The tension and slow-building romance often make it engaging. The characters' struggles with their fake relationship and the gradual realization of true feelings keep readers hooked.
The appeal lies in the forbidden or unexpected love that develops. Also, the contrast between the practical arrangement and the emotional connection keeps readers hooked. There's often a sense of anticipation as the characters navigate through a complex situation.
The emotional journey is crucial. The best novels in this genre take the readers on a ride from the initial awkwardness or indifference in the marriage of convenience to the gradual realization of love. There should be moments of self - discovery for the characters as well. For instance, a character might realize that they are capable of loving someone they initially married for practical reasons, and this transformation should be well - written and engaging.
The drama and the hidden emotions usually do it. You have the tension of the pretend relationship and the potential for real feelings to develop, which keeps readers hooked.
The plot twists and the hidden truths. A good deceitful marriage novel keeps you guessing and surprises you with unexpected revelations.
Another theme is self - discovery. Through the relationship that starts as a marriage of convenience, the characters often learn more about who they are. For example, they might realize their own capacity for love or how they handle difficult situations in a relationship. They also might discover things about their pasts that were holding them back from true love. In many of these novels, there's also the theme of family. The marriage of convenience might be related to family business or family honor, and how the characters navigate through family relationships while being in this unusual marriage is an important part of the story. It could involve dealing with overbearing parents or siblings who have different expectations of the marriage. The characters have to find a way to balance their new relationship with their family ties, which can be a complex and interesting aspect of the story. This exploration of family dynamics adds depth to the overall plot of a marriage of convenience novel.
One common theme is self - discovery. In a marriage of convenience, the characters often learn more about themselves as they interact with their new partner. For example, they might discover hidden strengths or weaknesses.
Well, an engaging contract marriage story often has complex characters with hidden motives. The evolving relationship, unexpected plot twists, and the exploration of themes like love and trust make it interesting.
One that often comes to mind is 'Beauty and the Beast' (in its novel form). Belle is sort of in a situation where she has to stay with the Beast, and over time their relationship develops. It can be considered a type of marriage of convenience as she is there not because of initial love but due to circumstances. Additionally, in 'A Kingdom of Dreams' by Judith McNaught, the main characters are brought together in a marriage that is more about politics and power at first, but love blossoms later on.
One great 'marriage of convenience' story is 'The Proposal'. In this movie, Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock) is a Canadian executive who faces deportation from the United States. She convinces her assistant Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds) to marry her for convenience. Their relationship starts off purely as a business deal but gradually evolves into real feelings as they get to know each other better during a trip to Alaska. It's a heartwarming and humorous take on the concept of a marriage of convenience.
One common theme is the transformation of the relationship. Initially, the marriage is just for convenience, like for financial reasons or to solve a family issue. But as the story progresses, love starts to develop.