I won this through a Goodreads giveaway a while ago!

STORY:
Basically, The Scorsoclini Marriage Bargain by Lucy Monroe and illustrated by Kazuna Uchida (128 pages) is about Prince Claudio being a jerk and Princess Therese trying to hide her health issues. I would say this is for a mature audience because there are some sexy times (not explicit, but there's a climactic love scene with a climax *badum tsk*) and the whole “produce an heir” problem that won’t appeal to most older teens; however, the story’s tone is too juvenile for adults.

This isn’t a negative point of the story, but I hate drawn-out misconceptions.

Here, Claudio thinks Therese is cheating on him and won’t give her a chance to explain herself. But Therese drags out the truth forever! I ain’t never been so tired. ._.

CHARACTERS:
This story is more plot-driven than character-driven and that’s fine. The characters are flat, but the focus is on how Therese is going to break the news.

I found Claudio to be the worst. I’m not against male characters that lash out because they can’t express their feelings. If you’re familiar with manga/anime, you know those characters as tsunderes. Sometimes, that makes for an interesting character if they have a tender side, but Claudio just has no redeeming qualities. Besides being in-universe handsome (His angular chin reminds of a Dorito) and rich and a prince, I just don’t see why anyone would like him.

He gets upset that Theresa won’t “put out” and tells her that she’s not fulfilling her duties to him. Ew. He even tries to fondle her in the bathtub even after she says no. Claudio bursts in on Therese in the bathroom so many times, trying to pressure her into sex. In a fit of bravado, he tells her if she won't have sex with him, then she is expendable. I understand that he feels alienated from the lack of sexual intimacy, but you don’t go about it like a kid throwing a tantrum. You need COM-MU-NI-CA-TION!

Claudio’s whole character is I WANT MY SEX NOW! And… being condescending.

Therese, as Claudio describes her, is beautiful and modest. Nothing startlingly interesting about her. She does let Claudio know that the way he is treating her like a sex-toy is wrong, but she’s still a doormat most of the time. Therese is the long-suffering wife.

The best character is King Vicente! He’s an adorable old guy. Honestly, I liked Claudio’s family even though they are just extended cameos.

ART:
The artwork is okay. It has a standard, sleek look that reminds me of most recent shoujos. I think the eyes look nice. At times, the proportions can look a little bit weird, such as super long legs. But there are some shining moments when everyone looks beautiful with pretty eyelashes.

OVERALL:
I can’t really recommend this story. I didn’t enjoy the characters, but you might think differently.

Of course, the ending is cliché, but it’s happy and I love happy endings! Y’all they had triplets! ;__; my heart!