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Rafe's Revenge
Too late, film critic Silver Carlysle discovered what kind of enemy she'd made when her scathing reviews launched an all-out war with movie mogul Rafe McGinnis.
Rafe was reputed to be cold-blooded, cynical and predatory. And when he took ruthless steps to undermine her career, Silver swore she'd never surrender.
But no one had warned her that Rafe's smoldering sensuality would set her blood on fire. Or that each new skirmish would only fuel their mutual desire.
Silver knew she was in danger, but she couldn't surrender. Rafe had laid out his terms: nothing less than a night in her arms would satisfy him.
Rafe was reputed to be cold-blooded, cynical and predatory. And when he took ruthless steps to undermine her career, Silver swore she'd never surrender.
But no one had warned her that Rafe's smoldering sensuality would set her blood on fire. Or that each new skirmish would only fuel their mutual desire.
Silver knew she was in danger, but she couldn't surrender. Rafe had laid out his terms: nothing less than a night in her arms would satisfy him.
253 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 1992
21 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
About the author
Anne Stuart
206 books2,063 followersAnne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 19, 2021
I loved this. H/h are evenly matched in this battle of wits that leads to a romance and the solution to a Hollywood mystery. Heroine is an up-and-coming movie critic. Hero is a director and movie studio owner. They are on each other’s radar after heroine writes a series of increasingly scathing columns about the hero’s movies. They meet at a party and do not hit it off.
Hero vows revenge. Heroine remains undaunted. I won’t go into their elaborate schemes that also serve as a courtship, but be assured that they go too far – several times and the angst is delicious. (I’m still shuddering over the cost of driving a rental pick-up truck from Colorado to LA and then keeping it for weeks).
Hero is deliciously cruel, but then develops feelings for his prey. Heroine is tough, yet vulnerable – a difficult characterization for an author to pull off.
The only discordant notes: the heroine’s friendship with the agenda-driven movie critic and the hero’s Armani suit, ponytail and single emerald stud earring. *shudder *
Hero vows revenge. Heroine remains undaunted. I won’t go into their elaborate schemes that also serve as a courtship, but be assured that they go too far – several times and the angst is delicious. (I’m still shuddering over the cost of driving a rental pick-up truck from Colorado to LA and then keeping it for weeks).
Hero is deliciously cruel, but then develops feelings for his prey. Heroine is tough, yet vulnerable – a difficult characterization for an author to pull off.
The only discordant notes: the heroine’s friendship with the agenda-driven movie critic and the hero’s Armani suit, ponytail and single emerald stud earring. *shudder *
December 12, 2008
Now normally most rakes do nothing for me. But Rafe, ah, Rafe is a rake I might find myself having trouble resisting. This book was delicious. The rake who gets hoisted by his petard by the man-hater. Silver feels like she is resistant to passions for a man. She tried love and it didn't work for her. She's all about being a good movie critic like her somewhat spiteful, Truman Capotesque mentor. He is teaching her to write acerbic, cruel reviews. Unfortunately she reviews Rafe's production and he's not happy. He decides to teach her a lesson, and ends up kidnapping her to his cabin in the mountains. It has a bit of the captive theme I like. And it has hot passion and hotter romance. The end is great because they both show sacrifice (sort of like Gift of the Magi). This is a great book to read if you can find it, a real treasure. As a matter of fact, I need to pull out my copy.
May 20, 2019
"Rafe's Revenge" is the story of Silver and Rafe.
Another fabulous battle of wits, this time between a movie mogul and a film critic who fight till they fall in love! We have hilarious conflicts, sizzling attraction, passionate lovemaking and ultimate surrender- along with sleazy as well as meddling secondary characters, being stranded in a remote cabin, humiliation and blackmail attempts and finally a HEA in this engaging read. I was rooting for both of them until the very end, and if you like books with a strong heroine and a determined hero, you'll definitely like this one.
Safe
4/5
Another fabulous battle of wits, this time between a movie mogul and a film critic who fight till they fall in love! We have hilarious conflicts, sizzling attraction, passionate lovemaking and ultimate surrender- along with sleazy as well as meddling secondary characters, being stranded in a remote cabin, humiliation and blackmail attempts and finally a HEA in this engaging read. I was rooting for both of them until the very end, and if you like books with a strong heroine and a determined hero, you'll definitely like this one.
Safe
4/5
January 24, 2022
3.5-star
The GOOD:
Witty acerbic dialogue. Unpredictable writing. Well-paced. Complex characters with depth/good char dev. Good rom development between tall & gawky 29yo newbie film-critic & 37yo powerful movie-mogul playboy H. Lots of 1-upmanship that started with H upset by h's newest poor-review of his latest action movie to H demanding that h sell him her legendary father's last-movie rights. Good S & good-enough bareback S with some details.
Liked how usually-controlled H felt out-of-control re: his feelings for h & that h didn't easily succumb to his demands & sexual wiles. Liked that when she finally did give in to their mutual desire it was with clarity of it being a momentary 1-time thing which served to goad H to show her she's mistaken. H is Stuart's typical unpredictable & almost-conscienceless villainous Hero who will pull the lowest punch to get what he wants from h but is somehow able to display uncharacteristic self-sacrifice at the end for h's sake to make him & their impossible romance seem redeemable. Also typical of Stuart's H to make him seem indifferent yet his actions show his growing obsession with h so he tried to non-chalantly.
MEH or the BAD:
h was likable with her mix of social-awkwardness/frankness/diffidence to her older mentors. But didn't like how her insecurity re: dating made her settle for low-brow nice men who showed her interest & she only dumped them after being highly-persuaded by her mentor.
Sexual History:
h had 1 lover a couple years ago who ended up being a married man. H is her 2nd lover. H is a known playboy & was married 1x about 5 years ago because it seemed like a good time to get married but seemed emotionally-disinterested in his ex-wife. No info why they divorced.
The GOOD:
Witty acerbic dialogue. Unpredictable writing. Well-paced. Complex characters with depth/good char dev. Good rom development between tall & gawky 29yo newbie film-critic & 37yo powerful movie-mogul playboy H. Lots of 1-upmanship that started with H upset by h's newest poor-review of his latest action movie to H demanding that h sell him her legendary father's last-movie rights. Good S & good-enough bareback S with some details.
Liked how usually-controlled H felt out-of-control re: his feelings for h & that h didn't easily succumb to his demands & sexual wiles. Liked that when she finally did give in to their mutual desire it was with clarity of it being a momentary 1-time thing which served to goad H to show her she's mistaken. H is Stuart's typical unpredictable & almost-conscienceless villainous Hero who will pull the lowest punch to get what he wants from h but is somehow able to display uncharacteristic self-sacrifice at the end for h's sake to make him & their impossible romance seem redeemable. Also typical of Stuart's H to make him seem indifferent yet his actions show his growing obsession with h so he tried to non-chalantly.
MEH or the BAD:
h was likable with her mix of social-awkwardness/frankness/diffidence to her older mentors. But didn't like how her insecurity re: dating made her settle for low-brow nice men who showed her interest & she only dumped them after being highly-persuaded by her mentor.
Sexual History:
h had 1 lover a couple years ago who ended up being a married man. H is her 2nd lover. H is a known playboy & was married 1x about 5 years ago because it seemed like a good time to get married but seemed emotionally-disinterested in his ex-wife. No info why they divorced.
December 18, 2008
Film critic Silver Carlysle has made a career out of trashing Rafael McGinnis and his action packed popcorn fluff movies. Her scathing and sometimes vicious reviews have been the bane of Rafael's otherwise charmed existence as top dog in Hollywood and he's finally had enough. When Silver goes too far in one of her reviews, Rafe finally pushes back. To prevent a lawsuit, she's forced to apologize and to show up as his date for a publicity party. Disgusted by the whole scene, Silver probably isn't thinking rationally when she shows up in the pink prom dress from hell. Unfortunately for her, her plan backfires, for Rafe is far from put off by her appearance. Instead, he's charmed and aroused and instead of crushing her, he feels the strange urge to protect her from the myriad of sharks swimming around her. Then he kisses her and she runs off like a frightened, repressed heroine, and Rafe realizes he's discovered the last innocent in Hollywood. He was going to be a gentleman and leave her alone, (probably) but then he finds the perfect story for his next movie, and it's just what he needs to shake off his sense of ennui and wouldn't you know it, the rights are owned by Silver Carlysle. Or so she thinks. The rights are actually up in the air and so the race to the winner's circle is on. Hollywood can't contain the scope of their battles and so their fight spills out into Colorado, and it's in the snowy mountains that our two combatants realize that winning isn't everything and losing isn't necessarily a bad thing.
This was a sweet and endearing story by Anne Stuart. This had an interesting look into the business of making movies and I'm still confused as to who wrote what and the legalities of rights of ownership. Lucky for everyone I'm not in the business of making movies because I'd never get anything done.
Rafe was definitely a bad boy and he fought to win. He wasn't some overbearing cretin who was out to own the world. Just his part of it. I liked him a lot more than Silver. Poor girl has got some serious issues and she's a little too old to be still sticking it to her parents. Time to grow up sweetie. She nearly killed this story for me. Her stubborness and inner hate reached epic proportions and I wanted to reach into the pages and start shaking her. She's got quite a love/hate relationship going on with everyone and it was definitely a buzzkill, as well as childish and whiny, but she will overcome her leftover teenage angst and become someone I wouldn't mind hanging out with, at least for one lunch.
The ending of this book makes up for everything. Once they got out of the cesspool that is Hollywood and went up into the mountains, it became wonderfully sweet. There's something about being trapped in a snowy mountain cabin that just screams romance, and pretty soon the warm winter fire melts our icy heroine. Anne Stuart has created another wonderful romance where love conquers all and I ended up loving this book. Enjoy!
This was a sweet and endearing story by Anne Stuart. This had an interesting look into the business of making movies and I'm still confused as to who wrote what and the legalities of rights of ownership. Lucky for everyone I'm not in the business of making movies because I'd never get anything done.
Rafe was definitely a bad boy and he fought to win. He wasn't some overbearing cretin who was out to own the world. Just his part of it. I liked him a lot more than Silver. Poor girl has got some serious issues and she's a little too old to be still sticking it to her parents. Time to grow up sweetie. She nearly killed this story for me. Her stubborness and inner hate reached epic proportions and I wanted to reach into the pages and start shaking her. She's got quite a love/hate relationship going on with everyone and it was definitely a buzzkill, as well as childish and whiny, but she will overcome her leftover teenage angst and become someone I wouldn't mind hanging out with, at least for one lunch.
The ending of this book makes up for everything. Once they got out of the cesspool that is Hollywood and went up into the mountains, it became wonderfully sweet. There's something about being trapped in a snowy mountain cabin that just screams romance, and pretty soon the warm winter fire melts our icy heroine. Anne Stuart has created another wonderful romance where love conquers all and I ended up loving this book. Enjoy!
April 24, 2020
How can you like a heroine so much and also want to smack her? Fml. This could’ve been amazing. The story is there. The writing just doesn’t follow through.
There’s no reason for her to love him, and contrary to popular myth, your vagina and love are not tied together in an unbreakable knot.
There’s no reason for her to love him, and contrary to popular myth, your vagina and love are not tied together in an unbreakable knot.
May 27, 2017
3.5 stars
An old-fashioned book, with the old forced kisses type thing but a good one when you are in the mood for something different.
An old-fashioned book, with the old forced kisses type thing but a good one when you are in the mood for something different.
January 2, 2016
I adored this book- one of my favorites from Anne Stuart.
Hero: Rafe is a bad-boy Hollywood producer who is famous for his macho action blockbusters. He's used to one-night-stands and rising starlets, and has finally met his match in Silver.
Heroine: Silver is a 29-year-old movie critic, just starting out in her career and has a reputation for bashing the hero's films. She's six feet tall and curvy and has a strong, sensible personality. However, she's got some mommy/daddy issues that play a major role in the story.
The Set-up: Rafe wants to produce a film that was Silver's deceased father's original work, which Silver believes she owns the rights to.
Location: From Hollywood to the Colorado mountains, and back to Hollywood.
A Perfect Match: Rafe and Silver are both competitive and thrive from the challenge of besting each other. Also, I believe that loving Silver helps Rafe get back to his roots and away from the slick Hollywood self-image he created.
Highlights: From enemies to lovers, the story and chemistry evolve as Rafe and Silver battle it out, which leads to great banter between the characters. Silver is no simpering miss- she is a worthy adversary to Rafe's ruthlessness. The story is a constant give and pull, as neither back down. Both are determined to win, even down to the last page- leading to a truly perfect ending.
Best Part: The pool scene! Let's just say Rafe has a great technique for helping Silver overcome her fear of drowning. And of course, the awesome ending- both make sacrifices, and both win!
Hero: Rafe is a bad-boy Hollywood producer who is famous for his macho action blockbusters. He's used to one-night-stands and rising starlets, and has finally met his match in Silver.
Heroine: Silver is a 29-year-old movie critic, just starting out in her career and has a reputation for bashing the hero's films. She's six feet tall and curvy and has a strong, sensible personality. However, she's got some mommy/daddy issues that play a major role in the story.
The Set-up: Rafe wants to produce a film that was Silver's deceased father's original work, which Silver believes she owns the rights to.
Location: From Hollywood to the Colorado mountains, and back to Hollywood.
A Perfect Match: Rafe and Silver are both competitive and thrive from the challenge of besting each other. Also, I believe that loving Silver helps Rafe get back to his roots and away from the slick Hollywood self-image he created.
Highlights: From enemies to lovers, the story and chemistry evolve as Rafe and Silver battle it out, which leads to great banter between the characters. Silver is no simpering miss- she is a worthy adversary to Rafe's ruthlessness. The story is a constant give and pull, as neither back down. Both are determined to win, even down to the last page- leading to a truly perfect ending.
Best Part: The pool scene! Let's just say Rafe has a great technique for helping Silver overcome her fear of drowning. And of course, the awesome ending- both make sacrifices, and both win!
June 14, 2021
3.5 rounded up.
This was fine. It was a “Today’s Pick” on Scribd so I read it not realizing it was an older category romance. The new cover completely deceived me. But I love older contemporaries so it was a good surprise. It was apparently written in the early 90s and it shows but for a few instances where the new publisher obviously changed the names of certain actors or restaurants.
It’s basically an enemies to lovers tale with a forced proximity situation in a blizzard happening near the end. Most of the story takes place in a Hollywood where tough guy action movies were still a top draw. You can practically feel Stallone and Schwarzenegger hanging out in the periphery.
The sex isn’t bad. There’s a sorta-kinda villain in the foreground and an aging actress Hollywood mom. It was all the Hollywood stuff that made me pick it up on Scribd. I finished it slowly while I read other stuff because it really wasn’t one of those romances that you’re just dying to finish.
Still, not bad for what it was and I’m curious now about Stuart’s HR.
This was fine. It was a “Today’s Pick” on Scribd so I read it not realizing it was an older category romance. The new cover completely deceived me. But I love older contemporaries so it was a good surprise. It was apparently written in the early 90s and it shows but for a few instances where the new publisher obviously changed the names of certain actors or restaurants.
It’s basically an enemies to lovers tale with a forced proximity situation in a blizzard happening near the end. Most of the story takes place in a Hollywood where tough guy action movies were still a top draw. You can practically feel Stallone and Schwarzenegger hanging out in the periphery.
The sex isn’t bad. There’s a sorta-kinda villain in the foreground and an aging actress Hollywood mom. It was all the Hollywood stuff that made me pick it up on Scribd. I finished it slowly while I read other stuff because it really wasn’t one of those romances that you’re just dying to finish.
Still, not bad for what it was and I’m curious now about Stuart’s HR.
Read
September 11, 2020Tried the sample, but not to my tastes
April 20, 2023
A Perfect Book
Ok, I checked, and there was something wrong. I couldn't find the definition of a “perfect book”, at least not one that contains two words, “Rafe’s Revenge”.
What a perfect story with two flawed but perfect characters. Hollywood is the epitome of fake and flawed. Yet Rafe and Silver are the antithesis of each other.
In the beginning I thought it was going to be that typical Hollywood story- but it is so much more.
Ok, I checked, and there was something wrong. I couldn't find the definition of a “perfect book”, at least not one that contains two words, “Rafe’s Revenge”.
What a perfect story with two flawed but perfect characters. Hollywood is the epitome of fake and flawed. Yet Rafe and Silver are the antithesis of each other.
In the beginning I thought it was going to be that typical Hollywood story- but it is so much more.
December 30, 2021
Meh. Was expecting a strong heroine based on other reviews. Was very disappointed- heroine seemed very gullible and weak to me and didn’t really put up any fight whatsoever.
April 3, 2023
a very different plot involving characters that work in a field i had not read about much (producing films and reviewing films) and engaging characters.
i really liked this one.
i really liked this one.
June 12, 2023
Great revenge, is sweet in this case. Excellent read, sock it to em
June 20, 2023
This is an interesting storyline and a building relationship. FYI, There is sex in this book for those who don't purposely pick books with it.
February 11, 2010
Another of Anne Stuart's older books (isn't that cover something? :-S) with an alpha hero and a heroine to match him. It is set in Hollywood and the hero is a famous Hollywood producer. The heroine is a movie critic who keeps trashing his films in the paper.
While in one or two scenes the hero gets to be a bit too macho I think in general these two were actually a perfect couple as the heroine gave as good as she got. For instance when the hero plans a dinner date to suggest to everyone that she is in fact his lover and is only against him because they had a lover's spat, the heroine decides to find the most hideous dress just to make him look ridiculous next to her. Besides those bad reviews he is interested in doing a movie the heroine believes she has the rights to and doesn't want to relinquish them.
It's a battle of wills that I really enjoyed, they were both very stubborn and that made for some good dialog. I did like the hero a bit more than the heroine - although he was overbearing most of the time - but she seemed to still be very much attached to the past and her problems with her parents. Too much I felt.
The ending was wonderful; truly the stuff romance is made of with the hero totally changing his attitude and behaviour towards what he wanted. Really nice!
Grade: 4/5
While in one or two scenes the hero gets to be a bit too macho I think in general these two were actually a perfect couple as the heroine gave as good as she got. For instance when the hero plans a dinner date to suggest to everyone that she is in fact his lover and is only against him because they had a lover's spat, the heroine decides to find the most hideous dress just to make him look ridiculous next to her. Besides those bad reviews he is interested in doing a movie the heroine believes she has the rights to and doesn't want to relinquish them.
It's a battle of wills that I really enjoyed, they were both very stubborn and that made for some good dialog. I did like the hero a bit more than the heroine - although he was overbearing most of the time - but she seemed to still be very much attached to the past and her problems with her parents. Too much I felt.
The ending was wonderful; truly the stuff romance is made of with the hero totally changing his attitude and behaviour towards what he wanted. Really nice!
Grade: 4/5
July 27, 2014
When film critic Silver Carlysle writes a scathing review of Rafe McGinnis' new movie, she knows she has made an enemy. Rafe takes steps to undermine her career and the two clash. Now Rafe has found out that Silver owns the rights to a book he wants to make into a movie. He has to convince Silver that he would be the best producer for this movie.
Ugh. Neither of these characters were very likeable. I had no idea why these characters didn't like each other. We are never really told why Silver detests any movies that Rafe has made. We do know that Rafe will do anything to win, at any cost. Some of the things he does are very mean and not what I'd call romantic at all. My rating: 1.5 Stars.
Ugh. Neither of these characters were very likeable. I had no idea why these characters didn't like each other. We are never really told why Silver detests any movies that Rafe has made. We do know that Rafe will do anything to win, at any cost. Some of the things he does are very mean and not what I'd call romantic at all. My rating: 1.5 Stars.
June 24, 2016
Great one
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews