What do you think?
Rate this book
Pretence
Ann felt responsible for the fact that shy, plain Rosalie Banks had been badly hurt by Paul Mallison -- and she was determined to get her own back on him. She never stopped to think she might be playing with fire.
- GenresRomanceHarlequin Romance
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1956
28 people want to read
About the author
Roberta Leigh
113 books66 followersaka Rachel Lindsay, Janey Scott, Rozella Lake
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 29, 2022
I just can't figure out how to add the cover image to the existing edition's placeholder image so I'll just add this Harry Nørstrand cover here because it's really impressively disturbing...
What were those M&B kooks even thinking attaching this to a wholesome 1950's vintage romance? Then I read it and the cover, while not at all how Ann and Paul are described, feels kind of right.
So often we're just supposed to accept young lovely heroines and bitter heroes with disproportionate anger issues are at their core people of integrity and strength. Here RL doesn't even try. The MCs are spoiled self-centered brats who begin without a speck of conscience between them and end with even less. It's also an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink absurdity replete with real and faked fainting scenes; a heroine panicking over thunder and lightning; someone coming back from the dead; heroine's star rising as hero's flops to earth; tit-for-tat spiteful engagements; a few verbal cat-fights and the heroine and her father starring in a play together cast as a romantic pair!
It kept getting worse but better as it went on and I thought it was hilarious. 5 stars. Not only for the exquisite cover, but how often I burst out laughing at how terrible H and h were and my belief that Roberta Leigh—who was something of a Renaissance Woman—was in control the entire time. Everyone knows that in a soap opera the characters you love to hate are why you watch.
What were those M&B kooks even thinking attaching this to a wholesome 1950's vintage romance? Then I read it and the cover, while not at all how Ann and Paul are described, feels kind of right.
So often we're just supposed to accept young lovely heroines and bitter heroes with disproportionate anger issues are at their core people of integrity and strength. Here RL doesn't even try. The MCs are spoiled self-centered brats who begin without a speck of conscience between them and end with even less. It's also an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink absurdity replete with real and faked fainting scenes; a heroine panicking over thunder and lightning; someone coming back from the dead; heroine's star rising as hero's flops to earth; tit-for-tat spiteful engagements; a few verbal cat-fights and the heroine and her father starring in a play together cast as a romantic pair!
It kept getting worse but better as it went on and I thought it was hilarious. 5 stars. Not only for the exquisite cover, but how often I burst out laughing at how terrible H and h were and my belief that Roberta Leigh—who was something of a Renaissance Woman—was in control the entire time. Everyone knows that in a soap opera the characters you love to hate are why you watch.
Read
December 13, 2015I like this book. Hope the talking at the end was longer.
April 3, 2022
Well this was completely crazy and the MCs deserved each other. 2 stars for entertainment value. Not a great romance though.
April 2, 2023
Shout-out to Kris for sitting patiently in the used bookstore this weekend while I cackled happily over the stack of truly vintage Harlequins for sale. My copy says it was published in the 1960s, though Goodreads says this one was published in the '50s. Either works. The story stays clean outside of some kissing.
The plot is improbable and dependent on the dumbest of coincidences and I'm pretty sure everyone is going to die of lung cancer, but at under 200 pages, I enjoyed it and didn't have to put up with the angst for too long.
The plot is improbable and dependent on the dumbest of coincidences and I'm pretty sure everyone is going to die of lung cancer, but at under 200 pages, I enjoyed it and didn't have to put up with the angst for too long.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews