Review: The Marriage Agreement by Renee Ryan

My rating: 3 stars / I liked it

Synopsis

Promoted to Wife?

Always the dutiful daughter, Fanny Mitchell surprised everyone when she broke her engagement. Now she's working at the fancy Hotel Dupree--and falling for the mysterious, handsome owner, Jonathon Hawkins. But when she and her boss are caught in an unexpected kiss at a ball, will her reputation be tarnished forever?

The son of a woman of ill repute, Jonathon knows that gossip can destroy lives in an instant. And he won't allow sweet, lovely Fanny to suffer the consequences. When he proposes a marriage of convenience, Jonathon believes he can keep his heart to himself. But the more time he spends with Fanny, the more he realizes he may just be in love--with his wife...

My Review

I enjoyed the premise of the story, with an unexpected marriage between two people who secretly admire each other in order to save their reputations. However, there is just so much unnecessary drama, especially when it goes against what the characters repeatedly think to themselves. That disconnect removed me from understanding the motivations of Fanny and Jonathan, and their early chemistry dissolved in the midst of the angst. The importance placed on society and society's opinion made Fanny seem shallow, but then she suddenly seemed to not care what society thought, but married in order to prevent her mother from suffering. Jonathan is the one who went through the biggest transformation as he struggled to overcome the stigma of his origins in his own mind. Being the last book in the series, there were plenty of previous characters that were drawn into the scenes, which readers who read the books in order would appreciate.

Disclosure statement: A complimentary copy of this book was provided from a tour group, publisher, publicist, or author, including NetGalley, OR was borrowed from the library, including OverDrive, OR borrowed from Kindle Unlimited, OR purchased. A review was not required and all views and opinions expressed are unbiased and my own.

Check out the previous books in the Charity House series . . .