This HaBO comes from Lindsay, who wants to find this romance:
This is an historical (probably written in the early 2000s or 2010s), and the protagonists have either a marriage of convenience or they marry young and some sort of Big Misunderstanding has the hero leaving shortly after the wedding night and going off to war.
He returns from war to find that the heroine is thriving without him. As he proceeds to grovel, he slowly realizes that every single painting in their home is a different depiction of Judith and Holofernes. Yes, every painting in their house is of a woman beheading a man. This is when he realizes how badly he has f@#*ed up.
We also checked with Lindsay on whether the book is also from this similar, solved HaBO for Desperate Duchesses by Eloisa James and she confirmed that it is not.
Please, god, someone know what this is!!
I would branch out, personally. Judith, Salome, Jael. Orion savaged by his own dogs maybe. Just about anything with Maenads. Kali. Idk if this is more or less subtle than just sticking with one story, which is probably better messaging – sometimes the stories are not clear we’re better off without John the Baptist, for example – but I like variety. The more the merrier!
The Eloisa James books were what I was thinking of with this one for sure, but I am delighted to have it be a trend.
I can’t help, yet I would love to name title and author.
Following I think I’ve read this one.
I need this like air.
Following!
Following.
I don’t know if this is it, but possibly An Infamous Marriage by Susanna Fraser (2012)? The reviews don’t mention Judith and Holofernes, but the rest of the details seem to match up. After an unconsummated marriage of convenience, he goes to fight in a war. When he returns 5 years later, he finds her thriving, managing his estate and uninterested in his sh*t. He was unfaithful while away, which doesn’t bother her as such, just that he was so indiscreet about it which the local gossips used against her. Apparently he does the work and it’s not just an insta-forgive situation.
I’m both interested and also infuriated, if this is the right book.