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The Secret Wife
A marriage of misunderstanding
Nothing could have prepared Rosie for Greek tycoon Constantine Voulos. He asked Rosie to marry him - well, he insisted: "You will go through a ceremony of marriage," he said, "and in return you will receive a big fat check and a divorce as soon as I can arrange it."
Rosie agreed to the clandestine wedding because of her late father's wishes, but was anguished that Constantine had got her all wrong. The longer she spent with him, the more she knew she just couldn't be his temporary wife. There was only one thing for it - her secret would have to be told! (less)
Nothing could have prepared Rosie for Greek tycoon Constantine Voulos. He asked Rosie to marry him - well, he insisted: "You will go through a ceremony of marriage," he said, "and in return you will receive a big fat check and a divorce as soon as I can arrange it."
Rosie agreed to the clandestine wedding because of her late father's wishes, but was anguished that Constantine had got her all wrong. The longer she spent with him, the more she knew she just couldn't be his temporary wife. There was only one thing for it - her secret would have to be told! (less)
288 pages, Hardcover
Published November 1, 1997
116 people are currently reading
805 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,763 books1,448 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
October 23, 2023
This is really a 3.5 star read - not quite a four because the bickering goes on a bit too long for my tastes. And there were times the hero crossed over into verbal abuse, but he did apologize for going too far.
Grown up secret baby heroine raised-in-a-foster home is found by her father, but they only have a few months together before he dies of a heart attack. Her father never told his wife about her because she was infertile and he doesn't want her to know he was unfaithful. Greek billionaire hero lived with h's father and his wife as a child after his parents died and he thinks h was the father's mistress. The terms of the will are that the H must marry the h to inherit the father's business. (His wife had money of her own)
Hero is convinced the h is pregnant and that is why the father was talking about her on his deathbed. He won't believe that she is his daughter.
They marry and then the fun starts.
There is an OM to gum up the works and the heroine is great at lashing at the various OWs that show up. All in all a fun romp.
Grown up secret baby heroine raised-in-a-foster home is found by her father, but they only have a few months together before he dies of a heart attack. Her father never told his wife about her because she was infertile and he doesn't want her to know he was unfaithful. Greek billionaire hero lived with h's father and his wife as a child after his parents died and he thinks h was the father's mistress. The terms of the will are that the H must marry the h to inherit the father's business. (His wife had money of her own)
Hero is convinced the h is pregnant and that is why the father was talking about her on his deathbed. He won't believe that she is his daughter.
They marry and then the fun starts.
There is an OM to gum up the works and the heroine is great at lashing at the various OWs that show up. All in all a fun romp.
February 21, 2019
Re The Secret Wife - Lynne Graham puts a nice twist on the mistaken for a mistress trope in this one.
The h is named Rosie and when the story starts, she is twenty years old and has just lost her newly discovered father. She sneaks into the memorial service, as she doesn't want her father's adopted son, Constantine, or his wife Thespina to know who she is.
(Rosie was the product of a brief affair. Rosie's father was estranged from his wife, Thespina, over her inability to bear children and Rosie's mother was his temporary secretary. They had a moment or two and then Constantine's parent's died and Thespina and Rosie's father adopted Constantine and had their own reconciliation.)
Rosie's mum was preggers, but she knew her affair was over, so she married another man and did not tell him she was already pregnant. Then the woman died and the new husband wasn't a fan of Rosie's, so she went into care. Rosie met her current BFF, Maurice, when he saved her from some abusive nematodes at the foster home they lived in.
Now Rosie shares a house with Maurice and flogs various items at local markets. Rosie wants to open an antique store and has a thing for collecting Sylvac Bunnies. She has spent the last four months living in her father's house, at his behest.
Rosie is pretty independent and very pragmatic. Her father was definitely the very patriarchal type, so he and Rosie had some huge adjustments to make to be able to reconnect.
Rosie is just grateful she finally got to meet her father, but she is also very honest with herself about how much she resents his inability to understand what her life was like and there is also some resentment about Constantine being adopted and raised in what should have been her place.
Constantine finds Rosie at the now deceased father's house, she is wearing the father's familial ring and Con immediately leaps into the "you're a harlot and my adopted father's mistress mode." Rosie doesn't take that tart shaming or the harlot tag lying down. She fires right back that Con is a sewer slurping gutter snarfing toe rag and he has no right to think anything about her.
(Just to be clear, Constantine is an idiot. He leaps to every negative thing he can think about Rosie on little to no evidence. The nasty names and the tart shaming are massive in this and really, Constantine brings it all on himself, so I had no mercy for him. Rosie smacks him down repeatedly over the course of this one and he totally deserves it.)
Rosie decides that while meeting her father was great, life must go on. Unfortunately on her way out of her late father's house and with Con's nasty names reverberating around, she runs into Thespina on the doorstep.
Thespina recognizes Rosie's ring right away and Con is quick to jump in and say they are engaged. Rosie is appalled at the lie, but she also has a lot of compassion for Thespina, who is so obviously grieving and Rosie is equally quick to agree that she and Con are engaged, because she doesn't want Thespina to hurt more than she already is.
Rosie and Con part ways, with Rosie sorry to have maybe hurt Thespina, but vowing never to talk to Con again, cause he is a slime pustule in a flash suit.
Rosie goes to her home and has a row with Maurice, her housemate, for messing things up while she was gone. In the middle of the big clean up, Con shows up and apparently Rosie's father left instructions in his will that Constantine has to marry Rosie to be able to inherit Rosie's father's estate. Rosie's father's business assets are frozen and Constantine can't tell Thespina about the will, so he can't fight it in court.
Rosie is shocked, she got the family ring and is happy doing her own thing, but when Con leaps to the conclusion that she must be preggers from her father - whom Con still believes was her lover- Rosie is gobsmacked.
Constantine makes some more nasty comments, this time about Maurice and Rosie and Rosie smacks his face. Then Con gets nasty.
He tells Rosie she will either marry him or he will force her and Maurice to find another place to live. Maurice's reclamation business is run out of their home, and they rent from Maurice's uncle, but Con is a wealthy Greek gadzillionaire and Rosie is sure he could use his money and power to cause a lot of harm.
But it is actually Maurice who finally pimps her out, he guilts Rosie into agreeing to marry Constantine by telling her that her father's employees will suffer and that Constantine is offering her a decent amount of compensation in his bid to make her play for pay. Rosie has to think about things, but she isn't ready to concede.
We get another confrontation between Con and Rosie, when he deliberately breaks a very pricey Sylvac bunny and Rosie is disgusted and appalled. Rosie only sells her Sylvac bunnies to good homes, so while Con did pay for it, he was deliberately harmful to it and Rosie decides to sort the situation out once and for all.
She tells Con that his adopted father is her biological dad and Constantine, true to the idiocy that is his character, doesn't believe her and Rosie has no proof. Instead he makes more tarty gold digger harlot comments and Rosie pretty much gives up.
She tells Con off in excellent style, because while he is calling her all manner of nasty names and being ugly, he has been in a long term affair with a married woman and he has no room to to judge. However, for her father's business and his memory and to avoid causing Thespina any more grief, Rosie agrees to marry Con.
The wedding is not spectacular and Rosie has no intentions of even living with Con. She envisions a quick registry office wedding and then separate lives and then a discrete divorce. Naturally, it does't work that way.
Con forces Rosie to spend the night with him and Maurice, wheeler dealer that he is, leaks news of the marriage to the press, or at least his mouthy sister does. Rosie gets a few more stabs in at Constantine when she plays the Bimbo in the Bar to the utmost hilt and manages to get his bodyguard totally plastered on one drink.
Constantine is furious, but then so is Rosie and we get a LOT more battles with Rosie winning a few when she throws wine in Con's face. Rosie gets hauled off to Greece, because Constantine reveals that her father spent almost all of his money buying back his family estate and Con was waiting for him to ask him to bail him out.
(Which kinda negates the reason Constantine married Rosie, if the house was all there was to the inheritance, but Rosie is too upset and to overwhelmed to think about that.)
So we all go to Greece and Con is at his nematode slime swilling best, he treats Rosie horribly and parades her around like a bimbo. Then he tells her she has to act like his wife when Rosie is all about ignoring him.
So Rosie does indeed act like his wife, especially when his latest fling shows up and is jumping on him in the downstairs reception room. Rosie comes in on the OW's act and proceeds to make dire threats and warnings and tells Constantine to get his tart out of her home or he will be sorry.
It is now Constantine's turn to be gobsmacked and Rosie finally wins again. Then Con tries to force an experiment in the lurve force mojo and Rosie freezes up. Constantine is shocked that Rosie reacts like he is going to attack her. (Rosie IS attracted, but she has some PTSD, so she freezes up.)
Constantine is now determined to win Rosie over and get some bonus tower of power rides. Rosie isn't going to give in easily, so she decides to take off. There is a really funny scene when Takis, Constantine's bodyguard, helps her to escape. Rosie goes to her late father's newly purchased house and the housekeeper knows who she is right away.
Back in England, Constantine and Maurice are having fits, cause Rosie has disappeared. Constantine finally shows up three days later and he has a whole new wardrobe for Rosie. Constantine is convinced that every other guy in Rosie's life - Maurice and her late father- are rivals.
Rosie tries to explain about Maurice saving her, but Con still believes that they are lovers and that Rosie is misguided by hero worship.
We finally get to the epic consummation scene, after yet ANOTHER of Con's bimbo's shows up at a restaurant they are eating at and Rosie tells the woman she is happy to loan Constantine out, right in front of the tabloids. Constantine is furious all over again, but Rosie tells him it is just setting the stage for the big break up.
Con decides that he is going to get his leg over before they are done with each other and Rosie finally gives into the Treacherous Body Syndrome. Constantine messes things up again when he refuses to recognize that Rosie was grooming unicorns prior to knowing him.
Then Maurice shows up and Con gets even crazier. He chases Maurice and Rosie down in his car and Maurice tells Rosie that since she admits she is in love with Con, she should go back.
Con is his usual nematode slime swilling self, as he takes Rosie home. So Rosie decides to just ignore him and pretend he isn't there, after she gives him a very funny verbal beratement.
This drives Con crazier and the housekeeper decides that she needs to pimp Rosie out, so she chastises Rosie. Rosie knows that her and Con being married was her late father's dearest wish, but Rosie doesn't want to be the temporary flavor of the month that Constantine fills his life with.
Rosie is absolutely correct when she tells Con that he treats her like he treats all of his women and he thought that if he continued to put her down, she would work harder to comply with his wishes and be more eager to please. But Rosie has more self respect than that and she has nothing more to say to him.
Constantine only has his roofie kisses to fall back on at this point and Rosie is definitely feeling the purple passion. Treacherous body syndrome strikes again and this time, it looks like Con and Rosie might be able to work things out.
Until Constantine finds some papers that Rosie's father's lawyer delivered and they reveal the truth about her being his daughter. Constantine has to have ANOTHER ranty moment, cause now he claims he is tied to Rosie for life and she should have tried harder to tell him the truth.
Rosie quite rightly says she did and that he did not believe her. So Con starts calling her names again and then Con goes and gets paralytically drunk. Rosie feels bad, because Con is clearly convinced that she was just withholding all this to be spiteful and Rosie's earlier memory of her initial resentment makes her feel guilty.
Rosie takes off while Con is rambling about bunnies and being hung over, but then she decides to go back and sort things out. She runs into Thespina, her father's wife, who now admits that she knows that Rosie was her late husband's love child and that she has known about her for 20 yrs.
But she also admits that Rosie's father was weak and couldn't handle Thespina knowing the truth and Thespina also had to protect her pride. Thespina explains that she went along with the pretense and she is sorta, maybe a little sorry for it.
Then she tackily throws in a bid for a grandchild when Con says their marriage is real and Rosie claims that it is fake. Thespina takes herself off and Con has his big explanations to get through. Rosie doesn't want to hear it tho and she takes off to pack.
Rosie is packing and yelling at Con and he has to say sorry for calling her horrible names and for being a humongous nematode snot snarfer. Then Con's married lover calls and Rosie throws his phone in the water pitcher.
Con is very quick to reassure Rosie that he and the married lady haven't been together for years, he only told his adopted parents he was involved with her to keep Thespina from trying to marry him off.
Rosie is all set to rain words of fire on Con's head when he finally admits that if she walks out on him, he will feel like his life should end. He claims to know that she is still in love with Maurice and that he will be patient and not run off the rails with put downs and demands because he is so jealous, cause he is really, truly, seriously in love with her.
Rosie caves and explains that she was never in love with Maurice, he is just her friend and that she loves Constantine. They decide to lurve it up again and Rosie asks why Con was drunk and rambling about bunnies.
Constantine admits that he wanted to win Rosie over, so he had his staff go out and buy all the Sylvac bunnies they could get their hands on. Rosie now has two crates of Sylvac bunnies waiting her for her perusal.
But before Rosie goes to look at them, she wants another round of Constantine playing gangster who seduces an innocent bystander and they go back to lurving it up again for another LG HP HEA.
This one is not really a four star book, more like a 3.5. But Rosie and her very quality snark are so endlessly entertaining, that I had to bump it up. Constantine is more of a problem, because his nastiness and epic stupidity go on for way, way too long.
Still, his attitude of idiocy is enough to keep the plot moving and he does a decent enough grovel at the end. I am not sure it was enough for all that he originally said, but I can be happy that Rosie is happy and it is for the most part a believable HEA and a highly entertaining HPlandia outing.
The h is named Rosie and when the story starts, she is twenty years old and has just lost her newly discovered father. She sneaks into the memorial service, as she doesn't want her father's adopted son, Constantine, or his wife Thespina to know who she is.
(Rosie was the product of a brief affair. Rosie's father was estranged from his wife, Thespina, over her inability to bear children and Rosie's mother was his temporary secretary. They had a moment or two and then Constantine's parent's died and Thespina and Rosie's father adopted Constantine and had their own reconciliation.)
Rosie's mum was preggers, but she knew her affair was over, so she married another man and did not tell him she was already pregnant. Then the woman died and the new husband wasn't a fan of Rosie's, so she went into care. Rosie met her current BFF, Maurice, when he saved her from some abusive nematodes at the foster home they lived in.
Now Rosie shares a house with Maurice and flogs various items at local markets. Rosie wants to open an antique store and has a thing for collecting Sylvac Bunnies. She has spent the last four months living in her father's house, at his behest.
Rosie is pretty independent and very pragmatic. Her father was definitely the very patriarchal type, so he and Rosie had some huge adjustments to make to be able to reconnect.
Rosie is just grateful she finally got to meet her father, but she is also very honest with herself about how much she resents his inability to understand what her life was like and there is also some resentment about Constantine being adopted and raised in what should have been her place.
Constantine finds Rosie at the now deceased father's house, she is wearing the father's familial ring and Con immediately leaps into the "you're a harlot and my adopted father's mistress mode." Rosie doesn't take that tart shaming or the harlot tag lying down. She fires right back that Con is a sewer slurping gutter snarfing toe rag and he has no right to think anything about her.
(Just to be clear, Constantine is an idiot. He leaps to every negative thing he can think about Rosie on little to no evidence. The nasty names and the tart shaming are massive in this and really, Constantine brings it all on himself, so I had no mercy for him. Rosie smacks him down repeatedly over the course of this one and he totally deserves it.)
Rosie decides that while meeting her father was great, life must go on. Unfortunately on her way out of her late father's house and with Con's nasty names reverberating around, she runs into Thespina on the doorstep.
Thespina recognizes Rosie's ring right away and Con is quick to jump in and say they are engaged. Rosie is appalled at the lie, but she also has a lot of compassion for Thespina, who is so obviously grieving and Rosie is equally quick to agree that she and Con are engaged, because she doesn't want Thespina to hurt more than she already is.
Rosie and Con part ways, with Rosie sorry to have maybe hurt Thespina, but vowing never to talk to Con again, cause he is a slime pustule in a flash suit.
Rosie goes to her home and has a row with Maurice, her housemate, for messing things up while she was gone. In the middle of the big clean up, Con shows up and apparently Rosie's father left instructions in his will that Constantine has to marry Rosie to be able to inherit Rosie's father's estate. Rosie's father's business assets are frozen and Constantine can't tell Thespina about the will, so he can't fight it in court.
Rosie is shocked, she got the family ring and is happy doing her own thing, but when Con leaps to the conclusion that she must be preggers from her father - whom Con still believes was her lover- Rosie is gobsmacked.
Constantine makes some more nasty comments, this time about Maurice and Rosie and Rosie smacks his face. Then Con gets nasty.
He tells Rosie she will either marry him or he will force her and Maurice to find another place to live. Maurice's reclamation business is run out of their home, and they rent from Maurice's uncle, but Con is a wealthy Greek gadzillionaire and Rosie is sure he could use his money and power to cause a lot of harm.
But it is actually Maurice who finally pimps her out, he guilts Rosie into agreeing to marry Constantine by telling her that her father's employees will suffer and that Constantine is offering her a decent amount of compensation in his bid to make her play for pay. Rosie has to think about things, but she isn't ready to concede.
We get another confrontation between Con and Rosie, when he deliberately breaks a very pricey Sylvac bunny and Rosie is disgusted and appalled. Rosie only sells her Sylvac bunnies to good homes, so while Con did pay for it, he was deliberately harmful to it and Rosie decides to sort the situation out once and for all.
She tells Con that his adopted father is her biological dad and Constantine, true to the idiocy that is his character, doesn't believe her and Rosie has no proof. Instead he makes more tarty gold digger harlot comments and Rosie pretty much gives up.
She tells Con off in excellent style, because while he is calling her all manner of nasty names and being ugly, he has been in a long term affair with a married woman and he has no room to to judge. However, for her father's business and his memory and to avoid causing Thespina any more grief, Rosie agrees to marry Con.
The wedding is not spectacular and Rosie has no intentions of even living with Con. She envisions a quick registry office wedding and then separate lives and then a discrete divorce. Naturally, it does't work that way.
Con forces Rosie to spend the night with him and Maurice, wheeler dealer that he is, leaks news of the marriage to the press, or at least his mouthy sister does. Rosie gets a few more stabs in at Constantine when she plays the Bimbo in the Bar to the utmost hilt and manages to get his bodyguard totally plastered on one drink.
Constantine is furious, but then so is Rosie and we get a LOT more battles with Rosie winning a few when she throws wine in Con's face. Rosie gets hauled off to Greece, because Constantine reveals that her father spent almost all of his money buying back his family estate and Con was waiting for him to ask him to bail him out.
(Which kinda negates the reason Constantine married Rosie, if the house was all there was to the inheritance, but Rosie is too upset and to overwhelmed to think about that.)
So we all go to Greece and Con is at his nematode slime swilling best, he treats Rosie horribly and parades her around like a bimbo. Then he tells her she has to act like his wife when Rosie is all about ignoring him.
So Rosie does indeed act like his wife, especially when his latest fling shows up and is jumping on him in the downstairs reception room. Rosie comes in on the OW's act and proceeds to make dire threats and warnings and tells Constantine to get his tart out of her home or he will be sorry.
It is now Constantine's turn to be gobsmacked and Rosie finally wins again. Then Con tries to force an experiment in the lurve force mojo and Rosie freezes up. Constantine is shocked that Rosie reacts like he is going to attack her. (Rosie IS attracted, but she has some PTSD, so she freezes up.)
Constantine is now determined to win Rosie over and get some bonus tower of power rides. Rosie isn't going to give in easily, so she decides to take off. There is a really funny scene when Takis, Constantine's bodyguard, helps her to escape. Rosie goes to her late father's newly purchased house and the housekeeper knows who she is right away.
Back in England, Constantine and Maurice are having fits, cause Rosie has disappeared. Constantine finally shows up three days later and he has a whole new wardrobe for Rosie. Constantine is convinced that every other guy in Rosie's life - Maurice and her late father- are rivals.
Rosie tries to explain about Maurice saving her, but Con still believes that they are lovers and that Rosie is misguided by hero worship.
We finally get to the epic consummation scene, after yet ANOTHER of Con's bimbo's shows up at a restaurant they are eating at and Rosie tells the woman she is happy to loan Constantine out, right in front of the tabloids. Constantine is furious all over again, but Rosie tells him it is just setting the stage for the big break up.
Con decides that he is going to get his leg over before they are done with each other and Rosie finally gives into the Treacherous Body Syndrome. Constantine messes things up again when he refuses to recognize that Rosie was grooming unicorns prior to knowing him.
Then Maurice shows up and Con gets even crazier. He chases Maurice and Rosie down in his car and Maurice tells Rosie that since she admits she is in love with Con, she should go back.
Con is his usual nematode slime swilling self, as he takes Rosie home. So Rosie decides to just ignore him and pretend he isn't there, after she gives him a very funny verbal beratement.
This drives Con crazier and the housekeeper decides that she needs to pimp Rosie out, so she chastises Rosie. Rosie knows that her and Con being married was her late father's dearest wish, but Rosie doesn't want to be the temporary flavor of the month that Constantine fills his life with.
Rosie is absolutely correct when she tells Con that he treats her like he treats all of his women and he thought that if he continued to put her down, she would work harder to comply with his wishes and be more eager to please. But Rosie has more self respect than that and she has nothing more to say to him.
Constantine only has his roofie kisses to fall back on at this point and Rosie is definitely feeling the purple passion. Treacherous body syndrome strikes again and this time, it looks like Con and Rosie might be able to work things out.
Until Constantine finds some papers that Rosie's father's lawyer delivered and they reveal the truth about her being his daughter. Constantine has to have ANOTHER ranty moment, cause now he claims he is tied to Rosie for life and she should have tried harder to tell him the truth.
Rosie quite rightly says she did and that he did not believe her. So Con starts calling her names again and then Con goes and gets paralytically drunk. Rosie feels bad, because Con is clearly convinced that she was just withholding all this to be spiteful and Rosie's earlier memory of her initial resentment makes her feel guilty.
Rosie takes off while Con is rambling about bunnies and being hung over, but then she decides to go back and sort things out. She runs into Thespina, her father's wife, who now admits that she knows that Rosie was her late husband's love child and that she has known about her for 20 yrs.
But she also admits that Rosie's father was weak and couldn't handle Thespina knowing the truth and Thespina also had to protect her pride. Thespina explains that she went along with the pretense and she is sorta, maybe a little sorry for it.
Then she tackily throws in a bid for a grandchild when Con says their marriage is real and Rosie claims that it is fake. Thespina takes herself off and Con has his big explanations to get through. Rosie doesn't want to hear it tho and she takes off to pack.
Rosie is packing and yelling at Con and he has to say sorry for calling her horrible names and for being a humongous nematode snot snarfer. Then Con's married lover calls and Rosie throws his phone in the water pitcher.
Con is very quick to reassure Rosie that he and the married lady haven't been together for years, he only told his adopted parents he was involved with her to keep Thespina from trying to marry him off.
Rosie is all set to rain words of fire on Con's head when he finally admits that if she walks out on him, he will feel like his life should end. He claims to know that she is still in love with Maurice and that he will be patient and not run off the rails with put downs and demands because he is so jealous, cause he is really, truly, seriously in love with her.
Rosie caves and explains that she was never in love with Maurice, he is just her friend and that she loves Constantine. They decide to lurve it up again and Rosie asks why Con was drunk and rambling about bunnies.
Constantine admits that he wanted to win Rosie over, so he had his staff go out and buy all the Sylvac bunnies they could get their hands on. Rosie now has two crates of Sylvac bunnies waiting her for her perusal.
But before Rosie goes to look at them, she wants another round of Constantine playing gangster who seduces an innocent bystander and they go back to lurving it up again for another LG HP HEA.
This one is not really a four star book, more like a 3.5. But Rosie and her very quality snark are so endlessly entertaining, that I had to bump it up. Constantine is more of a problem, because his nastiness and epic stupidity go on for way, way too long.
Still, his attitude of idiocy is enough to keep the plot moving and he does a decent enough grovel at the end. I am not sure it was enough for all that he originally said, but I can be happy that Rosie is happy and it is for the most part a believable HEA and a highly entertaining HPlandia outing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2013
This one hit the spot for me even if it wasn't perfect. I greatly enjoyed that the heroine had a back bone. She had him all twisted up throughout. For example, he tells her that she needs to make their marriage convincing and act like she's really his wife, so when his mistress comes to talk with him she promptly sends her packing acting like a regular virago then turns to the hero and says
"Well how did I do?" the silence pulsed as if it were about to explode. "How...did... you... do? Constantine framed between audibly grinding teeth. "In the newly married woman stakes...was I convincing? I mean there is just no way a wife would walk past a scene like that in her own home. As you reminded me, I am not just a guest here." Constantine swung away from her and spread lean brown hands in a unsteady arc of scantily leashed rage. She had the feeling that he couldn't quite believe what had just happened to him.
There were quite a few episodes like that where she had him flustered. I really enjoy books with heroines of that nature.
The only thing I didn't really like was the weird way he acted near the end when he finds out she's been telling the truth all along. The author was stretching it quite a bit to make me buy into his bizarre rational and motivations there. I think a bit of filler was happening there. But the rest of the book was so strong that I forgave it. Also the hero could have groveled just a bit more at the end.
All in all a satisfying Lynne Graham read.
"Well how did I do?" the silence pulsed as if it were about to explode. "How...did... you... do? Constantine framed between audibly grinding teeth. "In the newly married woman stakes...was I convincing? I mean there is just no way a wife would walk past a scene like that in her own home. As you reminded me, I am not just a guest here." Constantine swung away from her and spread lean brown hands in a unsteady arc of scantily leashed rage. She had the feeling that he couldn't quite believe what had just happened to him.
There were quite a few episodes like that where she had him flustered. I really enjoy books with heroines of that nature.
The only thing I didn't really like was the weird way he acted near the end when he finds out she's been telling the truth all along. The author was stretching it quite a bit to make me buy into his bizarre rational and motivations there. I think a bit of filler was happening there. But the rest of the book was so strong that I forgave it. Also the hero could have groveled just a bit more at the end.
All in all a satisfying Lynne Graham read.
June 1, 2020
A re-read.
Bumping up a star for the shenanigans the heroine gets up to including running away twice, acting like a "wife" and driving away one of the hero's mistresses, and best of all putting his weak apology flowers through the shredder in front of his employees.
Hero is still a one star jerk, and heroine still takes on all the fault for everything from not trying hard enough to tell hero better that she's the adopted father's real daughter, that she's a virgin, and probably the gravitational pull on the earth. Even Thespina, the woman they've all been trying to protect, pimps her out to get grandchildren.
It wouldThe H is certainly no Spanish Groom.
The h is srtong-willed and independent, but unfortunately his magic penis puts an end to her independence.
Quite tropey, he calls her every name in the book, tramp, whore, slut, and the accusations just keep coming. He doesn't just jump to conclusions, he leaps.
She Despite her attempts to straighten out the situation, he continues to belittle her and harangue her. He's a little scary. Even when the H finds out the truth it is still her fault for not trying hard enough to explain so she ends up feeling terrible about that and APOLOGIZING. Grrrr. I keep waiting for his big grovel.
Highlights include her confrontations with his ex-mistresses. She lays down the line, and she's a runner. Run, girl, run!
Bumping up a star for the shenanigans the heroine gets up to including running away twice, acting like a "wife" and driving away one of the hero's mistresses, and best of all putting his weak apology flowers through the shredder in front of his employees.
Hero is still a one star jerk, and heroine still takes on all the fault for everything from not trying hard enough to tell hero better that she's the adopted father's real daughter, that she's a virgin, and probably the gravitational pull on the earth. Even Thespina, the woman they've all been trying to protect, pimps her out to get grandchildren.
It wouldThe H is certainly no Spanish Groom.
The h is srtong-willed and independent, but unfortunately his magic penis puts an end to her independence.
Quite tropey, he calls her every name in the book, tramp, whore, slut, and the accusations just keep coming. He doesn't just jump to conclusions, he leaps.
She Despite her attempts to straighten out the situation, he continues to belittle her and harangue her. He's a little scary. Even when the H finds out the truth it is still her fault for not trying hard enough to explain so she ends up feeling terrible about that and APOLOGIZING. Grrrr. I keep waiting for his big grovel.
Highlights include her confrontations with his ex-mistresses. She lays down the line, and she's a runner. Run, girl, run!
November 20, 2022
I couldn't decide if this was a reread or just eerily similar to another book I've read before. I guess I shouldn't be surprised this plot has found me again. I am a SUCKER for books where the H thinks the h is a tramp and slut-shames the hell out of her, but *TA-DA* He finds out the Old Fashioned Way just how very wrong he was. 😏 It's probably in my top 5 favorite tropes. 🤷🏼♀️
Anyway.... I liked the interactions between these two. It veered more humorous than bitter without being slapstick. It was fun to read.
I wasn't as wild about how long it took for the Hero to pull his head out of his ass in the face of overwhelming proof that he was completely wrong about the heroine. His last accusation just jumped the shark for me. However, I appreciate that it was resolved quickly with him racing to her to make amends.
I also didn't love how, once again, the heroine starts blaming herself for everything. I think some healthy self-examination and awareness is good thing, but LG's heroines take it a bit too far. They are suffering enough at the asshat Hero's hands. No reason to take on all the blame. It's irritating.
And this includes LG's signature OW who turns out to be a saint. Insert eyeroll here. I wasn't impressed with how this was handled by the H. This was a woman he'd had an affair with (she was married)... and he's still friends with her and receiving phone calls from her and going to lunch with her... he never tells the h that will change because it's not appropriate now that he's married. He just tells her they are friends and leaves it at that. I think this deserved closer scrutiny, and tact.
Bottom Line? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Despite it's drawbacks, which are mostly just Lynne Graham style quirks, this is one of the better of LG's books, for me. I liked the heroine and hero overall and loved their banter and antics. I left this book happy for them.
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no dubcon
- OW drama - the H is known to have carried on an affair with a married woman when he was younger... he's still seen with her from time to time, but he says their sexual activities were over a long time ago - she's still hanging about and causes the h some angst
- OM drama - the h has a childhood friend who she's very close with - the H thinks the h has a romantic relationship with him - she isn’t
- h is a virgin
- H is not a virgin, but not really a manwhore either
Anyway.... I liked the interactions between these two. It veered more humorous than bitter without being slapstick. It was fun to read.
I wasn't as wild about how long it took for the Hero to pull his head out of his ass in the face of overwhelming proof that he was completely wrong about the heroine. His last accusation just jumped the shark for me. However, I appreciate that it was resolved quickly with him racing to her to make amends.
I also didn't love how, once again, the heroine starts blaming herself for everything. I think some healthy self-examination and awareness is good thing, but LG's heroines take it a bit too far. They are suffering enough at the asshat Hero's hands. No reason to take on all the blame. It's irritating.
And this includes LG's signature OW who turns out to be a saint. Insert eyeroll here. I wasn't impressed with how this was handled by the H. This was a woman he'd had an affair with (she was married)... and he's still friends with her and receiving phone calls from her and going to lunch with her... he never tells the h that will change because it's not appropriate now that he's married. He just tells her they are friends and leaves it at that. I think this deserved closer scrutiny, and tact.
Bottom Line? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Despite it's drawbacks, which are mostly just Lynne Graham style quirks, this is one of the better of LG's books, for me. I liked the heroine and hero overall and loved their banter and antics. I left this book happy for them.
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no dubcon
- OW drama - the H is known to have carried on an affair with a married woman when he was younger... he's still seen with her from time to time, but he says their sexual activities were over a long time ago - she's still hanging about and causes the h some angst
- OM drama - the h has a childhood friend who she's very close with - the H thinks the h has a romantic relationship with him - she isn’t
- h is a virgin
- H is not a virgin, but not really a manwhore either
November 18, 2022
The Secret Wife was essentially an enemies-to-lovers story about a guy falling in love for the first time with a girl who goes toe-to-toe with him on everything - a girl whom he thought was his late adopted father's mistress.
Rosie Waring's world collapsed when her dad, whom she had just recently met after twenty years, suddenly died, leaving her once again. Then, when she unexpectedly met Constantine Volos, her father's adopted son, and he started throwing her hurtful words and accusing her of being her father's mistress, Rosie decided not to tell him the truth and walked out on him until her father's will forced Constantine to marry her. Even though Rosie tried to tell him the truth once, he didn't believe her. Accusation after another kept being sent Rosie's way. He didn't give her a choice but to agree to a pretend marriage for the sake of his adoptive mother.
Can these two continue their charade without crossing the line?
No one can create a stubborn, arrogant, domineering, and possessive hero like the author, Ms. Lynne Graham. In this book, we have Constantine Voulos, the adoptive son of Anton and Thespina. I liked Constantine. It was obvious that he liked Rosie, and he was having difficulty dealing with his emotions; that's why he continued to say hurtful words to her. And I liked how he acted with jealousy toward Rosie's best friend and kept calling him names. (Throwback and Yob) There's one thing I didn't like about him - he was quick to lay the blame on Rosie when the truth came out. Hello!?! Rosie tried to tell you the truth before.
Rosie Waring is my kind of heroine. She was independent, sassy, strong, feisty, and gave as good as she got, and I found myself amused by her antics. She didn't let him walk all over her. Whenever the hero insulted her, she insulted him back. I loved that Rosie had a backbone. She had him twisted up from the first page to the last. And I loved the fact that she didn't sleep with him the first time they met. Their banter and sparring of words were just hilarious.
Well, let me tell you, you overgrown creep, it takes more than a big loud mouth and a flashy suit to impress me, and this is one trashy little tart; who has no plans ever to cross your path again!
I'm surprised you didn't push me. Oh, I forgot, didn't I? I'm only worth something to you as long as I'm alive and kicking.
I also loved the scenes that transpired between Rosie and Constantine's mistresses.
"Do you have a single sensitive bone in your body?" Rosie shook her fiery head. "Not where you're concerned. I was a bit worried that I might be reading the signals wrong and that your lady friend might be sincerely attached to you. But she wasn't, was she? So no harm is done."Overall, The Secret Wife was an entertaining read with a good amount of fun and angst.
"Justine. This is my wife, Rosie."
"Oh, don't mind me," Rosie said sweetly. "I'm not the tiniest bit possessive about you."
"If you get me in the right mood, I even loan him out."
October 28, 2021
The Secret Wife is the story of Constantine Voulos and Rosie. Rosie is the recently discovered illegitimate daughter of Anton who raised Constantine after his parents died. He passes before the book starts, and we open with the H assuming she’s his mentor’s mistress, and is preggers (or lied about being preggers) because he recently changed his will to have the H marry the h upon his death.
This wasn’t bad, and I would suggest to readers that enjoy a feisty h because Rosie (21) is a scrappy former foster child that gives as good as she gets. Constantine (30) is the typical bossy Greek tycoon that makes constant assumptions. It’s also an enemies to lovers/ hate to love romance, so if that’s your jam… give it a try. It's in KU.
Even though it hurts to 2⭐ Ms. G, this wasn’t for me. I did find Rosie entertaining for a while, but we’re in the same holding pattern for WAY too long. The bickering goes on and on and on… like most of the book, and we know what's going on, so there're no twist or other drama. I got bored, and started skimming. We also needed an epilogue since they fought almost the entire book.
This wasn’t bad, and I would suggest to readers that enjoy a feisty h because Rosie (21) is a scrappy former foster child that gives as good as she gets. Constantine (30) is the typical bossy Greek tycoon that makes constant assumptions. It’s also an enemies to lovers/ hate to love romance, so if that’s your jam… give it a try. It's in KU.
Even though it hurts to 2⭐ Ms. G, this wasn’t for me. I did find Rosie entertaining for a while, but we’re in the same holding pattern for WAY too long. The bickering goes on and on and on… like most of the book, and we know what's going on, so there're no twist or other drama. I got bored, and started skimming. We also needed an epilogue since they fought almost the entire book.
March 3, 2018
The guy is a mean bastard and no hero. He came bearing down upon her like a vicious storm, lashing insults ("whore" and derivatives thereof usually), blowing her hither and thither according to his commands, his roars so deafening blocking out any objections or attempts from her to tell him the truth. Even when he found out he was wrong about her and that he had earlier taken he her virginity without appreciating it, he still bizarrely managed to turn it around and blamed her for orchestrating the deliberate concealing of her innocence, so she could somehow use the later revelation against him. Moron, if you experienced manwhore, who has a girlfriend in every port, can't tell that you slept with a virgin, you only have yourself to blame. Disgusting for him to try to namecall the heroine, when he was the biggest slut of them all.
The heroine wasn't much of one either, because she really didn't put much of a fight, melting at his every touch even though he never ceased to question her motives or morality. He got her so screwed up in the end, that she started to apologise for not trying hard enough to get the message through his thick, prejudiced skull, that she was truly innocent of his vile accusations. This was a big fail in my attempt to try a light and random read.
The heroine wasn't much of one either, because she really didn't put much of a fight, melting at his every touch even though he never ceased to question her motives or morality. He got her so screwed up in the end, that she started to apologise for not trying hard enough to get the message through his thick, prejudiced skull, that she was truly innocent of his vile accusations. This was a big fail in my attempt to try a light and random read.
April 6, 2020
Incredibly annoying but I liked it anyway!
August 9, 2018
2 stars
This one was kind of dull - I skimmed a lot. h gave as good as she got - but not enough to carry this book. The majority of the story occurred in the course of 1-3 days. And, I swear there is another HP with this same plot device that is much better. I am going nuts trying to remember title and author. I have it packed up in a box and can't get to it at the moment. That's how sure I am. If anyone knows the one I am thinking of, please let me know.
This one was kind of dull - I skimmed a lot. h gave as good as she got - but not enough to carry this book. The majority of the story occurred in the course of 1-3 days. And, I swear there is another HP with this same plot device that is much better. I am going nuts trying to remember title and author. I have it packed up in a box and can't get to it at the moment. That's how sure I am. If anyone knows the one I am thinking of, please let me know.
January 12, 2022
The Secret Wife by Lynne Graham is a novel that I seemed to have missed out on previously. It tells the story of how Rosalie Waring's world collides by a twist of fate with that of the ultra rich Greek tycoon Constantine Voulos brought about by the conditions set aside on the will of Anton Estrada, adoptive father of Constantine.
Rosie is stunned when after a period of blissful happiness of 4 months with Anton, he dies suddenly leaving her bereft and alone once again. When Constantine jumps to the worst of conclusions about her relationship with Anton, Rosie's bitterness towards Constantine who has had a lifetime of moments with her own father lets her keep the explanations under wraps until Anton's will forces Constantine to ask for her hand in marriage.
It is a blazingly resentful Constantine who calls Rosie a gold digger and much worse that turns up for the wedding along with our prickly as a hedgehog heroine whose instinctive reactions of self protection is the tendency to lash out and give as good as she gets, an aftereffect of being in state ward care since the tender age of nine, that makes the joining of holy matrimony of these two a volatile one at best.
Though Rosie tries to come clean with who she is, Constantine is not one to believe a word that comes out of her mouth and this charade continues throughout the book, each of them insulting one another blinded by the fury at the inconvenient desire that they feel for each other.
For me, The Secret Wife didn't make for such a great read. The premise of the story which promised to deliver an angsty read failed to do that when Constantine refused to listen to whatever Rosie had to say and Rosie refused to try and make Constantine see the light afted his initial rejection. For me, I would gladly take Rosie's side because Constantine just grated on my nerves with his inability to see beyond what he wants to see, and even when eventually the truth does come out, he is quick to lay the blame at Rosie's feet rather than accept his own doing in complicating matters.
This story is told from Rosie's viewpoint and I for the world of me cannot understand how it is that Constantine falls in love with Rosie. For someone who loves finding the hero's feelings via his reactions towards the heroine; I just didn't feel the love in this one.
Recommended for those who love the marriage of convenience theme and fans of Lynne Graham.
Rating=4/5
Original Review posted at MBR's Realm of Romance
Rating changed on 12th Jan 2022, after re-read!
Rosie is stunned when after a period of blissful happiness of 4 months with Anton, he dies suddenly leaving her bereft and alone once again. When Constantine jumps to the worst of conclusions about her relationship with Anton, Rosie's bitterness towards Constantine who has had a lifetime of moments with her own father lets her keep the explanations under wraps until Anton's will forces Constantine to ask for her hand in marriage.
It is a blazingly resentful Constantine who calls Rosie a gold digger and much worse that turns up for the wedding along with our prickly as a hedgehog heroine whose instinctive reactions of self protection is the tendency to lash out and give as good as she gets, an aftereffect of being in state ward care since the tender age of nine, that makes the joining of holy matrimony of these two a volatile one at best.
Though Rosie tries to come clean with who she is, Constantine is not one to believe a word that comes out of her mouth and this charade continues throughout the book, each of them insulting one another blinded by the fury at the inconvenient desire that they feel for each other.
For me, The Secret Wife didn't make for such a great read. The premise of the story which promised to deliver an angsty read failed to do that when Constantine refused to listen to whatever Rosie had to say and Rosie refused to try and make Constantine see the light afted his initial rejection. For me, I would gladly take Rosie's side because Constantine just grated on my nerves with his inability to see beyond what he wants to see, and even when eventually the truth does come out, he is quick to lay the blame at Rosie's feet rather than accept his own doing in complicating matters.
This story is told from Rosie's viewpoint and I for the world of me cannot understand how it is that Constantine falls in love with Rosie. For someone who loves finding the hero's feelings via his reactions towards the heroine; I just didn't feel the love in this one.
Recommended for those who love the marriage of convenience theme and fans of Lynne Graham.
Rating=4/5
Original Review posted at MBR's Realm of Romance
Rating changed on 12th Jan 2022, after re-read!
August 19, 2023
Love it or hate it, no one is indifferent to this intensely passionate romance
I have read this 1997 LG, alpha romance multiple times over the years, and I notice, looking back over my reading notes, that my opinion has varied, but mostly, I really like it.
MY OPINION 4/8/2014: Constantine, a 29-year-old tycoon, jumps to a conclusion about his adoptive father's motivation. He assumes the reason he is urged in the dead man's will to marry 20-year-old Rosie must be because she is the man's pregnant mistress. That is extremely immoral, downright icky, and doesn't make sense, given how much he admired the man as a supposed upright individual.
MY OPINION 10/20/17: This story is almost as good as Bond of Hatred, my all-time favorite LG novel. There is lots of intensity and very passionate sex scenes. Rosie is a strong, forceful heroine.
MY OPINION 8/16/21: The First Meet is wonderful, and the intensity and passion between Constantine and Rosie is strong throughout. Yes, there's plenty of double-standard slut shaming that this author doesn't do these days, but Rosie is one of the strongest heroines that LG has ever written. In addition, I was frequently laughing out loud, because the sniping between Constantine and Rosie was often hilarious. I love it when LG does that in her novels. It really lightens up the melodrama.
MY OPINION 8/19/23: Still a 4-star, entertainingly passionate read. I enjoyed the "enemies to lovers" trope, in spite of Constantine's hypocritical, sexist slut shaming, because Rosie gave as good as she got in every scene with him. I continue to appreciate the fact that there is no unplanned pregnancy in this novel, though there is no mention of a condom in a single one of the sex scenes, which was pretty common back before the early 2000s in romance novels.
I have read this 1997 LG, alpha romance multiple times over the years, and I notice, looking back over my reading notes, that my opinion has varied, but mostly, I really like it.
MY OPINION 4/8/2014: Constantine, a 29-year-old tycoon, jumps to a conclusion about his adoptive father's motivation. He assumes the reason he is urged in the dead man's will to marry 20-year-old Rosie must be because she is the man's pregnant mistress. That is extremely immoral, downright icky, and doesn't make sense, given how much he admired the man as a supposed upright individual.
MY OPINION 10/20/17: This story is almost as good as Bond of Hatred, my all-time favorite LG novel. There is lots of intensity and very passionate sex scenes. Rosie is a strong, forceful heroine.
MY OPINION 8/16/21: The First Meet is wonderful, and the intensity and passion between Constantine and Rosie is strong throughout. Yes, there's plenty of double-standard slut shaming that this author doesn't do these days, but Rosie is one of the strongest heroines that LG has ever written. In addition, I was frequently laughing out loud, because the sniping between Constantine and Rosie was often hilarious. I love it when LG does that in her novels. It really lightens up the melodrama.
MY OPINION 8/19/23: Still a 4-star, entertainingly passionate read. I enjoyed the "enemies to lovers" trope, in spite of Constantine's hypocritical, sexist slut shaming, because Rosie gave as good as she got in every scene with him. I continue to appreciate the fact that there is no unplanned pregnancy in this novel, though there is no mention of a condom in a single one of the sex scenes, which was pretty common back before the early 2000s in romance novels.
April 24, 2016
This is one of the older Lynne Grahams that I read many moons ago, but I didn't remember most of it. It was a good reread. The hero in this was a jerk. I think Rosalie was nicer to him than he deserved, but she wasn't a pushover. He always managed to see her in the worst light, if not an avaricious femme fatale, than a spineless tart. I felt that he really did need to earn Rosalie's love. I like that he was so jealous of her roommate and friend, who was by all accounts, a beefcake. By the end, he was remorseful, but still a bit too high on the horse for my tastes. I like that his adopted mom guessed right away what was going on. That was pretty funny, considering all the changes they went through to hide the truth from her. Constantine would never be a favorite LG hero for me, but I really did enjoy Rosalie and I like that she held her own with him, or somewhat.
January 14, 2021
There is a big misunderstanding. Hero believes she's the mistress of the man who fostered him, and that was happily married. The hero must marry the heroine to inherit the man's business, but it will be a marriage of convenience only. I didn't like the constant slut-shaming of the hero because even if the heroine were the man's mistress it takes two to have an affair, so the man was not innocent at all. All the book he is rude, mean and careless, he flaunts his mistress in front of her, he tells her she's a gold-digger, he's angry when he discovers that she's a virgin, even if she told him repeatedly that she was never the OM's mistress. I didn't like this H at all, even in the end.
January 16, 2016
Well she was the actual daughter of step father and he felt he had to marry her thinking she was his ex mistress of the step dad. Ok when he found out she was a virgin this should have ended this asshole behavior but no! He had to continue to treat her like crap and then try to buy her affection with stupid rabbits. Who the hell care? Like that's going to make everything ok!??? Really you are just too much of an ass. He should have groveled more. Ah well she was sweet and too good. Really wished she would have told him off just once!! Come on girl get a spine!
December 26, 2022
I really wanted to like it better but the book derailed halfway through and there was no saving it. The entire book is a run and chase between the MCs and their ceaseless arguments. There wasn’t a nook left for squeezing in romance, maybe a quick and distasteful romp in the sheets followed up by ugly accusations from the H and indifference from the h.
Great reviews out here so here’s my two. The h lives her own independent life. Her father is a rich tycoon and she only just reconnects with him for a few years of her life before he passes away. The father has an adopted son who’s the H and the man in command.
A will reading makes the H inherit his father’s wealth but only if he marries the h. The H assumes that’s his late adoptive father’s secret mistress expecting his child at worse.
There are several other real base assumptions the H makes about the h or the motive behind this will. The h has an extremely immature habit of making a run when things get tough. She has zero confrontational skills and every time there’s an argument - which is every time- she makes a literal escape, through the window, on her feet, catching random flights or even on her bike. She was just a child with too much energy who couldn’t hold a conversation.
I was here for romance and a bit of back and forth but it was the other way around on those two requirements. I didn’t see why the H made such a mountain out of the will. I don’t like men who talk way too much or argue and get verbally abusive towards women just cuz they pissed them off. For once this LG H was not gentlemanly. Even the h kept reminding him how he was always angry and shouting at her.
Great reviews out here so here’s my two. The h lives her own independent life. Her father is a rich tycoon and she only just reconnects with him for a few years of her life before he passes away. The father has an adopted son who’s the H and the man in command.
A will reading makes the H inherit his father’s wealth but only if he marries the h. The H assumes that’s his late adoptive father’s secret mistress expecting his child at worse.
There are several other real base assumptions the H makes about the h or the motive behind this will. The h has an extremely immature habit of making a run when things get tough. She has zero confrontational skills and every time there’s an argument - which is every time- she makes a literal escape, through the window, on her feet, catching random flights or even on her bike. She was just a child with too much energy who couldn’t hold a conversation.
I was here for romance and a bit of back and forth but it was the other way around on those two requirements. I didn’t see why the H made such a mountain out of the will. I don’t like men who talk way too much or argue and get verbally abusive towards women just cuz they pissed them off. For once this LG H was not gentlemanly. Even the h kept reminding him how he was always angry and shouting at her.
January 21, 2015
4 Stars ~ Rosie was Anton Estrada's dark secret; she was the product of an affair, and it was destined that he would never be able to publicly claim her. At the time of her birth, Anton and his wife, Thespina had reconciled and had adopted nine year old Constantine whose parent had just died in a car crash. Unknown to Rosie, her mother had sent photos of her to Anton each year, until she died when Rosie was nine. How ironic that Constantine the adopted son should lack for nothing but Rosie the blood daughter should be shipped off upon the death of her mother to foster care by a cruel and uncaring stepfather. Building a tough skin, Rosie became fiercely independent, so when Anton sought her out when she was 20, she was reluctant to join him in London. They shared a rented home, and slowly forged a bond. Anton's sudden heart attack and death devastated Rosie, the 4 months hadn't been enough. Packed up and about to leave, Rosie is surprised by Constantine demanding to know what hold she had had over Anton. When Rosie tried to tell him that Anton had been her father, Constantine refused to listen and jumped to the conclusion that Rosie had been Anton's mistress. Further she'd dumped Anton into thinking she was pregnant, which forced Anton to change his will, still leaving his estate to Constantine but with a stipulation that he marry Rosie. A marriage that Constantine is determined to see takes place, for if the will is left unfulfilled it would come to light that it had been changed, and the secret of Rosie would become knowledge, especially to Thespina. It's to be a marriage on paper, and once fulfilled they would go their separate ways, and later the marriage would be dissolved and no one need ever know. Once married, Rosie has a feeling of approaching disaster, and it comes in the form of a newspaper article declaring their marriage. With their marriage now public, Constantine insists that they remain married for at least four months and he takes her off to Greece to present her to Thespina as his bride. Only Thespina isn't there, she's off to Spain visiting friends, and so Constantine takes root in his own home to wait for her return. Feeling threatened by her growing attraction to her husband and hurt by his constant belittling, Rosie sneaks away in the middle of the night and heads off to Majorca where her father had recently reclaimed his ancestral home. It's only a matter of days before Constantine finds her there.
This compelling story is one that I could not put down until I read the last word. Ms Graham has a talent for setting a dramatic scene and creating situations that have you on the edge of your seat. Poor Rosie, sadly misjudged but too proud and stubborn to set things straight. Constantine uses steam roller tactics to get his way, only to be met with one tiny spitfire with the tongue of a wasp. Though Constantine has the ultimate upper hand, it's only because Rosie is too soft to hurt Anton's family, but she fights back ever time he tries to corner her. There are some moments where I really disliked Constantine, but then Rosie would throw a zinger and it was obvious that she wrapped him up in knots. These two spark in the most delightful of ways.
This compelling story is one that I could not put down until I read the last word. Ms Graham has a talent for setting a dramatic scene and creating situations that have you on the edge of your seat. Poor Rosie, sadly misjudged but too proud and stubborn to set things straight. Constantine uses steam roller tactics to get his way, only to be met with one tiny spitfire with the tongue of a wasp. Though Constantine has the ultimate upper hand, it's only because Rosie is too soft to hurt Anton's family, but she fights back ever time he tries to corner her. There are some moments where I really disliked Constantine, but then Rosie would throw a zinger and it was obvious that she wrapped him up in knots. These two spark in the most delightful of ways.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2018
Este libro me fascinó! Me gustan los personajes femeninos tan impolutos, limpios moralmente, cero materialistas,humildes e inteligentes. El relato no pierde fuerza, tiene sus momentos cómicos y son brillantes,lo único malo es que fue muy corto. Me encantó Rosie y su temperamento, y como enfrenta y contesta a cada ataque de Constantine.El mejor amigo de Rosie, Maurice me tira una de las mejores frases en la escena de la feria y de los conejitos de cerámica:”Cuando alguien piensa que tiene que pagar por todo en esta vida,lo mejor es satisfacer sus deseos”. Es una novelita corta pero muy muy buena, de esas que dan ganas de volver a leer.
June 2, 2022
Bored me out of my skull.
There was zero chemistry between hero and heroine. The story was not seamless. The changes in scene .. the surprises were non existent or artificial.
It’s a cold bloodedly written story. There is no love. No desire.
Boring. Boring. Boring.
I swear never to touch a Lynne Graham book again.
There was a time I loved her. She wrote some pretty good stories.
This is not one of them.
The whole contrivance where heroine cannot explain she is a man’s daughter and not his mistress. How stupid and artificial is that?? Is she mute?? Is she low in IQ? What’s the explanation??
Stupid.
The hero gets angry at the end when he finds all the loopholes are explained. This is the most unexplainable part of most harlequin presents.
In the place where a man in love would be ecstatic and turning cartwheels. The hero becomes angry and leaves the heroine
It enrages me. No end.
Why do women who hate men write hetero romances??? Why?? Why?? Why??
These romances are supposedly written for women who like men. Then to read page upon page of bad behaviour towards hero. And 😍😍😍 for the heroines beauty.
Makes me sick.
It’s literally like the author makes the heroine bully the hero. Punish him. Attack him. Treat him badly.
The hero meanwhile has about as much life and personality in him as a blow up doll
I know I am the voice of the minority here. Not even 2% of the readers will agree with me.
But I am saying it anyway.
I am sick of reading these romances where the hero is punished or treated as an incidental irritant in the story.
The love making scenes. They’re not written from the straight perspective. Sorry. But I’m sick of reading about the woman’s womanly attributes in great detail. I’m sick of reading about the man going down on the woman. The scenes bore me to tears and put me to sleep.
If I read one more novel with details of the heroines pink lips and pouting breasts. I swear. I will end up in the loony bin.
I am reading male male romances now. 🤷🏻♀️
You feel the love and lust in them.
They would die for each other.
Never have I read it in a straight novel. Never. Never.
My blood boils at this stupid world.
Anyway.
Will probably delete my rant later.
This book enraged me.
Lots of women who don’t like men write horrible reviews about novels I think are good.
While a novel where the hero exists like a dummy at a firing range… just to serve a purpose. Be rich. Good looking. Have a big house. Big car. Make zero ripples . Just he has to exist. Those books are loved.
I am exercising the same freedom of speech as women who hate men do.
There was zero chemistry between hero and heroine. The story was not seamless. The changes in scene .. the surprises were non existent or artificial.
It’s a cold bloodedly written story. There is no love. No desire.
Boring. Boring. Boring.
I swear never to touch a Lynne Graham book again.
There was a time I loved her. She wrote some pretty good stories.
This is not one of them.
The whole contrivance where heroine cannot explain she is a man’s daughter and not his mistress. How stupid and artificial is that?? Is she mute?? Is she low in IQ? What’s the explanation??
Stupid.
The hero gets angry at the end when he finds all the loopholes are explained. This is the most unexplainable part of most harlequin presents.
In the place where a man in love would be ecstatic and turning cartwheels. The hero becomes angry and leaves the heroine
It enrages me. No end.
Why do women who hate men write hetero romances??? Why?? Why?? Why??
These romances are supposedly written for women who like men. Then to read page upon page of bad behaviour towards hero. And 😍😍😍 for the heroines beauty.
Makes me sick.
It’s literally like the author makes the heroine bully the hero. Punish him. Attack him. Treat him badly.
The hero meanwhile has about as much life and personality in him as a blow up doll
I know I am the voice of the minority here. Not even 2% of the readers will agree with me.
But I am saying it anyway.
I am sick of reading these romances where the hero is punished or treated as an incidental irritant in the story.
The love making scenes. They’re not written from the straight perspective. Sorry. But I’m sick of reading about the woman’s womanly attributes in great detail. I’m sick of reading about the man going down on the woman. The scenes bore me to tears and put me to sleep.
If I read one more novel with details of the heroines pink lips and pouting breasts. I swear. I will end up in the loony bin.
I am reading male male romances now. 🤷🏻♀️
You feel the love and lust in them.
They would die for each other.
Never have I read it in a straight novel. Never. Never.
My blood boils at this stupid world.
Anyway.
Will probably delete my rant later.
This book enraged me.
Lots of women who don’t like men write horrible reviews about novels I think are good.
While a novel where the hero exists like a dummy at a firing range… just to serve a purpose. Be rich. Good looking. Have a big house. Big car. Make zero ripples . Just he has to exist. Those books are loved.
I am exercising the same freedom of speech as women who hate men do.
December 19, 2020
Just OK; had elements familiar from other LG books I've read (the unpredictable, hot-headed H in particular, with his gleaming golden eyes and thickly clustered dark lashes), but it fell a little flat. I did feel for the h, who had a really tough upbringing. Backstory: she was the unintended result of her mother's affair with a married man; her mother married another man who resented her and put her into state care after her mother died. We learn that her mom sent her bio-dad photos of her for years before the mom died (many showing her in tears or with slap marks on her legs, wth; like parents out of a Penny Jordan novel, wasn't said, but bet it was to extort $). Why her bio-dad never cared to find her or tell his wife about her (turns out she knew all along) and instead adopted the H is pretty crappy too and never really explained.
Our vulnerable yet fiery h goes toe-to-toe with the big dominating Greek H, who stubbornly sticks to his belief that she was the bio-dad's mistress even after she tells him that, no, she was his daughter. Then he blames her later for not telling the truth enough times? So it was her fault he refused to think of her as anything other than a slut even after they have a devirginizing encounter ( he thinks her pained reaction was just the result of him being too quick to, er, penetrate her defenses)?
There's a fair bit of h angst, a steadfast OM friend who had rescued her from a sexual assault when they were both kids in a group home and was her platonic roomie/BFF, the H remains a huge jerk to her most of the time even after they sleep together, and I just wasn't feeling the love. I did like the h, Rosie, and thought she deserved a better deal from EVERYONE.
Middlin' but not a keeper for me.
Our vulnerable yet fiery h goes toe-to-toe with the big dominating Greek H, who stubbornly sticks to his belief that she was the bio-dad's mistress even after she tells him that, no, she was his daughter. Then he blames her later for not telling the truth enough times? So it was her fault he refused to think of her as anything other than a slut even after they have a devirginizing encounter ( he thinks her pained reaction was just the result of him being too quick to, er, penetrate her defenses)?
There's a fair bit of h angst, a steadfast OM friend who had rescued her from a sexual assault when they were both kids in a group home and was her platonic roomie/BFF, the H remains a huge jerk to her most of the time even after they sleep together, and I just wasn't feeling the love. I did like the h, Rosie, and thought she deserved a better deal from EVERYONE.
Middlin' but not a keeper for me.
August 21, 2022
Weak doormat heroine, cruel, manipulative controlling hero. No grovel and the heroine is blamed for everything! If you like stories where the hero does all the wrong but the heroine ends up apologising, this is the trash for you.
This was torture to read. The hero is so cruel and there is NO GROVEL. He just kept on with his taunts always getting the last words. Always forcing her to do as he wants. The most annoying thing is that even when she could prove who she was, she chose not to, instead letting him continue to call her a whore and his adopted father's mistress. Oh and don't forget the heroine's weak body syndrome. He'd say the meanest thing but oh he's just too hot and her veins are on fire and she's gasping for breath 🙄.
Then when he does eventually realise who she is, he blames her and calls her names again! Apparently it's her fault he didn't believe her. And the doormat heroine feels guilty! She takes the blame for everything and is the one who ends up apologising! Nothing is ever his fault, he always turns it back to her. Wtf is this trash? Definitely going on my avaoid author list!
Too frustrating. The heroine's an idiot and the hero is irredeemable.
This was torture to read. The hero is so cruel and there is NO GROVEL. He just kept on with his taunts always getting the last words. Always forcing her to do as he wants. The most annoying thing is that even when she could prove who she was, she chose not to, instead letting him continue to call her a whore and his adopted father's mistress. Oh and don't forget the heroine's weak body syndrome. He'd say the meanest thing but oh he's just too hot and her veins are on fire and she's gasping for breath 🙄.
Then when he does eventually realise who she is, he blames her and calls her names again! Apparently it's her fault he didn't believe her. And the doormat heroine feels guilty! She takes the blame for everything and is the one who ends up apologising! Nothing is ever his fault, he always turns it back to her. Wtf is this trash? Definitely going on my avaoid author list!
Too frustrating. The heroine's an idiot and the hero is irredeemable.
January 8, 2012
I bought this on a bit of a Harlequin binge, because I was looking for some quick reads. Sometimes you're just in the mood for over-the-top recriminations and grovelling, you know? And Lynne Graham certainly can deliver on those. This was an all right read for that set of conventions - one particular bonus was that there were no babies, either secret or epilogue. One particular downside was the pacing - probably 90% recriminations, 5% sex scenes, 4% grovelling, including a post-grovel sex scene, and 1% protagonists getting to know each other (and giving the reader any reason to think they might actually be able to have a relationship). 2.5 stars (mainly because it was pretty much what I expected, not because of any particular enjoyment)
August 31, 2025
This h is the worst doormat I have ever read about and the H is seriously a nightmare who constantly blames others for his inadequacies, his misconceptions, his misunderstandings, his idiocy.
The h was the secret daughter of H’s adopted father who made a will asking him to marry h and even requested with his dying wish to take care of her without mentioning his relationship. The H goes on to marry her and despite owing his life to his adoptive father he goes on to make her life a misery. What a loyal, loving prize of a son. The h continues to put up with the H’s ravings and even him breaking some collectible rabbit.
I didn’t read every page in this book but the few pages in every other chapter I read had a scene that talked about the H storming away or verbally abusing h.
The h was the secret daughter of H’s adopted father who made a will asking him to marry h and even requested with his dying wish to take care of her without mentioning his relationship. The H goes on to marry her and despite owing his life to his adoptive father he goes on to make her life a misery. What a loyal, loving prize of a son. The h continues to put up with the H’s ravings and even him breaking some collectible rabbit.
I didn’t read every page in this book but the few pages in every other chapter I read had a scene that talked about the H storming away or verbally abusing h.
December 9, 2023
The only way to like this book is to see it as a parody of romance.
Both the hero and the heroine are TSTL, "irrational lunatics" as one of the secondary characters called them. Nothing adult-like about them at all.
A caveman-with-a-real-bad-toothache and a young woman with a totally childish attitude. Simply horrible.
Both the hero and the heroine are TSTL, "irrational lunatics" as one of the secondary characters called them. Nothing adult-like about them at all.
A caveman-with-a-real-bad-toothache and a young woman with a totally childish attitude. Simply horrible.
July 28, 2013
It was a humorous and cute read. I liked the strong wild heroine. I found it funny that she was riding a motorbike and that hero didn't know what to do with her. Their banter was sexy and they had chemistry. Enjoyed it!
February 10, 2021
I think he was cruel for far too long in this one!! We needed more grovelling from him and her to be stronger !
But oh the angstttttt
But oh the angstttttt
September 10, 2024
Angst by monumental misunderstanding. The hero thinks heroine is his dead foster father’s mistress and wants to hide her from his foster mother, whereas heroine is in effect the faster father’s love child. She tries to tell him but stops herself when she learns her father had asked the hero to marry her, and she knew that if the hero learnt the truth he’d feel honour bound to stay married to her out of a sense of gratitude to her father and she didn’t want any of that. They fall in love and just when things are going well, her birth certificate and documents turn uptowards the end of the book, cue hero descending in a cloud of rage and betrayal the heroine rushing out in hurt outrage, the hero’s foster mother arriving to put them out of their misery, and finally finally the both of them getting together and speaking properly.
5ough I must say that upon rereading the book I wasn’t quite convinced that the hero wasn’t staying married out of a sense of duty and pity the love just wasn’t there.
5ough I must say that upon rereading the book I wasn’t quite convinced that the hero wasn’t staying married out of a sense of duty and pity the love just wasn’t there.
March 2, 2010
Soooo sometimes the plots of harlequin gets ridiculous, which is sometimes part of the fun. But in this book the heroine finds her long lost father who somehow manages to die but not before making a will that obligated her to married his adopted nephew. I actually had moments of really liking this book, but there is only so much chauvinistic BS a woman can take. So the hero seems to think that the heroine was his adopted uncle's mistress. He has such a negative (read golddigging slut) view of her. But he still has to get into her panties. I just wanted to scream at the heroine to get a f-ing spine and walk away. At the end of the book the hero blames all his misunderstandings and assumptions on her even though she tried to set him straight! ugh! hated the hero, sorta liked the heroine's emotional struggles.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 28, 2017
Oh I had fun reading this one. Rosie gave Constantine a well deserved run for his money.
He was an insulting, overpowering, obnoxious bastard to her during most of the book. He accused her of all manner of crap and refused to believe her when she attempted to defend herself.
But she got her own by turning his life upside down and making him chase her around Europe. I enjoyed it waaay too much!
A great read from Lynne Graham.
He was an insulting, overpowering, obnoxious bastard to her during most of the book. He accused her of all manner of crap and refused to believe her when she attempted to defend herself.
But she got her own by turning his life upside down and making him chase her around Europe. I enjoyed it waaay too much!
A great read from Lynne Graham.
February 9, 2022
Another really shitty book by Lynne graham. I don't know how she manges to write some books where the hero is so respectful and at other times he's so abusive. I keep finding gems and then pow she lands a book that literally gives me hives.
The hero is awful, the dead father was also awful and the poor heroine is well....awful!! Not so much though, she does hold her own at times but mostly it's just a very stupid book. What a waste of time!! I really regret reading it.
The hero is awful, the dead father was also awful and the poor heroine is well....awful!! Not so much though, she does hold her own at times but mostly it's just a very stupid book. What a waste of time!! I really regret reading it.
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