Ξαναγύρισε Σπίτι - Άρλεκιν Συλλογή #829

Hollingworth #2

by Robyn Donald

"Ανήκεις σ' εμένα. Πάντοτε μου ανήκες ...". Αυτά ήταν τα λόγια που της είπε ο Τρεντ Άντισον όταν ξανασυναντήθηκαν. Η Μέλι δε θα 'χε αντίρρηση να περάσει όλη τη ζωή της κοντά του, αν εκείνος της το είχε ζητήσει πριν τρία χρόνια. Τότε όμως ο Τρεντ την είχε αφήσει για να παντρευτεί μια άλλη. Έτσι η Μέλι, για να ξεπεράσει την απογοήτευσή της, είχε φύγει από τη Νέα Ζηλανδία.
Τώρα, επιστρέφοντας στην πατρίδα, τον βρήκε χωρισμένο και, όπως ισχυριζόταν, ακόμα ερωτευμένο μαζί της! Αλλά της ήταν αδύνατο να ξεχάσει την προδοσία του και ν' αρχίσει ξανά μια σχέση μαζί του ...

Genres: Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Second Chance, Romance, Contemporary Romance

160 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1986

About the author

Robyn Elaine Donald was born on 14 August 1940 in Northland, New Zealand. She was the oldest child in her family, and as a child, she thrilled her four sisters and one brother with bloodcurdling adventure tales, usually very like the latest book she'd borrowed from the library.

Robyn owes her writing career to two illnesses. The first was a younger sister's flu. She was living with her husband and Robyn and spent most of that winter acquiring, suffering, and recovering from various infections. One day she croaked that she had read everything on Robyn's bookshelves, so would Robyn please buy her something cheerful and sustaining. Robyn found three paperbacks- one Mills and Boon Modern Romance novel and a couple of other romances. Robyn read them, too, of course, and so enjoyed them she spent the next couple of years hunting down more Mills and Boon books. This was much more difficult then than it is today, so she decided to write her own, and for the following busy 10 years she wrote and hoped that one day she would finish a manuscript good enough that was good enough to send to a publisher.

The second illness was her husband's, and it was bad a heart attack. He was so young it terrified them all. While he was recovering, he suggested that Robyn finish the manuscript she was writing and send it off. It wasn't a perfect manuscript, but the doctor had said to humour her husband, so she finished the manuscript, edited it as best she could, and sent it off. Three months later, she was astounded to read a letter from the editor saying that if She made a few revisions they would buy her novel Bride at Whangatapu.

Published since 1977, Robyn sees her readers as intelligent women who insist on accurate backgrounds, so she spends time researching as well as writing.Robyn Donald sometimes thinks that writing is much like gardening. It's a similar process creating landscapes for the mind and emotions from the seeds of ideas and dreams and images. Both activities can also lead to moments of extreme delight, moments of total despair, and backache.Now Robyn lives in the Bay Islands. She continues writing, and also finds time for a very supportive husband, two adult children and their partners, a granddaughter and her mother, not to mention the member of the family that keeps her fit - a loud, cheerful, and ruthlessly determined "almost" Labradordog.

Reviews

[boogenhagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a small confession - I love to read RD's books, but I usually despise her H's. They are so MEAN! Srsly, I am a Maleficent kinda girl myself and even my inner demon thinks RD H's go too far.

If I had to be an RD h with one of her H's, I would probably do something irrevocable by page 10, so there would be no HPlandia outing on my watch - except maybe 175 pages of my travails through the HPlandia prison system. And don't get me started on RD's usual family dynamics and secondary characters who seem to join with the H to make the h feel like the most betrayed h ever.

In fact RD's books are about the only ones that I kinda wish the HP HEA did not hold true, I have no objections to her h's forgoing the marriage and just living in sin for a while with these guys - the h's are always so physically in to them, but I dread the marriage for her h's, cause once RD actually has the H commit - it is a life sentence for the h and I always get the feeling that even death may not stop an RD H in their total possession of the h.

That being said, her h's are uniformly admirable in their ability to take a punch or multiple punches and keep on keeping on. I can truly avow that I admire every single one of RD's h's. Those ladies survive through horrible treatment, abuse, abandonment and complete life destruction and yet they manage to make something of themselves and are good parents for the most part as well as being nice people. Really the RD h's only weakness is her terrible physical attachment to the H, but I guess even the strongest fortress has a secret access somewhere.

Long Journey Back differs from the RD norm in that this H's skillet deserving behavior happens mostly off stage before the story starts. Not that he doesn't have some swing worthy moments, but for the most part he loves his h with all his heart and nothing will stop him from getting her back and lurving it up in connubial bliss forever, not even the h herself.

When the book starts, our moderately wealthy 24 yr old h has just returned to a new corporate librarian job in New Zealand after three years of being overseas and getting some seasoning and job experience. She has already met the love of her life, but he dumped her to marry a wealthy heiress and get a bonus business empire, so she is resigned to career goals and maybe another more lukewarm sort of love.

Her half brother - who is the H of the next book and married to the h's half sister ( don't fret about this, those two AREN't related, it is just that RD has a very Buddhist approach to her Isle of HPLandia and everyone is connected to everyone else,) has rented her a new upscale apartment in a nice secure building to go with her nice new job.

She is happily contemplating her new abode and finishing off a healthful run when lo and behold, the same rotten man who ditched her for a six-figure heiress (probably eight figures by now with inflation,) holds the elevator for her on her way up to her flat.

She is not delighted to see him, even when he follows her to her flat and demands that she give him a hearing over his marriage and recent divorce. The h is justifiably irked, they had been talking marriage and he married a richer woman and now controls a big business empire as a result. He also insists that she is the one at fault when HE broke things off.

The h just doesn't want to be bothered, but the H is intent on forcing his way into her life and possessing her totally. He questions her about her lovers, her activities and just refuses to take no for an answer. He WILL be her next lover. The h is still trying to recover from his abandonment and she had her heart shattered. Her previous fiance was an abuser and she barely recovered from his physical violence when the H promised her the moon and then shattered her emotionally.

The H lives in the penthouse flat above her ( he bought the building when the h's brother rented her a flat there,) and it turns out he is also her boss. He owns the company she works for and he deliberately gives the impression that he and the h are a lot more involved than they actually are. The forced meetings multiply, with the h being unable to stop the H from inflicting his presence upon her anymore than she could stop a bulldozer and by this point, I was just hoping she would quit and leave - he was that obnoxious in his pursuit.

The h is still very physically attracted to the H though, she still loves him after all, and he wants her quite, quite badly. His kisses are persuasive, but he absolutely refuses to talk about his marriage and the h just can't see anything serious with a man who will sell himself for money and a business empire.

Especially when he callously dismisses his marriage and his wife and yet still socializes with her and takes care of her. To the h's eyes, this man is a consummate user and only cares for himself and his ambition and she can't understand why he would be babying his ex-wife if he was so dismissive of her that he divorced her so quickly after marriage when her grandfather died.

The back and forth and h's angst continues for a bit and then the H meets up with some of the h's friends and they all wind up eating lunch with a famous pop star that the H wants to make a recording deal with. The pop star assumes the h is there to sweeten the deal on his side, as she is exactly his physical type, and we and the h have some tense moments wondering if the H has a seekrit purpose after all.

The H denies that he was using her to entice the pop star, he swears he loves her and wants to marry her and the h isn't buying it at all, cause he STILL isn't explaining why he married the OW. They have a big fight and the H forcibly seduces the h.

The h is honest about wanting him in the end tho, and they are sharing a bed and he is trying to convince her to marry him and then he ex-wife calls and the h is furious. The H just tells her that the ex has no one else and he has to look after her and the h should be more generous.

Then the ex-wife's grandmother dies and the H is seen everywhere with the ex, rumors are flying hot and heavy about a reconciliation and yet the H is still swearing that he loves the h and she should just trust him. He uses a lot of circuitous logic to make the h feel ashamed of herself for not trusting him, even when the H's brother takes her to a party and the H is there with his ex-wife hanging all over him.

The H tells the h that he will force her to give up her scruples and marry him and the h retaliates by asking him how would he like it if she said the only way to have her was to give his business empire up. The H then tells her she must trust him, that he would never hurt her and he looks so anguished that the h finds herself apologizing without understanding why. Later that evening the h's half brother throws his two cents in and says that she should just trust the H and give in.

The h doesn't want to accept this and it seems the H has finally gotten the message, because now he is nowhere to be found. The h's friend's are giving a dinner party and the friend invites the h, (actually she demands that the h show up, she is preggers and needs the moral support.) The only fly in the ointment is the H is there too and we also revisit the H and h from The Interloper, who are the big guests the friend wants to impress.

The H goes through the evening flirting with another of the guests and the h is beside herself with jealous fury, she is even deeper in the depths of misery when the H almost hits her with his car the next day. He has his ex-wife with him and he accuses the h of being blind.

Then the ex-wife comes to see the h and explains that she got her grandfather to blackmail the H with losing his company if he did not marry her. The H felt he had no choice because a lot people were dependent on him for jobs, so he married the ex, never touched her and divorced her as soon as he was able to chase after the h.

The h is relieved to have it all explained and ashamed of herself for not trusting the H and then goes off to seduce the H. She succeeds and the H is delirious and RD shows us two torn apart souls reunited for the big HEA.

Overall the big saving factor of this book is the H makes no bones about his huge love and determination to win the h. The usual RD violence is very toned down and so while the h is suffering the agonies of angst (RD does really good angst,) the H is very careful not to physically abuse her - I think only one mild forced seduction scene is the biggest physical act and the h doesn't beat around the bush in her admission of enjoyment.

I do have issues with the H's belief that he had to marry the ex when he had pretty much committed to the h. Plus I really did not buy into the pity the ex-wife sub-trope, the h was only 19 to the ex-wife's 18 and no-one was pouring lashings of sympathy on her disillusionment.

Also, the H for all protestations of love did try to hurt the h emotionally for most of the book. He claims that he knew she still loved him, yet he is punishing in his continual refusal to give her a believable explanation and the perpetual threat of multiple OW being dangled in front of the h was a bit much.

I found it incredibly ironic that the H demands total trust and yet would never trust the h with the real story of his marriage, and not because of any sense of honour either - the H was just afraid to look like a wimp for giving into blackmail.

In all honesty I can't buy the explanation (no matter how many times it was reiterated throughout the story,) that the H had a responsibility to keep his workers in their jobs. Technically his company wasn't all that big and the ex-wife's grandfather withheld some parts the H desperately needed to get his business contracts fulfilled, but corporate takeovers and re-allocations happen every day -especially in the 80's- and I believe the H really wanted that business empire to give him the stature and power he felt he deserved. I think the h was basically his attempt to have his cake and eat it too.

So his actions are bit suspect and I did not like the determination to make everything the h's fault for not just hanging around on the side. It is safe to say this H isn't making my all time favorites list either.

However I did like the h and I did like the sheer talent that RD wrote the story with. I have reread this one multiple times and it is still just as engrossing as it was the first time. (I also admit to cheering 300 books from now when the ex-wife gets her turn through the gristmill, her H is one of the meanest ever.)

Give this one a go if you like angst, high tension and drama and an H who is like the Terminator, he will always be back - no matter what.

[StMargarets · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the hero who has the long journey in getting his heroine back after jilting her for an heiress three years before. He is a man of "honor" who can't tell the h the real circumstances of his marriage, but wants her to "trust" him. And , by the way, he only wrote her that mean letter so she would hate him and get on with her life. But now that he's divorced, he wants her and will have her. It's a little jaw-dropping, this hero's arrogance that he's done nothing wrong, but this is a Robyn Donald story.

This all gets a little tiresome as the hero confidently pursues the heroine all over Auckland. They live in the same apartment complex, work at the same place, and know all of the same people, so it's a little hard for the heroine to avoid him. Eventually they do fall into bed together (poor hero's been celibate since he met the heroine - and he's desperate), but the air isn't cleared until the heroine finally finds out the real reason for the hero's marriage.

If you like a smitten hero and a coy, confused heroine, this is your book.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This RD is a mixed bag.

RD veers from her usual ott angry dude angsty formula, as it’s clear from the beginning that this H loves the h and he believes she’s the only one for him. But his dumping the h unceremoniously in the past and marrying another can seem unredeemable to most HP readers. And so while the h is not ready to forget and forgive, he’s unrelenting in his goal of making her see that they belong together.

So what do we have?
An unforgiving h. That’s good, right? Make him work for it!
But what I found completely irksome is that while she doesn’t ‘forgive’ him till the bitter end, she accedes to his every whim and fancy. He wants to have coffee at her apartment, she lets him in. He wants to drive her to work, she hops in. He wants to take her out, she goes along. And so on it goes in the book. Oh, she fumes but gives in to his will like noodles in hot water. So while she may insist to be mulishly unforgiving, she gives in to him in every other way. I found her contrary behavior confusing and unsettling.

As for him, as much as his love for the h is unquestionable especially with that prolonged celibacy - he's not been with anyone since the day he met her, he refuses to tell her the truth behind what led him to dump her for the ow, and just keeps smoldering in his own self-righteous moods. He wants her to take him up on trust and faith (based on their long association). In RL, who does that? You dumped her by a lousy letter, 4 years ago and she doesn’t even deserve an explanation? As for loyalty to his ex-wife, complete HP balderdash. The HP H’s misogyny and contempt are always reserved for the h, while the ow always gets away, even with huge wrongs, with amused indulgence on his part! I always hate that!

This book had a novel and engaging approach on how a relationship develops and how it plays along over the years with numerous roadblocks. It definitely deserves a read for its unique storyline. Some reviewers feel unable to forgive the H even with the explanation at the end. I agree that he could have handled things differently but I also believe that he loved her more than she loved him.

[Kiki]

A) he dumped her yet asked her to blindly trust him without offering any explanation
B) him dangling OW in front of the h AND verbally abusing her when he should be grovelling in front of her on his knees with his tail between his legs
C) the writer making the heroine feeling guilty for the lack of trust when she had every fucking right to hate his guts.
AVOID!

[Jac K · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not a secret, I’ve been struggling to find an enjoyable read lately…. Turns out… I only needed an asshole!! Thank you, Trent Addison!! This book is deliciously whacked… to put it in perspective the h’s two ½ siblings are married to each other, (they share separate halves and aren’t blood related to each other) and she was engaged to the H’s cousin when they met... who was the ex-hubs of her 1/2 sis. Confused ?? Brings new meaning to keeping it in the family. 🤣

Melly Hollingworth (24) has just returned to New Zealand; she fled three years earlier when her boyfriend (talking marriage) suddenly married someone else. (Cathy Durrant) All this happens off page before the book starts.
Trent Addison (32) is recently divorced, and has his sights set on getting Melly back. He put the ass in asshole, and I alternated between wanting to hug and punch him (mostly punch😊) but he kept me glued to the book the entire time.
Melly puts up a good verbal fight, and has a few zingers, but she’s no match for Trent and his rabid dog with a bone tenaciousness.

“I know,” he said sympathetically. “You’ll have to overcome this aversion to my company that you’ve developed over the years. It’s not normal in a married couple. People will begin to wonder.”

“If you’d married while you were overseas. I’d have come and taken you. If you get involved with anyone else, I’ll break it up. I don’t care how much humiliation I cause you to suffer. I don’t care what your friends or family say or do. You belong to me, and when you admit that, we’ll be married.”

I felt there were some unexplained issues/actions that didn’t make sense, so you’ll have to take a leap sometimes, to enjoy it. For me, I would classify this as an OTT trainwrecky HP/borderline rage read, but IMO it was so drama-llama that I didn’t take it too seriously. It would be like hating Dallas, because JR’s a prick. I am a little bummed that Cathy’s antics are excused… because she’s a young spoilt bitch, so that makes it ok…although my mom (HUGE HP fan) told me Love's Reward is Cathy’s book and her H is a bigger arse than Trent… so there’s that…fingers crossed he gives her hell.

Bottom Line- Although this one gets a lot of hate (mostly because of Trent) it’s written really well. I could post an entire page of awesome book quote/zingers. I’m rating it solely on my enjoyment of the story, not the actions of the characters. I inhaled this. (there’s a small part in the middle where it drags a bit but picks back up) RD makes a herculean effort to make Trent redeemed when his reasons for marrying Cathy were FINALLY revealed towards the end. It also helped that he never consummated his marriage and has been celibate since meeting the h years earlier. (when I believe she was still engaged to his cousin) BUT… if you do not believe in second chances, or that jack-holes need love too… You might skip it.

[Aou · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was boring for the first third then thus spoke Zarathustra, I mean the mighty H:
“Despise me?' he mused, a note in the gravelly voice that made her flinch away. 'Sad for you, darling, because despise me or not, hate me or not, you belong to me. You always have. I'd prefer you to accept your' fate with an appearance of complaisance; I don't want to hurt you. But if I have to I will, because I don't intend to let you go. You're mine in the most primitive way of all. You're my woman. I'm your man. You know that, otherwise you wouldn't have come home.” (sigh)

She didn’t want to reunite with him but he was determined.
“You—you sound as though you hate me,' she faltered.
'Sometimes,' he said deliberately, holding her eyes with his, 'I think I do. But not enough to free you, sweetheart. You've held me chained for too long, I've grown to like my bonds. When you're as tightly roped as I am, when you've learned to love this prison we've made for each other—well, then I'll marry you.”

Then it was boring again. Thus, I've read two books after started reading this.

[Raffaella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so enthusiastic about this one.
The heroine was in a previous book, engaged to a sadist who beat her and then killed himself.
The hero was in love with her and they were basically engaged afterwards, but as soon as the heroine left for Europe to visit her mother he wrote her a letter to jilt her and then married another woman for money.
Three years later he’s divorced and the heroine is back to New Zealand. He start pursuing her ruthlessly. She’s of course very angry and still hurt and doesn’t trust him. Thank goodness.
He’s determined to have her as his wife and is all possessive and macho.
But then, as soon as his ex wife whines because she’s split a nail, he hurries.
There’s a reason because he married her.
He was blackmailed by her and by her grandfather. The ex was in love with him and the grandfather threatened the hero to ruin his company if he didn’t marry his granddaughter.
The hero is so noble and couldn’t have on his conscience this awful deed so he gave up the heroine and married the bitch ow. But he never touched her. Oh he was almost celibate. Almost because RD couldn’t make a real man celibate since he met the heroine. So she opted for one month after he first saw her. And if it’s not enough, bully for you.
But his marriage was a celibate one.
Ok, he’s not cruel and the heroine makes him grovel and suffer because she doesn’t trust him, but she’s oh so proud of his self sacrificing ways!
Really?
I wasn’t.
I could accept his sacrifice for the sake of many men’s job but why did he keep on seeing and helping his ex bitch wife after their divorce and after she made him suffer and lose the love of his life for 3 years?
All the macho man act simply wasn’t in line with his inability to fend off a nasty bitch. Oh he said she was a spoiled little girl. Wtf? If he was the caveman RD wanted us to believe he was, he should have kicked her sorry as whenever she dared come near him again.
And the heroine accepted this behavior? Well I don’t see him changing his way after he marries to her, so I think she will be always second to any other issue he could bump into, to which he will give precedence. Not so much of a hero. All bark and no bite.
So, for me it’s only average book, I could not appreciate it fully.

[JillyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was torn between 3 and 4 ⭐️ so I rounded up. There were several times I laughed while reading this story. The H(Trent)was very persistent in his pursuit of the h(Melly). These 2 WereAre in love. I read: Captives of the Past first and Melly is less likable in that story, but it shows Trent as a stand up guy. We know from the beginning of this book and the last book, that Melly and Trent were in love, and her 1/2 brother broke them up. Then she got engaged to Trent’s cousin, and Trent came to help break that up because his cousin was no good. Sometime after that their love jumps the track again when the the H writes the h a Dear John letter and marries someone else breaking the h’s love and trust.
But now 3 years later, the H is back in her life ready to claim his one true love. He is not taking no for an answer. I think this review is best written as an Ode to Tom Petty lyrics In bold type


We start with the h. The H corners her in the lift to her apartment(he lives in the penthouse 1 floor above) He insists on coffee in her apartment like they are the best of friends. (Now remember, he jilted her…by letter…if this book were written today it would have been a text)

.Baby, you come knocking on my front door…
Same old line you used to use before….
stop dragging my heart around(Credit to Stevie Nicks for this line)

The hero responds…

Well, I won't back down
No, I won't back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won't back down

The next morning the H shows up in her apartment to take her to work(he owns the company she is working for). He says she must have left the door unlock(later we find out he has master keys which is not stalkerish at all).

She responds to his intrusion…
.Don’t come around here no more….
Whatever you’re looking for…..
Don’t come around here no more..
The H responds with more confidence about him being her next lover….
.Listen little baby one of these days
Your pretty head’s gonna turn my way
Honey, oh baby just you wait
One of these nights you’re gonna call my name..

So they show up to work…together, which gets all the gossip mongers going. Something the H is proud of. But our little h, despite her feelings of lust for the hero is going to protect her heart as much as she can. By the end of the week she has accepted an invitation with a group a co-workers to check out the local play. The H is not pleased.

You’re jammin’ me
Quit jammin me.
The h gets escorted back to her apartment by one of the handsome men she went to the play with. She invites him in for coffee(just coffee!!) The phone rings. It’s the H…
So sleep tight baby
Unfurrow your brow
And know I love you
We’re alright for now
We’re alright for now Basically, his phone call was the equivalent of a .cock
coffee block. The om left without his coffee as he wasn’t getting mixed up in something like this. The H makes plans to take the h sailing, she refuses. She tells him she has plans already to go car shopping.
The H is not taking no for an answer. He will go with her car shopping.
He reiterates his stance with her.
But oh baby let me tell you, I got a thing about you
Baby let me tell you I got a thing about you
It don’t matter what you say
It don’t matter what you do
I..I..I got a thing about you ...

She relents and allows him to take her car shopping. She just isn’t sure what to think of him.

Well, I wish I had a dollar
For every piece of my broken heart>>
The damage you’ve done
The damage you’ve done
The damage you’ve done to me

While looking at cars the h runs into her friends Sara and Jim. They invite the two over for the afternoon, so the H and h go. While there Sara convinces the h to wear one of her swimsuits. This was one of the best funny scenes in the book.
...
“Oh, my goodness!' Sara exclaimed, then turned and yelled through the door of the changing room, 'Jim, you shut your eyes!”

“I can't wear this,' Melly protested, gazing down the long golden length of her body.”

“And there was Jim, standing obediently with his eyes tightly shut, and Trent, who for one incredible moment looked as though he had been granted a vision of beauty beyond imagination.

'There,' purred Sara, removing the hand which had urged Melly on, 'she looks absolutely super, doesn't she, Trent? No, Jim, keep your eyes closed until she gets into the water.'

'Yes, by God.' For once Trent showed his emotions, his expression shaken, one hand lifting in an entirely involuntary movement.”

“The spell of their absorption was broken by Jim's plaintive voice. 'How much longer do I have to stand here with my eyes shut, for heaven's sake? Is Melly decent yet?'

Thickly, his voice barely audible, Trent said, 'For God's sake, Melissa, go and change.'

And, frightened, Melissa did just that, scrambling into a one-piece suit” Once in the pool the H does several, several laps, I can only guess as to why! The H, not wanting the night to end, suggests they all go to a swanky expensive restaurant (his treat, and only he can get last minute reservations) So our h is trapped into going to dinner now. They go back to the apartments to freshen up and the h looks stunning in her dress.

The H is entranced.

Hey here comes my girl, here comes my girl
Yeah, she looks so right, she is all I need tonight

They go to the restaurant surrounded by the celebrities of the moment. After Starstruck Sara points out that the rock musician Ryk is eyeing up Melly, the H arranges for them to all be at the same table.
The musician was thinking it was a set up as the H wanted to do business with his manager. He told Melly that sometimes happens, to sweeten the pot. WELL, Melly who believes that the H dumped her the first time to marry someone who could give him more power and wealth, is now wondering if he is using her for financial gain as well. The drive home is tense. He takes her to his penthouse. She tells him her doubts.

That’s right you hurt me baby hurt me good
Hurt me like no one else ever could
Cut me down the middle face down in the dirt
And we both know it’s too late to save it
Betcha feel proud about it baby
You taught me how to hurt.

The H becomes incensed at all the fake accusations(although he still doesn’t come clean about why he dumped her, and he is still in contact with his ex wife) He has wanted the h for 4/5 years, and he has been very patiently waiting. He is not waiting anymore. Unbeknownst to the H this will be the h’s first time, and the h doesn’t yet realize that the H has been celibate since the month he met her several years ago. (Obviously, his marriage didn’t take)

... Oh baby, don't it feel like heaven right now?
Don't it feel like somethin' from a dream?
Yeah, I've never known nothing quite like this
Don't it feel like tonight might never be again?
Baby, we know better than to try and pretend
Honey, no one could have ever told me 'bout this
I said, yeah, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you see one more card
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part

While in the afterglow of love making, and gearing up for round 2…the H’s ex calls him. He has to go to her as her grandmother is ill, but he promises he will be back later(only later turned into days and days and days)
Our h is at a loss….


Let me up
I've had enough
I believe you baby, I know you wouldn't lie
Like a dog won't bark, like a bird won't fly
Yeah pretty little baby, you're a weapon with eyes
I know what you want, but it's a surprise
Let me up--I've had enough
Yeah, yeah, bet honest with me
Honey am I what you thought I would be
You tell me you love me baby, you'll be true
I want to believe you, but I don't know why I do
The next time she sees the H it is at a party her 1/2 brother takes her to. The H is there with the ex wife. He pulls the h into a dance.

“Trent lowered his head, whispering, 'That I miss you and need you and hunger for you, day and night. That to hear your voice is a sweet torment, and the days I don't see you are bitter and everlasting.”

The H goes on to say more things. Declaring his undying love, and asking her to get over the misconceptions she has of him.

. We got something, we both know it
We don’t talk too much about it
Ain’t no real big secret all the same
Somehow we get around it

Listen it don’t really matter to me baby
You believe what you want to believe
You see you don’t have to live like a refugee
(Don’t have to live like a refugee)..
He is also like…….
.Oh, yeah, you wreck me , baby
Yeah you break me in two
But you move me honey
Yes, you do..

Our h is really struggling. She is hurting. She can’t keep doing this.
... Broken skyline, which way to love land
Which way to something better
Which way to forgiveness
Which way do I go
It's time to move on, time to get going
What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing
But under my feet, baby, grass is growing
It's time to move on, it's time to get going

She is all…..

.Baby way down deep its the same old you
Way down deep you ain’t hiding the truth
Just for a minute you had me confused
But baby way down deep it’s the same old you..

The H honors her request when she tells him to leave her alone.

You better watch what you say
You better watch what you do to me
Don't get carried away
Girl, if you can do better than me, go
Yeah, go but remember
… Good love is hard to find
Good love is hard to find
You got lucky, babe
You got lucky, babe, when I found you
… You put a hand on my cheek
And then you turned your eyes away
If you don't feel complete
If I don't take you all of the way then go
Yeah, go but remember
… Good love is hard to find

Many Many weeks go by. The h and H are invited to the same dinner party. He is returning the flirting of another guest, and the h tries to make light with a fellow male guest. She spends the night at her friends house. The next day she is so overcome with pain and jealousy. She is having a little bit of a meltdown. She walks into the street without looking almost getting run over by the H and his ex wife. The H is visibly shaken, he tries to reassure her.

.
It's alright if you love me
It's alright if you don't
I'm not afraid of you runnin' away, honey
I get the feeling you won't
There is no sense in pretending
Your eyes give you away
Something inside you is feeling like I do
We said all there is to say
Baby, breakdown, go ahead and give it to me
Breakdown, honey, take me through the night (baby, baby, breakdown)
Breakdown, now I'm standin' here, can't you see?
Breakdown, it's all right
It's all right
It's all right

The H says he will be talking to her later. The ex is pushing him to get a move on as they need to be somewhere.
It’s 10 pm and no call from the H, but the ex wife comes to the h’s apartment, and reveals all about her marriage to the H. The h goes to sleep with a lighter heart, dons a bikini and cover up. She convinces the manager to let her into the H’s apartment while he is sleeping. She goes to the pool(after dropping off her toothbrush in the bathroom) and takes a dip. The next thing to happen is the H(completely nude) grabbing the h in the pool and they have their avowals of love(he had already asked her brother for permission to marry her, and her sister in law(1/2 sister) is on standby for wedding arrangements. It’s a great ending.


Love is a long, long road
Yeah, love is a long, long road

This story was rather fun and quirky. There is no doubt at any point in this story that these two love each other. We don’t find out until the end what the original secret was for the H’s defection, but it is a self sacrificing one, and that is usually the h’s mo.

[Melluvsbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. I really loved this ruthless bulldozer of a hero at first. But oddly, for a man who is so desperately in love with his heroine that he spent their years apart celibate while married to a beautiful seductive OW…. He was sure quick to drop the h like a bad habit when “duty” called… even AFTER he managed to win her back. I would think that he had learned his lesson… but no. All the blame was heaped on the h who “didn’t trust him”. I found this so odd. OF COURSE she didn’t trust him. He’d told her he loved her then ran off and married someone else without a single explanation. Who in their right mind would trust a man after he did that?? I expected him to do something to finally show that he learned from their past and that the h would be put first. That never happens though. He continues to protect the bitch of an ex wife and runs to her side leaving the h alone and ignored for DAYS. And continues to keep the real (admittedly noble) reason he married the Ow a secret, even though it’s the one thing the h asks of him. To know WHY. Understandably. But it’s the h at fault because she still doesn’t trust him. 🙄

So, I was very suspect of this HEA when it’s built upon an H who didn’t learn that his loyalty should be with the h ALWAYS, and he shouldn’t be running off with or protecting and defending the woman who kept him from his love for 3 years. Not at the heroine’s expense. I guess every time the ex needs him, he’ll drop the h?? No comeuppance for the Ow? Just all the blame on the h for her completely reasonable and justifiable distrust and jealousy. Celibacy doesn’t fix ANYTHING if the H didn’t learn from his mistakes. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Trust is EARNED. So what should have been a 4-5 star read turned into a 3-star. 🫤

[Aarann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was surprisingly good, and considering the fact that I bought it after having seen that 80s-tastic cover, refreshingly lacking a lot of the more irritating tropes of that time frame.

For one thing, the hero is pretty up-front from the start about what he wants -- marriage, love, trust, the whole kit and kaboodle. The heroine shows a refreshing forthrightness about her desire for the hero physically, while wanting to maintain her emotional distance because he pretty much ripped out her heart and stomped on it. Seriously, there was a legit motivation keeping the two leads apart, and even though I was pretty frustrated with Trent for not telling her the truth, there was no stupid miscommunication or ridiculous motivations -- just Melly having a very good reason not to want to trust Trent again and Trent determined to get her back. It was still totally over the top (let's face it, I wouldn't love these books so much if they weren't) but it was actually surprisingly likable. I didn't spend the entire time hating Melly for being such a stupid pushover.

It was nice.

Let's be clear; this was still very much 80s tropey HP. The heroine is lead around by her vagina several times and there's a bit of bodice-ripping, but Melly (mostly) takes responsibility for her own actions and is up front about the fact that she has no desire to give Trent another chance to hurt her. We only get Melly's POV, which I know bugs a lot of readers, but I'm cool with it. Trent was refreshingly up-front about pretty much everything except the one thing Melly needed him to be up front about and I kind of got why he wasn't forthcoming about that. I did have an issue with the end -- how Melly basically says something along the lines that she never wholly believed what was being said about Trent and that she always thought there was something honorable about him. No she didn't. And she had every right not to. The guy dumped her after discussing marriage with her and married an heiress that allowed him to inherit her family's fortune. There's nothing wrong with not having blind, undying faith when every bit of evidence indicates that the MMC is acting like a chode and I really hate it that romance novels act like not believing in a guy that acts despicably is a character defect on the part of the FMC.

Anyway, this one will never win awards, but I gotta say, I'm glad I bought it and I could totally see myself re-reading it at some point. Recommended for anyone in the mood for an Old Skool second chance story with a lot less TSTL than most HPs from that time frame (although not entirely lacking it).

[Lu Bielefeld]

Gaslighting

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robyn Donald seems to make a habit of revisiting characters from previous books and/or giving them their own HEA.

To really enjoy this book, you should read "Captives of the Past" (Harlequin Presents, No 952) first. For some reason, this book was released after "Long Journey Back" but tells the back story of the hero, Trent Addison, and heroine, Melly Hollingworth of this story. Makes for a much more enjoyable reading experience to read HP #952 first THEN HP #936.

You will also revisit Dane and Meredith Fowler, who were the hero/heroine of "The Interloper" (Harlequin Presents, No 441) and are friends of Trent Addison.

Then enjoy "Love's Reward" (Harlequin Presents, No 1233), featuring Trent's first wife, Cathy Durant, who finally gets her HEA.

And lastly, enjoy "A Bitter Homecoming" (Harlequin Presents, No 1263), featuring Cathy's best friend, Alexa Severn.

[3meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Strong Alpha male and enough drama to make me happy. However, the fact that he dumped her bothers me the entire time and while the reason is ok, it doesn't fix it for me.

[Annarose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melly was hurt, but had to force herself not to show it to the very person who hurt her the most, Trent Addison. Three years ago, she was deeply in love with him and had no doubt he felt the same for her. But, she soon receives a letter from him while in her brother's house stating that he was no longer interested nor was she supposed to dream so much!! She thought she controlled her life after all these years and so she went back home to Auckland, accepted a job and occupied her brother's old apartment. Little did she know that fate was conspiring against her and that Trent was weaving a strong web around her to bring her back to his life. It wasn't until he told her point blank that he wanted her that she became seriously afraid of losing her hard earned self control and heart once again to him.

[Darbella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melly and Trent. I enjoyed this old school Harlequin. Trent was blackmailed into marrying OW. Now the ow and he are divorced. His ex wife gets to pull him away from Melly at the drop of a dime. (One weird example is after someone close to his ex wife dies a few days (maybe a couple weeks) later, Trent and his ex wife's BOYFRIEND had to talk his ex wife into going to a social party...my question is-if the boyfriend is there to comfort why was Trent needed to comfort his ex wife leaving Melly alone for days and days? Anyways, this one is the type of love story where the hero says he is in love, but his actions see to have him available for Melly only after other people and his business duties are accomplished. LOL Word trigger warning: Calls Melly a bitch more than once.

[Reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was written a long time ago but, I cannot get past how female authors back then and still today write weak, spineless and feeble heroines. Or as in this the ex wife is an evil and manipulative bitch. WTF

This guy dumped the heroine to marry another girl, then once he was divorced he expected to pick up with the heroine again, and while he might have had an excuse that he thought was valid. I don’t think any excuse cuts it.

[Su]

This is one book of RD that I don't think I could finish. It irritated me so much. H is too reasonable, (no explanation for his actions). I don't understand h either. How accepting she is. Kissing and making up!

[Daisy Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eeeek I wanted to hate this book because of the H but he'd made such a massive mess of his personal life that I just couldn't help having a bit of sympathy for him although he does himself no favours with his lack of explanations.
However he's redeemable as he's totally enamoured with our h. I could totally see why his h would have a problem with what he'd done and he did owe her an explanation for his behaviour so he totally deserved the hard time she gave him.
The H was all loved up with the h when he caught the eye of the OW who just had to have him. She totally set him up with her granddad and because she was spoilt rotten he applied the pressure to the H's biz and told him to marry his granddaughter or put all his employees out of work. The h is out of the country so he sends her a letter to make her hate him and move on while he marries the OW then proceeds to want to slap her and refuses to consummate the marriage. Eventually old granddad croaks it and OW moves back home because H won't love it up with her they divorce and h moves back to town and ends up working for H. He pulls out all the stops to try win her back all the time the OW is tapping him up for help because she can't look after herself. No wonder the h had concerns.
He still won't fess up as to the real reason he did what he did and in the end our h has had enough and tells him to take a long walk off a short pier.
It takes the bratty OW to knock on her door and tell her the truth before she forgives him but tbh the other woman still comes across as spoilt and unlikable.
She goes to the H and seduces him and they get their HEA the only downside they are all pally pally with the OW. Oh hell to the no she would have to just jog on and leave our h and H on their own HEA SHE WAS A TOTAL BRAT! Can't believe she gets her own book, the mind boggles.

[ANGELIA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many wrongs with this one. We have a "noble idiot" situation (Korean drama fans will know that term well), with the H sacrificing his relationship with the h for what he believes is a valid reason and making her believe he no longer cares so she'll move on, which is really the last thing he wants her to do.

And she doesn't. Apart from a few dates here and there, and letting the guys kiss her, that's as far as it went. (When they started touching her breasts, she'd push them away and tell them to get lost.) She knows she's still hung up on the h, even after three years (when they meet again), but won't admit that to herself, and especially not to him.

What makes this all so DUMB is that the H could have explained everything to her, the reason why he had to marry the OW and that he'd keep it platonic, because he had to know it wouldn't be a lifelong situation, and that she would have most likely turned to her brother for the financial help the H needed, and in time all would have been okay.

But, of course, he doesn't do that, and they're both miserable for three years. (At least where their personal lives are concerned; careerwise, they both did fine, so neither was in a depressive funk for three years.) Then, when they meet again, it's him pursing, her rejecting, him making one too many statements about her belonging to him, she'll always be his, he'll win her eventually and then going all bat crap and declaring that even if she had married someone else and was happy, he'd have taken her away from her husband!!! TALK ABOUT CONCEIT!!!

Too much time was wasted with the H making all these possessive, over-the-top statements, and the h trying to act cool, detached and unaffected (and failing miserably) and trying to convince him (as well as herself) that she only feels sex attraction toward him, when all the time you know she's still in love.

Both this novel and its companion one ("Captives of the Past") leave too much out, especially where this h is concerned. The OM, who was an important part of the previous novel, isn't even mentioned in this one, which is pretty dumb, since he was a pivotal part of the relationship between the H and h. You can tell these books were written in the 80's, and the author must have been a fan of the famous nighttime soaps that topped the charts then. You had a whole bunch of triangles!

H-h-OM (the h/H from the other book)
H-h-OM (the h/H from this book)
H (from this book)-h (from the other book)-OM
H (from this book) h (from the other book)-H (from the other book)

To quote Arte Johnson and Judy Carne ("I Dream of Jeannie"): "Confusing! But very interesting!"

(The sister, BTW, was the h's half-sister, who was in love with the h's half-brother, since they were stepbrother and stepsister, since the h's mother married the brother's father before the h was born, and the sister was two years old! Incest vibe! Yes, complications worthy of the writers of "Dynasty" and "Falcon Crest'.)

But the fact that the h had rebounded to the OM (her ex brother-in-law, giving further incest vibes) after her brother wrecked her romance with the H, (after believing he'd broken up the sister's marriage to the OM) and she almost married him, until he slapped, punched and pulled her hair in a jealous rage, was never mentioned in this book, not even once! Does that sound plausible??? Especially since, no sooner did the H and h get back together then they broke up again, due to his noble idiocy! Since the h had learned the reason for his interfering in her sister's marriage (the GOOD reason, to stop her from being beaten and abused by the psycho OM), she knew what a good person he could be, so she should have been suspicious at his suddenly dumping her for what seemed a selfish materialistic reason, and maybe done some digging on her own and possibly found out what really happened. Though you really can't blame her for believing the worst of him.

But you'd think they'd have brought the past up, like him reminding her how she rebounded to the OM (who apparently told her a sob story of how terribly he'd been treated by her sister) and what a disaster that had been! And having gotten her back again, you'd think he'd have wanted to hold onto her no matter what and not let himself be manipulated by the OW's crummy grandfather!

Another thing: he's so eager to play White Knight to women he has no romantic feelings for (the OW and the h's sister) whereas with the h he plays the conquering pirate role instead, as if she's a treasure he's found and claimed for his own. If he hadn't made so many remarks about her belonging to him, how he's claiming his territory, how he'll possess her body, mind and soul completely, etc. ad nauseum, and had instead told her the truth about everything, a whole lot of stupid time wouldn't have been wasted! But it seems he felt he had to keep a promise to the OW (to whom he didn't owe a DAMNED THING), so it was left to the OW to explain all that really happened, which was pretty lame (not to mention DUMB), except to pave the way for Book #3, and show that she's not so bad, after all! (I can't wait to read that soap opera one!)

Ms. Donald wastes time with silliness, like the rock star who makes a play for the h, who thinks it was part of a business deal set up by the H, and another token OW, thrown in to get the h jealous. And while I liked the h's friend and her husband, there was too much time wasted on them, which could have gone to things more important, like the H and h getting somewhere in their relationship besides FINALLY hitting the sheets (with the H shocked but pleased to discover her hymen), and then the usual nonsense that comes after.

Also, at one point the author seems to want to redeem the h's mother, who was the cause of many of the things that happened in the other book, being a selfish gold-digger who married her second husband because she was in love with his money and then made a play for her stepson as soon as he was old enough to vote. Ms. Donald throws a hint that at one time she was in love with a man who broke her heart (must have been when she was in middle school, as she married her first husband when she was about 17, then dumped him for the second one at 19), but that's all you get as that was her first and last (and very brief) appearance in the book. I'm guessing while writing it, the author said, "Oh, the heck with it!", and dropped the idea.

Instead of silly stuff, there should have been more real talks between the H and h, because when they do get all their true feelings out, it's a case of who cares anymore???

And for the h to suddenly decide that all along she knew the H didn't want to dump her, that he had a valid reason, is a real "WTF!!!!" moment! If she knew, then why didn't she confront him when he wrote that hokey letter???? In her shoes, I would have said, "Don't take me for a nincompoop!!! What's really going on???"

Despite all their hangups (not to mention foolishness) I like the H and h in the other book better, even if their being stepbrother and stepsister gives a bit of an incest vibe. Not to mention, they're the h's half-brother and half-sister, because her mother (who's her sister's mother) was married to his father (who's also her father), and now that they're married, her half-brother is also her brother-in-law and her half-sister is also her sister-in-law, and can't you hear the "Dallas" theme song in the air???

[sbf20112011 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This was fairly well-done, but somehow it lacked oomph for me. I think there's just not enough suspense/tension when you have the hero saying over and over that he loves the heroine and she just doesn't believe him or thinks he doesn't love her enough or something. I like keeping the hero's feelings under wraps a little more. This may also have been spoiled for me because I read Love's Reward first, and saw these characters after their HEA there. (Though really, on some level you always know what the ending of an HP is going to be so I don't really think reading about them together later on could spoil a book for me.) Anyway, this was actually a decent read, but I was just disappointed that I didn't like it more.

[A · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is no justice to not telling your so called 'love of your life' why you ended up ditching her and marrying someone else. It means you don't trust her and it also means you think you are above her in the relationship that you don't care much about her need to know, her right to trust since it has been abused! I really think the h shouldn't have taken H back unless he had been upfront about it. The whole book was an exercise in immaturity and unbelievably stupid h who doesn't hold him accountable for his actions!

[Mara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really despise this kind of spiteful stories, in which she excels, where lust/hormones are a kind of Rohypnol, a mind altering drug that stops the brain from functioning, where the heroine keeps saying no but cannot enforce her choices (while no explanation are given on why she does not call the police/ security/family etc), where the heroine's life and love are frozen in time and never ending.
I might be able to enjoy them without this pits.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Melly is the little half-sister of Jennet and Rafe (the couple of the first book) who was all set to marry Melly's ex-husband before finding out that he was an abusive ass. She rebounded spectacularly with his cousin Trent and their romance was shaping up to be one for the history books. Until she went off to visit her mother in South France and wound up with a brutal Dear John letter and the news that Trent had married a rich heiress. Fast forward 3 years, Melly is more cynical and thinks she's over Trent, even though he's divorced now...until he shows up living in her apartment building and owning the company she now works for. He makes a textbook perfect stalker, literally insinuating himself into her life uninvited and basically tiring her out so she can no longer resist him. She starts out ready to fight and tell him to get the hell out of her life, but he's so damn persistent she starts to realize it's easier to give in than to keep fighting. There's also the added complication of the insane lust that basically short circuits her brain and destroys any and all willpower. But one thing Melly is sticking to, she doesn't trust Trent and won't trust him and he won't accept anything less than her complete submission.

For the life of me, I cannot figure why our H, who loves the heroine desperately and through not all his own fault broke her heart, would come back to her and act like this. No doubt about it, it makes for entertaining reading, but it just doesn’t seem like the logical thing to do. One would think that having lost years with the woman he loved, he’d come back grovelly and more charming than ever trying to win her over. Instead, Trent is a borderline nutjob as he insinuates himself into her life and mentally breaks her down. Alas, the effect is the same, so apparently logic is not necessary in HPlandia. I do appreciate that, in the end, Trent does kind of find his ability to do what the heroine asks, but by that point they both pretty much know it isn’t what she wants and that it’s just a matter of time. It kinda felt good to see Trent suffer though. It wasn’t so much his initial heartbreak of her, which could be forgiven...the problem was that he wasn’t explaining to protect certain parties involved. His behavior after his return was more problematic...and Melly sorta goes all doormat for him, but she really does put up a good fight. But really, his whole point was to wear her down and it only takes so long...but see, she never really changes her opinion of him, so in that he kinda loses. She’s back in love, but she still doesn’t trust. So that at least was good...except, she didn’t trust him on faith alone, she only began trusting him after the OW told her the true story. More realistic, but less romantic. On the whole, I did enjoy this as an entertaining, quasi-mind-boggling read, but found myself wondering what might have happened if Trent had stood up for his relationship with Melly when confronted with the OW. Looking forward to reading Cathy’s story. She sounds like an interesting mess, so we’ll have to see.

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Long Journey Back" is the story of Melly and Trent.

I worship the ground you walk on! I always have.When I look at you I feel myself dissipate into weakness, my bones melt, my sinews turn to elastic. Melissa, I--' He turned his head so that his lips touched her hair. 'How can I tell you?' he asked despairingly. 'You're all that I've ever wanted.'

One of the most unhinged and obsessed heroes Ive read.

The premise is simple: Two years ago, the hero jilted the heroine and married OW. Now he's back, ready to claim her back, vowing to gain her love, passion and forgiveness. She is reluctant and rightfully so, he is.. insane. There is so much drama and banter. Most of the book is the hero madly expressing his wild feelings for her and declaring how she is his. Now to some it'll be a red flag, I found it very sexy (but only in a fictional way). He would have fought the pope for her!

'Melly, my darling girl, I love you so much that I'm unhinged with wanting.

I really really enjoyed it. It was nuts in the best way, and the hero is a crazy crazy man.

Safe for me
4.5/5

[Cynthia]

Reading this book, I hated it. Mentally I tore my hair off before I finished.
It just pisses me off that author support the bullying inform of push, push and be abusive with words because that is what she need and love. What age do you think your reader are? 5?
The one side blind believe in the side of the h is stupid and dumb and expecting your reader to believe that is rubbish.
Maybe you guys should start writing a book where she says NO and it doesn't change to moaning with a little pushing and curse words.
Women aren't some weak doormat to be stepped all over, dumped or jilted by someone and still wait for him to return, accept any crumbs with raging hormones that surprisingly only him can satisfy.

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

So the reason for the hero's ditching the heroine was strong but didn't come out well or soon enough in the story. Very repetitive 'I want you back' 'No' 'I'll follow you anywhere'. Had that conversation about 4 times. Wish they had used the ex as a villain or not at all. She was just there being bothersome but no one told her to beat it.

[Shani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[More Books Than Time · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked reading this although I suspect being the chasee to such a determined chaser as the hero would be both delightful and horrifying.

[Ellyn (Mrs. Darcy in my Dreams) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The obsessive nature of H was annoying! I would have rather just seen a normal determined wooing. I think I need a break from Robyn Donald for awhile.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is a story where you didn't want the H to get his HEA with the h. He did her wrong by sending her away and then breaking up with her to marry another. Trent and Melly reconnect three years after he married another. After his divorce. This story was different in that the H is bound and determined to win the h back. Any way he can. Was the marriage coerced? Or was he only into it for the money like everyone thinks? Will she finally listen or will he give up? I read this with mixed feelings. Understand this is an older HP and not in everyone's tastes. I will reread it again. I enjoy Robyn Donald's other books and now have this one.