Promise Given Book

I wonder why a writer would go down this route to write a romance novel.

In this genre the guys usually have commitment issues, while the women wonder with a flower in hand going: he loves me, he loves me not. But more often than not, the men do not want to get married.

Well, not our Ian here. He was supposed to marry Sabrina's evil sister. But said evil sister disappeared before the wedding. Ian, the alpha male that he was, couldn't wait to get married. So never mind that his betrothed just died/disappeared/whatever, he insisted on marrying Sabrina.

Now at this point I was wondering: why must he get married? Not that it was an odd decision. But his reasoning for his determination to get married (to just about anyone, older or younger sister) was not discussed. So I was left to figure out how I was going to accept that a supposedly alpha male who had his mind on you know, all the manly stuff, just really wanted to get married. Cognitive dissonance for me, big time.

Sabrina and Ian were said (by the writer) to "have a bond" since childhood. But what bond, I kept asking myself? Sabrina and Ian seemed like each other's nemesis more than special childhood friends. Ian was all laissez-faire about Sabrina, and Sabrina was just hostile toward Ian.

Now first I did not understand why Ian must get married. Note that I did not say "to Sabrina" because it just did not seem to matter to Ian who he was marrying. Margaret or Sabrina, who cares, she is a woman right? Will do. Then Samantha James has Sabrina pining for her "high school infatuation" Jamie. This Jamie business went far too. First Ian told Sabrina that Jamie "is only interested in one thing". I was thinking, well dude, how would you know that? Ian caught Jamie and Sabrina in a passionate tryst. Nothing else was described other than 2 young lovers kissing each other passionately. So how would our smart Ian know that Jamie was only lusting? Samantha James can talk all she wants, I don't have to buy it.

Now back to this Jamie business. Apparently Sabrina was serious about Jamie because she kept thinking how she was forced to marry Ian, how she could not be with her precious Jamie, how she hated herself for enjoying sex with Ian while she loved Jamie. I mean, how is that romantic? Ian's jealousy seemed fake because I never believed that he felt anything for Sabrina. Sabrina just seemed stupid pining for Jamie while having great sex with Ian. Her guilt and shame got old fast.

So let me ask my question again: why would a writer choose to write a romance story this way? This is my only thought after I finished the book. Suffice it to say, I didn't love it.