Marrying the Wrong Man by Elley Arden

By: Unknown on Thursday, June 05, 2014

Title:  Marrying the Wrong Man

Series:  Harmony Falls #3

Author:  Elley Arden

Published:  May 12th 2014 by Crimson Romance

Length:  186pgs

Format:  ARC ecopy

Genre:  contemporary romance

Shelf:  review

Rating:  ★★★★★

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Three years ago, Morgan Parrish was embroiled in her father’s plan to marry a man who was destined for the presidency. There was just one problem: Morgan was in love with and pregnant by another man. When the house of cards her father had built came tumbling down, Morgan fled town and the backlash. Now, she’s stuck in Harmony Falls after a childhood bank account turns out to be empty. Even more shocking, the child she intended to place for adoption rather than cause more scandal is at her side.

As the son of the town drunk, life hasn’t always been easy for Charlie Cramer. Maybe that’s why he’s holding on to his own sobriety and his brand-new restaurant so tightly—too tightly if his grouchiness and control-freak tendencies in the kitchen are any indication. To make matters worse, Morgan Parrish is back in town … and she has a surprise for him. He’s a daddy! Can he face the truth and not lose the stability he’s worked so hard to achieve these last three years?

When a staff shortage ends up with Morgan waitressing at the bistro five nights a week, old feelings come to a boil. But there’s even more to consider, now. If they give in to the attraction and screw things up again, a precious little girl will have to deal with the fallout. On the other hand, if they can make this work, they’ll be a family. It’s the biggest risk either one of them will ever take.

Adult-content rating: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under, and which may be offensive to some readers of all ages.

My Review:

Arden has done it again! What a wonderfully unique & emotionally charged story. She writes about human nature at its best, its worst, and everything that comes in between. Arden’s natural descriptions meld with her inviting style to create a breathtaking novel that you cannot help but fall in love with. She captured my heart and my imagination with this one. Arden is also a very emotional author. You can feel the emotions pouring from the pages of this novel, allowing you to not only feel for the characters, but feel what they are feeling.

I love the real life problems that these characters deal with, many of them hard hitting. Alcoholism & corruption play a large role in who these characters are. The female lead being the town’s fallen princess was intriguing. She not only had to work through the bad decisions that she’d made, but also those of both her parents. The male lead has to fight against what he’s done in the past & how people perceive him because of it. They also have to work through their combined past to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Because they are working through such intense yet realistic issues you can’t help but feel for them, drawing you yet further into the world of Harmony Falls. The supporting cast in this novel heightens the emotional intensity even more. Small town gossip winds its way throughout, adding to the social commentary found under the surface of this brilliant work.

One of my favourite things about this novel (and much of Arden’s other writing) is that although her series flow well together, this novel can be read as a standalone. She includes all necessary elements in this story to invite new readers in without boring returning readers with large, unnecessary recaps. It is the best of both worlds. I’d highly recommend this novel to all those who enjoy contemporary romance. Actually, I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading. Don’t be put off just because it’s not the first in the series. It’s a brilliant read all on its own!

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