I’ve been looking forward to this book. The eighth book in The Elliotts continuity series, Marriage Terms is the first to feature a child (rather than a grandchild) of the patriarch. Daniel Elliott got his first wife pregnant when he’d barely finished high school. His father forced him to marry Amanda, the woman carrying his child. They stayed married long enough to have two children (the heroes of books #5 and #7), then divorced. Now that they’ve watched their two sons find love, perhaps they are ready to reconcile.

Well, Daniel might be ready to reconcile. When their son Bryan was nearly killed, it was quite a scare for both of them. It was also the first time Daniel had really seen Amanda in awhile, and now he doesn’t want to let her out of his life. He shows up one day while she’s working out and pressures her to go to lunch with him. She’s really not interested; she’s already experienced Daniel’s controlling family and has no desire to involve herself with them again. Since Daniel starts off with pointers about how she should dress and do her hair, and then goes on to insult her line of work (she’s a defense attorney), he is pretty unsuccessful at changing her mind. Daniel manipulates her into seeing him again, and this time he also invites a friend who is a corporate lawyer. He hopes that once Amanda sees that you can make a lot of money at corporate law, she’ll abandon her “dangerous” legal practice.

When Daniel observes Amanda in court one day, he decides that her career may be legitimate after all. He also acknowledges that he has feelings for his ex-wife, and that he wants to date her. Amanda requires some major convincing, but Daniel is charming and persistent, and he’s also a planner. He manages to infuriate and excite Amanda at the same time. But just when things seem to be going well between them, complications arise. Daniel’s other ex-wife, Sharon, is jealous and wants to make trouble. And Daniel finds out that his father threatened Amanda all those years ago, telling her she had to marry Daniel or he would take the baby. Daniel is furious, and tells his father so. This seems to inspire rebellion in all the younger Elliotts, who are getting sick of the whole ridiculous contest. Can Daniel and Amanda renew their love amidst all the turmoil?

Even though I love the idea of a couple getting a second chance at love, I thought this book started out poorly. In their initial encounter, Daniel comes off as both controlling and clueless. What man thinks it’s a great idea to tell a woman she really needs a make-over? Even if it’s true, it’s hardly going to win her over. And his criticism of her career just seems silly. He is sure that she makes no money at all and hangs out with criminals and thugs. As he tries to guide her into a different legal field, he basically comes off like a big snob. It’s easy to see why she left him in the first place.

But just when I was ready to give up hope, Daniel really changed. He listened to what Amanda told him about his behavior. He observed her career in action, complimented Amanda, and admitted he was wrong. Meanwhile, he began questioning the whole course of his life. When he was just out of high school, he dreamed of travel and adventure. But the unplanned pregnancy turned him into a family man, and he went into the magazine business. Learning about his father’s actions makes him reevaluate his career and his interests. And since he managed to grow up so much (albeit belatedly), I decided that perhaps he wasn’t so bad after all.

Amanda was easier to like from the beginning. She’s determined, successful (despite Daniel’s initial assessment), and down-to-earth. She takes charge of her own life and doesn’t let Daniel – or his father – push her around. I couldn’t help admiring her.

Since this series is now eight books strong, there’s a lot of back story at this point. I can’t imagine coming into this cold and reading only this book. Though the series has had its ups and downs so far, in general the continuity has been quite good. Several of the plot threads are beginning to come together, and the authors have done a good job integrating all the characters into the storyline. Those who have been following the series will doubtless want to pick this one up, and while it’s not brilliant or anything, it does provide a pleasant addition to the story. Next up is Jessie, who is (what else?) a secret baby. That ought to pose a challenge.