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Guilty Love
Nowhere to run.
Linzi York loved her husband — but Barty had changed. His rage and growing despair since the accident had taken a brutal toll. Linzi was trapped in a nightmare. And Ritchie Calhoun knew it.
Linzi and Ritchie's relationship had always remained on a cool professional level — but now facades were beginning to crumble. Needs and desires they were powerless to deny tormented them...and it was Linzi who was paying the highest price.
Then a horrible tragedy shattered their lives — and Ritchie's courage proved his love in a way that few men ever could...
Linzi York loved her husband — but Barty had changed. His rage and growing despair since the accident had taken a brutal toll. Linzi was trapped in a nightmare. And Ritchie Calhoun knew it.
Linzi and Ritchie's relationship had always remained on a cool professional level — but now facades were beginning to crumble. Needs and desires they were powerless to deny tormented them...and it was Linzi who was paying the highest price.
Then a horrible tragedy shattered their lives — and Ritchie's courage proved his love in a way that few men ever could...
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
262 books316 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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June 11, 2018
Re Guilty Love - Charlotte Lamb does her part in bringing awareness to contemporary issues with this December 1994 HPlandia offering.
HUGE TRIGGER AND SPOILER ALERT!
This is a story about domestic violence. Unlike Karen van der Zee's Pelangi Haven, the abuse and the violence takes place in real time in the story. CL will put you in the h's mind and body as she is going through this ordeal and this is an EXTREMELY dark and grim book.
There is also a LOT of suspense in this book and I will spoilerize this story in total, so if you do not want to know, stop reading this now.
For those who just have to know what you're getting into, grab a blanket and some comfort foods, we are about to visit the very darkest side of HPlandia.
The book opens with Linzi, a 24 yr old ethereal blonde married to Barty. Barty is the boy next door and he and Linzi have always been together. They married when Linzi was 20 and things were great for a few years. Barty worked his dream job as a pricey machine mechanic and they were happily loved up and planning on a houseful of babies.
Linzi worked too, as a secretary, to earn a little extra to save up for those babies and maybe a little house. Then things changed. Barty had a bad accident with a huge head injury and lots of damage that meant that he no longer could father those babies that Linzi wanted so much.
Barty did not take that news well, he also couldn't work on his beloved machines anymore and those losses, combined with the continuing brain damage sustained in the accident, put Barty on a different path.
He started drinking to overcome his chronic depression and in his bitterness over being forced to live life as half a man, as he now sees himself, he wishes he could die - he felt it would be better for all of them if he had.
Well, Linzi married for better or worse. She is intensely loyal and she is young and she really loves Barty. So when the depression turns to anger exacerbated by alcohol and Barty begins hitting her in temperamental drunken furies, Linzi feels she owes it to Barty to stay with him and try to do better.
Barty had to take a new job in computers and he hates it, tho it pays well enough. Even better, Linzi was able to get an assistant job to big time construction engineer Ritchie Calhoun, who is a very driven workaholic tyrannical boss, but he is flexible about time and he pays really well for highly efficient assistants and Linzi is the best.
As the year goes on, Linzi becomes more and more entangled in a vicious cycle of abuse, remorse and calm periods. But as Ritchie starts asking for later and later hours to meet the demands of a big motorway project he has won, things at home start getting worse.
Linzi experiences some really, really bad scenes with Barty. In drunken jealousy and bitterness, he smashes her face into a bed frame and then tries to rape her. Fortunately, Barty is impotent and has been for almost a year, but this only exacerbates his drunken rage and the violence is severe.
Ritchie, meanwhile, has been noticing little things about Linzi. Like how she is gradually withdrawing from interactions with people and how she startles easily and of course he notices the bruises. Ritchie becomes determined to get to the bottom of things and he pretty ruthlessly interrogates Linzi, until she finally tells him to stop, her private life is none of his business.
But Ritchie can't stop, the more he notices about Linzi, the more he finds himself attracted to her. Linzi, trying to deal with her own nightmare at home, is noticing Ritchie and their elemental attraction right back, but she buries it. Linzi has more than enough to be going on with.
When Barty has to travel for business for a week, Linzi breathes a sigh of relief. Ritchie and his interrogations are also out of the office and it is the most peace Linzi has had for a very long time. Then Ritchie calls Linzi because he forgot important maps in his briefcase. Linzi is going to have to drive down to Ritchie's location and bring them to him.
Linzi doesn't want to travel so far, but it is her job and off we all go. When she gets to Ritchie's location, he insists that she stay for lunch with him and his helicopter pilot. Ritchie also insists that Linzi fly along in the helicopter with them, as they are all going to investigate the route they are building a motorway on.
The helicopter develops engine trouble and there is an emergency crash landing. At this point in the story, Linzi is so numbed and beaten down that the thought of death is actually a relief and not a scary thing for her. As she is calmly preparing to move to another plane of existence, the helicopter pilot is able to get them down. Then they have to make a run for it as the helicopter explodes.
It lights a big fire and the pilot is knocked out. Linzi tells Ritchie to go get help and stays to wait with the pilot. The fire starts heading their way and Linzi bravely helps the pilot up to get away. Eventually Ritchie, a doctor and the police show up. Everyone is safe, but the police have questions and Ritchie and Linzi have to stay overnight.
Ritchie pushes the issue of the attraction between them and that Linzi needs to get out of her situation. But Linzi doesn't cheat and Ritchie just doesn't understand the problems going on in her life. When Ritchie takes Linzi home, Barty is there waiting for her and he is drunk and he is furious.
The newspaper article about the crash was big news and it was insinuated that Ritchie and Linzi were having a fling as well. Barty goes over the edge and he starts beating Linzi and then he begins choking her with her feet off the floor. Linzi knows she about to die and she is terrified. Then everything goes black.
When she comes to, Ritchie is standing in the room and Barty is dead on the floor. Linzi freaks out and accuses Ritchie of killing him. The neighbors come in, the police are called and Ritchie is arrested on murder charges. Linzi collapses and winds up in hospital for weeks, convinced that Ritchie killed Barty in trying to save her.
Her godmother aunt shows up to help her move to a new life. There is a trial and Ritchie is convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three years in prison. Linzi is eventually released from the hospital, but she is plagued by guilt and remorse and she internalizes her issues to the point where she is even more emaciated and ethereal.
With the support of her godmother aunt and her widower cousin and his young son, Linzi is able to testify at Ritchie's trial and the whole horrible story about her marriage and the violence and the abuse comes out. There is also tons of speculation and remarks that Ritchie and Linzi must have been having an affair and Linzi goes into a shell.
Eventually, Linzi moves to her godmother's village and starts helping run the aunt's antique store. Linzi recovers to a certain extent, but she is still fragile and burdened by an intolerable amount of guilt, which she believes is caused because she was so attracted to Ritchie and she still loves Barty and she can't let go of his death.
Then news comes that Ritchie is getting released halfway through his prison sentence. He was a model prisoner and he still has his big business, so he gets parole and the wife of the helicopter pilot runs into Linzi in her new town and warns her that Ritchie is obsessed with finding Linzi.
Ritchie was very upset that Linzi did not support him during his trial or visit with him while he was incarcerated. The pilot's wife knows that Ritchie has hired detectives to find Linzi and Linzi is terrified. She believes that Ritchie is coming for revenge and we all know that Ritchie is capable of killing.
So Linzi, with her aunt and cousin's help, finds a place to hide. It is a lovely wooded area cottage, quite remote and there is no phone or people for miles around. Linzi takes a little holiday there and implies that she is going to Florida to everyone else.
Ritchie soon tracks her down and confronts Linzi and Linzi is overwhelmed with how scary Ritchie is after his prison sentence. He is hard and cold and his hair has a big silver streak, the look in his eyes and the utter force he uses when he grabs Linzi totally terrifies her. But Ritchie manages to avoid any type of rape or forced seduction and Linzi runs and locks herself in the cottage.
Ritchie sneaks in while Linzi is in the shower and the two of them come together in a huge Lurve Force Mojo moment - CL makes it very clear that this encounter is mutually consensual and Linzi admits that she is in love with Ritchie. Ritchie gets up immediately after and takes off in his new helicopter.
Linzi is utterly devastated and thinks the whole thing was Ritchie's idea of revenge. She decides to leave the cottage, but she can't. Ritchie took the spark plugs out of her car, so Linzi resolves to walk to the village as soon as it is light out, find a car garage and get herself some new spark plugs and get the heck out of there in case Ritchie comes back.
The next morning, Linzi is hotfooting to the village and Ritchie shows up riding a horse. He tries to carry Linzi off. But the horse rears and in the subsequent fall off the horse, Ritchie grabs Linzi's neck and they both hit the ground.
Linzi goes utterly hysterical and starts screaming. Ritchie has to slap her to get her to stop and then we find out that it was Linzi who killed Barty with the candlestick. He was choking her and she was dangling in the air and struggling and she grabbed the closest thing at hand and she whacked Barty upside the head before she passed out.
She was so traumatized that she blanked everything in trauma induced amnesia and then she felt so uncomfortable about her feelings for Ritchie that she blamed him in subconscious self defense against her own guilt and remorse. Ritchie is very soothing and caring while this revelation comes about, as Linzi breaks down again when she realizes just how horribly she treated him. Ritchie tells her he loves her and he felt had to go to prison for her, he did not think she would mentally survive if the truth came out.
They wind up declaring their love for each other after Ritchie explains that he had to leave so suddenly the day before because he was in a boardroom fight for his company. He needed to get one of the other investors to sell their shares to fight off the takeover attempt by one of his other shareholders.
Ritchie won, of course, but he also tells Linzi that he could start another business, he just cannot live without her. He also insists that Linzi needs therapy and he refuses to let her go to the police and confess that she killed Barty. We leave the two of them happy and in love and planning a life together. Hopefully with a much brighter future and a real HEA.
In 1994 statistics in the US showed that 10 out of 1000 people were in a relationship that involved domestic violence. Those numbers were probably grossly under-reported and it is estimated that it may have been as high as 50 or 60 in 1000. That is at least one in one hundred people who were living lives that were filled with fear and pain and it is unacceptable.
This story is almost a textbook case of how an abused person thinks as they are living through the nightmare of intimate partner abuse. The disassociation, the withdrawal, the denials and the secret fear, shame and pain that is also mixed in with love and memories of better times are all things that person in this situation might experience. CL nailed the mentality of an abuse victim in Linzi's character. For that experience alone, this book is on the HP required reading list.
The ending and Ritchie and a relationship with him in the future is a bit more problematic. Because the first thing a person who wants to help a suspected abuse victim should learn that the abused person HAS to rescue themselves. There are ways to help, but escape from abuse must come from the person who is experiencing it.
That doesn't mean that you can't be a rock to stand on, a wall to lean on, or a rope to help the abused person drag themselves out of the pit. You can start by having patience. Abuse doesn't start overnight and it doesn't end overnight either. Listen to the person you are worried about and keep trying to get them to talk.
The other big thing is do not JUDGE. Focus on your concern for the person who might be being mistreated. Help them think of ways to plan an escape, encourage them that they are empowered enough to make their own choices, offer them a safe place to keep documents or things needed to escape and please, don't stop trying.
Even a regular post it note letting the person know you care and can be contacted can make a huge difference - even if they push you away. Abuse happens in isolation, so keep on being a bridge for as long as you can.
It usually takes long periods of time and multiple attempts to free a person from a domestic violence situation. But as a willing helper in the escape, you just need to let the person know that you are there, you are willing to help and you won't go away. It is not easy, but you really will save a life and we should all help each other help ourselves.
If you are caught up in a nightmare of abuse and pain, please reach out. I promise you that there is help and that you can escape to a better life. It takes time and courage, it may feel like you are pushing a boulder up an endless mountain and it just keeps rolling back. But keep trying, every little step is a victory and tiny steps build up to great heights eventually.
Remember, this really is NOT YOU. No matter what you may or may not have done, abuse and violence to your person is all on the abuser.
NOBODY DESERVES TO BE HURT OR VIOLATED IN AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP, NOBODY.
Let that thought be a little light inside that can help you out of a dark place and help you make your very own HEA.
This isn't in the book, cause back in 1994 resources for domestic violence were just starting to build. Fortunately today, awareness and education have helped to bring the abuse statistics down. It is thought that only 1 in 1000 people are in an abusive intimate relationship. Sadly most of those are young women in between the ages of 16-24, but really anyone can be at risk or need help.
So I am putting some links below. If you want to know more about domestic abuse, how to spot it, how to help or if you find yourself in a hurtful relationship and need resources, these are great places to start.
In the US - http://www.thehotline.org/help/help-f...
In Great Britain - http://www.nationaldomesticviolencehe...
In Australia - https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/...
Worldwide - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
I had a hard time finding help sites for other countries, but these sites above have other links to more localized contacts.
This was a very dark and sad HPlandia outing. But it is well worth the read, if you can stand it. Once again we are shown why Charlotte Lamb was such a major, major star in the HP universe. She went places that even mainstream contemporary romance at the time wouldn't go and for a little category romance, this book and this story is epic and an absolute shinning moment in the history of HP's.
HUGE TRIGGER AND SPOILER ALERT!
This is a story about domestic violence. Unlike Karen van der Zee's Pelangi Haven, the abuse and the violence takes place in real time in the story. CL will put you in the h's mind and body as she is going through this ordeal and this is an EXTREMELY dark and grim book.
There is also a LOT of suspense in this book and I will spoilerize this story in total, so if you do not want to know, stop reading this now.
For those who just have to know what you're getting into, grab a blanket and some comfort foods, we are about to visit the very darkest side of HPlandia.
The book opens with Linzi, a 24 yr old ethereal blonde married to Barty. Barty is the boy next door and he and Linzi have always been together. They married when Linzi was 20 and things were great for a few years. Barty worked his dream job as a pricey machine mechanic and they were happily loved up and planning on a houseful of babies.
Linzi worked too, as a secretary, to earn a little extra to save up for those babies and maybe a little house. Then things changed. Barty had a bad accident with a huge head injury and lots of damage that meant that he no longer could father those babies that Linzi wanted so much.
Barty did not take that news well, he also couldn't work on his beloved machines anymore and those losses, combined with the continuing brain damage sustained in the accident, put Barty on a different path.
He started drinking to overcome his chronic depression and in his bitterness over being forced to live life as half a man, as he now sees himself, he wishes he could die - he felt it would be better for all of them if he had.
Well, Linzi married for better or worse. She is intensely loyal and she is young and she really loves Barty. So when the depression turns to anger exacerbated by alcohol and Barty begins hitting her in temperamental drunken furies, Linzi feels she owes it to Barty to stay with him and try to do better.
Barty had to take a new job in computers and he hates it, tho it pays well enough. Even better, Linzi was able to get an assistant job to big time construction engineer Ritchie Calhoun, who is a very driven workaholic tyrannical boss, but he is flexible about time and he pays really well for highly efficient assistants and Linzi is the best.
As the year goes on, Linzi becomes more and more entangled in a vicious cycle of abuse, remorse and calm periods. But as Ritchie starts asking for later and later hours to meet the demands of a big motorway project he has won, things at home start getting worse.
Linzi experiences some really, really bad scenes with Barty. In drunken jealousy and bitterness, he smashes her face into a bed frame and then tries to rape her. Fortunately, Barty is impotent and has been for almost a year, but this only exacerbates his drunken rage and the violence is severe.
Ritchie, meanwhile, has been noticing little things about Linzi. Like how she is gradually withdrawing from interactions with people and how she startles easily and of course he notices the bruises. Ritchie becomes determined to get to the bottom of things and he pretty ruthlessly interrogates Linzi, until she finally tells him to stop, her private life is none of his business.
But Ritchie can't stop, the more he notices about Linzi, the more he finds himself attracted to her. Linzi, trying to deal with her own nightmare at home, is noticing Ritchie and their elemental attraction right back, but she buries it. Linzi has more than enough to be going on with.
When Barty has to travel for business for a week, Linzi breathes a sigh of relief. Ritchie and his interrogations are also out of the office and it is the most peace Linzi has had for a very long time. Then Ritchie calls Linzi because he forgot important maps in his briefcase. Linzi is going to have to drive down to Ritchie's location and bring them to him.
Linzi doesn't want to travel so far, but it is her job and off we all go. When she gets to Ritchie's location, he insists that she stay for lunch with him and his helicopter pilot. Ritchie also insists that Linzi fly along in the helicopter with them, as they are all going to investigate the route they are building a motorway on.
The helicopter develops engine trouble and there is an emergency crash landing. At this point in the story, Linzi is so numbed and beaten down that the thought of death is actually a relief and not a scary thing for her. As she is calmly preparing to move to another plane of existence, the helicopter pilot is able to get them down. Then they have to make a run for it as the helicopter explodes.
It lights a big fire and the pilot is knocked out. Linzi tells Ritchie to go get help and stays to wait with the pilot. The fire starts heading their way and Linzi bravely helps the pilot up to get away. Eventually Ritchie, a doctor and the police show up. Everyone is safe, but the police have questions and Ritchie and Linzi have to stay overnight.
Ritchie pushes the issue of the attraction between them and that Linzi needs to get out of her situation. But Linzi doesn't cheat and Ritchie just doesn't understand the problems going on in her life. When Ritchie takes Linzi home, Barty is there waiting for her and he is drunk and he is furious.
The newspaper article about the crash was big news and it was insinuated that Ritchie and Linzi were having a fling as well. Barty goes over the edge and he starts beating Linzi and then he begins choking her with her feet off the floor. Linzi knows she about to die and she is terrified. Then everything goes black.
When she comes to, Ritchie is standing in the room and Barty is dead on the floor. Linzi freaks out and accuses Ritchie of killing him. The neighbors come in, the police are called and Ritchie is arrested on murder charges. Linzi collapses and winds up in hospital for weeks, convinced that Ritchie killed Barty in trying to save her.
Her godmother aunt shows up to help her move to a new life. There is a trial and Ritchie is convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to three years in prison. Linzi is eventually released from the hospital, but she is plagued by guilt and remorse and she internalizes her issues to the point where she is even more emaciated and ethereal.
With the support of her godmother aunt and her widower cousin and his young son, Linzi is able to testify at Ritchie's trial and the whole horrible story about her marriage and the violence and the abuse comes out. There is also tons of speculation and remarks that Ritchie and Linzi must have been having an affair and Linzi goes into a shell.
Eventually, Linzi moves to her godmother's village and starts helping run the aunt's antique store. Linzi recovers to a certain extent, but she is still fragile and burdened by an intolerable amount of guilt, which she believes is caused because she was so attracted to Ritchie and she still loves Barty and she can't let go of his death.
Then news comes that Ritchie is getting released halfway through his prison sentence. He was a model prisoner and he still has his big business, so he gets parole and the wife of the helicopter pilot runs into Linzi in her new town and warns her that Ritchie is obsessed with finding Linzi.
Ritchie was very upset that Linzi did not support him during his trial or visit with him while he was incarcerated. The pilot's wife knows that Ritchie has hired detectives to find Linzi and Linzi is terrified. She believes that Ritchie is coming for revenge and we all know that Ritchie is capable of killing.
So Linzi, with her aunt and cousin's help, finds a place to hide. It is a lovely wooded area cottage, quite remote and there is no phone or people for miles around. Linzi takes a little holiday there and implies that she is going to Florida to everyone else.
Ritchie soon tracks her down and confronts Linzi and Linzi is overwhelmed with how scary Ritchie is after his prison sentence. He is hard and cold and his hair has a big silver streak, the look in his eyes and the utter force he uses when he grabs Linzi totally terrifies her. But Ritchie manages to avoid any type of rape or forced seduction and Linzi runs and locks herself in the cottage.
Ritchie sneaks in while Linzi is in the shower and the two of them come together in a huge Lurve Force Mojo moment - CL makes it very clear that this encounter is mutually consensual and Linzi admits that she is in love with Ritchie. Ritchie gets up immediately after and takes off in his new helicopter.
Linzi is utterly devastated and thinks the whole thing was Ritchie's idea of revenge. She decides to leave the cottage, but she can't. Ritchie took the spark plugs out of her car, so Linzi resolves to walk to the village as soon as it is light out, find a car garage and get herself some new spark plugs and get the heck out of there in case Ritchie comes back.
The next morning, Linzi is hotfooting to the village and Ritchie shows up riding a horse. He tries to carry Linzi off. But the horse rears and in the subsequent fall off the horse, Ritchie grabs Linzi's neck and they both hit the ground.
Linzi goes utterly hysterical and starts screaming. Ritchie has to slap her to get her to stop and then we find out that it was Linzi who killed Barty with the candlestick. He was choking her and she was dangling in the air and struggling and she grabbed the closest thing at hand and she whacked Barty upside the head before she passed out.
She was so traumatized that she blanked everything in trauma induced amnesia and then she felt so uncomfortable about her feelings for Ritchie that she blamed him in subconscious self defense against her own guilt and remorse. Ritchie is very soothing and caring while this revelation comes about, as Linzi breaks down again when she realizes just how horribly she treated him. Ritchie tells her he loves her and he felt had to go to prison for her, he did not think she would mentally survive if the truth came out.
They wind up declaring their love for each other after Ritchie explains that he had to leave so suddenly the day before because he was in a boardroom fight for his company. He needed to get one of the other investors to sell their shares to fight off the takeover attempt by one of his other shareholders.
Ritchie won, of course, but he also tells Linzi that he could start another business, he just cannot live without her. He also insists that Linzi needs therapy and he refuses to let her go to the police and confess that she killed Barty. We leave the two of them happy and in love and planning a life together. Hopefully with a much brighter future and a real HEA.
In 1994 statistics in the US showed that 10 out of 1000 people were in a relationship that involved domestic violence. Those numbers were probably grossly under-reported and it is estimated that it may have been as high as 50 or 60 in 1000. That is at least one in one hundred people who were living lives that were filled with fear and pain and it is unacceptable.
This story is almost a textbook case of how an abused person thinks as they are living through the nightmare of intimate partner abuse. The disassociation, the withdrawal, the denials and the secret fear, shame and pain that is also mixed in with love and memories of better times are all things that person in this situation might experience. CL nailed the mentality of an abuse victim in Linzi's character. For that experience alone, this book is on the HP required reading list.
The ending and Ritchie and a relationship with him in the future is a bit more problematic. Because the first thing a person who wants to help a suspected abuse victim should learn that the abused person HAS to rescue themselves. There are ways to help, but escape from abuse must come from the person who is experiencing it.
That doesn't mean that you can't be a rock to stand on, a wall to lean on, or a rope to help the abused person drag themselves out of the pit. You can start by having patience. Abuse doesn't start overnight and it doesn't end overnight either. Listen to the person you are worried about and keep trying to get them to talk.
The other big thing is do not JUDGE. Focus on your concern for the person who might be being mistreated. Help them think of ways to plan an escape, encourage them that they are empowered enough to make their own choices, offer them a safe place to keep documents or things needed to escape and please, don't stop trying.
Even a regular post it note letting the person know you care and can be contacted can make a huge difference - even if they push you away. Abuse happens in isolation, so keep on being a bridge for as long as you can.
It usually takes long periods of time and multiple attempts to free a person from a domestic violence situation. But as a willing helper in the escape, you just need to let the person know that you are there, you are willing to help and you won't go away. It is not easy, but you really will save a life and we should all help each other help ourselves.
If you are caught up in a nightmare of abuse and pain, please reach out. I promise you that there is help and that you can escape to a better life. It takes time and courage, it may feel like you are pushing a boulder up an endless mountain and it just keeps rolling back. But keep trying, every little step is a victory and tiny steps build up to great heights eventually.
Remember, this really is NOT YOU. No matter what you may or may not have done, abuse and violence to your person is all on the abuser.
NOBODY DESERVES TO BE HURT OR VIOLATED IN AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP, NOBODY.
Let that thought be a little light inside that can help you out of a dark place and help you make your very own HEA.
This isn't in the book, cause back in 1994 resources for domestic violence were just starting to build. Fortunately today, awareness and education have helped to bring the abuse statistics down. It is thought that only 1 in 1000 people are in an abusive intimate relationship. Sadly most of those are young women in between the ages of 16-24, but really anyone can be at risk or need help.
So I am putting some links below. If you want to know more about domestic abuse, how to spot it, how to help or if you find yourself in a hurtful relationship and need resources, these are great places to start.
In the US - http://www.thehotline.org/help/help-f...
In Great Britain - http://www.nationaldomesticviolencehe...
In Australia - https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/...
Worldwide - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
I had a hard time finding help sites for other countries, but these sites above have other links to more localized contacts.
This was a very dark and sad HPlandia outing. But it is well worth the read, if you can stand it. Once again we are shown why Charlotte Lamb was such a major, major star in the HP universe. She went places that even mainstream contemporary romance at the time wouldn't go and for a little category romance, this book and this story is epic and an absolute shinning moment in the history of HP's.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2016
I hate to diss my favorite Harlequin writer EVER but I gots to keep it real. This story was flat, predictable, saddled with two BEYOND stupid leads, and devoid of CL's usual charm, ironic wit, or dream-like, elegant turn of phrases. Don't know what happened except that among several hundred published books, there had to have been a number of turkeys that she just phoned in to meet a deadline...
January 1, 2019
Cussing...
DNF!
Not only is the heroine a stupid bitch, but she's a selfish one. Sorry.
And the hero????? Give me a break? Are you brain dead? I would say more, but ....spoilers.
Not starting off the new year well.
DNF!
Not only is the heroine a stupid bitch, but she's a selfish one. Sorry.
And the hero????? Give me a break? Are you brain dead? I would say more, but ....spoilers.
Not starting off the new year well.
February 27, 2023
The Book
Charlotte Lamb's Harlequin Presents romance Guilty Love is crazy and full of over-the-top drama. I loved every wild moment of it. As always, YMMV, although this sort of book is right up my alley.
Lamb always tried to outdo herself in her writings. Whenever I picked up one of her books, I was never certain whether it would be a 5-star keeper or a weird slog through the heroine’s life. For me, this is a 5-star book.
But a word of warning: it handles a dark subject that may cause readers some discomfort.
The Characters
Linzi York is a married woman who has worked for Ritchie Calhoun for about a year. Her marriage is not a happy one. She’s been with her husband Barty for four years and loves him deeply. She’s always wanted a big family. However, Barty was in a devastating accident that affected his brain cognition. And performance in the bedroom.
He has become a changed man, full of rage and anger. The prospects of having that big happy family seem impossible now.
Ritchie and Linzi have a great working relationship. Unsurprisingly, Ritchie carries a torch for his married secretary and can sense something’s not right with her marriage.
Barty started drinking to overcome his chronic depression. He views himself as half a man and has violent outbursts that he seemingly can’t control.
The Plot
Like in her book A Frozen Fire, a Charlotte Lamb heroine finds herself trapped in a marriage. In the previous book, the heroine was married to a cheating louse. Here, Linzi is married to an abusive spouse. Both Lamb heroines are intensely loyal to their partners for some unfathomable reason. They are the for better or worse types, even if it makes them self-inflicted martyrs.
Barty’s affliction has made him homicidal. He beats Linzi constantly. He even tries to rape her but can’t perform.
Linzi has to spend more time working as Ritchie has a big project to finish. The late hours make Barty jealous. One night when Linzi gets home, Barty flies into a jealous rage and begins to beat her. Then events take a strange and horrific turn. Ritchie shows up. Barty is killed. What did Ritchie do?
The police arrest Ritchie for Barty’s murder. Ritchie goes to prison for several years.
Upon his release, Ritchie comes back into Linzi’s life, seeking revenge. Altered by years of incarceration, the formerly nice beta-male boss is now a cruel, remorseless being.
For her part, Linzi wants nothing to do with the man who killed her husband. Ritchie won’t be thwarted. Revenge turns into passion. Then a shocking revelation changes everything.
Final Analysis of Guilty Love
I won’t analyze this book with a realistic outlook; that’s too depressing.
With Harlequin Presents–especially certain authors like Charlotte Lamb–you’re bound to have a crazy, emotional time. Lamb would tackle controversial issues like rape and abuse with a psychoanalytical intensity that was riveting. (Usually.)
At 190 pages, Guilty Love is too short to delve properly into the very serious issues of abuse, trauma, and repression. It’s fair to make an argument that the violence displayed here was for gratuitous reasons.
In a lesser author’s hands, this would be a failure. When Lamb pulled out all the stops, she made a dark premise work. Rather than dwell on grim reality, Lamb ramped up the melodrama. It does create a heck of a page-turner.
Guilty Love is a twisted tale of revenge and dark revelations. Full of continuous action with a quick-moving plot, it’s hard to look away. It had me hooked from the first and never let go.
Charlotte Lamb's Harlequin Presents romance Guilty Love is crazy and full of over-the-top drama. I loved every wild moment of it. As always, YMMV, although this sort of book is right up my alley.
Lamb always tried to outdo herself in her writings. Whenever I picked up one of her books, I was never certain whether it would be a 5-star keeper or a weird slog through the heroine’s life. For me, this is a 5-star book.
But a word of warning: it handles a dark subject that may cause readers some discomfort.
The Characters
Linzi York is a married woman who has worked for Ritchie Calhoun for about a year. Her marriage is not a happy one. She’s been with her husband Barty for four years and loves him deeply. She’s always wanted a big family. However, Barty was in a devastating accident that affected his brain cognition. And performance in the bedroom.
He has become a changed man, full of rage and anger. The prospects of having that big happy family seem impossible now.
Ritchie and Linzi have a great working relationship. Unsurprisingly, Ritchie carries a torch for his married secretary and can sense something’s not right with her marriage.
Barty started drinking to overcome his chronic depression. He views himself as half a man and has violent outbursts that he seemingly can’t control.
The Plot
Like in her book A Frozen Fire, a Charlotte Lamb heroine finds herself trapped in a marriage. In the previous book, the heroine was married to a cheating louse. Here, Linzi is married to an abusive spouse. Both Lamb heroines are intensely loyal to their partners for some unfathomable reason. They are the for better or worse types, even if it makes them self-inflicted martyrs.
Barty’s affliction has made him homicidal. He beats Linzi constantly. He even tries to rape her but can’t perform.
Linzi has to spend more time working as Ritchie has a big project to finish. The late hours make Barty jealous. One night when Linzi gets home, Barty flies into a jealous rage and begins to beat her. Then events take a strange and horrific turn. Ritchie shows up. Barty is killed. What did Ritchie do?
The police arrest Ritchie for Barty’s murder. Ritchie goes to prison for several years.
Upon his release, Ritchie comes back into Linzi’s life, seeking revenge. Altered by years of incarceration, the formerly nice beta-male boss is now a cruel, remorseless being.
For her part, Linzi wants nothing to do with the man who killed her husband. Ritchie won’t be thwarted. Revenge turns into passion. Then a shocking revelation changes everything.
Final Analysis of Guilty Love
I won’t analyze this book with a realistic outlook; that’s too depressing.
With Harlequin Presents–especially certain authors like Charlotte Lamb–you’re bound to have a crazy, emotional time. Lamb would tackle controversial issues like rape and abuse with a psychoanalytical intensity that was riveting. (Usually.)
At 190 pages, Guilty Love is too short to delve properly into the very serious issues of abuse, trauma, and repression. It’s fair to make an argument that the violence displayed here was for gratuitous reasons.
In a lesser author’s hands, this would be a failure. When Lamb pulled out all the stops, she made a dark premise work. Rather than dwell on grim reality, Lamb ramped up the melodrama. It does create a heck of a page-turner.
Guilty Love is a twisted tale of revenge and dark revelations. Full of continuous action with a quick-moving plot, it’s hard to look away. It had me hooked from the first and never let go.
September 18, 2019
Wow Charlotte Lamb.`You literally killed me with this one.As she is most known of her dynamic love-stories with overly jealous,obsessive and smitten heroes-she drawns you into a ride you will never forget.Her mostly favourite books of mine are "Temptation","Disturbing Stranger","Frustration","Crecendo","Devil`s Arms","Fever","Pagan Encounter" and "Dark Pursuit".
..and "Guilty Love" come really high on the list,as the hero Ritchie Calhoun takes the greatest sacrifice as a man in love can take,instead of the heroine Linzi York and takes the blame of her husbands murder and gets charged three years in prison.
After getting released he hunts after her to stake his claim..and Oh how it all just turns wonderfully!
I love this book!I love the hero the most in this one,and would gladly want to find someone like him!The hell he was put through because of her,and still he desperately loved her and earned for her.That`s just so romantic!I at times wanted to strangle her.She should have left her husband Barty the second he let her,but i understand her though.He was after all the man she had loved,and he had also loved her until the accident that destroyed everything,and Barty became a monster.
I could feel Linzi`s guilt,fear and pain-and mostly the stricken guilt of letting herself love Ritchie freely.But Oh i wouldn`t have resisted him at all,he was sooo passionately dangerous and sexy-and madly..with that i mean TOTALLY loco about her..and the means to fight her and the obsessive stake it took on him during his prison years..just GOD.!I love him my friends..i totally love this man!How i wish i could meet someone like him in real life!
"Guilty Love" is one of a hell dynamic pleasure..and a unforgettable experience and i will 100% re-read it in the future.I mean just WOW..Ritchie and Linzi`s romance was just..everything you could wish for.I just wish SPOILER AHEAD!:That we could have read when she told him that she love him too.I mean Lamb must have forgotten that important point.Well anyway..who cares,i love this book anyway!
..and "Guilty Love" come really high on the list,as the hero Ritchie Calhoun takes the greatest sacrifice as a man in love can take,instead of the heroine Linzi York and takes the blame of her husbands murder and gets charged three years in prison.
After getting released he hunts after her to stake his claim..and Oh how it all just turns wonderfully!
I love this book!I love the hero the most in this one,and would gladly want to find someone like him!The hell he was put through because of her,and still he desperately loved her and earned for her.That`s just so romantic!I at times wanted to strangle her.She should have left her husband Barty the second he let her,but i understand her though.He was after all the man she had loved,and he had also loved her until the accident that destroyed everything,and Barty became a monster.
I could feel Linzi`s guilt,fear and pain-and mostly the stricken guilt of letting herself love Ritchie freely.But Oh i wouldn`t have resisted him at all,he was sooo passionately dangerous and sexy-and madly..with that i mean TOTALLY loco about her..and the means to fight her and the obsessive stake it took on him during his prison years..just GOD.!I love him my friends..i totally love this man!How i wish i could meet someone like him in real life!
"Guilty Love" is one of a hell dynamic pleasure..and a unforgettable experience and i will 100% re-read it in the future.I mean just WOW..Ritchie and Linzi`s romance was just..everything you could wish for.I just wish SPOILER AHEAD!:That we could have read when she told him that she love him too.I mean Lamb must have forgotten that important point.Well anyway..who cares,i love this book anyway!
August 16, 2016
This one was certainly different. It might have received a higher rating from me just for being so different if it hadn't been for the fact that it was one of those where you were constantly waiting for the other shoe to fall. I found that I didn't like the heroine much for how she failed to stand by the hero. The hero though was pretty great. Serious spoiler ahead.
On the whole it was decent.
On the whole it was decent.
March 28, 2018
This was pretty intense. Loved the hero, Richie but the heroine Linzi was not likeable...she had no backbone but maybe the abuse made her TSTL! I shed tear twice it was moving novel albeit frustrating at times. The sacrifices the hero made and overall conduct of Linzi was not parallel. She did not deserve his love. Period!
October 28, 2015
This story was really interesting with a wonderful hero but the heroine was disappointing. I didn't like the way she treated the hero when he needed her so it totally spoiled the book for me.
August 20, 2019
Don’t do this to me, Linzi!’ It was a cry of anguish, and hurt her, too, piercing her to the heart.
"Guilty Love" is the story of Linzi and Ritchie.
This just made me sad.
The heroine is a devoted wife, married to her childhood sweetheart when they get into an accident and her husband changes for the worse. He starts drinking, cannot get it up, and beats her black and blue every chance he gets. But the heroine takes it all in because of "true love" and "he didn't mean it" and "poor sick Barty". It is at this time she starts working for the hero, who is smitten by her. When one rumor causes her fucker of a husband to strangle her, the heroine passes out, and wakes up with a dead husband and a concerned hero. Ofcourse she cries for the hubs, blames the hero and testifies against him. He gets convicted while literally begging her for her love. She ignores it and wallows in self pity and in love with the ahole who whooped her weekly.
Things take a turn years later when the hero is released, only to chase the heroine down..
I adored the kind and devoted hero- her stupid ass definitely did not deserve him. The ending and reveal was predictable, and it only made me want to hug the hero and maybe send the heroine into therapy.
Safe for me/ SWE for some
3.5/5
"Guilty Love" is the story of Linzi and Ritchie.
This just made me sad.
The heroine is a devoted wife, married to her childhood sweetheart when they get into an accident and her husband changes for the worse. He starts drinking, cannot get it up, and beats her black and blue every chance he gets. But the heroine takes it all in because of "true love" and "he didn't mean it" and "poor sick Barty". It is at this time she starts working for the hero, who is smitten by her. When one rumor causes her fucker of a husband to strangle her, the heroine passes out, and wakes up with a dead husband and a concerned hero. Ofcourse she cries for the hubs, blames the hero and testifies against him. He gets convicted while literally begging her for her love. She ignores it and wallows in self pity and in love with the ahole who whooped her weekly.
Things take a turn years later when the hero is released, only to chase the heroine down..
I adored the kind and devoted hero- her stupid ass definitely did not deserve him. The ending and reveal was predictable, and it only made me want to hug the hero and maybe send the heroine into therapy.
Safe for me/ SWE for some
3.5/5
February 6, 2019
I was engrossed all the way through, but my feelings for this are mixed mainly because wonderful, self-sacrificing Ritchie deserved a better woman than the one he received in Linzi, who was just so spineless. She didn't stand by Ritchie when he needed her, and said some pretty mean things to him. I know she acted that way out of ignorance and guilt, but it was still disappointing. I'd hoped she'd evolve into a stronger person by the novel's end in spite of the mental and emotional abuse she'd undergone. (Hey, this is romantic fantasy so miracles DO happen.)
Even after Linzi learned of Ritchie's feelings she still didn't tell him why she'd originally turned her back on him, and utter out loud those three little words. Yes, the reader of knew of her true feelings and Ritchie believed Linzi felt the same for him, but he deserved to hear "I love you". I mean, really, he saved her ass from !
Even after Linzi learned of Ritchie's feelings she still didn't tell him why she'd originally turned her back on him, and utter out loud those three little words. Yes, the reader of knew of her true feelings and Ritchie believed Linzi felt the same for him, but he deserved to hear "I love you". I mean, really, he saved her ass from !
September 26, 2021
This was oddly sweet for Ms. Lamb 🤷🏼♀️
What I liked:
- the h is a damsel in distress
- the H is authoritative and take-charge
- despite being a good guy, the H wasn’t afraid of some stalking and dubcon as the occasion called for. 😅
- drama - abusive husband, helicopter crash, gossip, murder trial, h goes into hiding, H tracks her down relentlessly
What I didn’t like:
- the H took too long to intervene in the h’s abuse, which was odd given his take-charge attitude
- the h resisted a bit too much
- I didn’t much care for the twist
Bottom Line? Not the worst way to spend the morning over coffee. 🤷🏼♀️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama
- OM drama - she’s married at first
- domestic violence (not by the H)
- dubcon
- h has been married 4 years when book begins
- H’s past is not really mentioned
What I liked:
- the h is a damsel in distress
- the H is authoritative and take-charge
- despite being a good guy, the H wasn’t afraid of some stalking and dubcon as the occasion called for. 😅
- drama - abusive husband, helicopter crash, gossip, murder trial, h goes into hiding, H tracks her down relentlessly
What I didn’t like:
- the H took too long to intervene in the h’s abuse, which was odd given his take-charge attitude
- the h resisted a bit too much
- I didn’t much care for the twist
Bottom Line? Not the worst way to spend the morning over coffee. 🤷🏼♀️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW drama
- OM drama - she’s married at first
- domestic violence (not by the H)
- dubcon
- h has been married 4 years when book begins
- H’s past is not really mentioned
April 28, 2014
4 Stars ~ Linzi married the boy-next-door, her childhood sweetheart and they were very happy. Until a motorcycle accident caused a brain injury which changed Barty forever. Gone was the sweet gentle young man; in his place, was a hostile abusive man. Barty knew he was different and he always regretted his violent outbursts. Linzi loved the young man he had been, and it was that love that kept forgiving Barty. Linzi took a job for a construction mogul, and though it often meant she had to work late, the money it provided was too good to pass up. Whenever she had to work late, Barty threw insults her way and accused her of having an affair with her boss. Ritchie was a very handsome virile man and Linzi felt guilty about her growing attraction to him. When he started to notice how haunted and sad her eyes were, he found himself wanting to know her secrets. His probing into her personal life alarmed Linzi and she threatened to quit unless he backed off. But when she came into the office with bruises on her face, Ritchie worried that one day Barty would go too far. And that day came with tragic consequences for both Linzi and Ritchie.
This Charlotte Lamb is a wild crazy ride that kept be turning the pages to see how there could possibly be a HEA. Linzi's fear is palpable and a driving force in this story. She's had to be strong, but when she has a chance to lean on Ritchie even for the briefest of moments, she can't stop herself as it feels so good. She's a tragic heroine with a past that pursues her and keeps a dark cloud hanging over her head. Ritchie is a white knight type of hero and he wants to protect her, but he has to battle her misguided loyalty to do it. At times I worried if what had happened would be too much to overcome and a believable HEA could never be achieved. But Ms. Lamb gave us a wonderful twist that cleverly shows us how deep and unconditional Ritchie's love is for Linzi.
This is a dark story with violent scenes that may not suit some readers.
This Charlotte Lamb is a wild crazy ride that kept be turning the pages to see how there could possibly be a HEA. Linzi's fear is palpable and a driving force in this story. She's had to be strong, but when she has a chance to lean on Ritchie even for the briefest of moments, she can't stop herself as it feels so good. She's a tragic heroine with a past that pursues her and keeps a dark cloud hanging over her head. Ritchie is a white knight type of hero and he wants to protect her, but he has to battle her misguided loyalty to do it. At times I worried if what had happened would be too much to overcome and a believable HEA could never be achieved. But Ms. Lamb gave us a wonderful twist that cleverly shows us how deep and unconditional Ritchie's love is for Linzi.
This is a dark story with violent scenes that may not suit some readers.
December 21, 2012
Too much insanity in too few pages for me, I think. Abuse, helicopter crashes and explosions, attempted murder, death, prison sentence, and a horse riding accident to top it off. Exhausting and not really satisfying.
August 11, 2016
This novel had everything in it, it was pretty fucking nuts but in a good way.
September 17, 2021
I can’t believe how selfish and hysteric she is by not helping the H who saved her life. She is TSTL
And he is TSTL too for not learning his lesson and for not staying away from the mess that the h is. She will wreck his life over and over again.
In my opinion this is Charlotte Lamb’s worst book by far.
And he is TSTL too for not learning his lesson and for not staying away from the mess that the h is. She will wreck his life over and over again.
In my opinion this is Charlotte Lamb’s worst book by far.
September 25, 2011
This one had me bitting my nails and turning pages i had to know hat happens next,each page has twist n turns absolutely enjoyed this one,will not give away any spoilers
Good read
Recommend it
Good read
Recommend it
December 25, 2021
ΜΙΑ ΣΥΓΚΛΟΝΙΣΤΙΚΗ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ από τη μέτρ του είδους Σάρλοτ Λάμπ. Πολύ "ζωντανή" ιστορία, στην οποία "χάνεσαι" και "στροβιλίζεσαι", ανάμεσα στο πάθος και στο μίσος! Με το άκρως ανατρεπτικό φινάλε της, κρατάς την ανάσα σου μέχρι την τελευταία σελίδα! Ένας ύμνος στην θυσία της αγάπης!!! Θα τη θυμάμαι για πολύ καιρό!!! ΠΟΛΥ -ΠΟΛΥ ΩΡΑΙΟ!!!!
June 14, 2020
TW/CW:
Domestic abuse, past death of loved one, past car crash, past miscarriage, unchallenged dynamics in workplace romance, toxic masculinity, alcoholism, grief, attempted murder, trauma, casual and not relevant mention of cousin incest, unchallenged ableism, amnesia, alphahole stuff.
This is a harlequin that deals with a woman severely traumatized by her abusive husband. This book takes place during the abuse, as well as after. As this is very short, I only provided trigger warnings and won’t go into much of the plot, but her love interest is her boss and her husband, is abusive and jealous because of the time she is spending with him. Whatever your feelings on the romance given what I have said, I thought it was fine, not very PC but I didn’t expect a Charlotte Lamb harlequin to be so. Due to the sensitive topics of this book, I provided trigger warnings but have also marked this review as spoilery in case of preference. I do suggest reading them because they are triggering.
Domestic abuse, past death of loved one, past car crash, past miscarriage, unchallenged dynamics in workplace romance, toxic masculinity, alcoholism, grief, attempted murder, trauma, casual and not relevant mention of cousin incest, unchallenged ableism, amnesia, alphahole stuff.
This is a harlequin that deals with a woman severely traumatized by her abusive husband. This book takes place during the abuse, as well as after. As this is very short, I only provided trigger warnings and won’t go into much of the plot, but her love interest is her boss and her husband, is abusive and jealous because of the time she is spending with him. Whatever your feelings on the romance given what I have said, I thought it was fine, not very PC but I didn’t expect a Charlotte Lamb harlequin to be so. Due to the sensitive topics of this book, I provided trigger warnings but have also marked this review as spoilery in case of preference. I do suggest reading them because they are triggering.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2022
This was different (in a good way). Dark, for a HP. Wonderful thread of underlying passion between H and h. A proper story.
August 17, 2018
Synopsis:
The story is about Linzi, whose husband Barty is abusive towards her after an accident that leaves him impotent. Her boss, Ritchie, becomes aware of their abusive relationship (he is also in love with her) and walks in on one such instance. What follows is her husband's death, for which Ritchie goes to prison, while Linzi denies her feelings, and avoids him. Then, there is a time-lapse of three years…
Review:
This is totally different from all the stories of abuse I have read so far in M&B world. A very, very dark tale. In other stories, the abuse came from someone other than the spouse, or if the spouse was the one doing the deed, he was dead before the story started. I have read the other reviews, and almost everyone has been bashing Linzi for not being able to stand up for herself. But, who am I to judge, who knows how to cope in different situations of domestic abuse, no two cases are the same, after all. Especially when the abuse comes from someone you love, how can you make yourself stand up against them? Linzi should have spoken up sooner, got out of the relationship, but there isn't a definite formula to that anywhere, is there?
The spouse here was alive, and he occupied half the story. The real journey begins only after that. Little by little, the story proceeds to the present by revealing the past three years. But yeah, I did feel very sad for Ritchie, due to no support from Linzi, and for no fault of his, he had to spend time in prison. Unlike Barty, who had the easy way out. Ella, the out-of-the-blue supportive aunt, and Gareth, the watch doctor, like a brother she never had, were nice additions as supporting characters. The twist at the end was definitely a bonus, seeing that the end was quite abrupt, with Ritchie-Linzi's tale coming out as too little, too late.
It surely was guilty love, the guilt Linzi felt for having a secret attraction towards her boss despite being married to Barty, the guilt Ritchie felt earlier, for not being able to help Linzi.
Originally posted on:
https://sassyshaina.wordpress.com/201...
The story is about Linzi, whose husband Barty is abusive towards her after an accident that leaves him impotent. Her boss, Ritchie, becomes aware of their abusive relationship (he is also in love with her) and walks in on one such instance. What follows is her husband's death, for which Ritchie goes to prison, while Linzi denies her feelings, and avoids him. Then, there is a time-lapse of three years…
Review:
This is totally different from all the stories of abuse I have read so far in M&B world. A very, very dark tale. In other stories, the abuse came from someone other than the spouse, or if the spouse was the one doing the deed, he was dead before the story started. I have read the other reviews, and almost everyone has been bashing Linzi for not being able to stand up for herself. But, who am I to judge, who knows how to cope in different situations of domestic abuse, no two cases are the same, after all. Especially when the abuse comes from someone you love, how can you make yourself stand up against them? Linzi should have spoken up sooner, got out of the relationship, but there isn't a definite formula to that anywhere, is there?
The spouse here was alive, and he occupied half the story. The real journey begins only after that. Little by little, the story proceeds to the present by revealing the past three years. But yeah, I did feel very sad for Ritchie, due to no support from Linzi, and for no fault of his, he had to spend time in prison. Unlike Barty, who had the easy way out. Ella, the out-of-the-blue supportive aunt, and Gareth, the watch doctor, like a brother she never had, were nice additions as supporting characters. The twist at the end was definitely a bonus, seeing that the end was quite abrupt, with Ritchie-Linzi's tale coming out as too little, too late.
It surely was guilty love, the guilt Linzi felt for having a secret attraction towards her boss despite being married to Barty, the guilt Ritchie felt earlier, for not being able to help Linzi.
Originally posted on:
https://sassyshaina.wordpress.com/201...
February 13, 2026
Lamb's novel focuses on themes of spousal abuse, intense passion, and tragic circumstances.
The story centres on Linzi York, a woman trapped in a nightmarish marriage, and her boss, Ritchie Calhoun, who intervenes to save her with tragic results.
The plot is a bit chaotic at times but for all that has a mature theme of heavy and dark subjects not often tackled in what is considered to be "fluffy" romances but Charlotte Lamb was an author that often challenged this perception. This could have been better presented as a longer novel and so less rushed towards the end but for all that an engrossing read.
The story centres on Linzi York, a woman trapped in a nightmarish marriage, and her boss, Ritchie Calhoun, who intervenes to save her with tragic results.
The plot is a bit chaotic at times but for all that has a mature theme of heavy and dark subjects not often tackled in what is considered to be "fluffy" romances but Charlotte Lamb was an author that often challenged this perception. This could have been better presented as a longer novel and so less rushed towards the end but for all that an engrossing read.
June 11, 2015
Bayıldım ters köşeye yatıran bir roman oldu benim için
September 11, 2020
Was definitely a very intense read.It started off quite well..but took acompletely 360 turn in the first half.Felt as if the author was bringing in a compltely new plot altogether.Couldn't beleive how selfish the heroine was as she completely wrecked the hero's life. The whole murder,court scene and sentence could hv been done away with.the author could hv easily killed the OM in an accident or whatever and spared both the hero and heroine so much of anguish and pain. the poor poor hero he didn't deserve what he got for loving someone.So much of unnecessary pain and waste of their lives just killed it for me! It would hv been a 5 star had the author stick to her original plot of an office romance with a little bit of guilt thrown in on heroine's side for falling in love with her boss while still married to her husband.
October 22, 2019
My basic reaction to every plot twist in this book is "What?"
November 5, 2019
Another re-read of one of my favourite early Mills & Boon reads. Absolutely exceptional.
May 3, 2021
One of my favourites. It is unique and passionate.
August 6, 2021
Not interested in this family love triangle
March 15, 2022
I have no patience for stupid heroines and this one needed a lobotomy.
June 30, 2022
Absolutely compelling story. It is not a fun read and I found the ending a little off, but written so well.
July 19, 2022
One of the best of CL :D :D
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