And in a way thats why its of the sort I dislike the most. Both characters were decent people who had experienced negative things, but nothing unrealistically tragic. They had their miscommunications, but they talked about it and worked it out, and we get a wonderfully happy ending with a happy families and a beautiful wedding and all is right in the world, except there is a chance, maybe even a good chance, it won't stay that way. I dislike stories that perpetuate the myth that out of wedlock pregnancies are a reliable avenue to true love and a happy marriage when based on RL statistics, they are anything but.
RL statistics show that the martiages of couples who engaged in premarital sex are more likely to fail than those who waited, and while some might argue a baby might provides more incentive to stay together, the fact is the additional stresses an infant can put on an new, and not yet stable, relationship can take a tragic toll. One study I saw said marriages based on pregnancy were 90% likely to fail in the first 6 years, and another indicated that older couples and more educated couples were not exempt from a detriment.
Now granted, this story shifts from that slightly in the regard that he planned to purpose BEFORE pregnancy was an issue, so this wasn't actually a pregnancy induced wedding, but there is no arguing that they will be dealing with whatever detrimental effects premarital sex bring to the relationship on top of the 'baby added before truly bonded' issues. I can only hope the fact they worked together for so long helps accelerate the martial bonding, because their married life is starting out with signifigant trials to overcome already in place.
I know we are supposed to separate this Harlequin fantasy world from RL, but it can be frustrating to see unnatural expectations so often promoted and, potentially, setting up unrealistic RL expectations in the naive and inexperienced, and a good story like this only promotes them more effectively. I really wish we had more good romances that applied to RL as well like the one I read recently where the couple actually went to a marriage counciler. It wasn't just a good romance, it was informative as well and you left that story really feeling like that couple had overcome and was going to last. Those are the sort I really enjoy. The ones where you see a positive future ahead of our couple, as opposed to this one where I see the story ending on a positive interlude before a major trial.
And in a way thats why its of the sort I dislike the most. Both characters were decent people who had experienced negative things, but nothing unrealistically tragic. They had their miscommunications, but they talked about it and worked it out, and we get a wonderfully happy ending with a happy families and a beautiful wedding and all is right in the world, except there is a chance, maybe even a good chance, it won't stay that way. I dislike stories that perpetuate the myth that out of wedlock pregnancies are a reliable avenue to true love and a happy marriage when based on RL statistics, they are anything but.
RL statistics show that the martiages of couples who engaged in premarital sex are more likely to fail than those who waited, and while some might argue a baby might provides more incentive to stay together, the fact is the additional stresses an infant can put on an new, and not yet stable, relationship can take a tragic toll. One study I saw said marriages based on pregnancy were 90% likely to fail in the first 6 years, and another indicated that older couples and more educated couples were not exempt from a detriment.
Now granted, this story shifts from that slightly in the regard that he planned to purpose BEFORE pregnancy was an issue, so this wasn't actually a pregnancy induced wedding, but there is no arguing that they will be dealing with whatever detrimental effects premarital sex bring to the relationship on top of the 'baby added before truly bonded' issues. I can only hope the fact they worked together for so long helps accelerate the martial bonding, because their married life is starting out with signifigant trials to overcome already in place.
I know we are supposed to separate this Harlequin fantasy world from RL, but it can be frustrating to see unnatural expectations so often promoted and, potentially, setting up unrealistic RL expectations in the naive and inexperienced, and a good story like this only promotes them more effectively. I really wish we had more good romances that applied to RL as well like the one I read recently where the couple actually went to a marriage counciler. It wasn't just a good romance, it was informative as well and you left that story really feeling like that couple had overcome and was going to last. Those are the sort I really enjoy. The ones where you see a positive future ahead of our couple, as opposed to this one where I see the story ending on a positive interlude before a major trial.