result. Charles' mother and friend approve of this hasty marriage, but his sister and Phoebe's friend disapprove. Will all this attention to a marriage not made in heaven prevent a happily ever after? Certainly not for the reader who will be laughing out loud at this entrancing cast of characters.