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Full Bloom
She had blossomed...
Emily Ravenscroft had changed! Too often in the past she'd fallen for dashing suitors with their eyes on her family's thriving business. Too often she'd been saved from disaster by her parents' troubleshooter, Jacob Stone, long the man of her dreams.
Once she took charge of her life, the new Emily - vibrant and willful - didn't need Jacob to rescue her anymore. She needed him to love her. And he did - passionately. But her domineering family was still determined to run her life, and to break their bond...
Emily Ravenscroft had changed! Too often in the past she'd fallen for dashing suitors with their eyes on her family's thriving business. Too often she'd been saved from disaster by her parents' troubleshooter, Jacob Stone, long the man of her dreams.
Once she took charge of her life, the new Emily - vibrant and willful - didn't need Jacob to rescue her anymore. She needed him to love her. And he did - passionately. But her domineering family was still determined to run her life, and to break their bond...
221 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
10 people are currently reading
338 people want to read
About the author
Jayne Ann Krentz
401 books7,170 followersThe author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers, JAYNE ANN KRENTZ writes romantic-suspense in three different worlds: Contemporary (as Jayne Ann Krentz), historical (as Amanda Quick) and futuristic (as Jayne Castle). There are over 30 million copies of her books in print.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
She earned a B.A. in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz and went on to obtain a Masters degree in Library Science from San Jose State University in California. Before she began writing full time she worked as a librarian in both academic and corporate libraries.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 11, 2019
Surprisingly short (and bland) emancipation story of a heroine (Full Bloom – get it?) from her family and the hero from his bitterness? Question mark is there because this hero – surname “Stone” – isn’t vividly drawn.
The heroine’s emancipation from her family began off page when she took an assertiveness training course and a self-defense course. The H/h’s relationship also began off page when the then-married hero worked for her family’s company as head of security. He rescued her from a kidnapping (5 years before) and an unscrupulous fiancé.(3 years before) The heroine has been attracted to the H ever since.
Since their last meeting the heroine has set up a florist shop and has inherited shares in the family company from her grandmother. The hero has divorced and has struck out on his own. When the story opens the hero has returned to play a recording of the heroine’s latest beau explaining to his mistress how he is going to marry the heroine for her shares in the family company.
Heroine is embarrassed and angry and flings herself into the night. Hero drives her to Seattle and announces his intent to court her (fine w/ heroine) and protect her (not so fine w/heroine).
The rest of the story concerns the heroine coming to terms with her family and finding her sweet spot with the hero. He is willing to be trained (bless him) in dialing back his protective nature and allowing the heroine equal say in the relationship.
At least that is what the author *says* is happening, but what is shown is the hero making ultimatums (and regretting it), the hero silencing the heroine while confronting her family in his own way, the hero deciding they are moving away to start their married life.
One of the final scenes where the hero “allows” the heroine to tackle her stalker with her self-defense moves while he watches (just in case) is supposed to show how they have worked out the issue of independence/interdependence in their relationship.
I guess that works – but when it comes to physical violence, I lose all appetite for independence. In fact, I’ve been married so long I’ve forgotten those early negotiation days. Now it’s just an automatic divvying up of life’s tasks and decisions. So, it was good to be reminded of that. (We married in 1987 and this story was published in 1988 – so I do remember the mindset back then.)
The heroine’s emancipation from her family began off page when she took an assertiveness training course and a self-defense course. The H/h’s relationship also began off page when the then-married hero worked for her family’s company as head of security. He rescued her from a kidnapping (5 years before) and an unscrupulous fiancé.(3 years before) The heroine has been attracted to the H ever since.
Since their last meeting the heroine has set up a florist shop and has inherited shares in the family company from her grandmother. The hero has divorced and has struck out on his own. When the story opens the hero has returned to play a recording of the heroine’s latest beau explaining to his mistress how he is going to marry the heroine for her shares in the family company.
Heroine is embarrassed and angry and flings herself into the night. Hero drives her to Seattle and announces his intent to court her (fine w/ heroine) and protect her (not so fine w/heroine).
The rest of the story concerns the heroine coming to terms with her family and finding her sweet spot with the hero. He is willing to be trained (bless him) in dialing back his protective nature and allowing the heroine equal say in the relationship.
At least that is what the author *says* is happening, but what is shown is the hero making ultimatums (and regretting it), the hero silencing the heroine while confronting her family in his own way, the hero deciding they are moving away to start their married life.
One of the final scenes where the hero “allows” the heroine to tackle her stalker with her self-defense moves while he watches (just in case) is supposed to show how they have worked out the issue of independence/interdependence in their relationship.
I guess that works – but when it comes to physical violence, I lose all appetite for independence. In fact, I’ve been married so long I’ve forgotten those early negotiation days. Now it’s just an automatic divvying up of life’s tasks and decisions. So, it was good to be reminded of that. (We married in 1987 and this story was published in 1988 – so I do remember the mindset back then.)
June 21, 2020
"Full Bloom" is the story of Emily and Jacob.
A sweet and sexy romance between two strong MCs who fight to be together. The heroine is a rich heiress, who has left her family's traditions and owns a small flower shop. Her interfering family are caring but extremely condescending. The hero has worked as the family's troubleshooter and spy for years. When they decide to re-employ the hero to dig into her latest boyfriend's past, the heroine is annoyed. However, the hero decides to finally pursue the heroine, and explore the attraction both have denied for years. Ofcourse, there is some family drama, evil OM, revenge plots- but it is mixed with witty banter, extremely hot lovemaking and honesty. Hero had a fragile ego, heroine had a determined plan.
Overall, a good read.
SWE
3/5
A sweet and sexy romance between two strong MCs who fight to be together. The heroine is a rich heiress, who has left her family's traditions and owns a small flower shop. Her interfering family are caring but extremely condescending. The hero has worked as the family's troubleshooter and spy for years. When they decide to re-employ the hero to dig into her latest boyfriend's past, the heroine is annoyed. However, the hero decides to finally pursue the heroine, and explore the attraction both have denied for years. Ofcourse, there is some family drama, evil OM, revenge plots- but it is mixed with witty banter, extremely hot lovemaking and honesty. Hero had a fragile ego, heroine had a determined plan.
Overall, a good read.
SWE
3/5
October 22, 2017
Forgot just how much I loved Jayne Ann Krentz when I was younger.
She was one of the first authors I started reading when I started on Adult books.
Ok, so it is a bit old fashioned, but I do not care. And even it being old fashioned, the hero is not as OTT Possessive Alpha as some heroes around today! He is all about the heroine and knows what he wants. And is so thankful he gets his shot.
Love it as much now as I did 20 years ago.
She was one of the first authors I started reading when I started on Adult books.
Ok, so it is a bit old fashioned, but I do not care. And even it being old fashioned, the hero is not as OTT Possessive Alpha as some heroes around today! He is all about the heroine and knows what he wants. And is so thankful he gets his shot.
Love it as much now as I did 20 years ago.
June 14, 2013
This is a bit of a pivotal book, from a pivotal period in romance fiction. In this one you can see some of the older tropes rearing their ugly head; domineering male issuing commands that the woman follows without arguing enough; that sort of thing, the tropes that gave romance fiction a bad name for many years. But then Krentz pulls the rug out from under it in subtle ways, the woman has done an assertiveness training course and some self defence classes and she stands up to the male character, he dictates to her where they going to move but she keeps her business, in fact he has to deal with the fact that in some ways he's her dependent. Overall you can see the roots of later assertive female characters in romance fiction taking root and spreading their wings in this book.
This is not to say that there aren't flaws and there were times that I wanted her to tell him to "get lost" and call the cops on his ass several times and get a barring order organised, for being a controlling asshat like her family had been and I'm glad to see that in the end he let her be assertive and control her situation like she needed to. The wedding made me deeply angry tho, he basically told her they were getting married and while he acknowledged she was upset throughout the situation he didn't try to resolve it BEFORE getting married in Reno.
Still overall it wasn't bad, it got an extra half star for the ending.
This is not to say that there aren't flaws and there were times that I wanted her to tell him to "get lost" and call the cops on his ass several times and get a barring order organised, for being a controlling asshat like her family had been and I'm glad to see that in the end he let her be assertive and control her situation like she needed to. The wedding made me deeply angry tho, he basically told her they were getting married and while he acknowledged she was upset throughout the situation he didn't try to resolve it BEFORE getting married in Reno.
Still overall it wasn't bad, it got an extra half star for the ending.
April 20, 2010
This is one of my first Jayne Ann Krentz. As most authors in this genre have to do, it seems Krentz started as a Harlequin writer. Most Harlequins I don’t like, because the lack of development of the story and characters. This one was not an exception. Giving to the fact this was early in the writing career, and the fact I have read other Quick books; I am continuing to try with her stories. Emily is the different child of the powerful Ravencroft clan. What the RI (company owned by the family) actually does is a mystery. She has been controlled for years by her family, which I can understand. She also has loved Jacob Stone for years. She has given up on marriage and struck off on her own. The plot was very convenient and Jacob and Emily end up together. A very quick read (maybe an hour and a half), and would only want to recommend to those that don’t want to think about what they read.
January 16, 2016
251 pgs
I dint like the age diff btwn them. She’s 27&he’s 37 which is a big gap 4me,&I like my characters 2byounger. I hated that he'd ben married b4&was wen they met 5yrs ago. &she'd ben engaged 2sum1 b4 her family had Jacob pay him off. I like 4the characters 2only mak such a commitment 2each other. I wish they hadn’t but I was excited 2c wher it went. I liked that he had ben dutiful 2her family&knew every time she messed up&was sent 2handle it&he had a personal interest in breakin up a potential marriage btwn her&another man.
Wen she had ben verbally pushin him at her apartment he sed stop pushin him b4 he did sumthin rash&she sed such as? &he kissed her. She sed it was their 2nd kiss &there wer no details. Idl wen authors say things about the past w/no explanation. I liked wen he asked her 2say his name bcuz he hadn’t herd her say it in 2yrs.
He sed she’s turned in2 1stubborn lil cat. She told him Damon Morrell might giv her the loan&she’ll use her share of her family’s business as collateral. He gets mad, sayin u lil cat! Then he says the fluffy lil kitten had turned in2 a tigress w/very sharp claws. That was enuf of the cat references.
Jacob is rly interested in the flower shop&she’s surprised. He delivers flowers&he’s gentle w/them, she knows the blooms will b safe in his hands. It turned so utterly boring. This strong, ruthless, dangerous man grinnin bcuz sum1 tipped him4 deliverin flowers. It was so tame.
I hate wen bks r so predictable. Damon cums 2her apartment &he’s startin 2get rough w/her, holding her wrist&sayin he shud hav had her b4. Of course Jacob comes crashin thru the door at that precise moment. &it was obvious where it was goin2 lead. He wants 2know y Damon showed up&y she opened the door 2him. He thought she’d alredy broken up w/Damon &was mad at her 2find out she’d ben comin up w/excuses 2y she cudnt c Damon insted. He says she’s a lil idiot. He act. says that. He says she can’t handle a man like Morrell, she shud hav leveled straight&accuses her of bein coy. &he says her family was right about her, she can’t take care of herself &needs a keeper. He act. sed all of that. I’m sry, does he luv her? Bcuz this isn’t soundin like luv.
That’s wen I knew I dint like her&nvr wud. I agreed w/Jacob&her family except I took it a step further. She was stupid &did need protection bcuz she was an idiot w/no backbone that was easily swayed.
The language durin the romance scenes was sorely lackin. &the romance was sorely lackin. It was that kind of flowery speech that covers up an obvious lack of detail. He sed “claimin Emily was like plungin himself in2 a pool of clingin, sun-drenched flowers.” That was a rly awful comparison. Was it rly like that? Wud a man ever say sex was like flowers? &Emily sed her love 4him had burst in2 full flower that night. B4 they made luv Jacob sed her nipples were buddin in2 full flowers. I see the flower references r runnin rampant thru here. Just bcuz she’s a florist duznt mean both characters need 2b comparin everything 2flowers. Not everything can b likened 2flowers.
He taks her2her dad’s bday party&realizes Emily hadn’t told her parents they’re 2gether &he dint know if it was due 2her bein nervous or wantin2 shock them, but he was mildly irritated. Well isn’t that new? Emily is worried they’ll find a way2 convince or force Jacob 2leave her &had the idea 2giv her family an ultimatum that if they interfere w/her relationship w/Jacob she’ll sell her shares. It’s the 1 moment she’s showin a bit of strength, tellin them 2listen 2her, but of course it’s ruined. Jacob isn’t appreciative of her attempt 2protect him&as usual Emily is babbling at the mouth about how terrible her family is&how they’re so controlling &only care about the business. He keeps makin remarks that RI isn’t all they care about&he’s not worried about them, but it nvr gets thru 2her.
Jacob rly was an asshole. The way he talks 2her is not ok. Even tho Emily is an idiot the way he acted towards her was verbally abusive. He says he’s not in the mood 2indulge her&he’s had enuf Ravenscroft drama. He’s sure she used him2 finally get bak at her family&Emily is silently watchin his face 2read his mood &realizes he’s furious w/her&wen she speaks it’s in a whisper. Ever meek. She shud yell, get mad&put him in his place, not cow down in the face of his anger. She explains she did it 4his own good&he shoots her a savage look. She rmbrs what her brother sed about him bein dangerous &she looks at him wide-eyed &retreats in2 the far corner of the seat. There u go, be as much of a baby as u can. &that she fears him says a lot.
He calls her lil witch, she was just like a Ravenscroft &that her sleepin w/him had ben a tactical move. The ridiculous accusations continue thruout the ride. It made Jacob,&Emily 4that matter, seem like a real idiot. He was stupid &indignant thinkin he was right&Emily was wimpy &a doormat 4not stickin up4 herself. Jacob gets her a hotel room &all the while Emily mutely stands there &lets it happen, like an onlooker w/no power 2affect things. She’s whispering &askin him wut he wants, realizin he isn’t stayin there w/her, askin if this is how it ends. I just want her 2b the injured party&stay that way, but Jacob&his manly pride r2 dominant 2giv any quarter. He wants an apology&Emily does manage 2cuss at him, but he states she’s goin2 think about wut she did&apologize 2him 4 usin him&then they’ll talk about the relationship. Wut a total b$%&@*.
Emily tells her friend at the flower shop wut she did&she even calls her an idiot. Seems like every1 shares that opinion of our ol gal Emily. &the author has succeeded in makin sure I do too. The woman says Emily’s dealin w/a man’s ego which is not 1of nature’s rational creations &that Emily shud apologize bcuz wut man wants his woman 2think he can’t protect himself? Sound advice. Wut a good friend. It’s like she didn’t hear any of the story. So of course the easily swayed Emily sends him flowers &an apology wen she’s not even in the wrong, bcuz some1 told her that’s wut she shud do. &he feels a “rush of exuberant pleasure” at the flowers. Very romantic wording there. Sounds just like a man wud say it. Jacob was goin2 come 2her& apologize b4 he got the flowers, bcuz the blockhead finally came 2the conclusion that she cud b tellin the truth, tho he dint hav the guilt he shud hav&it dint make me feel any warmer towards him in the slightest. While he’s in the parking garage 2ppl attack him&he’s bleedin wen Emily cums bak from her flower show, so she’s worryin ovr him&then they’re talkin&kissin like he deserves any of it. He says he shudve realized she was always honest w/him&she wudnt use some1 4revenge but that doesn’t mean anything 2me. Emily 4givs&4gets easily, always a character flaw 4me.
Despite the author’s prose-y language that’s so stuffy&the exact opposite of wut sum1 wants 2read in a romance book--I act. thought the book was historical wen I read the first page, that’s how prim &proper it was—the scene where she’s worried about his bruises &he says just b gentle w/me, ok? was a good one. It was the best in the book. It had a lil sumthin 2it, like details &references 2body parts, that were lackin the 1st time. This is by no means a steamy romance;it includes those types of descriptions of sex that I absolutely loath, like they jumped off the cliff 2gether &soared or some such nonsense that givs readers absolutely nothing. Anyway, she’s full of power&in charge&says all he has 2do is lie back&enjoy it. She undresses him of everything except his tie, which she uses 2lead him in2 her bedroom. He says it’s a bit much, he feels like a bull bein led out of his stall. She says consider urself the spoils of battle. She teases him&does things her way&the sexy banter was cute. Then he says gentle as a flower as they come together. Wut, oh wut, is romantic about a man talkin about flowers wen ur havin sex? Everything in here can b reduced 2flowers, no matter wut it is. It was funny wen she asked him if he was purrin in regards 2the noise he was makin while she was touchin him&then he ended up purring which was a lil strange 4a man 2do,&just a human in general.
He proposes they go 2the coast 4a few days&rent a cabin, just the 2of them&it was such a romantic idea. It was excited 4a change of pace&cudnt wait 4some romance at the beach. But I was 4gettin this author’s need 4these characters 2 fight like cats&dogs&enjoy only a few moments of peace b4 it’s ruined. They have yet another argument. She overhears him talkin2 her brother wen he thought she was showering about them bein in danger, that sum1 cud b after them. She figures out that’s y he wanted 2take her 2the coast, so he cud get her out of harm’s way. Does that stop her from goin2 the coast? No. Bcuz Jacob tells her that’s not the only reason he was goin2 ask her 2 marry him. So of course Emily is just ridin along in the car goin on a vacation that she was manipulated into bcuz in his typical heavy-handed manner he’s decided it’s in her best interest. &he has the nerve 2get mad at her wen she says he’s mixin business w/pleasure. He again curses her assertiveness training, chalkin all of her defenses up 2the “damned” assertiveness classes. He says she’s deliberately bein obtuse&y don’t u just keep quiet 4a while until uv had a chance 2cool down&think things ovr? She says he’s tellin her 2shut up while he makes decisions about her future&he says he’s very tolerant of her&she has no idea how tolerant he is of her crazy ways but she’s comin close 2the line&maybe they shud quiet down&for her to let him know wen she’s ready 2hav an intelligent, reasonable discussion about marriage. I can’t believe the way he talks 2her.
Of corse she’s the1 2break the silence, talkin about the scenery. He tells her 2put her jacket on &they’ll go 4a walk, heavy-handed as always. She lets him know that he’s always orderin her around. She says he’s supposed 2say please &he’s agin speakin in a patronizing way 2her, sayin “I got it. Not romantic, hmm?” She says it isn’t a ? of romance, it’s a ? of good manners. &he responds w/he’d like 2get his hands around whoevr gav her the assertiveness training. So, he wants 2hurt sum1 that taught her2 handle ppl that walk all ovr her? Y, bcuz he’s mad he can’t get awy w/bossingher around? He says please this time&she puts her jacket on &agrees on a walk. He makes the remark “such an accommodating woman,” opens the door &says “after u” w/exaggerated politeness. Wut an asshole. How dare he get smart about bein polite &gracious enuf 2not order her 2do sumthin but ask them &giv them free will? How dare he make a mockery of the way any decent human being shud hav the good manners 2act like in the 1st place? I’m convinced his ex-wife had the right of it bcuz he obviously can’t mak ne woman happy.
He asks her why she won’t marry him, thinking he isn’t a fine specimen right now, or that it’s because he’s currently unemployed &he had a messy divorce and he could be seen as the enemy because it was always him&her family aginst her. She tells him it’s bcuz her family won’t let the marriage happen &he is back to fury once agin bcuz she thinks her family cud separate them. He says he wonders if she has any idea of what he’s capable of doin2 her at the moment. &she’s uneasy. Great, have the woman fear the man. It’s terribly romantic. And wtf did that mean?
He thinks it’s bcuz she duznt trust him, she’s back playin the role of pacifier, speakin softly &realizin he’s mad again. He scathingly says she’s runnin scared &he wudnt hav expected it from her bcuz she always fought bak. She agrees 2marry him &the next thing I know he’s sayin they’re goin2 Reno 2get married b4 she can change her mind. There u go, mak more plans 4her w/o askin.
He has them rush 2Reno 2get married b4 she changes her mind, 1more un-romantic turn of events. She's shell-shocked &he knows she’s scared of tellin her family but it duznt tame his annoyance. He rushed her off 2this slapped 2gethr weddin in Reno, they were in an assembly line 4gods sake&he has the nerve 2b annoyed w/her. He wants her2 believe in him&trust that he can protect her. He givs her $ 2gamble &she loses $50, then he givs her quarters which she loses at the slots&he’s aggravated like it was her fault, like u cud evr purposely lose $ gambling. Jacob, that is the purpose of gambling. Ur not in control here. u can’t help if u win or lose. It’s all chance. They hav yet another argument, he realizes that forcin ur wife 2trust ur strength isn’t sumthin u shud force &rushin in2 marriage was maybe sumthin he shudnnt hav dun. But does any of that cause him 2giv her the apology she deserves? No. In his typical high-handed method he duznt apologize 2her, just focuses on his own annoyance w/her. He says fearin ur family this much isn’t normal &she’s blown them out of proportion. He luvs her&has since he rescued her from the cabin. She duznt no wut it did 2him 2hear about her bfs. She repeats “u luv me?” he’s like of corse I do. Do u think I’d go thru this if I dint luv u? Wuts the matter w/u, woman? u nvr used 2b dumb.”
Yes, she is dumb. But wut’s the matter w/u, man? Wut kind of a b$%* calls a woman dumb? &Emily, as dumb as he claims her 2b, duznt even get mad or acknowledge it all. Hello, u moron, he just called u dumb, or r u 2dumb2 notice? She just says he’s nvr sed he loved her, but she thought he must’ve felt sumthin. &Jacob thinks he’s goin2 lose his temper but 4the growin happiness in her eyes. Do keep a leash on that temper, Jacob. We might think u don’t rly even like the heroine, such as she is.
He says things hav changed &she’s stronger now&duz admit he’s changed bcuz he cudve ben convinced by her family he wasn’t good enuf4her&she cud’ve ben pressured in2 leavin him. So surprised he admitted he changed, I dint think ther was an ounce’s room of growth 4this poor excuse 4a man. Gone is all the romance promised in the begining. The reality is we’re left w/2 idiots w/no good qualities wutsoevr. &it looks like it’s that time agin. u guessed it. Flower time! Bust out the ol flower analogy. He’s dealin w/“a full-blown passion flower, not a delicate, buddin rose that can b crushed by a high wind or 2much rain. I figure this passion flower can make up her own mind about me&stick 2her decision.”
All this talk of flowers is rly puttin me in a mood. Excuse me while I head out 2the garden 2smell the roses. &excuse me once more as I turn2 another romance book w/actual romance in it. This bk has nothin 2offer in the way of heat but it sure does spark an interest in the flower business. Mayhap I’ll turn from a bud into a passion flower myself someday &withstand the high winds of turmoil to bloom fully under the summer sun. 1can only hope.
The housekeeper &Jacob hav the opinion that Emily is good 4her family, she keeps them from gettin their way all the time &makes things interesting. Emily says that’s the thing about nature, there’s a role4 everything, even mosquitos like her. At least she knows her place in life. Srsly, wut is attractive about a woman that thinks she’s weak, tiny&insignificant like a mosquito? Jacob steps in w/the tried &true flower comment, sayin she’s not a mosquito, she’s a sexy lil passion flower. Nothin about her is sexy, btw.¬hin about her is interesting either, so u’ll excuse me if I can’t quite believe that she’s the best thing that’s happened 2him. I don’t even pick up on any attraction btwn them. &there’s certainly not enuf details about their looks 2even let me pic wut they might like about each other. She has amber eyes&glasses &she sed there’s nothin small about him. I had trouble picturin them.
It turns out Emily can’t sell her shares of RI 2ne1 outside the family bcuz she promised her gma on her deathbed. &she’s the conscience of the business, there 2step in &make sure they’re doin things morally. Jacob announces they’re goin2b moving &he’s chosen Arizona so she can set up a flower shop there&hav distance from her family. Typically, Emily knew nothin about this so it’s as much a surprise 2her as it is 2her family. “Emily decided this might b a vry good time 2keep her mouth shut.” ur husband just announced that ur movin, as in leavin ur home&shop 2move2 another state, 2ur family of which u knew nothin about,&u think it's a good idea 2stay quiet? This woman is 2dumb 2live. He shud strap her in a baby carrier on his chest &tote her around w/him, makin decisions 4her ¬ lettin her speak unless spoken2.
They continue talkin about Jacob’s business he plans 2start,&her dad offers 2loan him the $ 2get started. Emily is clutchin the chair white-knuckled, anxious &redy 2scream in protest, thinkin the strings attached mean he’ll only giv Jacob the$ once he divorces Emily. There she goes agin assumin things. She meets Jacob’s eyes&the words die on her lips. She sinks in2 herself &Jacob’s mouth curves. I am rly sick of this man bein amused &pleased only wen she stops herself from sayin sumthin &goes along w/wut he wants. It’s controlling &dominant &freakin abusive. He’s got her trained like a freakin poodle. Displease him&he’s angry. Do wut he wants&only then is he happy. Wth kind of story is this?
Her mom can’t beleve Emily surprised her w/the marriage &then the business w/the shares, &says she nvr used 2act like this. Her brother points out she used 2try but dint get newhere&that their sweet lil Emily has finally blossomed in2 full flower.&Jacob was the1 who was around 2pick the blossoms wen it was redy. Jeeze. If I nvr hear another flower comparison it’ll b2 soon.
Damon Morrell comes 2her garage&Jacob is there2 witness it bcuz he’s ben following her downstairs every day&makin sure she gets 2her car safely w/o her knowin. He hears she’s speakin calmly so he decides 2wait&let her handle it. Damon of corse maks a move 2hurt her, but the author act. gav Emily 1semblance of competency &has her knock Damon down. That’s wen Jacob comes out of hiding &Emily tells him not2 exact his brand of justice &hurt Damon. “Emily, if ur not goin2 go upstairs &call the cops, we might as well break out a pack of cards &play gin. Make up ur mind.” Listen 2the way he talks 2her! There is no respect there! Wen is he goin2 learn how 2talk 2her? It was supposed 2b some big concession that he waited &let her handle it b4 he beat the guy up,&of corse he was goin2 hurt he guy4 tryin2 hurt her, but wutevr. If Emily sees it as progress &duznt mind the way he so fully controls her&talks down 2her&treats her like a moron then hav at it. If she’s stupid enuf 2put up w/it then she deserves it.
It was mildly amusing that she sed she hadn’t realized the fall she gav Damon shook him up so badly, but he cud hardly walk as he got in2 the police car. Jacob duznt admit2 anything, but she knows Jacob was responsible 4it. She knows she’ll just hav2b contented w/a few behavior modifications bcuz u can’t completely tame a wolf. He says they made it happen, not fate, bcuz he came bak lookin 4her &she had the good sense 2b waitin. This isn’t a love story at all. There wasn’t 1thing romantic about them. I dint like either 1of them, her family, the vry small setting, anything. &talk about a short bk, no info given. If sum1 brought up the past it was 1 or2 sentences. There was no backstory, no history at all.
I’m the1 annoyed w/this, not Jacob. The entire book they argued, him callin her idiot, dumb &every other kind of reference 2the fact that she wasn’t smart, 2afraid &incompetent 2handle anything on her own. If he liked her so much he shud hav treated her w/respect. He says he’ll tolerate a lot from her but nvr did. He’s always mad at everything. The words Ravenscroft, RI&assertiveness were used about a million 2many times. There were only a couple cute quotes in here. Normally this author is funny&her characters are likable &the books r enjoyable 2read. Idk wut this was.
I dint like the age diff btwn them. She’s 27&he’s 37 which is a big gap 4me,&I like my characters 2byounger. I hated that he'd ben married b4&was wen they met 5yrs ago. &she'd ben engaged 2sum1 b4 her family had Jacob pay him off. I like 4the characters 2only mak such a commitment 2each other. I wish they hadn’t but I was excited 2c wher it went. I liked that he had ben dutiful 2her family&knew every time she messed up&was sent 2handle it&he had a personal interest in breakin up a potential marriage btwn her&another man.
Wen she had ben verbally pushin him at her apartment he sed stop pushin him b4 he did sumthin rash&she sed such as? &he kissed her. She sed it was their 2nd kiss &there wer no details. Idl wen authors say things about the past w/no explanation. I liked wen he asked her 2say his name bcuz he hadn’t herd her say it in 2yrs.
He sed she’s turned in2 1stubborn lil cat. She told him Damon Morrell might giv her the loan&she’ll use her share of her family’s business as collateral. He gets mad, sayin u lil cat! Then he says the fluffy lil kitten had turned in2 a tigress w/very sharp claws. That was enuf of the cat references.
Jacob is rly interested in the flower shop&she’s surprised. He delivers flowers&he’s gentle w/them, she knows the blooms will b safe in his hands. It turned so utterly boring. This strong, ruthless, dangerous man grinnin bcuz sum1 tipped him4 deliverin flowers. It was so tame.
I hate wen bks r so predictable. Damon cums 2her apartment &he’s startin 2get rough w/her, holding her wrist&sayin he shud hav had her b4. Of course Jacob comes crashin thru the door at that precise moment. &it was obvious where it was goin2 lead. He wants 2know y Damon showed up&y she opened the door 2him. He thought she’d alredy broken up w/Damon &was mad at her 2find out she’d ben comin up w/excuses 2y she cudnt c Damon insted. He says she’s a lil idiot. He act. says that. He says she can’t handle a man like Morrell, she shud hav leveled straight&accuses her of bein coy. &he says her family was right about her, she can’t take care of herself &needs a keeper. He act. sed all of that. I’m sry, does he luv her? Bcuz this isn’t soundin like luv.
That’s wen I knew I dint like her&nvr wud. I agreed w/Jacob&her family except I took it a step further. She was stupid &did need protection bcuz she was an idiot w/no backbone that was easily swayed.
The language durin the romance scenes was sorely lackin. &the romance was sorely lackin. It was that kind of flowery speech that covers up an obvious lack of detail. He sed “claimin Emily was like plungin himself in2 a pool of clingin, sun-drenched flowers.” That was a rly awful comparison. Was it rly like that? Wud a man ever say sex was like flowers? &Emily sed her love 4him had burst in2 full flower that night. B4 they made luv Jacob sed her nipples were buddin in2 full flowers. I see the flower references r runnin rampant thru here. Just bcuz she’s a florist duznt mean both characters need 2b comparin everything 2flowers. Not everything can b likened 2flowers.
He taks her2her dad’s bday party&realizes Emily hadn’t told her parents they’re 2gether &he dint know if it was due 2her bein nervous or wantin2 shock them, but he was mildly irritated. Well isn’t that new? Emily is worried they’ll find a way2 convince or force Jacob 2leave her &had the idea 2giv her family an ultimatum that if they interfere w/her relationship w/Jacob she’ll sell her shares. It’s the 1 moment she’s showin a bit of strength, tellin them 2listen 2her, but of course it’s ruined. Jacob isn’t appreciative of her attempt 2protect him&as usual Emily is babbling at the mouth about how terrible her family is&how they’re so controlling &only care about the business. He keeps makin remarks that RI isn’t all they care about&he’s not worried about them, but it nvr gets thru 2her.
Jacob rly was an asshole. The way he talks 2her is not ok. Even tho Emily is an idiot the way he acted towards her was verbally abusive. He says he’s not in the mood 2indulge her&he’s had enuf Ravenscroft drama. He’s sure she used him2 finally get bak at her family&Emily is silently watchin his face 2read his mood &realizes he’s furious w/her&wen she speaks it’s in a whisper. Ever meek. She shud yell, get mad&put him in his place, not cow down in the face of his anger. She explains she did it 4his own good&he shoots her a savage look. She rmbrs what her brother sed about him bein dangerous &she looks at him wide-eyed &retreats in2 the far corner of the seat. There u go, be as much of a baby as u can. &that she fears him says a lot.
He calls her lil witch, she was just like a Ravenscroft &that her sleepin w/him had ben a tactical move. The ridiculous accusations continue thruout the ride. It made Jacob,&Emily 4that matter, seem like a real idiot. He was stupid &indignant thinkin he was right&Emily was wimpy &a doormat 4not stickin up4 herself. Jacob gets her a hotel room &all the while Emily mutely stands there &lets it happen, like an onlooker w/no power 2affect things. She’s whispering &askin him wut he wants, realizin he isn’t stayin there w/her, askin if this is how it ends. I just want her 2b the injured party&stay that way, but Jacob&his manly pride r2 dominant 2giv any quarter. He wants an apology&Emily does manage 2cuss at him, but he states she’s goin2 think about wut she did&apologize 2him 4 usin him&then they’ll talk about the relationship. Wut a total b$%&@*.
Emily tells her friend at the flower shop wut she did&she even calls her an idiot. Seems like every1 shares that opinion of our ol gal Emily. &the author has succeeded in makin sure I do too. The woman says Emily’s dealin w/a man’s ego which is not 1of nature’s rational creations &that Emily shud apologize bcuz wut man wants his woman 2think he can’t protect himself? Sound advice. Wut a good friend. It’s like she didn’t hear any of the story. So of course the easily swayed Emily sends him flowers &an apology wen she’s not even in the wrong, bcuz some1 told her that’s wut she shud do. &he feels a “rush of exuberant pleasure” at the flowers. Very romantic wording there. Sounds just like a man wud say it. Jacob was goin2 come 2her& apologize b4 he got the flowers, bcuz the blockhead finally came 2the conclusion that she cud b tellin the truth, tho he dint hav the guilt he shud hav&it dint make me feel any warmer towards him in the slightest. While he’s in the parking garage 2ppl attack him&he’s bleedin wen Emily cums bak from her flower show, so she’s worryin ovr him&then they’re talkin&kissin like he deserves any of it. He says he shudve realized she was always honest w/him&she wudnt use some1 4revenge but that doesn’t mean anything 2me. Emily 4givs&4gets easily, always a character flaw 4me.
Despite the author’s prose-y language that’s so stuffy&the exact opposite of wut sum1 wants 2read in a romance book--I act. thought the book was historical wen I read the first page, that’s how prim &proper it was—the scene where she’s worried about his bruises &he says just b gentle w/me, ok? was a good one. It was the best in the book. It had a lil sumthin 2it, like details &references 2body parts, that were lackin the 1st time. This is by no means a steamy romance;it includes those types of descriptions of sex that I absolutely loath, like they jumped off the cliff 2gether &soared or some such nonsense that givs readers absolutely nothing. Anyway, she’s full of power&in charge&says all he has 2do is lie back&enjoy it. She undresses him of everything except his tie, which she uses 2lead him in2 her bedroom. He says it’s a bit much, he feels like a bull bein led out of his stall. She says consider urself the spoils of battle. She teases him&does things her way&the sexy banter was cute. Then he says gentle as a flower as they come together. Wut, oh wut, is romantic about a man talkin about flowers wen ur havin sex? Everything in here can b reduced 2flowers, no matter wut it is. It was funny wen she asked him if he was purrin in regards 2the noise he was makin while she was touchin him&then he ended up purring which was a lil strange 4a man 2do,&just a human in general.
He proposes they go 2the coast 4a few days&rent a cabin, just the 2of them&it was such a romantic idea. It was excited 4a change of pace&cudnt wait 4some romance at the beach. But I was 4gettin this author’s need 4these characters 2 fight like cats&dogs&enjoy only a few moments of peace b4 it’s ruined. They have yet another argument. She overhears him talkin2 her brother wen he thought she was showering about them bein in danger, that sum1 cud b after them. She figures out that’s y he wanted 2take her 2the coast, so he cud get her out of harm’s way. Does that stop her from goin2 the coast? No. Bcuz Jacob tells her that’s not the only reason he was goin2 ask her 2 marry him. So of course Emily is just ridin along in the car goin on a vacation that she was manipulated into bcuz in his typical heavy-handed manner he’s decided it’s in her best interest. &he has the nerve 2get mad at her wen she says he’s mixin business w/pleasure. He again curses her assertiveness training, chalkin all of her defenses up 2the “damned” assertiveness classes. He says she’s deliberately bein obtuse&y don’t u just keep quiet 4a while until uv had a chance 2cool down&think things ovr? She says he’s tellin her 2shut up while he makes decisions about her future&he says he’s very tolerant of her&she has no idea how tolerant he is of her crazy ways but she’s comin close 2the line&maybe they shud quiet down&for her to let him know wen she’s ready 2hav an intelligent, reasonable discussion about marriage. I can’t believe the way he talks 2her.
Of corse she’s the1 2break the silence, talkin about the scenery. He tells her 2put her jacket on &they’ll go 4a walk, heavy-handed as always. She lets him know that he’s always orderin her around. She says he’s supposed 2say please &he’s agin speakin in a patronizing way 2her, sayin “I got it. Not romantic, hmm?” She says it isn’t a ? of romance, it’s a ? of good manners. &he responds w/he’d like 2get his hands around whoevr gav her the assertiveness training. So, he wants 2hurt sum1 that taught her2 handle ppl that walk all ovr her? Y, bcuz he’s mad he can’t get awy w/bossingher around? He says please this time&she puts her jacket on &agrees on a walk. He makes the remark “such an accommodating woman,” opens the door &says “after u” w/exaggerated politeness. Wut an asshole. How dare he get smart about bein polite &gracious enuf 2not order her 2do sumthin but ask them &giv them free will? How dare he make a mockery of the way any decent human being shud hav the good manners 2act like in the 1st place? I’m convinced his ex-wife had the right of it bcuz he obviously can’t mak ne woman happy.
He asks her why she won’t marry him, thinking he isn’t a fine specimen right now, or that it’s because he’s currently unemployed &he had a messy divorce and he could be seen as the enemy because it was always him&her family aginst her. She tells him it’s bcuz her family won’t let the marriage happen &he is back to fury once agin bcuz she thinks her family cud separate them. He says he wonders if she has any idea of what he’s capable of doin2 her at the moment. &she’s uneasy. Great, have the woman fear the man. It’s terribly romantic. And wtf did that mean?
He thinks it’s bcuz she duznt trust him, she’s back playin the role of pacifier, speakin softly &realizin he’s mad again. He scathingly says she’s runnin scared &he wudnt hav expected it from her bcuz she always fought bak. She agrees 2marry him &the next thing I know he’s sayin they’re goin2 Reno 2get married b4 she can change her mind. There u go, mak more plans 4her w/o askin.
He has them rush 2Reno 2get married b4 she changes her mind, 1more un-romantic turn of events. She's shell-shocked &he knows she’s scared of tellin her family but it duznt tame his annoyance. He rushed her off 2this slapped 2gethr weddin in Reno, they were in an assembly line 4gods sake&he has the nerve 2b annoyed w/her. He wants her2 believe in him&trust that he can protect her. He givs her $ 2gamble &she loses $50, then he givs her quarters which she loses at the slots&he’s aggravated like it was her fault, like u cud evr purposely lose $ gambling. Jacob, that is the purpose of gambling. Ur not in control here. u can’t help if u win or lose. It’s all chance. They hav yet another argument, he realizes that forcin ur wife 2trust ur strength isn’t sumthin u shud force &rushin in2 marriage was maybe sumthin he shudnnt hav dun. But does any of that cause him 2giv her the apology she deserves? No. In his typical high-handed method he duznt apologize 2her, just focuses on his own annoyance w/her. He says fearin ur family this much isn’t normal &she’s blown them out of proportion. He luvs her&has since he rescued her from the cabin. She duznt no wut it did 2him 2hear about her bfs. She repeats “u luv me?” he’s like of corse I do. Do u think I’d go thru this if I dint luv u? Wuts the matter w/u, woman? u nvr used 2b dumb.”
Yes, she is dumb. But wut’s the matter w/u, man? Wut kind of a b$%* calls a woman dumb? &Emily, as dumb as he claims her 2b, duznt even get mad or acknowledge it all. Hello, u moron, he just called u dumb, or r u 2dumb2 notice? She just says he’s nvr sed he loved her, but she thought he must’ve felt sumthin. &Jacob thinks he’s goin2 lose his temper but 4the growin happiness in her eyes. Do keep a leash on that temper, Jacob. We might think u don’t rly even like the heroine, such as she is.
He says things hav changed &she’s stronger now&duz admit he’s changed bcuz he cudve ben convinced by her family he wasn’t good enuf4her&she cud’ve ben pressured in2 leavin him. So surprised he admitted he changed, I dint think ther was an ounce’s room of growth 4this poor excuse 4a man. Gone is all the romance promised in the begining. The reality is we’re left w/2 idiots w/no good qualities wutsoevr. &it looks like it’s that time agin. u guessed it. Flower time! Bust out the ol flower analogy. He’s dealin w/“a full-blown passion flower, not a delicate, buddin rose that can b crushed by a high wind or 2much rain. I figure this passion flower can make up her own mind about me&stick 2her decision.”
All this talk of flowers is rly puttin me in a mood. Excuse me while I head out 2the garden 2smell the roses. &excuse me once more as I turn2 another romance book w/actual romance in it. This bk has nothin 2offer in the way of heat but it sure does spark an interest in the flower business. Mayhap I’ll turn from a bud into a passion flower myself someday &withstand the high winds of turmoil to bloom fully under the summer sun. 1can only hope.
The housekeeper &Jacob hav the opinion that Emily is good 4her family, she keeps them from gettin their way all the time &makes things interesting. Emily says that’s the thing about nature, there’s a role4 everything, even mosquitos like her. At least she knows her place in life. Srsly, wut is attractive about a woman that thinks she’s weak, tiny&insignificant like a mosquito? Jacob steps in w/the tried &true flower comment, sayin she’s not a mosquito, she’s a sexy lil passion flower. Nothin about her is sexy, btw.¬hin about her is interesting either, so u’ll excuse me if I can’t quite believe that she’s the best thing that’s happened 2him. I don’t even pick up on any attraction btwn them. &there’s certainly not enuf details about their looks 2even let me pic wut they might like about each other. She has amber eyes&glasses &she sed there’s nothin small about him. I had trouble picturin them.
It turns out Emily can’t sell her shares of RI 2ne1 outside the family bcuz she promised her gma on her deathbed. &she’s the conscience of the business, there 2step in &make sure they’re doin things morally. Jacob announces they’re goin2b moving &he’s chosen Arizona so she can set up a flower shop there&hav distance from her family. Typically, Emily knew nothin about this so it’s as much a surprise 2her as it is 2her family. “Emily decided this might b a vry good time 2keep her mouth shut.” ur husband just announced that ur movin, as in leavin ur home&shop 2move2 another state, 2ur family of which u knew nothin about,&u think it's a good idea 2stay quiet? This woman is 2dumb 2live. He shud strap her in a baby carrier on his chest &tote her around w/him, makin decisions 4her ¬ lettin her speak unless spoken2.
They continue talkin about Jacob’s business he plans 2start,&her dad offers 2loan him the $ 2get started. Emily is clutchin the chair white-knuckled, anxious &redy 2scream in protest, thinkin the strings attached mean he’ll only giv Jacob the$ once he divorces Emily. There she goes agin assumin things. She meets Jacob’s eyes&the words die on her lips. She sinks in2 herself &Jacob’s mouth curves. I am rly sick of this man bein amused &pleased only wen she stops herself from sayin sumthin &goes along w/wut he wants. It’s controlling &dominant &freakin abusive. He’s got her trained like a freakin poodle. Displease him&he’s angry. Do wut he wants&only then is he happy. Wth kind of story is this?
Her mom can’t beleve Emily surprised her w/the marriage &then the business w/the shares, &says she nvr used 2act like this. Her brother points out she used 2try but dint get newhere&that their sweet lil Emily has finally blossomed in2 full flower.&Jacob was the1 who was around 2pick the blossoms wen it was redy. Jeeze. If I nvr hear another flower comparison it’ll b2 soon.
Damon Morrell comes 2her garage&Jacob is there2 witness it bcuz he’s ben following her downstairs every day&makin sure she gets 2her car safely w/o her knowin. He hears she’s speakin calmly so he decides 2wait&let her handle it. Damon of corse maks a move 2hurt her, but the author act. gav Emily 1semblance of competency &has her knock Damon down. That’s wen Jacob comes out of hiding &Emily tells him not2 exact his brand of justice &hurt Damon. “Emily, if ur not goin2 go upstairs &call the cops, we might as well break out a pack of cards &play gin. Make up ur mind.” Listen 2the way he talks 2her! There is no respect there! Wen is he goin2 learn how 2talk 2her? It was supposed 2b some big concession that he waited &let her handle it b4 he beat the guy up,&of corse he was goin2 hurt he guy4 tryin2 hurt her, but wutevr. If Emily sees it as progress &duznt mind the way he so fully controls her&talks down 2her&treats her like a moron then hav at it. If she’s stupid enuf 2put up w/it then she deserves it.
It was mildly amusing that she sed she hadn’t realized the fall she gav Damon shook him up so badly, but he cud hardly walk as he got in2 the police car. Jacob duznt admit2 anything, but she knows Jacob was responsible 4it. She knows she’ll just hav2b contented w/a few behavior modifications bcuz u can’t completely tame a wolf. He says they made it happen, not fate, bcuz he came bak lookin 4her &she had the good sense 2b waitin. This isn’t a love story at all. There wasn’t 1thing romantic about them. I dint like either 1of them, her family, the vry small setting, anything. &talk about a short bk, no info given. If sum1 brought up the past it was 1 or2 sentences. There was no backstory, no history at all.
I’m the1 annoyed w/this, not Jacob. The entire book they argued, him callin her idiot, dumb &every other kind of reference 2the fact that she wasn’t smart, 2afraid &incompetent 2handle anything on her own. If he liked her so much he shud hav treated her w/respect. He says he’ll tolerate a lot from her but nvr did. He’s always mad at everything. The words Ravenscroft, RI&assertiveness were used about a million 2many times. There were only a couple cute quotes in here. Normally this author is funny&her characters are likable &the books r enjoyable 2read. Idk wut this was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2010
This story was just so-so. It was interesting enough to finish but I didn't like the hero and the speed of the relationship wasn't believable. Although she's independently opened a flower shop, Emily's domineering family with the help of troubleshooter Jacob tries to run her life.
May 26, 2015
I love Jayne Ann Krentz. Saying this, I HATED this book. The female lead character has no spine and is a complete doormat. The best thing I can say is that it's relatively short. Thank God. I wouldn't have finished it at all if it had been any longer.
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July 3, 2016Emily Ravenscroft was asked to come home to discuss business. She thought that finally her parents were going to accept the fact that she was the owner of a successful flower shop and the money she needed to open a new shop was going to be discussed. She was wrong. Jacob Stone had given a tape recording of Damon Morrell, the guy she was sometimes dating, discussing with his mistress the fact that he was going to marry Emily to gain control of her share of stock in Ravenscroft International.
Emily hadn't seen Jacob in two years. The last time they had seen each other was when Jacob had rescued her when she had been kidnapped. Emily was surprised that her romantic interest in Jacob was still present.
Emily left her family home to go back to her own home. Jacob insisted that he drive her home. She didn't let him stay. He kissed her and told her that he wanted her. He explained to Emily that he had left the company and no longer worked for her family.
Emily was more upset about what happened than she let on. She wasn't interested in marrying Damon but her family didn't know that. They were only trying to protect her. She didn't like being embarrassed like that and thought that her family would give her some credit. She insisted that she was making better choices due to taking some assertiveness training classes.
She went to work the next day and Damon called and asked her out. She told him that she was busy. He didn't seem happy that she had excuses for the next three days. Jacob dropped by her flower shop on Monday as she was closing up and he asked her out to dinner. Emily accepted.
They went out to dinner a couple of times and her and Jacob started their affair. Her mother called one morning while Jacob was still there and asked Emily who she was bringing to her father's birthday party. She told her mother that she didn't know yet. Jacob volunteered himself and Emily took him with her. The family guessed that her and Jacob were sleeping together and told her that he was again unacceptable for her. She told them that if they didn't stay out of her life and leave Jacob alone that she would sell her stocks in RI to the first bidder within 24 hours of their interference. Jacob walked in as she was making that statement and he and Emily left the party immediately. Jacob accused Emily of using him as a way to get revenge over her family for they interference they had made in her life. Emily told Jacob that she was only protecting him from her family and he refused to believe it. He told her that he wouldn't be seeing her again until she apologized. He left and later that night realized that Emily was telling the truth. She wasn't devious enough to use him like that.
Jacob went to the hotel where he dropped Emily off the night before to find out that she had already checked out and was on her way back to Seattle. Emily was at the shop a couple days later preparing for a flower show and not doing to well with her handling of the flowers. Diane, her employee at her flower shop, questioned her attitude. Emily told her what Jacob had said and suggested that she apologize because it wasn't worth her pride to lose Jacob since she was in love with him. Emily agreed and sent two dozen roses. Jacob packed up and left to Seattle himself to see Emily. He wanted to surprise her at the flower show but got held up in traffic. He decided to wait at her place and was attacked by two guys as he was getting out if his car. Emily arrived home with the blue ribbon from the flower show to find Jacob waiting in her place and still bleeding. They talked through their disagreement and Jacob was sore but cleaned up and spent the night.
Jacob suggested that Emily take a few days off so they could spend some time together alone and away from her family to get to know Jacob better and Emily agreed. She prepared to take a shower and overheard Jacob talking to her brother. Jacob told Drake that he suspected that Morrell had something to do with him being attacked in Emily's garage. Emily overheard the conversation and was again upset about Jacob suggesting that they take some time away to discuss their future when he was trying to get her away from her place because he was concerned for her safety. She told Jacob that and told him that she could take care of herself. Jacob disagreed and talked Emily into their getting married.
Emily and Jacob flew to Reno and got married. Emily walked around the casino's and lost all the money Jacob gave her and looked miserable. At the end of the evening Jacob finally asked Emily what was bothering her. He told her that he loved her and that was what was missing. Emily told him that she loved him and that's why she agreed to marry him but he had never told her he loved her. Things were fine after that.
They headed home and met with Emily's family. They accepted the fact that the two of them had married which was a surprise to Emily. They stayed for dinner and Emily's father tried to get Jacob to accept a loan from him to start his own business. Jacob turned him down. Emily also told her family that she had accepted the shares in the company upon the request of her grandmother that she watch over the business dealings with the company and be like their ethical watchdog. She would never give up her shares in the company. She would not be involved in the daily running of the company but she would be watching the way their deals were handled because the family tended to be ruthless in business. Jacob then told her family that they would be leaving the Seattle area and moving to Arizona. That is where Jacob's business would be headquartered.
They went back home and Emily put her flower shop up for sale. She didn't know it but Jacob had been watching her until she left every morning and then picking her up every night because he still didn't know for sure that Morrell didn't hire the guys to beat him up. About three days after they arrived back home, Jacob was waiting for Emily to leave the parking garage when he heard Morrell approach Emily. Jacob didn't immediately interfere. He waited until Morrell grabbed Emily and Emily used the self defense that she knew and knocked him to the ground. Jacob then came out of hiding and told Emily to go call the police.
Emily went to work and talked to someone interested in purchasing her flower shop. She got back home and then talked to Jacob about his following her. He told her that he had been listening and hadn't interfered until Morrell became physical with Emily. He was proud of himself for holding back. Emily realized he was right and then felt like she did a good job of protecting herself because Morrell seemed to have a hard time walking when the police were taking him to their car. (Jacob might have had something to do with that when she left him alone with Morrell to go call the police.)
Emily decided that they would be OK in Arizona and with some distance from her family...
Emily hadn't seen Jacob in two years. The last time they had seen each other was when Jacob had rescued her when she had been kidnapped. Emily was surprised that her romantic interest in Jacob was still present.
Emily left her family home to go back to her own home. Jacob insisted that he drive her home. She didn't let him stay. He kissed her and told her that he wanted her. He explained to Emily that he had left the company and no longer worked for her family.
Emily was more upset about what happened than she let on. She wasn't interested in marrying Damon but her family didn't know that. They were only trying to protect her. She didn't like being embarrassed like that and thought that her family would give her some credit. She insisted that she was making better choices due to taking some assertiveness training classes.
She went to work the next day and Damon called and asked her out. She told him that she was busy. He didn't seem happy that she had excuses for the next three days. Jacob dropped by her flower shop on Monday as she was closing up and he asked her out to dinner. Emily accepted.
They went out to dinner a couple of times and her and Jacob started their affair. Her mother called one morning while Jacob was still there and asked Emily who she was bringing to her father's birthday party. She told her mother that she didn't know yet. Jacob volunteered himself and Emily took him with her. The family guessed that her and Jacob were sleeping together and told her that he was again unacceptable for her. She told them that if they didn't stay out of her life and leave Jacob alone that she would sell her stocks in RI to the first bidder within 24 hours of their interference. Jacob walked in as she was making that statement and he and Emily left the party immediately. Jacob accused Emily of using him as a way to get revenge over her family for they interference they had made in her life. Emily told Jacob that she was only protecting him from her family and he refused to believe it. He told her that he wouldn't be seeing her again until she apologized. He left and later that night realized that Emily was telling the truth. She wasn't devious enough to use him like that.
Jacob went to the hotel where he dropped Emily off the night before to find out that she had already checked out and was on her way back to Seattle. Emily was at the shop a couple days later preparing for a flower show and not doing to well with her handling of the flowers. Diane, her employee at her flower shop, questioned her attitude. Emily told her what Jacob had said and suggested that she apologize because it wasn't worth her pride to lose Jacob since she was in love with him. Emily agreed and sent two dozen roses. Jacob packed up and left to Seattle himself to see Emily. He wanted to surprise her at the flower show but got held up in traffic. He decided to wait at her place and was attacked by two guys as he was getting out if his car. Emily arrived home with the blue ribbon from the flower show to find Jacob waiting in her place and still bleeding. They talked through their disagreement and Jacob was sore but cleaned up and spent the night.
Jacob suggested that Emily take a few days off so they could spend some time together alone and away from her family to get to know Jacob better and Emily agreed. She prepared to take a shower and overheard Jacob talking to her brother. Jacob told Drake that he suspected that Morrell had something to do with him being attacked in Emily's garage. Emily overheard the conversation and was again upset about Jacob suggesting that they take some time away to discuss their future when he was trying to get her away from her place because he was concerned for her safety. She told Jacob that and told him that she could take care of herself. Jacob disagreed and talked Emily into their getting married.
Emily and Jacob flew to Reno and got married. Emily walked around the casino's and lost all the money Jacob gave her and looked miserable. At the end of the evening Jacob finally asked Emily what was bothering her. He told her that he loved her and that was what was missing. Emily told him that she loved him and that's why she agreed to marry him but he had never told her he loved her. Things were fine after that.
They headed home and met with Emily's family. They accepted the fact that the two of them had married which was a surprise to Emily. They stayed for dinner and Emily's father tried to get Jacob to accept a loan from him to start his own business. Jacob turned him down. Emily also told her family that she had accepted the shares in the company upon the request of her grandmother that she watch over the business dealings with the company and be like their ethical watchdog. She would never give up her shares in the company. She would not be involved in the daily running of the company but she would be watching the way their deals were handled because the family tended to be ruthless in business. Jacob then told her family that they would be leaving the Seattle area and moving to Arizona. That is where Jacob's business would be headquartered.
They went back home and Emily put her flower shop up for sale. She didn't know it but Jacob had been watching her until she left every morning and then picking her up every night because he still didn't know for sure that Morrell didn't hire the guys to beat him up. About three days after they arrived back home, Jacob was waiting for Emily to leave the parking garage when he heard Morrell approach Emily. Jacob didn't immediately interfere. He waited until Morrell grabbed Emily and Emily used the self defense that she knew and knocked him to the ground. Jacob then came out of hiding and told Emily to go call the police.
Emily went to work and talked to someone interested in purchasing her flower shop. She got back home and then talked to Jacob about his following her. He told her that he had been listening and hadn't interfered until Morrell became physical with Emily. He was proud of himself for holding back. Emily realized he was right and then felt like she did a good job of protecting herself because Morrell seemed to have a hard time walking when the police were taking him to their car. (Jacob might have had something to do with that when she left him alone with Morrell to go call the police.)
Emily decided that they would be OK in Arizona and with some distance from her family...
February 15, 2023
In her late twenties, Emily Ravenscroft is finally feeling like she is coming into her own. She's been under her family's thumb for too long. But this is the last straw, chasing off a man she wasn't even seeing. If her parents or brother had bothered to ask, she would have let them know. Worst of all, they brought back their favorite enforcer, Jacob Stone, who Emily once had an unrequited crush on.
Jacob Stone has left the Ravenscroft's employ but he came back to help out when he heard it was for Emily. Now a grown woman, Jacob is ready to be with the woman he's always adored.
This is definitely an eighties book with a masterful man though the woman isn't quite so helpless. Lots of misunderstandings though that drove me nuts.
Jacob Stone has left the Ravenscroft's employ but he came back to help out when he heard it was for Emily. Now a grown woman, Jacob is ready to be with the woman he's always adored.
This is definitely an eighties book with a masterful man though the woman isn't quite so helpless. Lots of misunderstandings though that drove me nuts.
May 31, 2024
Communication issues! They both explain exactly what they mean but they neither of them listen to the other or believe what they say. Argh!!!
January 19, 2025
I enjoyed the story, though I’m not sure the style was for me. It’s a cute book and not bad, just not sure I’ll look into other works by this author.
August 22, 2019
Seattle flower shop owner, Emily Ravenscroft, finally gets together with her longtime secret love, Jacob Stone. As usual, two more different people you can hardly imagine but somehow they make things click in a lighthearted and humorous romance. I loved the way Jacob got all his roses into vases. It only goes to show that men really do think differently than women, or perhaps it goes to show how flustered Jacob was by the flowers in the first place.
February 10, 2015
Well this is getting awkward Not that I approve of the whole Me Tarzan You Jane thing but I seem to indulge a little in those oldie books. There's something really entertaining about the fencing between Jacob and Emily. Her family though were Ughh but it was nice seeing Emily give them the third degree , all in all I enjoyed this.
June 10, 2024
Lots of fun. do so enjoy her books.
Second read - This was a story where the Hero was strong and at the same time not overpowering (or at least he seemed to understand where the Heroine was coming from). I will be keeping and reading again in the future.
Second read - This was a story where the Hero was strong and at the same time not overpowering (or at least he seemed to understand where the Heroine was coming from). I will be keeping and reading again in the future.
February 4, 2011
It was cute, but the characters did annoy me after a while.
December 9, 2011
Easy read - obviously one of Krentz' earlier works.
May 11, 2012
Fairly inoffensive (for the time), but not particularly memorable. As an aside, is it a requirement that all characters named Damon be moderately delusional and ineptly villainous?
October 26, 2012
Though this was written over 25 years ago, it isn't dated at all.
Read
March 18, 2013did not like it
Read
September 12, 2016Boooring
Read
June 1, 2014Eh. I do like that she opened a florist, but that is because I work with flowers myself.
February 14, 2016
Cute but there were times when it was annoying.
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