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Dark Apollo
SEDUCED!
Nic Xandreou thought Katie was a gold digger out to trap his brother into marriage. Camilla knew her sister better and was determined to champion her cause even if it meant a visit to Xandreou's stronghold on the island of Karthos. Camilla Dryden had always been the sensible one in her family, but she had walked into the lion's den, not realizing the risk she was running. Nic Xandreou wasn't accustomed to hearing the word no . Especially from a woman.
He was a dangerously sexy man used to women who were sweet, docile and silent! Camilla was anything but. She seemed to enjoy their war of words as much as he. And, as Nic was eager to prove, there was one place they'd be sure to agree - the bedroom!
"Ms. Craven does a magnificent job with this daring story... ." - Romantic Times
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1994
10 people are currently reading
117 people want to read
About the author
Sara Craven
493 books266 followersAnne Bushell was born on October 1938 in South Devon, England, just before World War II and grew up in a house crammed with books. She was always a voracious reader, some of her all-time favorites books are: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, "Middlemarch" by George Eliot, "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, "Gone With the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell and "The Code of the Woosters" by P. G. Wodehouse.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.
She worked as journalist at the Paignton Observer, but after her marriage, she moved to the north of England, where she worked as teacher. After she returned to journalism, she joined the Middlesbrough Writers' Group, where she met other romance writer Mildred Grieveson (Anne Mather). She started to wrote romance, and she had her first novel "Garden of Dreams" accepted by Mills & Boon in 1975, she published her work under the pseudonym of Sara Craven. In 2010 she became chairman of the Southern Writers' Conference, and the next year was elected the twenty-six Chairman (2011–2013) of the Romantic Novelists' Association.
Divorced twice, Annie lives in Somerset, South West England, and shares her home with a West Highland white terrier called Bertie Wooster. In her house, she had several thousand books, and an amazing video collection. When she's not writing, she enjoys watching very old films, listening to music, going to the theatre, and eating in good restaurants. She also likes to travel in Europe, to inspire her romances, especially in France, Greece and Italy where many of her novels are set. Since the birth of her twin grandchildren, she is also a regular visitor to New York City, where the little tots live. In 1997, she was the overall winner of the BBC's Mastermind, winning the last final presented by Magnus Magnusson.
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August 30, 2018
Re Dark Apollo - Sara Craven brings us a Greek Drama Fest of Olympian proportions in this little HP Plus extravaganza for January of 1996.
(Tho technically the first two books of the month aren't called HP Pluses anymore, they just get souped up tropiness and a different cover as bonus books in the usual monthly line up.)
We start off in rainy Olde England where our orphaned twenty something h and her 18 yr old Baby Sister are contemplating the fates and their twists of destiny. The h has been caring for her baby sis ever since her parents died some years earlier and great gods of thunder does our h wish she had a hot line to higher plane of existence for some apt motherly advice.
Seems Baby Sis, a shy, nice, sweet unicorn petter who studies hard and gets high marks at uni, went to Greece for Easter break. The h was happy to send her with Baby Sis's BFF and her mother, but mum was on the lenient side and Baby Sis managed to bring back a souvenir of the 9 months to fully bloom type.
'Not to worry' Baby Sis assures her older sister, ' I met a fabulous Greek Waiter working for one of his family businesses and it was TRUE LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT - Just like Mum and Dad!" Our super-responsible h wants to be reassuring here, but the talons of fate are clenching hard around her innards.
She can feel the hands of fate setting her life awhirl, cause while Baby Sis's Greek Waiter does write lots of lovely letters and insists he is flying over to England, the fated plane arrives and the Greek Waiter is not on it.
Baby Sis, who is either seriously shroomin' or the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, has a tiny little frown of worry and then calmly announces that she is going to Greece to fight her way through Cerberus and the dark tunnels of Hades to find her man.
Well this kicks the h's super-responsibleness into overdrive. As much as she loves her Baby Sis, she is convinced that this Greek Waiter was just having a bit of a holiday fling and even tho she has confirmation from a third party that the Greek Waiter is a seekrit wealthy prince in waiting, the h gets the feeling that Greek Thunder of Dire Disaster is Upon Them All.
The h gets kinda irked about that. Who are these handsome Greek Waiter Gods to trifle around with sweet young girl's hearts and leave inconvenient life changing mementos behind.
So with a heavy sigh and a furious rising of her own inner Nemesis, the h snatches up her Cast Iron Skillet of Doom and a cushy down pillow in case her Baby Sis's heart needs a soft place to fall and we all head out for some tiny Greek island where Baby Sis's prince in waiting lives.
We arrive on the island and the locals are more silent than a Dionysian Cave Cult on hiatus. The h can't find anyone to tell her where the Greek Waiter of Handsome Princedom actually lives. Until a smarmy waiter at their one star hotel offers the information in exchange for a handsome amount of drachmas and as a bonus offers a motor scooter referral service.
Already the h is getting comments about being the Local God of Isle's woman and she doesn't like it much. But after renting a rickety scooter and going up a long, isolated winding road, she comes to the Villa Apollo and braves the gatekeeper to venture within.
The h is led to a literal Dark Apollo himself rising up from the waters of an Aegean blue swimming pool. The stunned h is also quickly noting the exposed portions of the Dark Apollo's anatomy that strongly resemble his father Zeus's more bull like moments.
A hot surge of something streaks through the h and our Dark Apollo takes his time making sure the h gets a very thorough ogle. The Dark Apollo's casual and deliberate insult towards the h makes her inner Fury surge again.
Words are exchanged about roving waiters who seduce and impregnate innocent dryads and the Dark Apollo thunders back that maybe those dryads shouldn't be parading around in scanty tunics and so willing to give precious chaste items up.
The h has had it by this point and realizing that this man will never, ever admit culpability in the matter of his part in creating little tadpole offspring, offers a few more scathing remarks and advises the H that no matter what the slime swiller of a nematode father does, the baby will always be cared for and loved.
The h storms back to her scooter and promptly gets run over by the Dark Apollo's little sister who strongly resembles a very young Aphrodite. This leads the h to be carried into the Villa Apollo with a full Greek Chorus attending.
We soon find out, via Dark Apollo's good friend Asclepius, that our Dark Apollo H and the Nemesis h both engaged in a case of mistaken identity when it is revealed that the h is the messenger of her hearth cookin' Hestia Baby Sis and the H is fierce guardian of his younger brother Troilus-who got into a bad car accident and now has amnesia.
The Nemesis h is shocked to learn that Troilus doesn't remember mixing the dough that is currently rising. So after a flat out refusal by the H and then being kicked out of the Villa when she attempts to talk to Troilus, our Nemesis is finding it very hard to express her fury.
Dark Apollo lets our feisty Nemesis know that he is the God of all he surveys and the most Nemesis can hope for is a small check in compensation - Greek Gods are fully aware of the folly of mixing with the alien Titans and that is just not going to happen here.
So the h is in a quandary, Baby Sis Hestia is really counting on our Nemesis to fight for her true love Troilus. But Dark Apollo is making all sorts of surges in Nemesis blood and a funny feeling in her lower portions, so our h isn't quite sure what is fury and what is just a case of good old fashioned HP Lurve Force Mojo at work.
It is said that "Whom the Greek Gods would destroy, they would first drive mad," and our h is certainly feeling the truth of that. Especially when Dark Apollo drops her off at her hotel and lays a full on roofie kiss on her in front of the entire town.
Dark Apollo also has a ranty moment with the guy who rented the h the sub par scooter and has to rescue Nemesis from the dire attentions of the smarmy hotel waiter.
This leads to the h and Baby Sis Hestia getting kicked out of their hotel because the proprietor's Wife Hera is against loose women and Sun Gods yelling at her relatives. Enter Aphrodite H's little sister again, she convinces the H that everything is all his fault and he needs to offer the h and her sister the family beach house across the bay from the Villa Apollo.
The h and Baby Sis are soon tucked in and the h has a huge mopey moment when she finds out her Dark Apollo is a widower and her master bedroom is the room where he lay with his beautiful and now dead from an overdose movie star wife.
After some more perambulations and exhortations from the Greek Chorus, the H's little sister and Baby Sis become fast friends as they plot how to manipulate our Nemesis h to fight for both their true loves. (It seems Aphrodite is in love with Asclepius and she knows Apollo is going to pitch a fit about it.)
Eventually the plan is that the h will distract the H for some hours and do her best Nymph Daphne running impersonation to get Apollo away long enough to reunite Hestia and Troilus in the hearth flame.
The h makes nice, pretends she wants to negotiate a settlement for her sister and her baby, and gets the H to take her to an afternoon long christening. On the way back, the H diverts to a secluded beach where the h swims out too far and the H rescues her.
This leads to a big Lurve Club Purple Passion event and the h is shocked at how much sand she and the H kicked up and at how fast those unicorns are running away from her pettings now.
The h is also shocked that she failed to resist her Treacherous Body Syndrome under the H's Dark Apollo Spell and there are several very bitter accusations of manipulations of the h so the H could have his way.
The H attempts to deny that he manipulated the h at all, he just firmly believes that tourists and native Greek men should not mix in marriage. His own wife, whom he loved dearly, was a visitor.
The H fell in love with the glamorous and seemingly sincere actress, but when she couldn't settle into domestic married life with the H and turned back to her movie career instead, she spiraled down into a nightmare of addiction, until she was found dead in a California hotel sometime later.
By that time she and the H were completely estranged and the H wants to prevent any more pain for his siblings by condoning matches with foreigner's or lower class men he is sure will not work out because of social, financial and lifestyle differences.
That is why he is determined to pay the h's Baby Sis off and never tell his amnesiac brother about the child and the woman it appears he has forgotten. It is too late tho, cause while Apollo and Nemesis were stormin' the beach, Hestia snuck into see Troilus and pulled him out of his mental abyss.
Troilus remembers his darling keeper of the hearth flame and a wedding will be celebrated without delay. Apollo is seriously irked that his plans have been foiled and he accuses Nemesis of making the huge virgin sacrifice to allow the ill suited lovers to get their way.
He calls up his loyal harpies to drive the h away and the h realizes that she loves the H completely, but the madness is now seeped down to her soul and only desolation and dire mopey moments are left.
As the h is packing to leave and blaming herself for the whole sorry mess, our young Aphrodite shows up and throws herself on the mercy of the h for shelter when she returns to England. It seems Apollo had another hissy fit when Aphrodite wanted to marry Asclepius and now Aphrodite has decided to run off and disappear and the h can hide her until Asclepius can come and marry her.
Our Nemesis h is just about out of flame and tells Aphrodite to sleep on her decision and then talk to Apollo in the morning. This doesn't suite Aphrodite, she is leaving NOW, and the h will either have to walk miles to get to the Villa Apollo to warn the H or she will just have to wait things out.
Never doubt the SC h's ability to utterly disregard any kind of common sense when she is making a Grand Gesture of Unrequited Love.
The h takes it into her self-blaming heart to swim across the bay to the Villa Apollo at night, in deep water, with sharks, all so she can warn the H that he needs to stop his sister from totally becoming an outcast in her extended Greek Family and all of Greek Society.
So the h sets out and it is a long, long distance across the bay. The h refuses to give up tho, even when she feels things brushing against her legs and is hoping like Hades no one released the Kraken into the wine-dark sea.
Eventually a light shines upon the exhausted h, filling her universe in the moonlit waters. It is the brilliant light of Apollo's calique and he has come to rescue his Nemesis h. As our now Tender Apollo watches over his warmly wrapped Nemesis h, it is time for the final episode before the Greek Chorus leaves us with our Exodos.
Apollo explains that Aphrodite is now engaged to Asclepius. In his fatherly role, he wanted to test Aphrodite's veracity and the strength of her love, telling her she and Asclepius must part. When Aphrodite proposed to run away to a grotty flat and eat beans on crumbs to live with her love, Apollo wisely concluded that it was real true love and not a fun seekrit romance after all.
Apollo also admits that he is a somewhat jealous god and when Troilus wanted to bail on him for Hestia, the fighting was fierce and Apollo still let him drive and crash his car. So the wages of sin were Apollo shouldering responsibility for Troilus's amnesia and then selfishly trying to keep him bound in chains of brotherly caretaking love.
Much to Apollo's shame and regret, because he couldn't have picked a better hearth and home warmer in the form of Baby Sis Hestia for Triolus himself. Apollo then explains that he was actually out on his Calliope calique to go over to Nemesis's house and cast himself upon his knees to beg for her love.
Nemesis, knowing her fury has abated and feeling more like Circe, assures Apollo than her passion on the beach was from her heart and not motivated out of pity for his sad tale of marital woe.
Our transformed Circe h insists that the depth of her love is greater than the stars in the heavens and she has been smashed through the heart by the bolt of Eros, never to recover without the shinning light of her True Love Apollo, long may his splendour illuminate her universe and make her starry skies.
Apollo is all about being his little fiery Nemesis's Universal Light and he concludes that there must be an orange blossom ceremony and the h needs to learn the steps to the Kalamatiano fast. She will be leading the traditional dance at their wedding, cause the h is the only woman fit enough to become Apollo's wife.
So we exit to the sounds of kittens and unicorns singing sparkly bright Kantada's in ode to the joys of another successful Greek God Approved HEA HPlandia Outing.
As a little aside from our Epic Greek Tale of Nearly Tragic Love, this is the most twisted seekrit baby trope in all of HPlandia. Even without the added mayhem of those capricious Greek Gods and mutterings from the chorus.
Nowhere else is it the H who tries to keep the baby seekrit and it is a rather shocking event for the line.
In the typical HP outing, the H's one redeeming feature is that he may be a lady buffet sampler extraordinaire and he may pass out diamonds like candy in his lady lurvin' goals. He may be a workaholic misogynist and totally insult and degrade the h, but he is always, always a good father.
For once that tried and true HP Rule did not hold true and SC managed to pull that off with a stunning elegance that still leaves the HP Voyager breathless in it's execution. Such is the talent of Sara Craven in HPlandia.
So give this one a go if you find it, it is one of the most unusual HP's you will ever read and the HP line is better for it. Sara Craven takes an HP standard, throws in a little Ouzo and turns out a heady concoction of pure ambrosia for the more discerning HP Voyager.
(Tho technically the first two books of the month aren't called HP Pluses anymore, they just get souped up tropiness and a different cover as bonus books in the usual monthly line up.)
We start off in rainy Olde England where our orphaned twenty something h and her 18 yr old Baby Sister are contemplating the fates and their twists of destiny. The h has been caring for her baby sis ever since her parents died some years earlier and great gods of thunder does our h wish she had a hot line to higher plane of existence for some apt motherly advice.
Seems Baby Sis, a shy, nice, sweet unicorn petter who studies hard and gets high marks at uni, went to Greece for Easter break. The h was happy to send her with Baby Sis's BFF and her mother, but mum was on the lenient side and Baby Sis managed to bring back a souvenir of the 9 months to fully bloom type.
'Not to worry' Baby Sis assures her older sister, ' I met a fabulous Greek Waiter working for one of his family businesses and it was TRUE LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT - Just like Mum and Dad!" Our super-responsible h wants to be reassuring here, but the talons of fate are clenching hard around her innards.
She can feel the hands of fate setting her life awhirl, cause while Baby Sis's Greek Waiter does write lots of lovely letters and insists he is flying over to England, the fated plane arrives and the Greek Waiter is not on it.
Baby Sis, who is either seriously shroomin' or the reincarnation of a Bodhisattva, has a tiny little frown of worry and then calmly announces that she is going to Greece to fight her way through Cerberus and the dark tunnels of Hades to find her man.
Well this kicks the h's super-responsibleness into overdrive. As much as she loves her Baby Sis, she is convinced that this Greek Waiter was just having a bit of a holiday fling and even tho she has confirmation from a third party that the Greek Waiter is a seekrit wealthy prince in waiting, the h gets the feeling that Greek Thunder of Dire Disaster is Upon Them All.
The h gets kinda irked about that. Who are these handsome Greek Waiter Gods to trifle around with sweet young girl's hearts and leave inconvenient life changing mementos behind.
So with a heavy sigh and a furious rising of her own inner Nemesis, the h snatches up her Cast Iron Skillet of Doom and a cushy down pillow in case her Baby Sis's heart needs a soft place to fall and we all head out for some tiny Greek island where Baby Sis's prince in waiting lives.
We arrive on the island and the locals are more silent than a Dionysian Cave Cult on hiatus. The h can't find anyone to tell her where the Greek Waiter of Handsome Princedom actually lives. Until a smarmy waiter at their one star hotel offers the information in exchange for a handsome amount of drachmas and as a bonus offers a motor scooter referral service.
Already the h is getting comments about being the Local God of Isle's woman and she doesn't like it much. But after renting a rickety scooter and going up a long, isolated winding road, she comes to the Villa Apollo and braves the gatekeeper to venture within.
The h is led to a literal Dark Apollo himself rising up from the waters of an Aegean blue swimming pool. The stunned h is also quickly noting the exposed portions of the Dark Apollo's anatomy that strongly resemble his father Zeus's more bull like moments.
A hot surge of something streaks through the h and our Dark Apollo takes his time making sure the h gets a very thorough ogle. The Dark Apollo's casual and deliberate insult towards the h makes her inner Fury surge again.
Words are exchanged about roving waiters who seduce and impregnate innocent dryads and the Dark Apollo thunders back that maybe those dryads shouldn't be parading around in scanty tunics and so willing to give precious chaste items up.
The h has had it by this point and realizing that this man will never, ever admit culpability in the matter of his part in creating little tadpole offspring, offers a few more scathing remarks and advises the H that no matter what the slime swiller of a nematode father does, the baby will always be cared for and loved.
The h storms back to her scooter and promptly gets run over by the Dark Apollo's little sister who strongly resembles a very young Aphrodite. This leads the h to be carried into the Villa Apollo with a full Greek Chorus attending.
We soon find out, via Dark Apollo's good friend Asclepius, that our Dark Apollo H and the Nemesis h both engaged in a case of mistaken identity when it is revealed that the h is the messenger of her hearth cookin' Hestia Baby Sis and the H is fierce guardian of his younger brother Troilus-who got into a bad car accident and now has amnesia.
The Nemesis h is shocked to learn that Troilus doesn't remember mixing the dough that is currently rising. So after a flat out refusal by the H and then being kicked out of the Villa when she attempts to talk to Troilus, our Nemesis is finding it very hard to express her fury.
Dark Apollo lets our feisty Nemesis know that he is the God of all he surveys and the most Nemesis can hope for is a small check in compensation - Greek Gods are fully aware of the folly of mixing with the alien Titans and that is just not going to happen here.
So the h is in a quandary, Baby Sis Hestia is really counting on our Nemesis to fight for her true love Troilus. But Dark Apollo is making all sorts of surges in Nemesis blood and a funny feeling in her lower portions, so our h isn't quite sure what is fury and what is just a case of good old fashioned HP Lurve Force Mojo at work.
It is said that "Whom the Greek Gods would destroy, they would first drive mad," and our h is certainly feeling the truth of that. Especially when Dark Apollo drops her off at her hotel and lays a full on roofie kiss on her in front of the entire town.
Dark Apollo also has a ranty moment with the guy who rented the h the sub par scooter and has to rescue Nemesis from the dire attentions of the smarmy hotel waiter.
This leads to the h and Baby Sis Hestia getting kicked out of their hotel because the proprietor's Wife Hera is against loose women and Sun Gods yelling at her relatives. Enter Aphrodite H's little sister again, she convinces the H that everything is all his fault and he needs to offer the h and her sister the family beach house across the bay from the Villa Apollo.
The h and Baby Sis are soon tucked in and the h has a huge mopey moment when she finds out her Dark Apollo is a widower and her master bedroom is the room where he lay with his beautiful and now dead from an overdose movie star wife.
After some more perambulations and exhortations from the Greek Chorus, the H's little sister and Baby Sis become fast friends as they plot how to manipulate our Nemesis h to fight for both their true loves. (It seems Aphrodite is in love with Asclepius and she knows Apollo is going to pitch a fit about it.)
Eventually the plan is that the h will distract the H for some hours and do her best Nymph Daphne running impersonation to get Apollo away long enough to reunite Hestia and Troilus in the hearth flame.
The h makes nice, pretends she wants to negotiate a settlement for her sister and her baby, and gets the H to take her to an afternoon long christening. On the way back, the H diverts to a secluded beach where the h swims out too far and the H rescues her.
This leads to a big Lurve Club Purple Passion event and the h is shocked at how much sand she and the H kicked up and at how fast those unicorns are running away from her pettings now.
The h is also shocked that she failed to resist her Treacherous Body Syndrome under the H's Dark Apollo Spell and there are several very bitter accusations of manipulations of the h so the H could have his way.
The H attempts to deny that he manipulated the h at all, he just firmly believes that tourists and native Greek men should not mix in marriage. His own wife, whom he loved dearly, was a visitor.
The H fell in love with the glamorous and seemingly sincere actress, but when she couldn't settle into domestic married life with the H and turned back to her movie career instead, she spiraled down into a nightmare of addiction, until she was found dead in a California hotel sometime later.
By that time she and the H were completely estranged and the H wants to prevent any more pain for his siblings by condoning matches with foreigner's or lower class men he is sure will not work out because of social, financial and lifestyle differences.
That is why he is determined to pay the h's Baby Sis off and never tell his amnesiac brother about the child and the woman it appears he has forgotten. It is too late tho, cause while Apollo and Nemesis were stormin' the beach, Hestia snuck into see Troilus and pulled him out of his mental abyss.
Troilus remembers his darling keeper of the hearth flame and a wedding will be celebrated without delay. Apollo is seriously irked that his plans have been foiled and he accuses Nemesis of making the huge virgin sacrifice to allow the ill suited lovers to get their way.
He calls up his loyal harpies to drive the h away and the h realizes that she loves the H completely, but the madness is now seeped down to her soul and only desolation and dire mopey moments are left.
As the h is packing to leave and blaming herself for the whole sorry mess, our young Aphrodite shows up and throws herself on the mercy of the h for shelter when she returns to England. It seems Apollo had another hissy fit when Aphrodite wanted to marry Asclepius and now Aphrodite has decided to run off and disappear and the h can hide her until Asclepius can come and marry her.
Our Nemesis h is just about out of flame and tells Aphrodite to sleep on her decision and then talk to Apollo in the morning. This doesn't suite Aphrodite, she is leaving NOW, and the h will either have to walk miles to get to the Villa Apollo to warn the H or she will just have to wait things out.
Never doubt the SC h's ability to utterly disregard any kind of common sense when she is making a Grand Gesture of Unrequited Love.
The h takes it into her self-blaming heart to swim across the bay to the Villa Apollo at night, in deep water, with sharks, all so she can warn the H that he needs to stop his sister from totally becoming an outcast in her extended Greek Family and all of Greek Society.
So the h sets out and it is a long, long distance across the bay. The h refuses to give up tho, even when she feels things brushing against her legs and is hoping like Hades no one released the Kraken into the wine-dark sea.
Eventually a light shines upon the exhausted h, filling her universe in the moonlit waters. It is the brilliant light of Apollo's calique and he has come to rescue his Nemesis h. As our now Tender Apollo watches over his warmly wrapped Nemesis h, it is time for the final episode before the Greek Chorus leaves us with our Exodos.
Apollo explains that Aphrodite is now engaged to Asclepius. In his fatherly role, he wanted to test Aphrodite's veracity and the strength of her love, telling her she and Asclepius must part. When Aphrodite proposed to run away to a grotty flat and eat beans on crumbs to live with her love, Apollo wisely concluded that it was real true love and not a fun seekrit romance after all.
Apollo also admits that he is a somewhat jealous god and when Troilus wanted to bail on him for Hestia, the fighting was fierce and Apollo still let him drive and crash his car. So the wages of sin were Apollo shouldering responsibility for Troilus's amnesia and then selfishly trying to keep him bound in chains of brotherly caretaking love.
Much to Apollo's shame and regret, because he couldn't have picked a better hearth and home warmer in the form of Baby Sis Hestia for Triolus himself. Apollo then explains that he was actually out on his Calliope calique to go over to Nemesis's house and cast himself upon his knees to beg for her love.
Nemesis, knowing her fury has abated and feeling more like Circe, assures Apollo than her passion on the beach was from her heart and not motivated out of pity for his sad tale of marital woe.
Our transformed Circe h insists that the depth of her love is greater than the stars in the heavens and she has been smashed through the heart by the bolt of Eros, never to recover without the shinning light of her True Love Apollo, long may his splendour illuminate her universe and make her starry skies.
Apollo is all about being his little fiery Nemesis's Universal Light and he concludes that there must be an orange blossom ceremony and the h needs to learn the steps to the Kalamatiano fast. She will be leading the traditional dance at their wedding, cause the h is the only woman fit enough to become Apollo's wife.
So we exit to the sounds of kittens and unicorns singing sparkly bright Kantada's in ode to the joys of another successful Greek God Approved HEA HPlandia Outing.
As a little aside from our Epic Greek Tale of Nearly Tragic Love, this is the most twisted seekrit baby trope in all of HPlandia. Even without the added mayhem of those capricious Greek Gods and mutterings from the chorus.
Nowhere else is it the H who tries to keep the baby seekrit and it is a rather shocking event for the line.
In the typical HP outing, the H's one redeeming feature is that he may be a lady buffet sampler extraordinaire and he may pass out diamonds like candy in his lady lurvin' goals. He may be a workaholic misogynist and totally insult and degrade the h, but he is always, always a good father.
For once that tried and true HP Rule did not hold true and SC managed to pull that off with a stunning elegance that still leaves the HP Voyager breathless in it's execution. Such is the talent of Sara Craven in HPlandia.
So give this one a go if you find it, it is one of the most unusual HP's you will ever read and the HP line is better for it. Sara Craven takes an HP standard, throws in a little Ouzo and turns out a heady concoction of pure ambrosia for the more discerning HP Voyager.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2018
When control freaks clash . . . H/h are both the eldest sibling tasked with watching out for their family.
The Greek tycoon hero's brother seduces the English secretary heroine's 18 year-old sister. The young couple planned on marrying, but the brother doesn't show up in London at the appointed time. Heroine's sister is pregnant, which complicates everything.
Heroine and her sister travel to the tycoon's home island. The heroine rents a scooter to tackle the brother in his lair, and in a case of mistaken identity, takes the hero to task. Unfortunately, the brother has had a car accident and he has amnesia, so no one can corroborate the sister's story to the hero's satisfaction. The hero's sister almost runs over the heroine on her scooter, so the heroine has another chance to interact with the hero.
It doesn't take long for the hero to be interested in the heroine and that's where the title comes in. The hero is a "Dark Apollo" and she is the nymph he is pursuing for his own ends. The heroine has no expectations that their attraction could morph into a relationship. While she won't be turned into a clump of myrtle, she knows this will end badly if she succumbs. For most of the story she manages to keep her eyes on the prize - getting her sister together with the hero's brother.
With the hero's sister's help and a long swim between islands, the heroine manages to achieve her objective (s). There are three happy couples at the end of this one!
I doubt that the hero will lose his control-freak ways - same with the heroine. As long as they both have the same objective, they will be a formidable team. Hero was a good guy and was trying to do the right thing. This adherence to the old ways didn't serve him well in his first marriage and it seems he's finally learned his lesson.
A fun story. A lot of my enjoyment came from the well-described setting and the complications of each romance.
The Greek tycoon hero's brother seduces the English secretary heroine's 18 year-old sister. The young couple planned on marrying, but the brother doesn't show up in London at the appointed time. Heroine's sister is pregnant, which complicates everything.
Heroine and her sister travel to the tycoon's home island. The heroine rents a scooter to tackle the brother in his lair, and in a case of mistaken identity, takes the hero to task. Unfortunately, the brother has had a car accident and he has amnesia, so no one can corroborate the sister's story to the hero's satisfaction. The hero's sister almost runs over the heroine on her scooter, so the heroine has another chance to interact with the hero.
It doesn't take long for the hero to be interested in the heroine and that's where the title comes in. The hero is a "Dark Apollo" and she is the nymph he is pursuing for his own ends. The heroine has no expectations that their attraction could morph into a relationship. While she won't be turned into a clump of myrtle, she knows this will end badly if she succumbs. For most of the story she manages to keep her eyes on the prize - getting her sister together with the hero's brother.
With the hero's sister's help and a long swim between islands, the heroine manages to achieve her objective (s). There are three happy couples at the end of this one!
I doubt that the hero will lose his control-freak ways - same with the heroine. As long as they both have the same objective, they will be a formidable team. Hero was a good guy and was trying to do the right thing. This adherence to the old ways didn't serve him well in his first marriage and it seems he's finally learned his lesson.
A fun story. A lot of my enjoyment came from the well-described setting and the complications of each romance.
March 17, 2018
"Dark Apollo" is the story of Nic and Camilla.
When Camilla Dryden's young sister Katie gets pregnant after a vacation in Greece, she finds herself in a dilemma when the father of the baby Spiro fails to show up as promised!
Taking the brave decision to go with Katie to Greece, she finds herself confronted with Nic, Spiro's older brother who wants nothing to do with Katie, or the baby! And to cherry on the top is an accident has caused Spiro to lose his memory!
How Camilla works on reuniting the two lovers while fighting both for her sister as well as her growing attraction to Nic forms the story. I also liked how nice Ariana was, and how non mean, albiet ruthless the hero was.
An average read overall.
Safe
3/5
When Camilla Dryden's young sister Katie gets pregnant after a vacation in Greece, she finds herself in a dilemma when the father of the baby Spiro fails to show up as promised!
Taking the brave decision to go with Katie to Greece, she finds herself confronted with Nic, Spiro's older brother who wants nothing to do with Katie, or the baby! And to cherry on the top is an accident has caused Spiro to lose his memory!
How Camilla works on reuniting the two lovers while fighting both for her sister as well as her growing attraction to Nic forms the story. I also liked how nice Ariana was, and how non mean, albiet ruthless the hero was.
An average read overall.
Safe
3/5
December 24, 2020
I’m three for three with Sara Craven (and thank you Iris for reminding me about her!). The sexual tension in DA is unrelenting from beginning to end, with heat shimmering between our mutually infatuated MCs whom circumstances have forced to be antagonists. Is there anyone who did sustained sexual tension with a side of angst better than SC?
She was conscious of him all the time. Above the laughter and chatter of the women there seemed to be a silent zone where the two of them existed alone. A place where she could look at him, and smile, and say the words of love and desire that she dared not even think. Where his kisses burned on her parted lips and her body bloomed under the touch of his hands. A secret place, she thought, which would haunt her for the rest of her life, tormenting her with all kinds of unfulfilled yearnings.
The innocent (but not naïve) heroine’s desperate determination to NOT succumb and become just another of “Xandreou’s women” is palpable throughout and makes her a good match (both as an antagonist and future mate) for our ruthless, autocratic hero. Nic potentially holds all advantage in their “negotiations,” really, but to his credit, he doesn’t really steamroll the heroine as he probably could, and overall his intentions are good, although he needs to realize his sibs are grown up and that his experiences will not necessarily be theirs. It’s a pretty angsty read because Camilla is netted by her own unmanageable reactions and growing feelings for the arrogant Greek hero, who is just as infatuated but determined not to become emotionally involved with her, at first because he thinks she and her sister are out for a payoff but also because of a previous disastrous marriage to someone who was not from his culture. It’s clear he’d be happy to have sex with her but our heroine makes it clear (with a good wallop at one point) that that’s not going to happen if she can help it. SC sets up a conflict/relationship that should be unbalanced, given the hero’s wealth and power, neither of which the heroine has, but in making their roles as defacto parents to their younger siblings so similar and in making it clear that their mutual attraction is equal on both sides, the balance of power isn’t really so uneven, the heroine’s inexperience notwithstanding. It’s nicely done.
SC did old-skool so very well in this one—a deliciously dommy hero who manages not to be a complete ass; a mostly steel-spined heroine who doesn’t give up too easily and isn't cowed by the powerful, arrogant hero; some really great heat and sexual tension as only SC can deliver; and a tight focus on the MCs even though a central conflict between them rests heavily on secondary characters. This should read as far more cliched than it does, especially given HP’s love for arrogant Greek heroes, but SC makes it her own somehow, despite the familiar tropes. She’s rapidly becoming one of my fave vintage Harley authors.
She was conscious of him all the time. Above the laughter and chatter of the women there seemed to be a silent zone where the two of them existed alone. A place where she could look at him, and smile, and say the words of love and desire that she dared not even think. Where his kisses burned on her parted lips and her body bloomed under the touch of his hands. A secret place, she thought, which would haunt her for the rest of her life, tormenting her with all kinds of unfulfilled yearnings.
The innocent (but not naïve) heroine’s desperate determination to NOT succumb and become just another of “Xandreou’s women” is palpable throughout and makes her a good match (both as an antagonist and future mate) for our ruthless, autocratic hero. Nic potentially holds all advantage in their “negotiations,” really, but to his credit, he doesn’t really steamroll the heroine as he probably could, and overall his intentions are good, although he needs to realize his sibs are grown up and that his experiences will not necessarily be theirs. It’s a pretty angsty read because Camilla is netted by her own unmanageable reactions and growing feelings for the arrogant Greek hero, who is just as infatuated but determined not to become emotionally involved with her, at first because he thinks she and her sister are out for a payoff but also because of a previous disastrous marriage to someone who was not from his culture. It’s clear he’d be happy to have sex with her but our heroine makes it clear (with a good wallop at one point) that that’s not going to happen if she can help it. SC sets up a conflict/relationship that should be unbalanced, given the hero’s wealth and power, neither of which the heroine has, but in making their roles as defacto parents to their younger siblings so similar and in making it clear that their mutual attraction is equal on both sides, the balance of power isn’t really so uneven, the heroine’s inexperience notwithstanding. It’s nicely done.
SC did old-skool so very well in this one—a deliciously dommy hero who manages not to be a complete ass; a mostly steel-spined heroine who doesn’t give up too easily and isn't cowed by the powerful, arrogant hero; some really great heat and sexual tension as only SC can deliver; and a tight focus on the MCs even though a central conflict between them rests heavily on secondary characters. This should read as far more cliched than it does, especially given HP’s love for arrogant Greek heroes, but SC makes it her own somehow, despite the familiar tropes. She’s rapidly becoming one of my fave vintage Harley authors.
May 25, 2012
I am a big fan of Sara Craven (you probably know this by now), and I bought this book from the Treasury line a while ago looking forward to reading it, but forgot I even had it!
One of the things that I like about her books, and that I think she does quite well, is that the general direction of the book leads you to think one thing and then it twists into something quite different. That is certainly the case with this book.
The hero and heroine just 'click' from the word go here, and the whole story plays out rather beautifully. The hero is so deliciously alpha, yet he falls for the heroine hard and fast and the reader could see it. The way that they meet is a bit of a cliché but, you know, sometimes that's a good thing - like an old, comfortable pair of socks!
This book benefited from not having a lot love scenes, but this doesn't mean there isn't plenty of passion. The sexual tension between the hero and heroine is rife and builds and builds so that by the time the hero and heroine finally got together it was explosive.
The heroine is feisty, independent and well written - definitely one of the better Sara Craven heroines. Loved the hero but I would have liked to have been able to have his POV included.
A very enjoyable read.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
One of the things that I like about her books, and that I think she does quite well, is that the general direction of the book leads you to think one thing and then it twists into something quite different. That is certainly the case with this book.
The hero and heroine just 'click' from the word go here, and the whole story plays out rather beautifully. The hero is so deliciously alpha, yet he falls for the heroine hard and fast and the reader could see it. The way that they meet is a bit of a cliché but, you know, sometimes that's a good thing - like an old, comfortable pair of socks!
This book benefited from not having a lot love scenes, but this doesn't mean there isn't plenty of passion. The sexual tension between the hero and heroine is rife and builds and builds so that by the time the hero and heroine finally got together it was explosive.
The heroine is feisty, independent and well written - definitely one of the better Sara Craven heroines. Loved the hero but I would have liked to have been able to have his POV included.
A very enjoyable read.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
April 26, 2012
What can I say, I love a good Greek hero. The hero was brutish and his arrogance was astounding but the story was amazing and he was one smart man. I really liked the heroine too for she stood her ground, wasn't afraid to speak her mind and wouldn't back down no matter how much "power" the hero had over her. I love female heroines who are like that, the belief that standing by their morals is the greatest treasure ever, which it is.
The heroine and her sister flew to an island in Greece because her sister got pregnant by the heroes younger brother. The hero said his brother was in an accident and he would not allow the heroines sister anywhere near him, pregnant or not but he would offer her money. The heroine didn't accept and neither did her sister, so together with quite a few more added characters they came up with a plan. While the heroine distracts the hero, the heroines sister will sneak into see the heroes brother. It worked! The heroes brother was saved from amnesia and remembered everything but the hero didn't approve of the heroines plot in all this. The heroine realizing she's in love with the her accepts the fact that she has lost the man she believes in and loves and decides it's her time to leave but will the hero let her go?
The heroine and her sister flew to an island in Greece because her sister got pregnant by the heroes younger brother. The hero said his brother was in an accident and he would not allow the heroines sister anywhere near him, pregnant or not but he would offer her money. The heroine didn't accept and neither did her sister, so together with quite a few more added characters they came up with a plan. While the heroine distracts the hero, the heroines sister will sneak into see the heroes brother. It worked! The heroes brother was saved from amnesia and remembered everything but the hero didn't approve of the heroines plot in all this. The heroine realizing she's in love with the her accepts the fact that she has lost the man she believes in and loves and decides it's her time to leave but will the hero let her go?
May 16, 2015
4 Stars ~ Camilla had been 19 when her parents had been killed in an auto accident leaving her responsible for her younger sister. Now, five years later, Katie's 18, and she's just returned from an Easter break's holiday to Greece. While away, Katie met a handsome boy named Spiro, and they fell in love, and he's asked her to marry him. At first Camilla is skeptical of Spiro intentions, but his letters are frequent and he announces he's flying to England. Only he never arrives, and their attempts to track him down are unsuccessful. Distraught Katie confesses that she is pregnant. Furious and heartbroken for her sister, Camilla agrees that they'll travel to Karthos, the Greek island that Spiros said his family was from.
Leaving Katie to rest in their hotel, Camilla searches out the Xandreou family. The villagers are uncooperative but she finally learns where to find their home, the Villa Apollo. She rents a scooter and sets out, arriving to find herself in the hands of security. After much arguing and some misunderstanding, it finally comes to light that Spiro was in an accident on the way to the airport. He's there at the villa, with a broken leg and concussion which has left him with amnesia. His brother Nico is the head of the house, and he refuses to allow Camilla or Katie anywhere near Spiro. He demands that they leave Karthos, and forget they'd ever heard the name Xandreou as the Xandreou have already forgotten the name Dryden. Nic arrogantly offers a negotiation, what sum will it take to make the Dryden sisters disappear. Camilla vows never to give up, that Katie and Spiro must be given their chance at happiness. Nic vows over his dead body.
I must say I was rather surprised with how much I enjoyed this story. Nic is the typical alpha Greek tycoon who thinks women should be protected and cherished and in return should be obedient and eager to please. Camilla, of course, fights Nic's arrogance and gives him a worthy opponent. Their chemistry is undeniable, and somewhere along the way the sparring turns into so much more. Everything, of course, works out happily, and both sisters find their soul mates in the Xandreou men. This is a compelling love story.
Leaving Katie to rest in their hotel, Camilla searches out the Xandreou family. The villagers are uncooperative but she finally learns where to find their home, the Villa Apollo. She rents a scooter and sets out, arriving to find herself in the hands of security. After much arguing and some misunderstanding, it finally comes to light that Spiro was in an accident on the way to the airport. He's there at the villa, with a broken leg and concussion which has left him with amnesia. His brother Nico is the head of the house, and he refuses to allow Camilla or Katie anywhere near Spiro. He demands that they leave Karthos, and forget they'd ever heard the name Xandreou as the Xandreou have already forgotten the name Dryden. Nic arrogantly offers a negotiation, what sum will it take to make the Dryden sisters disappear. Camilla vows never to give up, that Katie and Spiro must be given their chance at happiness. Nic vows over his dead body.
I must say I was rather surprised with how much I enjoyed this story. Nic is the typical alpha Greek tycoon who thinks women should be protected and cherished and in return should be obedient and eager to please. Camilla, of course, fights Nic's arrogance and gives him a worthy opponent. Their chemistry is undeniable, and somewhere along the way the sparring turns into so much more. Everything, of course, works out happily, and both sisters find their soul mates in the Xandreou men. This is a compelling love story.
June 18, 2012
This was my first Sara Craven novel. True to her reputation, this is a very emotionally charged plot and I found myself not being able to put the book down. I thought the heroine was very strong and could certainly take whatever the hero dished out to her. I can forgive any asshat type behavior, if the heroine is strong and there is adequate groveling. This book did not disappoint. I also liked the fact that she didn't spew the typical "I hate you" but will have sex with you anyway..type scenarios.
What I did find rather disturbing was her lack of judgment when she did finally decide to consummate the relationship. Her timing could not have been worse and it actually cheapened her in my eyes. I did however, give her extra credit for fighting for her sister's happiness.
What I did find rather disturbing was her lack of judgment when she did finally decide to consummate the relationship. Her timing could not have been worse and it actually cheapened her in my eyes. I did however, give her extra credit for fighting for her sister's happiness.
May 24, 2018
Enjoyable read. Nothing to write home about, though.
September 8, 2022
Fascino greco Sara Craven
Un Harmony del 1994. La Craven è una vecchia conoscenza ,una di quelle che garantiscono comunque una lettura piacevole.
Camilla parte in Grecia per scovare Spiro , colui che ha sedotto e messo incinta la sorellina invece si imbatterà in Nicos , suo fratello.
Tutto il libro ha una serie di ragionamenti e situazioni datate e riconducibili al comune senso della morale dell’epoca, in alcuni casi anche irritanti , ma l’intero libro viene salvato comunque da quell’emozione genuina che gli Harmony old stile ( delle brave autrici) sanno comunque offrire.
Tengo anche a precisare come valore aggiunto che malgrado stiamo parlando dei primi anni 90 si osa ,la scena sensuale non viene tagliata ma sviluppata, sempre in maniera soft ma comunque c’è.
La storia è prevedibile ma raccontata bene. Nel complesso direi più che sufficiente.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Un Harmony del 1994. La Craven è una vecchia conoscenza ,una di quelle che garantiscono comunque una lettura piacevole.
Camilla parte in Grecia per scovare Spiro , colui che ha sedotto e messo incinta la sorellina invece si imbatterà in Nicos , suo fratello.
Tutto il libro ha una serie di ragionamenti e situazioni datate e riconducibili al comune senso della morale dell’epoca, in alcuni casi anche irritanti , ma l’intero libro viene salvato comunque da quell’emozione genuina che gli Harmony old stile ( delle brave autrici) sanno comunque offrire.
Tengo anche a precisare come valore aggiunto che malgrado stiamo parlando dei primi anni 90 si osa ,la scena sensuale non viene tagliata ma sviluppata, sempre in maniera soft ma comunque c’è.
La storia è prevedibile ma raccontata bene. Nel complesso direi più che sufficiente.
⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
August 12, 2020
Heart warming
Read this in one go. Loved Nic sexy and protective .
Love these old stories with happy endings 😍
Will read more Sarah craven.
Read this in one go. Loved Nic sexy and protective .
Love these old stories with happy endings 😍
Will read more Sarah craven.
July 17, 2023
3.5 stars
This book features an eighteen-year-old girl who becomes pregnant after a whirlwind love affair in Athens; her lover unfortunately has amnesia after a car accident and can't remember his fiancée. The interesting wrinkle is that these people are the younger siblings of the hero (who is hell-bent on keeping the lovers apart) and the heroine (who wants her sister to be happy and future nibling to be financially secure). The hero is an asshole for disapproving his brother's choice of wife, but the heroine has more backbone than usual so it didn't bother me too much. No consent issues here (hey, we're in the mid-90s now. Sara Craven is evolving!).
This book features an eighteen-year-old girl who becomes pregnant after a whirlwind love affair in Athens; her lover unfortunately has amnesia after a car accident and can't remember his fiancée. The interesting wrinkle is that these people are the younger siblings of the hero (who is hell-bent on keeping the lovers apart) and the heroine (who wants her sister to be happy and future nibling to be financially secure). The hero is an asshole for disapproving his brother's choice of wife, but the heroine has more backbone than usual so it didn't bother me too much. No consent issues here (hey, we're in the mid-90s now. Sara Craven is evolving!).
October 19, 2020
This is the type of novel that turned me off from Harlequin romances for 20+ years. He's a super rich, over-sexed, over-macho, overbearing, obnoxious bossy man and she's determined that he will let his brother see and follow through on marrying her sister. In case you can't tell, I didn't like him at all and I wasn't crazy about her either.
Far too much emphasis on everyone doing what he wanted, how he wanted, when he wanted, the way he wanted. And to top it all off, he used kisses to punish. Yuck.
Far too much emphasis on everyone doing what he wanted, how he wanted, when he wanted, the way he wanted. And to top it all off, he used kisses to punish. Yuck.
October 13, 2017
Good read
The story was good but with reservations... first of all, being a traditional greek wife, unless you are very much loved and cherished,... and even then I could NEVER give up my sense of self and freedom completely to a man's will just because he is a man.
The story was good but with reservations... first of all, being a traditional greek wife, unless you are very much loved and cherished,... and even then I could NEVER give up my sense of self and freedom completely to a man's will just because he is a man.
October 17, 2019
So much potential and I liked the general premise.
May 2, 2021
A quick read. I think there's something missing here. I don't know. But as usual, I like that Ms Craven wrote a hero who - while being dominant - was not chauvisinistic and basically a good guy.
December 27, 2021
3.5 stars
October 16, 2023
Loved this one so much very beautifully written book
June 2, 2021
Camilla is responsible for her younger sister Katie's who just returned from an Easter break's holiday to Greece. Katie met a handsome boy named Spiro, and they fell in love, and he's asked her to marry him. At first Camilla is skeptical of Spiro intentions, but his letters are frequent and he announces he's flying to England. Only he never arrives, and distraught Katie confesses that she is pregnant. They travel to Karthos, the Greek island that Spiros said his family was from.
Spiro was in an accident on the way to the airport. His brother Nico is the head of the house, and he refuses to allow Camilla or Katie anywhere near Spiro.
Spiro was in an accident on the way to the airport. His brother Nico is the head of the house, and he refuses to allow Camilla or Katie anywhere near Spiro.
September 13, 2015
I hadn´t read this type of book in a while. Not so bad, but I really hate it when the characters fall in love after like, two days of knowing each other. That´s really lame.
But anyway, a good romance is what we need. :D
But anyway, a good romance is what we need. :D
October 23, 2019
The dialog at the end was a little schmaltzy, but I enjoyed this well enough.
April 27, 2017
Leído el 04/02/2011
A La Orilla Del Mar
Nic Xandreou pensaba que Katie era una cazafortunas dispuesta a atrapar a su hermano y casarse con él... Pero Camilla conocía bien a su hermana y estaba decidida a defender su causa, incluso aunque eso supusiera una visita a la fortaleza de los Xandreou en la isla de Karthos. El choque de caracteres no tardó en producirse, ya que Nic no estaba acostumbrado a recibir un `no` por respuesta. Él era un hombre que prefería que las mujeres fueran tiernas y dóciles...
A La Orilla Del Mar
Nic Xandreou pensaba que Katie era una cazafortunas dispuesta a atrapar a su hermano y casarse con él... Pero Camilla conocía bien a su hermana y estaba decidida a defender su causa, incluso aunque eso supusiera una visita a la fortaleza de los Xandreou en la isla de Karthos. El choque de caracteres no tardó en producirse, ya que Nic no estaba acostumbrado a recibir un `no` por respuesta. Él era un hombre que prefería que las mujeres fueran tiernas y dóciles...
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