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Ο Μελαχροινός Ξένος - Βίπερ ΝΟΡΑ #102
"Βλέπω έναν μελαχρινό ξένο στη ζωή σου", είχε πει η τσιγγάνα στην Τίνα, κι η προφητεία αλήθεψε όταν ο Κραίγκ Πέντρηθ, ξάδελφος της μητριάς της, της Κλαίρ, πρόσφερε στις δυο γυναίκες στέγη στο αρχοντικό του στην Κορνουάλλη.
Θα ήταν υπέροχη αλλαγή στη μίζερη ζωή τους, από φτηνό σε φτηνό ξενοδοχείο, αλλά που θα οδηγούσε την Τίνα;
Γιατί βέβαια ο Κραίγκ δεν είχε γι' αυτήν καμία ευθύνη και όταν θα παντρευόταν η Κλαίρ, όπως φαινόταν πολύ πιθανό, ποιος θα ήθελε ένα κοριτσόπουλο μέσα στα πόδια του;
Θα έφερνε άραγε ο Κραίγκ τίποτε άλλο παρά δυστυχία στη ζωή της Τίνα;
Θα ήταν υπέροχη αλλαγή στη μίζερη ζωή τους, από φτηνό σε φτηνό ξενοδοχείο, αλλά που θα οδηγούσε την Τίνα;
Γιατί βέβαια ο Κραίγκ δεν είχε γι' αυτήν καμία ευθύνη και όταν θα παντρευόταν η Κλαίρ, όπως φαινόταν πολύ πιθανό, ποιος θα ήθελε ένα κοριτσόπουλο μέσα στα πόδια του;
Θα έφερνε άραγε ο Κραίγκ τίποτε άλλο παρά δυστυχία στη ζωή της Τίνα;
- GenresHarlequin RomanceRomance
194 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1951
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Sara Seale
71 books23 followersSara Seale was the pseudonym used by Mary Jane MacPherson (d. 11 March 1974) and/or A.D.L. MacPherson (d. 30 October 1978), a British writing team who published over 45 romance novels from 1932 to 1971. Seale was one of the first Mills & Boon's authors published in Germany and the Netherlands, and reached the pinnacle of her career in the 1940s and 1950s, when they earning over £3,000/year. Many of Seale's novels revisited a theme of an orphaned heroine who finds happiness, and also employed blind or disfigured (but still handsome) heroes as standard characters.
Mary Jane MacPherson began writing at an early age while still in her convent school. Besides being a writer, MacPherson was also a leading authority on Alsatian dogs, and was a judge at Crufts.
Mary Jane MacPherson began writing at an early age while still in her convent school. Besides being a writer, MacPherson was also a leading authority on Alsatian dogs, and was a judge at Crufts.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 8 reviews
January 31, 2018
This is the second Sara Seale novel I've read (after The English Tutor). I was expecting much of the same again, and I got it. Seale is from the "vintage" Mills & Boon/Harlequin era, when heroines were frequently in their late teens and the heroes were usually much older, and everything is incredibly innocent.
The problem is that because the heroines - in this case Clementina "Tina" Linden - are so very naive and innocent and pure, it makes the age gaps more problematic and unsettling. If Tina had been a wild child and gone around the block a few times, and knew how to attract a man, Craig Pentreath's interest in her might seem less domineering and controlling. As it is, Craig falls for Tina when she is sixteen and still very childlike, but doesn't let her know, and sends her off to school for a year. He never lays a finger on her, then announces they are engaged, and still barely lays a finger on her until the last few pages.
And that, dear readers, is about as juicy as it gets. And you'll have to wait a long time for it, because this book does rather drag. Not a lot happens, but the same conversations and arguments repeat endlessly.
The implausibly unpleasant and self-centred stepmother, Clare, is about the most interesting character, albeit drawn with the subtlety of a pantomime villain.
Tina, the heroine, is mildly sympathetic due to her status as an unloved orphan, but it's hard to get past her passivity and insipidness. Her attempt to "run away and earn a living" doesn't get her further than the village pub, about a mile away. And then when she learns there aren't many jobs in one-horse town "Merrynporth" (no kidding) she gives up there and then and decides to marry the Other Man, whose advances she has previously tolerated in a very listless fashion.
That's when the Hero storms in and announces her engagement to him instead. And Tina passively accepts. Of course in the last couple of pages they both manage to reveal that they loved one another, but it's not terribly convincing.
One for fans of age gap and vintage romance.
The problem is that because the heroines - in this case Clementina "Tina" Linden - are so very naive and innocent and pure, it makes the age gaps more problematic and unsettling. If Tina had been a wild child and gone around the block a few times, and knew how to attract a man, Craig Pentreath's interest in her might seem less domineering and controlling. As it is, Craig falls for Tina when she is sixteen and still very childlike, but doesn't let her know, and sends her off to school for a year. He never lays a finger on her, then announces they are engaged, and still barely lays a finger on her until the last few pages.
"I've made a beginning," he said, and suddenly pulling her up into his arms, bent his black head to hers. He kissed her with the same hard urgency he had displayed earlier, but now the savage anger was absent and because she could not remain passive under his lips she stretched up her hands to his shoulders and offered him what acceptance she knew.
"Well!" he observed, holding her away from him. "This is better than I hoped for so early on. I can see my restraint of the past weeks was rather misplaced."
And that, dear readers, is about as juicy as it gets. And you'll have to wait a long time for it, because this book does rather drag. Not a lot happens, but the same conversations and arguments repeat endlessly.
The implausibly unpleasant and self-centred stepmother, Clare, is about the most interesting character, albeit drawn with the subtlety of a pantomime villain.
Tina, the heroine, is mildly sympathetic due to her status as an unloved orphan, but it's hard to get past her passivity and insipidness. Her attempt to "run away and earn a living" doesn't get her further than the village pub, about a mile away. And then when she learns there aren't many jobs in one-horse town "Merrynporth" (no kidding) she gives up there and then and decides to marry the Other Man, whose advances she has previously tolerated in a very listless fashion.
That's when the Hero storms in and announces her engagement to him instead. And Tina passively accepts. Of course in the last couple of pages they both manage to reveal that they loved one another, but it's not terribly convincing.
One for fans of age gap and vintage romance.
August 14, 2021
This one just dragged. Also, the OW wasn't any sort of viable romantic threat since the H disliked her so much.
September 17, 2016
I don't really enjoy romances between girls who are 17 and men in their middle 30's. I don't find it romantic when the hero often calls the heroine "child" and when the author describes her in a way to emphasize her youth. It's just a tad creepy to me.
May 4, 2020
Published 1951 this was my mother's book and the very first Sara Seale I ever read in 1975. I loved this story and it is still an enjoyable read now.
February 12, 2021
What would you and I do to secure our future, our old age ? Invest in a life insurance or pension plan possibly. Our hero Craig invests in a sweet little 16 year old Tina. Hoping that she will turn out to be the right wife for him in the years to come?@#$#@##%#$%$!!#@
Would you call this astute planning or a romantic impulse , up to you. I found the idea too prosaic, drab for a love story. A guy in his mid thirties finding a 16 year old suitable to be a life partner, really? A little perverse, and manipulative, don't you think? Thankfully, he sends her away to complete school. And gets engaged to her only after she turns 18.
Tina is not a direct relative to Craig. She is his cousin sister's step-daughter. The cousin is the vicious OW who simpers and bites. But is unable to do any major harm as the leads learn to see through her antics quite early in the story. But nevertheless, she is allowed to stay and make trouble.
There is some long running family feud which brings another cousin into the picture, a young male
cousin this time, but he is strictly meant to serve as an OM. Nothing more. Sara Seale often gives an important task to her OMs. She allows the heroine to get her first tentative sex-ed lessons from the OM, not the hero !@?!?@ I wonder why she does that !
A sombre relationship between the leads. The girl eventually learning to look beyond her gratitude for the hero, since he is her benefactor, de facto guardian. And "learns" to love him as husband material. May not be a sweet natural progression, like in many other stories. So somewhat lacked in charm.
But yes, one thing I must admit. The lead pair surely are heading towards a lovely, strong and mature marriage in the long term. I can genuinely say this is going to be a HEA when the girl really grows up. Which cannot be said for so many other passionate romances that we read ;)
Would you call this astute planning or a romantic impulse , up to you. I found the idea too prosaic, drab for a love story. A guy in his mid thirties finding a 16 year old suitable to be a life partner, really? A little perverse, and manipulative, don't you think? Thankfully, he sends her away to complete school. And gets engaged to her only after she turns 18.
Tina is not a direct relative to Craig. She is his cousin sister's step-daughter. The cousin is the vicious OW who simpers and bites. But is unable to do any major harm as the leads learn to see through her antics quite early in the story. But nevertheless, she is allowed to stay and make trouble.
There is some long running family feud which brings another cousin into the picture, a young male
cousin this time, but he is strictly meant to serve as an OM. Nothing more. Sara Seale often gives an important task to her OMs. She allows the heroine to get her first tentative sex-ed lessons from the OM, not the hero !@?!?@ I wonder why she does that !
A sombre relationship between the leads. The girl eventually learning to look beyond her gratitude for the hero, since he is her benefactor, de facto guardian. And "learns" to love him as husband material. May not be a sweet natural progression, like in many other stories. So somewhat lacked in charm.
But yes, one thing I must admit. The lead pair surely are heading towards a lovely, strong and mature marriage in the long term. I can genuinely say this is going to be a HEA when the girl really grows up. Which cannot be said for so many other passionate romances that we read ;)
March 9, 2025
"I see a dark stranger entering your life violently," the gipsy fortune-teller had told Tina -- but it seemed unlikely that her words would ever come true, for Tina was kept decidedly in the background by her stepmother, Belle, to whom the combination of straitened circumstances and an unwanted step-daughter did not appeal.
When, however, Belle's rich cousin Craig Pentreath offered them a share in his Cornish home, it looked as if the prediction might after all be right. But the gipsy had not said that the coming of the dark stranger would bring Tina any happiness....
When, however, Belle's rich cousin Craig Pentreath offered them a share in his Cornish home, it looked as if the prediction might after all be right. But the gipsy had not said that the coming of the dark stranger would bring Tina any happiness....
April 27, 2011
I had forgottern how much I enjoyed Sara Seale. Some of her books are very derivative, but I enjoy them.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 8 reviews