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Leftover Love
Layne MacDonald’s search for the mother who had given her up at birth took her from the world she had always known to a sprawling Nebraska ranch, where the West wove its spell around her. But when she met Creed Dawson, part-owner of the ranch, she was bewildered by his brusque and distant manner. As he taught her to rope, corral, and ride, Layne began to sense the secret anguish that had frozen his heart...and realized to her surprise, that she was falling in love. Only a brave, determined woman would ever reach the passionate man behind Creed’s stern facade...and Layne vowed that she would be the one.
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1984
80 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
About the author
Janet Dailey
391 books1,841 followersJanet Anne Haradon Dailey was an American author of numerous romance novels as Janet Dailey (her married name). Her novels have been translated into nineteen languages and have sold over 300 million copies worldwide.
Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they "retired" to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.
She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.
Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.
Born in 1944 in Storm Lake, Iowa, she attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband, Bill. Bill and Janet worked together in construction and land development until they "retired" to travel throughout the United States, inspiring Janet to write the Americana series of romances, where she set a novel in every state of the Union. In 1974, Janet Dailey was the first American author to write for Harlequin. Her first novel was NO QUARTER ASKED.
She had since gone on to write approximately 90 novels, 21 of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. She won many awards and accolades for her work, appearing widely on Radio and Television. Today, there are over three hundred million Janet Dailey books in print in 19 different languages, making her one of the most popular novelists in the world.
Janet Dailey passed away peacefully in her home in Branson on Saturday, December 14, 2013. She was 69.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 14, 2024
Leftover Love is the story of a young woman desperate to find her birth mother, who gave her up as a baby. Heroine was raised by two wonderful adoptive parents who told her that children like her had been “left over” by God to bring happiness to families who otherwise wouldn’t know the joy of bringing up a child. But despite having a happy childhood, heroine still has an intense desire to find her birth mother and find out what she was like. The only thing she has of her birth mother is a towel that she was wrapped up in as a baby when she was handed over to her adoptive parents. She lovingly preserves that towel for 26 years in the hopes of one day reuniting with her birth mother!
After an 8 year search, she finally tracks her birth mother to Nebraska. She goes to her birth mother's ranch and lets the woman assume she is looking for work. Birth Mom hires her and the heroine starts living at the ranch. For three months, she works with Birth Mom and gets to know her, sharing chores, talks, and fun times alike. Birth Mom is a widow, having had by all accounts a wonderful twenty-year marriage, but she never had any children of the marriage. She never talks about having given birth or given up a baby for adoption. Heroine figures Birth Mom had her out of wedlock and when she eventually married, she kept her past a secret.
Birth Mom's business partner at the ranch, and the hero of the piece, is a big bear of a man riddled with insecurities due to his aggressively ugly face. The author makes no bone about it, this isn’t your typical, craggy, Marlborough Man or an unconventionally attractive, rugged cowboy, we are almost in Quasimodo territory! Quasimodo is angry that his partner hired a pretty city girl. He sets out to make her life hell so she’ll quit. Much to his surprise, heroine stands firm, showing true grit, wether it’s milking the cows at dawn in the freezing cold, or moving bales of hay that seem to weigh as much as an elephant.
Heroine is both repelled and fascinated by Quasimodo’s looks but when she gets to know him, she starts really falling for him. Quasimodo shuts her down. He just can’t believe this beautiful woman would really like him and he is always fighting a suspicion that she is just playing with him. He has never had a “real” girlfriend though it is hinted he may have paid for a few “girlfriend experiences” in the past. Eventually, heroine and Quasimodo give in to their volcanic level attraction. Outside of bed though, he remains very weary of her.
Things come to a head when Birth Mom accidentally finds out heroine is her bio daughter. There is a very ugly scene where Birth Mom kicks her daughter out of the house, calling her names, and even flinging her baby blanket at her feet. Quasimodo is zero help and blames heroine for having lied. When the heroine, in despair, tells him she is pregnant, he scoffs, calling it one more lie. So the poor distraught young woman is rejected not once but twice. She goes running back to her adoptive parents, who welcome her and her out-of-wedlock impending bundle of joy with open arms.
It is up to heroine’s adoptive mother to smooth the path for both Birth Mom and Quasimodo to re-enter heroine’s life. Birth Mom mumbles a half-hearted apology for her behavior, that she was projecting her own guilt and shame onto heroine, and that is why she reacted so viciously to being faced with her Seekret Illegitimate Daughter. The heroine instantly forgives Birth Mom and apologizes for befriending her under false pretences. As for Quasimodo, he humbly asks heroine to marry him for the sake of their baby, with the hope that she can have some love left over for him, to which she responds he’s got it the wrong way around, it’s because she loves him so much that she’s got so much “left over love” for the baby.
Sweet right? But not that sweet for me. I couldn’t forget how terribly Birth Mom and Quasimodo treated the heroine, like she was some sort of criminal mastermind who had infiltrated their ranch in order to plot their murder, not like she was a young woman plagued with lifetime insecurities of being rejected by her flesh and blood and went about getting to know her birth mother in the best way she could. They sure knew how to wallow in their own self-righteous misery of how the world done’em wrong, but they had no compassion "left over" for the heroine? I found that really hard to swallow. That it was left to heroine’s sweet, classy, long-suffering, adoptive mother to basically humble herself to these two rubes who had hurt the daughter of her heart so brutally did not sit right with me.
Birth Mom was terribly chilly. She never gave a thought to her baby, never even admitting to anyone close to her, including her husband of twenty years, that she had had a child. She seemed to still carry around the hatred she had for the boyfriend who pumped her and dumped her, leaving her an unwed mother. Her first reaction to heroine’s identity was cold rage and huge resentment. I couldn’t believe she would throw out the baby blanket the heroine had lovingly preserved for 26 years, the only thing she had ever received from her birth mother, as if it was trash. That was extra cruel. Who does that? Would you not feel compassion and understanding or even gratitude that your long lost child would have thought of you and loved you for a lifetime, to the point of tracking you down simply to get to know you better? She treated this young woman like vermin that she was repulsed by and couldn’t wait to kick out of her home. No tears, no emotions, no how have you been all these years, just cut her off and got rid of her like yesterday’s stinky garbage. When people show you who they are, believe them!
As for Quasimodo, though I had compassion for his insecurities initially, that quickly faded because of the vicious way he treated the heroine. It’s not just how he treated her around the farm dumping chores on her without giving her even basic instructions and ruthlessly setting her up to fail. More importantly, he let her down on every occasion she needed moral support. When heroine needed emotional support vis a vis Birth Mom or when she told him she was pregnant, he ICED her out completely. Even in a situation when she was being sexually harassed by two men who randomly followed her around, he not only failed to respond to her plea for help, he told her to fight her own battles.
That is not an Alpha hero to me. An Alpha hero protects his woman, physically and emotionally. He doesn’t throw her under the bus. He doesn’t take sides against her. He definitely doesn’t abandon his pregnant girlfriend only to be brought around through the intervention of a third party, months later, and an “explanation” that he thought she lied about her pregnancy or that she got an abortion. He was as cold and emotionless as Birth Mom. It's a wonder those two didn't get together, they were two peas in a pod. I shudder for the heroine’s future having to deal with people who withhold their affection to punish what they judge as transgressions and can pull the rug out from under you at any given moment. She is going to walk on eggshells all her life, deal with their blow hot, blow cold attitude, and blame herself if anything goes awry, all this while trying to raise her baby…*sigh* So that’s why I wasn’t left satisfied with the conclusion of this story, though admittedly it was very well-written, with a relatable, multi-dimensional protagonist who deserved a better man imho.
After an 8 year search, she finally tracks her birth mother to Nebraska. She goes to her birth mother's ranch and lets the woman assume she is looking for work. Birth Mom hires her and the heroine starts living at the ranch. For three months, she works with Birth Mom and gets to know her, sharing chores, talks, and fun times alike. Birth Mom is a widow, having had by all accounts a wonderful twenty-year marriage, but she never had any children of the marriage. She never talks about having given birth or given up a baby for adoption. Heroine figures Birth Mom had her out of wedlock and when she eventually married, she kept her past a secret.
Birth Mom's business partner at the ranch, and the hero of the piece, is a big bear of a man riddled with insecurities due to his aggressively ugly face. The author makes no bone about it, this isn’t your typical, craggy, Marlborough Man or an unconventionally attractive, rugged cowboy, we are almost in Quasimodo territory! Quasimodo is angry that his partner hired a pretty city girl. He sets out to make her life hell so she’ll quit. Much to his surprise, heroine stands firm, showing true grit, wether it’s milking the cows at dawn in the freezing cold, or moving bales of hay that seem to weigh as much as an elephant.
Heroine is both repelled and fascinated by Quasimodo’s looks but when she gets to know him, she starts really falling for him. Quasimodo shuts her down. He just can’t believe this beautiful woman would really like him and he is always fighting a suspicion that she is just playing with him. He has never had a “real” girlfriend though it is hinted he may have paid for a few “girlfriend experiences” in the past. Eventually, heroine and Quasimodo give in to their volcanic level attraction. Outside of bed though, he remains very weary of her.
Things come to a head when Birth Mom accidentally finds out heroine is her bio daughter. There is a very ugly scene where Birth Mom kicks her daughter out of the house, calling her names, and even flinging her baby blanket at her feet. Quasimodo is zero help and blames heroine for having lied. When the heroine, in despair, tells him she is pregnant, he scoffs, calling it one more lie. So the poor distraught young woman is rejected not once but twice. She goes running back to her adoptive parents, who welcome her and her out-of-wedlock impending bundle of joy with open arms.
It is up to heroine’s adoptive mother to smooth the path for both Birth Mom and Quasimodo to re-enter heroine’s life. Birth Mom mumbles a half-hearted apology for her behavior, that she was projecting her own guilt and shame onto heroine, and that is why she reacted so viciously to being faced with her Seekret Illegitimate Daughter. The heroine instantly forgives Birth Mom and apologizes for befriending her under false pretences. As for Quasimodo, he humbly asks heroine to marry him for the sake of their baby, with the hope that she can have some love left over for him, to which she responds he’s got it the wrong way around, it’s because she loves him so much that she’s got so much “left over love” for the baby.
Sweet right? But not that sweet for me. I couldn’t forget how terribly Birth Mom and Quasimodo treated the heroine, like she was some sort of criminal mastermind who had infiltrated their ranch in order to plot their murder, not like she was a young woman plagued with lifetime insecurities of being rejected by her flesh and blood and went about getting to know her birth mother in the best way she could. They sure knew how to wallow in their own self-righteous misery of how the world done’em wrong, but they had no compassion "left over" for the heroine? I found that really hard to swallow. That it was left to heroine’s sweet, classy, long-suffering, adoptive mother to basically humble herself to these two rubes who had hurt the daughter of her heart so brutally did not sit right with me.
Birth Mom was terribly chilly. She never gave a thought to her baby, never even admitting to anyone close to her, including her husband of twenty years, that she had had a child. She seemed to still carry around the hatred she had for the boyfriend who pumped her and dumped her, leaving her an unwed mother. Her first reaction to heroine’s identity was cold rage and huge resentment. I couldn’t believe she would throw out the baby blanket the heroine had lovingly preserved for 26 years, the only thing she had ever received from her birth mother, as if it was trash. That was extra cruel. Who does that? Would you not feel compassion and understanding or even gratitude that your long lost child would have thought of you and loved you for a lifetime, to the point of tracking you down simply to get to know you better? She treated this young woman like vermin that she was repulsed by and couldn’t wait to kick out of her home. No tears, no emotions, no how have you been all these years, just cut her off and got rid of her like yesterday’s stinky garbage. When people show you who they are, believe them!
As for Quasimodo, though I had compassion for his insecurities initially, that quickly faded because of the vicious way he treated the heroine. It’s not just how he treated her around the farm dumping chores on her without giving her even basic instructions and ruthlessly setting her up to fail. More importantly, he let her down on every occasion she needed moral support. When heroine needed emotional support vis a vis Birth Mom or when she told him she was pregnant, he ICED her out completely. Even in a situation when she was being sexually harassed by two men who randomly followed her around, he not only failed to respond to her plea for help, he told her to fight her own battles.
That is not an Alpha hero to me. An Alpha hero protects his woman, physically and emotionally. He doesn’t throw her under the bus. He doesn’t take sides against her. He definitely doesn’t abandon his pregnant girlfriend only to be brought around through the intervention of a third party, months later, and an “explanation” that he thought she lied about her pregnancy or that she got an abortion. He was as cold and emotionless as Birth Mom. It's a wonder those two didn't get together, they were two peas in a pod. I shudder for the heroine’s future having to deal with people who withhold their affection to punish what they judge as transgressions and can pull the rug out from under you at any given moment. She is going to walk on eggshells all her life, deal with their blow hot, blow cold attitude, and blame herself if anything goes awry, all this while trying to raise her baby…*sigh* So that’s why I wasn’t left satisfied with the conclusion of this story, though admittedly it was very well-written, with a relatable, multi-dimensional protagonist who deserved a better man imho.
November 15, 2018
I love stories with brooding grumpy 'Man's Men'. Call me weird.
Creed is all that and more!
Layne is 26 and has been searching for her birth mother ever since she turned 18. Finally, she has a lead and follows it from Omaha to Valentine Nebraska. Not the usual State chosen for Harlequins. So yet another thing to like about this unusual romance.
When she gets there she literally runs into Creed and her first reaction is surprise that such a tall sexy cowboy could have such an unattractive face. And he sees her reaction in her face.
She finds her birth mother and impulsively takes a job on her ranch without telling her who she really is.
Creed tends to blow hot and cold but he has a sad history with the opposite sex because of his looks.
Normally I hate hot/cold waffling, but it really worked for Creed and kept the sexual tension tight.
The writing was excellent and the characters had a fair amount of depth for a harlequin. JD was great at evoking a feel for the setting as well.
I've been wanting to read Janet Dailey for years, and will now look forward to other books by her!
Safety is good
Creed is all that and more!
Layne is 26 and has been searching for her birth mother ever since she turned 18. Finally, she has a lead and follows it from Omaha to Valentine Nebraska. Not the usual State chosen for Harlequins. So yet another thing to like about this unusual romance.
When she gets there she literally runs into Creed and her first reaction is surprise that such a tall sexy cowboy could have such an unattractive face. And he sees her reaction in her face.
She finds her birth mother and impulsively takes a job on her ranch without telling her who she really is.
Creed tends to blow hot and cold but he has a sad history with the opposite sex because of his looks.
Normally I hate hot/cold waffling, but it really worked for Creed and kept the sexual tension tight.
The writing was excellent and the characters had a fair amount of depth for a harlequin. JD was great at evoking a feel for the setting as well.
I've been wanting to read Janet Dailey for years, and will now look forward to other books by her!
Safety is good
January 2, 2022
For a change, I couldn't connect with the hero, despite all the checkboxes being ticked.
Layne is adopted and has wonderful parents, but has been searching for her birth mother for 8 years. So when she finally locates Mattie on a ranch, she goes there with a lot of trepidation, to find out who she is. When she arrives, she plays along Mattie's requirement and gets herself hired as a ranch hand of sorts, so she can live on the ranch and get to know Mattie better.
Mattie is the partner of the H, Creed Dawson, a "big, ugly brute" (Layne's words, not mine, albeit spoken with affection). But this is a theme that runs through the story and ultimately made it unpalatable for me. There was too much emphasis on looks. On how pretty Layne was and how large and brutal Creed looked. Here is how he confesses his feelings at the end:
“The first time I saw you, I was staggered. But I also saw the way you looked at me—the way all women have looked at me, even the plain fat ones—recoiling a little, fascinated a little.”
And I'm sorry to say that I recoiled at that so much that the rest of the already tottering story fell apart for me. "...even the plain fat ones"? I understand this book was written in 1984. But still, not all readers of the story are going to be paragons of beauty. In fact, it is a safe bet to say many of them will be the plain fat ones.
In one fell swoop, my dear Ms Dailey, you lost me.
Beauty and the beast is one of my favourite tropes, not because one person in the duo is "ugly" or scarred but because it means I can look forward to a lot of healing and acceptance. The healing wasn't there. Creed was a jerk, there was no grovelling to redeem him at the end, and it seemed like Layne was making all the sacrifices.
Janet Dailey has always been a bit of hit-or-miss with me. This one's a miss.
Layne is adopted and has wonderful parents, but has been searching for her birth mother for 8 years. So when she finally locates Mattie on a ranch, she goes there with a lot of trepidation, to find out who she is. When she arrives, she plays along Mattie's requirement and gets herself hired as a ranch hand of sorts, so she can live on the ranch and get to know Mattie better.
Mattie is the partner of the H, Creed Dawson, a "big, ugly brute" (Layne's words, not mine, albeit spoken with affection). But this is a theme that runs through the story and ultimately made it unpalatable for me. There was too much emphasis on looks. On how pretty Layne was and how large and brutal Creed looked. Here is how he confesses his feelings at the end:
“The first time I saw you, I was staggered. But I also saw the way you looked at me—the way all women have looked at me, even the plain fat ones—recoiling a little, fascinated a little.”
And I'm sorry to say that I recoiled at that so much that the rest of the already tottering story fell apart for me. "...even the plain fat ones"? I understand this book was written in 1984. But still, not all readers of the story are going to be paragons of beauty. In fact, it is a safe bet to say many of them will be the plain fat ones.
In one fell swoop, my dear Ms Dailey, you lost me.
Beauty and the beast is one of my favourite tropes, not because one person in the duo is "ugly" or scarred but because it means I can look forward to a lot of healing and acceptance. The healing wasn't there. Creed was a jerk, there was no grovelling to redeem him at the end, and it seemed like Layne was making all the sacrifices.
Janet Dailey has always been a bit of hit-or-miss with me. This one's a miss.
March 6, 2014
4 1/2 stars I've been promising myself a Janet Dailey read since she passed away not long ago so when I found one I hadn't read, I was ready to go.
This is the story about a hero who is plug ugly. The sort of ugly that makes nice girls recoil. I kind of visualise Jack Palance with the prominent cheekbones and after his nose was broken so it was flattened. The sort of looks that means playing the bad guy in a movie rather than the hero.
Layne is an attractive, confident woman who normally wouldn't look twice at a man like Creed Dawson, but when she finds her long lost birth mother, she is thrown into his company working on the ranch he co-owns with her mother.
Somehow things change and she starts to see beyond his looks to the vulnerable and lonely man inside. As their relationship deepens it is complicated by the fact that she is asking him to keep a secret from his partner. Layne is afraid if she reveals who she is to her mother, she'll be kicked out and she doesn't want to go, especially as it means leaving Creed.
Creed at first glance seems to be just a big bear of a man, gruff and silent. We learn that he hasn't a great deal of experience with women and probably they aren't the wine and dine sort but the crisp cash on the bedside table kind. But we start to see how his feelings of self worth make it hard to him to believe Layne really cares, especially as she needs to keep him sweet so he wont reveal her secret.
With all that going on it is no wonder things go belly up. The ending was lovely and quite moving.
This is the story about a hero who is plug ugly. The sort of ugly that makes nice girls recoil. I kind of visualise Jack Palance with the prominent cheekbones and after his nose was broken so it was flattened. The sort of looks that means playing the bad guy in a movie rather than the hero.
Layne is an attractive, confident woman who normally wouldn't look twice at a man like Creed Dawson, but when she finds her long lost birth mother, she is thrown into his company working on the ranch he co-owns with her mother.
Somehow things change and she starts to see beyond his looks to the vulnerable and lonely man inside. As their relationship deepens it is complicated by the fact that she is asking him to keep a secret from his partner. Layne is afraid if she reveals who she is to her mother, she'll be kicked out and she doesn't want to go, especially as it means leaving Creed.
Creed at first glance seems to be just a big bear of a man, gruff and silent. We learn that he hasn't a great deal of experience with women and probably they aren't the wine and dine sort but the crisp cash on the bedside table kind. But we start to see how his feelings of self worth make it hard to him to believe Layne really cares, especially as she needs to keep him sweet so he wont reveal her secret.
With all that going on it is no wonder things go belly up. The ending was lovely and quite moving.
November 14, 2016
A beauty and the beast retelling which is my favorite trope. This one is good but definitely a product of the eighties. Lots of smoking. Like lots and lots of smoking. It's like the Marlboro Man smoking all of the time. And no sign of breast feeding for baby. Ah well.
Hero is unattractive. Just really amazingly unattractive. The description reminded me of the hero in Artistic License who had a face only an artist could love. Our heroine here can't understand why she's attracted to such an unattractive man - although his body is just fine ;)
The plot is based around Layne finding her birth mother and that's done well.
Sex is fade to black although there's some furtive groping.
Not worth $7.99 on kindle but also available on open library.
Hero is unattractive. Just really amazingly unattractive. The description reminded me of the hero in Artistic License who had a face only an artist could love. Our heroine here can't understand why she's attracted to such an unattractive man - although his body is just fine ;)
The plot is based around Layne finding her birth mother and that's done well.
Sex is fade to black although there's some furtive groping.
Not worth $7.99 on kindle but also available on open library.
May 8, 2016
I had a hankerin' to revisit a romance that was an early favorite. It was the first Beauty and the Beast trope I'd read, and I loved it. I enjoyed the re-read. The early-eighties mind set was present, but fairly light.
July 2, 2025
Awesome heroine (26) will stop at nothing to meet her birth mother, even though she has fantastic parents. She is a wonderful heroine, even when she is not perfect or lets the hero down.
The hero (38) is complicated and let’s her down when 1) he refuses to back her up when two men harass her 2) let’s her leave as if he is unaffected 3) is rude and disbelieving when she tells him she might be pregnant. HOWEVER, this is because his character is so well developed and he mistrusts everyone because of his upbringing. His ugliness encompasses his entire existence and he finds it impossible to believe that the heroine is genuine in her attraction for him.
This is so well written with many interesting encounters between the heroine and the hero. The birth mother’s reaction felt real too, as did the make up a few weeks later. It has a charming HEA.
I loved it - my favourite Janet Dailey story.
The hero (38) is complicated and let’s her down when 1) he refuses to back her up when two men harass her 2) let’s her leave as if he is unaffected 3) is rude and disbelieving when she tells him she might be pregnant. HOWEVER, this is because his character is so well developed and he mistrusts everyone because of his upbringing. His ugliness encompasses his entire existence and he finds it impossible to believe that the heroine is genuine in her attraction for him.
This is so well written with many interesting encounters between the heroine and the hero. The birth mother’s reaction felt real too, as did the make up a few weeks later. It has a charming HEA.
I loved it - my favourite Janet Dailey story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2021
This story reads a bit like a modern day Beauty and the Beast. Layne is a beautiful and confident 26 year old journalist. She has wonderful, loving adopted parents but has always wanted to know where she came from. Her 8 year search for her birth mother takes her to a ranch in rural Nebraska. Layne finds Mattie and without letting her know her true identity, takes a job as a ranch hand despite having no experience. Brusque and distant Creed Dawson is the co-owner of the ranch who Mattie falls hard for. Now in a complete change to our usual handsome leading men Creed is described many times as 'homely',in fact Layne physically recoils from him on their first meeting. He apparently has a good body though. This could have been a wonderful heartwarming story except for one thing. Our leading man is not a beast hiding a kind and gentle personality. He is quite simply a jerk, in fact I don t think I have actively disliked a leading man as much as him. There is an incident where Layne is harassed by a couple of youths in town one night. When Layne goes to Creeds table in the diner so he can offer her some protection he throws her under the bus by claiming he doesn t know her. I mean what a pig, I was so furious reading this that I nearly didn t finish the book. For the life of me I cannot understand what Layne sees in him. He has no redeeming qualities at all and he has a massive chip on his shoulder. I really liked Layne as a character,
she treats everyone with respect and has a good attitude and strong work ethic. Despite having no previous experience working on a ranch, she works hard and never complains. I did wander how someone who had no experience horse riding could pick it up so quickly .I found some bits a little unrealistic. Farming is physically very hard work and yet after the first week Layne seemed to have mastered it without a hitch. Another thing that annoyed me is that neither Mattie or Creed ever praise Layne on the good job she is doing or the fact she picked it up so quickly. The other 2 farm hands Hoyt and Stoney, are the only people to treat Layne with any kindness at all. I realize this book was published in the early 1980s,so it is terribly dated in parts. For example despite the fact Layne is employed as a farm hand same as the other 2 men, it is expected that she be the one to help Mattie clear up after the meal and do the dishes, sexist much? and the smoking, so much smoking even at the table yuck. I must admit I don t miss that in todays books. When Mattie finds out that Layne has been hiding her true identity from her she lets rip in one of the vitriol attacks I have ever heard. I understand it must have been a shock finding out she was Laynes biological mother but she says the cruelest things to poor Layne, she even states she wishes she never had her. I mean what the hell? She then gives the poor girl an hour to leave her house. I felt so sorry for Layne but in her typically warm hearted way she forgives both Mattie and Creed. This awful pair don t deserve her. Matties apology is wishy washy at best, also Laynes beautiful adopted Mum contacts her with makes me wonder if Mattie would have come after her if she hadn t. Layne accepts Creeds unromantic proposal before he barely gets the words out. I just wish Layne had made both Creed and Mattie suffer more before she forgave them. This book sends out an awful message. Its demeaning to women and seems to think as in Creeds case, it is ok to treat people like crap just because you have your own hang ups and insecurities. This book got 1 star for me just because of poor Layne. A tough read.
she treats everyone with respect and has a good attitude and strong work ethic. Despite having no previous experience working on a ranch, she works hard and never complains. I did wander how someone who had no experience horse riding could pick it up so quickly .I found some bits a little unrealistic. Farming is physically very hard work and yet after the first week Layne seemed to have mastered it without a hitch. Another thing that annoyed me is that neither Mattie or Creed ever praise Layne on the good job she is doing or the fact she picked it up so quickly. The other 2 farm hands Hoyt and Stoney, are the only people to treat Layne with any kindness at all. I realize this book was published in the early 1980s,so it is terribly dated in parts. For example despite the fact Layne is employed as a farm hand same as the other 2 men, it is expected that she be the one to help Mattie clear up after the meal and do the dishes, sexist much? and the smoking, so much smoking even at the table yuck. I must admit I don t miss that in todays books. When Mattie finds out that Layne has been hiding her true identity from her she lets rip in one of the vitriol attacks I have ever heard. I understand it must have been a shock finding out she was Laynes biological mother but she says the cruelest things to poor Layne, she even states she wishes she never had her. I mean what the hell? She then gives the poor girl an hour to leave her house. I felt so sorry for Layne but in her typically warm hearted way she forgives both Mattie and Creed. This awful pair don t deserve her. Matties apology is wishy washy at best, also Laynes beautiful adopted Mum contacts her with makes me wonder if Mattie would have come after her if she hadn t. Layne accepts Creeds unromantic proposal before he barely gets the words out. I just wish Layne had made both Creed and Mattie suffer more before she forgave them. This book sends out an awful message. Its demeaning to women and seems to think as in Creeds case, it is ok to treat people like crap just because you have your own hang ups and insecurities. This book got 1 star for me just because of poor Layne. A tough read.
November 14, 2023
OMG if I have to read one more time that the H fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down i will scream!
I get it he's not the typical H, He's ugly but it is mentioned practically every time the H and h appear on page together!
The h is a bit of a liar liar pants on fire as she heads to the ranch trying to track her birth mother then lies when she does. The H feels uncomfortable keeping her secret when she fesses up to him and the "mum" also doesn't take it well. h shoulda just told the truth.
Anyway she gets a job on the ranch after already meeting the H in town and staring at his ugliness and he is not happy about it. Much farming shennanigans abound culminating in a near death experience for the h and the H rescuing her and some sexy times.
However her secret ruins the relationship and them she chucks her teddies out slightly when she gets caught in her lie and kicked out by the mum (who happens to be H's business partner.) He is then unimpressed when she tells him she thinks she is preggers.
She heads home and tells her lovely adopted parents shes up the duff and they are accepting of the situation although mum calls mum 2 to make sure she doesn't think she raised her daughter wrong. This results in a visit with the H who declares his lurve.
Madness!
I get it he's not the typical H, He's ugly but it is mentioned practically every time the H and h appear on page together!
The h is a bit of a liar liar pants on fire as she heads to the ranch trying to track her birth mother then lies when she does. The H feels uncomfortable keeping her secret when she fesses up to him and the "mum" also doesn't take it well. h shoulda just told the truth.
Anyway she gets a job on the ranch after already meeting the H in town and staring at his ugliness and he is not happy about it. Much farming shennanigans abound culminating in a near death experience for the h and the H rescuing her and some sexy times.
However her secret ruins the relationship and them she chucks her teddies out slightly when she gets caught in her lie and kicked out by the mum (who happens to be H's business partner.) He is then unimpressed when she tells him she thinks she is preggers.
She heads home and tells her lovely adopted parents shes up the duff and they are accepting of the situation although mum calls mum 2 to make sure she doesn't think she raised her daughter wrong. This results in a visit with the H who declares his lurve.
Madness!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2010
Ew. This was a stinker.
However, if you fantasize about emotionally retarded men who are also fugly...then this is definitely the book for you.
However, if you fantasize about emotionally retarded men who are also fugly...then this is definitely the book for you.
November 3, 2024
A heartwarming story of secrets and unexpected love. As the book description indicates, Layne MacDonald is a young reporter who decides to find the woman who gave her up at birth. Layne's search takes her to the Nebraska Sand Hills, where Mattie Gray is co-owner of the Ox-Yoke Ranch. Mattie's partner is Creed Dawson, a rugged, homely man with an "animal quality" underneath that Layne finds "devastatingly attractive."
Fearing immediate rejection by Mattie, Layne does not claim to be her daughter. Instead, she applies to work as a hired hand, saying she needs to gather firsthand information about ranching for a newspaper article she plans to write. Naturally, her new job puts her in close proximity with grumpy Creed, who ignores her advances, believing no woman could be attracted to his homely self. But Layne won't give up, and after Creed saves her from drowning in an icy pond, they warm up in a steamy romantic scene.
When Layne eventually tells Creed that she's Mattie's daughter, he insists that she should tell Mattie the truth. But Layne refuses, claiming the truth would only hurt Mattie or bring up "unpleasant memories of the past." The truth eventually comes out, of course. And when it does, Mattie--who is angry with Layne for deceiving her--orders Layne to "get out of my house and out of my life."
Crushed by Mattie's reaction and by Creed's apparent indifference, Layne returns to her job as a newspaper reporter in Omaha. Will Mattie ever forgive her? And what about Creed--the proud, gentle man she's grown to love? Will Layne ever see him again? Read this heartwarming story to find out!
Kudos for immersive descriptions of ranching in the Nebraska Sand Hills, realistic dialogue, likable characters (including grumpy Creed), flawless proofreading, and very limited profanity. Unfortunately, the story ends rather abruptly without an epilogue, lowering my rating to four stars overall.
Fearing immediate rejection by Mattie, Layne does not claim to be her daughter. Instead, she applies to work as a hired hand, saying she needs to gather firsthand information about ranching for a newspaper article she plans to write. Naturally, her new job puts her in close proximity with grumpy Creed, who ignores her advances, believing no woman could be attracted to his homely self. But Layne won't give up, and after Creed saves her from drowning in an icy pond, they warm up in a steamy romantic scene.
When Layne eventually tells Creed that she's Mattie's daughter, he insists that she should tell Mattie the truth. But Layne refuses, claiming the truth would only hurt Mattie or bring up "unpleasant memories of the past." The truth eventually comes out, of course. And when it does, Mattie--who is angry with Layne for deceiving her--orders Layne to "get out of my house and out of my life."
Crushed by Mattie's reaction and by Creed's apparent indifference, Layne returns to her job as a newspaper reporter in Omaha. Will Mattie ever forgive her? And what about Creed--the proud, gentle man she's grown to love? Will Layne ever see him again? Read this heartwarming story to find out!
Kudos for immersive descriptions of ranching in the Nebraska Sand Hills, realistic dialogue, likable characters (including grumpy Creed), flawless proofreading, and very limited profanity. Unfortunately, the story ends rather abruptly without an epilogue, lowering my rating to four stars overall.
July 23, 2024
Please note: this book is both very problematic and dated.
But I will always love it. It was one of the first books I read as a teen and is… probably why I have an “I can fix him” mentality lmao! (Along with Johanna Lindsay and Karen Robards)
I love the beauty and the beast trope. It’s one of my absolute favorites. And I love the independent woman trope.
But it doesn’t hold up well 40 years later. There is a lot of bull crap sexism and she is settling for some seriously weak behavior.
Plus the end is too quickly wrapped.
It needs to be twice the length and Creed needs to be a better man.
But I will always love it. It was one of the first books I read as a teen and is… probably why I have an “I can fix him” mentality lmao! (Along with Johanna Lindsay and Karen Robards)
I love the beauty and the beast trope. It’s one of my absolute favorites. And I love the independent woman trope.
But it doesn’t hold up well 40 years later. There is a lot of bull crap sexism and she is settling for some seriously weak behavior.
Plus the end is too quickly wrapped.
It needs to be twice the length and Creed needs to be a better man.
September 30, 2025
Lendo atualmente, depois de um tempo longo sem qse ler, um livro da Janet Dailey: Leftlover love : mocinho bruto, complexado sobre sua aparência, não se sabe se foi rejeitado e ele no início a despreza. Pensa que é fútil e aproveitadora.
No entanto, ela busca saber porque foi abandonada. Sua mãe adotiva é boa pra ela e incentivou que ela procurasse a mãe biológica. Final bom com entendimento deles, chegando ao acordo que eles se amam e precisam começar uma vida juntos sem mentiras e enganos. O título em português pode ser
traduzido como: Sobras ou rejeições...
No entanto, ela busca saber porque foi abandonada. Sua mãe adotiva é boa pra ela e incentivou que ela procurasse a mãe biológica. Final bom com entendimento deles, chegando ao acordo que eles se amam e precisam começar uma vida juntos sem mentiras e enganos. O título em português pode ser
traduzido como: Sobras ou rejeições...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2024
leftover Love by Janet Dailey
This novel did not capture my interest as Ms.Dailey’s Calder series did. Ms. Dailey possesses an amazing talent to describe landscape and puts the reader right into the middle of her characters. But the Calder series lent such a reality to the people, the land and their trials. Ms. Dailey is a master at storytelling. Reviewed by Heide Katros, Winter Haven News, Florida
This novel did not capture my interest as Ms.Dailey’s Calder series did. Ms. Dailey possesses an amazing talent to describe landscape and puts the reader right into the middle of her characters. But the Calder series lent such a reality to the people, the land and their trials. Ms. Dailey is a master at storytelling. Reviewed by Heide Katros, Winter Haven News, Florida
January 13, 2025
very good
This story is a reread, I love it. I have this as an e-book, plus the book I got years ago. Layne has been looking for her real mother, finally found her on a ranch, which she applied for a job. Then she met Creed who owns half. I highly recommend this.
This story is a reread, I love it. I have this as an e-book, plus the book I got years ago. Layne has been looking for her real mother, finally found her on a ranch, which she applied for a job. Then she met Creed who owns half. I highly recommend this.
March 9, 2025
Good romance story!
I liked this story a lot, but I couldn't understand why it was so important to push about him being ugly. I was a little disappointed that it came up so often and forcefully. Good storyline!
I liked this story a lot, but I couldn't understand why it was so important to push about him being ugly. I was a little disappointed that it came up so often and forcefully. Good storyline!
January 23, 2019
A must read for JD fans. This book is one of the reasons why I read her works. Loved it.
November 1, 2019
Always a good read!
I'm going back and rereading all her books that I read as a young adult. She has always been a wonderful author.
I'm going back and rereading all her books that I read as a young adult. She has always been a wonderful author.
September 24, 2022
this book was too straight
July 27, 2024
powerful annotations.
September 16, 2024
Sweet
I love all Janet Daily books and have read the America series. This book was good to help understand adoption from both points of view.
I love all Janet Daily books and have read the America series. This book was good to help understand adoption from both points of view.
November 10, 2024
Enjoyable read
December 14, 2025
This man’s communication style is 90% glaring and 10% unsolicited ranching advice. He kisses like he’s angry at his own lips. Why is he so mad? Who hurt you, Creed? (Probably a cow.)
August 23, 2025
A very good story, although I did find the hero's brand of angst very contrived. I like suspicious men, but his brand of doubt was just a plot device.
July 14, 2021
This is a very nice book. And quite unusual as the heroine is more sexually liberated than is found during this time period. The Hero is also portrayed differently, in that he is a big brute of a man and quite homely in appearance. Because of this, he has a bit of a complex about his looks.
There was a good progression to the story and I like how the couple became lovers, because of circumstances it was easy to believe how each one misinterpreted the motives of the other. There is a nice back story of the heroine and her quest to get to know her birth mother, but when she finds her, she doesn’t reveal who she is. So the reader is kept in suspense, wondering when the heroine plans to let her true identity be known, and what the reaction of the birth mother would be. The Hero tries to convince her to do this sooner rather than later, but the heroine hesitates, and this causes tensions between them.
There was a good progression to the story and I like how the couple became lovers, because of circumstances it was easy to believe how each one misinterpreted the motives of the other. There is a nice back story of the heroine and her quest to get to know her birth mother, but when she finds her, she doesn’t reveal who she is. So the reader is kept in suspense, wondering when the heroine plans to let her true identity be known, and what the reaction of the birth mother would be. The Hero tries to convince her to do this sooner rather than later, but the heroine hesitates, and this causes tensions between them.
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August 29, 2007these stories are beautifully poignant...lizard is my favorite but dreaming of kimchee is equally great. they make me think of when you are on the subway or walking down the street and you see certain people who make you stop and wonder, just for a second, what their lives are like and what kind of people they are. in these stories banana yoshimoto perfectly captures the feeling of living in a huge city, the small lives of the passerby.
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September 20, 2017Layne MacDonald had been adopted as a baby by Keith and Colleen MacDonald. Since she turned 18, she had been searching for her birth mother. It had been 8 years and she finally had a clue. Her mother's maiden name was Martha Turner and her father had lived in Valentine, Montana.
Layne took a leave of absence from work and traveled to Valentine. She got a room at the local motel and went to the diner for some lunch. A rancher didn't see her and almost knocked her down. She then went to the courthouse to look through the records there and ran into him again because she wasn't looking where she was going as she left the building. She had gotten her mother's married name. It was Mattie Gray. She had married John Gray who owned the Ox-Yoke ranch on the outskirts of town. John had died a little over 4 years previous.
She went back to her room, looked up the number and called. She told Mattie that she had the wrong number when she answered. She decided to go see her the next morning. She arrived and Mattie thought she was there to apply for a job and Layne let her. Layne agreed to come to work for her and told Mattie that she worked for the newspaper in Omaha and wanted to write a story on ranch life.
Layne went into to town to collect her things and to purchase some wore attire. She returned to the ranch to stay in a spare room in Mattie's house. She unpacked and overheard Mattie speaking to a man. She went downstairs and was introduced to the man she had been literally running into in town, Creed Dawson. He didn't appear to happy to hear that she had been hired but agreed to give her a chance to prove herself.
Layne was sore for the first week or two but soon got used to the work and learned how to milk the cow. Creed wasn't convinced that she didn't have another motive for being on the ranch but did call the newspaper and found out that at least that part of her story was true.
They worked closely together for a little over a month and Layne was determined to make him like her. He was a man of little words and he didn't seem to fond of having her around. Layne was determined to change that. He was a challenge to him that she couldn't seem to resist. She went to his house on the property and confronted him one evening. He ended up kissing her but Layne felt like he was making it more of a punishment thing to try and scare her off. It didn't work. She wasn't put off that easily. She got him to admit that he was attracted to her but he told her that he didn't care because she was too pretty to have anything to do with him. He was not attractive and had been teased as a child. Layne told him that it was more inside what counted and he took it to mean that she wasn't attracted to him.
After a few more weeks, the weather started to warm up and she fell through the ice of one of the ponds on the ranch property. Creed happened to notice that her horse was wandering around without her on it and checked the pond. There he found her hanging onto the edge of the pond in the icy cold water. He pulled her out and took her back to the ranch. He undressed her and put her in the tub to warm her up. He then lit a fire in the fireplace and she laid by it to get warm. She was still cold and asked him to hold her. He did and they ended up making out in front of the fire.
A short time later, they were invited to a neighbors for a party. Everyone seemed to notice that she was spending time searching out Creed's company. They didn't understand why because she was so pretty. They ended up leaving the party early and headed back to his place. He asked her why she was really there and she told him that she was Mattie's daughter. He didn't believe her at first and then told her that she needed to tell Mattie or he would. She convinced him to hold off for a bit. They argued and she went back to her room.
Mattie noticed that they hadn't talked much for a few days. Layne was doing laundry and Mattie brought some of her clothes to her room. She asked Layne where to put them and Layne pointed to one of her drawers. She realized too late that the drawer had a baby blanket in it that her birth mother had given to her. Mattie recognized it and got angry. She confronted Layne and told her to leave. Layne tried to explain and apologize but Mattie told her that she had resigned herself to the fact that she had no child and didn't want to discuss anything with her. Layne left.
Layne first went back to the hotel and got a room there. She asked Creed to meet with her at the diner and he did come by on the third day. She told Creed that she thought she might be pregnant. He chose not to believe her and left. Layne returned to Omaha and her old job writing for the newspaper. She got the pregnancy results and went and told Keith and Colleen. They were particularly thrilled but told her they would support her and they got her baby things together to take to her place.
They were over at her house on the weekend, having brought the baby items with them. They were going through them and Keith was putting up her old crib. She was a little over a month pregnant. There was a knock on the door and it was Mattie. Colleen had called her and apologized again for Layne's behavior and took the blame for Layne not telling her right away due to her warning her to be careful and sure she was doing the right thing before she said anything to Mattie. Layne was surprised to see Creed standing in the doorway. Mattie didn't tell her that he had driven her to Omaha.
Creed told Layne that he wanted to marry her and she said that was okay with her. He told her that he hoped that it time she would have enough love left over fro the baby for him. She told him that she loved him and that the left over love would be for their child. He was not expecting that she could really love him because she was so beautiful and he wasn't. He had thought she was using him to get close to Mattie and to keep him from telling her that she was Mattie's daughter. He thought that once she and Mattie had resolved their issues, she wouldn't have anything more to do with him. He was happy to find out that he was wrong...
Layne took a leave of absence from work and traveled to Valentine. She got a room at the local motel and went to the diner for some lunch. A rancher didn't see her and almost knocked her down. She then went to the courthouse to look through the records there and ran into him again because she wasn't looking where she was going as she left the building. She had gotten her mother's married name. It was Mattie Gray. She had married John Gray who owned the Ox-Yoke ranch on the outskirts of town. John had died a little over 4 years previous.
She went back to her room, looked up the number and called. She told Mattie that she had the wrong number when she answered. She decided to go see her the next morning. She arrived and Mattie thought she was there to apply for a job and Layne let her. Layne agreed to come to work for her and told Mattie that she worked for the newspaper in Omaha and wanted to write a story on ranch life.
Layne went into to town to collect her things and to purchase some wore attire. She returned to the ranch to stay in a spare room in Mattie's house. She unpacked and overheard Mattie speaking to a man. She went downstairs and was introduced to the man she had been literally running into in town, Creed Dawson. He didn't appear to happy to hear that she had been hired but agreed to give her a chance to prove herself.
Layne was sore for the first week or two but soon got used to the work and learned how to milk the cow. Creed wasn't convinced that she didn't have another motive for being on the ranch but did call the newspaper and found out that at least that part of her story was true.
They worked closely together for a little over a month and Layne was determined to make him like her. He was a man of little words and he didn't seem to fond of having her around. Layne was determined to change that. He was a challenge to him that she couldn't seem to resist. She went to his house on the property and confronted him one evening. He ended up kissing her but Layne felt like he was making it more of a punishment thing to try and scare her off. It didn't work. She wasn't put off that easily. She got him to admit that he was attracted to her but he told her that he didn't care because she was too pretty to have anything to do with him. He was not attractive and had been teased as a child. Layne told him that it was more inside what counted and he took it to mean that she wasn't attracted to him.
After a few more weeks, the weather started to warm up and she fell through the ice of one of the ponds on the ranch property. Creed happened to notice that her horse was wandering around without her on it and checked the pond. There he found her hanging onto the edge of the pond in the icy cold water. He pulled her out and took her back to the ranch. He undressed her and put her in the tub to warm her up. He then lit a fire in the fireplace and she laid by it to get warm. She was still cold and asked him to hold her. He did and they ended up making out in front of the fire.
A short time later, they were invited to a neighbors for a party. Everyone seemed to notice that she was spending time searching out Creed's company. They didn't understand why because she was so pretty. They ended up leaving the party early and headed back to his place. He asked her why she was really there and she told him that she was Mattie's daughter. He didn't believe her at first and then told her that she needed to tell Mattie or he would. She convinced him to hold off for a bit. They argued and she went back to her room.
Mattie noticed that they hadn't talked much for a few days. Layne was doing laundry and Mattie brought some of her clothes to her room. She asked Layne where to put them and Layne pointed to one of her drawers. She realized too late that the drawer had a baby blanket in it that her birth mother had given to her. Mattie recognized it and got angry. She confronted Layne and told her to leave. Layne tried to explain and apologize but Mattie told her that she had resigned herself to the fact that she had no child and didn't want to discuss anything with her. Layne left.
Layne first went back to the hotel and got a room there. She asked Creed to meet with her at the diner and he did come by on the third day. She told Creed that she thought she might be pregnant. He chose not to believe her and left. Layne returned to Omaha and her old job writing for the newspaper. She got the pregnancy results and went and told Keith and Colleen. They were particularly thrilled but told her they would support her and they got her baby things together to take to her place.
They were over at her house on the weekend, having brought the baby items with them. They were going through them and Keith was putting up her old crib. She was a little over a month pregnant. There was a knock on the door and it was Mattie. Colleen had called her and apologized again for Layne's behavior and took the blame for Layne not telling her right away due to her warning her to be careful and sure she was doing the right thing before she said anything to Mattie. Layne was surprised to see Creed standing in the doorway. Mattie didn't tell her that he had driven her to Omaha.
Creed told Layne that he wanted to marry her and she said that was okay with her. He told her that he hoped that it time she would have enough love left over fro the baby for him. She told him that she loved him and that the left over love would be for their child. He was not expecting that she could really love him because she was so beautiful and he wasn't. He had thought she was using him to get close to Mattie and to keep him from telling her that she was Mattie's daughter. He thought that once she and Mattie had resolved their issues, she wouldn't have anything more to do with him. He was happy to find out that he was wrong...
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