A Whirlwind Marriage

Zeke and Marianne had met, fallen in love and gotten married in a very short time. Now two years later Marianne finds that all the plans they had aren't happening. When she finds out her husband is cheating on her with his ex-girlfriend, the woman that designed the apartments they currently live in, she leaves him. Finally away from him, Marianne realises that she's lost herself in trying to fit in and do what Zeke wanted her to do. Now Zeke's trying to get her back and even though Marianne loves him, she knows she can't go back to him unless he can let her go enough to start living her life. I loved this book. I really liked the writing style and I loved the characters. Marianne was a strong person and she voiced what she wanted, but she was also caring and giving. She did things for other people which is how she wound up in her situation. I liked the fact that she actually talked to her husband about what she wanted and what she didn't like. She didn't like his ex and she told him. She didn't like the apartment and she told him. She wanted to live in a house and she told him. Zeke was a dark character. He was a charmer but he was also manipulative. He wanted to keep Marianne locked away so that she couldn't escape him and so that no one else could have her. The reason why I gave it four stars instead of five was because I thought the very end of the book was too direct. A lot of things happened in the book and a lot of issues were coming up, so to me it seemed like it was just an everything is better now, the end. The ending wasn't bad, just not as in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book. For anyone that cares, no cheating, and no real big misunderstanding. A great book about trust, obsession and understanding. I'm definitely searching out more books by this author.

Ms Brooks pulled me into this story and wouldn't let me put the book down until it was finished. Although I don't usually like books with sex in them, I understand that married people do make love, I just thought the story could have been told without so much sex. But it was heart warming and poor Zeke thought making love with Marianne would show her how much he loved her. And yes, Zeke Buchanan loved Marianne, but he didn't really trust her to stay with him. Since his own mother had given him up as a small child, and his father never wanted him, Zeke was sure Marianne would dump him too. Only when she did he was devastated, he found out about the plot his interior designer had up her sleeve but Marianne still wouldn't come back home, in fact she would rather work in a corner shop for little pay, and live in a tiny hovel than to stay in the apartment with him that was spacious & lavishly designed by Liliana the very woman who wanted to take Zeke away from Marianne. It took Zeke weeks before he confessed to Marianne that he couldn't live without her, and if living in the bed set was what she wanted to do, he would let her, but he also wanted to live with her, no matter where she chose. This was a different type of love story, although Zeke was powerful, and rich, he was still a lonely man needing love and reassurance that he was worthy of being loved. I cried my heart out at his confusion, and the fact that he couldn't understand what true love was. But when he found out that Marianne would love him no matter what, he didn't believe her at first, because so many people had wanted him because of his money, he lavished all that money on Marianne, but she wanted to complete her studies. Conrad thought this was only the first step to her becoming independent of him, and he fought with everything he could find, even getting her father involved. Conrad was such a wounded soul, it took all Marianne's love and then some to get him to see, she would love him come what may...

A Whirlwind Marriage by Helen Brooks Harlequin Presents # 2237 - March 2002 After her mother died unexpectedly, Marianne stepped in to help her Dad in his busy family physician practice. This meant putting off her dreams of university and then a career in medical research. And as her father gets himself back together, Marianne met Zeke and as the title suggests, he swept her off her feet and they married. Marianne had hoped that she could still attend school and later have her own career, but Zeke insisted that he loved to take care of her and that working wasn't necessary. After two years, Marianne felt trapped; Zeke had completely taken her over. When she tried to tell him how she felt he always used their physical chemistry to overwhelm her. Until he went out of town on business, and Marianne receives a call that he is spending his time with a lover. So she runs, leaving a note behind telling him she wants a divorce. Zeke proves to her that there is no affair, but Marianne continues to refuse to go home with him until he realizes that things must change. This is a unique plot line in that the love is there but the marriage is almost destroyed. When the story begins Marianne is regaining her inner strength to stand up to Zeke and go after what she needs to be her own person. We see Zeke as controlling and immovable in his opinions, until we learn the why he can't trust Marianne's love to last. An emotional story, well written.

Description from the book back cover: A husband's secret? Marianne's two-year marriage to Zeke Buchanan had been blissfully happy - until recently ... Had they married too soon, too impulsively? Their physical attraction was as strong as ever, but somehow Marianne had the feeling she was losing her husband ... Zeke was handsome and charming - and clearly the beautiful Liliana was interested in more than a business relationship with him. But Marianne was determined to save their marriage. She would fight to keep her husband's love!

A wonderful, "feel good" romance. Highly reccommend this book with the premise of a marriage couple in love but had to sort out their problems. I enjoyed this smart reading, it wasn't about games or ill feelings but about genuine love and overcoming obstacles to be together.