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Secret Admirer
Grace under pressure
Running into a potential business partner late at night in a broken elevator - when one was wearing a glamorous fur with nothing on underneath - was awkward, but Grace Blair was cool enough to handle a hot situation.
Her poised, controlled demeanor belied the insecurity she felt taking over her late husband's business empire, but Scott Gregory was able with one caressing glance to strip away all her pretenses. Especially since the handsome New Zealander had made it clear from their first inauspicious meeting that in business, knowledge was power - and that he knew exactly what he wanted.
A YEAR DOWN UNDER
Running into a potential business partner late at night in a broken elevator - when one was wearing a glamorous fur with nothing on underneath - was awkward, but Grace Blair was cool enough to handle a hot situation.
Her poised, controlled demeanor belied the insecurity she felt taking over her late husband's business empire, but Scott Gregory was able with one caressing glance to strip away all her pretenses. Especially since the handsome New Zealander had made it clear from their first inauspicious meeting that in business, knowledge was power - and that he knew exactly what he wanted.
A YEAR DOWN UNDER
190 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
9 people are currently reading
478 people want to read
About the author
Susan Napier
141 books152 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 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 10, 2018
Re Secret Admirer - Susan Napier does a true unicorn event in HPlandia with a stalkery stalkerific H and a nice but not very knowledgeable widowed h who needs some fast lessons in running her dead hubby's company.
This story starts with one of the most interesting H/h meetings in all of HPlandia. The h is wearing nothing but full length mink and some white cotton undies with little rosebuds when she rushes into the elevator that contains the H and his Lady Mucky Muck date for the evening.
(She had accepted an offer of a swimsuit modeling shoot and the photographer, whom she knew and trusted, tried a very clumsy pass and took her clothes and locked them in the bathroom. While he was getting drinks, the h grabbed the closest covering she could find-the fur coat- and ran for it.)
The lift gets stuck and Lady Mucky Muck, who is in head to toe designer couture and dripping with diamonds, proceeds to give a loud and long lecture to the h about the horridness of wearing ranch raised fur.
( Now I laughed a bit here at the irony. Here is a woman probably wearing clothes made in some third world sweat shop and dripping in diamonds that were probably sold as blood/conflict diamonds or that some rampaging ancestor looted and she is going on very shrilly and extensively about ranch raised mink fur. I vote for organic hand woven cotton lace HP fashionistas, lovingly gathered by self sustaining farmers and blended with hand raised silk bought in an organized co-op that is true eco-supportive clothing perfect for all HP high society occasions. )
Anyhows, it gets really hot in the lift and the h is feeling a bit woozy but won't release the death grip she has on the fastenings of the coat. The H, who is pretty much a contemptuous sneering mysogynist, gets exasperated and remarks how women can't do anything sensible and tries to take the coat off. He gets a great view of what the h isn't wearing, tho the rosebuds are adorable, and then the lights go out as the H is refastening the coat. The lift starts working when the lights come back on and the mortified h rushes off into the night.
The h is 26 and used to be a model with a domineering show business mother. She married her older husband when he was around 34 and it was a big love match. Her first hubby owns an electronics firm and did not want the h to work, they were in love, they wanted kids and the first hubby was very much about taking care of his little lady h. Then when first hubby hit 40, he died from a heart issue. The h has now been widowed eight months and has gotten thrown into the deep end on salvaging first hubby's firm.
It is good the h has a lot of practice posing, cause the well-dressed haughty bored look works a treat when coupled with non verbal accountant side kick cues when the h has to ward off other business threats to the company from various competitors and corporate raiders. Then news comes that a big corporate raider shark has the h's company in his sights.
The h is trying to learn the basics of business as fast as she can, but she has never been in control of her own finances in her life - first her mother scooped her modeling earnings and first hubby did not want the h to worry her pretty head about things. The h only recently learned to balance her own checkbook, but she is taking evening classes and the helpful company accountant is doing his best to punt her through.
It is very frustrating and hard for the h tho, because her stage mother yanked her out of school early to start earning in a modeling career and some days the h's only sense of hope comes from a weekly mysterious flower delivery from a seekrit admirer.
These aren't romantic rose type deliveries either, they are cheery little poseys like violets and chrysanthemums and little bouquets designed to give weary spirits a lift. The h's secretary wants to discover the source of the weekly blooms of delight, but the h is pretty happy just getting them and feeling the happy bouquet joy, so she isn't too serious about pursuing it.
So the big corporate raider makes an appointment to come see the h, but first he sends a news clipping of the couple that the h got stuck in the lift with in her unfortunate fur coat incident. The h is shocked, because she knows that the misogynist who got an eyeful of rosebuds is also the 29 yr old raider that holds the keys to a necessary component contract required for the h's business.
The accountant warns that this could be a hostile takeover attempt or a test of the h to try her business mettle and maybe get a share of her privately held company. Either way the h needs to be on guard and ready for anything. So enters the H, and he is pretty pushy when he hands the h a tape and claims it is he and her dead husband discussing a partnership project.
The h does her best, but the H is pretty bullying and since he has studied a lot of business psychology, is a recognized ruthless alpha raider and the h is a minnow in the deep ocean, he pretty much walks all over her and her rosebud undies. Technically, the h isn't obligated to the H for anything, the company is private, the shares are all hers and yes, there is a tape discussing a potential partnership project, but ultimately the h doesn't have to follow through on a discussion.
However this H is relentless in his business goals and relentless in his pursuit of the h. He hounds her all around, showing up as a guest lecturer at her night class, threatening to reveal the lift incident unless she dines with him and lets him tutor her and then moving next door after he buys her older apartment building-- which was kinda strange as he has a very nice pricey estate of his own.
He forces his way into her home and her life and then after a really weird pelvic grinding session when he has the h backed against the wall and she torn between terror and lust, he changes tactics and tries to woo her. He also freaks out and has a major fit when the h tells him about her seekrit admirer flowers and it doesn't take a whole lot brain power to see that the H's overreaction about stalkers and obsession is really him revealing his feelings about the h - hence the wall almost banging experience.
As this is a romance in HPlandia, we can take SN's word for it that this guy isn't a serial killer with ritualistic stalking behavior, and the h eventually succumbs to the H's home cooked food and business tutorials interspersed with a lot of personal charm. Tho the h has some uneasy moments with the way the H goes around just arranging things for her, maneuvering and manipulating her and always seeming to link them together publicly.
Then the H drops the bombshell that all his business goals are directed at one thing, revenge on his now deceased father. When the H's mother refused to be manipulated by the H's electronic magnate father or marry him when he deliberately got her preggers, the sewer slurper became enraged that a mere woman was denying him his legacy. He walked out of the H's mother's life and refused to pay any kind of support unless the H's mother bowed to his dictates.
The mother refused and brought up the H herself, until she couldn't afford a lifesaving operation and asked the H's father for help and he refused and let the H's mother die. He tried taking over the H, but the H has keen sense of revenge and changed his name back to his mum's and walked out. Now the H makes all his moves based on the fact that he wants to topple his father's empire that was left in the care of the man's wife and more recently he has a side focus of obsessing about the h.
The h reveals that her own mother was an unwed single parent too. She wasn't able to become a model as she wished, so when the h turned into such a beauty, the h's mother commandeered her into a full fledged career and then berated and taunted the h when she met her hubby and fled that life. The h's mother was incredibly bitter about men and even more bitter that her own legacy via the h was being denied and she could not longer vicariously live the life she always wanted.
The h isn't bitter about things tho, she has the great good sense to understand that people just do things and really the only thing you can do is either react or move on. The h is great at moving on and yet she misses the normal things she never got to have.
The h also warns the H that revenge is a double edged sword and that the H should proceed in his grand plan o'vengance with extreme caution. After all look at what happened to Oedipus, who was destroyed and blinded and exiled by his own unwitting hand when he struck out in fury and killed his father.
The h is also concerned that the H is putting major mojo moves on her, she wants a child desperately, had longed for one for her entire marriage and it was big disappointment to herself and her first hubby that she couldn't seem to get preggers. (The she knew her first hubby felt really badly that he couldn't seem to get her up the duff, so she spent a large part of her marriage hiding her deep sadness over the lack.)
The H even offers himself up as a stud, if the h wants a baby so badly. The h is attracted to the H and reconsidering what she really wants out of life, but the H's continual manipulations - to the point where he is sneakily trying to control what she drinks at social occasions is really starting to grate.
The h is tried of people manipulating and trying to control her, so she takes matters into her own hands and pretends to get royally intoxicated at a business dinner with the H. The h makes smart snarky comments to the women who continually approach her about the H and his unattainable heart and fortune and then does a full blown femme fatale act on the H that spectacularly misfires. The H drags her out of the dinner and takes her to his scarcely furnished palatial home and then chase her around like a deranged stalker in the dark.
It all ends in a big purple passion lurve mojo force moment and the h is ravished almost as much as the H is. Then the next morning the H casually drops the bombshell explosion that the h was his very first lurve club experience ever and the h is completely stunned - tho honestly she wasn't very far off unicorn petting status herself and now she just ran into a real one.
(As an aside, this H is NOT the first virginal H in HPlandia - that honor belongs to the H in Daphne Clair's Take Hold of Tomorrow - which this book strongly resembles in many ways outside the stalkerfic H - and the second honor goes to Waking Up by Amanda Carpenter. But this H is pretty much the most notorious heart breaker Alpha Male H in HPlandia who never got a mojo moment until he met the h. Definitely a unicorn in camouflage.)
So the h doesn't really believe she was the H's very first, but she likes him and loves the passion and feels alive after some considerable grief, so she is fine with a bonnet over the windmill fling. Then we meet the H's dead father's wife - who is clubbing with a 16 year old boy and the H reveals that his father's wife is a teen boy predator and a pedophile.
She tried it on with the H at fifteen and his father walked in and the disgusting slag lied and said the H was trying to rape her pregger self and later she miscarried. The H's father beat him and then sent him to wealthy student version of reform school. The H stuck it out like purgatory, focused on getting revenge and shunned all forms of physical contact. The women he met reminded him of his father's wife and he despised them - tho he took a lot of them out until he met the h.
The h is horrified and does her best to reassure him and put the blame firmly where it belongs. However when the H confesses that he loves her, the h panics. She thinks it is just because she is his first lover and she is caught between not wanting to ruin his first physical affair but also not really wanting to be in a committed relationship again either.
For the first time in her life, the h has some independence and she likes it. However she is also aware that the H is sorta vulnerable and she can't in good conscience use his confessions or his fragile new awakening against him and the H pushes hard for the h to commit to him.
Things take a serious nose dive when the h believes that the H was the one sending her the weekly flowers and the H doesn't deny it. The h is softening her stance on commitment to the H when the company accountant tells her that it was actually a secret codicil to the h's dead hubby's will that the h get a weekly delivery of flowers, to help find some cheering moments in the aftermath of grief.
The h is furious and goes to the H's apartment to wait for him for a big confrontation. The H gets home a little tipsy from his male club dinner and the h explodes. Then the H has big ranty moment back and calls the h's first hubby's flower delivering a creepy way to control her from the grave when he left her near penniless and that the h's first relationship was nothing more than an older man's obsession and that it was all designed to keep the h permanently on ice. So the H knew about the will codicil and used it to win over the h and now he wants it all.
The h agrees to give him her company and move in with him. She believes him about the dead hubby bit and after some back and forth at the company share sign over, the H tells the h that they will split everything fifty/fifty from now on, he and the h will marry and have that baby as he figures living well is the best revenge. The h is overwhelmed and tries to explain that she only wants him, but the H is all share and share alike partners forever as he whisks her off to the company's private lift to reenact their first meeting for the big HEA.
This is a well written book with a ton of drama. But this H kinda freaked me out a bit and the whole abuse thing, while incredibly sad and horrible, only served to convince me that had this not been HPlandia, we would be looking at an h in a well and passing notes up in a bucket.
I also did not like the H's take on the flower delivery from the first husband. I thought the H was the obsessed one, he certainly tends to run that way and that whole H melt down ranty moment after the h confronts him was the H describing himself.
If the flowers had been the romantic bouquet that lovers send, I would have rethought that, but really the types of flowers are just exactly what a caring friend would send to perk up someone's day when they are going through a rough time. Since the h had no idea who was responsible, it certainly did not seem like some older man's obsession, more an act of kindness from a man who really loved his wife, knew her likes well and wanted to see her happy even in her solitude.
Yes, the first hubby did leave her in a financial mess, but it was made clear that the first hubby's death was very unexpected and that he had been actively working to resolve the situation. It was actually the H who really needed the h's company for his plans to topple his father's empire and so his motives are much more suspect and since he manipulates the h for his own ends anyways, he certainly did not lose by winning his key revenge tool without having to do much for it.
Overall this book gets really high marks and it is on the HP required reading list. I have many reservations about it, mostly with the manner and the motivations of the H, but it is a very engrossing read and I recommend it for a most unusual HPlandia outing.
This story starts with one of the most interesting H/h meetings in all of HPlandia. The h is wearing nothing but full length mink and some white cotton undies with little rosebuds when she rushes into the elevator that contains the H and his Lady Mucky Muck date for the evening.
(She had accepted an offer of a swimsuit modeling shoot and the photographer, whom she knew and trusted, tried a very clumsy pass and took her clothes and locked them in the bathroom. While he was getting drinks, the h grabbed the closest covering she could find-the fur coat- and ran for it.)
The lift gets stuck and Lady Mucky Muck, who is in head to toe designer couture and dripping with diamonds, proceeds to give a loud and long lecture to the h about the horridness of wearing ranch raised fur.
( Now I laughed a bit here at the irony. Here is a woman probably wearing clothes made in some third world sweat shop and dripping in diamonds that were probably sold as blood/conflict diamonds or that some rampaging ancestor looted and she is going on very shrilly and extensively about ranch raised mink fur. I vote for organic hand woven cotton lace HP fashionistas, lovingly gathered by self sustaining farmers and blended with hand raised silk bought in an organized co-op that is true eco-supportive clothing perfect for all HP high society occasions. )
Anyhows, it gets really hot in the lift and the h is feeling a bit woozy but won't release the death grip she has on the fastenings of the coat. The H, who is pretty much a contemptuous sneering mysogynist, gets exasperated and remarks how women can't do anything sensible and tries to take the coat off. He gets a great view of what the h isn't wearing, tho the rosebuds are adorable, and then the lights go out as the H is refastening the coat. The lift starts working when the lights come back on and the mortified h rushes off into the night.
The h is 26 and used to be a model with a domineering show business mother. She married her older husband when he was around 34 and it was a big love match. Her first hubby owns an electronics firm and did not want the h to work, they were in love, they wanted kids and the first hubby was very much about taking care of his little lady h. Then when first hubby hit 40, he died from a heart issue. The h has now been widowed eight months and has gotten thrown into the deep end on salvaging first hubby's firm.
It is good the h has a lot of practice posing, cause the well-dressed haughty bored look works a treat when coupled with non verbal accountant side kick cues when the h has to ward off other business threats to the company from various competitors and corporate raiders. Then news comes that a big corporate raider shark has the h's company in his sights.
The h is trying to learn the basics of business as fast as she can, but she has never been in control of her own finances in her life - first her mother scooped her modeling earnings and first hubby did not want the h to worry her pretty head about things. The h only recently learned to balance her own checkbook, but she is taking evening classes and the helpful company accountant is doing his best to punt her through.
It is very frustrating and hard for the h tho, because her stage mother yanked her out of school early to start earning in a modeling career and some days the h's only sense of hope comes from a weekly mysterious flower delivery from a seekrit admirer.
These aren't romantic rose type deliveries either, they are cheery little poseys like violets and chrysanthemums and little bouquets designed to give weary spirits a lift. The h's secretary wants to discover the source of the weekly blooms of delight, but the h is pretty happy just getting them and feeling the happy bouquet joy, so she isn't too serious about pursuing it.
So the big corporate raider makes an appointment to come see the h, but first he sends a news clipping of the couple that the h got stuck in the lift with in her unfortunate fur coat incident. The h is shocked, because she knows that the misogynist who got an eyeful of rosebuds is also the 29 yr old raider that holds the keys to a necessary component contract required for the h's business.
The accountant warns that this could be a hostile takeover attempt or a test of the h to try her business mettle and maybe get a share of her privately held company. Either way the h needs to be on guard and ready for anything. So enters the H, and he is pretty pushy when he hands the h a tape and claims it is he and her dead husband discussing a partnership project.
The h does her best, but the H is pretty bullying and since he has studied a lot of business psychology, is a recognized ruthless alpha raider and the h is a minnow in the deep ocean, he pretty much walks all over her and her rosebud undies. Technically, the h isn't obligated to the H for anything, the company is private, the shares are all hers and yes, there is a tape discussing a potential partnership project, but ultimately the h doesn't have to follow through on a discussion.
However this H is relentless in his business goals and relentless in his pursuit of the h. He hounds her all around, showing up as a guest lecturer at her night class, threatening to reveal the lift incident unless she dines with him and lets him tutor her and then moving next door after he buys her older apartment building-- which was kinda strange as he has a very nice pricey estate of his own.
He forces his way into her home and her life and then after a really weird pelvic grinding session when he has the h backed against the wall and she torn between terror and lust, he changes tactics and tries to woo her. He also freaks out and has a major fit when the h tells him about her seekrit admirer flowers and it doesn't take a whole lot brain power to see that the H's overreaction about stalkers and obsession is really him revealing his feelings about the h - hence the wall almost banging experience.
As this is a romance in HPlandia, we can take SN's word for it that this guy isn't a serial killer with ritualistic stalking behavior, and the h eventually succumbs to the H's home cooked food and business tutorials interspersed with a lot of personal charm. Tho the h has some uneasy moments with the way the H goes around just arranging things for her, maneuvering and manipulating her and always seeming to link them together publicly.
Then the H drops the bombshell that all his business goals are directed at one thing, revenge on his now deceased father. When the H's mother refused to be manipulated by the H's electronic magnate father or marry him when he deliberately got her preggers, the sewer slurper became enraged that a mere woman was denying him his legacy. He walked out of the H's mother's life and refused to pay any kind of support unless the H's mother bowed to his dictates.
The mother refused and brought up the H herself, until she couldn't afford a lifesaving operation and asked the H's father for help and he refused and let the H's mother die. He tried taking over the H, but the H has keen sense of revenge and changed his name back to his mum's and walked out. Now the H makes all his moves based on the fact that he wants to topple his father's empire that was left in the care of the man's wife and more recently he has a side focus of obsessing about the h.
The h reveals that her own mother was an unwed single parent too. She wasn't able to become a model as she wished, so when the h turned into such a beauty, the h's mother commandeered her into a full fledged career and then berated and taunted the h when she met her hubby and fled that life. The h's mother was incredibly bitter about men and even more bitter that her own legacy via the h was being denied and she could not longer vicariously live the life she always wanted.
The h isn't bitter about things tho, she has the great good sense to understand that people just do things and really the only thing you can do is either react or move on. The h is great at moving on and yet she misses the normal things she never got to have.
The h also warns the H that revenge is a double edged sword and that the H should proceed in his grand plan o'vengance with extreme caution. After all look at what happened to Oedipus, who was destroyed and blinded and exiled by his own unwitting hand when he struck out in fury and killed his father.
The h is also concerned that the H is putting major mojo moves on her, she wants a child desperately, had longed for one for her entire marriage and it was big disappointment to herself and her first hubby that she couldn't seem to get preggers. (The she knew her first hubby felt really badly that he couldn't seem to get her up the duff, so she spent a large part of her marriage hiding her deep sadness over the lack.)
The H even offers himself up as a stud, if the h wants a baby so badly. The h is attracted to the H and reconsidering what she really wants out of life, but the H's continual manipulations - to the point where he is sneakily trying to control what she drinks at social occasions is really starting to grate.
The h is tried of people manipulating and trying to control her, so she takes matters into her own hands and pretends to get royally intoxicated at a business dinner with the H. The h makes smart snarky comments to the women who continually approach her about the H and his unattainable heart and fortune and then does a full blown femme fatale act on the H that spectacularly misfires. The H drags her out of the dinner and takes her to his scarcely furnished palatial home and then chase her around like a deranged stalker in the dark.
It all ends in a big purple passion lurve mojo force moment and the h is ravished almost as much as the H is. Then the next morning the H casually drops the bombshell explosion that the h was his very first lurve club experience ever and the h is completely stunned - tho honestly she wasn't very far off unicorn petting status herself and now she just ran into a real one.
(As an aside, this H is NOT the first virginal H in HPlandia - that honor belongs to the H in Daphne Clair's Take Hold of Tomorrow - which this book strongly resembles in many ways outside the stalkerfic H - and the second honor goes to Waking Up by Amanda Carpenter. But this H is pretty much the most notorious heart breaker Alpha Male H in HPlandia who never got a mojo moment until he met the h. Definitely a unicorn in camouflage.)
So the h doesn't really believe she was the H's very first, but she likes him and loves the passion and feels alive after some considerable grief, so she is fine with a bonnet over the windmill fling. Then we meet the H's dead father's wife - who is clubbing with a 16 year old boy and the H reveals that his father's wife is a teen boy predator and a pedophile.
She tried it on with the H at fifteen and his father walked in and the disgusting slag lied and said the H was trying to rape her pregger self and later she miscarried. The H's father beat him and then sent him to wealthy student version of reform school. The H stuck it out like purgatory, focused on getting revenge and shunned all forms of physical contact. The women he met reminded him of his father's wife and he despised them - tho he took a lot of them out until he met the h.
The h is horrified and does her best to reassure him and put the blame firmly where it belongs. However when the H confesses that he loves her, the h panics. She thinks it is just because she is his first lover and she is caught between not wanting to ruin his first physical affair but also not really wanting to be in a committed relationship again either.
For the first time in her life, the h has some independence and she likes it. However she is also aware that the H is sorta vulnerable and she can't in good conscience use his confessions or his fragile new awakening against him and the H pushes hard for the h to commit to him.
Things take a serious nose dive when the h believes that the H was the one sending her the weekly flowers and the H doesn't deny it. The h is softening her stance on commitment to the H when the company accountant tells her that it was actually a secret codicil to the h's dead hubby's will that the h get a weekly delivery of flowers, to help find some cheering moments in the aftermath of grief.
The h is furious and goes to the H's apartment to wait for him for a big confrontation. The H gets home a little tipsy from his male club dinner and the h explodes. Then the H has big ranty moment back and calls the h's first hubby's flower delivering a creepy way to control her from the grave when he left her near penniless and that the h's first relationship was nothing more than an older man's obsession and that it was all designed to keep the h permanently on ice. So the H knew about the will codicil and used it to win over the h and now he wants it all.
The h agrees to give him her company and move in with him. She believes him about the dead hubby bit and after some back and forth at the company share sign over, the H tells the h that they will split everything fifty/fifty from now on, he and the h will marry and have that baby as he figures living well is the best revenge. The h is overwhelmed and tries to explain that she only wants him, but the H is all share and share alike partners forever as he whisks her off to the company's private lift to reenact their first meeting for the big HEA.
This is a well written book with a ton of drama. But this H kinda freaked me out a bit and the whole abuse thing, while incredibly sad and horrible, only served to convince me that had this not been HPlandia, we would be looking at an h in a well and passing notes up in a bucket.
I also did not like the H's take on the flower delivery from the first husband. I thought the H was the obsessed one, he certainly tends to run that way and that whole H melt down ranty moment after the h confronts him was the H describing himself.
If the flowers had been the romantic bouquet that lovers send, I would have rethought that, but really the types of flowers are just exactly what a caring friend would send to perk up someone's day when they are going through a rough time. Since the h had no idea who was responsible, it certainly did not seem like some older man's obsession, more an act of kindness from a man who really loved his wife, knew her likes well and wanted to see her happy even in her solitude.
Yes, the first hubby did leave her in a financial mess, but it was made clear that the first hubby's death was very unexpected and that he had been actively working to resolve the situation. It was actually the H who really needed the h's company for his plans to topple his father's empire and so his motives are much more suspect and since he manipulates the h for his own ends anyways, he certainly did not lose by winning his key revenge tool without having to do much for it.
Overall this book gets really high marks and it is on the HP required reading list. I have many reservations about it, mostly with the manner and the motivations of the H, but it is a very engrossing read and I recommend it for a most unusual HPlandia outing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2019
We have a couple of appointments today, so I was going to reread this Napier title during the inevitable hanging around in waiting rooms with no or terrible magazines in their lounge area. But I ended up gulping this steamy novel down last night.
Back when I was a voracious reader of Mills & Boon, Napier was my favourite of their authors. & this was my second favourite of her titles. But I'm thinking if I did reread some of the others...well, some would definitely stand the test of time better than this one!
Obviously, since I am giving it 4★ and read it at the speed of sound, I didn't hate it. But the whole plot was based on the hero behaving like a creepy stalker and The Twist. (side note: I heard Ms Napier speak while she was working out the plot for this novel - so I was actively looking for this novel for a couple of years. Knowing The Twist didn't spoil the book for me at all, but I can certainly understand other readers being annoyed at the spoiler filled reviews on Goodreads.) This was a very original idea at the time.
I've just finished reading
and Ms Napier mentions that the very short word counts on modern Harlequin Mills & Boon make it hard to do much plot or character development. This book could have used another 5k words I think, because most of the plot was the h & H snarling at each other. In spite of this, Grace and Scott were appealing both physically and in character. The sex scenes were pretty hot.
Weak resolution of a couple of plot strands, but still would recommend.
Back when I was a voracious reader of Mills & Boon, Napier was my favourite of their authors. & this was my second favourite of her titles. But I'm thinking if I did reread some of the others...well, some would definitely stand the test of time better than this one!
Obviously, since I am giving it 4★ and read it at the speed of sound, I didn't hate it. But the whole plot was based on the hero behaving like a creepy stalker and The Twist. (side note: I heard Ms Napier speak while she was working out the plot for this novel - so I was actively looking for this novel for a couple of years. Knowing The Twist didn't spoil the book for me at all, but I can certainly understand other readers being annoyed at the spoiler filled reviews on Goodreads.) This was a very original idea at the time.
I've just finished reading
and Ms Napier mentions that the very short word counts on modern Harlequin Mills & Boon make it hard to do much plot or character development. This book could have used another 5k words I think, because most of the plot was the h & H snarling at each other. In spite of this, Grace and Scott were appealing both physically and in character. The sex scenes were pretty hot.Weak resolution of a couple of plot strands, but still would recommend.
https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...
April 25, 2016
I am beginning to have a great fondness for Susan Napier.
Despite the old school me-man, you-woman interaction, she created a nice surprise with this story. Well worth a few hours of time.
Old reviewers, please go back and put spoiler alerts in.
Despite the old school me-man, you-woman interaction, she created a nice surprise with this story. Well worth a few hours of time.
Old reviewers, please go back and put spoiler alerts in.
September 3, 2013
Rating: 10 out of 5...
:O
Many know that I am not a big fan of the older harlequin romances. I find titles like The Tycoon's Baby Mother or The Millionaire's Mistress a huge turn off, let alone their plot lines which make my feminist ideals sizzle in anger.
This book caught me completely off-guard.
I was casually scrolling through my iPhone's Goodread app where there is an Explore button. Having pressed that, I came upon a list called virgin heroes.
Yes, I know, most of you who know me are probably rolling your eyes right now. But I can honestly tell you that even if that little bit of information was incorrect (and I certainly thought it was, for the better part of the story), I still would have loved this book as much. I mightn't have started reading it if it wasn't on that list, but if I had somehow stumbled upon this book and read the blurb I would have given it a chance. Because even by just reading the blurb, I knew this book was going to be different from the other Harlequin novels.
Surprising right?
Well let's start with the story.
The story starts off with Grace Blair, a recent widow, stumbling into a lift wearing nothing but a fur coat. With her on the lift was a handsome man and his companion. Things happen that ensure that her clothing failure is no longer a secret. This was a first meeting never to be forgotten. But what she doesn't realise, is that she set off a hunt where she will be the eventual prey.
What was surprising was that the heroine was a strong cool-headed intelligent heroine who was also passionate and loving.
What was even more surprising was that the hero was a beautiful mixture of alpha and strong who could also be sweet and loving.
I possibly couldn't write more without ruining the beautiful surprises that this book contains.
This book is a definite re-read for me and I would recommend it to all romance lovers.
:O
Many know that I am not a big fan of the older harlequin romances. I find titles like The Tycoon's Baby Mother or The Millionaire's Mistress a huge turn off, let alone their plot lines which make my feminist ideals sizzle in anger.
This book caught me completely off-guard.
I was casually scrolling through my iPhone's Goodread app where there is an Explore button. Having pressed that, I came upon a list called virgin heroes.
Yes, I know, most of you who know me are probably rolling your eyes right now. But I can honestly tell you that even if that little bit of information was incorrect (and I certainly thought it was, for the better part of the story), I still would have loved this book as much. I mightn't have started reading it if it wasn't on that list, but if I had somehow stumbled upon this book and read the blurb I would have given it a chance. Because even by just reading the blurb, I knew this book was going to be different from the other Harlequin novels.
Surprising right?
Well let's start with the story.
The story starts off with Grace Blair, a recent widow, stumbling into a lift wearing nothing but a fur coat. With her on the lift was a handsome man and his companion. Things happen that ensure that her clothing failure is no longer a secret. This was a first meeting never to be forgotten. But what she doesn't realise, is that she set off a hunt where she will be the eventual prey.
What was surprising was that the heroine was a strong cool-headed intelligent heroine who was also passionate and loving.
What was even more surprising was that the hero was a beautiful mixture of alpha and strong who could also be sweet and loving.
I possibly couldn't write more without ruining the beautiful surprises that this book contains.
This book is a definite re-read for me and I would recommend it to all romance lovers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2016
Review Secret Admirer by Susan Napier
Ex-model and recent widow Grace gets stuck in a lift with Scott and Scott's old lady date. Grace is wearing a long mink coat and Scott's lady is making comments about fur and Grace wishes that she would just shut up. She's really feeling very warm wrapped in the coat, and it's not hers, and she doesn't care about animal skins at the moment, she's got bigger problems.
And Scott's about to find out what one of those bigger problems is. He gets insistent that Grace take the coat off before she falls over with heat exhaustion ... and then discovers that she's not wearing much underneath. Rosebud panties. She's wearing rosebud panties. He's hooked.
Really embarrassed, Grace manages to get away, but a few months later she gets advanced warning that Scott's found her. See, Grace has already been through one Mills & Boon, just not a published one. She was a model and at 18 she married a rich older man. He died from a heart attack at 40. I'm always surprised that this doesn't happen more often in the romance world, given the age gaps and the stressful lives the men have been living. I'm sure keeping it up for such a young thing also contributes some strain... Ok, I'm not surprised, because obviously everyone is happy and lovely after the end of their books and live into their eighties and have a thousand grandchildren. But I do occasionally think: just wait ten years, missy, and you could be doing all this falling in love stuff again. It's mean, but I can't help it.
Grace has been left struggling to hold her husband's company together, while corporate sharks like Scott circle and snap at her business.
Grace has perfected the art of smizing. Smizing is a modelling technique that means looking smart and smiling and then getting signals from your accountant so that you don't say anything dumb in meetings. If you have a different definition of what smizing is, that's okay, but this is the New Zealand version.
Scott is a young businessman, he's not even thirty yet. What is it with these young New Zealand heroes? He's got some evidence that he was working with Grace's husband, so Grace is going to have to work with him. And, Grace is going to work intimately with him, because he's also signing up to be her business mentor.
I thought Grace was awesome. She was strong, and was making a go at managing a business, and committing to learn what she needed to know to be successful. She was clearly used to hard work, and she was smart. She was obviously beautiful and pampered and a little spoiled. There's a scene when she comes home a little frazzled because her car broke down on the highway and she had to wait ages for someone to come along and fix it for her, and when he did, the car had the unmitigated gall not to be broken. It's a small scene, but Grace had this unconscious thing where she expected people to do things for her, and I liked that because she was confident and a bitch and she owned it without being made to suffer for it.
Scott falls hard, and he's lovely in being strong, and while he'll take care of her, they had this perfect relationship set up where they would challenge each other and but heads because they would not take any crap.
This was a reread for me. And from a long time ago, because I read a lot of Susan Napier in my teens, and Robyn Donald and Daphne Clair. I could never really get into Australian settings, but I loved New Zealand. The only thing this was missing was the heroine retreating to a bach to hide out and being caught in a terrible storm. There was, however, plenty of other entertaining stuff.
I knew this book from the naked under the mink scene, and I had an interesting time, because I remembered one pivotal plot point very well, but not the other. And without giving it away (there are other spoiler reviews), it's not the more obvious one, but it's the one that has the most emotional resonance. I really look this book, and still think Susan Napier writes some wonderfully strong characters.
Ex-model and recent widow Grace gets stuck in a lift with Scott and Scott's old lady date. Grace is wearing a long mink coat and Scott's lady is making comments about fur and Grace wishes that she would just shut up. She's really feeling very warm wrapped in the coat, and it's not hers, and she doesn't care about animal skins at the moment, she's got bigger problems.
And Scott's about to find out what one of those bigger problems is. He gets insistent that Grace take the coat off before she falls over with heat exhaustion ... and then discovers that she's not wearing much underneath. Rosebud panties. She's wearing rosebud panties. He's hooked.
Really embarrassed, Grace manages to get away, but a few months later she gets advanced warning that Scott's found her. See, Grace has already been through one Mills & Boon, just not a published one. She was a model and at 18 she married a rich older man. He died from a heart attack at 40. I'm always surprised that this doesn't happen more often in the romance world, given the age gaps and the stressful lives the men have been living. I'm sure keeping it up for such a young thing also contributes some strain... Ok, I'm not surprised, because obviously everyone is happy and lovely after the end of their books and live into their eighties and have a thousand grandchildren. But I do occasionally think: just wait ten years, missy, and you could be doing all this falling in love stuff again. It's mean, but I can't help it.
Grace has been left struggling to hold her husband's company together, while corporate sharks like Scott circle and snap at her business.
Grace has perfected the art of smizing. Smizing is a modelling technique that means looking smart and smiling and then getting signals from your accountant so that you don't say anything dumb in meetings. If you have a different definition of what smizing is, that's okay, but this is the New Zealand version.
Scott is a young businessman, he's not even thirty yet. What is it with these young New Zealand heroes? He's got some evidence that he was working with Grace's husband, so Grace is going to have to work with him. And, Grace is going to work intimately with him, because he's also signing up to be her business mentor.
I thought Grace was awesome. She was strong, and was making a go at managing a business, and committing to learn what she needed to know to be successful. She was clearly used to hard work, and she was smart. She was obviously beautiful and pampered and a little spoiled. There's a scene when she comes home a little frazzled because her car broke down on the highway and she had to wait ages for someone to come along and fix it for her, and when he did, the car had the unmitigated gall not to be broken. It's a small scene, but Grace had this unconscious thing where she expected people to do things for her, and I liked that because she was confident and a bitch and she owned it without being made to suffer for it.
Scott falls hard, and he's lovely in being strong, and while he'll take care of her, they had this perfect relationship set up where they would challenge each other and but heads because they would not take any crap.
This was a reread for me. And from a long time ago, because I read a lot of Susan Napier in my teens, and Robyn Donald and Daphne Clair. I could never really get into Australian settings, but I loved New Zealand. The only thing this was missing was the heroine retreating to a bach to hide out and being caught in a terrible storm. There was, however, plenty of other entertaining stuff.
I knew this book from the naked under the mink scene, and I had an interesting time, because I remembered one pivotal plot point very well, but not the other. And without giving it away (there are other spoiler reviews), it's not the more obvious one, but it's the one that has the most emotional resonance. I really look this book, and still think Susan Napier writes some wonderfully strong characters.
January 17, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️ three stars -
I almost didn’t write a review for this one, since I’ve previously decided that I’m not going to review every single old-school Harlequin that I read; I simply don’t feel up to the task of writing a review for the umpteen quick and easy HQs that I’ve been reading lately. Frankly, there are just too dang many of them! 😂💁♀️
However, here I am writing this ✍️
This book, I really wanted to write a review for; I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Susan Napier, and in fact, I’ve got her next book in my pile all queued up to read next. I really enjoy her writing style, and am having fun with her quirky soap opera style reads.
One of the aspects to Napier’s stories that I’m enjoying is the fact that a lot of her heroine’s are widows. I feel that this plot characteristic adds a layer of emotion, which I thoroughly appreciate. One thing I will mention, is that while this trait is present in many of the books I’ve read so far from this author, it strikes me as more of a surface-level trait. Napier does not pack the emotional punch that, for instance, Susan Elizabeth Phillips brings to this trope, but I am still drawn into the story more with this emotional component.
Another point that really had me itching to write this review is the fact that I was intrigued with the plot development here. I’m not sure if aspects of the plot are influenced by cultural differences (Napier is a New Zealander, and I’m an American 💁♀️), or if it’s simply a case of old-fashioned mores (this book was originally published in 1993). The stark fact that the mc’s had so much to say, communicated often, but never really said what they truly meant, equally frustrated and fascinated me.
In true Napier style, the Hero here had a lot to say, and a lot of it made me wonder why I don’t have a man that talks like this to me 😂. Well, I know why - my husband is the stoic type lol. Really, the way her Heroes speak to the heroine is just pure romance. I would make a presumption that this is the reason that Napier is such a favored HQ author by many. Who wouldn’t want to escape into a world where a Hero is speaking to you in this fashion? It’s engaging, and the stuff of sheer, compelling romance.
* the follow paragraphs are the reason this review is hidden…
.
.
.
So, if I liked the romance so very much, why the three stars? It’s mostly because of the Hero’s stalkerish tendencies. Plus the fact that he never owned up to any of his actions. Again, it could be because of the time period mores or it’s cultural, I don’t know. Either way, the heroine never questioned him, either, so the reader just moved past it.
My next main issue is the way in which the big reveal was described over the flower deliveries. I did not like how the h lets the H make assumptions about her deceased husband, and basically downplays what I perceived to be a sweet gesture from a loving husband, even if it was from the grave.
I felt that basically the H took over the narrative for the h about the flowers, and he plowed through her emotions. It came off to me as the H not valuing the h’s past marriage, and I did not care for that plot aspect at all.
.
.
.
* end spoilers*
Overall, this was another good Napier HQ (former Mills & Boon) that I enjoyed, and am glad that I took the time to source from eBay.
I definitely enjoyed it. It’s quick and easy to read, and very engaging. I had trouble putting it down.
Most definitely do recommend for my fellow HQ readers, and for anyone that enjoys romance, really.
Three solid stars.
I almost didn’t write a review for this one, since I’ve previously decided that I’m not going to review every single old-school Harlequin that I read; I simply don’t feel up to the task of writing a review for the umpteen quick and easy HQs that I’ve been reading lately. Frankly, there are just too dang many of them! 😂💁♀️
However, here I am writing this ✍️
This book, I really wanted to write a review for; I’ve been thoroughly enjoying Susan Napier, and in fact, I’ve got her next book in my pile all queued up to read next. I really enjoy her writing style, and am having fun with her quirky soap opera style reads.
One of the aspects to Napier’s stories that I’m enjoying is the fact that a lot of her heroine’s are widows. I feel that this plot characteristic adds a layer of emotion, which I thoroughly appreciate. One thing I will mention, is that while this trait is present in many of the books I’ve read so far from this author, it strikes me as more of a surface-level trait. Napier does not pack the emotional punch that, for instance, Susan Elizabeth Phillips brings to this trope, but I am still drawn into the story more with this emotional component.
Another point that really had me itching to write this review is the fact that I was intrigued with the plot development here. I’m not sure if aspects of the plot are influenced by cultural differences (Napier is a New Zealander, and I’m an American 💁♀️), or if it’s simply a case of old-fashioned mores (this book was originally published in 1993). The stark fact that the mc’s had so much to say, communicated often, but never really said what they truly meant, equally frustrated and fascinated me.
In true Napier style, the Hero here had a lot to say, and a lot of it made me wonder why I don’t have a man that talks like this to me 😂. Well, I know why - my husband is the stoic type lol. Really, the way her Heroes speak to the heroine is just pure romance. I would make a presumption that this is the reason that Napier is such a favored HQ author by many. Who wouldn’t want to escape into a world where a Hero is speaking to you in this fashion? It’s engaging, and the stuff of sheer, compelling romance.
* the follow paragraphs are the reason this review is hidden…
.
.
.
So, if I liked the romance so very much, why the three stars? It’s mostly because of the Hero’s stalkerish tendencies. Plus the fact that he never owned up to any of his actions. Again, it could be because of the time period mores or it’s cultural, I don’t know. Either way, the heroine never questioned him, either, so the reader just moved past it.
My next main issue is the way in which the big reveal was described over the flower deliveries. I did not like how the h lets the H make assumptions about her deceased husband, and basically downplays what I perceived to be a sweet gesture from a loving husband, even if it was from the grave.
I felt that basically the H took over the narrative for the h about the flowers, and he plowed through her emotions. It came off to me as the H not valuing the h’s past marriage, and I did not care for that plot aspect at all.
.
.
.
* end spoilers*
Overall, this was another good Napier HQ (former Mills & Boon) that I enjoyed, and am glad that I took the time to source from eBay.
I definitely enjoyed it. It’s quick and easy to read, and very engaging. I had trouble putting it down.
Most definitely do recommend for my fellow HQ readers, and for anyone that enjoys romance, really.
Three solid stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2018
"Secret Admirer" is the story of Grace and Scott.
The story begins in an elevator. The heroine is dressed in a mink coat, trapped in the elevator with a stranger and his date. When it malfunctions, they are stuck for a while. Consequently, the heroine gets dizzy, only for the hero to unwillingly strip her and witness her birthday suit..
Months later, we are reintroduced to the heroine who has been a grieving widow, trying to keep her husband's sinking company afloat with the help of his partner. Things change when his old business associate shows up, and it is none other than the stranger!
Hence begins a extremely passionate but slow burn romance- with a relentlessly persuasive and determined hero, a cautious heroine, steaming kisses and beautiful lovemaking. There is some stalker drama and an extremely tragic past both of which are handled by the author with sensitivity.
'But of course I was forgetting that caring for you is taboo. I'm permitted to do everything except love you-that would be indecent. I get to bed you, entertain you, feed you, advise you, send you a few token flowers-----'
It was refreshing to see the heroine acting like a dick to a lovestruck hero for once.
'You've been a part of my life for months, even though I didn't realise it. You've waited for me that long. And you didn't pressure me, not when you knew I wasn't ready for it, you just gave without expecting anything in return...and then I-I was such a bitch to you...'
And I love me a good grovel!
There is some "revelation" drama towards the end, but it cannot be a HQN romance with the hero or heroine acting like an a$$. I feel the last three chapters kind of soured the otherwise perfect book for me, and the shrew should have been tamed faster.
That being said, I adored how he cared for her feelings and gave her time, pampered, trained and protected her, and even though this book has one of my biggest pet peeves , it is SO well done that I didn't mind it.
'This is a beginning for us, Grace, not an end. You can't stop this happening any more than you can stop the sun shining or the rain falling. This is our time. You love me, Grace, I can feel it in every breath and sigh and bitter word...'
Loved it.
Safe
4.5/5
The story begins in an elevator. The heroine is dressed in a mink coat, trapped in the elevator with a stranger and his date. When it malfunctions, they are stuck for a while. Consequently, the heroine gets dizzy, only for the hero to unwillingly strip her and witness her birthday suit..
Months later, we are reintroduced to the heroine who has been a grieving widow, trying to keep her husband's sinking company afloat with the help of his partner. Things change when his old business associate shows up, and it is none other than the stranger!
Hence begins a extremely passionate but slow burn romance- with a relentlessly persuasive and determined hero, a cautious heroine, steaming kisses and beautiful lovemaking. There is some stalker drama and an extremely tragic past both of which are handled by the author with sensitivity.
'But of course I was forgetting that caring for you is taboo. I'm permitted to do everything except love you-that would be indecent. I get to bed you, entertain you, feed you, advise you, send you a few token flowers-----'
It was refreshing to see the heroine acting like a dick to a lovestruck hero for once.
'You've been a part of my life for months, even though I didn't realise it. You've waited for me that long. And you didn't pressure me, not when you knew I wasn't ready for it, you just gave without expecting anything in return...and then I-I was such a bitch to you...'
And I love me a good grovel!
There is some "revelation" drama towards the end, but it cannot be a HQN romance with the hero or heroine acting like an a$$. I feel the last three chapters kind of soured the otherwise perfect book for me, and the shrew should have been tamed faster.
That being said, I adored how he cared for her feelings and gave her time, pampered, trained and protected her, and even though this book has one of my biggest pet peeves , it is SO well done that I didn't mind it.
'This is a beginning for us, Grace, not an end. You can't stop this happening any more than you can stop the sun shining or the rain falling. This is our time. You love me, Grace, I can feel it in every breath and sigh and bitter word...'
Loved it.
Safe
4.5/5
November 1, 2017
Super cute, fun, and actually unique! I can honestly say I've never read an HP with this particular twist (), and I quite enjoyed it! Scott was such a yummy Hero, watching Alphas lose control is just the best thing ever, we can all agree on that eh? It was fun watching Grace spin him around!
Fans of harsh, cruel Alphas may not be as enamored as I was- Scott was bulldozey sure, but he always treated Grace like a queen, and he didn't follow HPlandia rules at all in that he was upfront about being crazy about her and chose to open up to her about all his skeletons and traumas instead of the usual torture of being mysteriously cold and nasty.
Grace was also a weird heroine in that, faced with a direct love confession and as perfect a wooing as any heroine could dream of, she kept rejecting him. Weirdo. I liked the sneaky, playful ways she fought him though, and their initial meeting in the elevator was just the best!
Anyway I loved Scott. He was perfect.
Fans of harsh, cruel Alphas may not be as enamored as I was- Scott was bulldozey sure, but he always treated Grace like a queen, and he didn't follow HPlandia rules at all in that he was upfront about being crazy about her and chose to open up to her about all his skeletons and traumas instead of the usual torture of being mysteriously cold and nasty.
Grace was also a weird heroine in that, faced with a direct love confession and as perfect a wooing as any heroine could dream of, she kept rejecting him. Weirdo. I liked the sneaky, playful ways she fought him though, and their initial meeting in the elevator was just the best!
Anyway I loved Scott. He was perfect.
September 5, 2013
Where has this book been all this time!!?
I was a bit leery reading something from so far back, given the trend of cloyingly dominating men and rape-y romances, but this is as far from the convention as you get.
Our heroine, Grace boards an elevator in a fur coat and nothing else underneath it. Unfortunately, the lift breaks down and it gets warm and suffocating.. Just as she's feeling a bit faint, a handsome stranger tries to help her out...
The hero was pretty much the typical-90s alpha and dominant type; but he knew to respect Grace's intelligence and opinions. I really really want to list the squee-points of this, but there are TONS of pleasant surprises in store.
Definitely recommended to everyone.
I was a bit leery reading something from so far back, given the trend of cloyingly dominating men and rape-y romances, but this is as far from the convention as you get.
Our heroine, Grace boards an elevator in a fur coat and nothing else underneath it. Unfortunately, the lift breaks down and it gets warm and suffocating.. Just as she's feeling a bit faint, a handsome stranger tries to help her out...
The hero was pretty much the typical-90s alpha and dominant type; but he knew to respect Grace's intelligence and opinions. I really really want to list the squee-points of this, but there are TONS of pleasant surprises in store.
Definitely recommended to everyone.
June 13, 2020
Lots of good reviews for this one, so I'm off the hook for a plot description.
I'm not a fan of stalker heroes and this guy was obsessed with the heroine - playing mind games - buying her apartment building, etc. . . He was a little too nuts for me, although I did feel bad about his backstory.
I'm not a fan of stalker heroes and this guy was obsessed with the heroine - playing mind games - buying her apartment building, etc. . . He was a little too nuts for me, although I did feel bad about his backstory.
January 30, 2014
Full review at: Secret Admirer (Paperback)
by Susan Napier
by Susan Napier
January 25, 2012
With my second book by the author, Susan Napier has landed in my list of favorite Harlequin romance authors. Even with the 2 books that I have read, I have come to identify with the fact that her books have those elements that continually surprises the reader, which is no mean feat when someone like myself who has read and loved 1000′s of romances can pick up a novel and be drawn into the story because of the opening chapter itself.
Secret Admirer kick starts with seven month widower Grace Blair being caught in an elevator with the man who turns her orderly and well controlled life around. Grace cannot help but be equal parts horrified and fascinated with the turn of events that takes place in the elevator, nor can she forget the heat that had blazed into life in the stranger’s eyes, who continues to haunt and taunt her in vivid dreams of the erotic variety.
When Scott Gregory walks into her life as a potential business partner, Grace cannot believe her eyes nor her luck in meeting the man who keeps popping into her thoughts and dreams at the most inopportune moments. But years of practice and teachings that had been ingrained into her from her childhood itself lets Grace handle the meeting in her usual icy and reserved manner, or so she thinks until she realizes the ease with which Scott invades her life, turning her whole world upside down and making her face the inevitable truth of her changing feelings towards him.
Scott Gregory, hands down, was the best thing about this story. His passion for anything and everything to do with Grace, his utter focus and zeal when seducing Grace and of course the way his senses clamor for Grace’s touch and the desire that he so evidently feels for Grace was such a beautiful part of the story. Scott has a few surprises in store for Grace, one that leaves her reeling, with feelings of possessiveness streaking through her very core. The fact that Scott gives her the one thing that he has been holding off from giving to any other woman should have convinced Grace of his much deeper feelings for her, but Grace continually thwarts Scott’s efforts until towards the very end which pissed me off for a bit when it came to Grace. But nevertheless, the passion, the chase and the ultimate surrender of Grace proved to make this a titillating read that held my undivided attention all throughout.
Highly recommended!
Rating=4.5/5
Original review published on MBR's Realm of Romance
Quotes included below!
Secret Admirer kick starts with seven month widower Grace Blair being caught in an elevator with the man who turns her orderly and well controlled life around. Grace cannot help but be equal parts horrified and fascinated with the turn of events that takes place in the elevator, nor can she forget the heat that had blazed into life in the stranger’s eyes, who continues to haunt and taunt her in vivid dreams of the erotic variety.
When Scott Gregory walks into her life as a potential business partner, Grace cannot believe her eyes nor her luck in meeting the man who keeps popping into her thoughts and dreams at the most inopportune moments. But years of practice and teachings that had been ingrained into her from her childhood itself lets Grace handle the meeting in her usual icy and reserved manner, or so she thinks until she realizes the ease with which Scott invades her life, turning her whole world upside down and making her face the inevitable truth of her changing feelings towards him.
Scott Gregory, hands down, was the best thing about this story. His passion for anything and everything to do with Grace, his utter focus and zeal when seducing Grace and of course the way his senses clamor for Grace’s touch and the desire that he so evidently feels for Grace was such a beautiful part of the story. Scott has a few surprises in store for Grace, one that leaves her reeling, with feelings of possessiveness streaking through her very core. The fact that Scott gives her the one thing that he has been holding off from giving to any other woman should have convinced Grace of his much deeper feelings for her, but Grace continually thwarts Scott’s efforts until towards the very end which pissed me off for a bit when it came to Grace. But nevertheless, the passion, the chase and the ultimate surrender of Grace proved to make this a titillating read that held my undivided attention all throughout.
Highly recommended!
Rating=4.5/5
Original review published on MBR's Realm of Romance
Quotes included below!
August 8, 2011
The heroine Grace is struggling to cope after her husband's death with both her loneliness and the demands of the business he left her in charge of. This is made worse when she meets with a potential business rival, who turns out to be the man she met a little while back when stuck in a lift in a rather embarrassing situation. The hero Scott hasn't forgotten Grace since the incident in the lift and pursues both her and a business relationship. Grace is nervous and rather intimidated by Scott's ruthless pursuit of her, however he also helps her with her business studies and learning to run the business. As they get to know one another they get closer and closer, but Grace is worried about getting hurt and Scott has secrets behind his ruthlessness.
This is such an amazing book, so daring in it's originality and beautifully crafted by Susan Napier. The characters are really well developed, I liked them both instantly. There is a twist to this story that is a stroke of genius, and even though I already knew about it before reading, when it was revealed even I was shocked by the events! This twist is so unusual (in the romance genre) but wonderfully done by the author, you would never guess it and the reasons behind it are handled really well. I know I'm being cryptic but I don't want to spoil it!
At times the story is fun and light and other it's very emotional and deep, which really makes it a very powerful read. And, considering this book was published in 1992 I think it holds up really well to modern standards.
Recommended.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
This is such an amazing book, so daring in it's originality and beautifully crafted by Susan Napier. The characters are really well developed, I liked them both instantly. There is a twist to this story that is a stroke of genius, and even though I already knew about it before reading, when it was revealed even I was shocked by the events! This twist is so unusual (in the romance genre) but wonderfully done by the author, you would never guess it and the reasons behind it are handled really well. I know I'm being cryptic but I don't want to spoil it!
At times the story is fun and light and other it's very emotional and deep, which really makes it a very powerful read. And, considering this book was published in 1992 I think it holds up really well to modern standards.
Recommended.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
June 27, 2016
It was very easy to guess who the actual secret admire was right from the start.
The characters were not flawless but that's what I liked about this book. I didn't read the reviews before hand, a very good thing, so I was surprised by something in the plot and was able to enjoy the book the way it was meant to be. I wanted to kill the step mother.
The characters were not flawless but that's what I liked about this book. I didn't read the reviews before hand, a very good thing, so I was surprised by something in the plot and was able to enjoy the book the way it was meant to be. I wanted to kill the step mother.
June 12, 2011
Wow!
This is a book about a stalker-y scary dude turning out very sexy.
This is a book about a stalker-y scary dude turning out very sexy.
July 14, 2019
After her husband dies suddenly from a heart attack, Grace Blair finds herself struggling to make ends meet and to keep Blair Components afloat. So she turns to her first career, modeling. When her session with the photographer becomes uncomfortable, she finds herself clad only in panties and a full-length fur coat, and sharing an elevator with a snooty woman and an incredibly attractive man. To her mortification the elevator stops and the heat in the tiny space increases. As the others take off their coats, Grace hides further inside her own. Scott Gregory is 29 and very close to achieving all his goals. He’s built up Scott Electronics from nothing and has earned a reputation for being ruthless and admired for his genius with business. The woman in the fur coat had to be ready to faint from the stifling heat. In his attempt to relieve her of her coat, he never in his wildest dreams imagined that she was almost naked. Months later, Grace must face a business acquaintance of her husband and deal with promises that had been made. Much to Grace’s dismay, the business acquaintance is none other than her elevator companion. It seems that Scott has much more than the business of electronics on his mind. Ever since the elevator, he’s been dreaming of Grace, and the achingly erotic dreams have awakened a desire so strong he can’t resist.
I learnt of this book from a discussion on the i (heart) presents site about the virgin heroine. This book has a wonderful twist to that theme. Grace’s training since childhood as a model, have helped her remain composed and give the impression that she has some business sense. Inside, she’s a bundle of nerves and insecurities. Scott is a business genius, and has single-mindedly been driven to succeed. To all appearances he’s the charismatic playboy who callously discards his women, which is so very far from the truth! Great twist! Awesome book! Ms. Napier holds no bars in writing scenes that are edgier and creating intense emotion in her characters. I loved how Scott and Grace complemented each other. And how Ms. Napier made Scott’s unique situation so believable. Bravo!
I learnt of this book from a discussion on the i (heart) presents site about the virgin heroine. This book has a wonderful twist to that theme. Grace’s training since childhood as a model, have helped her remain composed and give the impression that she has some business sense. Inside, she’s a bundle of nerves and insecurities. Scott is a business genius, and has single-mindedly been driven to succeed. To all appearances he’s the charismatic playboy who callously discards his women, which is so very far from the truth! Great twist! Awesome book! Ms. Napier holds no bars in writing scenes that are edgier and creating intense emotion in her characters. I loved how Scott and Grace complemented each other. And how Ms. Napier made Scott’s unique situation so believable. Bravo!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2014
Wow!! This book was written back in 1992 and I guess our current popular writers have gotten their inspiration for stalker-ish, domineering heroes from these oldies!!
But this dude is great..really adored,loved Scott here AND there's a surprise as well!!
I'll definitely be checking out other of Susan Napier's works!
"Now there's no way you can back out. If you ever try to leave me we'll be tied up in the courts together for decades, trying to sort out the legal tangle. Come on. We have places to go, things to do."
But this dude is great..really adored,loved Scott here AND there's a surprise as well!!
I'll definitely be checking out other of Susan Napier's works!
"Now there's no way you can back out. If you ever try to leave me we'll be tied up in the courts together for decades, trying to sort out the legal tangle. Come on. We have places to go, things to do."
February 28, 2023
This was different, because the H is different.
Read
September 12, 2016note to self: book to avoid
January 25, 2018
It grabbed me from the first page with Grace in the stuck elevator with Scott when all she had on under the fur coat was a pair of rosebud panties. I really wasn't sure I liked Scott as he seemed determined to think the worst of Grace, but then he was willing to listen to her and teach her.
The "big scene" was quite a shock for me! Usually it's the woman who is the virgin & the man who is the experienced one.
One thing I did *not* like was Scott's opinion of the "secret admirer". He thought it was creepy that her dead husband sent the flowers & that it was to control her beyond the grave. As Boogenhagen said, "really the types of flowers are just exactly what a caring friend would send to perk up someone's day when they are going through a rough time. Since the h had no idea who was responsible, it certainly did not seem like some older man's obsession, more an act of kindness from a man who really loved his wife, knew her likes well and wanted to see her happy even in her solitude. "
This actually took me longer to read than usual because the middle part dragged a bit, but over all, I liked it.
The "big scene" was quite a shock for me! Usually it's the woman who is the virgin & the man who is the experienced one.
One thing I did *not* like was Scott's opinion of the "secret admirer". He thought it was creepy that her dead husband sent the flowers & that it was to control her beyond the grave. As Boogenhagen said, "really the types of flowers are just exactly what a caring friend would send to perk up someone's day when they are going through a rough time. Since the h had no idea who was responsible, it certainly did not seem like some older man's obsession, more an act of kindness from a man who really loved his wife, knew her likes well and wanted to see her happy even in her solitude. "
This actually took me longer to read than usual because the middle part dragged a bit, but over all, I liked it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2012
Entertaining...fast read, but there is something about SN's writing that just confuses me. I can't quite put my finger on it. It felt like the ending was a little rushed.
July 14, 2021
“Don’t trust everything you see, even salt looks like sugar.” This book reminds me of the quote. I seriously did not see see THAT coming. (Well I did because I read some spoiler reviews) I really enjoyed this book and if you want your hp world turned upside down for a few hours then this book is a definite yes. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
Heroine(Grace)- 25 year old widow...her husband was 15 years older. He died suddenly leaving his widow in charge of a company that was in trouble. However, our h doesn’t come from a business background and has to (wants to) learn how to run it successfully. Let’s dissect the heroine for a minute.
*She grew up with a momager.( Brooke Shields mom may have been the inspiration, thank goodness this was written before the dreaded K family 🥶) Basically mom spent all her time and energy into making her daughter a model starting at an early age...our h had no childhood, very little schooling, no friends, no father.....
*She was illegitimate, and the father wanted nothing to do with her or her mom(daddy issues) this is probably what attracted her to the older man husband
*Older man husband swooped in and in a matter of weeks they were married (via elopement) He was her first lover...and she loved her husband...but from our h’s memories we can see that her husband was probably a wee bit obsessive/possessive when it came to h. Basically, her life revolved around his...his approved friends were hers, she was a beautiful show piece for parties and functions, but didn’t need to be domestic(they had paid help), he doted on her, but really didn’t want to share with anyone (including children???)....
*Children...she really wanted them...they tried...both checked out physically...they even went so far as to freeze what was needed to produce children at a later date...However, it is my belief that the husband was in no hurry to share his wife with a child...he truly sounded enthralled with our h and probably would have locked her away in a castle away from prying eyes...he would have relented eventually to hold onto the h...but I have a feeling there would have been some problems here...plus he was having business problems and sheltered her from anything that might tax her, or help her grow...our heroine is not a ninny...however she does find herself in a precarious situation when she meets our Hero for the first time.....
Hero: (also illegitimate, daddy issues)Scott meets our h for the first time in an elevator with his date. She gets in the lift wearing a full length fur and nothing put panties underneath(she was escaping a rather amorous photographer). Our hero discovers her lack of clothing when the elevator is stuck and our h is ready to pass out from overheating. He undoes her coat, gets a twitchy eyeful, and thus this starts an obsession with our H. He is obsessed!!! His initial thoughts on the h is that she is a wanton hussy who wasted no time moving on after her husband passed. Our hero was at the beginning of negotiations with her dead husband when he died but nothing was official. A few months have passed since the elevator debacle and the H shows up at the h’s office (previously her husbands) to take her down for her wicked ways. ...OKAY...so this review is getting long...let me try this...
What makes our hero obsessed?(I love him anyway)
*he tracks heroine down after elevator
*he finds out where she is taking classes, becomes guest speaker, then says he will tutor her
*he buys her apartment building and.....moves in next door
*he commandeers her social engagements basically making them look like a couple(she doesn’t want to be a couple because he is a HUGE player)
*he cooks for her and feeds her at times(ok this doesn’t make him obsessed but I’m it’s worth noting he’s a gourmet)
*He kidnaps her from one such social outing (ok she leads him on a bit ) to his mansion...and now the loving begins....HuGE SPOILER coming....
After playing a mouse and cat game in the mansion chasing each other through the rooms...they almost do it on a table...but hero wants the first time with her in the bed...now our hero is all frenetic energy in the bedroom...he’s very eager and doesn’t want the h to be hurt or uncomfortable...he is like nitro glycerin on the back of a pick up truck going down a rutty dirt road...they come together and he wants to see the h as she falls apart into the sweet abyss...the next morning he is fully dressed and it is revealed that despite being 29 and photographed with a bevy of woman through the years, our Hero is not a playboy but a VIRGIN.....So I really liked how SN wrote this hero in that I could feel his intensity, I mean this man was a walking bundle of sexual frustration and it was really all geared to the heroine and the first night he saw her in the elevator. Before this he was able to squash feelings for women as his his stepmother tried to rape him when he was a young teen...not to mention she made sexually inappropriate comments about him since he was like 12....his turd of a father who was never really a dad believed the stepmom...so our H who’s real mom had died was alone....(we meet the stepmom later as she is clubbing with what appears to be a teen male...eww!)
We end up having a few more moments...but our Hero makes sure that if the h has any intention of leaving him it will be very difficult...My review doesn’t do this book justice....I am unable to capture the feelings and funny parts...it has also started me on a quest for finding more HP virgin heroes...there was something rather exciting about the heroine initiating the Hero ...I have no intention of giving up on my Lynne Graham’s...but it was a nice switch!
Heroine(Grace)- 25 year old widow...her husband was 15 years older. He died suddenly leaving his widow in charge of a company that was in trouble. However, our h doesn’t come from a business background and has to (wants to) learn how to run it successfully. Let’s dissect the heroine for a minute.
*She grew up with a momager.( Brooke Shields mom may have been the inspiration, thank goodness this was written before the dreaded K family 🥶) Basically mom spent all her time and energy into making her daughter a model starting at an early age...our h had no childhood, very little schooling, no friends, no father.....
*She was illegitimate, and the father wanted nothing to do with her or her mom(daddy issues) this is probably what attracted her to the older man husband
*Older man husband swooped in and in a matter of weeks they were married (via elopement) He was her first lover...and she loved her husband...but from our h’s memories we can see that her husband was probably a wee bit obsessive/possessive when it came to h. Basically, her life revolved around his...his approved friends were hers, she was a beautiful show piece for parties and functions, but didn’t need to be domestic(they had paid help), he doted on her, but really didn’t want to share with anyone (including children???)....
*Children...she really wanted them...they tried...both checked out physically...they even went so far as to freeze what was needed to produce children at a later date...However, it is my belief that the husband was in no hurry to share his wife with a child...he truly sounded enthralled with our h and probably would have locked her away in a castle away from prying eyes...he would have relented eventually to hold onto the h...but I have a feeling there would have been some problems here...plus he was having business problems and sheltered her from anything that might tax her, or help her grow...our heroine is not a ninny...however she does find herself in a precarious situation when she meets our Hero for the first time.....
Hero: (also illegitimate, daddy issues)Scott meets our h for the first time in an elevator with his date. She gets in the lift wearing a full length fur and nothing put panties underneath(she was escaping a rather amorous photographer). Our hero discovers her lack of clothing when the elevator is stuck and our h is ready to pass out from overheating. He undoes her coat, gets a twitchy eyeful, and thus this starts an obsession with our H. He is obsessed!!! His initial thoughts on the h is that she is a wanton hussy who wasted no time moving on after her husband passed. Our hero was at the beginning of negotiations with her dead husband when he died but nothing was official. A few months have passed since the elevator debacle and the H shows up at the h’s office (previously her husbands) to take her down for her wicked ways. ...OKAY...so this review is getting long...let me try this...
What makes our hero obsessed?(I love him anyway)
*he tracks heroine down after elevator
*he finds out where she is taking classes, becomes guest speaker, then says he will tutor her
*he buys her apartment building and.....moves in next door
*he commandeers her social engagements basically making them look like a couple(she doesn’t want to be a couple because he is a HUGE player)
*he cooks for her and feeds her at times(ok this doesn’t make him obsessed but I’m it’s worth noting he’s a gourmet)
*He kidnaps her from one such social outing (ok she leads him on a bit ) to his mansion...and now the loving begins....HuGE SPOILER coming....
After playing a mouse and cat game in the mansion chasing each other through the rooms...they almost do it on a table...but hero wants the first time with her in the bed...now our hero is all frenetic energy in the bedroom...he’s very eager and doesn’t want the h to be hurt or uncomfortable...he is like nitro glycerin on the back of a pick up truck going down a rutty dirt road...they come together and he wants to see the h as she falls apart into the sweet abyss...the next morning he is fully dressed and it is revealed that despite being 29 and photographed with a bevy of woman through the years, our Hero is not a playboy but a VIRGIN.....So I really liked how SN wrote this hero in that I could feel his intensity, I mean this man was a walking bundle of sexual frustration and it was really all geared to the heroine and the first night he saw her in the elevator. Before this he was able to squash feelings for women as his his stepmother tried to rape him when he was a young teen...not to mention she made sexually inappropriate comments about him since he was like 12....his turd of a father who was never really a dad believed the stepmom...so our H who’s real mom had died was alone....(we meet the stepmom later as she is clubbing with what appears to be a teen male...eww!)
We end up having a few more moments...but our Hero makes sure that if the h has any intention of leaving him it will be very difficult...My review doesn’t do this book justice....I am unable to capture the feelings and funny parts...it has also started me on a quest for finding more HP virgin heroes...there was something rather exciting about the heroine initiating the Hero ...I have no intention of giving up on my Lynne Graham’s...but it was a nice switch!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2022
This was surprisingly great! Possibly one of my favorite heroes in a Mill & Boon romance, he was obsessive and aggressive in his pursual yet also extremely vulnerable, uncertain and sweet. By the end I was a little fed up by the h but the wonderful H more than made up for her flip-flopping.
October 22, 2020
It’s my second book by SN and I’ve enjoyed it almost as much as the first one.
November 3, 2020
Lol I absolutely loved Scott.
June 8, 2019
Umm no. First time reading a book from SN. Plot line and MCs were just not to my liking.
Trigger points: tall as a pole, previously married, non-virgin, now widowed h. Also cold and standoffish to the point of being repugnant. Not a pliable sweet bone in her soul. Even the sex scenes were stiff.
H: Overbearing to an unhealthy extent. Too hovering. Too much of everything. Virgin.
Dreadfully suicidal and boring bickering between the h and H. 2 stars for SN for making such an unconventional woman being the star of her book and making a wealthy, sensible man fall head over heels in obsession with her.
Not trying another SN for a very long time.
Trigger points: tall as a pole, previously married, non-virgin, now widowed h. Also cold and standoffish to the point of being repugnant. Not a pliable sweet bone in her soul. Even the sex scenes were stiff.
H: Overbearing to an unhealthy extent. Too hovering. Too much of everything. Virgin.
Dreadfully suicidal and boring bickering between the h and H. 2 stars for SN for making such an unconventional woman being the star of her book and making a wealthy, sensible man fall head over heels in obsession with her.
Not trying another SN for a very long time.
March 25, 2017
I loved scott..Gosh!! He was perfection. The surprise about him was WOW!! It is good that Grace loved her dead hubby & didn't give in for lust instantly but, she annoyed me toward the last few chapters..Scott was so nice & trying to make her realise his & her love as well but, she was so irritating. The facts he was trying to make her realise about her late hubby were so right but, she was so ignorant to understand. However, her late hubby gave me weird feelings from the start..But, I wish there was more to scott & Grace..So, hereby 3 stars
October 28, 2017
Very cute story, the Hero is so obviously besotted from the start. I took the advice of the first reviewer and didn't read all the reviews, so that the twist near the end would remain intact. The twist is nothing dramatic and doesn't affect the relationship between the couple, but it is surprising.
February 7, 2017
Maybe I am not in mood. Nothing special.
April 18, 2020
Hmmm. No. Just no. The hero is unbalanced. The situations are gross.
And since he’s so into begging, I’ll oblige. Please let this book end.
And since he’s so into begging, I’ll oblige. Please let this book end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews