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Except My Love
When Erica Murril married her boss she was under no illusions as to the nature ofthe marriage. She knew that for Oliver Leyne it was merely one of convenience,that he would never have considered her had he not lost the woman he really loved. All the same, Erica did love him, and she couldn't help hoping that with time and patience her marriage might turn into something deeper and more satisfying than a business arrangement. But Erica had managed to conceal from Oliver the fact that just before the wedding his old love had come back and tried to get in touch with him. Would he ever forgive her if he discovered how she had deceived him?
Paperback
First published January 1, 1937
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About the author
Mary Burchell
162 books84 followersIda Cook was born on 1904 at 37 Croft Avenue, Sunderland, England. With her eldest sister Mary Louise Cook (1901), she attending the Duchess' School in Alnwick. Later the sisters took civil service jobs in London, and developed a passionate interest in opera. The sisters helped 29 jews to escape from the Nazis, funded mainly by Ida's writing. In 1965, the Cook sisters were honored as Righteous Gentiles by the Yad Vashem Martyrs and Heroes Remembrance Authority in Israel.
As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She helped to found the Romantic Novelists' Association, and was its president from 1966 to her death on December 22, 1986.
As Mary Burchell, she published more than 125 romance novels by Mills & Boon since 1936. She also wrote some western novels as James Keene in collaboration with the author Will Cook (aka Frank Peace). In 1950, Ida Cook wrote her autobiography: "We followed our stars". She helped to found the Romantic Novelists' Association, and was its president from 1966 to her death on December 22, 1986.
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June 14, 2024
Bear in mind that this book was written in 1937.
This book cover is from a 1960's republication.
Erica was a pretty, mature, 21 year old. She was working in the typing pool of a big firm.
One day the big boss's son, Oliver, asked her to be his private secretary as, as he put it, he'd noticed that she was quick, conscientious, intelligent and faithful.
The other girls warned her that Mr Oliver got a temper.
While working closely with Oliver, Erica fell in love with him, the quiet, protective love of someone who knew and understood him.
A romantic love with almost motherly undertones.
Some male employees had shown interest in her, but she was a one-man girl, even if that man had no idea of her feelings.
He would always wear a glove on his right hand due to a mysterious injury, and he was abnormally sensitive and annoyed if anyone noticed it.
One day Erica overheard an argument between Oliver and his father.
His father wanted him to get married and produce progeny.
Oliver disagreed and his father mentioned a "Dreda" that Oliver still kept having romantic feelings for.
His father told him to forget her,
Later on, Oliver having known that Erica must have heard the argument, asked her opinion on the matter.
Reluctantly she told him that she always thought he was a lonely person, loneliness of spirit, and that he would probably be a great deal happier married.
After that conversation, she'd noticed that his eyes were following her at every encounter.
Erica thought she was a fool to urge him to get married. That would make her miserable.
But, she thought, if you really loved a man, you wanted his happiness even at the expense of your own.
Not long after that, Oliver told Erica that there was one woman that he had lived for a year now that she never irritated nor worried him. One who understood his unpleasant nature and even found him amusing.
He asked Erica to marry him. He said he needed her companionship.
Erica asked him about Dreda. He said they were engaged and then something awful happened and very cruelly and callously, she left him.
But he couldn't hate her for it, he supposed that there are some things that a sensitive woman could not bear.
He told Erica: "You understand l'm offering you everything l have, except my love. That l cannot and l will not give again to any woman ."
"I understand, and l accept on those terms."
Now why would a girl accept such an unromantic proposition?
I already know that Erica loved him and l think she had hoped that he would come to love her back, in time.
Her friend and roomate Carol, told her "If you must be a doormat, darling, at least don't put 'please kick me' on it.
Just three days after the engagement, Oliver's father died and when the will was read, even Oliver himself was rather astonished at the extent of his father's fortune.
The newspapers wrote about the vast fortune Oliver inherited. Note that fact as it's the reason for what had happened next.
One day Erica opened a letter. It was from Dreda.
Panic stricken and furious, Erica crumpled it up.
That woman was poison to Oliver.
Erica had to protect him. Dreda would only bring him misery.
But then her sense of values took over just as Oliver came in the room.
At some point he took the crumpled paper from the table and threw it in the fire, without knowing what it really was.
They got married and right before they were to depart for their honeymoon, Dreda made an appearance. She was stunning.
She seemed shocked to know that Oliver and Erica were married, but she quickly recovered.
She complained that Oliver never replied to her letter and he, puzzled, stated that he never received one.
On their honeymoon Oliver seemed such a stranger and Erica was very unhappy.
The marriage remained unconsummated.
As the days slipped by they started to enjoy themselves and Erica wondered if that pleasant, unemotional companionship between them was to last for ever.
One night he accidentally touched her with his gloved hand and he quickly apologised.
She told him she did not mind at all.
He said any woman would hate it, it was mutilated and horrible.
She told him that the state of his hand couldn't affect her liking for him.
He said that some years ago, he was an aspiring concert pianist. He had the accident and that brought an end to his career.
That night Oliver and Erica made love for the first time.
Back home from the honeymoon, their relationship was getting better and better, until one day Oliver found the envelope of Dreda's letter.
The letter he threw in the fire.
He was furious. He called Erica a little cheat, a jealous and deceitful woman.
He told her that he'd been waiting for that letter for years.
Erica reminded him that they were engaged at the time the letter arrived.
"Engaged to you? That farce!"
He told her that after some time goes by, he would divorce her.
From that day forward, they became strangers.
Erica began to look pale and wan.
Oliver received another letter from Dreda. She invited him to her concert in London.
Erica asked him not to go. She told him she loved him.
He told her that he did not want it, have no use for it.
Erica visited Dreda. She asked her to leave Oliver alone in future.
Dreda replied that it was not her fault that Oliver loved her.
In the middle of that conversation Oliver came in.
Furious to find Erica there, he took her home to have a go at her, but Erica gave it to him.
Bra-vo Erica!
The day of his scheduled departure to London, he told Erica he was sorry for making her unhappy but he was not prepared to give up this visit to London, just because she did not agree.
At the door Erica asked him to kiss her and he did.
After he left, Erica wrote him this letter:
"Dear Oliver, l know it must seem melodramatic and stupid for me to run away but l haven't the courage to face any more discussions.
There isn't any point in our going on together any longer.
For me it's wretched and degrading and l don't think it can be much better for you.
The fact is that the whole idea of our marriage was wrong and there is nothing to do but say goodbye before we have even forgotten that we had some happy weeks together.
I am sorry about Dreda's letter.
I honestly thought that it would mean more misery than happiness to you if she came back into your life.
If you don't want to remember me as your wife, please remember me occasionally as the secretary whom you once made very happy by telling her that she was above all, faithful.
I won't send you my love, for l know you don't want it.
But because you cannot resent this from anyone, God bless you. Erica."
And with that, she left.
The story does not end here.
The late British author Mary Burchell was a brilliant writer, and even if this is not a great romance, far from it, as a story is fascinating and very well written.
This book cover is from a 1960's republication.
Erica was a pretty, mature, 21 year old. She was working in the typing pool of a big firm.
One day the big boss's son, Oliver, asked her to be his private secretary as, as he put it, he'd noticed that she was quick, conscientious, intelligent and faithful.
The other girls warned her that Mr Oliver got a temper.
While working closely with Oliver, Erica fell in love with him, the quiet, protective love of someone who knew and understood him.
A romantic love with almost motherly undertones.
Some male employees had shown interest in her, but she was a one-man girl, even if that man had no idea of her feelings.
He would always wear a glove on his right hand due to a mysterious injury, and he was abnormally sensitive and annoyed if anyone noticed it.
One day Erica overheard an argument between Oliver and his father.
His father wanted him to get married and produce progeny.
Oliver disagreed and his father mentioned a "Dreda" that Oliver still kept having romantic feelings for.
His father told him to forget her,
Later on, Oliver having known that Erica must have heard the argument, asked her opinion on the matter.
Reluctantly she told him that she always thought he was a lonely person, loneliness of spirit, and that he would probably be a great deal happier married.
After that conversation, she'd noticed that his eyes were following her at every encounter.
Erica thought she was a fool to urge him to get married. That would make her miserable.
But, she thought, if you really loved a man, you wanted his happiness even at the expense of your own.
Not long after that, Oliver told Erica that there was one woman that he had lived for a year now that she never irritated nor worried him. One who understood his unpleasant nature and even found him amusing.
He asked Erica to marry him. He said he needed her companionship.
Erica asked him about Dreda. He said they were engaged and then something awful happened and very cruelly and callously, she left him.
But he couldn't hate her for it, he supposed that there are some things that a sensitive woman could not bear.
He told Erica: "You understand l'm offering you everything l have, except my love. That l cannot and l will not give again to any woman ."
"I understand, and l accept on those terms."
Now why would a girl accept such an unromantic proposition?
I already know that Erica loved him and l think she had hoped that he would come to love her back, in time.
Her friend and roomate Carol, told her "If you must be a doormat, darling, at least don't put 'please kick me' on it.
Just three days after the engagement, Oliver's father died and when the will was read, even Oliver himself was rather astonished at the extent of his father's fortune.
The newspapers wrote about the vast fortune Oliver inherited. Note that fact as it's the reason for what had happened next.
One day Erica opened a letter. It was from Dreda.
Panic stricken and furious, Erica crumpled it up.
That woman was poison to Oliver.
Erica had to protect him. Dreda would only bring him misery.
But then her sense of values took over just as Oliver came in the room.
At some point he took the crumpled paper from the table and threw it in the fire, without knowing what it really was.
They got married and right before they were to depart for their honeymoon, Dreda made an appearance. She was stunning.
She seemed shocked to know that Oliver and Erica were married, but she quickly recovered.
She complained that Oliver never replied to her letter and he, puzzled, stated that he never received one.
On their honeymoon Oliver seemed such a stranger and Erica was very unhappy.
The marriage remained unconsummated.
As the days slipped by they started to enjoy themselves and Erica wondered if that pleasant, unemotional companionship between them was to last for ever.
One night he accidentally touched her with his gloved hand and he quickly apologised.
She told him she did not mind at all.
He said any woman would hate it, it was mutilated and horrible.
She told him that the state of his hand couldn't affect her liking for him.
He said that some years ago, he was an aspiring concert pianist. He had the accident and that brought an end to his career.
That night Oliver and Erica made love for the first time.
Back home from the honeymoon, their relationship was getting better and better, until one day Oliver found the envelope of Dreda's letter.
The letter he threw in the fire.
He was furious. He called Erica a little cheat, a jealous and deceitful woman.
He told her that he'd been waiting for that letter for years.
Erica reminded him that they were engaged at the time the letter arrived.
"Engaged to you? That farce!"
He told her that after some time goes by, he would divorce her.
From that day forward, they became strangers.
Erica began to look pale and wan.
Oliver received another letter from Dreda. She invited him to her concert in London.
Erica asked him not to go. She told him she loved him.
He told her that he did not want it, have no use for it.
Erica visited Dreda. She asked her to leave Oliver alone in future.
Dreda replied that it was not her fault that Oliver loved her.
In the middle of that conversation Oliver came in.
Furious to find Erica there, he took her home to have a go at her, but Erica gave it to him.
Bra-vo Erica!
The day of his scheduled departure to London, he told Erica he was sorry for making her unhappy but he was not prepared to give up this visit to London, just because she did not agree.
At the door Erica asked him to kiss her and he did.
After he left, Erica wrote him this letter:
"Dear Oliver, l know it must seem melodramatic and stupid for me to run away but l haven't the courage to face any more discussions.
There isn't any point in our going on together any longer.
For me it's wretched and degrading and l don't think it can be much better for you.
The fact is that the whole idea of our marriage was wrong and there is nothing to do but say goodbye before we have even forgotten that we had some happy weeks together.
I am sorry about Dreda's letter.
I honestly thought that it would mean more misery than happiness to you if she came back into your life.
If you don't want to remember me as your wife, please remember me occasionally as the secretary whom you once made very happy by telling her that she was above all, faithful.
I won't send you my love, for l know you don't want it.
But because you cannot resent this from anyone, God bless you. Erica."
And with that, she left.
The story does not end here.
The late British author Mary Burchell was a brilliant writer, and even if this is not a great romance, far from it, as a story is fascinating and very well written.
August 3, 2022
Wow..This was different. The story felt rather dated. That actually helped me to feel some compassion for the situation. I cut the characters some slack given that people had different moral standards back in the 30's. Otherwise, I think this would have been a one star.
Issues I had with the book...in order of priority.
1) The hero, was an absolute idiot and a sniveling coward...There was absolutely nothing sexy about him. At one point, I wanted to scream "Oliver, just grow up and put on your big boy pants" People lose their whole hands, feet, arms, eyes. Please, just stop whining over two lost fingers. To top it off, he wasn't very smart when he missed the fact that his lovely Deidra only decided to show up AFTER his Father died and left him beaucoup $$$$. How convenient was that? I also detested that he decided to divorce his wife over one measly letter from Deidra. For heaven's sake Oliver, your wife, isn't a pair of shoes you can return to Macy's when you find another pair you like better. What a shallow creep.
2) The heroine was beyond redemption. Crying for someone as unworthy as Oliver, was pitiful. Even her poor friend, Carol, couldn't figure out how she could waste one nanosecond on the jerk. She tries to get tough by going to see Deidra to demand that she stop chasing her husband. However, she even blows that when Oliver comes in and chastises her. She should have just handed him over with no regrets. Frankly, I thought Deidra and Oliver deserved one another.
3) The secret baby plot....just weakened the whole HEA. I could't buy into his love for her. It felt more like he took the mother so he could get the child..
4) There was absolutely no groveling from the hero. Since it was clear that he could not make a relationship work with Deidra, he just settled for the heroine. But, why not?....If you can have someone that will take the nasty crap you dish out every day and still idolize you, that's a good deal.
Issues I had with the book...in order of priority.
1) The hero, was an absolute idiot and a sniveling coward...There was absolutely nothing sexy about him. At one point, I wanted to scream "Oliver, just grow up and put on your big boy pants" People lose their whole hands, feet, arms, eyes. Please, just stop whining over two lost fingers. To top it off, he wasn't very smart when he missed the fact that his lovely Deidra only decided to show up AFTER his Father died and left him beaucoup $$$$. How convenient was that? I also detested that he decided to divorce his wife over one measly letter from Deidra. For heaven's sake Oliver, your wife, isn't a pair of shoes you can return to Macy's when you find another pair you like better. What a shallow creep.
2) The heroine was beyond redemption. Crying for someone as unworthy as Oliver, was pitiful. Even her poor friend, Carol, couldn't figure out how she could waste one nanosecond on the jerk. She tries to get tough by going to see Deidra to demand that she stop chasing her husband. However, she even blows that when Oliver comes in and chastises her. She should have just handed him over with no regrets. Frankly, I thought Deidra and Oliver deserved one another.
3) The secret baby plot....just weakened the whole HEA. I could't buy into his love for her. It felt more like he took the mother so he could get the child..
4) There was absolutely no groveling from the hero. Since it was clear that he could not make a relationship work with Deidra, he just settled for the heroine. But, why not?....If you can have someone that will take the nasty crap you dish out every day and still idolize you, that's a good deal.
August 25, 2012
Shew! This one put me through the wringer. It was just so SAD at times and the H made me see red in the worst way. Some of the things he said and did to the h was just awful. If she had dumped him and never looked back ever, I could've understood and he would've deserved it.
But I also felt for the H due to his injury and how insecure and human it made him (barely human, mind you). I wonder if this was real life, if that wasn't part of why he felt about the OW the way he did. He mixed in his feelings for the loss of her with those of his career and future. Ok, enough psychoanalyzing.
There were some things that happened that I didn't catch at first because I guess talking about sex was a big no-no when this was first written, apparently. If I had realized they had consummated their marriage, it would have been worse...and it was already pretty bad. So if you're not sure, they did it!, and then he ended up saying and doing what he did. Gah!
This is a queen mother of angsty-OW stories. If you love the heartache, but need your victim to finally make a stand and the H to suffer and wallow in his just deserts, then you should enjoy this one.
But I also felt for the H due to his injury and how insecure and human it made him (barely human, mind you). I wonder if this was real life, if that wasn't part of why he felt about the OW the way he did. He mixed in his feelings for the loss of her with those of his career and future. Ok, enough psychoanalyzing.
There were some things that happened that I didn't catch at first because I guess talking about sex was a big no-no when this was first written, apparently. If I had realized they had consummated their marriage, it would have been worse...and it was already pretty bad. So if you're not sure, they did it!, and then he ended up saying and doing what he did. Gah!
This is a queen mother of angsty-OW stories. If you love the heartache, but need your victim to finally make a stand and the H to suffer and wallow in his just deserts, then you should enjoy this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2021
Sometimes, like just now, I think I should shelve this one as "idiot H". Then, I remember the fact that all heroes are idiots. But this one, mighty Oliver, was the king, no no, God of the idiots!
June 19, 2019
This book was a dream. I absolutely loved it. The angst was delicious, the romance touching, and the writing excellent. I loved the MCs and especially the friends Carol and Colin. And I loved how Erica seemed to have a soul-deep understanding of Oliver and what he needed. Even when she knew she was hurting herself and him, she did the right thing. I loved that she was mature and pragmatic in her reactions because the plot had enough going on without needing to add silly dramatics to the mix. Modern writers should take a lesson from Mary Burchell on how to write a romance.
This was first published in 1937 so I'm sure I gave it more latitude due to that. I dunno, I just really liked the tone of this book. I liked how the h had quiet dignity, even though her problems were of her own making. I liked how the H was a bit wayward and lost (he's described as defenseless and Erica and I found that accurate) I liked the way that Erica's friends rallied around her to help and support her.
Safety
A note about my copy from Open Library, there were several formatting errors and entire paragraphs were messed up. It's worse near the beginning but be warned of you are borrowing it.
This was first published in 1937 so I'm sure I gave it more latitude due to that. I dunno, I just really liked the tone of this book. I liked how the h had quiet dignity, even though her problems were of her own making. I liked how the H was a bit wayward and lost (he's described as defenseless and Erica and I found that accurate) I liked the way that Erica's friends rallied around her to help and support her.
Safety
A note about my copy from Open Library, there were several formatting errors and entire paragraphs were messed up. It's worse near the beginning but be warned of you are borrowing it.
January 12, 2012
4.5 stars
I could really feel for Erica. I thought that despite her doormat tendencies early on, she made a very likeable heroine. I totally sympathized with her unrequited love for Oliver. Her inner musings added depth and angst to the story.
Oliver faired a bit lower on the likeability scale. Perhaps if we had anything from his point of view, it might have given his character more depth of understanding. The outward clues to his feelings were pretty telling, though.
This would have been a 5 star book for me, but lost that ½ star due to something missing with regard to Oliver. The ending just fell a bit flat for me.
Although originally published in the 1930s, there were just a few unobtrusive clues indicating the date of the book….the clothing references, the lack of technology, the accommodations for the single girl, lack of modern medical solutions for Oliver, OSHA where were you?, etc. However, I found they did not distract at all from the flow of the story.
A lovely book from a favorite author.
I could really feel for Erica. I thought that despite her doormat tendencies early on, she made a very likeable heroine. I totally sympathized with her unrequited love for Oliver. Her inner musings added depth and angst to the story.
Oliver faired a bit lower on the likeability scale. Perhaps if we had anything from his point of view, it might have given his character more depth of understanding. The outward clues to his feelings were pretty telling, though.
This would have been a 5 star book for me, but lost that ½ star due to something missing with regard to Oliver. The ending just fell a bit flat for me.
Although originally published in the 1930s, there were just a few unobtrusive clues indicating the date of the book….the clothing references, the lack of technology, the accommodations for the single girl, lack of modern medical solutions for Oliver, OSHA where were you?, etc. However, I found they did not distract at all from the flow of the story.
A lovely book from a favorite author.
May 12, 2012
Sorry, I just did not like the H or h. She's another uber-doormat. I want spunk! I'd rather she burned the letter herself and brazened it out, than "allowing" him to burn it and then wrestling with her conscience for pages. Gah! I perked up when she went to see the OW, ok that took guts but alas, I did not get the Dynastyesque hair-pulling fight I wanted. Still, I liked that scene when the H shows up - no man comes across well in those circumstances, does he? I had an absurd picture in my mind of Prince Charles wringing his hands and stuttering pompously as Diana and the rottweiler trade barbs over him. The h improved after that, blowing up at the H and eventually leaving him, but it was a little too late for me.
He's another jerk hero who offers marriage for money instead of love, and then disses the h for marrying him for money. Illogical much? She-bitch who left him when he got injured years ago now wags her tail at him and off he goes like a hound, loving wife be damned. I'm afraid that he really did sleep with the rottweiler, but even if he didn't he gets no points from me. As the h says "There are other ways of being unfaithful besides spending the night with a woman".
Speaking of the OW, she was satisfactorily nasty and selfish, and it's too bad really that she and H didn't end up together so she could make him as miserable as he deserved.
I liked the friend Carol. At least she had spunk. And some good lines. Why couldn't we have HER for the heroine?
Heroine: "it's just the fact of my being there which is forcing him into doing horrid, unhappy things which aren't really natural to him."
Carol:"Well, darling, I'm not really following the logic of this"
You and me both, sister!
There are some nice 30's touches - a rug for the car, going to the corner phone booth, the real fur coat (better not let PETA read this!)
The plot was ok, the writing was smooth, but I didn't like the pacing much. The hand thing I saw coming a mile off and it was resolved by page 70 or so. I guess I expected more of a Hitchcockian creeping dread about when and how the H would find out about the letter, but it came too early also and was kinda anti-climactic to me. The foreshadowing about the baby was ridiculously obvious. She's so tired! She feels sickly! She's so tired! We get it already, duh. There was some good drama and angst after that but I couldn't care enough because I just didn't like the H. And babydrama is just not my thang. The ending was unsatisfactory because he didn't grovel enough or even say ILY.
Favorite line:
"It was to ask her to stop trying to steal my husband— just as any woman would to to any man-catching bitch and try to to spike her guns."
Not sure I'll read MB again unless someone tells me there's a spunky h :-)
He's another jerk hero who offers marriage for money instead of love, and then disses the h for marrying him for money. Illogical much? She-bitch who left him when he got injured years ago now wags her tail at him and off he goes like a hound, loving wife be damned. I'm afraid that he really did sleep with the rottweiler, but even if he didn't he gets no points from me. As the h says "There are other ways of being unfaithful besides spending the night with a woman".
Speaking of the OW, she was satisfactorily nasty and selfish, and it's too bad really that she and H didn't end up together so she could make him as miserable as he deserved.
I liked the friend Carol. At least she had spunk. And some good lines. Why couldn't we have HER for the heroine?
Heroine: "it's just the fact of my being there which is forcing him into doing horrid, unhappy things which aren't really natural to him."
Carol:"Well, darling, I'm not really following the logic of this"
You and me both, sister!
There are some nice 30's touches - a rug for the car, going to the corner phone booth, the real fur coat (better not let PETA read this!)
The plot was ok, the writing was smooth, but I didn't like the pacing much. The hand thing I saw coming a mile off and it was resolved by page 70 or so. I guess I expected more of a Hitchcockian creeping dread about when and how the H would find out about the letter, but it came too early also and was kinda anti-climactic to me. The foreshadowing about the baby was ridiculously obvious. She's so tired! She feels sickly! She's so tired! We get it already, duh. There was some good drama and angst after that but I couldn't care enough because I just didn't like the H. And babydrama is just not my thang. The ending was unsatisfactory because he didn't grovel enough or even say ILY.
Favorite line:
"It was to ask her to stop trying to steal my husband— just as any woman would to to any man-catching bitch and try to to spike her guns."
Not sure I'll read MB again unless someone tells me there's a spunky h :-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2021
I am coming back to give this book five stars even though the petulant H will never be worthy. The sweet, patient, unassuming h loves him and finally gets what she wants, and in true Burchell wayward H style, he will always be humbly grateful he has won back the woman he never deserved.
Speaking of that, the H really behaves wretchedly as he pines after the selfish OW. You will hate him and want to shake the h until she comes to her senses, but unfortunately she has a terminal case for the undeserving H.
However, her life after the H is what makes this book so brilliant. She still yearns for the H, but she sets about her life with forced good cheer, and she gets a lovely reward. The way Burchell writes about this is observant and sweet, making us care just as much as the h.
Now, here is why this book should be read by every reader of romances: Carol. Carol is the best friend I have ever seen in one of these books. She is fiercely loyal to the h and steps up for her in the best ways imaginable. She isn't a rich fairy godmother. She doesn't remotely pimp the h out to anyone. She just is there, repeatedly, when needed. She hates the H in an appropriate way -- she dismisses him as the selfish, pompous fool he is, thus shutting down any of the h's lingering claims that he really wasn't that bad (he was). She savors the H's comeuppance, saying, "I'd have given a great deal to see his face when the worm turned and he found it was a boa-constrictor, after all."
She is a marvel of casual, humorous cynicism masking ferocious loyalty. She gives great, wordly-wise advice to the sometimes- addled h. Carol deserves all good things, and she gets them, too. Five stars for Carol.
Speaking of that, the H really behaves wretchedly as he pines after the selfish OW. You will hate him and want to shake the h until she comes to her senses, but unfortunately she has a terminal case for the undeserving H.
However, her life after the H is what makes this book so brilliant. She still yearns for the H, but she sets about her life with forced good cheer, and she gets a lovely reward. The way Burchell writes about this is observant and sweet, making us care just as much as the h.
Now, here is why this book should be read by every reader of romances: Carol. Carol is the best friend I have ever seen in one of these books. She is fiercely loyal to the h and steps up for her in the best ways imaginable. She isn't a rich fairy godmother. She doesn't remotely pimp the h out to anyone. She just is there, repeatedly, when needed. She hates the H in an appropriate way -- she dismisses him as the selfish, pompous fool he is, thus shutting down any of the h's lingering claims that he really wasn't that bad (he was). She savors the H's comeuppance, saying, "I'd have given a great deal to see his face when the worm turned and he found it was a boa-constrictor, after all."
She is a marvel of casual, humorous cynicism masking ferocious loyalty. She gives great, wordly-wise advice to the sometimes- addled h. Carol deserves all good things, and she gets them, too. Five stars for Carol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2022
The very sad reality of how our mothers and grandmothers settled and were happy to find a man who at least wouldn’t beat them and would provide for them financially. Even if this meant they had to marry a complete idiot, and unfaithful too…
Take care of a husband has really another meaning here… as in the nurse and patient relationship…
How sad…
Take care of a husband has really another meaning here… as in the nurse and patient relationship…
How sad…
April 2, 2012
******POSSIBLE SPOILERS******
An hp made me cry! This was a very emotional read which I enjoyed reading. I felt so hurt on the heroine's behalf. The hero treated her abominably and her love for him was so one sided. talk about unrequited love! Talk about me wanting to kill the OW that the hero was so foolishly in love with! This was a far cry from a fairy tale romance, but it was so engrossing. You will want to do physical damage to this beta male hero for being led on a string like a puppy dog by the OW. He wasn't getting it through his thick skull how lucky he was to have gotten away from the evil witch by marrying a woman that loved him unconditionally.
He certainly didn't do enough groveling in my opinion.
I wanted him to suffer much more for all the crap he put the heroine through. Did anyone else notice that he did not say he loved the heroine in the end?? Maybe it's because he really doesn't love her. Why did it have to take the OW embarrassing him for him to finally see that she was no good? I wanted him to get over the OW from seeing how wonderful the heroine was in contrast to that b@#$%^&! I wanted him to put himself out out more for Erica. He should have chased her, go looking for her, and do anything in his power to get her back after she left instead of running around town with the evil witch. Hey, maybe if he did do that I wouldn't have enjoyed this book so much, lol, so all I can say is that this was a darn good book that will keep you glued to the pages.
I'm struggling with giving this book 4 stars or 3.5 stars. I think I will stick to 3.5 stars because after the heroine left the hero we had no idea what was going on with him and Dreda for a very long time. I wish I could have seen his POV in this instance. I think the reader needed that to find closure in the situation between him and Dreda. The ending seemed very unsatisfying to me with the telling and not showing of what happened.
An hp made me cry! This was a very emotional read which I enjoyed reading. I felt so hurt on the heroine's behalf. The hero treated her abominably and her love for him was so one sided. talk about unrequited love! Talk about me wanting to kill the OW that the hero was so foolishly in love with! This was a far cry from a fairy tale romance, but it was so engrossing. You will want to do physical damage to this beta male hero for being led on a string like a puppy dog by the OW. He wasn't getting it through his thick skull how lucky he was to have gotten away from the evil witch by marrying a woman that loved him unconditionally.
He certainly didn't do enough groveling in my opinion.
I wanted him to suffer much more for all the crap he put the heroine through. Did anyone else notice that he did not say he loved the heroine in the end?? Maybe it's because he really doesn't love her. Why did it have to take the OW embarrassing him for him to finally see that she was no good? I wanted him to get over the OW from seeing how wonderful the heroine was in contrast to that b@#$%^&! I wanted him to put himself out out more for Erica. He should have chased her, go looking for her, and do anything in his power to get her back after she left instead of running around town with the evil witch. Hey, maybe if he did do that I wouldn't have enjoyed this book so much, lol, so all I can say is that this was a darn good book that will keep you glued to the pages.
I'm struggling with giving this book 4 stars or 3.5 stars. I think I will stick to 3.5 stars because after the heroine left the hero we had no idea what was going on with him and Dreda for a very long time. I wish I could have seen his POV in this instance. I think the reader needed that to find closure in the situation between him and Dreda. The ending seemed very unsatisfying to me with the telling and not showing of what happened.
July 27, 2016
Secret baby by a vintage author! Oh how times have changed and samed.
Erica is secretary to Oliver, who runs a steel works company. She's loved him for two years, and she finally gets a chance to make a move when Oliver's cranky dad becomes more insistent that he marry.
He doesn't want to, because he doesn't like doing anything someone tells him to. Oh you totally should, Erica tells him. I think you're lonely.
Much struck, Oliver goes away and has a little ponder and returns the next day with a marriage proposal.
At first, I thought Erica's whole rationale for loving Oliver was cute. She thought he was a big grumpy cuddle bear and was confident she could bring him around to proper human decency if given half the chance. She wasn't expecting he'd ever love her half as much as she loved him, but was confident she could make it all work. She was very sweet and very optimistic.
I was prepared to go along with Oliver as a wounded soul. He'd been in an industrial accident and lost two fingers from his right hand. He’s really sensitive about it, and I loved the way it was used in the interactions between Erica and Oliver, and Oliver and the other woman.
Oliver's background is that he wanted to be a concert pianist but had reluctantly given his father two years of his time in the family business. Then the accident happened, his dream was shattered and he lost the love of his life.
Beautiful redhead Dreda (perfect name), also a professional pianist, rejected Oliver after the accident. He's been waiting seven long years for her to return.
I could never quite work out Oliver's age. I'd placed him at 30 because I assumed he'd finished some relevant education at around 21, was injured at 23 and then had his 7 years in lonely hell. But 30 is really young for a vintage hero and he's going grey by the end. I've noticed in my not very vast experience with Mary Burchell and Sara Seale that both consider grey, silver or white hair a powerfully sexy quality in a hero. I'm not sold, but sure I'll keep an open mind about any fetish.
What finally struck him out for me, though, is that he's bad beta. He's a beta between 2 alpha ladies and he's really bad at it. He turns into a miserable whiny baby who wouldn’t do anything for himself. He was such a wet blanket and I couldn't stand him.
The major conflict point in this book is that the letter from Dreda that Oliver has anticipated for 7 years finally arrives and Erica succumbs to temptation and doesn't own that it's happened. She’s already had a slightly nervous turn, because Oliver’s dad dies, which takes away any immediate urgency to marry if the point was to please the dad. Oliver assures Erica that he still wants to marry her, because Oliver believes that he makes his own decisions. He’s wrong.
Erica and Oliver marry and then Dreda turns up right after and is all hi did you get my letter? Oliver’s all ‘no, what was it about, btw meet my wife.’ There’s a heavy implication that Dreda’s made contact because Oliver’s dad’s death was published in the papers, with plenty of detail about how rich Oliver is right now. Anyway, doom is sort of averted, and off the lovers go on their honeymoon.
Where they have sex! In Verona! It’s raunchy too, and Erica is not a virgin and Oliver is totally fine with that.
So that doesn’t happen on the page, it’s all fade to black. But fade to black means I can insert whatever I want into their sexy times, and I choose to insert non-virgin Erica teaching Oliver how to pleasure a woman. If you, in reading this book, choose to insert some kinky wot-wot, I invite you to do so. Not that you need anyone’s permission. Fight the patriarchy! Down with virginity as the default!
Anyway, there is sexy time once more, before the deceit around the letter is revealed, and Oliver has an attack of the melodrama. Betrayal, angst, they’re through! At some decent interval, there will be a divorce. Erica can continue to be his secretary and live in his house and spend his money. But Oliver does not believe that she loves him. He’ll never love her; he’ll only ever love Dreda. And there will be no snuggles, ever again!
Poor Erica. But she’s alpha, and when she discovers Oliver is planning to go to London for a dirty weekend of seeing Dreda play piano, she goes to see Dreda to ask that she leave Oliver the hell alone. She says her piece, works out that Dreda is in fact the psychopath Erica had suspected her of being, and it’s all made a 1000 times worse when Oliver turns up. ‘Erica what are you doing here?’ Oliver gasps.
See, he just emasculates himself. He does himself no favours by stamping his foot and insisting that he’s the man and gets to do whatever he wants, and as the man if he wants to go to London and watch piano, he will.
Erica however, has had quite enough. She also, and this is totally awesome, has an incredible BFF in Carol. Carol has never been a great fan of Oliver and does everything you could possibly wish a BFF would do when you turn up sobbing at her door because your marriage is over. Carol is NOT going to meddle and aid Oliver because her widdle pal doesn’t know her own mind, and she’s certain that Erica and Oliver are made for each other.
Oh no, Carol and Erica head off to London, no forwarding address, and set themselves up as single ladies with jobs and a sexy bachelorette pad. I couldn’t get over how awesome Carol was. She goes back to their home town to sort out moving their furniture. When Carol gets back Erica is all ‘so did you see Oliver.’ Carol did. ‘And did he ask about me?’ Oh yes, Carol says, and I lied straight to his face and told him I knew nothing. ‘But, but,’ Erica dribbles, ‘I mean he looked sad, right? You didn’t even give him a hint about me?’ Carol her looks her right in the eye and says ‘you know what you can do if you want to find out what Oliver’s thinking? Pick up the damn phone and give him a call.’
Carol is perfect.
Erica is pregnant. The amount of matter-of-fact support she gets as a single mother estranged from her husband, and her level of confidence that she and Carol can manage is lovely. It seems so progressive, particularly when you read 21st century romances. This part of the book drags, and veers into a sub-plot of finding Carol a nice man (which is sweet), but it is cute to watch them together, raising Erica’s son.
The book is far too long, with another set of characters thrown in whose star-crossed romance probably didn’t need as much page time as it received. Oliver and Erica’s reunion is a bit implausible, and I never really got over my contempt for Oliver. To be fair, he doesn’t cheat. Analytically, it’s interesting to see a hero without agency, but my preference isn’t a straight gender swap, I want both characters to make an effort to be interesting.
Erica is secretary to Oliver, who runs a steel works company. She's loved him for two years, and she finally gets a chance to make a move when Oliver's cranky dad becomes more insistent that he marry.
He doesn't want to, because he doesn't like doing anything someone tells him to. Oh you totally should, Erica tells him. I think you're lonely.
Much struck, Oliver goes away and has a little ponder and returns the next day with a marriage proposal.
At first, I thought Erica's whole rationale for loving Oliver was cute. She thought he was a big grumpy cuddle bear and was confident she could bring him around to proper human decency if given half the chance. She wasn't expecting he'd ever love her half as much as she loved him, but was confident she could make it all work. She was very sweet and very optimistic.
I was prepared to go along with Oliver as a wounded soul. He'd been in an industrial accident and lost two fingers from his right hand. He’s really sensitive about it, and I loved the way it was used in the interactions between Erica and Oliver, and Oliver and the other woman.
Oliver's background is that he wanted to be a concert pianist but had reluctantly given his father two years of his time in the family business. Then the accident happened, his dream was shattered and he lost the love of his life.
Beautiful redhead Dreda (perfect name), also a professional pianist, rejected Oliver after the accident. He's been waiting seven long years for her to return.
I could never quite work out Oliver's age. I'd placed him at 30 because I assumed he'd finished some relevant education at around 21, was injured at 23 and then had his 7 years in lonely hell. But 30 is really young for a vintage hero and he's going grey by the end. I've noticed in my not very vast experience with Mary Burchell and Sara Seale that both consider grey, silver or white hair a powerfully sexy quality in a hero. I'm not sold, but sure I'll keep an open mind about any fetish.
What finally struck him out for me, though, is that he's bad beta. He's a beta between 2 alpha ladies and he's really bad at it. He turns into a miserable whiny baby who wouldn’t do anything for himself. He was such a wet blanket and I couldn't stand him.
The major conflict point in this book is that the letter from Dreda that Oliver has anticipated for 7 years finally arrives and Erica succumbs to temptation and doesn't own that it's happened. She’s already had a slightly nervous turn, because Oliver’s dad dies, which takes away any immediate urgency to marry if the point was to please the dad. Oliver assures Erica that he still wants to marry her, because Oliver believes that he makes his own decisions. He’s wrong.
Erica and Oliver marry and then Dreda turns up right after and is all hi did you get my letter? Oliver’s all ‘no, what was it about, btw meet my wife.’ There’s a heavy implication that Dreda’s made contact because Oliver’s dad’s death was published in the papers, with plenty of detail about how rich Oliver is right now. Anyway, doom is sort of averted, and off the lovers go on their honeymoon.
Where they have sex! In Verona! It’s raunchy too, and Erica is not a virgin and Oliver is totally fine with that.
So that doesn’t happen on the page, it’s all fade to black. But fade to black means I can insert whatever I want into their sexy times, and I choose to insert non-virgin Erica teaching Oliver how to pleasure a woman. If you, in reading this book, choose to insert some kinky wot-wot, I invite you to do so. Not that you need anyone’s permission. Fight the patriarchy! Down with virginity as the default!
Anyway, there is sexy time once more, before the deceit around the letter is revealed, and Oliver has an attack of the melodrama. Betrayal, angst, they’re through! At some decent interval, there will be a divorce. Erica can continue to be his secretary and live in his house and spend his money. But Oliver does not believe that she loves him. He’ll never love her; he’ll only ever love Dreda. And there will be no snuggles, ever again!
Poor Erica. But she’s alpha, and when she discovers Oliver is planning to go to London for a dirty weekend of seeing Dreda play piano, she goes to see Dreda to ask that she leave Oliver the hell alone. She says her piece, works out that Dreda is in fact the psychopath Erica had suspected her of being, and it’s all made a 1000 times worse when Oliver turns up. ‘Erica what are you doing here?’ Oliver gasps.
See, he just emasculates himself. He does himself no favours by stamping his foot and insisting that he’s the man and gets to do whatever he wants, and as the man if he wants to go to London and watch piano, he will.
Erica however, has had quite enough. She also, and this is totally awesome, has an incredible BFF in Carol. Carol has never been a great fan of Oliver and does everything you could possibly wish a BFF would do when you turn up sobbing at her door because your marriage is over. Carol is NOT going to meddle and aid Oliver because her widdle pal doesn’t know her own mind, and she’s certain that Erica and Oliver are made for each other.
Oh no, Carol and Erica head off to London, no forwarding address, and set themselves up as single ladies with jobs and a sexy bachelorette pad. I couldn’t get over how awesome Carol was. She goes back to their home town to sort out moving their furniture. When Carol gets back Erica is all ‘so did you see Oliver.’ Carol did. ‘And did he ask about me?’ Oh yes, Carol says, and I lied straight to his face and told him I knew nothing. ‘But, but,’ Erica dribbles, ‘I mean he looked sad, right? You didn’t even give him a hint about me?’ Carol her looks her right in the eye and says ‘you know what you can do if you want to find out what Oliver’s thinking? Pick up the damn phone and give him a call.’
Carol is perfect.
Erica is pregnant. The amount of matter-of-fact support she gets as a single mother estranged from her husband, and her level of confidence that she and Carol can manage is lovely. It seems so progressive, particularly when you read 21st century romances. This part of the book drags, and veers into a sub-plot of finding Carol a nice man (which is sweet), but it is cute to watch them together, raising Erica’s son.
The book is far too long, with another set of characters thrown in whose star-crossed romance probably didn’t need as much page time as it received. Oliver and Erica’s reunion is a bit implausible, and I never really got over my contempt for Oliver. To be fair, he doesn’t cheat. Analytically, it’s interesting to see a hero without agency, but my preference isn’t a straight gender swap, I want both characters to make an effort to be interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2016
One of the best books that I've read EVER! The emotions, highs and lows, the freely given love, it was beautiful!
May 12, 2024
Oliver has loved Dreda (appropriately named ha ha) for many years despite her leaving him when he could no longer play piano.
Since she left him he has taken charge of his father's business. Erica becomes his new assistant as he takes over the reigns of the business. She falls in love with him but doesn't push herself on him. She is this lovely young woman who only wants his happiness. And he's not impervious and he's lonely. So he asks her to marry him to keep him company. An MOC. He makes it clear he will never love her as another has his heart forever more.
BUT, just before the marriage, along comes a letter from Dreda. She probably read about the father's death and knows Oliver is super wealthy. Erica almost accidentally, causes the letter to disappear, knowing nothing good could come of Dreda returning. But Dreda herself shows up almost running Erica down in her flamboyant need to get to Oliver. But it's too late, Oliver has already married Erica.
The honeymoon goes well. With Erica's love Oliver is learning to enjoy life again.
Then of course the letter (sword of Damocles) causes trouble when Oliver learns it was true. He accuses Erica of all sorts and ruining his reconciliation with the love of his life.
So Erica leaves and makes sure he doesn't know where. Thank goodness for her friend Carol who was a wonderful side character. Erica was a lovely character too and was determined to make the most of her life with or without Oliver... even when she finds she is pregnant.
The separation was a couple years, mostly because Oliver didn't know where to find her.
When he does find her he's subdued. He doesn't berate her for not telling him of his child. He's wallowing in remorse and yet he won't speak his mind. There's a misunderstanding that delays the HEA but it was good because it taught him some more humility. And he doesn't shirk his blame. Erica forgives him right away but doesn't take him back till the truth about Dreda is talked about. And once he spills, he grovels quite well.
safety is good.
Since she left him he has taken charge of his father's business. Erica becomes his new assistant as he takes over the reigns of the business. She falls in love with him but doesn't push herself on him. She is this lovely young woman who only wants his happiness. And he's not impervious and he's lonely. So he asks her to marry him to keep him company. An MOC. He makes it clear he will never love her as another has his heart forever more.
BUT, just before the marriage, along comes a letter from Dreda. She probably read about the father's death and knows Oliver is super wealthy. Erica almost accidentally, causes the letter to disappear, knowing nothing good could come of Dreda returning. But Dreda herself shows up almost running Erica down in her flamboyant need to get to Oliver. But it's too late, Oliver has already married Erica.
The honeymoon goes well. With Erica's love Oliver is learning to enjoy life again.
Then of course the letter (sword of Damocles) causes trouble when Oliver learns it was true. He accuses Erica of all sorts and ruining his reconciliation with the love of his life.
So Erica leaves and makes sure he doesn't know where. Thank goodness for her friend Carol who was a wonderful side character. Erica was a lovely character too and was determined to make the most of her life with or without Oliver... even when she finds she is pregnant.
The separation was a couple years, mostly because Oliver didn't know where to find her.
When he does find her he's subdued. He doesn't berate her for not telling him of his child. He's wallowing in remorse and yet he won't speak his mind. There's a misunderstanding that delays the HEA but it was good because it taught him some more humility. And he doesn't shirk his blame. Erica forgives him right away but doesn't take him back till the truth about Dreda is talked about. And once he spills, he grovels quite well.
safety is good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2012
I am conflicted between rating it as okay or good read,wanted to kick both Erica-Oliver,Oliver is one jerk whom i wanted to kick,as story progressed he realizes his mistake and comes to his senses but the reason was not good enough for me,Erica was too good and forgave easily.After the way Oliver cruelly threw her love back at her face still she fought for it and lost,i was really glad she made a life for herself.IMO Oliver had loads of grovelling to do for the things he said to his wife and way he hurted and humiliated Erica.Adored Carol very much her no nonsense attitude made her character much more adorable.Erica-Carol's friendship bond,way they were there for each other through thick and thin.The story progressed well and Erica's character grew more strong and mature which i liked but Oliver he did not grow much:(
Overall okay read for me
Ratings 3.5 stars
Overall okay read for me
Ratings 3.5 stars
February 17, 2012
I almost wanted to give this one 5 stars, for holding my interest so well. I've never read a Harlequin this old (my oldest ones were in the 70s, maybe the 60s), and the lack of sex in it made it a very different read. I didn't realize it was so dated until halfway through it, and I realized I had totally missed the first time they had sex on their honeymoon because it was such a subtle hint (he basically asks if he can stay with her because "there's such comfort where you are" and then it describes him "sleeping against" her later, and that's it -- I assumed they were just sleeping together for comfort!). It was actually really interesting to have so little sex or even discussion of physical attraction (only chaste kisses were described, and not many of them) -- part of me was dying to hear about it because otherwise they spoke to each other pretty formally most of the time and the contrast would be interesting, but on the other hand maybe what made it interesting was wondering about it rather than knowing.
But the characters are pretty well-drawn and the plot was pretty gut-wrenching and angsty. I did wish Oliver seemed more in love with her, but it was satisfying enough at the end.
But the characters are pretty well-drawn and the plot was pretty gut-wrenching and angsty. I did wish Oliver seemed more in love with her, but it was satisfying enough at the end.
January 22, 2012
5 stars
I found this book had all the things I love most. A marriage without love (or not reciprocated), a secret child and the usual bad other woman!
I think Erica was not a doormat. She stood up for her opinions, she had some courage to go and face her love rival and she was always very dignified. He was marred (in his opinion) and I think he had some self-respect problem, but the fact the woman he loved left him after a bad incident, surely didn't help. But the real doormat was him, unable to fight for the woman (and the child) he loved. Stupid man!!
And I totally love her friend who loved her so much to go to another city to help her. The women here are the real strong characters of the story.
I love this kind of stories, I hope to read more of those in the future!
I found this book had all the things I love most. A marriage without love (or not reciprocated), a secret child and the usual bad other woman!
I think Erica was not a doormat. She stood up for her opinions, she had some courage to go and face her love rival and she was always very dignified. He was marred (in his opinion) and I think he had some self-respect problem, but the fact the woman he loved left him after a bad incident, surely didn't help. But the real doormat was him, unable to fight for the woman (and the child) he loved. Stupid man!!
And I totally love her friend who loved her so much to go to another city to help her. The women here are the real strong characters of the story.
I love this kind of stories, I hope to read more of those in the future!
September 9, 2025
“I’m offering you everything I have, except - my love. That I cannot and I will not give again to any woman.”
He wasn’t besotted, he isn’t besotted and he never will be. That’s why I don’t rate it 5 stars. The h means peace and safety for him. The OW is his real love, but she has a bad character so in the end he chooses the h who is sweet and nurturing.
He wasn’t besotted, he isn’t besotted and he never will be. That’s why I don’t rate it 5 stars. The h means peace and safety for him. The OW is his real love, but she has a bad character so in the end he chooses the h who is sweet and nurturing.
November 29, 2012
I've gotten out of the habit of reading genre romances, but I've read quite a few in my life and I kept a box of them from many years ago. I'm going through them and reviewing them on goodreads.
Mary Burchell (Ida Cook) is my favorite romance author. According to Wikipedia, "Ida Cook and her sister Mary Louise Cook rescued Jews from the Nazis during the 1930s. The sisters helped 29 people escape, funded mainly by Ida's writing." Knowing this makes me enjoy her writing even more!
I've read about 50 of her books, and Except My Love, written in 1937, is my favorite. For one thing, it takes place over several years. The romance does not begin and conclude in a week as so often seems to happen in romance novels.
It is a secretary and boss romance, but given the time it was written that does not bother me in the least. The main character Erica recognizes that she is a bit of a fool over her husband but she is not a doormat. Her husband Oliver knows he too is a bit of a fool over the former fiance who dumped when he lost two fingers rescuing a man at his factory, but somehow he does have the good sense to marry Erica. They are complex characters for a genre romance, as are their two good friends Carol and Colin. Burchell packs a lot of plot into the 188 pages of the story before a sweet and satisfying ending.
If you like old-fashioned romance, I definitely recommend Mary Burchell in general and Except My Love in particular.
Mary Burchell (Ida Cook) is my favorite romance author. According to Wikipedia, "Ida Cook and her sister Mary Louise Cook rescued Jews from the Nazis during the 1930s. The sisters helped 29 people escape, funded mainly by Ida's writing." Knowing this makes me enjoy her writing even more!
I've read about 50 of her books, and Except My Love, written in 1937, is my favorite. For one thing, it takes place over several years. The romance does not begin and conclude in a week as so often seems to happen in romance novels.
It is a secretary and boss romance, but given the time it was written that does not bother me in the least. The main character Erica recognizes that she is a bit of a fool over her husband but she is not a doormat. Her husband Oliver knows he too is a bit of a fool over the former fiance who dumped when he lost two fingers rescuing a man at his factory, but somehow he does have the good sense to marry Erica. They are complex characters for a genre romance, as are their two good friends Carol and Colin. Burchell packs a lot of plot into the 188 pages of the story before a sweet and satisfying ending.
If you like old-fashioned romance, I definitely recommend Mary Burchell in general and Except My Love in particular.
September 3, 2013
Although I did not care for the male lead character AT ALL, I did feel the despair of the main female character. I did not necessarily agree with her choices and could not understand as to why she continued to strongly love her pathetic excuse of a husband... but I could see and feel the story happening. I wasn't just reading words that didn't effect me, it made me have some strong emotion and that is why I am giving this book a three star. The OW is just the way I love them to be, a real mean, conniving, selfish B****.
July 13, 2022
This was a so-so book with nothing much happening. The heroine Erica is a broad minded independent and kind hearted girl whereas hero Oliver was an undeserving character stuck in his past and mooning over a women who left him long back but still had the power to hurt him when she wanted.
Erica's friend Carol was a very supportive person who always stood with her in her tough times.An okish book
Erica's friend Carol was a very supportive person who always stood with her in her tough times.An okish book
October 30, 2018
This is a lovely and well-written book, but it is not a lovely romance. Rich businessman Oliver Leyne marries his secretary Erica in a "marriage of convenience" since he's decided she'll do as a companion to ease his loneliness. Despite the supposedly celibate arrangement he gets her (unknowingly) pregnant, and treats her so nastily she leaves and has the baby in secret.
Oliver is a pathetic, whingey, selfish, self-pitying, moody, misogynistic man who can't get over some awful woman ("Dreda") who was revulsed by his hand injury. Nor can he get over his hand injury.
Erica is a desperately desperate, subservient, pathetic limp haddock of a heroine. There is simply nothing to admire about her. At the end she even admits to loving Oliver - who has treated her like shit throughout - more than her glorious little baby.
The reconciliation is not convincing. There is no real evidence that Oliver does or has ever loved Erica. He was still madly in love with Dreda even after he consummated his marriage. When he discovers that Erica didn't tell him about a letter Dreda sent (that he accidentally used to light a cigarette, not realising it was a letter) he says:
Awful? Try the next bit:
Even after well over a year of separation, Erica is still pathetically hung up on Oliver, even naming her son (albeit nicknamed "Bunny") after him.
Really, she's the kind of wet doormat who deserves to be trodden on. And she will be. 100% certainty that Oliver will be cheating on her with Dreda in future.
The only person to admire in this book is the utterly wonderful best-friend-Carol, who supports Erica unquestioningly and loathes Oliver from start to finish. She definitely deserves happiness and will find it, with the kind and charming Colin.
So all in all, the only romance in this that one can really enjoy is the subplot between Carol and Colin.
Oliver is a pathetic, whingey, selfish, self-pitying, moody, misogynistic man who can't get over some awful woman ("Dreda") who was revulsed by his hand injury. Nor can he get over his hand injury.
Erica is a desperately desperate, subservient, pathetic limp haddock of a heroine. There is simply nothing to admire about her. At the end she even admits to loving Oliver - who has treated her like shit throughout - more than her glorious little baby.
The reconciliation is not convincing. There is no real evidence that Oliver does or has ever loved Erica. He was still madly in love with Dreda even after he consummated his marriage. When he discovers that Erica didn't tell him about a letter Dreda sent (that he accidentally used to light a cigarette, not realising it was a letter) he says:
"Do you mean to tell me you let me burn it? That you've known all this time that I destroyed the letter I'd been waiting for for years?" He held her so that she had to look at him, had to meet his cold, furious eyes.
Awful? Try the next bit:
"I could kill you—with the greatest of pleasure."
"Oliver!" She shrank back as far as his grasp would let her.
"Only you're not worth doing time for." And he almost pushed her away from him.
Even after well over a year of separation, Erica is still pathetically hung up on Oliver, even naming her son (albeit nicknamed "Bunny") after him.
Really, she's the kind of wet doormat who deserves to be trodden on. And she will be. 100% certainty that Oliver will be cheating on her with Dreda in future.
The only person to admire in this book is the utterly wonderful best-friend-Carol, who supports Erica unquestioningly and loathes Oliver from start to finish. She definitely deserves happiness and will find it, with the kind and charming Colin.
So all in all, the only romance in this that one can really enjoy is the subplot between Carol and Colin.
June 1, 2018
first of all, it's poorly written, but nevertheless it's a good story that makes me shed a little tears.
and it's exactly like the title, the hero married the heroine for the sake of companion meanwhile he love another woman who love him back when he was perfect, when the hero experienced an accident and lost 2 of his finger the fiance left him.
hero take the heroine for granted, when his lost love sent him letter, heroine accidentally crumpled the letter and the hero accidentally (again) burnt it down. and when the hero found out his ex fiance sent letter and the heroine play role so he will never read it, he blamed all to the heroine also he had the audacity to paid the heroine to let the marriage off.
long story short, she left the hero, and tried to started a new life and fortunately she is expecting the hero's baby. they met again in 2 years and after a series of events, they reunited again.
what make me peevish is when the heroine left, the hero still have his ex fiance in mind, and eventually he hated his ex fiance because she humiliated him and make fun of his disability. imagine! not because he realized the heroine love and kindness. arrrgh!!
and it's exactly like the title, the hero married the heroine for the sake of companion meanwhile he love another woman who love him back when he was perfect, when the hero experienced an accident and lost 2 of his finger the fiance left him.
hero take the heroine for granted, when his lost love sent him letter, heroine accidentally crumpled the letter and the hero accidentally (again) burnt it down. and when the hero found out his ex fiance sent letter and the heroine play role so he will never read it, he blamed all to the heroine also he had the audacity to paid the heroine to let the marriage off.
long story short, she left the hero, and tried to started a new life and fortunately she is expecting the hero's baby. they met again in 2 years and after a series of events, they reunited again.
what make me peevish is when the heroine left, the hero still have his ex fiance in mind, and eventually he hated his ex fiance because she humiliated him and make fun of his disability. imagine! not because he realized the heroine love and kindness. arrrgh!!
October 9, 2017
“Except my Love” is the story of Erica and Oliver, and is going to get all the benefits of the doubt as it came out 80 years ago.
We have the classic story or Secretary falling for the boss with a unconventional beginning. There is marriage, pining for ow, angst, separation, babies, close best friends, fear and HEA.
The heroine was a perfect combination of blind devotion and naivety (very much a doormat) towards the hero, the hero a tortured soul but pretty dense, and the best friend Carol seemed to be the only one with a backbone.
Loads of OW drama fill this one, so beware. The hero loves her in the past, and kept gravitating towards her until the heroine took desperate measures.
The funniest part however, is that when the heroine got a bun in her oven finally- I realized the couple had actually had sex because the way the first half was written- I honestly thought they only kissed and held hands.
Not safe by definition
3/5
We have the classic story or Secretary falling for the boss with a unconventional beginning. There is marriage, pining for ow, angst, separation, babies, close best friends, fear and HEA.
The heroine was a perfect combination of blind devotion and naivety (very much a doormat) towards the hero, the hero a tortured soul but pretty dense, and the best friend Carol seemed to be the only one with a backbone.
Loads of OW drama fill this one, so beware. The hero loves her in the past, and kept gravitating towards her until the heroine took desperate measures.
The funniest part however, is that when the heroine got a bun in her oven finally- I realized the couple had actually had sex because the way the first half was written- I honestly thought they only kissed and held hands.
Not safe by definition
3/5
September 5, 2025
I just reread and maybe because I am older I liked it more. The hero was an ass. And no doubt about it, but the other woman was heinous. He chose her even after they consummated the marriage and were somewhat happy. I do hate when they don't clarify the celibacy while they were apart. Or at all even. I didn't like that she kept the baby from him, but he did go to the other woman and stayed the night somewhere. I actually enjoyed this more now as it was one of my Mother's favorite authors and books. She is gone now and I think it made me feel closer to her. The book is falling apart in my hands. That's how old it was. And it was wrote in 1937 I think they said and she was born in 1922. All make me treasure it more. All Mary Burchell books are special though and I will always associate them with my Mother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2012
Another early Mary Burchell this is a heart breaker. A marriage of convenience between the hero Oliver and his secretary who has loved him all along. Oliver was on the rebound from a beautiful actress and turns to his secretary. It all looks like a possible happy ending until Oliver learns his wife kept a letter from the actress from him just before the wedding. Like many of Burchells heroes, Oliver has a little of the spoiled but lovable little boy in him. Unfortunately that spoiled little boy does all the wrong things when he learns of her deception and drives her away. The whole book is gut wrenchingly sad but the ending is extremely satisfying. This is another of Burchells I am happy to reread.
March 6, 2012
4 1/2 Stars! ~ This is such a poignant story of a hopeless love. Marrying for companionship not love seemed to be a good situation, and our couple were actually quite happy together. Of course, Erica does love her husband and has high hopes that he'll be able to return that love one day. These hopes prove to be impossible and Erica is compelled to end what has become an unbearable marriage. Ms. Burchell had me in tears several times and I was unable to put this book down until the HEA. What a masterful writer. Though written almost 50 years ago, this is a timeless story that I know I'll be reading again and again.
August 20, 2007
This was one of the first Harlequin romances I ever read, and resulted in a lifelong devotion to Mary Burchell, who really transcended the limitations of series romance in her many novels. This one is not her best - it is about a secretary who falls in love with her distant boss (who does not deserve her devotion and treats her badly) - but it certainly got me hooked!
July 10, 2015
Just saying., erica, the heroine in this book, when she died, her soul will go straight away to heaven. but in doing so for her to go to heaven, im gladly to help her. maybe beat her up, or maybe i torture her a bit. no? ofc not.she's a lovely girl, an angel without wings, a pure spul with kindness. apart from that, that didnt stop me to grind my teeth reading her so called love-romance- journey, AND im itchy to smacked her soul out of her body for not only once, but all along the story. coz i just cant stand her "unconditional" love.
for once, i even think that, the kind of girl like erica,is the kind of girl that will accepting anything AND evrything that her beloved spouse thrown at her, and she still give it back with the -i love you so, im still is and will- eye stared. i even imagined, if her husband commited an on & off and on & off again affair with other women, just as long as oliver (her husband) showing her a bit of affection to her, she will deluded herself of being -ahhh... after all, he care enough to "care" me, so i dont give a flying fuck even if he betrayed me- things. ohh... how i do hate that kind of "unconditional love"., maybe im not mature enough. or maybe i just cant accept to b treated that way and still unshamely and openly showing that she love him still. in this i will scream, where the eff is your pride!! but since this is an unconditional love-theme, my "where's your pride"- things will easily be smashed into pieces.
for me, this is pure tortured.
and Guys, i think in the last 2 chapters, oliver DID want to said he was sorry. but erica cut him fast to said something that as a matter of fact, dear darling oliver, even if you were a jerk and treated me badly, you dont need to said sorry, you dont deserved that, coz you r a god that i praise highly more than my son which claimed the only one that's important to me. why? bcoz there's your gene in my baby, that's why my baby is important.
and hear this people, i soo hate this line from erica :
"Oh, God, they were getting back to absurd, stilted speeches again,
when all she really wanted to do was to put her arms round his neck
and say : 'Dearest, stay with us. See, you already love Bunny. I won't ask that you should love me, too. Only stay with us—stay with us. Please, please, if you have any pity, stay with me."
owhh... BURRNNN!!!! see what i cant stand for? she practicaly didnt give a flying shit of her own value, her pride, or the firmly feeling of what does her own self meant to oliver. no, she beg and wish for him to be w/her and for god freaking sake! cant he just pitty her and stay w/her?? coz erica, again, not give a flying care if oliver love her or not, or betrayed her, or doesnt want her. and in my eyes, erica give him a guarantee for, he can continue to love or maybe have another affair as long as he stay w/her. sniff... what a beautiful love. im touching by that *i soo want to hit her. no? ok then.
at the end, this was all HEA, a weird one, no solid closure, all we knw is, he was now, knowing that deadra is an evil witch. this book didnt even described how his feeling after he sudenly knw that he has a 9 month baby. the reunion of him and his son, is as simple as if erica show him that she was having a cute teddy bear. he never showing his emotion wether he was sorry and misserable that he just knw about his own son after 2 years apart from erica. no. but this book was published in the 70's. im not even born yet, maybe the guy at that time were all like that. well, screw.him. and... screw.her.unconditional.love. ever.
for once, i even think that, the kind of girl like erica,is the kind of girl that will accepting anything AND evrything that her beloved spouse thrown at her, and she still give it back with the -i love you so, im still is and will- eye stared. i even imagined, if her husband commited an on & off and on & off again affair with other women, just as long as oliver (her husband) showing her a bit of affection to her, she will deluded herself of being -ahhh... after all, he care enough to "care" me, so i dont give a flying fuck even if he betrayed me- things. ohh... how i do hate that kind of "unconditional love"., maybe im not mature enough. or maybe i just cant accept to b treated that way and still unshamely and openly showing that she love him still. in this i will scream, where the eff is your pride!! but since this is an unconditional love-theme, my "where's your pride"- things will easily be smashed into pieces.
for me, this is pure tortured.
and Guys, i think in the last 2 chapters, oliver DID want to said he was sorry. but erica cut him fast to said something that as a matter of fact, dear darling oliver, even if you were a jerk and treated me badly, you dont need to said sorry, you dont deserved that, coz you r a god that i praise highly more than my son which claimed the only one that's important to me. why? bcoz there's your gene in my baby, that's why my baby is important.
and hear this people, i soo hate this line from erica :
"Oh, God, they were getting back to absurd, stilted speeches again,
when all she really wanted to do was to put her arms round his neck
and say : 'Dearest, stay with us. See, you already love Bunny. I won't ask that you should love me, too. Only stay with us—stay with us. Please, please, if you have any pity, stay with me."
owhh... BURRNNN!!!! see what i cant stand for? she practicaly didnt give a flying shit of her own value, her pride, or the firmly feeling of what does her own self meant to oliver. no, she beg and wish for him to be w/her and for god freaking sake! cant he just pitty her and stay w/her?? coz erica, again, not give a flying care if oliver love her or not, or betrayed her, or doesnt want her. and in my eyes, erica give him a guarantee for, he can continue to love or maybe have another affair as long as he stay w/her. sniff... what a beautiful love. im touching by that *i soo want to hit her. no? ok then.
at the end, this was all HEA, a weird one, no solid closure, all we knw is, he was now, knowing that deadra is an evil witch. this book didnt even described how his feeling after he sudenly knw that he has a 9 month baby. the reunion of him and his son, is as simple as if erica show him that she was having a cute teddy bear. he never showing his emotion wether he was sorry and misserable that he just knw about his own son after 2 years apart from erica. no. but this book was published in the 70's. im not even born yet, maybe the guy at that time were all like that. well, screw.him. and... screw.her.unconditional.love. ever.
September 14, 2014
Ugh, I hated this story. Oliver was such a jerk, he marries Erica and although at first it's a marriage of convenience; Erica really does love Oliver. When Oliver tells her he doesn't want her love and that he's basically still in love with his ex, who by the way was a total bitch. Erica finally leaves Oliver.
Oliver, doesn't even really have any feelings for his ex, he only goes to see her because he wants to show Erica that her opinion doesn't matter. Oliver appears to be hurt when Erica leaves him, or at least that's the impression when these two see each other almost two years later. The only silver lining in that two year separation is that based on their conversations, Oliver doesn't cheat on Erica, so that's like a point for him.
After leaving Oliver, Erica finds out she's pregnant, she names her baby Oliver, but calls him Bunny. After seeing each other, Oliver tries to mend his wrongs with Erica. Eventually in the end they reconcile, but the ending was so blah. Oliver really never apologizes and their getting back together is so unrealistic.
Rating 3 out of 5
Read@Book
Oliver, doesn't even really have any feelings for his ex, he only goes to see her because he wants to show Erica that her opinion doesn't matter. Oliver appears to be hurt when Erica leaves him, or at least that's the impression when these two see each other almost two years later. The only silver lining in that two year separation is that based on their conversations, Oliver doesn't cheat on Erica, so that's like a point for him.
After leaving Oliver, Erica finds out she's pregnant, she names her baby Oliver, but calls him Bunny. After seeing each other, Oliver tries to mend his wrongs with Erica. Eventually in the end they reconcile, but the ending was so blah. Oliver really never apologizes and their getting back together is so unrealistic.
Rating 3 out of 5
Read@Book
August 6, 2022
3.5 stars for the "feels" the heroine created! This was a 4 star up until the last 25% of the book and especially the disappointing let down of an ending. I hated the way the h was a doormat for the most part and I hated the way the H called her "child." She acted much more mature than he did. The MOC and angst over the OW was great but it was a let down toward the end. The H came off as a real coward many times through the book. The author even draws a lot of correlations between the baby and H! I really wish he had show some growth at the end but that was not the case. H never said he loved h just that he would work to deserve her. SMH 🤦♀️ what a let down.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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