Full review at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books 
 When I picked up The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert and read the back copy, I was little confused as to how an arranged marriage happens in a contemporary and how the consequences of it can be deadly. Since it mentioned a wealthy family, I assumed we were talking about another billionaire book. The cover was awesome though, so I snagged it. 
 Then I read the first chapter, wherein the heroine, Callie Sheridan goes to spy on her fiance (a marriage her dad arranged, she's never met the guy), Brendan Halloran. Brendan is hanging out in a strip club, and Callie sneaks into his private room and discovers Brendan raping a woman who has been badly beaten and may be unconscious. Brendan thinks Callie is a stripper and tries to rape her, too, so she shoots the fucker and kills him. 
 I was sitting at Noodles eating lunch when I read this, and I immediately messaged the other Bitches, "WTF DID I JUST READ. WHAT IS THIS BOOK?" 
 It's rare to read a contemporary where the consequences are truly, truly dire. Usually if the hero or heroine fucks up, then they face humiliation or possibly estrangement from family and friends (who are usually douches anyway if estrangement is on the table). In The Marriage Contract the consequences are medieval-if Teague fucks this up, someone will kill him. Even if he runs, the odds of him being found are really fucking high. 
 A lot of this book is Teague and Callie getting to know each other and falling in love amid the crisis brewing around them. They find sanctuary and a sense of normalcy with each other, and I loved that. This book isn't a romantic suspense, but it does have a lot of action and some violence (and trigger warning for attempted rape). Because Teague and Callie are hiding from that violence, it makes their time together even more precious and poignant. 
 If you had told me that I'd really love a book about the children of two Boston mob bosses being in an arranged marriage, I'd have raised a skeptical eyebrow. But I'm so so glad that The Marriage Contract proved me wrong because I enjoyed it immensely. 
 - Elyse