The Five-Minute Marriage cover

The Five-Minute Marriage

by Joan Aiken

Desperate to help her ailing mother, Philadelphia "Delphie" Carteret agrees to partake in a sham wedding ceremony to her cousin, Gareth. This fulfills Gareth's obligation to marry before his sick uncle passes, and in exchange Delphie's mother will be guaranteed an annuity for life. The plan is perfect. But perfect plans usually go awry. Not only was the marriage ceremony valid, but Gareth's dying uncle makes a miraculous recovery. An imposter is threatening Delphie's identity and her life, and the whole family is on the brink of scandal. As Gareth and Delphie try to mastermind a way out of this mess, they begin to discover that what's between them may be surprisingly real.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?