June is Modern month at Mills & Boon and author Caitlin Crews is here to talk about one of favourite Modern story plots, a marriage of convenience! Find out what she thinks below and check out her latest book, Expecting a Royal Scandal, which is available now.
Caitlin Crews
I love a forced marriage/marriage of convenience story! That’s why I’ve written so many—ten at last count. And my June release, Expecting a Royal Scandal, is one of my favorites!
I love the notion that a marriage is absolute, and within it, the hero and heroine are forced to deal with each other in ways they never would if they weren’t married. In my book, an exiled king needs a completely inappropriate bride to make sure he’s deemed utterly unfit for his throne. My heroine fits the bill, with her scandalous past and her brash refusal to explain herself to anyone—much less the merciless press. It’s only once they’re married—once they go through the ancient ritual and speak vows to each other—that they manage to set aside all their masks and secrets long enough to really see each other.
And maybe, just maybe, fall in love.
A marriage of convenience or forced marriage story is always a roller-coaster ride because the participants in the union are usually so certain that they’re in control of this calculated decision they’ve decided to make. There are usually so many good reasons, on paper, for the marriage to happen. The hero and heroine might even discuss all these reasons in some distant, cold-blooded way… ignoring the passion and need that simmers beneath…
Because a wedding has a way of sneaking up on a person, doesn’t it? And the words husband and wife have their own, innate power. I love nothing more than watching a strong hero and a capable heroine fighting desperately to keep themselves from falling desperately in love with the last person they ever expected to—the very same person they married!
Do you like a marriage of convenience story? Why or why not?
