This is the first book I've read by Ms. Law and I enjoyed it immensely. It is a contemporary romance and the characters aren't perfect. Funny moments slip between the cracks. If you enjoy animals, teenagers with all their angst, and a hero and heroine who grow on each other after starting off with a rocky start then you will enjoy THE PAPER MARRIAGE.Ann has been married for a long time. Unfortunately her husband John was in a car accident twelve years before and has been in a coma. He 'lives' in a nursing home; both Ann and her MIL, Mary, come to visit him daily. It makes you wonder about love and when it turns into something else.Along comes Tom and his daughter Mer who move in next door. Nothing is easy for them or for their new neighbor, Ann. Tom is a hunky, of course, ex-baseball player. In this respect Ms. Law takes the high road. He is good-looking, loaded with money, and has a super best friend who is there for him when he needs the guy. Then his life starts to chip away. His relationship with his daughter is strained at best. Ann doesn't fall apart like other women when he meets her. In fact, they clash. A dog takes over his house and his other neighbors are nosy but in a nice way.I usually don't care for modern romances because they are so typical; quick sex, lots of profanity and little plot. But this was different, I cared about everyone; it was realistic. I felt I could actually see the neighborhood. I laughed at some tender funny moments. I related to how Mer felt about about her dad. I wondered what caused Mary to put her marriage on the back burner for her son. I could go on and tell you more about the story but I won't. If you want a story- a romance- with some 'meat', try THE PAPER MARRIAGE. I think you will enjoy it like I did. While certainly not a great work of literature, this book was nevertheless entertaining. It's a romance / women's fiction hybrid, and tells the story of a woman, Ann McCrary, who develops a relationship with her neighbor, former pro-baseball player Tom Nash. The only problem is that Ann's already married; her husband, John, has been in a vegetative state for 12 years and lives in a nursing home. Complicating matters even more are Tom's teenage daughter, Mer; Ann's mother-in-law, Mary; and Ann's hippie-mother, Judy. It ends on a very sweet note. I'd recommend this book to someone looking for a light and heartwarming read. Or, if you read romances regularly and are looking for something a little more sophisticated, this would be perfect.
What do You think about The Paper Marriage (2008)?
a nice, predictable, self-indulgent read. exactly what i was looking for.
—forstuff
