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45 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Really 3 1/2 stars -- Fascinating premise but falters a bit in the execution, July 8, 2005
This review is from: The Marriage Bed (Avon Romantic Treasure) (Mass Market Paperback)
It is a challenge to write a historical romance with a serial adulterer as the hero, but Laura Lee Guhrke *almost* pulls it off. The hero of "The Marriage Bed" is Lord John Hammond, a charming, handsome rakish heartbreaker who has been estranged from his wife, Lady Viola Hammond for eight years at the beginning of the story. Six months after their wedding, romantic young Viola had been stunned to learn that John had been keeping a mistress all during their courtship while simultaneously professing his love for Viola. Sickened by his duplicity and realizing that he had only married her for her money, the headstrong Viola had locked John out of her bedroom and refused to listen to his (actually, rather lame) explanations. Fed up with her behavior and accusations, John left her after a month and over the years has had a string of mistresses. Viola, meanwhile, has devoted herself to charity work since divorce is not an option.
When his cousin's death unexpectedly leaves John without a trustworthy heir to his title and property, he approaches Viola with a demand to again live as husband and wife in order to produce a son and heir. Viola is unenthusiastic about the plan since he broke her heart as a young bride and since then has humiliated her for years with his series of mistresses. John proceeds to try to charm and seduce his way back into a reluctant Viola's life.
John is certainly a charmer, but his careless treatment of the women in his life certainly is a less than heroic quality. More fatally for his character (IMO), he lacks any sense of self-awareness--he does not seem to know what a jerk he is. I tend to like flawed heroes and heroines, and I liked John fairly well although he remained a bit too selfish and immature for most of the book for my taste. Viola is a reasonably good heroine--a proud woman trying desperately not to fall for the same lines and act that she had when she first fell in love with her husband.
I thought that the premise had a lot of potential for exploring issues of betrayal and forgiveness within a marriage, and when the book concentrated on these themes I liked it a great deal. ("Do you love me?" "Of course, I adore you." This exchange from their courtship is burned into Viola's mind as a symbol of John's duplicity.) I liked less the scenes of John trying to seduce and sweet-talk his way back into Viola's life as if the past eight years had not happened. I had a lot of trouble believing that she would fall for the same old routine from him, particularly since she knew that his seduction was motivated by a desire for an heir this time and not by rediscovered love.
The story is engaging with the focus fully on the hero and heroine and their attempts to rebuild their failed marriage. I liked this book and admire the author's willingness to take on a very controversial topic.
Recommended to historical romance readers who enjoy character-driven romance with flawed heroes and heroines (with warnings to those for whom adultery is a major turn-off in a romance novel.)
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26 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sure, Go Ahead and Make Me Cry., March 27, 2006
This review is from: The Marriage Bed (Avon Romantic Treasure) (Mass Market Paperback)
Well, I knew this would be an emotional tear jerker before I'd even turned the first page. What is it about characters and stories that go so horribly wrong at some point, and you just know you're in for a rocky, emotional read, but you go ahead and punish yourself anyway? Because, for me at least, it is so worth it when the characters reach a beautiful reconciliation. So, yeah, I'm willing to shed a few tears and mope for the hero and heroine, cry, laugh and cheer them on because that sort of reaction is what makes a book worthy in my opinion. When you feel strongly for the characters, you know you've found a winner.
John Hammond knew he'd be inheriting a viscountcy one day, but the yoke of responsibility was never one he worried about. Why worry when he has a relative to rely on for such boring things as an heir? When the unthinkable happens to his beloved relative, John is again faced with the fact that he must have an heir. Thankfully, he already has a wife...now he just has to convince her to let him back in her good graces after almost nine years of being out of them. Lady Viola has gotten on with her life after her husband trounced her heart in a most unforgivable manner. She no longer needs the unscrupulous man, but when John enters her life once more, demanding she do her wifely duty, her carefully constructed world comes crumbling down around her. What is she to do in the face of the one person whom she thought she could trust with her happiness? John is determined to claim his wife again, but the real question is has he learned anything from his past mistakes?
As wretched as I felt for both the hero and heroine, I just could not stop till I had completely finished their tale. John and Viola are the type of historical romance couple readers will either love or hate. Both have been wounded by the other and simply cannot come to terms with their differences and so they trade hurtful barbs and cutting remarks for years. The reason they worked for me, I confess with no small amount of glee, is that John does have a remarkable revelation about his character, his utter disregard for the feelings of the women in his life. He was a lier, he was a cheater and he broke hearts. In a way, this historical is unique because it tells of the awakening of a typical "rogue" and how he comes to realize how his actions have hurt others, especially his estranged wife. I just love it when a character like his gets what's coming to him. In this case he got an in-the-face dousing of pure and simple reality. It just took the love of an exceptional woman like Viola to help him accomplish it. Did he deserve her? No, not really. But did they deserve a chance at happiness? Absolutely, and that is what this book is all about. I just love it too when I find a new author to read and I am planning to backtrack to her previous titles before this one. Many interesting secondary characters - i.e. Viola's brother Anthony and his wife Daphne, their mutual friend Dylan - all have their own stories prior to this one. (See "His Every Kiss" and "Guilty Pleasures") Despite the heartache this one evoked I give it five stars for being an absolute pleasure to read.
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22 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
An aggravating read, November 3, 2007
This review is from: The Marriage Bed (Avon Romantic Treasure) (Mass Market Paperback)
This book should have been titled Foolish. Because that is what the herioine is for accepting this degenerate masquarading as a "hero" and that is how I felt after wasting my time with this book. I liked the character of Viola from her appearances in other books by Guhrke. I hoping for something wonderful for her. Instead, the writer chose to attach the herioine to one of the worst male leads(he is no hero)ever. Lies, manipulation,infidelity, disrespect,emotional detachment and, oh yes, a bastard child. Is there no end to the humiliation Viola will endure for the love of John? And what does John bring to the table? He's witty, charming, a great lover(lots of experience) and, only after his biggest transgression has been revealed, his "love". I take that the reader is left to surmise that John's reaction to his daughter is proof that he has grown to value family and no longer looks upon Viola as his brood mare. Condraduatlations, jerk.
John is a man with absolutely no respect for women. He is a character unworthy of a fine heroine like Viola. And this is a book that was unworthy of my time. Unless you are sympathetic to doormats or think neglect and emotional abuse are attractive, steer clear of this one and save yourself the aggravation.
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