1st Place Winner in the Historical Romance Category of the Romance Reads 2024
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Author bio: Zeen2085 is just your average bespectacled bluestocking and likes to write about headstrong women and their men who give up on trying to fight them. Zeen2805 also loves to use Greek mythology as metaphors and is always looking to meet and talk with other Historical Romance enthusiasts.
Story title: A Marriage Most Inconvenient
Premise/Blurb: Forced into marriage by duty and obligation, The Duke and Duchess of Rothbury parted ways a week after saying their vows under the explicit understanding that theirs was a marriage in name only. There would be no expectations of love, fidelity, or romance.
The Duke hates the American Heiress who married him only for his title, completely unaffected by the senseless tragedy that had made their marriage necessary in the first place. When an illness forces him to retire to the country, he makes sure to choose the property where his wife wouldn't be. Except that she is, and she is still as insufferable as ever.The Duchess resents the man who killed her youthful dreams of love and abandoned her to live his bachelor life unencumbered. When she is jilted by her lover, and faced with inevitable ridicule, she decides to retire to her beloved estate in Cornwall, where she runs an orphanage. Never once does she expect to run into her cold, selfish, insufferable arse of a husband!Forced into each other's company by circumstance, the couple begin to unravel their individual prejudices. Resentment turns into respect and friendship. Respect and friendship soon turn into attraction and affection. Was love closer than either one of them could ever have imagined?And that begged the question; can the Duke win his wife's favor, or is it far too late to make their marriage a love match?
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What inspired you to write this book?
Well, I have always loved historical romance. After a year of reading HR exclusively, I was brimming with ideas of my own that I wanted to bring to the page and share with other people.
What was the inspiration behind the main character and their love interest?
I just very much love uptight aristocratic characters who are humbled by their lady loves, so it was basically a no brainer that I wanted a grumpy sunshine pairing in that vein in my book. If I had to pick another book, A Wicked Kind of Husband by Mia Vincy somewhat inspired this book but in a round about way because I thought the heroine was too nice and I wanted to read a book where the philandering husband has to suffer a little before he gets his HEA and the heroine is less than willing to put up with him.
What sparked your interest in writing, and how did you end up writing on Wattpad?
I have always written in some capacity, whether it was writing stories in my journal, in the school paper, or fanfiction. This was the first time I was writing original fiction and knew that Wattpad was likely to be the best place to meet my audience.
Do you have a favorite scene in your story? If so, what makes it special to you?
Oh, absolutely. There is a scene, it is chapter 38, I believe, when the MCs go out to a fair and have a good time. This chapter sees the MMC finally let go of the shadows of his past and decide to fight for his future. It really marks a turning point in his arc.
How do you create and develop your characters? Do you base them on real people, or are they entirely fictional?
My characters are likely an amalgamation of my own imagination, books I have read, and people I have met. It is really important for me to understand what makes them tick, why they make certain decisions, and what is holding them back from falling in love?
Do you have any favorite romance authors, on or off Wattpad, who inspired you to write romance stories? Feel free to name up to three people and some of your favorite stories they authored.
My favorite traditional authors include Tessa Dare and Alice Coldbreath. Dare's Romancing The Duke was the book that reignited my love for the genre! Coldbreath's The Favourite is also one of my top HR books of all time. My favorite author on Wattpad is @mysamar. Her book, Deviant Prince, is one of the best dark romances I have EVER read. Seriously, it's fantastic.
