Merely a Marriage by Jo BeverleyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
When Princess Charlotte dies in childbirth, it sends British society into a tailspin of mourning and reminds Lady Ariana Boxstall just how fragile life can be. Although she has been firmly "on the shelf" since a disastrous coming out season when she was only 17, she is desperate to have her younger brother marry and start a family, ensuring their family name and fortune will never fall into the hands of their drunkard uncle. The siblings make a grudging bargain: Norris will marry if Ariana will. To Town they go, in search of spouses they can each both tolerate and persuade quickly into matrimony. To Ariana's dismay, this means she suddenly finds herself frequently in company with the same man who broke her heart 8 years ago. However, he isn't the same man he once was, any more than she is the same girl she was back then, and maybe, just maybe, hearts can be healed.
Took me a little while to get into this story, but I grew to like the characters and wanted to know what would happen to them and what had happened in the past. Might have gone with 4 stars, but I have some issues with the plausibility and internal (in)consistency of the ending, which I can't fully discuss without spoilers. Still, it was a fun read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, setting (right after the death of Princess Charlotte) secondary. A bit of mild swearing, some kisses, and one not-at-all-descriptive sex scene.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.
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