Promised to the Sheikh by Sharon Kendrick Sheikh Rashid of Quador finally wants to marry his arranged bride. But Jenna has discovered what a playboy he really is! She has to get out of their wedding, so she pretends she's no longer a virgin. But Rashid discovers the truth.... The Duke's Secret Wife by Kate Walker Isabelle's secret marriage to Don Luis de Silva seems to be over. But the heir to the dukedom demands she pretend to be his fiancée, then his wife! What does Luis have to gain from this reunion—except Isabelle?
"A fascinating backstage look at the wedding industry, one which the author views as a window on contemporary values. While the book is written to rigorous academic standards, its lucid and witty style makes it appealing to the general reader."--John H. Boyle, "Eastern Economic Review." (Anthropology)
In The Wedding Complex Elizabeth Freeman explores the significance of the wedding ceremony by asking what the wedding becomes when you separate it from the idea of marriage. Freeman finds that weddings—as performances, fantasies, and rituals of transformation—are sites for imagining and enacting forms of social intimacy other than monogamous heterosexuality. Looking at the history of Anglo-American weddings and their depictions in American literature and popular culture from the antebellum era to the present, she reveals the cluster of queer desires at the heart of the "wedding complex"—longings not for marriage necessarily but for public forms of attachment, ceremony, pageantry, and celebration. Freeman draws on queer theory and social history to focus on a range of texts where weddings do not necessarily lead to legal marriage but instead reflect yearnings for intimate arrangements other than long-term, state-sanctioned, domestic couplehood. Beginning with a look at the debates over gay marriage, she proceeds to consider literary works by Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Vladimir Nabokov, and Edgar Allan Poe, along with such Hollywood films as Father of the Bride, The Graduate, and The Godfather. She also discusses less well-known texts such as Su Friedrich’s experimental film First Comes Love and the off-Broadway, interactive dinner play Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding. Offering bold new ways to imagine attachment and belonging, and the public performance and recognition of social intimacy, The Wedding Complex is a major contribution to American studies, queer theory, and cultural studies.
Princess Nadia believes offering her virginity to King Zayed, a long-standing, hostile enemy of her country, is the best way to forge peace between their countries. And so Nadia disguises herself as a dancer and infiltrates the king’s chambers. Here she will seduce the king, who is rumored to be a vulgar man. As pure Nadia trembles in his bed, the king finally appears, but he’s dignified and good-looking—completely different from his terrible reputation! Now what will become of Nadia’s plan? What will become of Nadia?
Traditional text types (or genres) are complex linguistic, sociocultural and cognitive phenomena that can only be analysed in flexible interdisciplinary frameworks fusing structural and process-oriented approaches and combining quantitative description with qualitative interpretation and evaluation.The theoretical and methodological implications of the prototypical text type concept which is developed in this book are explored in an exhaustive case study of a representative (ie prototypical) genre: the wedding report, a conventional type of news report published in local English newspapers. The distinctive contextual and textual features situational context, text production processes, function, thematic structure, and form on the macro- and microlevel are analysed synchronically and diachronically. The linguistic findings are integrated into a comprehensive view of the interplay between the genre as a linguistic frame and its sociocultural context.The study puts special emphasis on addressing the methodological problems arising from the inherent fuzziness of traditional text types, and can thus serve as a detailed working model of genre analysis, designed to be adapted to the specific requirements of similar studies.
The Suave Sicilian: Married for Revenge Stefan Bianco is a man with one thing on his mind. Revenge. And the last person he expects to see hanging on the arm of his nemesis? The stunning Clio Norwood — the only woman to ever resist his near-lethal brand of seduction. Clio's life has become a mere shadow of what it once was. But Stefan's searing gaze returns her to the fiery, passionate woman he once knew. Clio has the key to his revenge, and Stefan has the key to her freedom...but only if he agrees to her shocking proposal!
Medieval Marriage shows how marriage symbolism emerged from the world of texts to become a social force affecting ordinary people. Building on d'Avray's Medieval Marriage Sermons, it broadens the scope of the argument and works from a wide range of manuscript sources of different genres.
A compulsively readable behind-the-scenes memoir that takes readers inside the weddings section of The New York Times--the good, bad, and just plain weird--through the eyes of a young reporter just as she's falling in love herself. Growing up in the south, where tradition reigns supreme, Cate Doty thought about weddings . . . a lot. She catered for them, she attended many, she imagined her own. So, when she moved to New York City in pursuit of love--and to write for The New York Times--she finds her natural home in the wedding section, a first step to her own happily-ever-after, surely. Soon Cate is thrown into the cutthroat world of the metropolitan society pages, experiencing the lengths couples go to have their announcements accepted and the lengths the writers go in fact-checking their stories; the surprising, status-signaling details that matter most to brides and grooms; and the politics of the paper at a time of vast cultural and industry changes. Reporting weekly on couples whose relationships seem enviable--or eye-roll worthy--and dealing with WASPy grandparents and last-minute snafus, Cate is surrounded by love, or what we're told to believe is love. But when she starts to take the leap herself, she begins to ask her own questions about what it means to truly commit... Warm, witty, and keenly observed, Mergers and Acquisitions is an enthralling dive into one of society's most esteemed institutions, its creators and subjects, and a young woman's coming-of-age.
In a society ruled by strict social norms, Magdolin finds herself struggling to navigate the choppy waters of societal expectations. Despite facing criticism and rejection, even from those closest to her, she refuses to be swept away by the tides of conformity. As a girl born into a world where she never quite feels like she fits in, Magdolin inadvertently challenges the status quo with her unconventional ways. When she enters the most prestigious school in society, she is exposed to new knowledge and a world vastly different from the one she grew up in. Through her experiences, Magdolin discovers that the society she thought she knew is full of hidden complexities and contradictions. Over the years, Magdolin embarks on thrilling adventures, uncovering secrets and learning invaluable lessons that sharpen her skills and help her to navigate the treacherous waters of societal expectations. Despite facing numerous obstacles, she refuses to compromise her true self and becomes a beacon of hope for others who feel similarly out of place. With its relatable themes and gripping narrative, Magdolin’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of staying true to oneself in a world that often demands conformity.
Reveals how many of our customs and wedding rituals were the product of sophisticated advertising campaigns, merchandising promotions, and entrepreneurial innovations. The businesses and entrepreneurs, from jewelers to bridal consultants and caterers, set the stage for today's multibillion-dollar industry.
