The Marriage Contract [Mass Market Paperback]

Cathy Maxwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2001

He was a man exiled from society - handsome, unpredictable, and proud. Dark rumours surrounded his name. But Anne Burnett had signed a marriage contract binding her to Aiden Black, the Earl of Tiebauld. And although she′d never met him, she′s determined to keep her word and make theirs a marriage in truth. Because a well-bred lady with little fortune to recommend her has no choice.

From the moment she arrived, Anne fell in love with Kelwin Castle and its roguishly handsome laird. By day, he instils a fierce loyalty in his people with his masterful ways...and by night, he tempts Anne to surrender her innocence to him. But while he is willing to offer his body, Aiden refuses to give Anne his heart...making her wonder what prevents him from truly claiming her as his wife.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Setting: London and Scotland, 1815

Sensuality Rating: 7

Married by proxy to a man she's never laid eyes on, one who's rumored to be insane, at that, sensible Anne Burnett wonders what she's gotten herself into. When Anne arrives at her new home in the Scottish Highlands, she is greeted by a half-naked, blue-faced man wielding a knife. This, of course, is Anne's new husband, Aidan Black, the Earl of Thiebauld. Thiebauld is furious with his older sister's unwelcome meddling and is determined not to accept the bride so summarily dumped on him, no matter how appealing her direct manner, fine gray eyes, and womanly curves. But her husband didn't count on Anne's determination to finally have her own home, her own people, and her own place in the world. And he certainly didn't count on the gut-wrenching passion that flames out of control every time Anne comes near him. Maxwell's trademark humor, realistic dramatic scenes, and fast-paced storytelling is greatly in evidence in The Marriage Contract. Cathy Maxwell is definitely a rising star among romance authors. Keep an eye on her and enjoy! --Alison Trinkle

From Publishers Weekly

The sympathetic protagonists and engaging writing style characteristic of Maxwell's Regency romances will ensure that her latest (following Because of You, Falling In Love Again) will be well received by newcomers and loyal readers alike. Set in 1815, the narrative unfolds as plucky Anne Burnett, an impoverished orphan, is married by proxy to the Mad Earl Tiebauld, Aidan Black, and sent to Castle Kelwin in Scotland to tell him the news. Handsome, powerful and eccentric (but hardly "mad"), Aidan is less than thrilled when he discovers that his sister arranged the marriage. Although he tries to send her back to London, stubborn, resourceful Anne digs in, winning over his clan. Slowly Aidan's life changes from the inside out, and he begins to doubt if he wants to send her back after all. Amusing and romantic by turns, the relationship is further complicated by a subplot involving a band of Jacobite rebels with whom Aidan becomes entangled, but the affair between the two sparring equals remains paramount. Despite the addition of an epilogue and an afterword, both unnecessary after such a well-wrought tale, this is a delicious read from an accomplished Regency author. (Feb.) Forecast: Maxwell mixes humor with meticulous characterization to create memorable stories. Since she's not the most prolific romance writer, her fans will be eager to get their hands on this rewarding Regency, though a generic cover doesn't add much to the book's appeal.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (February 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380808331
• ISBN-13: 978-0380808335
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #635,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bestselling novelist Cathy Maxwell, a storyteller since childhood, embraces her writing romance as a way to express her belief that "loving well is the greatest adventure of all," and to explore her fascination with the Regency period.

The author of twenty-five historical romance novels and four novellas Cathy's latest THE SEDUCTION OF SCANDAL, the fifth of her Scandal and Seduction novels, has just been published. The others, also set in the Regency period, are quintessential Cathy Maxwell--traditional historicals with a contemporary sensibility and a touch of humor. They are A Seduction at Christmas, The Marriage Ring, The Earl Claims His Wife, and His Christmas Pleasure. Each has appeared for multiple weeks on The New York Times Best Seller list.


Cathy received recognition from the start with her first novel, All Things Beautiful. Published in 1994, it was nominated for Best First Book by the Romance Writers of America and for Best First Historical by Romantic Times magazine. It also received first place recognition as Best Read of 1994 from the Reader's Voice

Born in Olathe, Kansas, Cathy's family roots go back to the Mayflower and the Revolutionary War. She has long called Virginia home, noting she is "a Virginian by choice, but a Kansan by nature." She worked in television news and spent six years in the Navy. She attended Air Force intelligence school, worked in the Pentagon and did a tour with Naval Intelligence.

Cathy began her writing career in 1991. Now, twenty years later, she is the author of sixteen national bestsellers and her novels appear regularly on The New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. Her books include In the Highlander's Bed, Bedding the Heiress, In the Bed of a Duke, The Price of Indiscretion, Temptation of a Proper Governess, and The Seduction of an English Lady. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Washington Romance Writers, Virginia Romance Writers, and Novelists Inc., and she is a frequent speaker at writers' conferences, libraries and special events.

She lives in rural Powhatan County with her rescued dogs Rico and Maya and with her son during college breaks, and is just a few miles from her horses, Duncan and Dinero.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars mediocre...., February 19, 2001

By 

"chrissiey57" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Marriage Contract (Mass Market Paperback)

Aiden Black, the Earl of Tiebauld, is out hunting in Scotland for a wildcat when he stumbles across a hopeless woman who is about to be attacked by the object of his pursuit. He, of course, saves her and finds out that she's just been thrown out of her coach in some sort of accident and the driver is dead. What he does NOT know then is that she, Anne Burnett, is actually his wife, married to him by proxy back in England......

As you can see, the beginning of THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT is action-packed. We soon are introduced to the main characters and their personalities are revealed clearly and efficiently by the end of chapter 1.

As is expected, Aiden does not want a wife, especially one he marries sight-unseen. Although he is attracted to Anne from the start, he tries to send her back. No, Aiden is not the kind of tortured hero who mistreats the heroine. But he does resort to some tactics to make Anne-the-Stubborn-English-Gentlewoman want to return to London of her own accord--he asks,for example, Anne to cook breakfast for a large group of ravenous guests, and wants her to clean the manure in the stable (reducing his lady to what, a servant?).......Aiden stikes me as one-dimensional: when he's not trying to drive Anne out, he is busy having the internal struggle of whether he should side with his Scottish friends in the up-coming rebellion or not. (Aside from this, Aiden seems to be just acting like Sir Bannor the Bold from Teresa Medeiros's CHARMING THE PRINCE--the two bear many similarities)

Frankly, Anne is the only character that keeps me reading THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT. Compared to Aiden, she is much more likable. She stands her ground and is quite reasonable ALMOST all the time (although it escapes me why, in one episode, she gets angry with Aiden when he buys her hair pins--could it be that she thinks he's just implying his disapproval of her messy hair---oh, come on!!) I finish the book mainly to see what happens to her in the end.

Overall, THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT is a book that "flows," albeit awkwardly at times. I get the impression that this is the last of a trilogy by Cathy Maxwell, for near the end, out of nowhere, two of anne's best friends come to visit her and the three talks about some things they've done together, about which I haven't the faintest clue......and so you know, this book should not be read alone. The plot and characters probably will not stay with you for a long time, but if you have nothing else to read and don't want to get stuck with some "wall-bangers", you may want to try this book.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Romance Lite: Just as sweet, but less filling, April 25, 2001

By 

Verse Miller - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Marriage Contract (Mass Market Paperback)

The beginning of The Marriage Contract promises an interesting premise in a unique Regency setting: In a last ditch effort to save herself from spinsterhood, Anne Burnett is married by proxy to a man she's never met, Aidan Black. A confirmed bachelor, he has chosen to live outside of society in a medieval castle, his hobby of sorts. From there, the story, though told adequately, unfolds predictably. Once the two meet, the heroine transforms the hero's unkempt living quarters into a real home, endears herself to his servants and subordinates, is beautiful and quite plucky. This suggests to our hero, required in romance to oppose losing his heart to a woman, that maybe he could use a wife after all.

There is no clearly defined reason why Anne and Aidan, both exceedingly nice, yet two-dimensional people, shouldn't be together. The conflicts that keep the couple from willingly falling into each other's arms amount to little more than this being the author's intention.

The Scotts versus English issue of the period fuels the most exciting situations and gives the characters something to do. But overall, the story telling is too simplistic, the writing style too elementary. The Marriage Contract reads as a young adult novel (albeit with one or two lackluster sex scenes) without challenging the more sophisticated literary palate of today's romance audience. Author Cathy Maxwell might do well to apply her solid, but take-no-chances writing ability to a different genre, one that caters to a preteen readership.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amusing and well-written romance, February 1, 2001

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Marriage Contract (Mass Market Paperback)

The Ton considers her two seasons in London as failures because Anne Burnett failed to make a match. Anne set an apparently impossible goal for an orphan like herself: she wanted to marry for love instead of securing her future.

Anne is forced to marry by proxy some obscure Scottish lunatic, Mad Earl Tiebauld, Aidan Black, whose sister arranged the marriage. Anne travels to her new home only to receive a very unfriendly welcome by her spouse, who not only rejects her, but he wants her back in London. However, the English transplant ignores the irritable Scot and soon her actions gain the respect and support of his clan. To her chagrin, Anne also captures Aidan's black heart just as she now loves him too, but will he wisely keep her at his side or madly cling to his notion she belongs in England?

THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT is an amusing well written Regency romance starring two charming and not so mad (except in love) lead characters. When the story line stays with the main plot the battle of the sexes, it is an absolute delight that will provide fans with a powerfully pleasurable read. However, a political subplot, though cleverly inserted and actually tied back to the prime theme, will feel intrusive because the convincing main tale is so good and so much fun. Cathy Maxwell shows why her historicals are so well received by reviewers and fans with this fabulous Regency novel.

Harriet Klausner