Confessions from an Arranged Marriage (Avon Romance) [Kindle Edition]

'Confessions from an arranged marriage' was much more than it seemed, what with the stereotypical cover showing lots of skin and flowing tresses deceiving me into thinking this might be cliche at best. However, I was pleasantly surpirsed to see that the author had tried to inject a bit of thought provoking material into her historical romance. I'm actually surpirsed no one else has reviewed this yet.
The whole thing starts off as planned, the mess with Minnie being ruined by the lovely Marquess (so strange to read a grown woman being called by my horse's name, it did add an extra dimension of humour for me until I got to know Minerva!)and their subsequent marriage and I have to add that the actually ruining was pretty funny. Eventually we begin to see Blake take over the mantle of Ducal cmmand and all that, causing everything to kick off. The Duke's 'dark secret' becomes apparent but I don't want to say too much and spoil the story, it's also nice to see the gender differences in 1822 (when the book's set). Minnie is a bright young woman whose best prospects are to marry a politician in the hope that one day he becomes Prime Minister and she can set about persuading him to introduces the reforms she wants to see happen. God love her when she ends up shackled to Blake; horse hunting, boxing, fencing feckless marquess who really only sees politics as a dreaded necessity of his upcoming Dukedom. Poor Minerva's frustrations are written well and you can realise how restricted her world is.
There are a few cheesy bits towards the end but overall this was a good story, and I did feel like the author had done a lot of research.
There is quite a bit of sex but I didn't find it boring until near the end where you kind of wanted to just see a nice ending where they live happily ever after. I must admit the 'doggy' acting scene they come across when in Paris on their honeymoon is hilarious.
A good read, recommended to anyone who likes a good historical fiction! :)

I]This is the first Miranda Neville book i have read, and i really enjoyed this book. I will be reading more of her work.

spoiler alert !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK SO HERE YOU HAVE IT IF YOU THINK THIS IS A ROMANCE AS YOU ARE FALSELY LEAD TO BELIEVE BY BIT ON FIRST PAGE RUN A MILE THIS BOOK HAD A POLITICAL FLAVOR, AT LEAST IT WAS TRYING TOO ,BUT IT WAS SO MIND BLOWING BORING IT WAS LIKE SITTING THROUGH A SESSION IN PARLIAMENT ,THE H/H HARDLY GOT TOGETHER THROUGHOUT SHE HARPED ON AND ON AND ON AND IF WE WERE SUPPOSED TO THINK HE SUFFERED SOME HEAVY FORM OF DYSLEXIA AFTER HAVING REACHED 30 FIRST YOU WOULD THINK HE WOULD HAVE MANAGED TO OVERCOME SOME DIFFICULTIES HE CAME ACROSS AS IF HE WERE MENTALLY CHALLENGED AND NEEDED HIS MOMMY/WIFE TO SURVIVE, REAL MOOD KILLER !!!!!!!!!!! PLUS THE LITTLE I KNOW ABOUT DYSLEXIA MOST PEOPLE OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES OVER THE AGE OF 18 PLUS THERE ARE BALANCE ISSUES HOW WAS HE A GREAT SPORTSMAN? READING THE LITTLE BIT IN THE BEGINNING I EXPECTED TENSION EXCITEMENT AND A LOT BACK AND FORTH, NOT SO AT ALL !!!!!!!!!!!!EVERY TIME THEY GOT TOGETHER ,AND THAT WAS RARE ,NO SPARKS FLEW NONE AT ALL, ACTUALLY ONE OF THE TWO DID NOT ENJOY IT OR AT MOST FOUND IT ADEQUATE, WHILE MALE FELL ASLEEP IMMEDIATELY MOST TIMES YAWN !IF THE AUTHOR WAS GOING FOR POLITICAL FLAVOR SHE MADE THEM BOTH AS BLAND AS POLITICIANS NOTHING HERE FOR PEOPLE WHO ENJOY A NICE ROMANCE!