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A Waiting Game
He wanted her! His kisses aroused and demanded a passion she had never known. Nicholas Coleman had given her everything -- the chance of a lifetime. Now he demanded--and offered--so much more. Seven years had passed since she had come to New York. Seven wonderful, successful years. But Keena Whitman, designer extraordinaire, would never forget what it meant to be the daughter of a poor Georgia millworker... to love--and be rejected by--a man like Jim Harris. Now she had come home, to renovate the old house, to give a grand party, to show them all. Even as Nicholas waited in the magnolia-scented night to claim her, Keena schemed to have Jim's arms around her, torn between the taste of sweet surrender and an appetite for revenge.
189 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
3 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Diana Blayne
12 books51 followersDiana Blayne is a pseudonym for author Susan Kyle. Susan Kyle also writes under the pseudonyms Katy Currie and Diana Palmer.
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.
She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.
Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.
In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 13, 2019
The title refers to the textile tycoon hero waiting for the heroine to grow up. Heroine is 21 and fresh out of design school when they meet. Hero is a grieving widower in his early 30’s. He gives her a job as a designer. She is the only one who isn’t afraid of him and talks candidly to him about his grief. That dynamic reminded me a lot of Once In Paris.
Hero sends mixed messages to our arrested development heroine. Seems she’s been so busy trying to be rich and famous and shake off the dust from being poor in a small Georgia town, that she hasn’t reconciled her past. She is also shy of men after her first and only disastrous sexual encounter with the son of the mill owner when she was 18.
Hero knows all about the disastrous sexual encounter after the heroine had one too many whisky sours (this is off page), but he thinks the heroine has more experience. So now that the hero has gotten rid of his latest mistress, he decides he’s done waiting for the heroine.
Heroine thinks hero is just playing a game with her when he kisses her for the first time and then leaves on a two-week business trip. In the meantime, the heroine’s father dies and she returns to her hometown to face her past (and maybe reconcile or heap revenge on the son of the mill owner). She doesn’t know what she wants.
And this is where the story sags.
Heroine spends time with the OM and remodels her father’s house and makes plans for a big party to show off to the town.
The hero is angry and jealous.
Heroine’s studio in NYC burns down so hero swoops in to help her business recover.
Once that crisis is averted, the heroine wants to return to her party/revenge/showing off plans.
Hero takes her to his family home in Charleston, SC (where he lived with his first wife) and puts the moves on her. Then he backs off before fulfillment.
The last act is the heroine making peace with the OM, the party, the hero coming to the wrong conclusion about the h/OM, and the heroine chasing after him.
Hero patronizingly initiates the heroine into good sex (complete with hairy chest rubs!) and proposes. He’s done with games.
So, hero is kinda gross with his mistresses and his open discussions of his sex life with the heroine. For example, he advises her to watch a blue movie – several times – after she blushes.
This was written under a different nom de plume, but it was pure Diana Palmer as the checklist will attest:
Diana Palmer checklist:
Hairy chest of course. And hero is a “furnace”
Breast Description small and soft
Cigarettes of course
Alcohol whisky sours and scotch and water
Town Descriptions New York city apartments and lots of air pollution. Georgia small town with a textile mill and one fancy restaurant. Travelogue of Charleston, South Carolina
Gardenia Scent hero is the one with the distinctive aftershave
LOL detail Garment making in New York city
Cutesy detail Hero calls her “little fox”
DP hobbyhorse An older man with a lot of experience is best to pleasure/teach a young innocent
Hero sends mixed messages to our arrested development heroine. Seems she’s been so busy trying to be rich and famous and shake off the dust from being poor in a small Georgia town, that she hasn’t reconciled her past. She is also shy of men after her first and only disastrous sexual encounter with the son of the mill owner when she was 18.
Hero knows all about the disastrous sexual encounter after the heroine had one too many whisky sours (this is off page), but he thinks the heroine has more experience. So now that the hero has gotten rid of his latest mistress, he decides he’s done waiting for the heroine.
Heroine thinks hero is just playing a game with her when he kisses her for the first time and then leaves on a two-week business trip. In the meantime, the heroine’s father dies and she returns to her hometown to face her past (and maybe reconcile or heap revenge on the son of the mill owner). She doesn’t know what she wants.
And this is where the story sags.
Heroine spends time with the OM and remodels her father’s house and makes plans for a big party to show off to the town.
The hero is angry and jealous.
Heroine’s studio in NYC burns down so hero swoops in to help her business recover.
Once that crisis is averted, the heroine wants to return to her party/revenge/showing off plans.
Hero takes her to his family home in Charleston, SC (where he lived with his first wife) and puts the moves on her. Then he backs off before fulfillment.
The last act is the heroine making peace with the OM, the party, the hero coming to the wrong conclusion about the h/OM, and the heroine chasing after him.
Hero patronizingly initiates the heroine into good sex (complete with hairy chest rubs!) and proposes. He’s done with games.
So, hero is kinda gross with his mistresses and his open discussions of his sex life with the heroine. For example, he advises her to watch a blue movie – several times – after she blushes.
This was written under a different nom de plume, but it was pure Diana Palmer as the checklist will attest:
Diana Palmer checklist:
Hairy chest of course. And hero is a “furnace”
Breast Description small and soft
Cigarettes of course
Alcohol whisky sours and scotch and water
Town Descriptions New York city apartments and lots of air pollution. Georgia small town with a textile mill and one fancy restaurant. Travelogue of Charleston, South Carolina
Gardenia Scent hero is the one with the distinctive aftershave
LOL detail Garment making in New York city
Cutesy detail Hero calls her “little fox”
DP hobbyhorse An older man with a lot of experience is best to pleasure/teach a young innocent
April 12, 2018
loved the hero. hated the heroine. she was much older than ms Palmer's earlier heroines. also both h and H didn't display any real possessiveness. that's disappointing.
June 7, 2020
"A Waiting Game" is the story of Keena and Nicholas.
A convoluted waiting game of love between business acquaintances. Our heroine is a successful fashion designer, who has had a rags to riches success story, with the support of her longtime friend, the hero. As she plans to return home and get revenge from a man who dumped her after a planned seduction, our much older hero confesses his intentions of wanting to bed her. Thus begins a cat and mouse chase between them, as the heroine sorts out her feelings and learns to deal with the men in her past and present.
Strong heroine, arrogant and jealous hero. Both have loved and lost. The attraction is mutual, and their love has brewed over many years- in which hero has had a wife, and multiple mistresses and she has pushed away men thanks to her ex. There is a lot of longing, hairy chest ogling and nude body exhibitionism in this book. Ends in a sweet HEA.
Unsafe
3/5
A convoluted waiting game of love between business acquaintances. Our heroine is a successful fashion designer, who has had a rags to riches success story, with the support of her longtime friend, the hero. As she plans to return home and get revenge from a man who dumped her after a planned seduction, our much older hero confesses his intentions of wanting to bed her. Thus begins a cat and mouse chase between them, as the heroine sorts out her feelings and learns to deal with the men in her past and present.
Strong heroine, arrogant and jealous hero. Both have loved and lost. The attraction is mutual, and their love has brewed over many years- in which hero has had a wife, and multiple mistresses and she has pushed away men thanks to her ex. There is a lot of longing, hairy chest ogling and nude body exhibitionism in this book. Ends in a sweet HEA.
Unsafe
3/5
August 10, 2015
Wow she sleeps with that looser in her home town then says hey why don't I make out with my boss/friend and see where this will lead. Stupid slut! I can't believe it's a Diana Palmer aka Diana Blayne, Susan Kale. So not worth it.
October 12, 2021
Relatively low key read, didn’t evoke any strong emotions. Hero was handsome and affluent but also kind and considerate, in love but waiting for heroine to grow up and sort out her feelings. Heroine, on the other hand was all over the place, 27 years old but acted more like 17, not very likeable. He could have done better but of course, love is blind.
February 12, 2019
I read a reprinted version of this story through the Harlequin line and under the Diana Palmer name, which they seem to have been doing a lot of lately.
This been vintage Diana Palmer just written under the pseudonym of Diana Blayne, it was a no brained to pick up and read. This was very classic Diana Palmer that I really, really enjoyed. It had her normal Diana Palmer flair with passionate scenes, amazing chemistry, and very angsty moments between Keena and Nick. I loved the banter between the two of them throughout the story and loved how they really bounced off each other. Keena and Nick had great chemistry from the very beginning and that just continued on throughout. I loved fact that they had a friendship for six years before anything had happened. So they had a really nice foundation to begin with. It was different than the typical flair where usually the heroine had known the hero for years and was majorly in love with him and the hero not having clue, but with this one though they had a connection between them there was never really anything more than friendship on both of their parts. Yes, there was maybe a passing attraction through those six years, but for the most part it was about their friendship, which was a nice change from the formula but no less intense or angsty. I appreciated the change.
I also really appreciated how the exploration of their relationship in this story. Yes, it had very typical Diana Palmer elements to it with sexy banter and some really sensual scenes along with deepening of emotional feelings between the two of them. I really liked them exploring their attraction to one another and getting closer and closer the more time passed in the book. I loved seeing them together.
Nick had to be one of the most sensible, logical heroes that I have ever read in romance. He had his moments of grumpiness and did sometimes say some hurtful things, though not really meaning to, but he made so much logical sense. He really wanted to do things the right with Keena because he knew that what they had was important and set up the happy future that they could have together. He wanted to make sure that she was actually ready for a relationship before going all in with her. He didn’t want her to regret anything nor did he want her to feel like he trapped her in this relationship so even though it was hard he put the brakes on things until Keena moved on, and therefore they could move on as a couple. It just made so much sense, and I loved that he did that, and it showed how much he truly loved her.
I hated Keena’s plan in the book when it came to her ex Harris. I didn’t like she wanted to play games with him and get a little revenge in the process. Yes, I get hurt her and didn’t make her first time a magical experience, but I don’t thing she should have acted on this plan either. It just made it feel really ugly to me that she would want to do such a thing especially when she had such a great thing going with Nick, or at least starting to. I think it was just a bonehead move on her part. I really didn’t like that.
Despite that I did like the romance between Keena and Nick, and I liked them together. I will say that the synopsis was a little misleading. It made it sound like Nick was the one that hurt her all those years ago and she was coming home where she would be reunited with him once again and deal with all the feelings that were left behind all those years ago, but that wasn’t the case. Nick was not the one to hurt her. It was her ex Harris, and in fact Keena and Nick had worked together and developed a friendship over the years so they never really were separated at all like it made it sound in the synopsis. They were in constant contact, and it wasn’t like her coming back to her hometown was when they were reunited again. No, they had been together as friends the whole time. So as was reading this I had to flip my perception because I thought it would be one way, but in fact it wasn’t that way. So, didn’t like being mislead like that.
Taking those two previous things I didn’t like into account, it didn’t diminish how much I enjoyed the story between Kenna and Nick. I loved their friendship. I loved their romance. I loved their chemistry and sensual banter. I loved all the sensual love scenes that happened in the book that showed off their passion and deep emotional connection to one another. I loved the little bit angst that was thrown in there as well. I loved seeing all that usual Diana Palmer flair that I love. It was just a really nice romance.
I can see myself reading this one again and again and never getting bored with like of some of my other favorite Diana Palmer books. This was one of her better stories and the classic Diana Palmer that I have come accustomed too and wish that some of her more recent releases were like this one. I find that I tend to like Classic Diana Palmer more than I do current Diana Palmer.
This been vintage Diana Palmer just written under the pseudonym of Diana Blayne, it was a no brained to pick up and read. This was very classic Diana Palmer that I really, really enjoyed. It had her normal Diana Palmer flair with passionate scenes, amazing chemistry, and very angsty moments between Keena and Nick. I loved the banter between the two of them throughout the story and loved how they really bounced off each other. Keena and Nick had great chemistry from the very beginning and that just continued on throughout. I loved fact that they had a friendship for six years before anything had happened. So they had a really nice foundation to begin with. It was different than the typical flair where usually the heroine had known the hero for years and was majorly in love with him and the hero not having clue, but with this one though they had a connection between them there was never really anything more than friendship on both of their parts. Yes, there was maybe a passing attraction through those six years, but for the most part it was about their friendship, which was a nice change from the formula but no less intense or angsty. I appreciated the change.
I also really appreciated how the exploration of their relationship in this story. Yes, it had very typical Diana Palmer elements to it with sexy banter and some really sensual scenes along with deepening of emotional feelings between the two of them. I really liked them exploring their attraction to one another and getting closer and closer the more time passed in the book. I loved seeing them together.
Nick had to be one of the most sensible, logical heroes that I have ever read in romance. He had his moments of grumpiness and did sometimes say some hurtful things, though not really meaning to, but he made so much logical sense. He really wanted to do things the right with Keena because he knew that what they had was important and set up the happy future that they could have together. He wanted to make sure that she was actually ready for a relationship before going all in with her. He didn’t want her to regret anything nor did he want her to feel like he trapped her in this relationship so even though it was hard he put the brakes on things until Keena moved on, and therefore they could move on as a couple. It just made so much sense, and I loved that he did that, and it showed how much he truly loved her.
I hated Keena’s plan in the book when it came to her ex Harris. I didn’t like she wanted to play games with him and get a little revenge in the process. Yes, I get hurt her and didn’t make her first time a magical experience, but I don’t thing she should have acted on this plan either. It just made it feel really ugly to me that she would want to do such a thing especially when she had such a great thing going with Nick, or at least starting to. I think it was just a bonehead move on her part. I really didn’t like that.
Despite that I did like the romance between Keena and Nick, and I liked them together. I will say that the synopsis was a little misleading. It made it sound like Nick was the one that hurt her all those years ago and she was coming home where she would be reunited with him once again and deal with all the feelings that were left behind all those years ago, but that wasn’t the case. Nick was not the one to hurt her. It was her ex Harris, and in fact Keena and Nick had worked together and developed a friendship over the years so they never really were separated at all like it made it sound in the synopsis. They were in constant contact, and it wasn’t like her coming back to her hometown was when they were reunited again. No, they had been together as friends the whole time. So as was reading this I had to flip my perception because I thought it would be one way, but in fact it wasn’t that way. So, didn’t like being mislead like that.
Taking those two previous things I didn’t like into account, it didn’t diminish how much I enjoyed the story between Kenna and Nick. I loved their friendship. I loved their romance. I loved their chemistry and sensual banter. I loved all the sensual love scenes that happened in the book that showed off their passion and deep emotional connection to one another. I loved the little bit angst that was thrown in there as well. I loved seeing all that usual Diana Palmer flair that I love. It was just a really nice romance.
I can see myself reading this one again and again and never getting bored with like of some of my other favorite Diana Palmer books. This was one of her better stories and the classic Diana Palmer that I have come accustomed too and wish that some of her more recent releases were like this one. I find that I tend to like Classic Diana Palmer more than I do current Diana Palmer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2024
The writing in this is seriously messed up. If I haven’t read the blurb I would have been so confused. I know, my own fault for reading a 9 chapter supposedly steamy romance done in the 1980s, so what substance did I expect?
The heroine and hero are both volatile, and I seriously cringe on their emotional fragility around one another. How can these two love each other???Just one wrong word from either and both will react.
Case in point: Nicholas tells Keena that she’s his and proceeds to kiss her but stops himself because he wants to give her space so she can sort her feelings. Keena then seems to forget all of this when Nicholas will utter something displeasing to her ears, and she goes all woe is me, why doesn’t he care for me. Ugh. Honestly, TSTL is real on this one.
The hero is also too emotionally high strung that when he sees Keena doing or saying something, he shuts himself and turns cold. What? Er… who’d want a MC who closes himself off every damn time.
The only reason why this is 2 stars is because there’s some semblance of…. You know what? I changed my mind I’m giving this 1 star.
The heroine and hero are both volatile, and I seriously cringe on their emotional fragility around one another. How can these two love each other???Just one wrong word from either and both will react.
Case in point: Nicholas tells Keena that she’s his and proceeds to kiss her but stops himself because he wants to give her space so she can sort her feelings. Keena then seems to forget all of this when Nicholas will utter something displeasing to her ears, and she goes all woe is me, why doesn’t he care for me. Ugh. Honestly, TSTL is real on this one.
The hero is also too emotionally high strung that when he sees Keena doing or saying something, he shuts himself and turns cold. What? Er… who’d want a MC who closes himself off every damn time.
The only reason why this is 2 stars is because there’s some semblance of…. You know what? I changed my mind I’m giving this 1 star.
April 19, 2013
They are supposedly friends for 6 years. Why then would he risk their frienship by trying to seduce her after breaking up with his mistress? It all started like a game for him, that's what he said. And she realised she loved him for the first time in the house he lived with his first wife, I find that totally disgusting. I have a bitter taste in my mouth after reading this. waiste of my time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2012
Una historia muy bien encadenada, buen ritmo de narrativa y la prota te cautiva poco a poco cuando empiezas a conocer su mundo. Nicholas sufre una transformación a lo largo de la historia y, de hecho, no es convincente en el papel que la autora le da en el comienzo de la historia.
Read
July 31, 2011Really good, wished it was a bit longer, but it was sweet without being sickening.
April 29, 2024
Keena Whitman first met Nicholas Coleman when she started working for his company seven years earlier. They have been friends ever since but now she might want more.
June 22, 2019
Sparks sure do fly in this fast read!
January 2, 2020
It was obvious from the cover that this was a fairly old book, but I gave it a chance anyway. The premise in general was a good one, but everything about it was so dated and often dull.
August 18, 2021
Candlelight Ecstasy #94,
September 29, 2021
Am I the only one bothered by the book description of the h having short black hair and the original cover of this book?
November 16, 2021
The most beautiful and mesmerizing story I have ever read ❤
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews