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Silver Lady
Lost at sea
Francesca Patterson and Matthew Sinclair share a stormy past. In fact, the animosity they feel toward each other is equaled only by the disturbing undercurrent of unresolved attraction between them. Matt is the trustee of Francesca's inheritance. She needs her money now, but Matt is going to make her work for it. Literally.
As chief cook and bottle washer aboard his yacht, Silver Lady--and slave to hip demanding guests--Francesca's been sentenced to eight weeks of hell on the high seas. And each scorchingly hot day in paradise is fueling a dangerous passion that is all too close to flaring: out of control ....
Francesca Patterson and Matthew Sinclair share a stormy past. In fact, the animosity they feel toward each other is equaled only by the disturbing undercurrent of unresolved attraction between them. Matt is the trustee of Francesca's inheritance. She needs her money now, but Matt is going to make her work for it. Literally.
As chief cook and bottle washer aboard his yacht, Silver Lady--and slave to hip demanding guests--Francesca's been sentenced to eight weeks of hell on the high seas. And each scorchingly hot day in paradise is fueling a dangerous passion that is all too close to flaring: out of control ....
189 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1991
About the author
Mary Lyons
129 books20 followersMary-Jo Wormell, whose nom de plume is Mary Lyons, was a popular British writer of over 40 romance novels for Mills & Boon from 1983 to 2001. She was also a Conservative Party parlimentary candidate.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 25, 2018
Re Silver Lady - Mary Lyons goes the bully stepbrother H tormenting his little stepsister h trope in this one.
The book starts with the h having to track down her stepbrother to get him to agree to let her use her trust fund to buy a London art gallery. The h's father tied up her inheritance until she is thirty and as she is only 24, she needs to access the money sooner to buy the place she has been working at for the last few years.
Unfortunately her stepbrother thinks the h is raving harlot, mainly because he is so obsessed with lust over the h that she just has to be some sort of Circe /Jezebel, otherwise why would he be so obsessed with her? So when the h finally finds him, he has several poisoned darts to aim in her direction.
The H takes the line that because her estranged mother tried to seduce him once and one of the h's friends claimed she was a drunken tart after a night club incident and because the h tried to comfort him after his mother's death when she was 16 and he made a big move as a 22yr old on a 16 yr old, that the h needs to be punished for her tarty trampy sins.
The h is actually a nice girl who pets unicorns. The H wouldn't believe that for a minute, because he also throws out that the h's co-worker is living at her London flat. Which is true, the man's house is being redecorated and he needs a place to stay in the interim. The man is also batting for the same team, so the h wasn't too worried about giving him a spare room.
The nightclub incident the H harps about wasn't her, it was her so-called friend and the h was just a passing acquaintance in the girl's life. The H is so uninvolved and knows so little about the h, that he just took the drug user's claims as gospel. As for the h's mother, well the lady likes men and the press is just wild about exacerbating her exploits, but as the h says, in real life she is a pretty quiet person and has been married for the last ten years to the same guy.
(Of course the H claims the tabloids lie about his rampant exploits with the lady buffet, but naturally believes that they are printing the absolute truth about everyone else's. The H claims the h's mother tried to seduce him, but I wonder if he wasn't projecting and maybe wanted the mother to make a grab at him and then she did not and he got his feelings hurt.)
So the deal the h and H make is that he will release her trust if she will be his cook for two weeks. The h doesn't see much of a choice, she has to have the money, she can't get a loan and so she sign's the H's agreement.
Then we get Hell Week on the high seas. The H dumps her on board a totally messed up schooner. The place is a wreck and the h has to clean it all out before the H's guests arrive. She does and then the H decides to assault her after the fact. Call it forced seduction, but the H is clearly just one drink away from outright rape and then has the nous to say the h wants it.
(The h does have a physical response eventually, but really force is force and ML goes the treacherous body betrayal route, however the h was pretty clear in her mind he was forcing her, so betraying body or not, the H is a violent attacker.)
The H's guests turn out to be a guy with a spoiled socialite daughter and wife - the epitome of the type of woman the h is accused by the H of being. Needless to say the demands and insults are endless. But the h actually copes pretty well with them, all the while having to fight the H off as she thinks he is marrying the daughter and putting the moves on her at the same time.
The H goes out of his way to flaunt the daughter in front of the h and I had to consult the Captain here, as it was obvious the H really likes the tarty socialite type and probably is frustrated that the h really isn't like that, but he will force her down to his own level no matter what.
Then a big storm comes up and the h bravely sails it out while the other women succumb to illness and hysteria. Finally they make it to port and the h gets a shot at a decent man who is the school friend of the H's. The H gets even more jealous when the h goes out with the OM and there is a big scene in another nightclub where the H drags the h off, threatening rape.
We get to the H's hidden home and the H explains that he isn't going to rape her, he is just overwhelmed with love and it sent him into psychopathy over her and the h asks to take a bath.
They then have a huge lurve club mojo force experience and the h says she loves him back.
The h doesn't need her money anymore because she is going to marry the H now and the H lets her know that even if she had gotten her money, she wouldn't have been able to buy the art gallery anyways cause the H bought it out from under her. So one way or another the h would have been forced to submit to the H or find another career and place to work at.
None of this seems to matter to the h, as she is just delighted that the pervy pedophile named his house and his boat with the word Silver, in memory of her ash blonde hair and it is HEA time once again for another rough day at the HP office.
This one is probably best read as a one and done. The h is great, the H needed to get washed overboard and the OM should have been the H. The h really should have gotten a better deal, but she holds her own until the utterly ridiculous ending where ML had to make the page count with a quick wrap up and completely unbelievable HEA.
Give this a go if you must, but grab a consult with the Captain beforehand, as a liquid rosy glow is the only way to even halfway believe this one and it isn't the greatest of HPlandia outings.
The book starts with the h having to track down her stepbrother to get him to agree to let her use her trust fund to buy a London art gallery. The h's father tied up her inheritance until she is thirty and as she is only 24, she needs to access the money sooner to buy the place she has been working at for the last few years.
Unfortunately her stepbrother thinks the h is raving harlot, mainly because he is so obsessed with lust over the h that she just has to be some sort of Circe /Jezebel, otherwise why would he be so obsessed with her? So when the h finally finds him, he has several poisoned darts to aim in her direction.
The H takes the line that because her estranged mother tried to seduce him once and one of the h's friends claimed she was a drunken tart after a night club incident and because the h tried to comfort him after his mother's death when she was 16 and he made a big move as a 22yr old on a 16 yr old, that the h needs to be punished for her tarty trampy sins.
The h is actually a nice girl who pets unicorns. The H wouldn't believe that for a minute, because he also throws out that the h's co-worker is living at her London flat. Which is true, the man's house is being redecorated and he needs a place to stay in the interim. The man is also batting for the same team, so the h wasn't too worried about giving him a spare room.
The nightclub incident the H harps about wasn't her, it was her so-called friend and the h was just a passing acquaintance in the girl's life. The H is so uninvolved and knows so little about the h, that he just took the drug user's claims as gospel. As for the h's mother, well the lady likes men and the press is just wild about exacerbating her exploits, but as the h says, in real life she is a pretty quiet person and has been married for the last ten years to the same guy.
(Of course the H claims the tabloids lie about his rampant exploits with the lady buffet, but naturally believes that they are printing the absolute truth about everyone else's. The H claims the h's mother tried to seduce him, but I wonder if he wasn't projecting and maybe wanted the mother to make a grab at him and then she did not and he got his feelings hurt.)
So the deal the h and H make is that he will release her trust if she will be his cook for two weeks. The h doesn't see much of a choice, she has to have the money, she can't get a loan and so she sign's the H's agreement.
Then we get Hell Week on the high seas. The H dumps her on board a totally messed up schooner. The place is a wreck and the h has to clean it all out before the H's guests arrive. She does and then the H decides to assault her after the fact. Call it forced seduction, but the H is clearly just one drink away from outright rape and then has the nous to say the h wants it.
(The h does have a physical response eventually, but really force is force and ML goes the treacherous body betrayal route, however the h was pretty clear in her mind he was forcing her, so betraying body or not, the H is a violent attacker.)
The H's guests turn out to be a guy with a spoiled socialite daughter and wife - the epitome of the type of woman the h is accused by the H of being. Needless to say the demands and insults are endless. But the h actually copes pretty well with them, all the while having to fight the H off as she thinks he is marrying the daughter and putting the moves on her at the same time.
The H goes out of his way to flaunt the daughter in front of the h and I had to consult the Captain here, as it was obvious the H really likes the tarty socialite type and probably is frustrated that the h really isn't like that, but he will force her down to his own level no matter what.
Then a big storm comes up and the h bravely sails it out while the other women succumb to illness and hysteria. Finally they make it to port and the h gets a shot at a decent man who is the school friend of the H's. The H gets even more jealous when the h goes out with the OM and there is a big scene in another nightclub where the H drags the h off, threatening rape.
We get to the H's hidden home and the H explains that he isn't going to rape her, he is just overwhelmed with love and it sent him into psychopathy over her and the h asks to take a bath.
They then have a huge lurve club mojo force experience and the h says she loves him back.
The h doesn't need her money anymore because she is going to marry the H now and the H lets her know that even if she had gotten her money, she wouldn't have been able to buy the art gallery anyways cause the H bought it out from under her. So one way or another the h would have been forced to submit to the H or find another career and place to work at.
None of this seems to matter to the h, as she is just delighted that the pervy pedophile named his house and his boat with the word Silver, in memory of her ash blonde hair and it is HEA time once again for another rough day at the HP office.
This one is probably best read as a one and done. The h is great, the H needed to get washed overboard and the OM should have been the H. The h really should have gotten a better deal, but she holds her own until the utterly ridiculous ending where ML had to make the page count with a quick wrap up and completely unbelievable HEA.
Give this a go if you must, but grab a consult with the Captain beforehand, as a liquid rosy glow is the only way to even halfway believe this one and it isn't the greatest of HPlandia outings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2011
No, not my cup of tea. Heroine a bit too doormat, hero a bit on sadistic side. Here's the facts:
- he's angry with her because he loves her (!)
- he thinks she opens her legs for everyone asking (and even if not asking)
- because the heroine told him she was in love with him when she was 16 (and him 26) she's a who*re forever
- he forced her to work as domestic and cook on his boat where she's treated as scum by the female hosts and he doesn't anything for her, but makes things worse.
In the end, when she's crying herself out he shouts "I LOVE YOU AND I WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH YOU!" (he's angry for this) but then he says "I loved you forever" and we have our HEA.
No, not my cup of tea.
- he's angry with her because he loves her (!)
- he thinks she opens her legs for everyone asking (and even if not asking)
- because the heroine told him she was in love with him when she was 16 (and him 26) she's a who*re forever
- he forced her to work as domestic and cook on his boat where she's treated as scum by the female hosts and he doesn't anything for her, but makes things worse.
In the end, when she's crying herself out he shouts "I LOVE YOU AND I WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH YOU!" (he's angry for this) but then he says "I loved you forever" and we have our HEA.
No, not my cup of tea.
January 26, 2016
I really liked the heroine, she was fun and gave as good as she got. The hero was a real jerk and I'm not sure exactly why she loved him. Supposedly she'd loved him since she was 16 and, since this is HPLandia, I suppose we are supposed to just take it for granted that he must be a great charming guy when he's not busy being a complete ass. Oh and he's her stepbrother (10 yrs older) which I know is a special kink for some readers ;)
This is all based around the improbable fact that the heroine's father died and decided to leave the hero (his stepson who he never liked) control over the heroine's inheritance until she turns 30. This was in the 1990's, mind you. However, we all know time moves differently and quite unevenly in HPLandia. They still have television sets and automobiles, but are in some ways stuck in Victorian England. And, yeah, that is part of the charm :D
The H/h have barely laid eyes on one another since the H's mom's death when the heroine was 16. All this time, the hero has believed the heroine has been partying and sleeping with everyone based on: the lies of a teenage girl who wasn't actually the heroine's friend, the fact that the 16-year-old heroine innocently offered her love, and the questionable morals of the heroine's natural mother whom the heroine rarely saw or interacted with.
The heroine comes to the hero to ask him to break the trust since she wants to buy the London art gallery she's been working for. The hero sees this as a golden opportunity to pay the heroine back for her whoring ways (because he loved her all along obviously). He makes her agree to the bargain of being the "cook" on his yacht in the Caribbean for two weeks and invites two women he knows will be an absolute nightmare to please. Also her job title of cook doesn't quite cover the fact that she's also maid and all around slave. He also doesn't allow the heroine to reveal their relationship as step-siblings because then the guests might treat her like a person.
The hero is ALL about the crushing grip and punishing kisses. He's actually right up there with many of the really old school attempted rapists in HPLandia. I would have found him very threatening. The heroine does, but she's also torn between melting for him. I really liked her though. She handled those two crappy women well and had a droll sense of humor about things.
If you're in the mood for a hero who, based on very little evidence, decides that the heroine he desperately loves is a piece of crap slut and goes on a campaign to make her life miserable - this is the book for you. Not judging, because I often get a kick out of this plot for unknown reasons. However, I never could warm up to or understand the hero and that took some of the joy out of this mess. Supposedly he realized after 2 days that he'd misjudged the heroine, but he continues to act like the same old bastard and allow his guests to treat her like a slave :-/
There is an apology in the end when he realizes 'oops she's a virgin' (I need a shelf for that), but she lets him off too easy. Still, he does ask her to marry him and declare his love before the 'oops' moment so I'll give him points for that.
This is all based around the improbable fact that the heroine's father died and decided to leave the hero (his stepson who he never liked) control over the heroine's inheritance until she turns 30. This was in the 1990's, mind you. However, we all know time moves differently and quite unevenly in HPLandia. They still have television sets and automobiles, but are in some ways stuck in Victorian England. And, yeah, that is part of the charm :D
The H/h have barely laid eyes on one another since the H's mom's death when the heroine was 16. All this time, the hero has believed the heroine has been partying and sleeping with everyone based on: the lies of a teenage girl who wasn't actually the heroine's friend, the fact that the 16-year-old heroine innocently offered her love, and the questionable morals of the heroine's natural mother whom the heroine rarely saw or interacted with.
The heroine comes to the hero to ask him to break the trust since she wants to buy the London art gallery she's been working for. The hero sees this as a golden opportunity to pay the heroine back for her whoring ways (because he loved her all along obviously). He makes her agree to the bargain of being the "cook" on his yacht in the Caribbean for two weeks and invites two women he knows will be an absolute nightmare to please. Also her job title of cook doesn't quite cover the fact that she's also maid and all around slave. He also doesn't allow the heroine to reveal their relationship as step-siblings because then the guests might treat her like a person.
The hero is ALL about the crushing grip and punishing kisses. He's actually right up there with many of the really old school attempted rapists in HPLandia. I would have found him very threatening. The heroine does, but she's also torn between melting for him. I really liked her though. She handled those two crappy women well and had a droll sense of humor about things.
If you're in the mood for a hero who, based on very little evidence, decides that the heroine he desperately loves is a piece of crap slut and goes on a campaign to make her life miserable - this is the book for you. Not judging, because I often get a kick out of this plot for unknown reasons. However, I never could warm up to or understand the hero and that took some of the joy out of this mess. Supposedly he realized after 2 days that he'd misjudged the heroine, but he continues to act like the same old bastard and allow his guests to treat her like a slave :-/
There is an apology in the end when he realizes 'oops she's a virgin' (I need a shelf for that), but she lets him off too easy. Still, he does ask her to marry him and declare his love before the 'oops' moment so I'll give him points for that.
February 28, 2018
I didn't hate this as much as I thought I would. Yeah, high praise indeed.
Boogenhagen doesn't often give out one or two star ratings so those need to be looked at as closely as a 4 or 5 star rating.
This didn't disappoint. My stomach churned and the temptation to toss my laptop at the wall started within a few words of the heroine meeting up with the BIG FAT IDIOT also known as the hero.
What's not to love? He insults her, slut shames her, accuses her ad nauseam, strong arms her every chance he can and tacks on some punishing kisses and threats as well. What does she do? She pretty much takes it. Okay, she knows she shouldn't so she has a few more grey cells than most HP heroines, mon ami. But does that make it better or worse?
PLOT:
Step-siblings with a ten year difference in age. He thinks she's a bad girl to the tenth degree and makes no bones about it. She's tracked his misogynistic ass down as she needs part of her inheritance to buy an art gallery/shop/center/whatever. He blackmails her into being the cook and slave on his boat for some guests.
The guests are one nice tycoon and his horrible, no good, asinine, vapid and vain second wife and daughter. As much as I wanted the heroine to bop the H over the head, I was actually hoping for more comeuppance to the two women. I guess the fact that the h ended up with the H will have to be enough although the OW is so shallow I doubt she even noticed as she was on to her nextvictim beau. The h yells at the H a lot about the two women so hopefully they heard her.
For about 97% of the book I was hoping that the H would drown at sea. The h would have mourned him a little, but I think would have been cheered by receiving her inheritance and a chance at the amusing bon vivant BF of the H.
The GROVEL
Boogenhagen doesn't often give out one or two star ratings so those need to be looked at as closely as a 4 or 5 star rating.
This didn't disappoint. My stomach churned and the temptation to toss my laptop at the wall started within a few words of the heroine meeting up with the BIG FAT IDIOT also known as the hero.
What's not to love? He insults her, slut shames her, accuses her ad nauseam, strong arms her every chance he can and tacks on some punishing kisses and threats as well. What does she do? She pretty much takes it. Okay, she knows she shouldn't so she has a few more grey cells than most HP heroines, mon ami. But does that make it better or worse?
PLOT:
Step-siblings with a ten year difference in age. He thinks she's a bad girl to the tenth degree and makes no bones about it. She's tracked his misogynistic ass down as she needs part of her inheritance to buy an art gallery/shop/center/whatever. He blackmails her into being the cook and slave on his boat for some guests.
The guests are one nice tycoon and his horrible, no good, asinine, vapid and vain second wife and daughter. As much as I wanted the heroine to bop the H over the head, I was actually hoping for more comeuppance to the two women. I guess the fact that the h ended up with the H will have to be enough although the OW is so shallow I doubt she even noticed as she was on to her next
For about 97% of the book I was hoping that the H would drown at sea. The h would have mourned him a little, but I think would have been cheered by receiving her inheritance and a chance at the amusing bon vivant BF of the H.
The GROVEL
October 19, 2018
“Don't be such a damn fool, Francesca!' he exploded savagely, taking a menacing step towards her trembling figure. 'You must be blind, deaf and dumb not to know that I'm madly in love with you!”
I should be blind, deaf and dumb, too. 🙄 And God save the women from man like H. Amen 🙏
2,5 stars
I should be blind, deaf and dumb, too. 🙄 And God save the women from man like H. Amen 🙏
2,5 stars
February 18, 2018
The whole premise of this book was bewildering. It reads like a revenge story except there was no basis for one as the h has done absolutely nothing to warrant his anger.
Her divorced father married his widowed mother while she was very young and him about 10 years old (no blood connection, phew!). After he died, her father made him in charge of her inheritance stipulating that she could only access the money when she is 30. This alone was baffling. Why 30? But we never find out.
At 24, she’s doing well, running an art gallery and when the owner decides to sell, she eagerly wants to acquire it. She goes to meet the H in the hopes of getting the money released but is met by coldness, rejection, and finally a scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours deal. She has to work as a chef on his boat for 2 weeks as he has guests. She is furious at this unreasonable demand but she doesn’t want to delay the process any longer and unlike most clueless HP heroines, gets him to write the deal down on paper and they both sign it. Ah, finally a heroine after my own heart.
It’s been hinted earlier that they had an episode between them when they were younger and Lyons unravels bits and pieces of it as the main story unfolds. At 15, she was infatuated with him and in her innocence, offered her affections only to be cruelly rejected. Both hadn’t met or spoken about it since. But the sexual tension, intense attraction is clear as daylight though both fight it, she with attempted dignity, he with insults.
Now I unashamedly adore my cruel Heroes but I think I’ll pass on this jackass. He’s a judgemental idiot, his insults demeaning and uncalled for, all based on her clumsy attempts at seduction when she was young plus tabloid speculations on her love life and the actions of her birth mother who has flings like a sailor at every port.
He puts her to work in the boat; she’s cleaner, cook, maid and helper. She’s no pushover, she wants her damn gallery so puts up with his shit but only up to a certain point. His guests are his friend, and two prima donnas from hell, the wife and a daughter (OW). Their incessant demands and treatment of her are appalling but he doesn’t say a word to defend her but tells her off when she stands up for herself. Interspersed between all of this is her treacherous body and heart which he manipulates effectively to the point of her mental detriment.
I must say Lyons does offer some good hints of his love for her which initially soothes a few of my ruffled feathers but the final reveal for his antagonism towards her put my hackles back up again
As trainwrecks go, I should have adored this but I couldn’t. I enjoyed Lyons’s writing style though and she made me forget my weekend chores, so for a likeable heroine, 3-stars it is.
Her divorced father married his widowed mother while she was very young and him about 10 years old (no blood connection, phew!). After he died, her father made him in charge of her inheritance stipulating that she could only access the money when she is 30. This alone was baffling. Why 30? But we never find out.
At 24, she’s doing well, running an art gallery and when the owner decides to sell, she eagerly wants to acquire it. She goes to meet the H in the hopes of getting the money released but is met by coldness, rejection, and finally a scratch-my-back-I’ll-scratch-yours deal. She has to work as a chef on his boat for 2 weeks as he has guests. She is furious at this unreasonable demand but she doesn’t want to delay the process any longer and unlike most clueless HP heroines, gets him to write the deal down on paper and they both sign it. Ah, finally a heroine after my own heart.
It’s been hinted earlier that they had an episode between them when they were younger and Lyons unravels bits and pieces of it as the main story unfolds. At 15, she was infatuated with him and in her innocence, offered her affections only to be cruelly rejected. Both hadn’t met or spoken about it since. But the sexual tension, intense attraction is clear as daylight though both fight it, she with attempted dignity, he with insults.
Now I unashamedly adore my cruel Heroes but I think I’ll pass on this jackass. He’s a judgemental idiot, his insults demeaning and uncalled for, all based on her clumsy attempts at seduction when she was young plus tabloid speculations on her love life and the actions of her birth mother who has flings like a sailor at every port.
He puts her to work in the boat; she’s cleaner, cook, maid and helper. She’s no pushover, she wants her damn gallery so puts up with his shit but only up to a certain point. His guests are his friend, and two prima donnas from hell, the wife and a daughter (OW). Their incessant demands and treatment of her are appalling but he doesn’t say a word to defend her but tells her off when she stands up for herself. Interspersed between all of this is her treacherous body and heart which he manipulates effectively to the point of her mental detriment.
I must say Lyons does offer some good hints of his love for her which initially soothes a few of my ruffled feathers but the final reveal for his antagonism towards her put my hackles back up again
As trainwrecks go, I should have adored this but I couldn’t. I enjoyed Lyons’s writing style though and she made me forget my weekend chores, so for a likeable heroine, 3-stars it is.
March 3, 2019
omg the author made the H act as a complete pos to the poor h who did not deserve such a bad treatment evn if he actually believed her to be a promiscuous n high living rich girl.
February 5, 2016
2 1/2 stars. Extra half star for interesting setting and a heroine that wasn't a complete doormat. This is a step-siblings, hero wants revenge while on board a ship story. :) Heroine is 24 and wants to get her mitts on her trust fund to buy an art gallery. Millionaire hero is heroine's stepbrother who is executor of the trust. They make a deal. Heroine will cook for his guests on his yacht for two weeks and then he will sign off on the trust.
This is a memorable book because of the Cinderella scenario and how the heroine withstands it. I think I needed more reasons why the heroine had always had a crush on the hero. It didn't seem like he paid her any attention at all in the past and in "real time" he was pretty insufferable.
This is a memorable book because of the Cinderella scenario and how the heroine withstands it. I think I needed more reasons why the heroine had always had a crush on the hero. It didn't seem like he paid her any attention at all in the past and in "real time" he was pretty insufferable.
July 18, 2021
Alright, I have a new reigning Queen of Doormats because what in the absolute hell!
Not only did she let the H bully her into a totally unnecessary role so he could bully her further, she also let herself be walked, rolled, stamped and cartwheeled on by the OW and OW’s stepmom. At this point in time, spines were not out of stock, they were positively extinct.
There was literally not one iota, ounce, sliver, teeny, weeny, bit, of romance in this. It was just straight up abuse, bullets of insults, and forced kisses with the h melting faster than a stick of butter in a microwave for every one of these disgusting kisses. Even I, who considers myself an enthusiastic connoisseur and enjoyer(is this a word?) of cruel heroes, found myself disgusted.
And don’t even get me started on……SPOILER I THINK BUT I’M NOT SURE SO…………..
him saying he bought the art gallery before he bullied her into working for him because he was gonna give it to her anyway. I did not buy it at all, not one bit. He definitely bought it so he could throw it in her face at the end if he had not gotten what he wanted.
And Miss I’ll-let-absolutely-anyone-walk-over-me-just-for-the-fun-of-it bought that BS. She was ready to buy any lies he was willing to sell her no questions asked, in fact she didn’t even want him to dwell on the awful shit he put her through. Sigh.
There’s a very fine, fine, line between writing a doormat with a spine that actually works, and writing a doormat who is what ever existed before being a doormat came about and the h fell into the latter.
Yet another night where my enjoyment of my cruel hero syndrome has been botched. Time for some tequila shotssss.
Not only did she let the H bully her into a totally unnecessary role so he could bully her further, she also let herself be walked, rolled, stamped and cartwheeled on by the OW and OW’s stepmom. At this point in time, spines were not out of stock, they were positively extinct.
There was literally not one iota, ounce, sliver, teeny, weeny, bit, of romance in this. It was just straight up abuse, bullets of insults, and forced kisses with the h melting faster than a stick of butter in a microwave for every one of these disgusting kisses. Even I, who considers myself an enthusiastic connoisseur and enjoyer(is this a word?) of cruel heroes, found myself disgusted.
And don’t even get me started on……SPOILER I THINK BUT I’M NOT SURE SO…………..
him saying he bought the art gallery before he bullied her into working for him because he was gonna give it to her anyway. I did not buy it at all, not one bit. He definitely bought it so he could throw it in her face at the end if he had not gotten what he wanted.
And Miss I’ll-let-absolutely-anyone-walk-over-me-just-for-the-fun-of-it bought that BS. She was ready to buy any lies he was willing to sell her no questions asked, in fact she didn’t even want him to dwell on the awful shit he put her through. Sigh.
There’s a very fine, fine, line between writing a doormat with a spine that actually works, and writing a doormat who is what ever existed before being a doormat came about and the h fell into the latter.
Yet another night where my enjoyment of my cruel hero syndrome has been botched. Time for some tequila shotssss.
June 8, 2014
Francesca Patterson needs money for her next endeavor. The only avenue she feels to obtain this money is via her stepbrother who holds the reins to her trust. Matthew Sinclair offers her a deal – work as his chef aboard his yacht for him and his guests and then he will sign it over to her. For some reason chef turns out to be all around servant though!
Matt is rather nasty to Francesca throughout the book. But of course you know he secretly wants her, however it got rather tiring his childish tactics and I just wished he would grow up. In between his childish ways he comes across as the pillar of utmost respect and shame on Francesca for her past and the fact that her mother was a common tool from the shed! Matt wants to blame Francesca for what he nearly did years ago, as well as believe someone not even family because it’s easier to blame Francesca! Yet it seems that when the truth came out about that incident he still held some weird sort of grudge. He didn’t even want his passengers to know of their relationship which enabled them to treat her appallingly and he allowed it – it got exhausting.
She reaches breaking point – tears – and suddenly Matt is all over the place w/ darling this and darling that. It was really out of left field character wise. He’s ready to explain all but Francesca wants a bath instead. Guess that shows how important she believes that explanation is, huh? She was truly innocent, he’s devastated because of what he believed of her and how he treated her, but she now wants the whole explanation. Eye Roll!
Matt is rather nasty to Francesca throughout the book. But of course you know he secretly wants her, however it got rather tiring his childish tactics and I just wished he would grow up. In between his childish ways he comes across as the pillar of utmost respect and shame on Francesca for her past and the fact that her mother was a common tool from the shed! Matt wants to blame Francesca for what he nearly did years ago, as well as believe someone not even family because it’s easier to blame Francesca! Yet it seems that when the truth came out about that incident he still held some weird sort of grudge. He didn’t even want his passengers to know of their relationship which enabled them to treat her appallingly and he allowed it – it got exhausting.
She reaches breaking point – tears – and suddenly Matt is all over the place w/ darling this and darling that. It was really out of left field character wise. He’s ready to explain all but Francesca wants a bath instead. Guess that shows how important she believes that explanation is, huh? She was truly innocent, he’s devastated because of what he believed of her and how he treated her, but she now wants the whole explanation. Eye Roll!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 20, 2018
There is no better book than a vintage to give you an ALPHA Hero! Sigh! Matt was that and more. He was a man certainly in on control he manipulated and outplayed his spite to the heroine by being cruel, selfish,harsh and downright nasty to justify his punishment for making him suffer in jealousy and unrequited love.Fran had already loved him and declared as much since she was sixteen. With all the facts incriminating Francesca, Matt refused her and in so doing humiliated her to an extent she couldn't have a physical relationship with another man. A grown up Francesca was his match she was witty, talented and innocent. Their disagreements were feisty, passionate and volcanic.Matt made her jealous with his Father's friend daughter and it all backfired when Matt's friend recognised Fran and Matt were in a combat against each other and their feelings. With a little 'force' , Matt stormed and swept Fran away from it all and violently declared his passionate love and marriage( quite a poor taste of declaration), leaving Fran dumbstruck. I would have also doubted him after going through hell and hating him suddenly there is love? Fran made him suffered by wanting to delay what he wanted to declare and explain his asshat behavior,so she requested a bath. The duo eventually wind up in bed and Matt discovered she was untouched adding more guilt to his recriminations. Thereafter he was frustrated , unsure and remorseful about his Fran's feelings. Finally they got their talk and cleared up their Misunderstandings and found their HEA. Silver lady was named after Fran since it was one of her beautiful asset,he silver ash hair. May even named the house after her as well. Despite his mistreatment, the reader can see his obsession with Fran and his love...alls well ends well. Great read! Short of 5 stars because I would love an epilogue to seen the change in Matt and how their love evolved between them.
February 1, 2015
Vaguely creepy.
I'm not sure why so many old school HP involve hooking up with family(cousins step siblings etc) but usually I can put aside that connection and enjoy the story. In this case.. it just felt.. Wrong.
The H/h are step siblings who haven't had any real contact since the h threw herself at the H when she was 16. Now, 8 years later, the h father left the H guardian of her trust in his will. The h goes to the H asking for access to her money in order to buy a business, and the H agrees if she spends the next 2 weeks cooking/cleaning for him and his guests on his boat.
Usually when you read about step-siblings, it's a case of married when the kids were in their teens or maybe even adults... but not here. They were very young when the parents married, and up until the h is 16 the H thought of her as a little sister. It was kinda gross. It felt more like she was getting hot over her older brother.
Putting aside the incest factor, you've got a H who is not very likable. Again, usually judgemental H don't bother me, but for some reason this one really did. He didn't just judge the h, but also her mother and he repeatedly called both mother and daughter sluts(in more PC terms). It just came off as if the h had no value to him if she wasn't pure, and her mother was obviously the scum of the earth for having been married a bunch.
All in all an old skool read that just isnt relatable today.
I'm not sure why so many old school HP involve hooking up with family(cousins step siblings etc) but usually I can put aside that connection and enjoy the story. In this case.. it just felt.. Wrong.
The H/h are step siblings who haven't had any real contact since the h threw herself at the H when she was 16. Now, 8 years later, the h father left the H guardian of her trust in his will. The h goes to the H asking for access to her money in order to buy a business, and the H agrees if she spends the next 2 weeks cooking/cleaning for him and his guests on his boat.
Usually when you read about step-siblings, it's a case of married when the kids were in their teens or maybe even adults... but not here. They were very young when the parents married, and up until the h is 16 the H thought of her as a little sister. It was kinda gross. It felt more like she was getting hot over her older brother.
Putting aside the incest factor, you've got a H who is not very likable. Again, usually judgemental H don't bother me, but for some reason this one really did. He didn't just judge the h, but also her mother and he repeatedly called both mother and daughter sluts(in more PC terms). It just came off as if the h had no value to him if she wasn't pure, and her mother was obviously the scum of the earth for having been married a bunch.
All in all an old skool read that just isnt relatable today.
January 31, 2016
Well this one pissed me off. Big time! He makes her his boat slave for his girlfriend and friend enjoyment while he teased and tormented her the whole way his excuse!!!! I love you but your a whore who does not deserve my love and on top of that she is a virgin and no I am sorry moment for this asshole. No sir I love you that's why I was a total bastard. He admits he was a bastard but no sorry no I will make it up to you and she has sex with the bastard after all he'd done to her. Gross just gross I can't say it was all bad just omg really I was so mad I could not get past it.
May 8, 2022
Μια ιστορία για μια αγάπη που τα πάντα υπομένει , μια αγάπη που πάντα ελπίζει! Και εκεί που νομίζεις ότι είσαι χαμένος/η, εκεί που ακυρώνεις κάθε συναίσθημα, έρχεται με τόση ορμή να σου υπενθυμίσει ότι είσαι πάντα δέσμιος/α της αγάπης!Ποτέ δεν είναι αργά για τα λόγια που δεν ειπώθηκαν την κατάλληλη στιγμή, αρκεί να βρεθεί το θάρρος της ομολογίας, καθώς και της μετάνοιας, της συγγνώμης! Επίσης, πολύ ωραίος και ο επίλογος της ιστορίας! Δυνατή και απολαυστική! Μου άρεσε πολύ!!!!
November 4, 2013
loved it ! i enjoyed it very much ! it deserved more than a 3 star according 2 me but what disturbed me was matt's beastly behavior n dat francesca let herself be treated like their servant when she was their equal. only some1 desperate 4 money, really desperate wud be doing all the work, from cooking 2 carrying luggage 2 cleaning the boat n well she simply did everything ! n she was not dat desperate !she only needed the money 2 buy smthng of her fancy. n der was no grovelling at the end ! matt was a big ass n bastard n deserved 2 pay. highly entertaining book though, dunt miss it:P it's a great read. i wish mrs lyons had made matt suffer at the end n the book cud easily have become a 5 star
January 19, 2022
Lost at sea
Francesca Patterson and Matthew Sinclair share a stormy past. In fact, the animosity they feel toward each other is equaled only by the disturbing undercurrent of unresolved attraction between them. Matt is the trustee of Francesca's inheritance. She needs her money now, but Matt is going to make her work for it. Literally.
As chief cook and bottle washer aboard his yacht, Silver Lady--and slave to hip demanding guests--Francesca's been sentenced to eight weeks of hell on the high seas. And each scorchingly hot day in paradise is fueling a dangerous passion that is all too close to flaring: out of control
Francesca Patterson and Matthew Sinclair share a stormy past. In fact, the animosity they feel toward each other is equaled only by the disturbing undercurrent of unresolved attraction between them. Matt is the trustee of Francesca's inheritance. She needs her money now, but Matt is going to make her work for it. Literally.
As chief cook and bottle washer aboard his yacht, Silver Lady--and slave to hip demanding guests--Francesca's been sentenced to eight weeks of hell on the high seas. And each scorchingly hot day in paradise is fueling a dangerous passion that is all too close to flaring: out of control
August 14, 2023
This guy, Matt, gave so many barks of laughter I thought he might be a seal. I mean, this one was pretty old skool. He treats her like crap, slut shames and grabs her repeatedly, blackmails her into skivvying on his yacht round the Caribbean for two weeks (being polite servant to hideous OW and mother) then declares " don't be such a damn fool Francesca, you must be blind deaf and dumb not to know that I'm madly in love with you. " That would make two of us, then, Francesca. Yes he had a body to die for and a yacht and a gin palace and a house on Mustique but he didn't have many other redeeming qualities. Still readable though 😂
There is no hope for me.
There is no hope for me.
May 18, 2016
I started it but I couldn't finish it after page 31 of 148. Then I proceeded to skim jump and go all the way to the supposed HEA. The H was just too much of an a-hole for me. He kept calling her a whore, including her mother and of course throughout the book treated her really crappily. I usually like the step siblings trope but this book just didn't do it for me.
September 18, 2017
He may have been totes in love with her all among - allegedly but man he acted like a butt head for the majority of the book. I'm not a fan of doormat h's no matter how innocent or in love they are. She should have smacked him upside the head with one of her scrubbing products and told him to stick his boat where the sun doesn't shine
October 16, 2021
Francesca and Matt's parents were once married. That made them step siblings. Her mother was not a good mother. Her name was in the papers all the time and not in a good way. Her step mother, Matt's mom, tried to shield her from the bad press. It didn't always work. After his mom died Francesca tried to entice Matt. It backfired in a horrible way. She had always loved him and thought only to comfort him. Now years later she is in need of her trust fund that her father set up. Matt is the deciding vote. He blackmails her into working for him for two weeks on a small yacht. Then he will decide if what she wants to invest in is doable. But the guest from hell walk on board. Will she be able to stand those two weeks or will she give up. He has had it in for her for years and now it is payback time. But is it all her fault or is something else in the past that she isn't aware of causing his anger? Will the truth come to light? Or is one of the guests what he truly wants? This is an older book that I do own and just now read.
December 20, 2021
No big deal.
The writing is average.
The characters are shallow and not very pleasant.
The heroine and the hero are step siblings.
She was in love with him and at 16 he almost seduced her, then slut-shamed her and they haven’t seen for 8 years.
The heroine asks him to give her the money her father left her, because the hero is her guardian.
He accepts if she will be his cook for two weeks in his yacht.
He invites a friend with a nasty wife and a nastier daughter who wants to marry the hero.
The heroine must be their whipping boy.
The hero slut shames her for 85 % of the book , then when one of his friends courts the heroine, he decides to tell her he loves her.
Oh he has been in love all along, for 8 years.
The slut shaming, the debasing, the humiliation and slavery were all part of his courtship.
Romantic isn’t he?
No?
Pity because this is what the writer would like us to believe.
The heroine was stupid and acted like a child, had not pride nor self respect.
No words to describe the hero.
I don’t think I can recommend it to anyone.
The writing is average.
The characters are shallow and not very pleasant.
The heroine and the hero are step siblings.
She was in love with him and at 16 he almost seduced her, then slut-shamed her and they haven’t seen for 8 years.
The heroine asks him to give her the money her father left her, because the hero is her guardian.
He accepts if she will be his cook for two weeks in his yacht.
He invites a friend with a nasty wife and a nastier daughter who wants to marry the hero.
The heroine must be their whipping boy.
The hero slut shames her for 85 % of the book , then when one of his friends courts the heroine, he decides to tell her he loves her.
Oh he has been in love all along, for 8 years.
The slut shaming, the debasing, the humiliation and slavery were all part of his courtship.
Romantic isn’t he?
No?
Pity because this is what the writer would like us to believe.
The heroine was stupid and acted like a child, had not pride nor self respect.
No words to describe the hero.
I don’t think I can recommend it to anyone.
April 23, 2020
First, this cover? So bad it's good. But our doofus of a hero, man. But we also had rando people flitting in and out. 'Theres that girl who lied, our parents who aren't together anymore, my dad who I guess raised me, there's that dude who I went to school with, there is the gay guy I live with'. Just scattered. But back to our idiot hero... he is so dumb and his reasons are so lazy. 'Whew that one week! Bonkers so I just kinda held a grudge that barely had anything to do with you, but I loved you.' The step siblings could have been LESS gross if he hadn't liked her and she didn't toss herself at him all while she was a teenager. Yuck. But this could have worked but too messy. Still read it though, but be ready to cringe a bit.
Want to Read
September 27, 2018Awful, silly and implausible.
Based on the “hero” deciding that his recently bereaved, 15-year-old virgin stepsister must be a slut who has slept with lots of other men, after she confesses her love for him and he nearly seduces her.
He then treats her like shit for a decade, and nothing nice happens whatsoever from the start to the end of this book.
Based on the “hero” deciding that his recently bereaved, 15-year-old virgin stepsister must be a slut who has slept with lots of other men, after she confesses her love for him and he nearly seduces her.
He then treats her like shit for a decade, and nothing nice happens whatsoever from the start to the end of this book.
September 25, 2021
Mixed feelings on this one. H claims he’s madly in love with her but just spent two weeks treating her like dirt and encouraging his guests to be demanding and nasty, almost as vile as he was. That makes it impossible to believe the sudden love-you moment.
I kept wanting her to pull out her signed contract that obligated her to cook, not be the stewardess, boat cleaner, nursemaid
Even so I didn’t put the story down. That's why 3 stars despite the jerky hero.
I kept wanting her to pull out her signed contract that obligated her to cook, not be the stewardess, boat cleaner, nursemaid
Even so I didn’t put the story down. That's why 3 stars despite the jerky hero.
April 28, 2016
2.5 actually...
Our h is 24 and our H is her legal guardian 'til she's 30?! 'Scuse me? What century is this?! Also, if he's her legal guardian (hiss, snarl), why is it he's running a corporation in NY while she works at an art gallery in...London I think?
So our h's boss is retiring. She wants to buy him out. She can afford it if only stepbrother dearest releases the purse strings to her trust fund. She hares off to the Caribbean to beg, whereupon he acts like a royal ass, telling her if she wants it, she'll have to play servant on his boat for 2 weeks. She agrees.
She spends the next several days essentially being a slave to his guests, while he taunts her, comes on to her, mocks her response, etc. His friend conveniently shows up and starts flirting. They go to some island, whereupon the "H" pretty much throws her over his shoulder, takes her to his vacation home, and gives one the impression that "No" doesn't mean anything. She goes to pieces and...
We suddenly switch to his POV where he's horrified that his attempt at a romantic getaway (seriously?!) has backfired and she'll never marry him now. He 'splains himself, she caves, puts out, he learns just how "off" his impression of her actually was (the h with the "loose morals" still had her "V" card), he reveals he bought the art gallery, etc...
I skimmed a few pages...to speed things up, you see.
The "H" - and I use that term loosely - blew hot and cold. One minute, he'd be grinning or trying hard not to laugh, the next minute you wondered if he was going to beat her...or worse. The h, for all that she was half afraid of him, seemed to have a quick temper. Did I believe the romance? Not really. I figure he'll continue with his erratic behavior, she'll become a nervous wreck, and one day, she'll snap. Now whether she bolts, or just shoots him is anyone's guess.
Our h is 24 and our H is her legal guardian 'til she's 30?! 'Scuse me? What century is this?! Also, if he's her legal guardian (hiss, snarl), why is it he's running a corporation in NY while she works at an art gallery in...London I think?
So our h's boss is retiring. She wants to buy him out. She can afford it if only stepbrother dearest releases the purse strings to her trust fund. She hares off to the Caribbean to beg, whereupon he acts like a royal ass, telling her if she wants it, she'll have to play servant on his boat for 2 weeks. She agrees.
She spends the next several days essentially being a slave to his guests, while he taunts her, comes on to her, mocks her response, etc. His friend conveniently shows up and starts flirting. They go to some island, whereupon the "H" pretty much throws her over his shoulder, takes her to his vacation home, and gives one the impression that "No" doesn't mean anything. She goes to pieces and...
We suddenly switch to his POV where he's horrified that his attempt at a romantic getaway (seriously?!) has backfired and she'll never marry him now. He 'splains himself, she caves, puts out, he learns just how "off" his impression of her actually was (the h with the "loose morals" still had her "V" card), he reveals he bought the art gallery, etc...
I skimmed a few pages...to speed things up, you see.
The "H" - and I use that term loosely - blew hot and cold. One minute, he'd be grinning or trying hard not to laugh, the next minute you wondered if he was going to beat her...or worse. The h, for all that she was half afraid of him, seemed to have a quick temper. Did I believe the romance? Not really. I figure he'll continue with his erratic behavior, she'll become a nervous wreck, and one day, she'll snap. Now whether she bolts, or just shoots him is anyone's guess.
August 21, 2020
I got my hands on this as an impressionable adolescent, read it a million times, and finally tracked it down on Goodreads with some strategic googling.
These are not sympathetic characters, particularly: Franchesca is a virginal socialite without too much of a backbone, who has always been in love with her older stepbrother (yep), asshole-ish businesman, Matthew. That part is a bit *eyebrow raised*, but at its heart, this is my standard childhood friends to lovers with seeming unrequited love, so I can go with it. Matthew controls access to Franchesca's trust fund for now, so when she wants to buy an art gallery, she jets off to the Caribbean to confront him.
There, he forces her to grovel as the cook and maid on his yacht (because he's so mad at her for being attractive to him--literally, he says this at the end) for an extremely unpleasant American family, who is not told that she is his stepsister. They have moments of random attraction and kissing (that are oddly believable), but mostly fight like cats and dogs. Then, there's a storm, and things wrap up in a chapter or two on Mustique, where her identity comes out, and she wears a "ridiculous" sexy dress that pushes Matt over the edge. He drags her off to his sekrit house, takes her virginity, and proposes. He bought the gallery for her, but of course, she can't possibly run the gallery AND be married to him. Don't worry, though, it's a good investment. *eye roll*
It's an awful, ridiculous book, in so many ways, and if I hadn't read it so much as a teen, I'm sure I wouldn't think anything of it, but I must admit I have a soft spot for it.
These are not sympathetic characters, particularly: Franchesca is a virginal socialite without too much of a backbone, who has always been in love with her older stepbrother (yep), asshole-ish businesman, Matthew. That part is a bit *eyebrow raised*, but at its heart, this is my standard childhood friends to lovers with seeming unrequited love, so I can go with it. Matthew controls access to Franchesca's trust fund for now, so when she wants to buy an art gallery, she jets off to the Caribbean to confront him.
There, he forces her to grovel as the cook and maid on his yacht (because he's so mad at her for being attractive to him--literally, he says this at the end) for an extremely unpleasant American family, who is not told that she is his stepsister. They have moments of random attraction and kissing (that are oddly believable), but mostly fight like cats and dogs. Then, there's a storm, and things wrap up in a chapter or two on Mustique, where her identity comes out, and she wears a "ridiculous" sexy dress that pushes Matt over the edge. He drags her off to his sekrit house, takes her virginity, and proposes. He bought the gallery for her, but of course, she can't possibly run the gallery AND be married to him. Don't worry, though, it's a good investment. *eye roll*
It's an awful, ridiculous book, in so many ways, and if I hadn't read it so much as a teen, I'm sure I wouldn't think anything of it, but I must admit I have a soft spot for it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2012
It's a fun read. It has the right amount of tension and sparks. The verbal sparing was adequate and the plot was great. There this misunderstanding that they have to resolve. She needed him to relinquish control of her inheritance, but he had more plans for her. She had no option but to dance to his tune.
September 8, 2015
2.5 stars
January 12, 2016
It was ok, plot was kind of static.
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