Is a paper wedding
…the only solution?
Returning from battle, Officer Jonah Grant is shocked to
find his frail sister abandoned by her husband and their life savings
squandered. Which is why a chance encounter with wealthy independent neighbor
Frances feels like fate! He and Frances both find it hard to let down their
defenses, but take refuge in each other's company. If they are willing to risk
their newfound friendship, a convenient marriage could be a savior for them
both…
Good book about two lonely and stubborn people. Frances
inherited her uncle's farm when he died. Frances is the illegitimate daughter
of her mother and a married man, a man who abandoned her mother when she needed
him most. Uncle Robert raised Frances to be independent and wary of trusting
any man after her mother's death. Frances was bullied, ostracized, and
ridiculed all her life because of her mother. Now she is left to work the farm
alone, exhausted at the end of every day.
Lt. Jonah Gray returned from Waterloo to find that his
brother-in-law stole their life savings and abandoned Jonah's sister and two
children. With what little money Jonah had left, he purchased a dilapidated
cottage and hoped to find a way to support them all. After meeting Frances, he
thinks that marrying her may be the path to a better life for Jane and the
children if he can win her favor.
Neither Jonah nor Frances ever planned to marry. Frances has
severe trust issues regarding men - and who can blame her with the way she is
treated? Jonah saw enough of the bad side of marriage from his abusive and
negligent parents and Jane's marriage to swear off the institution. The first
meeting between Jonah and Frances wasn't promising. Jonah is a handsome man and
used to women chasing him, but his attempt to charm Frances falls flat. The next
couple of encounters don't go well either. It isn't until Jonah comes to her
defense against an obnoxious man that she begins to soften slightly. Jonah
realizes that he needs to win Frances's trust before anything else.
While Jonah thinks he's being practical and calculating
in his pursuit of Frances, he's disturbed by the protectiveness he feels toward
her and his inability to keep his mind off her. Frances suffers from the same
malady. She doesn't understand why he stirs feelings in her that she's never
felt for anyone else. The sparks of attraction between them were evident from
the start, as was their dismay about it. Jonah is smart enough to back off any
indication of his attraction and offers Frances simple friendship as a way to get
his foot in the door. The attraction still simmers under the surface, but
Frances relaxes a little in his company. I loved that Jonah didn't push too
hard but showed Frances the benefit of occasionally accepting help. It isn't
easy for Frances to go against her training and her struggle is obvious.
Eventually, circumstances make it necessary for them to
marry. Jonah suggests it as a business partnership, as neither wanted a spouse.
There are certain benefits to marriage that they indulge in, claiming that it is
practical, too. When friendship and attraction grew into love, neither believed
the other could feel the same way. As Jane's health worsened and Jonah became
desperate to find a solution to her housing situation, he made a boneheaded
decision. I wanted to shake him and yell at him to talk to Frances and tell her
the truth. The solution was right in front of him. Instead, his plan would
betray Frances in the worst way possible. I ached for her when she found out
about it; her pain leaped off the pages. I had high hopes that Jonah would do
the right thing after all. I loved the ending, as Jonah had a very moving,
emotional grovel scene while Frances made him work for his forgiveness. The
final chapter was a good wrap-up for the story.
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