The Trophy Wife by Janette Kenny

The Trophy Wife by Janette Kenny
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Much better than I expected!

I saw that the main characters had been married already for five years, and I was prepared to read a book full of marital strife. Fortunately, that's not this book. However, this couple did have some issues to work through to keep their marriage on track, and to resolve pain from their unhappy childhoods.

What I liked:

*Even though I don't normally reach for a romance with a couple who's been married this long, it was kind of refreshing. The problem in their marriage is not a lack of love. They are just going through growing pains, and they need to spend time on their marriage when their careers had come between them for far too long. I saw two people who were committed to stay together and truly did love each other, and that made this a touching and emotional read for me.
*Both Leila and Rafael show what a married couple needs to do. They have to make sacrifices for the well-being of their counterpart. This is what love is. I could see this happening with both. They had a mutual commitment, and it was merely a matter of fear (of rejection or not measuring up) that made them seem disconnected from each other. In the end, they realize that their love is stronger than any fears and shortcomings that might temporarily interfere in their bond.
*Although I lack any personal experience with anorexia, I feel that the author's choice to feature a heroine who battled this disease adds depth to her characterization. It gave me something to think about, although I feel that she just scratched the surface of this issue with this book.

I have to give this four stars because it had some deeper levels than I expected, and I was touched by the love that Leila and Rafael shared. I rooted for them to get their loving marriage back on track, and fortunately they were able to do so. This was a good addition to the Wolfes series.

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