THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN is fourth in the Family Blessings series. Jules Sheehan was the best friend of Glory, Cameron Quinn's sister, and she took care of the orphaned Eleanor and Emma, aged three and under a year. Unfortunately, she hasn't heard anything good of the absent Cameron. His thinking he can walk back into the lives of the little girls doesn't impress her. He's been a traveler and the children need someone permanent in their lives; she runs a bakery for her mom's café.

Cameron, who is a handsome biracial man in his thirties, was a globetrotting travel writer, but now he's thinking of putting down roots, and where better than in the soil from which he came. He buys a house. I notice he's quite lucky not to find money a problem; most travel writers get paid very little because of the subsidized travel perks, while others spend months looking for sponsorship before they can travel.

Garret Cole, the town lawyer, brings Jules the bad news that one of the family has filed for custody of the girls; Cameron's mom Vicky. Judge Walker is known to favour biological family members in such cases, and he prefers placing children with married couples. Jules loves the girls and doesn't want to lose them, especially to a woman she thinks of as unpredictable and manipulative. Maybe there's an answer.

This story by Stephanie Dees is carefully crafted to raise questions about what a real marriage should be. Indeed, some families are dysfunctional, the cause of Cameron's fleeing fifteen years ago, and by marrying an almost- stranger Jules might just be perpetuating that cycle. Where I live, anyone wishing to wed has to notify a registrar and wait three months, but we see in Alabama marriages can occur in a day. This is an issue to debate in itself. Then we learn about working while missing sleep, parent guilt over an illness, and custody tension. Anyone who has been through all this will shake her head in sympathy. There isn't time or energy for newly-wed adult life, so THE MARRIAGE BARGAIN romance is suitable for any reader. This is a gorgeous, thoughtful look at realistic characters and issues, just right for summer.


Book Summary