Marriage for One

Book reviews

23 Oct

Written By Anzhelika Li

“That’s how the universe works: it gives you the one thing you said you’d never want.”

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1. MARRIAGE FOR ONE by Ella Maise

SYNOPSIS

Jack and I, we did everything backward. The day he lured me into his office-which was also the first day we met-he proposed. You’d think a guy who looked like him—a bit cold maybe, but still striking and very unattainable-would only ask the love of his life to marry him, right? You’d think he must be madly in love.

Nope. It was me he asked. A complete stranger who had never even heard of him. A stranger who had been dumped by her fiancé only weeks before. You'd think I’d laugh in his face, call him insane-and a few other names—then walk away as quickly as possible. Well… I did all those things except the walking away part.

It took him only minutes to talk me into a business deal… erm, I mean marriage, and only days for us to officially tie the knot. The happiest day of my life. Magical. Pop the champagne… Not. It was the worst day. Jack Hawthorne was nothing like what I’d imagined for myself.
I blamed him for my lapse in judgment. I blamed his eyes, the ocean blue eyes that looked straight into mine unapologetically, and that frown on his face I had no idea I would become so fascinated with in time.

It wasn’t long after he said I was the biggest mistake of his life that things started to change. No, he still didn't talk much, but anyone can string a few words together. His actions spoke the loudest to me. And day after day my heart started to get a mind of its own.

One second he was no one. The next he became everything. One second he was unattainable. The next he seemed to be completely mine. One second I thought we were in love. The next it was still nothing but a lie. After all, I was Rose and he was Jack. We were doomed from the very beginning with those names. Did you expect anything else?

BOOK REVIEW

Ella Maise just aced the marriage of convenience trope. I absolutely loved witnessing the lines between Jack and Rose to get blurry and the questions about how the two honestly felt about each other to be raised. Marriage for One was deliciously slow-burn and truly romantic. Oftentimes, such books are congested with details that turn out to be unnecessary and boring. But in this book, every single sentence mattered, making the reading experience highly enjoyable (OMG Rose anticipating and counting Jack’s smiles was so cute).

“My husband was perfect. With all his arrogance and prickliness, Jack Hawthorne was perfect for me. He wasn’t what I’d had in mind or even what I’d wanted for myself, but he was perfect and already mine.”

Jack was one of the most charming pretend book husbands out there. He was so loving and caring for Rose. Even his grumpiness alongside with his constant frowns was adorable. And his hard-earned smiles? Precious! Rose was a perfect match for Jack. Strong and independent, determined and hard-working, funny and sweet.

“I want to be that person to you, Rose. I want to be the person you lean on. You and I, we’re the same. We have no one but each other. You’ll lean on me and I’ll do the same. We’ll learn how. We’re in this together.”

Jack and Rose were equal participants in their arrangement, which I loved. Let’s be honest here, they didn’t really need each other all that much but they chose each other. Because Jack and Rose were not your usual broken romance book characters. Because they didn’t need salvation. They were simply unaware of the fact that their heartbeats created the most exquisite symphony of matching souls. Their constant bickering and banter were everything and more. Their shared little moments were heart-warming and skin-tingling. Rose making jokes and Jack scowling, her making coffee and him rolling the sleeves of his dress shirt up to help out, her making the house feel like home and him giving appreciative silent glances. The relationship between Jack and Rose was not about blind fascination and hot sex, it was about feather touches and delicate gestures.

Marriage for One was captivating and so engaging. Ella Maise’s writing style was unique and gorgeous, with notes of grittiness and charm. I was simply ruined. Check the book out now!