THEMES

Marriage of Convenience is a classic romance plot and the most beloved of all romance themes. It features an arranged marriage between the hero and heroine who manage somehow to make an impossible and conflict-ridden relationship into magic. A favorite of Historical authors, this theme also translates well into contemporary stories (as readers well know). Here's a sampling of titles that readers sent in as their favorites from this all-time favorite theme.

What's The Appeal?

Historically, marriages were arranged to protect family titles and wealth, to provide heirs and to forge unions between powerful families. To maintain proper stratification, classes have always married amongst their peers. In contemporary times, values have changed somewhat. Women now are far more independent than their forbearers were and usually elect to marry for love.

But even in modern times, couples often marry for other reasons: for their children's safety or protection, to keep land in the family, to protect family secrets, or even simply to act as a care-taker for someone. A marriage of convenience offers sex, heirs, property and propriety–what it doesn't promise is love.

Thank goodness for the romance novel! It takes this business arrangement and turns it inside out; bringing love into a relationship where it isn't expected. A "marriage of convenience" story always promises a happy ending to what might "realistically" be a simple and comfortable business arrangement.

Why do readers love this story best of all? Possibly because sex always enters into the story very early (it isn't prohibited morally as the couple is married!) and sex is the fire that ignites wonderful dramas, passion, conflict and ultimately love!

According to Chris Peirson, a sociobiologist, women usually commit emotionally in a relationship before they commit physically. Emotional commitment for men is another matter. Unless the hero is committed emotionally to a female before he has sex with her, she will never be as attractive to him. This is where the "conflict" that makes for great romance enters the story. Because, for the heroine, once she has had sex with the hero, she becomes emotionally attached. In an arranged marriage, the hero knows that the heroine will be bound to him once he has slept with her…so usually a good story revolves around the heroine's ability to win the hero's love, trust and commitment!

-Kate Ryan

Western Historicals

• SUNSET EMBRACE Sandra Brown (Bantam)
• LOVE A DARK RIDER Shirlee Busbee (Avon)
• TERMS OF LOVE Shirl Henke (Leisure)
• THE BAREFOOT BRIDE Joan Johnston (Dell)
• COULTER'S WIFE Joan Johnston (Pocket)
• PASSION'S BARGAIN Jane Kidder (Zebra)
• ONLY MINE Elizabeth Lowell (Avon)
• LIONS AND LACE Megan McKinney (Dell)
• COURTING MISS HATTIE Pamela Morsi (Bantam)
• FLAME Evelyn Rogers (Zebra)
• DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Suzanne Simmons (Topaz)
• ALMOST HOME Debra S. Cowan (Diamond)
• KENTUCKY BRIDE Hannah Howell (Avon)
• UNTIL SPRING Libby Sydes (Dell)

Regency Historicals

• WHITNEY MY LOVE Judith McNaught (Pocket)
• THE HELLION BRIDE Catherine Coulter (Jove)
• A PROMISE OF SPRING Mary Balogh (Signet)
• A NATURAL ATTACHMENT Katherine Kingsley (Signet)
• THE CONVENIENT MARRIAGE Georgette Heyer (William Heineman,1934)
• A CIVIL CONTRACT Georgette Heyer (William Heineman,1934)
• SURRENDER Amanda Quick (Bantam)
• ALL THINGS BEAUTIFUL Cathy Maxwell (Harper)
• THE LION'S LADY Julie Garwood (Pocket)

Medieval Historicals

• COURTLY LOVE Lynn Bartlett (Warner)
• DEFY NOT THE HEART Johanna Lindsey (Avon)
• WINTER HEAT Denise Domning (Topaz)
• SAVING GRACE Julie Garwood (Pocket)

Other Historicals

• FASCINATION Stella Cameron (Avon)
  Scottish
• A HEART SO INNOCENT Charlene Cross (Pocket)
  Victorian
• VOYAGER Diana Gabaldon (Delacourt)
  Time-Travel
• MORNING GLORY LaVyrle Spencer (Jove)
  WWII
• THE FLAME AND THE FLOWER Kathleen Woodiwiss (Avon)
  Colonial America
• PRINCE CHARMING Julie Garwood (Pocket)
  Victorian West
• WICKED LOVING LIES Rosemary Rogers (Avon)
  Spain, France to Am. West
• THE HAWK AND THE DOVE Virginia Henley (Dell)
  Tudor
• SHANNA Kathleen Woodiwiss (Avon)
  17th-century Carribean-U.S.
• THE MORNING GIFT Eva Ibbotson (St. Martin's)
  Turn of the Century

Contemporary Series

• BLUE CHIP BRIDE Audra Adams (Silhouette)
• A BUNDLE OF JOYBarbara Bretton (Harlequin)
• SECOND BEST WIFE Isobel Chace (Harlequin)
• FIESTA SAN ANTONIO Janet Dailey (Harlequin)
• THE TENDER TYRANT Victoria Glenn (Silhouette)
• THE TEMPORARY HONEYMOON Katherine Grange (Silhouette)
• RAFFERTY'S WIFE Kay Hooper (Loveswept)
• SARAH'S CHILD Linda Howard (Silhouette)
• WITH BABY IN MIND Arlene James (Silhouette)
• THE COWBOY TAKES A WIFE Joan Johnston (Silhouette)
• EDGE OF THE WORLD Kathleen Korbel (Silhouette)
• MORGAN WADE'S WOMAN Amii Loren aka Joan Hohl (Candlelight Ecstacy)
• THE BRIDE, THE BACHELOR & THE BABY Jenna McKnight (Harlequin)
• HONORABLE INTENTIONS Judith McWilliams (Harlequin)
• WILLING PARTNERS Tracy Sinclair (Silhouette)
• THE BRIDE OF ROMANO Rebecca Stratton (Harlequin)
• THE WEDDING KNOT Pamela Toth (Silhouette)
• PASSIONATE SINNER Violet Winspear (Harlequin)

Mainstream Contemporaries

• A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE Georgia Bockoven (Harper)
• BILLY BOB WALKER GOT MARRIED Lisa G. Brown (Jove)
• THE RAINBOW SEASON Lisa Gregory (Jove)
• WILDEST HEARTS Jayne Ann Krentz (Pocket)
• MORNING COMES SOFTLY Debbie Macomber (Harper)