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Secrets #1-2
Secrets
A captivating saga of power, love and betrayed passion.
A world of wealth, elegance and scandalous secrets. Here are all the clashing passions, towering ambitions and secret sensuality of England's golden Victorian era. The thrilling story of a great family's saga that would spawn a legacy for generations.
A world of wealth, elegance and scandalous secrets. Here are all the clashing passions, towering ambitions and secret sensuality of England's golden Victorian era. The thrilling story of a great family's saga that would spawn a legacy for generations.
442 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 1984
2 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Holland
29 books18 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 5, 2022
Me reading Secrets:
Secrets is incredibly torrid, and you do get sick of every character at some point.
Because this isn't a love story but truly a passion story, a truly sick poison that's inherited through each successive generation like intergenerational trauma.
Secrets is the inanity of they're-on-again, they're-off-again couple who I've personally just never had patience for.
BUT would I recommend it?
Hell yeah!
Put aside all of your romance conventions. In a normal romance, Stonor would have been the de facto hero, Sophia would have one man in her heart, and Wolfe would be the villain, but it took me nearly the end of the book to realize Sheila Holland said f**k that and wrote a family saga about unlikeable characters where half-brothers share the same woman, sons with Oedipal complex make a move on mom figures, and the women of Whitley see rough rape as declarations of true love.
Secrets reminded me of V.C. Andrews, particularly in the depiction of Sophia who was exactly like the mom in Flowers in the Attic: larger-than-life women who we are initially introduced as lively women/maternal goddesses beloved by all, but who we come to see as women who possess the dubious power of getting men to eat out of the palm of their hands, and who seem to get off on it, no matter what they say or do, to the contrary.
Part 1 was a concession to romance conventions but Part 2 really took off the training wheels and went right off the rails - I don't even consider Part 2 a romance because the thought well I'm glad they got their happily ever after! never crossed my mind. I didn't even know what to make of that ending, which seems gross but seems fitting, all things considered.
From a more psychological perspective, I felt it had a powerful message about animal magnetism and life vitality. It's interesting to see how Sophia and Wolfe's magnetism repels, attracts and basically messes up the people in their lives. In particular, their children's emotional development, because you can sort of philosophize about how some people are scared of life like Louise after seeing the power her mom wields, some people are miserly about life, like Stonor who wants to keep Sophia with him like a dragon with his treasure, while others are absolutely confused like Jerome, who isn't sure whether he wants Sophia as a mom or a woman.
And ugh Wolfe. I can't even talk about him because it seems every women loses her head over someone that looks like him. It boggles my mind. Wolfe's one "redeeming" quality is his love for Sophia but his love doesn't make him a better person. Now, no one is a good person and Stonor is not a saint but at least Stonor stayed with her when everyone thought she was to be celibate for the rest of her life. What did Wolfe do?
By the way, I loved Eleanor and wished she got her own.
Anyways, Secrets is highly messed up and a very entertaining read!
Secrets is incredibly torrid, and you do get sick of every character at some point.
Because this isn't a love story but truly a passion story, a truly sick poison that's inherited through each successive generation like intergenerational trauma.
Secrets is the inanity of they're-on-again, they're-off-again couple who I've personally just never had patience for.
BUT would I recommend it?
Hell yeah!
Put aside all of your romance conventions. In a normal romance, Stonor would have been the de facto hero, Sophia would have one man in her heart, and Wolfe would be the villain, but it took me nearly the end of the book to realize Sheila Holland said f**k that and wrote a family saga about unlikeable characters where half-brothers share the same woman, sons with Oedipal complex make a move on mom figures, and the women of Whitley see rough rape as declarations of true love.
Secrets reminded me of V.C. Andrews, particularly in the depiction of Sophia who was exactly like the mom in Flowers in the Attic: larger-than-life women who we are initially introduced as lively women/maternal goddesses beloved by all, but who we come to see as women who possess the dubious power of getting men to eat out of the palm of their hands, and who seem to get off on it, no matter what they say or do, to the contrary.
Part 1 was a concession to romance conventions but Part 2 really took off the training wheels and went right off the rails - I don't even consider Part 2 a romance because the thought well I'm glad they got their happily ever after! never crossed my mind. I didn't even know what to make of that ending, which seems gross but seems fitting, all things considered.
From a more psychological perspective, I felt it had a powerful message about animal magnetism and life vitality. It's interesting to see how Sophia and Wolfe's magnetism repels, attracts and basically messes up the people in their lives. In particular, their children's emotional development, because you can sort of philosophize about how some people are scared of life like Louise after seeing the power her mom wields, some people are miserly about life, like Stonor who wants to keep Sophia with him like a dragon with his treasure, while others are absolutely confused like Jerome, who isn't sure whether he wants Sophia as a mom or a woman.
And ugh Wolfe. I can't even talk about him because it seems every women loses her head over someone that looks like him. It boggles my mind. Wolfe's one "redeeming" quality is his love for Sophia but his love doesn't make him a better person. Now, no one is a good person and Stonor is not a saint but at least Stonor stayed with her when everyone thought she was to be celibate for the rest of her life. What did Wolfe do?
By the way, I loved Eleanor and wished she got her own.
Anyways, Secrets is highly messed up and a very entertaining read!
March 6, 2017
I quite enjoyed this, & it might have gotten the full-throttle 5-star ripper rank if not for the last 40-50 pages (see below). But even so, this is a great addition to my keeper shelf of oldies. If The Luxe series had been written for adults & crammed into one volume, it would probably have turned out similar to Secrets.
The many plots & counter-plots are centered around multiple branches of the Stonor family. It's a complicated story with intricate cases of OMG!Drama!, but I'll try & summarize the setup. *clears throat* As the book opens, Sophia Stonor (the heroine) has been packed off to London by her father, an impoverished aristocratic country gent who hopes to repair a lengthy family feud by marrying his only daughter to his sister's son, Stonor Whitley (aka Hero #1). The infamous James Whitley -- Stonor's father -- is a nouveau riche industrialist with money to burn, but he's okay with the marriage because it will bring the ancient family manor (Queen's Stonor) under his umbrella of influence. But oddly enough, James Whitley has no use for his elder son; instead he concentrates his small store of affection on his bastard son Wolfe (Hero #2), which doesn't sit well with Stonor...especially because Wolfe & his mother have been living upstairs for years.
As luck would have it, Sophia quickly falls in love with Wolfe, & despite his bastard status they talk seriously about marriage. But when James Whitley drops dead in the middle of the night, Stonor throws Wolfe & his mother onto the street. Sophia still manages to lose her virginity to Wolfe, after which she gets knocked up, catches a fever, & nearly croaks from a heart condition. But Stonor is genuinely in love with the girl (and thrilled with snatching her away from his nemesis Wolfe), so he proposes a sexless marriage & adoption of Wolfe's child as his own. Sophia is somewhat fond of Stonor, even if she doesn't lust for him like his half-brother, so she agrees. Meanwhile, Wolfe travels to America & somehow gets hitched to a prostitute...
Etc, etc. :P These sorts of crazy-ass family sagas aren't for everyone; Secrets in particular features rough sex, tawdry melodrama, bizarre boob-suckling, & outrageous flaunting of society's rules. But if you enjoy novels where the romance is dark & the WTFery is barely contained beneath a high-gloss finish, you'd probably like this one. The writing is uneven; some scenes hit a nice rhythm, but others feel rough & silly. (Presumably those are the author's Harlequin roots rearing their ugly heads.) There are some plot holes & logic gaps & character-180-switches (especially in Part 2), & the last 50-some pages also featured the dreaded Time Passing In Chunks technique, which ruined the dramatic tension...but the flaws weren't enough to dampen my enjoyment.
Overall it has a strong Wuthering Heights vibe -- a good vibe, rather, since I hated Wuthering Heights aside from the gothicky premise -- and has plenty of OMG REALLY?! craziness packed alongside the societal play-by-play. But is it a true Ripper? That depends where you draw the line between sheer melodrama & bodice shredding. (Personally, I vote Yes.)
Solid 4 stars; it hooked me early & didn't let up, despite the flaws. :)
The many plots & counter-plots are centered around multiple branches of the Stonor family. It's a complicated story with intricate cases of OMG!Drama!, but I'll try & summarize the setup. *clears throat* As the book opens, Sophia Stonor (the heroine) has been packed off to London by her father, an impoverished aristocratic country gent who hopes to repair a lengthy family feud by marrying his only daughter to his sister's son, Stonor Whitley (aka Hero #1). The infamous James Whitley -- Stonor's father -- is a nouveau riche industrialist with money to burn, but he's okay with the marriage because it will bring the ancient family manor (Queen's Stonor) under his umbrella of influence. But oddly enough, James Whitley has no use for his elder son; instead he concentrates his small store of affection on his bastard son Wolfe (Hero #2), which doesn't sit well with Stonor...especially because Wolfe & his mother have been living upstairs for years.
As luck would have it, Sophia quickly falls in love with Wolfe, & despite his bastard status they talk seriously about marriage. But when James Whitley drops dead in the middle of the night, Stonor throws Wolfe & his mother onto the street. Sophia still manages to lose her virginity to Wolfe, after which she gets knocked up, catches a fever, & nearly croaks from a heart condition. But Stonor is genuinely in love with the girl (and thrilled with snatching her away from his nemesis Wolfe), so he proposes a sexless marriage & adoption of Wolfe's child as his own. Sophia is somewhat fond of Stonor, even if she doesn't lust for him like his half-brother, so she agrees. Meanwhile, Wolfe travels to America & somehow gets hitched to a prostitute...
Etc, etc. :P These sorts of crazy-ass family sagas aren't for everyone; Secrets in particular features rough sex, tawdry melodrama, bizarre boob-suckling, & outrageous flaunting of society's rules. But if you enjoy novels where the romance is dark & the WTFery is barely contained beneath a high-gloss finish, you'd probably like this one. The writing is uneven; some scenes hit a nice rhythm, but others feel rough & silly. (Presumably those are the author's Harlequin roots rearing their ugly heads.) There are some plot holes & logic gaps & character-180-switches (especially in Part 2), & the last 50-some pages also featured the dreaded Time Passing In Chunks technique, which ruined the dramatic tension...but the flaws weren't enough to dampen my enjoyment.
Overall it has a strong Wuthering Heights vibe -- a good vibe, rather, since I hated Wuthering Heights aside from the gothicky premise -- and has plenty of OMG REALLY?! craziness packed alongside the societal play-by-play. But is it a true Ripper? That depends where you draw the line between sheer melodrama & bodice shredding. (Personally, I vote Yes.)
Solid 4 stars; it hooked me early & didn't let up, despite the flaws. :)
July 7, 2022
Heroine pines for the unworthy OM who pumped her, dumped her and left her pregnant out of wedlock, to the bitter end. Even in the midst of her ILY declaration to the true hero, the guy who stood by her, saved her life and that of her baby, put a ring on it and pampered her with everything she could ever want including respect, she laughingly tells him that she will always love the selfish, amoral rogue who deflowered her, but that the hero should be assured that she loves him more and in a different kind of way. I HATED this heroine and could not, for the life of me, see why the two men fought over her, despite the fact that the author hit me over the head repetitively to drive the point that she was warm, frank and vivacious. Yes, for a weasely liar, opportunist, two-timing idiot who was obsessed more with her stupid old English manor than with living, breathing, human beings, she was super!
June 29, 2011
I totally loved this book. Not being a historical kinda girl, although I have read some, I approached this with a bit of wariness even though it is by one of my favorite authors Charlotte Lamb.
I have to say she did not disappoint. The story is about an h caught in a love triangle between two H's who are also half brothers, one legitimate and one not. She loves both but they hate each other. The lengths that Stonor, the legitimate brother is willing to go to keep Sophia the h in his life are extreme, even to the point of arranging an affair for her with the other brother Wolfe when tragedy strikes Sophia and she loses the will to live.
This is a very un pc book and if your squeamish about the word rape or infidelity, don't read it. As with many CL books the passions are very violent, if the characters aren't sexxing they are physically fighting and all of this takes place against the backdrop of Queen's Stonor, the grand estate every one wants to inherit.
Sophia the h, is a feisty strong woman, Wolfe is dangerously wild and passionate and Stonor is the epitome of the cold controlled businessman whose love for Sophia borders on obsession. While I liked Wolfe and enjoyed his manipulations to get Sophia back, Stonor impressed me just from his sheer tenacity and if all H's were as devoted as him, Romancelandia would be a more interesting place.
The book spans many years and involves a huge family legacy, the plot twists are complex but the story is very riveting. This is a great read and I really recommend it when you want a Victorian drama with a twist.
I have to say she did not disappoint. The story is about an h caught in a love triangle between two H's who are also half brothers, one legitimate and one not. She loves both but they hate each other. The lengths that Stonor, the legitimate brother is willing to go to keep Sophia the h in his life are extreme, even to the point of arranging an affair for her with the other brother Wolfe when tragedy strikes Sophia and she loses the will to live.
This is a very un pc book and if your squeamish about the word rape or infidelity, don't read it. As with many CL books the passions are very violent, if the characters aren't sexxing they are physically fighting and all of this takes place against the backdrop of Queen's Stonor, the grand estate every one wants to inherit.
Sophia the h, is a feisty strong woman, Wolfe is dangerously wild and passionate and Stonor is the epitome of the cold controlled businessman whose love for Sophia borders on obsession. While I liked Wolfe and enjoyed his manipulations to get Sophia back, Stonor impressed me just from his sheer tenacity and if all H's were as devoted as him, Romancelandia would be a more interesting place.
The book spans many years and involves a huge family legacy, the plot twists are complex but the story is very riveting. This is a great read and I really recommend it when you want a Victorian drama with a twist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2018
3.5
A very good story that could have been better executed (due to second half of book). Thought chapters were missing as story line did not flow.
A very good story that could have been better executed (due to second half of book). Thought chapters were missing as story line did not flow.
October 29, 2018
I loved it. It has rape, so everyone offended by that needs to pass.
I am rarely a five star reviewer. This one gets them all.
I am rarely a five star reviewer. This one gets them all.
October 1, 2025
A really gripping historical romance set in 19th century Victorian era of a woman torn between 2 men marrying one and taking the other as her lover, leaving her marriage for said lover only to return to her husband some time later. Strong characters and at times a gripping storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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April 15, 2021I think I probably should have stopped reading this series after book one. I couldn't put Secrets down, but this story turned into something I hadn't expected in the second book and didn't altogether enjoy reading about, even if I was fascinated and couldn't wait to see what would happen next.
Book One was a somewhat dark bodice ripper about a woman named Sophia's complicated passion for two brothers. It ended with her finally falling in love with her husband, Stonor, who was definitely my favorite character in this novel full of absolutely terrible people. When I started Book Two, I realized Stonor was the wrong guy to root for in this love triangle, but by then it was too late. I liked him, even if he was just as messed up as the other characters in his own way. I waited for Sheila Holland to restore the beautiful, slow burn relationship she built between him and Sophia, but she never did. All the character development they went through vanished, and Sophia is revealed to only have stayed with her husband so her illegitimate son would get to inherit her childhood home (arguably the only thing Sophia really cares about).
All the characters become completely different versions of themselves, and the story transforms from a romance into a messed up family saga. I couldn't look away, it was such a train wreck. Sophia and Wolfe... don't even get me started on those two jerks. By the end of the novel, I sympathized most with their children, who were disgusted by their parents and fled to get away from their obvious disfunction. (except for Jerome, because ew)
Once I stopped viewing this story as a romance, and stopped myself from going "oh no, poor Stonor!" on every page, I could bring myself to enjoy the rest of the book and the absolute craziness of what began to take place. If you don't mind reading about immoral characters who really only care about themselves, Secrets will definitely entertain you with its sudden plot twists, lovely writing, and disturbing undertones.
This book probably deserves at least four stars from me because of how engrossed I was in the story line, but it made me feel so disturbed and unsettled by the time I got to the last page that I can't bring myself to rate it anything.
TW: non-con, incest, physical abuse
Book One was a somewhat dark bodice ripper about a woman named Sophia's complicated passion for two brothers. It ended with her finally falling in love with her husband, Stonor, who was definitely my favorite character in this novel full of absolutely terrible people. When I started Book Two, I realized Stonor was the wrong guy to root for in this love triangle, but by then it was too late. I liked him, even if he was just as messed up as the other characters in his own way. I waited for Sheila Holland to restore the beautiful, slow burn relationship she built between him and Sophia, but she never did. All the character development they went through vanished, and Sophia is revealed to only have stayed with her husband so her illegitimate son would get to inherit her childhood home (arguably the only thing Sophia really cares about).
All the characters become completely different versions of themselves, and the story transforms from a romance into a messed up family saga. I couldn't look away, it was such a train wreck. Sophia and Wolfe... don't even get me started on those two jerks. By the end of the novel, I sympathized most with their children, who were disgusted by their parents and fled to get away from their obvious disfunction. (except for Jerome, because ew)
Once I stopped viewing this story as a romance, and stopped myself from going "oh no, poor Stonor!" on every page, I could bring myself to enjoy the rest of the book and the absolute craziness of what began to take place. If you don't mind reading about immoral characters who really only care about themselves, Secrets will definitely entertain you with its sudden plot twists, lovely writing, and disturbing undertones.
This book probably deserves at least four stars from me because of how engrossed I was in the story line, but it made me feel so disturbed and unsettled by the time I got to the last page that I can't bring myself to rate it anything.
TW: non-con, incest, physical abuse
November 14, 2023
Not sure how to rate this one yet.
Edit : 3,75 ⭐
Sheila Holland is one of the pseudonyms of Charlotte Lamb, who is known for her crazy harlequin romances and cruel, obsessive heroes.
Here we find her usual style, but with even more outrageous and WTF situations.
This is a romance that doesn't respect all the codes of a standard romance:
- There's a family saga aspect.
- The story starts when the heroine is 17 and ends when she is 61.
- There are two heroes and the HEA is a bit special, I'm still not sure if it can be called that.
At the beginning of the book, Sophia is sent to her aunt's house to marry the legitimate son of the family (Stonor), but she falls under the spell of the bastard son (Wolfe) and this is where the war to possess the heroine begins between the two heroes who already hate each other.
When Stonor and Wolfe's father dies, Stonor takes the opportunity to throw Wolfe out on the street and keep his rival away from Sophia, who is torn between her feelings for Wolfe and her duty to marry Stonor.
Wolfe takes advantage of Sophia's return to her father's house to meet her and take her virginity. He intends to run away with her and marry her, but Sophia falls ill and Stonor goes to her bedside and prevents Wolfe from approaching her again.
Wolfe flees to the United States and Sophia is found to be pregnant. As a result of her illness, Sophia is also ordered to remain celibate, as doctors believe her heart would not support becoming pregnant.
Stonor, as determined as ever to have Sophia, even if he has to live a life without touching her, decides to marry her and take Wolfe's son as his own.
The two heroes have a lot in common: obsessed with the heroine, possessive, manipulative, determined, sometimes aggressive and cruel, but the intensity of Stonor's obsession knows no bounds. It reminds me of an old song where the singer says that he would even accept being the shadow of the hand of the woman he loves in order to stay in her life.
Sophia and Stonor eventually strike up a friendship, and little by little she develops an attraction for Stonor.
Meanwhile, Wolfe, who has learned that Sophia has had a child (which he believes to be Stonor's), cannot bear the thought and returns to England and tries to win her back, even though he has married another woman (a former prostitute, by the way).
Sophia decides to stay with Stonor and they end up having a normal married life (strangely, the health problem is somewhat forgotten) and even have two children together.
Meanwhile, Wolfe tries to get Sophia back (he's still married and has 4 children with his wife), the two don't sleep together again, but sometimes exchange kisses.
Meanwhile, Sophia's son discovers that his father is not Stonor and breaks all ties with her.
Stonor falls from his horse and is paralysed (and impotent).
Sophia falls into a depression and has no desire to live, so Stonor decides to arrange an affair between her and Wolfe so that she can regain a taste for life.
When I say that Stonor will do anything... even if it kills him with jealousy and makes him suffer, as long as he can stay close to her, he "accepts" the situation.
When Stonor starts to get better, even though he's still in a wheelchair, he decides to put an end to this situation that he can't stand any more, but Sophia leaves him for Wolfe for good, and she and Wolfe spend 20 years together until his death.
After Wolfe's death, Sophia returns to Stonor, who agrees to take her back immediately (they are both over 60 at the time).
I finished the book in one sitting, but I'm not sure what to make of it, in a way Sophia got her HEA with the two heroes, but I'm not sure it's completely fair to Stonor. There's also far too much drama and death to call this a true HEA, the ending leaves a very bittersweet feeling.
Safety / Spoilers
- No sharing (although Stonor "accepts" the affair between Sophia and Wolfe, he is consumed by jealousy and feels he has no choice).
- Cheating: The heroine cheats on Stonor with Wolfe and has an affair with him when Stonor is physically impaired.
- The heroine was a virgin.
Both heroes are experienced, especially Wolfe.
Wolfe has affairs throughout the book, although he seems to be faithful once he and Sophia are officially together.
Stonor is (presumably) only with the heroine.
- OW drama:
No OW drama for Stonor, but OW drama for Wolfe, who marries another woman and has children with her (although he doesn't feel for her what he feels for Sophia).
- OM drama:
OM drama all the time between the two heroes, even one of Wolfe's sons is obsessed with Sophia/thinks he's in love with her.
TW
- Dubcon
- Mention of rape / death / murder/ child prostitution
Edit : 3,75 ⭐
Sheila Holland is one of the pseudonyms of Charlotte Lamb, who is known for her crazy harlequin romances and cruel, obsessive heroes.
Here we find her usual style, but with even more outrageous and WTF situations.
This is a romance that doesn't respect all the codes of a standard romance:
- There's a family saga aspect.
- The story starts when the heroine is 17 and ends when she is 61.
- There are two heroes and the HEA is a bit special, I'm still not sure if it can be called that.
At the beginning of the book, Sophia is sent to her aunt's house to marry the legitimate son of the family (Stonor), but she falls under the spell of the bastard son (Wolfe) and this is where the war to possess the heroine begins between the two heroes who already hate each other.
When Stonor and Wolfe's father dies, Stonor takes the opportunity to throw Wolfe out on the street and keep his rival away from Sophia, who is torn between her feelings for Wolfe and her duty to marry Stonor.
Wolfe takes advantage of Sophia's return to her father's house to meet her and take her virginity. He intends to run away with her and marry her, but Sophia falls ill and Stonor goes to her bedside and prevents Wolfe from approaching her again.
Wolfe flees to the United States and Sophia is found to be pregnant. As a result of her illness, Sophia is also ordered to remain celibate, as doctors believe her heart would not support becoming pregnant.
Stonor, as determined as ever to have Sophia, even if he has to live a life without touching her, decides to marry her and take Wolfe's son as his own.
The two heroes have a lot in common: obsessed with the heroine, possessive, manipulative, determined, sometimes aggressive and cruel, but the intensity of Stonor's obsession knows no bounds. It reminds me of an old song where the singer says that he would even accept being the shadow of the hand of the woman he loves in order to stay in her life.
Sophia and Stonor eventually strike up a friendship, and little by little she develops an attraction for Stonor.
Meanwhile, Wolfe, who has learned that Sophia has had a child (which he believes to be Stonor's), cannot bear the thought and returns to England and tries to win her back, even though he has married another woman (a former prostitute, by the way).
Sophia decides to stay with Stonor and they end up having a normal married life (strangely, the health problem is somewhat forgotten) and even have two children together.
Meanwhile, Wolfe tries to get Sophia back (he's still married and has 4 children with his wife), the two don't sleep together again, but sometimes exchange kisses.
Meanwhile, Sophia's son discovers that his father is not Stonor and breaks all ties with her.
Stonor falls from his horse and is paralysed (and impotent).
Sophia falls into a depression and has no desire to live, so Stonor decides to arrange an affair between her and Wolfe so that she can regain a taste for life.
When I say that Stonor will do anything... even if it kills him with jealousy and makes him suffer, as long as he can stay close to her, he "accepts" the situation.
When Stonor starts to get better, even though he's still in a wheelchair, he decides to put an end to this situation that he can't stand any more, but Sophia leaves him for Wolfe for good, and she and Wolfe spend 20 years together until his death.
After Wolfe's death, Sophia returns to Stonor, who agrees to take her back immediately (they are both over 60 at the time).
I finished the book in one sitting, but I'm not sure what to make of it, in a way Sophia got her HEA with the two heroes, but I'm not sure it's completely fair to Stonor. There's also far too much drama and death to call this a true HEA, the ending leaves a very bittersweet feeling.
Safety / Spoilers
- No sharing (although Stonor "accepts" the affair between Sophia and Wolfe, he is consumed by jealousy and feels he has no choice).
- Cheating: The heroine cheats on Stonor with Wolfe and has an affair with him when Stonor is physically impaired.
- The heroine was a virgin.
Both heroes are experienced, especially Wolfe.
Wolfe has affairs throughout the book, although he seems to be faithful once he and Sophia are officially together.
Stonor is (presumably) only with the heroine.
- OW drama:
No OW drama for Stonor, but OW drama for Wolfe, who marries another woman and has children with her (although he doesn't feel for her what he feels for Sophia).
- OM drama:
OM drama all the time between the two heroes, even one of Wolfe's sons is obsessed with Sophia/thinks he's in love with her.
TW
- Dubcon
- Mention of rape / death / murder/ child prostitution
Want to read
August 26, 2024Aug 2024
Not sure I will actually read this book but it seems bonkers and Charlotte Lamb is a fav. Let's see
Not sure I will actually read this book but it seems bonkers and Charlotte Lamb is a fav. Let's see
avoid
August 28, 2022Self note avoid
cheating
Author AKA Charlette Lamb
boogenhagen comment had spoilers
"Yes she has sex with both brothers, Wolf is her first love and she is preggers by him when he leaves and she marries Stonor. Wolf leaves the country and then comes back married. Wolf cheats all over the place. Stonor never cheats, Sophia cheats with Wolf after Stonor has an accident and can't walk. Their oldest son finds out he isn't Stonor's son but Wolf's and runs off to the army. Sophia is depressed so Stonor arranges for her to have an affair with Wolf. She moves in with Wolf and 20 years later when he dies she moves back in with Stonor who she is still married to. It is an epic book."
cheating
Author AKA Charlette Lamb
boogenhagen comment had spoilers
"Yes she has sex with both brothers, Wolf is her first love and she is preggers by him when he leaves and she marries Stonor. Wolf leaves the country and then comes back married. Wolf cheats all over the place. Stonor never cheats, Sophia cheats with Wolf after Stonor has an accident and can't walk. Their oldest son finds out he isn't Stonor's son but Wolf's and runs off to the army. Sophia is depressed so Stonor arranges for her to have an affair with Wolf. She moves in with Wolf and 20 years later when he dies she moves back in with Stonor who she is still married to. It is an epic book."
June 27, 2021
Oh my god what a ride! What a story! Glad I read it⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ so full of emotion
October 6, 2021
4 stars of wrap-around drama
January 19, 2023
So good! This is the best love-triangle romance I've read. Extremely well written. Not only that, but I also felt so satisfied while reading this book to its end. Sigh . . .
February 4, 2017
Tosi hyvä kirja! Sukutarina. Historian havinaa ja vähän nykyajankin.
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