Books › A Special Arrangement
A Special Arrangement
First published 1989 · 189 pages
A high-stakes, emotionally volatile marriage of convenience where bitter resentment ignites into undeniable passion.
What it feels like
Reading this vintage romance feels like stepping into a tempest of high-stakes emotional drama and unapologetic angst. The narrative moves at a brisk, breathless pace, plunging the reader straight into a tense, claustrophobic atmosphere where family duty collides with bitter resentment. The prose is lush and melodramatic, perfectly capturing the heightened reality of a forced marriage to an enigmatic, overpowering figure. As the story unfolds, the mood shifts from dread-soaked reluctance to an emotionally volatile, sweeping passion. It is a deeply satisfying exploration of the enemies-to-lovers trope, built on explosive chemistry and hidden vulnerabilities. Fans of classic 1980s category romance will devour this intense, glamorous journey from mistrust to undeniable devotion, reveling in every moment of its delicious, soap-operatic friction.
- Mood
- tense
- emotionally volatile
- glamorous
- claustrophobic
- Tone
- melodramatic
- intense
- earnest
- passionate
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- marriage of convenience · enemies to lovers · family duty · hidden vulnerabilities · explosive passion
- The writing
- Lush, dramatic, and emotionally heightened, focusing heavily on internal turmoil and intense physical reactions.
- The arc
- Moves from bitter resentment and trapped desperation to overwhelming passion and hard-won trust.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave the high-stakes emotional drama and unapologetic angst of vintage category romance.
Content notes
- emotional manipulation
- coercion
- toxic relationship dynamics
About the book
It was a very cold-blooded proposal And Romy felt as if she'd signed her life away when family pressures forced her to accept enigmatic Xavier de Luca's offer. "Had circumstances been otherwise," she told him, "I would never have contemplated you as a husband." She knew it wasn't going to be easy living with a man she mistrusted and despised as much as the omnipotent Sicilian baron, but Romy hadn't counted on the depth of passion that would flare between them. Or the pain that Xavier's ex-wife would bring her....
Description from Open Library.
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