Marriage for One is a love story about two strangers. Rose runs into Jack when she visits the law firm her family uses.
To her surprise, Jack proposes on the spot. While she has a few reservations, Rose ends up accepting Jack’s offer.
You may think they lived happily ever after, but the newlyweds have their fair share of issues.
This story comes to us from author Ella Maise. She’s an international best-selling author, with tens of titles to her name.
In this article, we’ll review Marriage for One. This is one of Ella’s most successful books. We’ll cover the main characters and the plot lines. Plus, we’ll go over the themes of the novel.
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Plot Summary
Marriage for One revolves around two main characters, Rose and Jack.
Rose is a simple girl with a bright and positive demeanor, but she has a tragic backstory. Both of her parents died and left her in the care of her aunt and uncle.
Sadly, neither of them particularly cared for Rose. Even though she was pleasant to be around, her family saw her as a nuisance.
Rose’s dream in life was to open up a coffee bar. Although, that’s easier said than done.
Yet, her dream seemed like it would come true when one of her uncles died. He left Rose a property that would be excellent for a cafe.
There was only one catch. If Rose wanted to claim the property, she had to get married.
That’s when Jack Hawthorne enters the picture. He’s a lawyer and a partner at the law firm Rose’s family uses.
Jack fell in love with Rose at first sight. So, he decided to help her out with her predicament. He proposed to her on the spot.
Rose reluctantly agrees to ensure that she’ll be able to open up the coffee bar.
While Jack had strong, loving feelings for Rose, he had a hard time showing them. This causes a lot of turbulence between the newlyweds.
Rose instantly regrets her decision and feels trapped. In addition, Jack’s feelings began to change.
Analysis
Now that you have an idea of what the story is about, we can dive into our analysis. In this section, we’ll break down the major aspects of the book.
1. Themes And Messages
There are a few tropes and themes that you can notice straight away. For starters, Marriage for One is at its heart a love story.
Plus, it has elements of a marriage-of-convenience trope.
Jack falls head over heels for Rose in a matter of seconds. Plus, his feelings for her keep growing every day.
This is apparent in the book when Jack says, “I’m so in love with you, Rose Hawthorne”.
Plus, while Rose likes to deny it, she also has strong feelings for Jack.
Moving on, Jack takes on the role of the savior in the book. He proposes to Rose to ensure she can open up the coffee bar.
In addition, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her dream come true.
2. Writing Style and Language
Ella Maise is an exceptional writer. She has an amazing way with words.
Most of her writing style is simple. Ella doesn’t rely on overly complicated words to get her thoughts across. Instead, she opts for simple terms that’ll be easy to understand for everyone.
Other than that, Ella has a talent for describing scenes. It feels like the characters in the book have come to life.
Plus, she has a knack for creating detailed images with her words.
3. Character Development and Relationships
Both of the main characters go through a few transformations throughout the book.
At first, Rose is a bit timid and has trouble expressing her emotions. Yet, as the story goes on, she feels more comfortable in her skin and grows into her own.
As for Jack, he starts off with a lot of trouble connecting to people. He lives in isolation, and he likes it that way.
That’s until Rose softens his heart. The two grow together and develop a strong bond that’s tough to break.
This is clear when he says, “I want to be the person you lean on. You and I, we’re the same. We have no one but each other”.
4. Plot Twists and Surprises
There are quite a few twists and turns in the story that’ll keep you on your toes. For instance, we find out halfway through the book that Jack saw Rose a few times before they met.
This leads Rose to question Jack’s true intentions.
Other than that, Rose faces a couple of health issues. She has to go in for emergency surgery, which forces Jack to confront his feelings.
Lastly, the biggest surprise of all is when both characters come to accept their love for each other.
4. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Book
Marriage for One is a great book. It has many elements that’ll keep you engaged throughout the story.
Plus, Ella Maise does an amazing job of creating characters with intricate backstories. However, the book is a bit of a slow burn.
It takes quite a few chapters for simple events to wrap up. So, if you’re after an action-packed story, this book may not be the best choice.
Personal Response
With the analysis of Marriage for One out of the way, we can jump into my personal response. This section should help you decide if this book is right for you.
1. Emotional Impact
Ella Maise manages to create multi-dimensional characters with ease. This makes it much easier for the readers to stay invested in Rose and Jack.
Plus, the author does a great job of burying the lead. You can’t predict most of the events before they happen.
That means Marriage for One is an exciting read from start to finish.
Finally, the story ends with a happily ever after. So, the readers feel a sense of accomplishment when Rose and Jack finally admit their love.
2. Personal Connection to Characters or Themes
It was easy to connect to Rose straight away. Her confusion and lack of experience are quite relatable.
So, by the end of the first few chapters, you can’t help but root for her.
However, Jack is a different story. He spends the majority of the book being aloof and withholding.
That made developing a bond with him a little tricky. On top of that, Jack can be exceptionally cold when dealing with Rose.
This paints him as more of an anti-hero than a hero.
3. Overall Impression of the Book
Overall, the book is incredibly enjoyable to read. Even though it’s a slow burn, uncovering the mysteries of the story can be plenty of fun.
Plus, you’ll go on a rollercoaster of emotions.
Conclusion
Marriage for One is about Rose, who needs a husband to secure a property for her dream coffee bar.
That’s when Jack enters the picture and asks Rose to marry him. The two start off as complete strangers, but they slowly build a friendship.
Then, after many twists and turns, the platonic feelings develop into something more. By the end, the two are willing to admit their love for each other.
Both Rose and Jack are fully fleshed-out characters with interesting backstories. Plus, there are a few surprises that’ll keep you on your toes.
So, be sure to pick up a copy of Marriage for One to find out how these strangers found love.