All Alessandro de Lucci wants from his wife is a son but after a year and a half of unhappiness and disillusionment, all Theresa de Lucci wants from her ice cold husband is a divorce. Unfortunate timing, since Theresa is about to discover that she’s finally pregnant and Alessandro is about to discover that he isn’t willing to lose Theresa.
*May Contain Spoilers*
Natasha Anders sets up a scheme-filled marriage in her novel, The Unwanted Wife. When Sandro married Theresa, he thought she was in cahoots with her father, holding the livelihood of Sandro's family as if it were the blade to a guillotine. In order to remove the threat, Sandro must give the De Lucci family a male heir.
The novel focuses around Theresa, who met Sandro and fell completely in love with him. She has a gentle nature but reaches her breaking point after nearly two years of unrequited feelings, standing up to Sandro and asking for a divorce. Readers will connect with Theresa, firstly, through empathy. Feeling unloved is an easily relatable emotion and Theresa can't remember a time when she felt love. (Certainly not from her calculated and focused father.) The strength that Theresa discovers within her heart will pull readers to her side of understanding, strengthening the initial bond Anders creates.
The plot of the novel is solely based on the relationship between Sandro and Theresa. Becoming pregnant scares Theresa, she sees the child as an innocent victim to her father's schemes and a tie to Sandro that she doesn't want any longer. But, things become increasingly difficult when Sandro learns that Theresa never knew of her father's plan and actually loved him. The stakes raise again when Theresa learns that she hasn't been the only woman in Sandro's life. The evolution of both characters throughout the story will bring readers to tears, evoking every emotion emitted in a relationship.
Rating: 4/5 Cups
