DNF @20%

Book source ~ NetGalley

Katherine Douglas runs to her brother’s home to get away from her husband, Laird William Douglas. William doesn’t understand why his loving wife has been so cold toward him and when she claims she’s going to seek an annulment he is staggered. Betrothed since they were children and married for four years he decides he just needs to court his wife. But she has other plans.

This sounded intriguing when I picked it up, but it fails to deliver. Mainly because William is an idiot. I mean seriously, a huge blockhead. And don’t get me started on Katherine. I understand the tragedy that keeps playing over and over in their lives, but her decision and her refusal to just have a conversation with her husband are just plain juvenile. I have sentenced them both TSTL and close the book on them. I have no desire to subject myself to any more of their company.

When I read the description for this book it may have "A wife may be courted, too…" but I read it as "My wife may be courted, too..." Yep that really grabbed my attention so I knew i wanted to read it. But then it had a man in a kilt on it so it was a done deal in deciding if I was to read it.

One of my goals in 2017 is to clean up my NetGalley account. Once Upon a Plaid by Mia Marlowe was my oldest eARC. I decided to start with it. I'm only sorry it took this long to get to it. I definitely needed a historical romance to cleanse the pallet of mysteries and thrillers I had been reading.

Once Upon a Plaid is a struggling marriage historical romance. I particularly love this trope because as most married couples know: in order for it to work, you have to fall in love with the same person multiple times. It isn't always easy and you can get distracted. Watching Kat and Douglas go through this was a sort of gift. I've been married 10 years now (crazy how time flies) and it reminded me that I chose my happily ever after and their was a good reason I did. Nothing drastic or dramatic; just a gentle reminder that when we marry we chose the person we hope to spend our lives with. Amid their own struggles (and that of Kat's family) they were able to find each other again. I loved that the fool was included in the telling of the story. It added something to the telling. Plus it was set at Christmas and I am a total sucker for Christmas stories; particularly romances.

Douglas was a far more patient man than most I know. And he totally chased after Kat. *swoon* Kat was grieving, wrapped up in her own grief so much she couldn't see that her husband was grieving too. I could never imagine being in their situation. It has to be soul shattering. During this time period, having children is one of the greatest priorities in life. As laird, Douglas is expected to produce an heir. Women are meant to be mothers. There isn't much else of a role for them. This was a big deal for Douglas and Kat. I enjoyed them as a couple but felt there were times when Kat was a bit over dramatic. Not so much about her situation and her grieve but her response to her husband and her guilt. I adored Douglas for his solution.

I'll definitely be reading more of Mia Marlowe's work. I am certainly adding Plaid Tidings to my wish list. It was a refreshing experience to pick up a historical romance novel again! I don't think I should put so much distance between them again.