The Marriage Bed

by Judith Arnold

"Joelle and Bobby...I'm aware my visit might have been difficult for you." Difficult? In fact, nothing would ever be the same again for Joelle Webber and Bobby DiFranco. They'd come a long way from their hardscrabble beginnings. They'd built careers, raised a wonderful daughter and two fine sons. Shaped a life rich with layers of trust and understanding, just like the carefully laid stones of the garden walls Bobby builds for his clients. And their...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 037365409X
• ISBN13: 9780373654093
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Harlequin Special Releases
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

The Marriage Bed: the Heart of this Romance

The Marriage Bed, a tender romance, presents the reader with a portrait of married love that is both tender and troubled. The Vietnam War and past secrets shadow the marriage both in the past and the present. The romance has more depth, more breadth and more time to develop than a typical romance. The romance is tender but the times were tough and the characters are tender, vulnerable and tough as they face the challenges of the past and present. The innovative form of this romance might make it more of a reading challenge than a traditional romance but at the same time, both the newness and depth found in this romance of married love may make this particular romance a more rewarding reading experience for some romance readers. Joelle Webber and Bobby DiFranco have been married for decades. When her childhood sweetheart arrives unexpectedly at the door, his request reveals a secret once buried and one that threatens Joelle's marriage. Flashbacks to earlier times tell the story of Joelle's marriage, both how they have built a marriage together and the experiences that threatened to pull them apart. The past history that unfolds alternates with the current unfolding crisis, thereby giving the reader a deeper understanding of the depth of their love and struggles. Joelle and Bobby fought to survive during the Vietnam war. They must fight now to preserve their marriage when a more personal threat arrives at their doorstep and their marriage faces destruction. The Marriage Bed provides the reader with a view of modern history as it is lived through the characters. Readers will recognize all the cultural references are familiar such as Jim Morrison and The Doors, The Mod Squad, etc. Readers may appreciate this view of the 1960s, created without nostalgia or glamor, seen through an the intimate portrait of a couple struggling through the difficult choices then and the present.

interesting family drama

Thirty-seven years ago Drew Foster deserted pregnant Joelle Webber without a look back until now. Married for three decades to Helen, Drew has returned needing a humongous favor of Joelle. His son Adam is dying from leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. His proved not a good match leaving one person left, their daughter Claudia. However, Joelle and her husband Bobby DiFranco never informed Claudia that he was not her natural father. Instead they hid that truth as Bobby raised her with love as if he sired her. Joelle has no choice but to inform her daughter that Drew is her biological father andpray Claudia understands they did what they did out of love for her, but Bobby fears losing his relationship with his daughter once she knows Drew is her biological father not him. THE MARRIAGE BED is an interesting family drama starring a strong cast struggling with several issues besides the obvious as described above. Though readers will wonder why Bobby and Joelle, who were best friends back in their hometown of Holmdell even while she was seeing Drew in high school, never shared their feelings, fans will appreciate this solid character driven contemporary tale. Harriet Klausner