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Say Hello to Yesterday
Holly Weston had done it all alone. She had raised her small son and worked her way up to features writer for a major newspaper. Still the bitterness of the past seven years lingered. She had been very young when she married Nick Falconer--but old enough to lose her heart completely when he left. Despite her success in her new life, her old one haunted her. But it was over and done with--until an assignment in Greece brought her face to face with Nick, and all she was trying to forget...
190 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1982
4 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Sally Wentworth
106 books93 followersDoreen was born on 1936 or 1937 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK. She married Donald Alfred Hornsblow, with whom she has a son Keith, in 1968. The family lived in Braughing, England.
Doreen began her publishing career at a Fleet Street newspaper in London, where she thrived in the hectic atmosphere. She started writing after attending an evening class and sold her first novel to Mills & Boon in 1977, she published her novels under the pseudonym Sally Wentworth. Her novels were principally set in Great Britain or in exotic places like Canary Islands or Greece. Her first works are stand-alone novels, but in 1990s, she decided to create her first series. In 1991, she wrote a book in two parts about the Barclay twins and their great love, and in 1995, she wrote the Ties of Passion Trilogy about the Brodey family, that have money, looks, style, everything... except love.
Doreen was an accounts clerk at Associated Newspapers Ltd. in London, England, and accounts clerk at Consumers' Association in Hertford, England. In 1985, she was the founding chair of the Hertford Association of National Trust Members, and named its life president. She also collected knife rests and she was member of The Knife Rest Collectors Club.
Doreen Hornsblow died from cancer on 30 August 2001, at 64 years of age.
Doreen began her publishing career at a Fleet Street newspaper in London, where she thrived in the hectic atmosphere. She started writing after attending an evening class and sold her first novel to Mills & Boon in 1977, she published her novels under the pseudonym Sally Wentworth. Her novels were principally set in Great Britain or in exotic places like Canary Islands or Greece. Her first works are stand-alone novels, but in 1990s, she decided to create her first series. In 1991, she wrote a book in two parts about the Barclay twins and their great love, and in 1995, she wrote the Ties of Passion Trilogy about the Brodey family, that have money, looks, style, everything... except love.
Doreen was an accounts clerk at Associated Newspapers Ltd. in London, England, and accounts clerk at Consumers' Association in Hertford, England. In 1985, she was the founding chair of the Hertford Association of National Trust Members, and named its life president. She also collected knife rests and she was member of The Knife Rest Collectors Club.
Doreen Hornsblow died from cancer on 30 August 2001, at 64 years of age.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 2, 2025
Simply perfect.
Review below after a recent re-read:
Review below after a recent re-read:
February 10, 2017
I was intrigued by Naksed's review and by the cover. I thought I had read this before, but I didn't remember any of it.
The plot in a nutshell: H/h haven't seen each other in seven years. They were married young (heroine was 16 and hero was 22), heroine's parents tried to break them up, hero left and heroine left - pregnant and penniless - after a few weeks when she wised up to her parents interference. They meet again on a Greek island. The heroine is a reporter and is waiting around to interview a reclusive millionaire. The hero is on a yacht doing . . . something with . . . people. It's not all that clear. Late we find out that he got a lead as to where she might be and he followed her there.
Anyhoo. They feel the old black magic, but resist it. The heroine gets a call from her editors that the interview is all set to occur on a ship at sea, but is duped by the millionaire's former employees hoping to make a buck. Luckily, she escapes and swims for her life - right to the millionaire she wants to interview. The hero has been watching her in case she needs rescuing, so he spoils the moment for the heroine to get her interview.
However, the millionaire is smitten and invites her back. Hero is jealous. Heroine, in turn, is jealous of the French lady hanging around the hero. After many (too many, imo) scenes with the millionaire, the heroine rejects him, but still gets her interview. Eventually she and the hero have some beach sex and decide to see how they feel back in merry old England. The heroine isn't sure if the hero will show up or not, since he got the sex he was looking for.
But he does look up the heroine and discovers he has a six year-old son that the heroine never mentioned. She didn't mention him because she didn't want the hero to return to her out of duty. The hero isn't angry about the secret baby - he's delighted. HEA.
This is a solid HP with a lot of the vintage pluses and minuses going for it. Luckily they cancel each other out, so I can believe their happy ending.
H/h got married too young - the remedy is they are older and wiser.
H/h split up because of her parents - she hasn't seen them in 7 years. No more problems with them.
Heroine never told him about secret baby - he had sex with others during their separation.
Hero raped heroine on their last night as a married couple - hero's been looking for her for seven years.
What dropped this the most stars was the skimming I did with the millionaire. I really didn't care about him, didn't think he was in any way going to be the OM so his scenes seemed pointless. I did like the heroine's escape from her captors and how rescued herself - a lovely metaphor for what she had been doing for the past 7 years.
The plot in a nutshell: H/h haven't seen each other in seven years. They were married young (heroine was 16 and hero was 22), heroine's parents tried to break them up, hero left and heroine left - pregnant and penniless - after a few weeks when she wised up to her parents interference. They meet again on a Greek island. The heroine is a reporter and is waiting around to interview a reclusive millionaire. The hero is on a yacht doing . . . something with . . . people. It's not all that clear. Late we find out that he got a lead as to where she might be and he followed her there.
Anyhoo. They feel the old black magic, but resist it. The heroine gets a call from her editors that the interview is all set to occur on a ship at sea, but is duped by the millionaire's former employees hoping to make a buck. Luckily, she escapes and swims for her life - right to the millionaire she wants to interview. The hero has been watching her in case she needs rescuing, so he spoils the moment for the heroine to get her interview.
However, the millionaire is smitten and invites her back. Hero is jealous. Heroine, in turn, is jealous of the French lady hanging around the hero. After many (too many, imo) scenes with the millionaire, the heroine rejects him, but still gets her interview. Eventually she and the hero have some beach sex and decide to see how they feel back in merry old England. The heroine isn't sure if the hero will show up or not, since he got the sex he was looking for.
But he does look up the heroine and discovers he has a six year-old son that the heroine never mentioned. She didn't mention him because she didn't want the hero to return to her out of duty. The hero isn't angry about the secret baby - he's delighted. HEA.
This is a solid HP with a lot of the vintage pluses and minuses going for it. Luckily they cancel each other out, so I can believe their happy ending.
H/h got married too young - the remedy is they are older and wiser.
H/h split up because of her parents - she hasn't seen them in 7 years. No more problems with them.
Heroine never told him about secret baby - he had sex with others during their separation.
Hero raped heroine on their last night as a married couple - hero's been looking for her for seven years.
What dropped this the most stars was the skimming I did with the millionaire. I really didn't care about him, didn't think he was in any way going to be the OM so his scenes seemed pointless. I did like the heroine's escape from her captors and how rescued herself - a lovely metaphor for what she had been doing for the past 7 years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2017
Very old school, which I often like, but this one didn't particularly stand out for me. The ending and reveal of the secret child was very anticlimactic. Could have been much better, but just average old school for me. Spoilers below:
December 22, 2018
It's the final reunion scene that got me to give this four stars when I was previously giving it only three. The man and the woman and their child coming together in a heart-melting/emotional manner is what clinched it for me.
The story itself was quite a surprise. A second chance love story that featured a millionaire with a private greek island. And no, the H wasn't him. I don't know if it was deliberate on SW's part, but this was quite a 'slap in the face' of sorts to all the stories about super rich men landing the gal. Here, the h refuses the millionaire Felix not once but twice, even when the second time around, he proposes marriage - a more honourable proposition as compared to what he was offering her the first time around. This OM had a sizeable role in the plot and was suitably besotted with the h. However, h was a one-man woman (for richer or for poorer) and proved it by refusing his advances.
The h Holly was a revelation. She was passionate, independent, hard working, practical and still had a heart for romance. She raised her child single handedly after the H walked out on her and built her life in a way that allowed her to look after her child and herself without any dependency on others. She turned her back on her parents (who she realises is the cause of all her marital problems) without the slightest bit of regret. And she leaves the H after their mutual declaration of love to see if he meant it, instead of falling at his feet and expecting him to take over his responsibilities as father and husband immediately. At first I thought it was unfair of her to not inform him about the existence of their child. But it all made sense in the final chapter. And she was strong enough to take that path. A truly modern h when compared to the heroines of this decade who can't support themselves/can't say no to terrible relatives/ can't look after themselves - let alone a child.
The H was more of an average M&B hero. Nick was attractive and loved the h as much as she did him; waited for her and eventually found a way to reconnect with her when he was finally able to engineer it. Their romance backstory ( where the h was only 16/17 and the H was 23) was very sweet as well and I loved it when they managed to overcome all their issues and give in to each other on a random beach in Greece. I really believed that they were soulmates.
And now that I'm writing this review, I think maybe that four stars should be upgraded to a five. For all the reasons I've listed above. This is probably as good as it gets in HP universe and I'm happy I read this one.
The story itself was quite a surprise. A second chance love story that featured a millionaire with a private greek island. And no, the H wasn't him. I don't know if it was deliberate on SW's part, but this was quite a 'slap in the face' of sorts to all the stories about super rich men landing the gal. Here, the h refuses the millionaire Felix not once but twice, even when the second time around, he proposes marriage - a more honourable proposition as compared to what he was offering her the first time around. This OM had a sizeable role in the plot and was suitably besotted with the h. However, h was a one-man woman (for richer or for poorer) and proved it by refusing his advances.
The h Holly was a revelation. She was passionate, independent, hard working, practical and still had a heart for romance. She raised her child single handedly after the H walked out on her and built her life in a way that allowed her to look after her child and herself without any dependency on others. She turned her back on her parents (who she realises is the cause of all her marital problems) without the slightest bit of regret. And she leaves the H after their mutual declaration of love to see if he meant it, instead of falling at his feet and expecting him to take over his responsibilities as father and husband immediately. At first I thought it was unfair of her to not inform him about the existence of their child. But it all made sense in the final chapter. And she was strong enough to take that path. A truly modern h when compared to the heroines of this decade who can't support themselves/can't say no to terrible relatives/ can't look after themselves - let alone a child.
The H was more of an average M&B hero. Nick was attractive and loved the h as much as she did him; waited for her and eventually found a way to reconnect with her when he was finally able to engineer it. Their romance backstory ( where the h was only 16/17 and the H was 23) was very sweet as well and I loved it when they managed to overcome all their issues and give in to each other on a random beach in Greece. I really believed that they were soulmates.
And now that I'm writing this review, I think maybe that four stars should be upgraded to a five. For all the reasons I've listed above. This is probably as good as it gets in HP universe and I'm happy I read this one.
June 5, 2021
Edited for cover info: artist David Craig, and it's another good one. His compositions are often more complex then other HQN artists—here the h tilting one way, the H the other, with a rather lovely building between them in the distance is especially well done.
For the most part I was amused by this h and though she blithely walked/swam into danger a bit too readily I liked that her career wasn't merely window dressing.
I didn't really mind the parts where Holly was trying to get an interview with OM though I thought in this relatively short book it cut too much into h and H alone time. It was also odd that h and OM seemed to have more meaningful conversations then h and H ever did.
However the main problem for me is that in spite of the old school Harlequin stance that partner rape is about equal in heinousness to an h getting snippy, to come back from it requires significant work on the heroes part and a weak apology isn't going to do it. I need convincing that he comprehends the pain he caused this woman in particular AND why it was wrong in general or I just can't feel happy about the HEA.
In SHTY there isn't even a discussion about it, h remembers it at various times when H gets aggressive but there's no apology from him whatsoever. There is an actually scary attempted rape of Holly by a couple of young men while she is in the ocean which she is rescued from by Nick, I suspect it's supposed to assure us that he definitely doesn't approve of h being raped by just anyone but basically author and h let him off the hook here. If his conditions are met, if he gets frustrated and insecure enough, what's to say he wouldn't resort to rape again? Of course the fiction with HP HEAs is that there won't ever be anything but sunshine and roses so...
For the most part I was amused by this h and though she blithely walked/swam into danger a bit too readily I liked that her career wasn't merely window dressing.
I didn't really mind the parts where Holly was trying to get an interview with OM though I thought in this relatively short book it cut too much into h and H alone time. It was also odd that h and OM seemed to have more meaningful conversations then h and H ever did.
However the main problem for me is that in spite of the old school Harlequin stance that partner rape is about equal in heinousness to an h getting snippy, to come back from it requires significant work on the heroes part and a weak apology isn't going to do it. I need convincing that he comprehends the pain he caused this woman in particular AND why it was wrong in general or I just can't feel happy about the HEA.
In SHTY there isn't even a discussion about it, h remembers it at various times when H gets aggressive but there's no apology from him whatsoever. There is an actually scary attempted rape of Holly by a couple of young men while she is in the ocean which she is rescued from by Nick, I suspect it's supposed to assure us that he definitely doesn't approve of h being raped by just anyone but basically author and h let him off the hook here. If his conditions are met, if he gets frustrated and insecure enough, what's to say he wouldn't resort to rape again? Of course the fiction with HP HEAs is that there won't ever be anything but sunshine and roses so...
October 20, 2019
If he was celibate while they were separated, I'd give it five stars alas my illogical expectation was not occurred. 🙄
May 17, 2021
"Say Hello To Yesterday" is the story of Holly and Nick.
Soo.. immature hero and heroine are separated by her snooty parents. He leaves her pregnant after a bit of marital rape, and she in turn leaves her parents. She then makes a life for her and her son as a photojournalist. An assignment takes her to a remote island, where she meets the hero again. He seems to not have forgotten her, and is interfering in her job. The task makes her meet OM, who is actual a strong contender to the hero. I wish this was a love triangle lol (even though I hate them), instead we have the hero boasting about the women hes slept with despite being married to the heroine, loads of scenes of people trying to assault the heroine and her swimming to escape, a very dramatic reunion and a kinda sweet? ending.
It was OK but also disturbing.
Unsafe
3/5
Soo.. immature hero and heroine are separated by her snooty parents. He leaves her pregnant after a bit of marital rape, and she in turn leaves her parents. She then makes a life for her and her son as a photojournalist. An assignment takes her to a remote island, where she meets the hero again. He seems to not have forgotten her, and is interfering in her job. The task makes her meet OM, who is actual a strong contender to the hero. I wish this was a love triangle lol (even though I hate them), instead we have the hero boasting about the women hes slept with despite being married to the heroine, loads of scenes of people trying to assault the heroine and her swimming to escape, a very dramatic reunion and a kinda sweet? ending.
It was OK but also disturbing.
Unsafe
3/5
February 10, 2019
Seven years is a long time especially with child conceived by rape. It was almost heartbreaking and sad to read that’s before I think about the machinations of her parents - unbelievably cruel and that was the most galling of it all. Seven years of separation there was no contact with some much wasted time, almost tragic!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2018
Holly is on the Greek Islands to photo-journal about a wealthy man who has retreated from public life when her estranged husband Nick sails into port. He starts sneering at her immediately.
Nick and Holly married when Nick finished his engineering degree and Holly graduated high school. Nick got a job with Holly’s dad and the couple lived with Holly’s parents and everything was going fine, except Holly’s parents were not very subtly trying to break them up. Nick lost his mojo and they started arguing and when Nick demanded Holly leave with him she said no and called him impotent. So he raped her.
These two should be gently and firmly told to forget each other and get on with their lives. I didn’t like either of them much. Holly has a really amusing misadventure where she ends up throwing herself overboard to escape some violent conmen. She drifts along for hours until she bumps into the reclusive rich guy’s island and he immediately thinks she’s a gold digger gutter press hussy because apparently some other woman swam up to his island naked and she was also looking for an interview and a mistress position?
This whole being in the ocean for all the pre-dawn hours and then just popping up fine doesn’t seem entirely plausible to me ... wouldn’t you be really tired and dehydrated and cramped and maybe a bit hypothermic? If this adventure had happened to a Patricia Wilson heroine she’d have been carried immediately to bed and top medical experts would be flown in and she’d be advised not to get up for at least a week. And the housekeeper would have made sure she had a bath, a fluffy robe, a cup of tea and a sandwich. This whole walking up to a house on your own two legs while trying to convince some guy that you’re not a hussy is barbaric.
But what has me angry weeks after reading this book is the way Wentworth handles the end to Holly’s teenage dream.
Holly was clearly an awful kid and her poor parents made a bad decision when they decided to let her get married right out of high school. They also didn’t really need to go to any effort to split Nick and Holly up - Holly would have managed that all by herself. I was mostly sympathetic about their flawed parenting, until Wentworth decided to make it very clear that the split was entirely their fault, and Holly’s lost years of heartbreak were entirely down to their vindictiveness. Holly sucked. Wentworth should have left it so she had to deal with her own grottiness, rather than transform her into the innocent victim.
Nick is awful and lost me at the rape, and he never showed enough remorse. He does reveal that he went looking for Holly but was foiled by her mean parents, but that just makes him a victim who doesn’t have to own his worst actions. He also leers at a topless French sunbathing lady’s boobs, and turns up to embarrass Holly while she’s trying to salvage some professionalism after she’s washed up on the rich recluse’s beach.
The rape resulted in a kid, and it is worth pointing out that no one shames Holly for being a bad mother. I don’t think a modern heroine could get away with going off to photojournalist for weeks on end while leaving her child at home. Still, not enough to make me like this book.
Nick and Holly married when Nick finished his engineering degree and Holly graduated high school. Nick got a job with Holly’s dad and the couple lived with Holly’s parents and everything was going fine, except Holly’s parents were not very subtly trying to break them up. Nick lost his mojo and they started arguing and when Nick demanded Holly leave with him she said no and called him impotent. So he raped her.
These two should be gently and firmly told to forget each other and get on with their lives. I didn’t like either of them much. Holly has a really amusing misadventure where she ends up throwing herself overboard to escape some violent conmen. She drifts along for hours until she bumps into the reclusive rich guy’s island and he immediately thinks she’s a gold digger gutter press hussy because apparently some other woman swam up to his island naked and she was also looking for an interview and a mistress position?
This whole being in the ocean for all the pre-dawn hours and then just popping up fine doesn’t seem entirely plausible to me ... wouldn’t you be really tired and dehydrated and cramped and maybe a bit hypothermic? If this adventure had happened to a Patricia Wilson heroine she’d have been carried immediately to bed and top medical experts would be flown in and she’d be advised not to get up for at least a week. And the housekeeper would have made sure she had a bath, a fluffy robe, a cup of tea and a sandwich. This whole walking up to a house on your own two legs while trying to convince some guy that you’re not a hussy is barbaric.
But what has me angry weeks after reading this book is the way Wentworth handles the end to Holly’s teenage dream.
Holly was clearly an awful kid and her poor parents made a bad decision when they decided to let her get married right out of high school. They also didn’t really need to go to any effort to split Nick and Holly up - Holly would have managed that all by herself. I was mostly sympathetic about their flawed parenting, until Wentworth decided to make it very clear that the split was entirely their fault, and Holly’s lost years of heartbreak were entirely down to their vindictiveness. Holly sucked. Wentworth should have left it so she had to deal with her own grottiness, rather than transform her into the innocent victim.
Nick is awful and lost me at the rape, and he never showed enough remorse. He does reveal that he went looking for Holly but was foiled by her mean parents, but that just makes him a victim who doesn’t have to own his worst actions. He also leers at a topless French sunbathing lady’s boobs, and turns up to embarrass Holly while she’s trying to salvage some professionalism after she’s washed up on the rich recluse’s beach.
The rape resulted in a kid, and it is worth pointing out that no one shames Holly for being a bad mother. I don’t think a modern heroine could get away with going off to photojournalist for weeks on end while leaving her child at home. Still, not enough to make me like this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2016
With my latest reread I have lifted this book from 3 to 4 stars.
* I have just reread this book for the upteen time. This time I understand all the abuse that the heroine survives within the context of the time within which the book was written. I really enjoyed my rereading and it has reminded me why I have held on to this fabulous book since I first read it in the 1980s.
(previously - October 2012)
With a reread I have dropped this from 5 stars to 3.
1 rape, 3 attempted rapes, 1 assault, 1 near drowning, 2 alphabrutes and 1 secret baby. Oh, and let's not forget a head butt and throat holding threat. How did I miss all of that in my many previous readings! I've loved this book since it first came out and even though I've always hadit listed with an alphabrute I had forgotten the level of violence and threats that it was full of. Nevertheless, Wentworth tells an interesting, page turning tale.
* I have just reread this book for the upteen time. This time I understand all the abuse that the heroine survives within the context of the time within which the book was written. I really enjoyed my rereading and it has reminded me why I have held on to this fabulous book since I first read it in the 1980s.
(previously - October 2012)
With a reread I have dropped this from 5 stars to 3.
1 rape, 3 attempted rapes, 1 assault, 1 near drowning, 2 alphabrutes and 1 secret baby. Oh, and let's not forget a head butt and throat holding threat. How did I miss all of that in my many previous readings! I've loved this book since it first came out and even though I've always hadit listed with an alphabrute I had forgotten the level of violence and threats that it was full of. Nevertheless, Wentworth tells an interesting, page turning tale.
September 25, 2014
Holly and Nick got married when she was 16 and him 22, his from the wrong side of the tracks and her parents can't stand him, they succeed in breaking up the marriage after 6 months. Holly is really young, spoilt and lacks the maturity to grasp what is going on, he gives her an ultimatum:me or your parents; she chooses her parents and the comfort of their home. After 6 weeks she really wakes up and cuts all ties with the cold, snobbish parentals. She becomes a journalist and that's where our story begins.
These two are one of the better couples you'll find in HP land. Holly is amazing; no weak kneed submissiveness and Nick is a self made Man. I was very surprised reading this; lots of heart, emotional intelligence, will and love(yes, there is also lots of hair pulling and bruised arms lol).
These two are one of the better couples you'll find in HP land. Holly is amazing; no weak kneed submissiveness and Nick is a self made Man. I was very surprised reading this; lots of heart, emotional intelligence, will and love(yes, there is also lots of hair pulling and bruised arms lol).
June 26, 2023
The plot was a good one, however there are many holes and questions not answered. The ending was disappointing and I did not warm up to the main characters.
I did not feel like the characters had any type of connection.. it seemed the intimate scenes were more against the will of the female than consensual.
Such promise but disappointing.
I did not feel like the characters had any type of connection.. it seemed the intimate scenes were more against the will of the female than consensual.
Such promise but disappointing.
February 20, 2017
This is my second book from this author and while it wasn't mind blowing, it was a really wonderful read.
Holly and Nick got married very young and though they loved each other, Holly's parents went out of their way to make Nick feel like he was an interloper. It got to the point where Nick and Holly's relationship had gotten so bad they he felt he had no choice but leave.
After Nick left, Holly found out she was pregnant and when her parents tried to make her get and abortion, she walked away from them and never looked back.
Seven years later she is on a Greek island to interview a reclusive millionaire and runs into Nick. There is still a lot of chemistry between them, but also a lot of hurt too. It takes most of the book and a drastic move by Nick to get Holly to give him a chance.
I really enjoyed this book although the whole interview with the millionaire thing took way too much of the book. There was also the two guys at the beach but that I found abhorrent. Another reviewer also mentioned that Nick meeting his child for the first time was anticlimactic. I wholeheartedly agree. The ending could have been a little ... more. Still, it was an entertaining read.
PS. I LOVE the title of this book. The classic HP's have the best titles!
Holly and Nick got married very young and though they loved each other, Holly's parents went out of their way to make Nick feel like he was an interloper. It got to the point where Nick and Holly's relationship had gotten so bad they he felt he had no choice but leave.
After Nick left, Holly found out she was pregnant and when her parents tried to make her get and abortion, she walked away from them and never looked back.
Seven years later she is on a Greek island to interview a reclusive millionaire and runs into Nick. There is still a lot of chemistry between them, but also a lot of hurt too. It takes most of the book and a drastic move by Nick to get Holly to give him a chance.
I really enjoyed this book although the whole interview with the millionaire thing took way too much of the book. There was also the two guys at the beach but that I found abhorrent. Another reviewer also mentioned that Nick meeting his child for the first time was anticlimactic. I wholeheartedly agree. The ending could have been a little ... more. Still, it was an entertaining read.
PS. I LOVE the title of this book. The classic HP's have the best titles!
January 1, 2022
Rich girl, poor guy. Young calf love faltering under the pressure of status obsessed parents. The leads meet again after several years. By now, both are strong , independent individuals. Now they resolve their differences and realise their old love is still burning bright.
Now that's a premise guaranteed to be a good read. However, this one falls slightly short. For 2 reasons.
1) All the mystery and intrigue in the story that the author tries to generate is around a reclusive millionaire OM! Our journalist heroine is trying to get his story. And all her hits and misses with the OM form the central part of the book. The author devotes an inordinately high amount of time to the rather pointless encounter between the heroine and the OM. And the almost 50 year old OM falls for a naive journalist heroine, didn't add up.
2) All the story with the hero is packed into the start and the end of the book. At the start, their calf love is described in quick prose narrative. And finally they open out their misunderstandings in the climax and declare everlasting love. There is no build up, growth in the relationship between the leads at all.
There is also a kiddo in the picture, from their young calf love days. But our hero obviously doesn't know about that. The kiddo is introduced rather late into the story, only in the last 2 pages when the hero lands up at the heroine's doorstep after they reconcile. If kids are involved in a story, I like them to be given their due space. Don't use them only as props.
OK read. Nothing lingering.
Now that's a premise guaranteed to be a good read. However, this one falls slightly short. For 2 reasons.
1) All the mystery and intrigue in the story that the author tries to generate is around a reclusive millionaire OM! Our journalist heroine is trying to get his story. And all her hits and misses with the OM form the central part of the book. The author devotes an inordinately high amount of time to the rather pointless encounter between the heroine and the OM. And the almost 50 year old OM falls for a naive journalist heroine, didn't add up.
2) All the story with the hero is packed into the start and the end of the book. At the start, their calf love is described in quick prose narrative. And finally they open out their misunderstandings in the climax and declare everlasting love. There is no build up, growth in the relationship between the leads at all.
There is also a kiddo in the picture, from their young calf love days. But our hero obviously doesn't know about that. The kiddo is introduced rather late into the story, only in the last 2 pages when the hero lands up at the heroine's doorstep after they reconcile. If kids are involved in a story, I like them to be given their due space. Don't use them only as props.
OK read. Nothing lingering.
January 15, 2021
It’s a good old, classic, vintage read.
They married 7 years ago. She was only 17 years old then and he was 23. Her parents interfered with their marriage. Her parents convinced the young couple to live with them in their house and they urged the H to have a job at his father-in-law’s office.
The H wants to find a home for himself and the h together, but the h refuses because she likes how easy her life is in her parents’ house.
One day the whole thing explodes and the H says to the h that she should choose between him or her parents. The h insults him heavily. She tells him he is impotent and other nasty stuff. The H then forces sex upon her and he takes off.
7 years later they meet again.
The h is physically agressive to him. She slaps him in his face. She spits him in his face.
And she is also very agressive with her words. When the H sits at her table, she rudely tells him to go sit elsewhere. Over and over again she tells him he’s the worst of all the men in bed. When he asks her about the other man, she acts as if they had sex and she tells him that the other man is much better in bed than he is. And so she goes on and on insulting him. I can’t understand that he keeps loving her.
Anyway, they have sex again. He tells her he loves her, that he has always loved her and that he doesn’t intend to let her go. The next day she runs off.
He follows her. And then she tells him she ran away because she wanted to know if he really wanted to be with her. So she tested him. Isn’t that a loving thing to do.
The h has crazy bitch syndrome, so I take 1 star off.
They married 7 years ago. She was only 17 years old then and he was 23. Her parents interfered with their marriage. Her parents convinced the young couple to live with them in their house and they urged the H to have a job at his father-in-law’s office.
The H wants to find a home for himself and the h together, but the h refuses because she likes how easy her life is in her parents’ house.
One day the whole thing explodes and the H says to the h that she should choose between him or her parents. The h insults him heavily. She tells him he is impotent and other nasty stuff. The H then forces sex upon her and he takes off.
7 years later they meet again.
The h is physically agressive to him. She slaps him in his face. She spits him in his face.
And she is also very agressive with her words. When the H sits at her table, she rudely tells him to go sit elsewhere. Over and over again she tells him he’s the worst of all the men in bed. When he asks her about the other man, she acts as if they had sex and she tells him that the other man is much better in bed than he is. And so she goes on and on insulting him. I can’t understand that he keeps loving her.
Anyway, they have sex again. He tells her he loves her, that he has always loved her and that he doesn’t intend to let her go. The next day she runs off.
He follows her. And then she tells him she ran away because she wanted to know if he really wanted to be with her. So she tested him. Isn’t that a loving thing to do.
The h has crazy bitch syndrome, so I take 1 star off.
February 17, 2019
Holly Weston had done it all alone. She had raised her small son and worked her way up to features writer for a major newspaper. Still the bitterness of the past seven years lingered. She had been very young when she married Nick Falconer--but old enough to lose her heart completely when he left. Despite her success in her new life, her old one haunted her. But it was over and done with--until an assignment in Greece brought her face to face with Nick, and all she was trying to forget.
October 19, 2017
Th h spend more time with the om. I don't know I felt the author loved om more then H.
October 31, 2022
This is my second go around with this book. I first read it as a 14 year old teenager in the mid to late 80s. The only romance books I was allowed to read, were Mills and Boon at the age of 16, but I had friends and a library card, so I started much earlier. This book was originally a M& B before being transferred to HP. I have been finding and re-reading many books from my past with a better understanding and maturity than my more youthful outlook, and I have to say, I honestly do not know what was going through “Ms. Wentworth’s” head when she wrote this book. Perhaps she wanted to show a strong, independent woman, and she did. At the cost of emasculating the ML. First at the hands of the FL’s parents, then from the FL……repeatedly. The beginning and the backstory into the relationship of the two main characters and how they came to be apart was chef’s kiss! After however….it went off the rails.
Holly was a veritable virago, a spiteful, barbed tongue, vindictive harpy, who would not give her husband the opportunity to explain or listen to what he had to say! It was always attack, attack, attack! She also refused him the knowledge of vital information until the very near end of the book, and yet, despite all of this, he loves her deeply. Indeed he never stopped.
The time spent writing about the dynamics of her relationship with her assignment F.R, was a waste. That time could have been spent delving into the main characters’ intricacies and hurdles that needed to be overcame, and the journey to healing from the poisons of the past, than on a character that should have been relegated to a minor role like C De’ A. Indeed for the majority of the book, it seemed HE was the ML instead of Nick. Nick was reduced to a supporting character almost throughout the entirety of this book and not in the best light at all.
What really pissed me off, was that after the full truth came out ( that he had not in fact abandoned her, had been looking for her for seven long years, went out of his way to make it to Greece to see her, and that once again her parents were the orchestrators of chaos, pain and suffering), she makes him chase after her once again to prove his love for her, and discover while proving said love, six years of ignorance to a bond he was not aware of and it is A ok.
I honestly felt for Nick and Holly, they both did not deserve what was done to them, but Nick especially, suffered at the hands of Holly and her parents. This was one of those rare instances where I would have been happy for the ML to have his happily ever after with someone else while enjoying a beautiful, strong connection to that special link to the FL , and the FL to suffer the pangs of regret while eventually moving on to her happily ever after with someone else as well. Maybe they both eventually becoming platonic genuine friends along the way because of their shared link.
What I respected about Holly;
1: she pulled herself up by the bootstraps and took care of her child while pursuing a successful career.
2. She did not use her womanly charms to accomplish her assignment, and set clear boundaries.
Holly was a veritable virago, a spiteful, barbed tongue, vindictive harpy, who would not give her husband the opportunity to explain or listen to what he had to say! It was always attack, attack, attack! She also refused him the knowledge of vital information until the very near end of the book, and yet, despite all of this, he loves her deeply. Indeed he never stopped.
The time spent writing about the dynamics of her relationship with her assignment F.R, was a waste. That time could have been spent delving into the main characters’ intricacies and hurdles that needed to be overcame, and the journey to healing from the poisons of the past, than on a character that should have been relegated to a minor role like C De’ A. Indeed for the majority of the book, it seemed HE was the ML instead of Nick. Nick was reduced to a supporting character almost throughout the entirety of this book and not in the best light at all.
What really pissed me off, was that after the full truth came out ( that he had not in fact abandoned her, had been looking for her for seven long years, went out of his way to make it to Greece to see her, and that once again her parents were the orchestrators of chaos, pain and suffering), she makes him chase after her once again to prove his love for her, and discover while proving said love, six years of ignorance to a bond he was not aware of and it is A ok.
I honestly felt for Nick and Holly, they both did not deserve what was done to them, but Nick especially, suffered at the hands of Holly and her parents. This was one of those rare instances where I would have been happy for the ML to have his happily ever after with someone else while enjoying a beautiful, strong connection to that special link to the FL , and the FL to suffer the pangs of regret while eventually moving on to her happily ever after with someone else as well. Maybe they both eventually becoming platonic genuine friends along the way because of their shared link.
What I respected about Holly;
1: she pulled herself up by the bootstraps and took care of her child while pursuing a successful career.
2. She did not use her womanly charms to accomplish her assignment, and set clear boundaries.
April 7, 2025
Okay, so here is my problem with this one. It did not need the extra action, what was going between the two of them was perfect and enough.. so the Jason Bourne yacht action parkour part, and the over the top very long encounters with the man she came to interview ( lol, I forgot his name though I finished the story less than 4 hours ago), were not only unnecessary, but also took away from the story.
I do not like that he was not celibate .. but it is understandable( somehow).
. I did not like wasting page after page on irrelevant characters, while everything between them was rushed.
also I do not like the "one look and that island man fell for her".
the story was great, the separation was logical compared to other separations, however, the hero did not get much " screen time". The " island man" got equal screen time if not more! . and he was irrelevant.. and had NO EFFECT AT ALL, on anything. Those pages wasted on him , AND BORING ONES, could have been used to build up for meeting his son.. or build up for the reconciliation.
So I honestly don't know how to rate it, I liked their story, but it fell short and was rushed which made it hard to understand or believe that they still love each other. So it is 2 & 1/2 stars.
I do not like that he was not celibate .. but it is understandable( somehow).
. I did not like wasting page after page on irrelevant characters, while everything between them was rushed.
also I do not like the "one look and that island man fell for her".
the story was great, the separation was logical compared to other separations, however, the hero did not get much " screen time". The " island man" got equal screen time if not more! . and he was irrelevant.. and had NO EFFECT AT ALL, on anything. Those pages wasted on him , AND BORING ONES, could have been used to build up for meeting his son.. or build up for the reconciliation.
So I honestly don't know how to rate it, I liked their story, but it fell short and was rushed which made it hard to understand or believe that they still love each other. So it is 2 & 1/2 stars.
February 1, 2021
Some things I've noticed about vintage HPs: rape and heroes who are not CEOs. I like the latter and am really disappointed and disgusted by the former. All the rape scenes I've encountered in vintage HPs mention violence, lack of consent, tears, and some form of PTSD trauma and yet the men are never held accountable for their actions. (Just did a quick google search, marital rape became illegal in the early 90s. This book was written in 1982.) I don't mean to minimize rape but the way it was written in this book, it was a throwaway incident that occurred and not a reflection of the H's character. Problematic recurring theme not specific to this book.
That being said, this is a typical HP, a second-chance romance between two characters who fell in love and separated seven years ago. Both characters were partially responsible for their separation though the h's parents were the main cause of discord. I respected the h's hustle and will to survive and take care of her son without any support.
That being said, this is a typical HP, a second-chance romance between two characters who fell in love and separated seven years ago. Both characters were partially responsible for their separation though the h's parents were the main cause of discord. I respected the h's hustle and will to survive and take care of her son without any support.
not-interested-in-reading
July 4, 2022Did Not Read. Refuse to Read. Not My Cuppa. Rape is Not Romance.
There was too much confusion when reading the other reviews. Some said the "hero" had been faithful during separation, others said he had "sown his wild oats". Whatever. What made this untenable to me was the talk about how violent the rape was (and described in the story) and how he had never truly apologized for it. (Some said he did a "light" apology. Nope. Sorry. Not good enough). I can handle a "forced seduction" (sometimes), but when it is supposedly SO violent? Umm...no thanks. Besides, what if their son had been conceived from that violent rape? How do you tell your kid that when he is older? I don't find that enjoyable at all.
There was too much confusion when reading the other reviews. Some said the "hero" had been faithful during separation, others said he had "sown his wild oats". Whatever. What made this untenable to me was the talk about how violent the rape was (and described in the story) and how he had never truly apologized for it. (Some said he did a "light" apology. Nope. Sorry. Not good enough). I can handle a "forced seduction" (sometimes), but when it is supposedly SO violent? Umm...no thanks. Besides, what if their son had been conceived from that violent rape? How do you tell your kid that when he is older? I don't find that enjoyable at all.
March 13, 2024
Very average return to a marriage story, and quite bland by Sally Wentworth standards really. The heroine grew up (she was clearly a brat at 16), her parents were pantomime parents (so bad), and the hero when young was sweet, but not so much at 30.
I did not like the French tramp scenes (weird and dirty), and the OM was quite lengthy and a little pointless.
But I guess I just don't like romances when they come together after so long - it always feels like time wasted if they are meant to be together, and it makes me sad.
I thought she was a sweet mum though, letting her boy have a hamster, guinea pigs AND then a bunny. Nice.
I did not like the French tramp scenes (weird and dirty), and the OM was quite lengthy and a little pointless.
But I guess I just don't like romances when they come together after so long - it always feels like time wasted if they are meant to be together, and it makes me sad.
I thought she was a sweet mum though, letting her boy have a hamster, guinea pigs AND then a bunny. Nice.
June 27, 2022
The heroine had a pretty logical and nuanced reason for turning down the nice man who saved her, so why is she perfectly fine with getting together with a rapist ex-husband that she barely had any substantial conversations with after they ran into each other again? Piss off with that “rape the love back into the relationship” method.
July 20, 2023
Taking into consideration the year it was written and the prevalent mindset, this story is not quite ahead of its times but definitely in keeping with it. The H and h get married early in life and separate due to h's immaturity and her parents interference. Despite having a son, until the very end he is no where to be seen or heard and is freakishly well behaved.
May 31, 2024
a story unlike something I read before.
this includes - a hardworking heroine, her cute son, a rich and smitten OM (who in other books would have been the hero), a suspense scene done well, a nice travel diary of the places hero and heroine visited, and finally a besotted hero.
this was so good.
this includes - a hardworking heroine, her cute son, a rich and smitten OM (who in other books would have been the hero), a suspense scene done well, a nice travel diary of the places hero and heroine visited, and finally a besotted hero.
this was so good.
December 4, 2022
the story is angsty but the H raping the heroine and later some instances don't allow me to give this story the 5 stars as the H never appologises for what he did or even brings it up in any conversations although you see the effect it has had on the h throughout the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2018
If you like 1980s (marital) rape and secret babies and a Greek setting, this is for you! At least the heroine gets a fun career, I guess?
May 31, 2021
Enjoyable story and I loved seeing how she grew up and learned to take care of herself. And the big reveal that he came back for her several times was great.
January 26, 2024
Doce, doce, doce. Leiam.
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