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Topic: FORCED OR ARRANGED MARRIAGES

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Subject: FORCED OR ARRANGED MARRIAGES
Date Posted: 5/12/2010 4:26 PM ET
Member Since: 4/30/2007
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I am looking for books about people being forced into marriage but gradually over time growing to care for and love each other. 

Really enjoyed "The Magic Of Ordinary Days" and looking for similiar books.

Any suggestions.

Thanks

Kelly H.

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Date Posted: 5/12/2010 5:31 PM ET
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I liked God is an Englishman by H. R. Delderfield (I think that is the correct spelling).

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Date Posted: 5/13/2010 9:47 AM ET
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I have lots of suggestions in the historical romance genre(it's a favorite plotline of mine) but none of the hf genre.  Let me know if those would interest you. 

Jan

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Date Posted: 5/13/2010 10:04 AM ET
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Yes Jan I would appreciate suggestions in the historical romance genre.  I am a fan of that genre as well.

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Date Posted: 5/13/2010 11:32 AM ET
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This is one I've had on my Reminder List for a while, just never got around to getting it -

"Face of A Stranger" - http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780060927332-Face+of+a+Stranger+A+Novel

Here's one I read recently and enjoyed - "Picture Bride" -

http://www.paperbackswap.com/book/details/9780295976167-Picture+Bride+A+Novel

Both of these novels have young Chinese women leaving their homes and families to marry a stranger in hope of a better life here in America.

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Date Posted: 5/13/2010 11:35 AM ET
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There used to be a website where you could type in plots or settings you wanted in a book and some would be recommended for you. Does anyone have a clue what that website could be?

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Date Posted: 5/13/2010 5:45 PM ET
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Think the website(or at least the one I know of) is AAR.  "all about romance".  There's a section where books are listed according to plotline.  "forced marriage" "christmas" "governess" etc.  Hope that helps!

A couple of titles to get you started:

Cheryl Reavis Harrigan's Bride

Alexis Harrington Harper's Bride-an absolute favorite!

Mary Balogh has done several of this type of plotline.  The first 3 of her latest 'Huxtables" series all have a "forced" marriage theme for one reason or another.  "First comes Marriage", "Then Comes Seduction", "At last comes Love".  My favorite Balogh-her very first- has this plot-and is being re-released I think(title might be different) it's called "A Masked Deception". 

Mary Jo Putney "The Would be Widow"-and I think there's a re-release with a different title- is an arranged marriage. **the "expanded" historical romance as opposed to the traditional regency is entitled "The Bargain".  Putney did several revisions of her initial "traditional regency" books.  It's interesting to see the differences in plot development while still keeping the same story line. 

Jo Beverley's very first "Company of Rogues" book is also an arranged marriage.  Have to look up the title.  With favorite authors I'm always better with characters and plots over titles.....Well, that was easy enough "An Arranged Marriage".  And my favorite "Rogue" book-Judith and Leander-"Christmas Angel". 

 

I've got more.....

Jan



Last Edited on: 5/13/10 8:37 PM ET - Total times edited: 2
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Subject: ...more....
Date Posted: 5/13/2010 8:41 PM ET
Member Since: 9/21/2009
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All from my keeper shelf:

Patricia Veryan "Married Past Redemption"-traditional Regency

Barbara Allister "Prudent Partnership" and "An Amiable Arrangement"-trads

Edith Layton "A Bride for his Convenience"-by far my favorite of her later books

Teresa Michaels "Gifts of Love"

Louise Allen "A Bride's Seduction" and "The Marriage Debt". 

Cheryl Reavis "The Bartered Bride"

 

Veryan's are htf; the Louise Allen's mentioned above I think were only released thru Harlequin's English "arm"-Mills and Boon.  If that's the case, they may be htf as well.  But some of her earlier stuff is being re-released here so there is hope.



Last Edited on: 5/13/10 8:47 PM ET - Total times edited: 1
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Date Posted: 5/14/2010 8:02 AM ET
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Valli, I think you're thinking of Whichbook, which lets you use a sliding scale to set what you want to see/not see in a book. Should it be happy or sad, funny or serious, safe or disturbing, etc.

Another favorite is LibraryThing Suggester. You enter the title of a book you like, and it suggests similar titles.

I also like to do tag mashes at LibraryThing. After you register, follow the Search tab to find the tags search box. You can enter more than one tag separated by commas; e.g., historical fiction,wales,medieval.

Finally, there are 2 relatively new book plot search engines that I haven't had a chance to try yet.

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Date Posted: 5/14/2010 7:37 PM ET
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All those books sound very good , i'll also have to look some up.

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Date Posted: 5/14/2010 7:48 PM ET
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There's an OLD historical romance about a ward of the (English) king who runs away from England to avoid the arranged marriage to a despicable nobleman.  She disguises herself as her serving woman and embarks on a ship full of females enroute to the Jamestown colony to become brides of the settlers there . . . . The title is To Have and To Hold, by Mary Johnston.  You'll have to be careful, there are OTHER books with that same title.

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Date Posted: 5/15/2010 10:41 AM ET
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Thanks for those website suggestions, Genie, they all look interesting! None of them are the one I was thinking of, but two of them look like they'd be better than the one I remembered.

I've had the Mary Johnston book, "To Have and To Hold" that Bonnie mentioned on my RL list for ages. It sounds like a good read, plus it's set in an interesting place, Jamestown. It was re-issued in 2007  to celebrate the quadricentennial anniversary of Jamestown.

Yep, I think I'm going to add this one to my monthly book order. Thanks for mentioning it, Bonnie!

I really love it when someone asks for a book recommendation here! No matter what the subject is, I always see some "new to me" titles and authors  that I simply must try. Fun!!

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Date Posted: 5/15/2010 1:16 PM ET
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I think quite a few of Catherine Coulter's historical romance books all carried this plot line ... which, by the way, are much better than her FBI series (in my opinion) ... kp

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Subject: Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series
Date Posted: 5/16/2010 3:44 PM ET
Member Since: 1/2/2010
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The female leads is forced to marry the male protagonist through rape.  He did it to keep her from being burned as a witch.  She eventually falls in love with him.  Long series.  A little paranormal to get the two together but mostly historical fiction.