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Shadowing Shahna
Leaving Kier Remington had been hard, living without him even harder. Shahna Reeves never expected him to find her, never imagined he would even bother to look. Until he walked back into her life, long, lean and reminding her too well of things she'd been trying to forget.
Not a day passed that Kier hadn't thought about Shahna, ached for the feel of her in his arms. He told himself it was a simple interest in her well-being that motivated him, but now that he had her back in his life¿her and the adorable baby he hadn't known existed¿he knew it was so much more....
Not a day passed that Kier hadn't thought about Shahna, ached for the feel of her in his arms. He told himself it was a simple interest in her well-being that motivated him, but now that he had her back in his life¿her and the adorable baby he hadn't known existed¿he knew it was so much more....
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
1 person is currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Laurey Bright
60 books37 followersLaurey Bright is another pen name of Daphne Clair.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 13, 2018
New Zealander heroine leaves her commitment-phobe, no-strings-attached Australian millionaire boyfriend of three years when she finds herself in an unplanned pregnancy. She overheard him at a party making some glib comment about being too busy in life for kids and decides he doesn't deserve to even know he might be a father.
She secretly packs up and returns to N.Z. after leaving him a Dear John letter of three lines. Shortly after, she has a miscarriage. Again, she chooses not to contact the ex or any of her friends from Australia.
Instead, depressed, she engages in a short meaningless affair with a married man who reminds her of her ex. She successfully gets pregnant again and decides this time to tell the father, who tells her he is not interested in breaking his marriage over a one night stand, that the baby might not even be his, and to take a hike. She does, moving to a remote NZ island from her childhood.
The Australian ex, who is the hero of the piece, manages to track heroine down after a couple of years. He believes the baby son is his despite the heroine's protests to the contrary. He pretends to believe her story and finnagles her into marriage because now, all of a sudden, he is ready for family, commitment and responsibilities.
He has it out with her again, after the wedding, about the paternity of the baby. Heartbroken, horrified heroine convinces him that the baby is the result of a desperate, rebound, ONS with a stranger, and offers to go back to the island since he only married her under the mistaken impression that it was his duty to do right by his child, not because he really loves her or her son.
Before they leave, the baby has a medical emergency. Hero is shaken and grateful that the baby is ok. He declares he loves him like his own son and the paternity makes no difference. He loves the heroine desperately, as he has learned when he missed her and couldn't replace her in his life for the long months that she disappeared from his life.
Incredibly fertile heroine is pregnant again, despite the two of them doing their best to prevent another pregnancy. Either he has super sperm or she has a super womb or both. They are ecstatic and will be a happily ever after, blended family.
I didn't get this one. Plus it was slow and really boring.
Why did the heroine not tell her long-term boyfriend about the pregnancy but tell the one night stand, married guy about his impending bundle of joy. What did the poor guy do to deserve being cut off so ruthlessly from her life?
I felt bad for him. Yes, he was a commitment-phobe but that is not a crime. Both he and heroine agreed to a monogamous, but no-strings-attached, relationship. She never indicated to him that she was unhappy or needed more, so he was completely shocked when she left him abruptly and made sure to leave no trace. How am I supposed to believe she has any real feelings for the guy and won't leave him again if she overhears another comment she doesn't like from him?
What happens when the bio dad decides he wants his parental rights? How could the heroine be so callous as to jump into another guy's bed so fast and then purposely have sex without protection in this day and age, just to get pregnant? I cringed when she explained she had tests done to make sure she didn't pass anything on to her baby after her unprotected ONS. What an idiot!!!
How is the hero ever going to trust this woman who lies and runs away every time there is a crisis, and exercises such poor judgment?
I didn't like this one at all. Not my idea of romance :(
She secretly packs up and returns to N.Z. after leaving him a Dear John letter of three lines. Shortly after, she has a miscarriage. Again, she chooses not to contact the ex or any of her friends from Australia.
Instead, depressed, she engages in a short meaningless affair with a married man who reminds her of her ex. She successfully gets pregnant again and decides this time to tell the father, who tells her he is not interested in breaking his marriage over a one night stand, that the baby might not even be his, and to take a hike. She does, moving to a remote NZ island from her childhood.
The Australian ex, who is the hero of the piece, manages to track heroine down after a couple of years. He believes the baby son is his despite the heroine's protests to the contrary. He pretends to believe her story and finnagles her into marriage because now, all of a sudden, he is ready for family, commitment and responsibilities.
He has it out with her again, after the wedding, about the paternity of the baby. Heartbroken, horrified heroine convinces him that the baby is the result of a desperate, rebound, ONS with a stranger, and offers to go back to the island since he only married her under the mistaken impression that it was his duty to do right by his child, not because he really loves her or her son.
Before they leave, the baby has a medical emergency. Hero is shaken and grateful that the baby is ok. He declares he loves him like his own son and the paternity makes no difference. He loves the heroine desperately, as he has learned when he missed her and couldn't replace her in his life for the long months that she disappeared from his life.
Incredibly fertile heroine is pregnant again, despite the two of them doing their best to prevent another pregnancy. Either he has super sperm or she has a super womb or both. They are ecstatic and will be a happily ever after, blended family.
I didn't get this one. Plus it was slow and really boring.
Why did the heroine not tell her long-term boyfriend about the pregnancy but tell the one night stand, married guy about his impending bundle of joy. What did the poor guy do to deserve being cut off so ruthlessly from her life?
I felt bad for him. Yes, he was a commitment-phobe but that is not a crime. Both he and heroine agreed to a monogamous, but no-strings-attached, relationship. She never indicated to him that she was unhappy or needed more, so he was completely shocked when she left him abruptly and made sure to leave no trace. How am I supposed to believe she has any real feelings for the guy and won't leave him again if she overhears another comment she doesn't like from him?
What happens when the bio dad decides he wants his parental rights? How could the heroine be so callous as to jump into another guy's bed so fast and then purposely have sex without protection in this day and age, just to get pregnant? I cringed when she explained she had tests done to make sure she didn't pass anything on to her baby after her unprotected ONS. What an idiot!!!
How is the hero ever going to trust this woman who lies and runs away every time there is a crisis, and exercises such poor judgment?
I didn't like this one at all. Not my idea of romance :(
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2012
Quite an engrossing story. Good characterization of both the hero and the heroine. Well written with believable emotions. These two had been lovers for 3 years when she left him. Here they were meeting again after two years when he found her again. The hero was very determined that he was going to have the heroine no matter how she pushed him away. There was quite a bit of angst here. Just an all around good read. Takes place mainly in New Zealand.
April 30, 2011
Shadowing Shahna was a really good book. When the book opens Shahna is surprised to find her ex-boyfriend Keir on her doorstep. Shahna had left Keir and her old life behind some 20 months ago with just a note, she quit her job and moved totally. We gradually find out the reasons why. Keir wanted and needed to know why and when he saw some jewelery by Shahna at the airport it gave him the impetus. If people are shaped by their past, this book proves it. Shahna comes across as very reserved and secretive but it is a self-protective mechanism for her and she also has her son to think of. She has issues from her past that have influenced her life and even her relationship with Keir, though they were involved for 3 years, it wasn't really a deep and meaningful relationship, they both agreed what they wanted but somewhere it was lacking and they never really opened up to each other. Keir was a business-man, he cared for Shahna but failed to find out her secrets, he wooed her in the past and her leaving left him floundering. I liked how he reflects back on their relationship and realizes that he wanted more. He was kind and considerate and so good with Samuel, the realtionship grows slowly and naturally. Shahna has achieved self-peace after leaving her old life behind and her reservations about getting back with Keir sounded very true and practical. Keir he grows as a person, at first he is shocked at the new Shahna but slowly gets to know and accept her. The twist in the end was not what I was expecting but Shahna never really lied to Keir, she was up-front about the facts. I can't pin down why I like this book but it was very different. The characters are not high-strung but real.
Rating 3.5
Rating 3.5
May 9, 2015
Another New Zealand setup. I was so engrossed in this one that I forgot the time and woke mostly all night ( not good for my eyes). Feeling dejected and tired now , not coz of the book.
....Just a very short review-
I was intrigued from the start to the end! Fascinating tale filled with some clandestine plots.
This book had it all, love ? check.
Longing? check.
baby child? uh huh check.
Angst ? check .
Awesome and Gentle hero ? Yeah!
Strong heroine? Hell Yeah!
The best thing was that they didn't just love each other , they cared so much that months, years didn't cause a flicker of change in either one's feelings.
LOVE IT ! <3! recommended to All Fiction readers!!! a change from the Indian, American, British, Italian , Arabian, Greek and Mexican arrangement.
....Just a very short review-
I was intrigued from the start to the end! Fascinating tale filled with some clandestine plots.
This book had it all, love ? check.
Longing? check.
baby child? uh huh check.
Angst ? check .
Awesome and Gentle hero ? Yeah!
Strong heroine? Hell Yeah!
The best thing was that they didn't just love each other , they cared so much that months, years didn't cause a flicker of change in either one's feelings.
LOVE IT ! <3! recommended to All Fiction readers!!! a change from the Indian, American, British, Italian , Arabian, Greek and Mexican arrangement.
August 28, 2020
This was so good until I found out the secret baby wasn't the hero's but a ons the heroine had with a married man who reminded her of the hero. Did you get that? The h & H had a 3 year affair and she left him with a note saying good bye when she found out she was pregnant. she didn’t think the hero wanted to be tied down with a baby(so far so good). She never let him know that she was pregnant nor did she tell him when she miscarried. Instead, she sleeps with a married man and gets pregnant. However, this time around she does notify the baby daddy and he wants nothing to do with her because he won't leave his wife. So she chooses to live in a remote part of NZ where the hero comes to find her and some drama ensues. It's a bit slow but writing is good so I read it. They get their hea at the end the hero loves the OM's child as his own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2016
This is another sad book by Laurey bright (Daphne Clair). She seems to like writing about couples who go through a lot of heartbreak before they get their happy ever after. Possibly, their love is more believable since it had to go through such trials.
At first it seems a straightforward story. Shahna, the heroine is surprised to find her ex-boyfriend Kier, on her doorstep. They had a 3-year relationship, although they weren't living together, when she suddenly up and left him, simply with a short goodbye note. Kier has been looking for her, he doesn't know what went wrong. Though no commitments were made, he thought they had a good relationship. Then he finds out she has a baby. Immediately he thinks she has kept their child from him, but she denies the baby is his. So far it seems a secret baby story, he stays to convince her they can still work it out and it progresses to the point where he proposes marriage.
However, there is a twist in the tale, near the end that will test their love and their new relationship.
At first it seems a straightforward story. Shahna, the heroine is surprised to find her ex-boyfriend Kier, on her doorstep. They had a 3-year relationship, although they weren't living together, when she suddenly up and left him, simply with a short goodbye note. Kier has been looking for her, he doesn't know what went wrong. Though no commitments were made, he thought they had a good relationship. Then he finds out she has a baby. Immediately he thinks she has kept their child from him, but she denies the baby is his. So far it seems a secret baby story, he stays to convince her they can still work it out and it progresses to the point where he proposes marriage.
However, there is a twist in the tale, near the end that will test their love and their new relationship.
April 16, 2011
good good good! An estranged couple, a little sweet boy and very strong feelings! How could I not love it?
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews