Books › Contract Bride
Contract Bride
249 pages
A tender, angsty exploration of what happens when a practical arrangement collides with years of secret, aching devotion.
What it feels like
This is a romance built on the delicious, quiet agony of unrequited love trapped within the bounds of a practical arrangement. The narrative unfolds at a steady, character-driven pace, immersing the reader in a domestic atmosphere that feels both cozy and thick with unspoken yearning. The prose is straightforward and deeply earnest, prioritizing the emotional interiority of a heroine who has settled for proximity over passion, and the slow awakening of a hero who realizes what he stands to lose. It is a deeply comforting read that balances the gentle angst of hidden feelings with the warmth of found family. Readers who love the slow, rewarding burn of a marriage of convenience turning into genuine, passionate devotion will find themselves completely absorbed in this tender journey.
- Mood
- domestic
- yearning
- cozy
- emotionally charged
- Tone
- earnest
- tender
- angsty
- hopeful
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- unrequited love · marriage of convenience · found family · vulnerability and trust · healing from grief
- The writing
- Accessible and emotion-forward, focusing heavily on internal longing and the quiet intimacy of domestic life.
- The arc
- Moves from a quiet, aching resignation to a vulnerable confrontation that ultimately blossoms into passionate, mutual devotion.
- Who it's for
- Romance readers who devour the delicious angst of unrequited pining wrapped in a marriage of convenience.
Content notes
- grief
- loss of a spouse (off-page)
About the book
She was a convenient bride...
When Reece Waverly became a widower with an infant son to care for, he turned to Leah Gray. They had a strong friendship and he knew she'd make the perfect wife and mother. It was a convenient marriage—only Reece had no idea Leah had been secretly in love with him for years....
Could she become a wife for real?
Leah convinced herself she could live with this arrangement, for the baby's sake. But after a year she's forced to admit that she'd hoped to become Reece's wife in more than name only. On the verge of leaving, Leah is stunned when Reece declares it's time he claimed her as his bride for real!
Description from Open Library.
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