Review: 'Monogamy Twist' by Nancy Jardine (2015)

When Luke Salieri inherits a dilapidated English estate from a woman he's never heard of— with quirky conditions attached—it’s a mystery he wants to see resolved immediately. But there’s a catch: he needs a woman to meet his needs, but just how far will he have to go to persuade her?
The job of researching Greywood Hall and its fantastic contents is enticing, but can Rhia Ashton see herself living with gorgeous Luke Salieri for a whole year and then walk away? Rhia has her own ideas about what will make it worth her while.
But neither expect love to enter the game.
Nancy Jardine’s novel ‘Monogamy Twist’ was released by Crooked Cat Publishing on the 27th of March 2015 and I hadn’t heard or read anything about the book until Nancy herself contacted me with a review request a few months ago. I was quite intrigued by the description of the book and looked forward to giving it a chance. While I was doing some research I found Nancy’s website and discovered that she has already written several books within different genres (historical romantic adventures, history/mystery thrillers, contemporary romance and time travel adventure for early teens) which made me even more curious to be introduced to her work. So, when I was looking for my next read while I was on holiday I decided it was finally time to sit down and check out ‘Monogamy Twist’!
When Luke Salieri unexpectedly inherits an old English manor house named Greywood Hall from a woman he has never met, he is pleasantly surprised. As a man who rebuilds and repairs buildings for a living, he can’t wait to get his hands on the estate. However, the sudden inheritance comes with some unusual conditions. Luke needs to live in the house for a whole year, together with his wife, before the house will be really his. ‎When he meets Rhia Ashton, a historian, she seems to be the perfect woman for the job. Both of them go into the deal with their own goals in mind, but while Luke considers it all a business deal, Rhia starts to reconsider and it doesn't take long before their feelings take over...
'Monogamy Twist' was quite a quick read since the length places it somewhere between a full-length novel and a novella. From the start I was intrigued by the plotline of the novel, which focuses on business man Luke Salieri who has just inherited a large English country manor with some extraordinary conditions attached to it. While it took me a bit of time to get used to Luke's character, I straight away liked Rhia, the female main character. It's quite an unusual situation the two find themselves in; going from strangers to spouses within a short timespan, but it was an interesting storyline and I was curious to see what would happen and which decisions Rhia and Luke would make. 
I love English country estates, so the setting of Greywood Hall was a great one for a reader like me. Just the idea of unexpectedly inheriting a house like that got me excited! ‎I share Rhia's passion for old estates like Greywood Hall and loved seeing how passionate she was about the house and her research. ‎While occassionally the story seemed to be missing something, it has a lovely romance at its core and a good basis for an enjoyable read. Overall, 'Monogamy Twist' was an enjoyable romance read with a good storyline and two fascinating main characters; a read I enjoyed more and more as the story progressed and a nice introduction to a new author!

Rating:7,5/10

  For more information about this book: Amazon.co.uk / Amazon.com / Goodreads

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.