The Reasons For Marriage [Mass Market Paperback]

Stephanie Laurens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2004

Content to care for her beloved father, Lenore Lester, who is completely disinterested in marriage, disguises her beauty until the dashing Duke of Eversleigh sees through her clever facade and vows to win her heart. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Jason Montgomery, Duke of Eversleigh, had reached a decision: it is time to get married. Actually, Jason didn’t make the decision so much as have it made for him by his six matchmaking aunts, who insist that Jason do his duty and wed a suitable lady. Now all Jason has to do is find a woman who meets his exacting criteria for the next Duchess of Eversleigh. Fortunately, he seems to have found a woman who has most, if not all, of those qualities––the unexpected choice of less-than-glamorous Lenore Lester. Others might be deceived by her frumpish façade, but Jason knows Lenore is not meant for spinsterhood. The consistently readable Laurens takes a classic Regency plot—the rake who must marry and the spinster who doesn’t believe in love—and gives it her own stylish twist with plenty of sizzling passion and a surfeit of wit in this hardcover reincarnation. --John Charles --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Lauren's writing shines." -- Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Mira (January 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0778320073
• ISBN-13: 978-0778320074
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,089 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #30 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > Laurens, Stephanie

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A true romance. Not a sex manual!, April 2, 2008

By 

J. Lesley "(Judy)" (Midsouth, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Reasons For Marriage (Mass Market Paperback)

I need to explain right away that I am old fashioned in lots and lots of ways. One particular way is in my preference for romance novels which place their emphasis on the romance aspect of a story. This Stephanie Laurens novel is exactly that, it is a story about the romance between two unwilling people which turns into love. This book was originally published in 1995 and then reissued in 2004. Even after such a short time (in the grand scheme of things) much has changed in the world of romance fiction. The two aspects which make me cringe the most in the modern version of a romance novel are the "super feisty" heroine and the "sex manual" approach to romantic interludes. Both modern writing techniques can turn me off in a heartbeat if they are not handled very, very carefully by a competent writer. I'm pleased to say that neither of those approaches is used in this book.

Lenore Lester is actually living in a dream world but she hasn't realized that yet. She is the center of the family consisting of her father, an aunt and three brothers. She is the one who handles all the estate matters and manages the household. Everyone in the neighborhood knows that it is she who keeps everything at Lester Hall running smoothly. She also enjoyes reading subjects of an intellectual nature but makes sure only her family is aware of that fact. After all, women are not supposed to use their brains for anything substantial. After a serious illness suffered by her father, Lenore agrees to have a week long house party in order to help raise his spirits even more. Her brothers will invite their friends with an eye to slightly unconventional behavior but it will not concern Lenore, she will just remain completely in the background, as usual. She is sure none of the gentlemen invited will pay her the least bit of attention because she has managed to come up with a disguise guaranteed to turn away any interest.

Jason, the Duke of Eversleigh has come to the realization that he must marry in order to carry on his ancestral lineage. His younger brother was supposed to have accomplished this feat but his death in the battle of Hougoumont changed the agreement the brothers had made with each other. Now Jason begins to search for the perfect wife. Perfect for him, that is. One who fulfills all his reasons for getting married but will not intrude too often on the life he expects to continue to lead. His arrogance is such that he actually explains to Lenore the reasons for his wanting to marry her but she understands that he does not include love as a possibility. His jaded lifestyle has taught him that love within the ton is not needed, wanted, nor expected.

This is one of those old fashioned books which allows the reader to use their own imagination to fill in the blanks. Just as in the old black and white movies, this author chooses to fade to black during the physical aspect of this marriage. I wholeheartedly endorse that decision. As I said at the beginning, this book was written a few years ago and that may have had something to do with that decision but I don't care. I still like to write my own love scenes. Quietly. Privately.

I read modern romantic fiction. Often times I realize that I would be embarassed for anyone to see me reading a particular book because it is so very sexually explicit. Even if I enjoy the overall story, I still don't particularly like the full disclosure of what happens during intimacy. When I can find one of these older, quieter, sweeter, more innocent books I snap it up. Thanks Ms Laurens. This one was a pleasure for me from beginning to end.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Subtle Romance that Enchants, February 20, 2006

By 

J. Ash (Belmont, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Reasons For Marriage (Mass Market Paperback)

Whomever thought this a waste of time must have just come off of reading some bodice ripper consumed under the influence of a potent drink and perhaps a desperate need to indulge in escapist lust.

I adored this story because these two were simply not standard and we were allowed to watch them actually move beyond their self-imposed preconceptions and barriers.

Our heroine had humor, wit, a great deal of command and yet a wistfulness and a naivete that made it absolutely enchanting to watch the hero decimate all of her defenses.

Likewise the humor had been so callous about choosing his bride and arrogantly thought that he'd been so clever to detect the loveliness beneath the plain disguise. Again, how enchanting to find him overwhelmed by a depth of loveliness that he had not had a clue was yet still beneath his initial discovery.

I liked having the respite from unabated lust so prominent in other books of the several series. The extra two or three love scenes that are typically all too evidently filler were missing here, replaced by dialogue and plot that did a better job of giving us a glimpse into a real romance.

By the end of it, perhaps some might have found the conclusion a bit light, but in fact I thought it was exceptional because there was relief, amazement and pure old fashioned head over heels.

I loved it.

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tender, emotional story with likeable characters, February 26, 2004

By 

Faith Freewoman "free woman" (Trinidad, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Reasons For Marriage (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the kind of story which originally inspired me to buy Stephanie Laurens, but I'm not surprised by some of the other reviews ... because they sound as disappointed as I'd sound if I reviewed Laurens' more recent books. Vive la difference!

I got so disappointed by cardboard characters and thin to nonexistent plots as an excuse for 300+ pages of erotica in her recent stuff that I quit buying her books about a year and a half ago ...

But THIS one, a Regency rather than an historical, is a treasure, one that reminds me of Mary Balogh and Mary Jo Putney's early books, which I also keep and re-read often.