Having It All!

by Emma Richmond

Rowan wanted it all: a man, a marriage and her own company!

But her transatlantic romance with Bostonian businessman Arden Harveson had been doomed from the start. Compromise hadn't been in either of their vocabularies and they had parted bitterly. Now Rowan was back in the States, and, while a year's distance hadn't cooled their ardor, it hadn't cooled their heads, either. To Rowan it seemed that wanting Arden was light-years away from having him!

187 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 1, 1996

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t notice the ! hidden next to the double ls in the title until after I read the story. *sigh* A dead giveaway to a two star romance.

This was a bickerfest between a drop-dead gorgeous heroine who felt she had to prove herself by opening up an aromatherapy spa/gym/wellness center in London. Boston tycoon hero, nephew to heroine’s godmother, wanted her to marry him and move to Maine so he could drop out of the rat race.

Heroine wanted time to see if her business could get off the ground and hero wasn’t listening. They have been apart for a year* when the godmother decides she’s dying and wants to see the heroine. Heroine rushes to Boston and is thrown together with the hero.

Heroine promises to stay for a week, and we are treated to a travelogue of Boston and then later Freeport and the southern coast of Maine. The H/h reminisce about all of their “amusing” slagging matches resulting in physical scars. In hurtful moments, they rehash old ground with the heroine declaring her independence and the hero declaring his indifference. The standoff continues until the hero saves a baby from a burning house (really) and they realize life is too short.

Heroine will have her business in Maine and they will both laugh all the way to the bank because the hero bought an ocean-front house within commuting distance of Portland for $300,000. Ah, the 90’s.

*H/h were both celibate during their separation.

[sbf20112011 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was angsty and over-dramatic with constant bickering between the hero and heroine. And the conversation was unrealistic and sometimes hard to follow. Dialogue was also too detailed -- I just don't need to read every "Really?" "Yes." "But why?" that may take place in real conversation, but has very little content and is overkill in a romance novel. Still though, I do like the premise of reunited lovers, and I like a hero who outwardly despises the heroine at the outset, which this one definitely did. So overall I did enjoy it.

[Elena Haley Rea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Carino ma nulla di ché. La storia non '' rapisce'' e anche essendo di 150 pagine l'ho letto a spezzoni tra un giorno e l'altro. Ottimo per quando si desidera una lettura non impegnativa.