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Sweet as My Revenge
No doubt about it, Jessica was trapped!
Knowing it was her own fault didn't ease her frustration. Who'd have expected the consequences of her foolhardy act to save her brother's career would pursue her from England to Australia? Seemingly, she'd left a clue that Matthew Grieve had followed.
And it was all quite unnecessary. Matthew was not the ogre she'd been led to believe he was. Nor was Jessica Wright the woman Matthew had pictured.
The struggle between them to even the score was powerful and stormy. The impact on their lives was equally shattering when their feelings for each other turned to love....
Knowing it was her own fault didn't ease her frustration. Who'd have expected the consequences of her foolhardy act to save her brother's career would pursue her from England to Australia? Seemingly, she'd left a clue that Matthew Grieve had followed.
And it was all quite unnecessary. Matthew was not the ogre she'd been led to believe he was. Nor was Jessica Wright the woman Matthew had pictured.
The struggle between them to even the score was powerful and stormy. The impact on their lives was equally shattering when their feelings for each other turned to love....
186 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Susan Napier
140 books153 followersPerhaps being born on Valentine’s Day was an omen that Susan Napier would become a romance writer. This New Zealand author has written over 30 Mills & Boon category romances since 1984. Napier and her husband Tony Potter met when they both worked at the Auckland Star newspaper. After they married, she left the newspaper to work for a film company where she learned the art of dialogue. After the birth of her sons, Simon and Ben, she was a freelance scriptwriter for documentaries. It was soon after that she decided to try her hand at writing the romance fiction she dearly loved.
She and her husband still live in the home they bought in Auckland shortly after their marriage.
She and her husband still live in the home they bought in Auckland shortly after their marriage.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 25, 2017
The writing is great. The revenge scenario (both the heroine going after the hero to help her stepbrother and the hero going after the heroine two years later) made sense. There is intensity. The H/h stay in character the whole way through. Even the last declaration is the hero tricking the heroine into thinking he's playing a dominance game with her.
So what's my problem?
I just didn't like the characters - any of them. The heroine was wrong to cover up for her adulterous step-brother. The hero was wrong to blackmail the heroine into being his "mistress" (even though he never meant to go through on those threats). The sleazy OW and her hapless husband didn't earn much sympathy from me, either. (Poor OW - she's turning 30 - hard age to be a woman!)
This has such an angry tone, full of gotcha moments and psych-op power plays. I was horrified by the way other women are discussed. Women are either whores - or whores in waiting. The hero is convinced none can be trusted and the heroine seems to share this judgmental attitude.
This was not to my taste, but I can't go lower than two stars because it is well executed.
So what's my problem?
I just didn't like the characters - any of them. The heroine was wrong to cover up for her adulterous step-brother. The hero was wrong to blackmail the heroine into being his "mistress" (even though he never meant to go through on those threats). The sleazy OW and her hapless husband didn't earn much sympathy from me, either. (Poor OW - she's turning 30 - hard age to be a woman!)
This has such an angry tone, full of gotcha moments and psych-op power plays. I was horrified by the way other women are discussed. Women are either whores - or whores in waiting. The hero is convinced none can be trusted and the heroine seems to share this judgmental attitude.
This was not to my taste, but I can't go lower than two stars because it is well executed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2016
RE Sweet As My Revenge - Susan Napier starts off her HPlandia expedition with a 007 worthy sneaky estate entry. The h is breaking into a big manor house and is rather ingenious in the way she goes about it. She climbs over the wall, drugs the dogs (bad h action, I did not approve,) and has a key to get into the house. Once she gets in, she takes off her overall and is dressed in full length formal complete with jewels.
The h is there to get some letters that her stepbrother wrote when he was having an affair with the estate owner's wife. The estate owner is in the processing of divorcing said wife and threatening to publicize the affair if she won't back off in her financial demands. The step brother is a doctor whose wife recently had a nervous breakdown after their child was born with Down's Syndrome. He met the wife when she was a patient in his practice and if it comes to light that he had an affair with a patient, he will be struck off the medical roles and unable to support his wife or pay for schooling for the child.
The h loves her stepbrother dearly, he was her only comfort in a home ruled by a domineering and verbally abusive father, but it is the pleas of his wife that really move her. She knows about the affair cause the step brother confessed, but she is not prepared to lose her life over his stupidity and then there is the little girl, she needs special care and the step brother can't provide it if he has no career left. The step brother is getting the letters back at the instigation of the wife he cheated with, but he can't follow through on the theft because he broke his leg.
The h steps up, she has a risk taking and fiery personality. She is described as an Amazon (a SN favorite h type) and an unabashed feminist. She doesn't hate men, she just feels that women should be given equal consideration and status. She doesn't have much time for men, she is very career minded and has never really felt any passion. So when the adulterous wife offers to provide the house key and safe combination, she volunteers to break in, replace the letters with innocuous ones, and then go back to her native New Zealand a few days later. The hope is that the betrayed hubby won't look at the letters until it is too late and then everyone will be safe.
The h succeeds in breaking in and replacing the letters, then the estate owner comes in and finds her. She implies she is there as the lady friend of his PA, who is known to like the younger deb type for his affairs. She then practices some wiles on the befuddled, jetlagged man to distract his attention. The man is very unstable on his feet and the h thinks he is drunk. He starts kissing her and she flips him in a judo move. He winds up unconscious on the floor and the h panics.
She thinks he is dead, but he is still breathing, he just his his head on the way down. The h leaves, but she leaves a glass of brandy and a rose beside the man on the floor. She gets back to the step-brother's house and calls the estate. The man on the floor has woken up in the meantime, and doesn't really remember what happened. He sees the brandy and the rose and is very confused. Until the h calls and tells him to see a doctor, her voice brings it all back and he is furious she got the drop on him. He tries to find out who she is and she mockingly tells him "Love" before hanging up on him.
Two years go by and the h is happily building a temp service empire. She is at a party one night when she sees the man she switched the letters on, even worse he sees her and recognizes her and comes after her. She manages to distract his forcible attentions away from her when she announces it is his birthday and the party goers all gang up on him to carry him off for more celebrations. The man is furious and the h is scared but she escapes in a taxi, thankful she got away.
She hears nothing further for a week, then she gets a client who keeps sending her temp secretaries away in tears. She decides to handle the client herself and when she goes to meet him, she finds that she has been trapped by the seriously angry man she has tricked twice now. SN gives some H pov here and there is NO doubt he is out to do maximum damage and hurt. He is really, really angry and vengeful, he had to pay a ton of money to his ex wife cause he couldn't prove her infidelity or use the letters as leverage and he wants the h on her knees, begging for absolution.
He tells the h he has enough evidence to get her accused of theft and her step brother dis-enrolled from the medical profession. He has the glass she touched and tells her that they have technology that can lift her fingerprints, even from a wet glass. He has a thorough background check on her and a list of the purchases she made in England. Then he tricks her into saying she took the letters by accusing her of jewel theft and tape records the h when she denies taking anything but the letters.
The h is told that she can pretend to be his mistress for the next month as repayment of her debt. The H is trying to merge with a huge American business and it will leave him the CEO of a multinational conglomerate, but the man's wife is intent on trouble of the seductive sort and the H wants the h as a wall of defense. The h protests, argues and is furious, but she winds up going with the H to Australia. The man the H wants to do business with is staying in the H's home to make a final decision about the merger.
They get there and argue the first few days and the H is pretty nasty in his cutting remarks. They finally call a truce while the other couple is there and when the couple arrives, the OW is presented as a very vapid, obsessed and neurotic woman who has to be the center of attention and there is no doubt she is all over the H. The h has a trying time deflecting her barbs and the H's attentions, but things heat up when we find out that the H lived with the woman in college and the OW is convinced he is still in love with her and means to have him.
The h is jealous and winds up getting drunk later in the evening and dancing with other men at the nightclub they all go to. The H is glowering all over the place and when they get home, they wind up having a drunken judo match - they are both bombed, so it turns into a draw and ends in some passionate kissing.
The H also buys the h some seductive nightwear, the h sees that they are baby doll pajamas and since she is 5' 10, she would look silly in the frills and furbelows, so she starts teasing him about his taste and taunting him with a little girl voice. The H loses his temper and the h is astounded. Turns out his wife used to taunt him and the h's remarks send him into flash back. The h can see this is a real hurt and finally the H confesses that his wife married him for money and used him pretty shamelessly - she had numerous affairs and he never cheated and eventually her taunting led him to be impotent.
The h is sad for him, but doubts the impotency, and we get his POV where he feels that the h's refusal to accept that he was anything other than a total Alpha Male means a lot to his self-esteem. The h and H then start with the passionate kissing and the other couple walks in on them on the couch - with the h shamed cause she is half undressed and the OW is making catty comments.
She storms out and later on the H tries to find out why she reacts so strongly to a little making out, he is very pleased to find she is a virgin and offers to relieve her of that. The h refuses, cause how could she sleep with a guy who is such a blackmailer and was willing to ruin a lot of people's lives for vengeance. Then the h speculates that maybe he was bluffing, but the H wants her to trust him so he doesn't say anything either way, the h has to decide for herself.
The deal is confirmed a few days later and the OW announces she is preggers and then makes her move to seduce the H. She tries to wander into the H's bedroom after everyone is in bed and the h figures out her ploy, puts on the seductive nighty and jumps in the H's waterbed in the dark. The OW comes in and tries it on, the H is stunned but nice about rejecting her, and the h turns on the light and laughs at the OW. The OW starts crying for real and then her hubby comes in and hauls her off - they cover the scene with the OW just wanting some "girl talk" about her pregnancy.
The H has the h where he wants her and the h isn't unhappy to be there. They have a lot of sex but the H is gone when the h wakes in the morning. She is humiliated again and goes home. She is miserable for weeks, then the H sets her up with a chance to steal the evidence against her. She is furious he hasn't destroyed it and sets up another break in.
It is a trap, the H catches her and very sweetly avows his love and devotion. She tells him she can't trust him, his reputation is very big on not letting wrongs go unavenged and he explains that he really just wanted to yell at her at first, she cost him a lot of money, but he acknowledges he never should have married his first wife to begin with.
Then the h escaped and tricked him again and he went a little mad, then he fell in love with her strength, determination and her straightforward manner and loyalty, and since we get his POV and he is really scared she is going to dump him, I believed him. She confesses she loves him back and the HEA ends with him vowing to put fingerprints all over her body and her agreeing to the life sentence of marriage.
Aside from the fact that the whole plot was a bit far-fetched and slightly campy at first, this is an enjoyable book. While I highly doubt that the ex-wife would have backed off unless the H had entered those letters as evidence, getting the brother dis-enrolled and causing big grief for his wife and daughter, and I also did not believe with all his resources the H couldn't find a few past lovers to testify about his ex-wife's numerous infidelities, the sheer battle and passion between the h and H make this a really engrossing story. I believed the HEA and it was really all down to the H POV being there at just the right times.
SN is off to a pretty good start in HPlandia and this is a great way to get to know her writing style. Don't turn down the chance to take a gander if you come across it.
The h is there to get some letters that her stepbrother wrote when he was having an affair with the estate owner's wife. The estate owner is in the processing of divorcing said wife and threatening to publicize the affair if she won't back off in her financial demands. The step brother is a doctor whose wife recently had a nervous breakdown after their child was born with Down's Syndrome. He met the wife when she was a patient in his practice and if it comes to light that he had an affair with a patient, he will be struck off the medical roles and unable to support his wife or pay for schooling for the child.
The h loves her stepbrother dearly, he was her only comfort in a home ruled by a domineering and verbally abusive father, but it is the pleas of his wife that really move her. She knows about the affair cause the step brother confessed, but she is not prepared to lose her life over his stupidity and then there is the little girl, she needs special care and the step brother can't provide it if he has no career left. The step brother is getting the letters back at the instigation of the wife he cheated with, but he can't follow through on the theft because he broke his leg.
The h steps up, she has a risk taking and fiery personality. She is described as an Amazon (a SN favorite h type) and an unabashed feminist. She doesn't hate men, she just feels that women should be given equal consideration and status. She doesn't have much time for men, she is very career minded and has never really felt any passion. So when the adulterous wife offers to provide the house key and safe combination, she volunteers to break in, replace the letters with innocuous ones, and then go back to her native New Zealand a few days later. The hope is that the betrayed hubby won't look at the letters until it is too late and then everyone will be safe.
The h succeeds in breaking in and replacing the letters, then the estate owner comes in and finds her. She implies she is there as the lady friend of his PA, who is known to like the younger deb type for his affairs. She then practices some wiles on the befuddled, jetlagged man to distract his attention. The man is very unstable on his feet and the h thinks he is drunk. He starts kissing her and she flips him in a judo move. He winds up unconscious on the floor and the h panics.
She thinks he is dead, but he is still breathing, he just his his head on the way down. The h leaves, but she leaves a glass of brandy and a rose beside the man on the floor. She gets back to the step-brother's house and calls the estate. The man on the floor has woken up in the meantime, and doesn't really remember what happened. He sees the brandy and the rose and is very confused. Until the h calls and tells him to see a doctor, her voice brings it all back and he is furious she got the drop on him. He tries to find out who she is and she mockingly tells him "Love" before hanging up on him.
Two years go by and the h is happily building a temp service empire. She is at a party one night when she sees the man she switched the letters on, even worse he sees her and recognizes her and comes after her. She manages to distract his forcible attentions away from her when she announces it is his birthday and the party goers all gang up on him to carry him off for more celebrations. The man is furious and the h is scared but she escapes in a taxi, thankful she got away.
She hears nothing further for a week, then she gets a client who keeps sending her temp secretaries away in tears. She decides to handle the client herself and when she goes to meet him, she finds that she has been trapped by the seriously angry man she has tricked twice now. SN gives some H pov here and there is NO doubt he is out to do maximum damage and hurt. He is really, really angry and vengeful, he had to pay a ton of money to his ex wife cause he couldn't prove her infidelity or use the letters as leverage and he wants the h on her knees, begging for absolution.
He tells the h he has enough evidence to get her accused of theft and her step brother dis-enrolled from the medical profession. He has the glass she touched and tells her that they have technology that can lift her fingerprints, even from a wet glass. He has a thorough background check on her and a list of the purchases she made in England. Then he tricks her into saying she took the letters by accusing her of jewel theft and tape records the h when she denies taking anything but the letters.
The h is told that she can pretend to be his mistress for the next month as repayment of her debt. The H is trying to merge with a huge American business and it will leave him the CEO of a multinational conglomerate, but the man's wife is intent on trouble of the seductive sort and the H wants the h as a wall of defense. The h protests, argues and is furious, but she winds up going with the H to Australia. The man the H wants to do business with is staying in the H's home to make a final decision about the merger.
They get there and argue the first few days and the H is pretty nasty in his cutting remarks. They finally call a truce while the other couple is there and when the couple arrives, the OW is presented as a very vapid, obsessed and neurotic woman who has to be the center of attention and there is no doubt she is all over the H. The h has a trying time deflecting her barbs and the H's attentions, but things heat up when we find out that the H lived with the woman in college and the OW is convinced he is still in love with her and means to have him.
The h is jealous and winds up getting drunk later in the evening and dancing with other men at the nightclub they all go to. The H is glowering all over the place and when they get home, they wind up having a drunken judo match - they are both bombed, so it turns into a draw and ends in some passionate kissing.
The H also buys the h some seductive nightwear, the h sees that they are baby doll pajamas and since she is 5' 10, she would look silly in the frills and furbelows, so she starts teasing him about his taste and taunting him with a little girl voice. The H loses his temper and the h is astounded. Turns out his wife used to taunt him and the h's remarks send him into flash back. The h can see this is a real hurt and finally the H confesses that his wife married him for money and used him pretty shamelessly - she had numerous affairs and he never cheated and eventually her taunting led him to be impotent.
The h is sad for him, but doubts the impotency, and we get his POV where he feels that the h's refusal to accept that he was anything other than a total Alpha Male means a lot to his self-esteem. The h and H then start with the passionate kissing and the other couple walks in on them on the couch - with the h shamed cause she is half undressed and the OW is making catty comments.
She storms out and later on the H tries to find out why she reacts so strongly to a little making out, he is very pleased to find she is a virgin and offers to relieve her of that. The h refuses, cause how could she sleep with a guy who is such a blackmailer and was willing to ruin a lot of people's lives for vengeance. Then the h speculates that maybe he was bluffing, but the H wants her to trust him so he doesn't say anything either way, the h has to decide for herself.
The deal is confirmed a few days later and the OW announces she is preggers and then makes her move to seduce the H. She tries to wander into the H's bedroom after everyone is in bed and the h figures out her ploy, puts on the seductive nighty and jumps in the H's waterbed in the dark. The OW comes in and tries it on, the H is stunned but nice about rejecting her, and the h turns on the light and laughs at the OW. The OW starts crying for real and then her hubby comes in and hauls her off - they cover the scene with the OW just wanting some "girl talk" about her pregnancy.
The H has the h where he wants her and the h isn't unhappy to be there. They have a lot of sex but the H is gone when the h wakes in the morning. She is humiliated again and goes home. She is miserable for weeks, then the H sets her up with a chance to steal the evidence against her. She is furious he hasn't destroyed it and sets up another break in.
It is a trap, the H catches her and very sweetly avows his love and devotion. She tells him she can't trust him, his reputation is very big on not letting wrongs go unavenged and he explains that he really just wanted to yell at her at first, she cost him a lot of money, but he acknowledges he never should have married his first wife to begin with.
Then the h escaped and tricked him again and he went a little mad, then he fell in love with her strength, determination and her straightforward manner and loyalty, and since we get his POV and he is really scared she is going to dump him, I believed him. She confesses she loves him back and the HEA ends with him vowing to put fingerprints all over her body and her agreeing to the life sentence of marriage.
Aside from the fact that the whole plot was a bit far-fetched and slightly campy at first, this is an enjoyable book. While I highly doubt that the ex-wife would have backed off unless the H had entered those letters as evidence, getting the brother dis-enrolled and causing big grief for his wife and daughter, and I also did not believe with all his resources the H couldn't find a few past lovers to testify about his ex-wife's numerous infidelities, the sheer battle and passion between the h and H make this a really engrossing story. I believed the HEA and it was really all down to the H POV being there at just the right times.
SN is off to a pretty good start in HPlandia and this is a great way to get to know her writing style. Don't turn down the chance to take a gander if you come across it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2018
"Sweet as My Revenge" is the story of Jessica and Matthew.
This SN tale has a kickass judo wrestling heroine, an obsessive and vengeful hero, a robbery followed by a chase, blackmail, crazy OW and baby talk, loads of teasing, witty banter ending in a sweet HEA.
I really enjoyed the back and forth between the heroine and the hero, the pursuit was invigorating, the passion was scorching and I felt both were equally strong and deserved each other.
Enjoyed this one a lot!
Safe
4/5
This SN tale has a kickass judo wrestling heroine, an obsessive and vengeful hero, a robbery followed by a chase, blackmail, crazy OW and baby talk, loads of teasing, witty banter ending in a sweet HEA.
I really enjoyed the back and forth between the heroine and the hero, the pursuit was invigorating, the passion was scorching and I felt both were equally strong and deserved each other.
Enjoyed this one a lot!
Safe
4/5
October 10, 2022
What a fun quick read! A h that doesn't take too much BS and is smart and independent and a pretty decent match in the fighting dept with the H too.
The H isn't 6ft 5 or a towering monster as if we are to believe Harly world all alpha males are well over 6ft plus of hunk o man - clearly Harly world is ab alternative universe inhabited by mainly giants and petite ladies with the odd amazon thrown in (who is made to feel all petite by her gigantasaur future husband) Nope in this real world scenario the H is more or less the same height as our Amazonian h - wow I had to read this tale for myself just for that novelty factor alone. Throw in a drunken judo match and my attention was well and truly caught. Sure there's the meddling OW but she doesn't cause loads of trouble for our h as she knows our H is a pretty decent bloke really despite his blackmail of her.
I love me a h that has a spine this story went down as well as my vodka redbull.
The H isn't 6ft 5 or a towering monster as if we are to believe Harly world all alpha males are well over 6ft plus of hunk o man - clearly Harly world is ab alternative universe inhabited by mainly giants and petite ladies with the odd amazon thrown in (who is made to feel all petite by her gigantasaur future husband) Nope in this real world scenario the H is more or less the same height as our Amazonian h - wow I had to read this tale for myself just for that novelty factor alone. Throw in a drunken judo match and my attention was well and truly caught. Sure there's the meddling OW but she doesn't cause loads of trouble for our h as she knows our H is a pretty decent bloke really despite his blackmail of her.
I love me a h that has a spine this story went down as well as my vodka redbull.
March 24, 2019
3,5 stars
October 29, 2014
Gah. One of the worst books I have ever read.
There was a series of instances where failure in relationships were blamed on women. The protagonist's married half brother, sleeps with the hero's wife and then the brother then practically paints her as heartless and shames her as promiscuous:
'She must have lived the life of nun until the hearing. That would have been a severe strain, I'll bet.'
She might have been promiscuous. But who the hell was he to take a higher ground? He cheated on his wife as much as she cheated on his. This kind of double standard makes me sick. And it's worse that he cheated on his wife because he professes to loves her, the hero's ex-wife didn't profess to love the hero.
Then the heroine says this:
'Now that the balance was being redressed he howled 'foul', dismayed by the qualities in women that were so admired in men: determination to succeed; belief in oneself; willingness to take risks; sexual freedom… which for a woman could mean the right to say no and not feel guilty about it .'
Umm.. what? And by making such a statement, I feel as though the purpose of it is to say that good girls stay virgins (like the heroine) until they meet someone they will marry. Other than that, it's bad. Well that's the same kind of attitude that got women into this sexist mess in the first place.
Then she had to go on and say this:
'Jessica was strongly feminist, but not anti-men, as some of the fanatics were. Nor did she blindly believe that men and women were completely equal. But she did believe that feminine endeavour and achievement were consistently underrated and under-encouraged for all sorts of reasons—from biological to economic.'
The mind baffles... How are men and women, other than physicality, not equal? Is she saying that women aren't as smart as men, can't be in jobs like men can? What is the point of saying something so STUPID.
The heroine then goes on to tell Kristin, another one of the hero's ex, that she was lacking because she was not as young as the heroine... That just made me sick. She is a feminist who believes in feminine endeavour and achievement, and then she goes on to diminish a female's value because of her age? What a hypocrite.
There was a series of instances where failure in relationships were blamed on women. The protagonist's married half brother, sleeps with the hero's wife and then the brother then practically paints her as heartless and shames her as promiscuous:
'She must have lived the life of nun until the hearing. That would have been a severe strain, I'll bet.'
She might have been promiscuous. But who the hell was he to take a higher ground? He cheated on his wife as much as she cheated on his. This kind of double standard makes me sick. And it's worse that he cheated on his wife because he professes to loves her, the hero's ex-wife didn't profess to love the hero.
Then the heroine says this:
'Now that the balance was being redressed he howled 'foul', dismayed by the qualities in women that were so admired in men: determination to succeed; belief in oneself; willingness to take risks; sexual freedom… which for a woman could mean the right to say no and not feel guilty about it .'
Umm.. what? And by making such a statement, I feel as though the purpose of it is to say that good girls stay virgins (like the heroine) until they meet someone they will marry. Other than that, it's bad. Well that's the same kind of attitude that got women into this sexist mess in the first place.
Then she had to go on and say this:
'Jessica was strongly feminist, but not anti-men, as some of the fanatics were. Nor did she blindly believe that men and women were completely equal. But she did believe that feminine endeavour and achievement were consistently underrated and under-encouraged for all sorts of reasons—from biological to economic.'
The mind baffles... How are men and women, other than physicality, not equal? Is she saying that women aren't as smart as men, can't be in jobs like men can? What is the point of saying something so STUPID.
The heroine then goes on to tell Kristin, another one of the hero's ex, that she was lacking because she was not as young as the heroine... That just made me sick. She is a feminist who believes in feminine endeavour and achievement, and then she goes on to diminish a female's value because of her age? What a hypocrite.
April 20, 2020
No doubt about it, Jessica was trapped!
Knowing it was her own fault didn't ease her frustration. Who'd have expected the consequences of her foolhardy act to save her brother's career would pursue her from England to Australia? Seemingly, she'd left a clue that Matthew Grieve had followed.
And it was all quite unnecessary. Matthew was not the ogre she'd been led to believe he was. Nor was Jessica Wright the woman Matthew had pictured.
The struggle between them to even the score was powerful and stormy. The impact on their lives was equally shattering when their feelings for each other turned to love.... (less)Wa
Knowing it was her own fault didn't ease her frustration. Who'd have expected the consequences of her foolhardy act to save her brother's career would pursue her from England to Australia? Seemingly, she'd left a clue that Matthew Grieve had followed.
And it was all quite unnecessary. Matthew was not the ogre she'd been led to believe he was. Nor was Jessica Wright the woman Matthew had pictured.
The struggle between them to even the score was powerful and stormy. The impact on their lives was equally shattering when their feelings for each other turned to love.... (less)Wa
March 12, 2012
Fun and short. Awesome 80's judo involved.
June 6, 2023
It's a re-read and I love it.
4.5 wonderful stars!
The opening scene is a masterpiece!
The heroine breaks into the hero's house to steal some letters exposing his wife's affair.
The jet-lagged hero catches her red-handed.
4.5 wonderful stars!
The opening scene is a masterpiece!
The heroine breaks into the hero's house to steal some letters exposing his wife's affair.
The jet-lagged hero catches her red-handed.
November 15, 2017
For a book that paid so much lip service to feminism, it sure seemed like the moral was "Every strong woman is just waiting for the man strong enough to dominate her". Which, NO. NONONONONO.
Also, the "hero" is fully 100% a shit monkey.
Also, the "hero" is fully 100% a shit monkey.
November 3, 2016
4 Stars ~ Visiting her brother and sister-in-law in England, Jessica is shocked to learn of the trouble her brother has gotten himself into. At a vulnerable time, Carl had been lured into an affair and the other woman's husband had damning proof that could ruin his career as a doctor and end his marriage. With help from the other woman, Jessica agrees to switch the evidence when the husband is supposed to be in Tokyo. Everything goes to plan, Jessica switches the letters, and burns the originals and just as she's getting ready to leave she's interrupted --- the husband has returned early. Matthew is suffering from jetlag and exhaustion and is bewildered by the beautiful woman in his study. When things get slightly out of hand, Jessica is forced to put into effect all her judo practice and sends Matthew to the floor, only he hits his head on the way down and goes out cold. Scared that he's seriously hurt but afraid to remain, Jessica leaves but when she's safely out of reach she calls round to the house to see if he's okay. When he answers the phone, Jessica is relieved; and when he demands to know who she is, she taunts 'I'm Love, Matthew Grieve. And I came to steal your heart!'
Fast forward almost two years later, Matthew is in New Zealand at a house party and across the room is the woman who put him down hard and stole his ticket to an easy quiet divorce. Without the proof he'd not had the leverage to force his ex-wife to settle, and instead he'd had to face a very public divorce and the loss of millions. Though his attempt to grab hold of Jessica and force her to talk fails, he now knows who she is. It's over a week since her run in with Matthew and no word, so Jessica begins to relax again. She's a partner in a secretarial temp agency, and she's forced to deal with a difficult client personally. Only the client turns out to be Matthew and he now holds all the trump cards. He'll see her go to prison, ruin her brother's career and ruin her business if she doesn't travel to Australia with him and pretend to be his mistress.
This love story is one of Ms. Napier's very early books and it was great fun to read. Matt and Jess are a perfect pair. They both love the challenge of a good fight. Though Matt comes across as ruthless, he's really just a huge bluff; he'd never intended to ruin Jess only to get some payback and scare her. It doesn't take long for Jess to realize that Matt's threats are hollow but by then she realizes it's not Matt she has to fear it's herself. Another book by Ms. Napier for the keeper shelf.
Fast forward almost two years later, Matthew is in New Zealand at a house party and across the room is the woman who put him down hard and stole his ticket to an easy quiet divorce. Without the proof he'd not had the leverage to force his ex-wife to settle, and instead he'd had to face a very public divorce and the loss of millions. Though his attempt to grab hold of Jessica and force her to talk fails, he now knows who she is. It's over a week since her run in with Matthew and no word, so Jessica begins to relax again. She's a partner in a secretarial temp agency, and she's forced to deal with a difficult client personally. Only the client turns out to be Matthew and he now holds all the trump cards. He'll see her go to prison, ruin her brother's career and ruin her business if she doesn't travel to Australia with him and pretend to be his mistress.
This love story is one of Ms. Napier's very early books and it was great fun to read. Matt and Jess are a perfect pair. They both love the challenge of a good fight. Though Matt comes across as ruthless, he's really just a huge bluff; he'd never intended to ruin Jess only to get some payback and scare her. It doesn't take long for Jess to realize that Matt's threats are hollow but by then she realizes it's not Matt she has to fear it's herself. Another book by Ms. Napier for the keeper shelf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2012
This dated little book packed a powerful, sensual punch! I admit that there were times when I simply didn't get some of the undertones then I did a "decade check" and everything made more sense. Jeez!
I would have given this book more stars if I hadn't found myself a little lost in the story at times-not that it was unclear (except for what is mentioned above) there was just SO MUCH going on, so much packed into a small number of pages.
Everything worked itself out in the end, of course, and unlike many I've read this one ended with the couple making love, marriage in the horizon, their unprotected sex unmentioned when they come back together at the end.
The times they have a changed.
I would have given this book more stars if I hadn't found myself a little lost in the story at times-not that it was unclear (except for what is mentioned above) there was just SO MUCH going on, so much packed into a small number of pages.
Everything worked itself out in the end, of course, and unlike many I've read this one ended with the couple making love, marriage in the horizon, their unprotected sex unmentioned when they come back together at the end.
The times they have a changed.
March 31, 2015
Jessica must help her step brother, Call, who was being blackmailed by the husband of his former lover, Matthew. She went to his house and steal the letters Call had written to Lisa. When she was leaving, Matt entered in his study and found her. Immediately, Jessica seduced him and took him down with a Judo's maneuver.
Month later they met again and again she scaped from him. So Matt chase her and found out all about her. Now was his turn to revenge: he forced her to goto Sydney with him and act like his misters but soon the antic became real.
A funny fact: Jessica and her partner, Jill were saving to do an important inversion and buy a computer!!! So this novel is a pretty old...
Month later they met again and again she scaped from him. So Matt chase her and found out all about her. Now was his turn to revenge: he forced her to goto Sydney with him and act like his misters but soon the antic became real.
A funny fact: Jessica and her partner, Jill were saving to do an important inversion and buy a computer!!! So this novel is a pretty old...
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August 1, 2024
Definitely not your usual Harlequin, and that's what I love about Susan Napier.
We start off with the heroine, Jessica, breaking into the hero Matthew's library in England. Her older brother had an affair with Matthew's wife, and there are some incriminating letters in the safe which might get her brother struck off the medical register if Matthew produces them during the divorce from his wife. Eager to assist, Jessica disposes of the letters - but ends up running into Matthew when he accidentally comes home.
A kiss and a well-aimed judo flip deals with him. Fast forward a year, and Jessica is feeling complacent - there's no way he'll track her down on the other side of the world, in New Zealand. Unfortunately, they run into each other at a party, and he certainly hasn't forgotten her. He has the power to ruin her secretary business and bring criminal charges against her, but he'll spare her... if she pretends to be his mistress.
Napier flips a lot of tropes excellently on their head here. For one, the hero isn't blackmailing the heroine into his bed; he only wants her to be his fake mistress. Jessica is no fragile, shrinking miss: she's five foot eleven, good at judo, and is described as having an appetite to match her size. This is basically the closest you'll get to a curvy heroine in a Harlequin romance.
There's excellent banter between the hero and heroine in this one, and a really interesting exploration of 1980s feminism. Jessica is an avowed feminist with her own business, but men are still getting used to the idea of women in the workplace, so reading this book (published 1985) really felt like a window into the past - a single computer is described as a huge investment for the business!
There are also quite a few literary references in this one, most obviously in the title (a quote from Coriolanus). It gets three stars rather than four because somehow, something felt missing, but I suspect it's a me problem.
We start off with the heroine, Jessica, breaking into the hero Matthew's library in England. Her older brother had an affair with Matthew's wife, and there are some incriminating letters in the safe which might get her brother struck off the medical register if Matthew produces them during the divorce from his wife. Eager to assist, Jessica disposes of the letters - but ends up running into Matthew when he accidentally comes home.
A kiss and a well-aimed judo flip deals with him. Fast forward a year, and Jessica is feeling complacent - there's no way he'll track her down on the other side of the world, in New Zealand. Unfortunately, they run into each other at a party, and he certainly hasn't forgotten her. He has the power to ruin her secretary business and bring criminal charges against her, but he'll spare her... if she pretends to be his mistress.
Napier flips a lot of tropes excellently on their head here. For one, the hero isn't blackmailing the heroine into his bed; he only wants her to be his fake mistress. Jessica is no fragile, shrinking miss: she's five foot eleven, good at judo, and is described as having an appetite to match her size. This is basically the closest you'll get to a curvy heroine in a Harlequin romance.
There's excellent banter between the hero and heroine in this one, and a really interesting exploration of 1980s feminism. Jessica is an avowed feminist with her own business, but men are still getting used to the idea of women in the workplace, so reading this book (published 1985) really felt like a window into the past - a single computer is described as a huge investment for the business!
There are also quite a few literary references in this one, most obviously in the title (a quote from Coriolanus). It gets three stars rather than four because somehow, something felt missing, but I suspect it's a me problem.
November 23, 2022
In order to save her beloved stepbrother's dear family, Jessica the honest, hard-working and responsible businesswoman had to get rid of her stepbrother's letters to his mistress, Lisa! Unfortunately, to get rid of them she had to creep inside Mathew Grieve's house, Lisa'a husband who was going to use the letters to win his divorce case.
When Jessica intered Mathew's Office and burnt the letters, she met Mathew himself drunk and jetlagged. She managed to escape him through seduction and a movement of Judo! She thought she he would never recognize her nor would he identify her in any way. Yet, he did recognize her in a party after a year from the incident and one thing was crystal clear; Mathew Grieve was no longer drunk nor weak and was intent on extracting his revenge on Jessica in any way possible and one of them was to make her his mistress! Jessica fought him even though she knew he held all the cards. But, could she ever fight him when her heart was involved?
The Story is strange! The reader takes the impression that Jessica is a strong sensible woman, yet she changes to an impulsive woman who could commit a crime - albiet a miner one - when the need arises to protect her beloved family! The hero also transforms from an aggressive domineering personality to a soft-hearted one! The book is enjoyable and full of angsty, but the middle would have been better in my opinion if the two main characters knew more of each other's lifes through real events and not through mare confrontations and confessions. Nevertheless, it's a good book.
When Jessica intered Mathew's Office and burnt the letters, she met Mathew himself drunk and jetlagged. She managed to escape him through seduction and a movement of Judo! She thought she he would never recognize her nor would he identify her in any way. Yet, he did recognize her in a party after a year from the incident and one thing was crystal clear; Mathew Grieve was no longer drunk nor weak and was intent on extracting his revenge on Jessica in any way possible and one of them was to make her his mistress! Jessica fought him even though she knew he held all the cards. But, could she ever fight him when her heart was involved?
The Story is strange! The reader takes the impression that Jessica is a strong sensible woman, yet she changes to an impulsive woman who could commit a crime - albiet a miner one - when the need arises to protect her beloved family! The hero also transforms from an aggressive domineering personality to a soft-hearted one! The book is enjoyable and full of angsty, but the middle would have been better in my opinion if the two main characters knew more of each other's lifes through real events and not through mare confrontations and confessions. Nevertheless, it's a good book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 1, 2018
This one I remember so clearly! I must have reread this a dozen time. There is something about this novel that sticks with you. Maybe is the combination of ego and desire in both the hero and heroine which stuck with me.
November 21, 2025
Read this over 20 years ago and remember loving it. Read it again recently. Didn’t age well but still enjoyed it because Enemies to Lovers is my Kryptonite 😞
August 19, 2022
A bit different and quite enjoyable.
Reread two years later and upping my rating despite glaring plot holes. Why didn’t ex wife take letters. H implies she’s too cowardly but she could have done it easily and legally. The H didn’t own the letters, she did, she had safe combo, door key. Heroine should have reminded H whose letters they were every time he called her thief.
Reread two years later and upping my rating despite glaring plot holes. Why didn’t ex wife take letters. H implies she’s too cowardly but she could have done it easily and legally. The H didn’t own the letters, she did, she had safe combo, door key. Heroine should have reminded H whose letters they were every time he called her thief.
June 11, 2020
A reread of one of my favorite authors. this author really did well especially considering she was writing harlequin. love her heroines-very strong and cool under pressure.
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