An arranged marriage is a common theme in romance novels, but one that still remains compelling. Something about the idea of two people who know nothing about each other being intimately bound is both frightening and fascinating. If they’re incompatible, it could end in personal disaster, even if the marriage is in the best interest of their families or countries. If the two fall in love, in many ways it’s a perfect romance.
In a romance novel, the arranged marriage between the hero and heroine invariably ends with a love relationship, but it’s all the trials in between that make the story worthwhile.
In The Red King, Delia’s arranged marriage is not only unwanted, but a surprise. She had expected to spend her life at the convent where she had been reared. She doesn’t think much of men, having a cruel, boorish father as an example. She fears her new husband will be like him. She hates Areus before she even meets him.
[Read more…] about Arranged Marriages in Romance Novels by Kate Hill (@katehillromance)