Family interference is often a theme. In many of these novels, the families of the characters play a role in pushing them into the marriage of convenience, and later they might also be involved in the development of the relationship. For example, in some stories, the family might oppose the relationship when the couple starts to have real feelings for each other. Another theme is self - discovery. Through the experience of the marriage of convenience, the characters often learn more about themselves, their desires, and what they truly want in a relationship. This could be things like learning to trust, or realizing their capacity for love.
There's also 'Married by Mistake'. In this novel, the main characters enter into a marriage of convenience due to family pressure or business needs. As the story unfolds, they face various challenges and their relationship evolves in unexpected ways. It's full of drama and emotional twists.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' also has elements of a marriage of convenience. Charlotte Lucas's decision to marry Mr. Collins is mainly for financial security. Austen masterfully shows how different characters view marriage, with some being more practical and others more romantic.
One common theme is the transformation of the relationship from a cold, practical arrangement to a loving and passionate one. Another theme is the characters' struggle with their own feelings as they initially entered the marriage not for love. Also, family and social pressures are often depicted as factors that led to the marriage of convenience in the first place.