That Summer Reading Thing 2009: To Have Or To Hold - Josi S. Kilpack

To Have or to Hold - Josi S. Kilpack

Andrew Davidson is handsome, wealthy, and about to come into a two million dollar trust on his 30th birthday. He meets all the requirements except one. He isn't married, nor does he have any immediate prospects.

Emma is 22, and a single divorced mother struggling to make ends meet. One of those ends includes being Andrew's housekeeper.

So Andrew comes up with an idea. If Emma marries him he'll give her enough money to start life again once he comes into his trust fund. They will then happily divorce and go their merry ways.

Emma agrees seeing it as a good option and getting her out of the rut she's in.

Kilpack is a master at creating flawed characters that we can get angry at for being so stupid and there's a lot of stupid things they each do making the actual marriage look like the smartest idea. And yet we still want them to come to their senses and win.

And Cedar Fort isn't afraid to publish books where one night stands (who knew you could have a one night stand with the one your married to), drunkenness and really really bad home teachers exist.

I say bravo.

Often in LDS fiction the conflict happens to the main characters. They don't create the conflict, but in Kilpack's books (okay I only read one other, "Tempest Tossed" you can find my review of that book with it's flawed characters here) not only do they create the conflict, but they keep making things worse and worse before they come to their senses. Like real people.

Things I didn't like about the book. If Andrew was wealthy and on his way to creating more wealth, why was the 2 million dollars that important to him? Sure it's a lot of money, but not for a guy who owns two highly successful businesses and has a mansion in Salt Lake and an upscale apartment in L.A. The premise might have worked better if he were a struggling businessman, or heading into bankruptcy, or if the trust were bigger, like 20 million dollars.

And if Andrew is so handsome and rich why is finding a wife that difficult for him? He lives most of the time in LA, a mecca of beautiful young women with no children who would happily marry a guy for money.

The main plot has been done before. I'm sure there was even a TV show and several movies that involved getting married to your housekeeper for money.

And a minor point here, why is it in one scene Andrew, alone in the house, goes swimming in his pool in the nude, but later in the book he's alone in the house and makes a point of putting on a swimsuit? Sure he's baptized into the church by then, but really, if you're alone in the house, why would you put on a swimsuit?

Now, I don't generally read contemporary fiction to learn something. Historical yes, but not modern day. Yet I did learn something. I had never heard of Hyperemisis Gravidarium before. Yes, I'd heard of morning sickness, and my mother was even given Thalidomide when she was pregnant with me. Fortunately she listened to the spirit and didn't take the stuff. However HG is truly debilitating and dangerous. I could forgive a lot of Emma's behavior because of what she was going through. Who can possibly be reasonable or thinking straight going through that? I tell people that if I had ever suffered from morning sickness at all I would have had only one kid not seven. I hate throwing up, so I could never be bulimic. HG is far worse and I learned a great deal from this novel.

If you can overlook the done before main plot, this book is an enjoyable read and one I would recommend because of the main characters who even though I was angry with them most of the time, I still liked them.

Other Books by Josi S. Kilpack that I've Reviewed

Tempest Tossed

Other Books by Josi S. Kilpack