The Marriage Clause

Claire's grandmother left her the family vineyard with exactly one condition buried in the will: she has to be married within six months, or the land passes to a cousin who's already fielding offers from developers. Six months isn't enough time to fall in love and it's definitely not enough time to find someone willing to sign a legally binding marriage contract for a stranger's inheritance — except, apparently, Sam. Her best friend's older brother, professionally unbothered, recently between jobs, and weirdly fine with the whole arrangement as long as she stops trying to pay him for it. What's supposed to be a business transaction with a ring involves an increasing number of complications: nosy relatives who don't buy the story for a second, one very small guest cottage with exactly one bed, and a growing, deeply inconvenient suspicion that Sam might be taking this marriage more seriously than either of them agreed to.

1. The Reading
2. Laurel Valley
3. The Developer’s Offer
4. Coffee and Catastrophe
5. The Chance Encounter
6. The Crazy Idea
7. The Porch Conversation
8. The Terms of the Contract
9. The Family Won’t Like It
10. The Rushed Preparations
11. Bachelorette and Bachelor Party, Next Door
12. The Wedding
13. One Bed
14. Morning Coffee and Rules of Propriety
15. Relatives With Questions
16. Working the Vineyard
17. Derek Makes His Move
18. The Fight Over the Secret
19. The Night After the Fight
20. The Harvest Festival
21. Maggie’s Confession
22. The Conversation That Never Happened
23. Derek Goes All In
24. The Truth Comes Out
25. Derek Exposed
26. Next Year’s Harvest

• 
  ThePlotBunny Жов 30, 2026

  I got completely lost in it. I love how the plot keeps unfolding.

  Дивитися на Laurel Valley
• 
  PaperMoonReads Жов 30, 2026

  I couldn't put this down. The relationships between the characters are well drawn.

  Дивитися на The Reading
• 
  ChapterChaser Жов 27, 2026

  The turn near the end surprised me. Bookmarked and waiting for more.

  Дивитися на The Reading