The Marriage Bed by Stephanie Mittman: A Poignant and Heartwarming Story of Love and Loss
The Marriage Bed by Stephanie Mittman: A Review
If you are looking for a historical romance novel that will make you laugh, cry, and swoon, you might want to check out The Marriage Bed by Stephanie Mittman. This book, published in 1996, tells the story of Olivia and Spencer Williamson, a married couple who struggle to overcome their past traumas and find true love in each other. In this review, I will give you a summary of the plot, an analysis of the themes, an evaluation of the writing style, and a recommendation for who should read this book.
the marriage bed stephanie mittman to epub
Introduction
The Marriage Bed is set on the Williamson Farm in 1897 Wisconsin. It is a historical romance novel that explores the themes of love, loss, trust, deception, family, and belonging. The author of this book is Stephanie Mittman, who has written several other romance novels under her own name and as Stevi Mittman. She is known for her humorous and charming writing style that blends emotion and realism. The Marriage Bed is one of her most popular books, with an average rating of 3.44 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. It is worth reading if you enjoy stories that are poignant, heartwarming, and engaging.
Summary of the plot
The main characters
The protagonists of this book are Olivia and Spencer Williamson. Olivia is a young woman who has been in love with Spencer her entire life. She is kind, loyal, innocent, and optimistic. She has always been a friend and neighbor to Spencer, who lives on a nearby farm. Spencer is a widower who lost his first wife and two children to diphtheria. He is bitter, broken, and aloof. He has never noticed Olivia's feelings for him, and he only marries her out of convenience and obligation.
The main conflict
The main conflict of this book is the clash between Olivia's love for Spencer and Spencer's rejection of Olivia. On their wedding night, Spencer tells Olivia that he will never love her or give her children, because he is still grieving for his first family. He also deceives her by not completing the sex act, making her think that she is infertile. For three years, Olivia endures Spencer's coldness and indifference, hoping that he will eventually open his heart to her. She also suffers from the disappointment and pressure of not being able to conceive a child.
The main resolution
The main resolution of this book is the reconciliation between Olivia and Spencer. This happens after Olivia adopts her deceased sister's three abused children and brings them to live with her and Spencer. When Spencer finds out that Olivia is not really barren, he feels guilty and angry for his deception. He also realizes that he has grown to love Olivia and the children, and that he cannot live without them. He decides to court his wife and to win back her trust and affection. He also learns to accept his new family and to heal from his past losses.
Analysis of the themes
Love and loss
One of the major themes of this book is love and loss. The characters in this book have experienced different kinds of losses, such as the death of a spouse, a child, a sibling, or a parent. These losses have affected their lives in different ways, such as causing them grief, trauma, guilt, anger, or fear. However, they have also found love in different forms, such as romantic love, parental love, sibling love, or friendship love. These loves have helped them cope with their losses and find healing and hope in their lives.
Trust and deception
Another major theme of this book is trust and deception. The relationship between Olivia and Spencer is based on a lie that Spencer tells Olivia on their wedding night. He makes her believe that she is unable to have children, when in fact he is the one who prevents it from happening. This lie damages their trust and intimacy, and creates a barrier between them. It also causes Olivia to doubt herself and her worth as a woman and a wife. When Olivia discovers the truth, she feels betrayed and hurt by Spencer's deception. She also stands up for herself and confronts him about his actions. Spencer then has to work hard to earn back Olivia's trust and forgiveness.
Family and belonging
A third major theme of this book is family and belonging. The characters in this book have different definitions of what constitutes a family. For Olivia, family is not only blood-related, but also chosen by love. She adopts her sister's children as her own, even though they are not biologically hers. She also considers Spencer as her family, even though he does not love her at first. For Spencer, family is something that he lost and cannot replace. He clings to the memory of his first wife and children, and refuses to accept his new family with Olivia and the children. He also feels isolated from the community that he once belonged to. However, as the story progresses, he learns to embrace his new family and to find a sense of belonging in them.
Evaluation of the writing style
The strengths of the writing style
The writing style of this book has several strengths that make it enjoyable and captivating to read. One of them is the humor and charm of the dialogue and narration. The author uses witty banter, sarcasm, irony, and exaggeration to create humorous situations and interactions between the characters. She also uses a conversational tone that makes the reader feel like they are listening to a friend telling a story. Another strength is the poignancy and emotion of the scenes and descriptions. The author uses vivid imagery, sensory details, metaphors, and similes to create scenes that evoke strong emotions in the reader. She also uses contrast, repetition, parallelism, and rhetorical questions to emphasize the feelings and thoughts of the characters. A third strength is the authenticity and realism of the setting and details. The author uses historical facts, references, terms, and customs to create a realistic picture of life in 1897 Wisconsin. She also uses dialects, accents, slang, and idioms to reflect the different backgrounds and personalities of the characters.
The weaknesses of the writing style
rases the same information or ideas in different ways, which can make the story seem longer or slower than it needs to be. She also uses unnecessary words or phrases that do not add much value or meaning to the story, such as "of course", "indeed", "as you know", or "needless to say". Another weakness is the predictability and cliché of some aspects of the plot and characters. The author sometimes relies on common tropes or stereotypes that are typical of the historical romance genre, such as the innocent heroine, the brooding hero, the evil villain, the misunderstanding, the kidnapping, or the happy ending. She also uses some events or twists that are too convenient or unrealistic, such as the sudden appearance of a long-lost relative, the miraculous recovery from a serious injury, or the coincidental meeting of two characters. A third weakness is the lack of depth and complexity of some themes and issues. The author sometimes oversimplifies or glosses over some topics or problems that could have been explored more deeply or critically, such as the social and economic conditions of the farmers, the gender and power dynamics of the marriage, the psychological and emotional effects of abuse and trauma, or the ethical and moral implications of deception and forgiveness.
Conclusion
In conclusion, The Marriage Bed by Stephanie Mittman is a historical romance novel that tells the story of Olivia and Spencer Williamson, a married couple who struggle to overcome their past traumas and find true love in each other. The book explores the themes of love, loss, trust, deception, family, and belonging. The writing style of the book has several strengths that make it enjoyable and captivating to read, such as the humor and charm of the dialogue and narration, the poignancy and emotion of the scenes and descriptions, and the authenticity and realism of the setting and details. However, it also has some weaknesses that make it less effective or appealing to some readers, such as the repetitiveness and redundancy of some parts of the story, the predictability and cliché of some aspects of the plot and characters, and the lack of depth and complexity of some themes and issues. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical romance novels that are poignant, heartwarming, and engaging. I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
FAQs
Q: Where can I buy this book?
A: You can buy this book on Amazon.com or borrow it from your local library.
Q: How can I read this book in epub format?
A: You can convert this book to epub format using an online tool such as Online-Convert.com or Calibre.
Q: Who are some other authors who write similar books to this one?
A: Some other authors who write similar books to this one are Mary Spencer, Julie Garwood, Catherine Anderson, Lorraine Heath, and Pamela Morsi.
Q: What are some other books by Stephanie Mittman?
A: Some other books by Stephanie Mittman are The Marriage List, The Patchwork Quilt, The Wedding Ring, The Courtship, and The Bargain.
Q: What are some other historical romance novels set in Wisconsin?
A: Some other historical romance novels set in Wisconsin are Love Finds You in Miracle Kentucky by Andrea Boeshaar, The Doctor's Lady by Jody Hedlund, The Edge of Light by Ann Shorey, The Measure of Katie Calloway by Serena B. Miller, and A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer.
: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2819746-the-marriage-bed : https://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Bed-Stephanie-Mittman/dp/044022182X : https://www.online-convert.com/ : https://calibre-ebook.com/ 71b2f0854b