I planned on having a peek at the first chapter before going to sleep. Now it's morning and I finished the book. Not the way I planned it, but it is Saturday; I can sleep all day if I want to. Lucy Monroe's After The Billionaire's Wedding Vows was published by Harlequin. And it kept my attention seamlessly from start to end. The author sent me the book for a review; I happily obliged on this one.
Take a messed up marriage that is relying on all the wrong principles; principles that are part of a good marriage, but should not be the main stay of it. Add two contrasting families; one without influence but with a lot of love and communication; the other with lots of influence but containing two cattish harpies relentlessly chiseling away at that very marriage.
If you think money is everything, then think again; there are people who have better things in mind. The main characters' main problem in their marriage is less a lack of communication than rather the lack of understanding what the other is meaning with what they are saying. The misunderstanding comes from the language barrier between the US and Greece; and even after learning the language doesn't mean you completely bought into the culture.
Culture is not only made in countries or ethnic groups. Culture is also made in social circles. If the social circles are far enough removed form each other, then misunderstanding happens on that level again. Trying to fix one of the culture gaps without addressing the other is no remedy either. They both have to be tackled and eliminated to allow for a seamless flow of information through communication.
If that all sounds rather dry, when you have a good story teller like Lucy Monroe then dry or boring doesn't come into the equation. From the start, the ups and downs and ins and outs of the main characters have a way of taking you into the story. You don't become part of a dysfunctional family, but you are always near enough to eavesdrop on what is going on and what is being said. In that sense, it's a very voyeuristic book to get into.
I don't normally like long conversations that drag you through page after page of a book. But these conversations don't drag; they take us readers with them from beginning to end while you wonder how the denouement will come to pass. If you are looking forward to an entertaining afternoon with a hot cup of tea and a roaring fire at your feet, this book will bind you into your seat until you finished it.
Further reading
Billionaire Heir
Alaskan Heatwave
Language Barriers
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