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Dark Remembrance
After her husband's death. Raina believed Logan Thorne, his business partner, visited often because of her son, Danny.
When Logan offered marriage, she didn’t take him seriously. Why should he tie himself down because Danny needed a father? Then, in a weak moment, she accepted Logan s proposal—for Danny’s sake, of course
Jealousy and bitter memories of the past were driving her and Logan apart until Raina realized that their marriage had nothing to do with Danny, but with their own love for each other!
When Logan offered marriage, she didn’t take him seriously. Why should he tie himself down because Danny needed a father? Then, in a weak moment, she accepted Logan s proposal—for Danny’s sake, of course
Jealousy and bitter memories of the past were driving her and Logan apart until Raina realized that their marriage had nothing to do with Danny, but with their own love for each other!
188 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1981
4 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Daphne Clair
122 books64 followersDahpne Clair is one of many pseudonyms of Daphne de Jong, a New Zealand writer who also uses the names Laurie Bright, Claire Lorel and Clarissa Garland. She is the winner of the Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award and has been a finalist for the Romance Writers of America Rita Award more than once.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
Daphne Clair de Jong decided to be a writer when she was eight years old and won her first literary prize for a school essay. Her first short story was published when she was sixteen and she's been writing and publishing ever since. Nowadays she earns her living from writing, something her well-meaning teachers and guidance counsellors warned her she would never achieve in New Zealand. Her short stories have appeared in many magazines and anthologies, and a collection of them was presented in Crossing the Bar, published by David Ling, where they garnered wide praise.
In 1976, Daphne's first full-length romantic novel was published by Mills & Boon as Return to Love. Since then she has produced a steady output of romance set in New Zealand, occasionally Australia or on imaginary Pacific islands. As Laurey Bright she also writes for Silhouette Books. Her romances often appear on American stores' romance best-seller lists and she has been a Rita contest finalist, as well as winning and being placed in several other romance writing contests. Her other writing includes non-fiction, poetry and long historical fiction, She also is an active defender of the ideology of Feminists for Life, and she has written articles about it.
Since then she has won other literary prizes both in her native New Zealand and other countries. These include the prestigious Katherine Mansfield Short Story Award, with Dying Light, a story about Alzheimer's Disease, which was filmed by Robyn Murphy Productions and shown at film festivals in several countries. (Starring Sara McLeod, Sam's wife in Lord of the Rings).
Daphne is often asked to tutor courses in creative writing, and with Robyn Donald she teachs romance writing weekend courses in her home in the "winterless north" of in New Zealand. Daphne lives with her Netherlands-born husband in a farmlet, grazing livestock, growing their own fruit and vegetables and making their large home available to other writers as a centre for writers' workshops and retreats. Their five children, one of them an orphan from Hong Kong, have left home but drift back at irregular intervals. She enjoys cooking special meals but her cake-making is limited to three never-fail recipes. Her children maintain they have no memory of her baking for them except on birthdays, when she would produce, on request, cakes shaped into trains, clowns, fairytale houses and, once, even a windmill, in deference to their Dutch heritage from their father.
Daphne frequently makes and breaks resolutions to indulge in some hearty outdoor activity, and loves to sniff strong black coffee but never drinks it. After a day at her desk she will happily watch re-runs of favourite TV shows. Usually she goes to bed early with a book which may be anything from a paperback romance or suspense novel to history, sociology or literary theory.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 11, 2016
Well, this is one book I won't be re-reading.
Hero- Logan- 4 stars
Heroine - Bitch - 1 star
Unrequited love has kept Logan watching over Raina, his BF wife. She, on the other hand, makes no bones of her contempt for him even after they get married for her son's sake.
Now, usually heroes are the cruel ass hats driven by revenge, mistaken rumors, etc. There is usually a reason for their cruelty even of it's a stupid one and unjustifiable.
Raina however,
Logan is a big hunka of alpha male, but breaks down in a soppy "I love you" speech that is heartfelt and hasn't been heard of on Harley-land since. La de friction da, heroine FINALLY admits she wants him.
This would have been a four star for sure, but the heroine is so loathsome at the beginning and middle and almost near the end that her eventual capitulation is just not enough. If I hold high standards of groveling for the heroes then they must apply to the heroines as well.
Hero- Logan- 4 stars
Heroine - Bitch - 1 star
Unrequited love has kept Logan watching over Raina, his BF wife. She, on the other hand, makes no bones of her contempt for him even after they get married for her son's sake.
Now, usually heroes are the cruel ass hats driven by revenge, mistaken rumors, etc. There is usually a reason for their cruelty even of it's a stupid one and unjustifiable.
Raina however,
Logan is a big hunka of alpha male, but breaks down in a soppy "I love you" speech that is heartfelt and hasn't been heard of on Harley-land since. La de friction da, heroine FINALLY admits she wants him.
This would have been a four star for sure, but the heroine is so loathsome at the beginning and middle and almost near the end that her eventual capitulation is just not enough. If I hold high standards of groveling for the heroes then they must apply to the heroines as well.
June 13, 2021
On re-read, I liked the heroine even less. I feel sorry for the poor hero. Original review below.
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I usually love Daphne Clair. The few books of hers that I have read have been very memorable...with delicious chemistry between the H/h and some tension filled moments. She makes her hero's alpha to the core, but never in an asshat way.
This book had a wonderful story line and premise...Like all other Clair books, it moved along nicely, but there was just something missing with the heroine. I found the more the book progressed, the more I disliked her. Simply put, she was mean. I couldn't believe that the hero could truly love her. I felt it was more sexual attraction then anything else. I read the last page actually thinking the poor man was in for a life of hell.
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I usually love Daphne Clair. The few books of hers that I have read have been very memorable...with delicious chemistry between the H/h and some tension filled moments. She makes her hero's alpha to the core, but never in an asshat way.
This book had a wonderful story line and premise...Like all other Clair books, it moved along nicely, but there was just something missing with the heroine. I found the more the book progressed, the more I disliked her. Simply put, she was mean. I couldn't believe that the hero could truly love her. I felt it was more sexual attraction then anything else. I read the last page actually thinking the poor man was in for a life of hell.
June 10, 2017
Heroine was a coldhearted bitch. period.
However, the hero was a classic case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Every single of the sexual encounters were "forced seduction" to "borderline rape" of a woman he claimed to be madly in love with.
And he had wanted to brutally rape her a number of time in his mind, yes I understand he "thinks" he didn't follow them through as he was scared that she'd leave him if he "actually" raped her, but he actually justified having those thoughts by blaming her.
Let me put this simply, she could be an ice queen, plain simple bitch, the OW, a cheater, a puppy killer, whatever, NOBODY deserves to be raped.
I just couldn't take the fact that this guy claims that he's so compassionate and he's claimimng that he'd do anything for the heroine just to be with her that's how much he loves her, yet that doesn't stop him from taking his pleasure from her when her body doesn't respond.
ALL of the ones pre-declaration were borderline rape! as simple as that.
So whatever hatred I had for the heroine, had to take a backseat.
However, the hero was a classic case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
Every single of the sexual encounters were "forced seduction" to "borderline rape" of a woman he claimed to be madly in love with.
And he had wanted to brutally rape her a number of time in his mind, yes I understand he "thinks" he didn't follow them through as he was scared that she'd leave him if he "actually" raped her, but he actually justified having those thoughts by blaming her.
Let me put this simply, she could be an ice queen, plain simple bitch, the OW, a cheater, a puppy killer, whatever, NOBODY deserves to be raped.
I just couldn't take the fact that this guy claims that he's so compassionate and he's claimimng that he'd do anything for the heroine just to be with her that's how much he loves her, yet that doesn't stop him from taking his pleasure from her when her body doesn't respond.
ALL of the ones pre-declaration were borderline rape! as simple as that.
So whatever hatred I had for the heroine, had to take a backseat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2014
Another for my Daphne Clair jag I've been on. This one was middle of the road. It had some good moments and some not so good moments. The good was that the hero loved the heroine but she just couldn't see it. So that was the bad too. Was she blind? That hero stuck through some pretty awful stuff. Granted she had some OW jealousy issues to deal with that made her act out but still she was pretty harsh. He was somewhat cryptic with her also. He skirted around telling her that he loved her. He should have just gone for it earlier. I'm giving this 3 star read an extra star for the hero's declaration of love. He was 100% ballsy when he admitted his love to the heroine. He was in despair and in no way expected her to reciprocate. He just basically told her he'd love her even if she beat him every day with a bat and would never leave her of his own accord. I'm paraphrasing just a bit. ;-)
Worth reading just for that scene.
Worth reading just for that scene.
October 11, 2011
Published exactly 30 years ago and still wonderful
September 20, 2018
Raina, the h is a widow. Her husband’s best friend, Logan, is attracted to her. Her husband has been dead for over a year and during that time Logan has been there to check in on her and and her three year old son, and help her in any way.
Raina doesn’t appreciate Logan’s help. She is a total bitch to him. I don’t know how he continues to be there for her when all she does is abuse him. She is so defensive and nasty that I wanted to reach into the book as shake some sense into her.
Logan, with the patience of a saint, continued to be there for the harpy. He spent tome with her son, took them on trips, acted like a real uncle for the kid. All this without thanks for the witch.
He convinces the bitch to marry him and then has to deal with a block of ice in his bed. She held on to her dead husband like he was a shield. Even when she eventually gives in to Logan, she acts like she was assaulted.
His declaration of love broke my heart. It destroyed his pride. Just flat out made me want to weep for him. And even then she gave him a tepid “I want you”.
Not a book I will read again. I hated the story. I hated the h. The H was a true hero. He stayed and fought for a woman who really wasn’t worth the effort.
Raina doesn’t appreciate Logan’s help. She is a total bitch to him. I don’t know how he continues to be there for her when all she does is abuse him. She is so defensive and nasty that I wanted to reach into the book as shake some sense into her.
Logan, with the patience of a saint, continued to be there for the harpy. He spent tome with her son, took them on trips, acted like a real uncle for the kid. All this without thanks for the witch.
He convinces the bitch to marry him and then has to deal with a block of ice in his bed. She held on to her dead husband like he was a shield. Even when she eventually gives in to Logan, she acts like she was assaulted.
His declaration of love broke my heart. It destroyed his pride. Just flat out made me want to weep for him. And even then she gave him a tepid “I want you”.
Not a book I will read again. I hated the story. I hated the h. The H was a true hero. He stayed and fought for a woman who really wasn’t worth the effort.
May 10, 2022
Really well executed story of a young widow coming to terms with her unexpressed passion for her late husband's best friend. He has always wanted her for himself but always behaved with integrity. Which might seem a strange thing to say given the wedding night rape. I know. But it fit the storyline. She was lying to herself. Doesn't excuse the rape, as he readily admits. Old school. I thought there was satisfying complexity and emotional depth. I enjoyed it.
December 27, 2020
I feel sorry for the H.
She is so ice cold. His life will be hell with her.
I was halfway reading the book and I came here to read the reviews because it struck me how ice cold the h is. There seems to be a common opinion in the reviews here that the h is cold. So it is not only me thinking this.
The H met the h the day before the weddingday of the h and his best friend. He has been in love with her ever since. Poor H. Imagine being in love with a woman who is married to your best friend and who has a child by him.
He makes it clear before the marriage that it will not be a platonic marriage. And he does force himself on her after their marriage. I’ve been reading vintage books and forced sex is a common theme. It doesn’t bother me too much if the H is not only cruel, but also tender, supportive, loving. This H is tender, supportive and loving.
It is so sweet when he answers (after her question if he wants to have children) that he wants her to want children by him.
How privileged a beautiful woman is in HP-landia. All she has going for her is her beauty and she gets this wonderful man who has pined for her all those years.
She is so ice cold. His life will be hell with her.
I was halfway reading the book and I came here to read the reviews because it struck me how ice cold the h is. There seems to be a common opinion in the reviews here that the h is cold. So it is not only me thinking this.
The H met the h the day before the weddingday of the h and his best friend. He has been in love with her ever since. Poor H. Imagine being in love with a woman who is married to your best friend and who has a child by him.
He makes it clear before the marriage that it will not be a platonic marriage. And he does force himself on her after their marriage. I’ve been reading vintage books and forced sex is a common theme. It doesn’t bother me too much if the H is not only cruel, but also tender, supportive, loving. This H is tender, supportive and loving.
It is so sweet when he answers (after her question if he wants to have children) that he wants her to want children by him.
How privileged a beautiful woman is in HP-landia. All she has going for her is her beauty and she gets this wonderful man who has pined for her all those years.
January 27, 2015
Raina's husband Alec died doing acrobatic stunts, his partner Logan had wanted Raina ever since he kissed the bride at their wedding. There was always this sexual attraction between them that she mistook for dislike. Logan was Alec's best man and Godfather to their son Danny. After Alec's death he took his promise to look after Raina and Danny seriously.
July 9, 2024
Sad, depressing tale of a widow who enters her second marriage with the best friend of her late husband, but the specter of her late husband hovers malevolently over them, never letting them get any respite. No, it is not a ghost story but it might as well be because the memory of her first husband, her first love, and the father of her child, is put by her upon a pedestal, so that her second husband, who is merely a marriage of convenience for her, is tortured by it and resorts to some...ahem...rather forceful ways of trying to exorcise his ghost. Add to that the wife's suspicions about the highly inappropriate "close friendship" between her second husband and his secretary, and this so-called romance becomes a hot mess of melodrama and neurosis.
The story concludes with the heroine realizing that her first husband was no saint, he was unfaithful to her, and he also kept her and his best friend in a sick love triangle limbo. He knew that his best friend was besotted with his wife and suspected that his wife was attracted to him back. Far from being bothered by it and keeping them apart, he had such faith that neither of them would ever act dishonorably, that he instead always pushed them together, and then stood back to enjoy their pain and his power over them. He sounds like a very sick individual, but he was honestly not the only awful character in this story.
Both the heroine and the hero acted so cruelly towards each other that I could not truly call this a romance, it was a harsh obsession on both part, and a vivid example of the old adage that love and hate are but two sides of the same coin. This angsty read would please a lot of fans of these types of Old Skool Crayzee and politically incorrect dark vintage romances but it simply wasn't my cuppa, even though it was, objectively, beautifully and compellingly written.
The story concludes with the heroine realizing that her first husband was no saint, he was unfaithful to her, and he also kept her and his best friend in a sick love triangle limbo. He knew that his best friend was besotted with his wife and suspected that his wife was attracted to him back. Far from being bothered by it and keeping them apart, he had such faith that neither of them would ever act dishonorably, that he instead always pushed them together, and then stood back to enjoy their pain and his power over them. He sounds like a very sick individual, but he was honestly not the only awful character in this story.
Both the heroine and the hero acted so cruelly towards each other that I could not truly call this a romance, it was a harsh obsession on both part, and a vivid example of the old adage that love and hate are but two sides of the same coin. This angsty read would please a lot of fans of these types of Old Skool Crayzee and politically incorrect dark vintage romances but it simply wasn't my cuppa, even though it was, objectively, beautifully and compellingly written.
July 11, 2023
"Dark Remembrance" is the story of Raina and Logan.
The heroine is a widow with a young son, struggling as a single parent since her husband dies. Her husband's best friend has been a constant in their life. She despises him for what he is, and constantly throws her dead husband in his face. When he starts showing interest in her, she makes it clear it is not reciprocated. However, as he starts supporting her with childcare, she accepts his proposal.
But will she ever accept his feelings?
Pretty uncomfortable read. Hero is obviously madly in love with the heroine, and he shows it in action as well as words however all the heroine wants to do is deny her feelings and be cold. This leads to many non-con sex&al encounters between them, which happen throughout the book.
Frustrating.
Unsafe
2/5
The heroine is a widow with a young son, struggling as a single parent since her husband dies. Her husband's best friend has been a constant in their life. She despises him for what he is, and constantly throws her dead husband in his face. When he starts showing interest in her, she makes it clear it is not reciprocated. However, as he starts supporting her with childcare, she accepts his proposal.
But will she ever accept his feelings?
Pretty uncomfortable read. Hero is obviously madly in love with the heroine, and he shows it in action as well as words however all the heroine wants to do is deny her feelings and be cold. This leads to many non-con sex&al encounters between them, which happen throughout the book.
Frustrating.
Unsafe
2/5
August 2, 2025
The book started off well, with a promising beginning that drew me in. The hero was everything I admire in a romantic lead—strong, generous, protective, patient, and even willing to apologize when needed.
Unfortunately, the heroine completely ruined the story for me. She was immature, indifferent, and constantly pushed the hero away despite her clear physical attraction to him. Her cold and petulant behavior made it impossible for me to root for their relationship.
I ended up abandoning the book because I couldn’t stand watching such a worthy hero waste his time and heart on someone so undeserving.
Unfortunately, the heroine completely ruined the story for me. She was immature, indifferent, and constantly pushed the hero away despite her clear physical attraction to him. Her cold and petulant behavior made it impossible for me to root for their relationship.
I ended up abandoning the book because I couldn’t stand watching such a worthy hero waste his time and heart on someone so undeserving.
September 4, 2019
I had to remember, while reading this story, that this book was written quite a while ago and the words used were different when it came to describing things. Sad at times. Raina should not have married Logan when she did. She would have been better to actually date him first. Using the words Rape and violence in this story would have been described differently if the story was written now.
September 28, 2024
The bestest book of all the vintage Mills & Boon. Atleast for me haha!
The number of times I keep rereading this book is ....YES!
Logan is pure ❤️❤️❤️. And Raina keeps fighting her feelings for him for as long as she can but man! What a story!
I wanted to cry when it ended because I want more!!!
Just read it!!
The number of times I keep rereading this book is ....YES!
Logan is pure ❤️❤️❤️. And Raina keeps fighting her feelings for him for as long as she can but man! What a story!
I wanted to cry when it ended because I want more!!!
Just read it!!
November 30, 2020
I like Dark Remembrance a great deal because we feel as if we are right there with Logan and Raina, experiencing what they experience. You can read my full review here on my blog: https://www.morebooksthantime.com/dar...
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews