UN Matrimonia Feliz Book

B4 the infamous li’l lizard (asscrack’s virgin stable gal), SK used to write quite decent books even tho’ they’re not my absolute favs. The clean title of this book is also self-explanatory, free from the current plethora of OTT, absurd, eyebrow raisers. I re-read this book for a change of HP scenery, so to speak & I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it better this time around, thus the upgraded rating. No frills, not an emotional drainer, simply a pure, enjoyable, straight4ward romance between a married couple (1 of my fav themes) who’s having teething problems. It features strong, assertive, opinionated H/H who are passionately in luv w/ 1 another but are feeling insecure & distrustful due to their challenging & competitive careers, hence their struggle to find quality time together. They’ve been married for 6 months after only 2 months of whirlwind courtship. It was insta luv @ 1st sight for H/H the moment Cameron walked into Alessandra’s office for an unscheduled appointment. She’s raised in poverty, her painter mom got knocked up when she’s 19 y/o & became a broodmare of 6 kids. Alessandra vows not to have history repeat itself, but all that went outta the window upon receiving Cameron’s marriage proposal during a hawt & heavy session on a couch. She initially thought Cameron only popped the question just to breach her pearly gates of heaven & Cameron convinced her otherwise. She caved in to his persuasion but played it cool, ‘cuz she thought the longevity of their marriage would depend on her ability to be different from the usual clingy gals Cameron used to date. She sets her conditions that she doesn’t wanna change her last name, she keeps her career ‘cuz she’s worked v. hard to get to where she is & babies are not on the agenda yet. Everything must be planned. Geography becomes the stumbling block in their marriage, amongst other things. Their offices are located in 2 different cities. They can only snatch a brief together time here & there, between their demanding schedules. Cameron is not keen on the fact that Alessandra’s boss calls her ‘honey’ & seems to have the hots for her. He shows his jealousy & possessiveness when she comes home late 1 nite’ wearing a clingy dress paid by her boss, for an important clientele dinner. Alessandra’s also not too thrilled @ the news that Cameron just bought his own private jet (to save him a lotta commute time) ‘cuz his pilot / chauffeur turns out to be a blonde Barbie-wannabe bombshell, named Babette (how original !). Seeds of jealousy & distrust start to creep into their relationship, esp after Cameron dismisses Alessandra’s insecurity but fesses up that he gets hit on by many hawt chicks during his business deals, tho’ he professes that she’s the only 1 he luvs. 1 day Alessandra decides on a whim to fly to his office as a sweet surprise (in her rush, she also forgot to bring her birth-control pills), only to get Cameron’s hostile brush-off ‘cuz he’s in the middle of a critical meeting. They kiss & make up. Unfortunately (to Alessandra’s POV), their nookie marathon (no less than 7 X, what a stud !) results in a bun in the oven. She panics that he’s not shooting blanks after all. After a big mis (the usual way, eavesdropping), H/H split up & must examine what went wrong in their marriage & find a middle ground. I liked both H/H, they’re appealing, and have quite sexy chemistry. She’s sassy & not easily brow-beaten. They’re both intelligent, career-driven go-getters. They butt heads a lot but there’s no denying that there’s an underlying passion, luv & respect for each other. I luved Alessandra’s realistic reaction & babbling ‘bout her insecurities after getting preggers. They’re not cruel / derogatory towards each other like a lotta HP H/Hs out there. The storyline is simply ‘bout how to make a troubled marriage work, how to keep the sparks alive & how to make compromises if they want to reach a HEA. Alessandra’s uncertain of Cameron’s motives in marrying her & he proves her wrong. He takes charge of situation w/out being a menacing bully, tho’ he scares her a bit during some tense circumstances. The conflicts didn’t feel contrived & didn’t get dragged on & on. H/H didn’t over-analyze the problems. H/H are both obstinate & heroine recognizes pretty quickly that they’re missing 1 another. Something’s gotta give. Marriage is not the be all & end all, this book shows that U gotta constantly work @ it & be willing to let go your hang ups & fight for it if U want it, esp in a long-distance marriage as H/H have. It’s light, quick, entertaining romance w/ flawed, likeable & attractive protagonists. Nothing thought-provoking, just a purrfect sunny beach read. I liked the ending too 'cuz H/H re-marry !