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Красивата и енергична Катлийн Хейли се влюбва безнадежно в мъжествения, но малко арогантен Ерик Гуджонсън. Младата жена е объркана и смутена от чувствата си. Останала кръгъл сирак от тринадесет години, тя иска да запази самостоятелността си. Едно фатално недоразумение разделя влюбените. Катлийн започва нова работа, но скоро с ужас разбира, че е забременяла в първата си и единствена любовна нощ. Лутайки се между решението да абортира или да роди, Катлийн неочаквано получава предложение от работодателя си да се омъжи за него. Парализираният Сет обожава Катлийн приема като свое дете нейния син. Но една вечер съпругът й довежда гост – Ерик Гуджонсън…
400 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
326 people are currently reading
1960 people want to read
About the author
Laura Jordan
4 books16 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
A pseudonym used by Sandra Brown
A pseudonym used by Sandra Brown
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
April 26, 2021
Sandra Brown released this under the name of "Laura Jordan" back in the eighties. Honestly, if I were her, I would have kept the "SB" name off the cover and stuck to "Laura Jordan" - mortifying ... hard to believe that SB wrote this, albeit back in the beginning of her career.
"Originally published in 1983 under the pseudonym Laura Jordan by the now defunct Richard Gallen Books." - no wonder the publishing house is now defunct if this is what they had to offer!
I don't remember this perfume from the 80s - I was more of an "Anaïs Anaïs" kinda girl (although I would probably gag if I got a whiff of it now).
Such drivel - I know, I know, why did I bother if I sort of had an inkling of what it would be like ... you know, sometimes, you just want some cheesiness and memories of Dallas/Dynasty, TOTPs (Top of the Pops - gosh, I lived for Thursday nights to see who would be Number One in the charts!) and life in the eighties! Back when I started reading romance (I was going to say forty years or so ago but that would give away my age, so I won't), I don't think even this book would have made the top ten ... I have nothing good to say about it really. It was the weekend and I just wanted a book where I didn't have to concentrate too much but it was just too cheesy ... I probably should have stopped reading but I just couldn't help myself. Kept wondering if she could redeem herself.
Some of the lines were cringeworthy ... I am almost too embarrassed (for the author) to even reveal them.
... I have left the "best" until last!
There used to be an option here on Goodreads where you could "find" your most-read author ... I liked that function but it seems to have disappeared. Sandra Brown is a favourite author of mine and I look forward to her next new release but some of her older stuff should be "remaindered" and never see the light of day! That is just my opinion - some of you might like it, if you read it!
"Originally published in 1983 under the pseudonym Laura Jordan by the now defunct Richard Gallen Books." - no wonder the publishing house is now defunct if this is what they had to offer!
I don't remember this perfume from the 80s - I was more of an "Anaïs Anaïs" kinda girl (although I would probably gag if I got a whiff of it now).
Kathleen quickly sprayed Mitsouko around her shoulders and breasts ...
Such drivel - I know, I know, why did I bother if I sort of had an inkling of what it would be like ... you know, sometimes, you just want some cheesiness and memories of Dallas/Dynasty, TOTPs (Top of the Pops - gosh, I lived for Thursday nights to see who would be Number One in the charts!) and life in the eighties! Back when I started reading romance (I was going to say forty years or so ago but that would give away my age, so I won't), I don't think even this book would have made the top ten ... I have nothing good to say about it really. It was the weekend and I just wanted a book where I didn't have to concentrate too much but it was just too cheesy ... I probably should have stopped reading but I just couldn't help myself. Kept wondering if she could redeem herself.
Some of the lines were cringeworthy ... I am almost too embarrassed (for the author) to even reveal them.
But she was a woman. God! She was a woman. Every time he saw her, his body threatened to make it embarrassingly evident how much of a woman he thought her to be ...
"A virgin is such a rare thing, I didn't even recognize one when I met her."
"You have the sauciest tush I've ever seen Kathleen."
... I have left the "best" until last!
"I wish you still had milk. I would have loved to taste it."
There used to be an option here on Goodreads where you could "find" your most-read author ... I liked that function but it seems to have disappeared. Sandra Brown is a favourite author of mine and I look forward to her next new release but some of her older stuff should be "remaindered" and never see the light of day! That is just my opinion - some of you might like it, if you read it!
November 6, 2016
Kathleen has a night of sweet, sweet love making with Eric but then she leaves Eric because she thinks he's married. It's a huge misunderstanding. She then meets and marries Seth, a paraplegic who in return welcomes her and her unborn baby. 2 yrs later Eric is back in the picture and wants an explanation of why she left him without a word.
I didn't care for the number of times they "almost" crossed the line and how Eric and Kathleen ended up having an affair after-all. Kathleen was still very married to Seth!! She was a huge hypocrite. Yeah, Kathleen annoyed the crap out of me!!
I didn't care for the number of times they "almost" crossed the line and how Eric and Kathleen ended up having an affair after-all. Kathleen was still very married to Seth!! She was a huge hypocrite. Yeah, Kathleen annoyed the crap out of me!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2020
If you're up for an overdose of angst - this is the book for you. An older work by Sandra Brown, I got the audio and the narrator was wonderful, she just needed better material. This old stuff is hit and miss and this one is a miss. Unless, like me, you are on a mission to read all Sandra Brown's books I suggest you take a pass on this one.
Kathleen is a orphan and as such has volunteered a lot of time to a camp in the Ozarks of Arkansas for them. In her day job she is, or was, a buyer for a major department store in Atlanta, GA. A married male employee made advances and she quit her job instead of reporting him. Not much gumption, kinda a door mat kinda girl. At the camp she meets a hot, sexy videographer, Erik, gets hot and sweaty and bails on him too. Not a confrontation kinda girl either.
On to San Francisco and wealthy Seth, a sweet paraplegic and safe port in the storm of Kathleen's life. She ends up marrying him, but still loves Erik. What a mess! Especially when Eric shows up.
Kathleen is a orphan and as such has volunteered a lot of time to a camp in the Ozarks of Arkansas for them. In her day job she is, or was, a buyer for a major department store in Atlanta, GA. A married male employee made advances and she quit her job instead of reporting him. Not much gumption, kinda a door mat kinda girl. At the camp she meets a hot, sexy videographer, Erik, gets hot and sweaty and bails on him too. Not a confrontation kinda girl either.
On to San Francisco and wealthy Seth, a sweet paraplegic and safe port in the storm of Kathleen's life. She ends up marrying him, but still loves Erik. What a mess! Especially when Eric shows up.
May 16, 2012
ISBN 0446364797 - This has got to be one of the hardest books for me to review yet. That's not because it's so good that I'm shocked speechless; it's not because it's so BAD that I'm at a loss for words - it's really that it's a combination. This is a really good, touching story... and some of the worst writing I've come across in a long time.
Kathleen was an orphan who found people she loved in B.J. and Edna, the people who ran the Mountain View Encampment, which was open to orphans like herself. As an adult, she returned to Mountain View as a counselor and B.J. and Edna were thrilled to have her. What they didn't know was that she'd quit her job, running away from a male co-worker who'd been coming on too strong.
Erik Gudjonsen was a videographer who came to Mountain View to do a piece about the place. He and Kathleen follow the path of all romance novel couples. They meet and clash, end up spending time together and fall in love, have sex and then tragedy strikes. Erik is badly injured in an accident and taken to a hospital where Kathleen sits, waiting for information when Mrs. Gudjonsen is shown directly into Erik's room. Unaware that this is his sister-in-law, and not bothering to ask, Kathleen flees without a word to anyone.
She finds work far away, working for Seth Kirchoff of Kirchoff's Department Stores - a paraplegic with a sense of humor and a heart of gold. When she wants to quit her new job because she's found out she's pregnant, he asks her to marry him. They wed and Erik's son is raised as Seth's own, sharing with his "parents" a wonderful, happy life until one day, in a strange twist of fate, Seth hires a man to make commercials for the stores - and that man is Erik.
Despite the ridiculousness of it, it's common in romance novels for people to meet and fall in love in under 48 hours, and certainly to wind up having sex. Especially when one of those people is a 25 year old virgin. If you've held onto your virginity that long, of course you're going to lose it to the first man to take you skinny dipping while you're supposed to be responsible for the well-being of a group of children. That's really not the worst of the book. The worst is that lines such as "The other young man had stood up in hopes of making a show of self-defense, but his belly was plowed into with an iron fist, and then, as he leaned over in agony, he, too, knew the rocketing pain of Erik's punch to his jaw." crop up, highlighting Brown's poor skills.
The sex scenes are even more badly done than that, with some of the most incredibly stupid things coming out of the mouths of Brown's characters. "Oh, Erik, I can't believe that you're touching me this way." "Believe it." and "Sweet...!" he grated. "You've always been ready for me, Kathleen. Oh, God, I thought my memory had embellished how good it was with us, but it hadn't. If anything, my love, the memory was diluted." made me laugh out loud - and not in a good way. On page 88, Kathleen refers to Erik as "vital to her life" - after knowing him for THREE DAYS!
Sadly, the story really IS good. Seth's unselfish handling of every aspect of his life, from his disability to raising Kathleen's son as his own, makes his final, most selfless act that much more touching. That Kathleen has a history of running away from problems makes Seth's suggestion of marriage more palatable - otherwise, it's impossible to believe that any two people would marry, love each other, and live sexlessly on separate floors of the same house. If Brown had just left out the really bad sex scenes and developed certain plot points better, I'd be happy to five star this. As it is, two's all I can do.
- AnnaLovesBooks
Kathleen was an orphan who found people she loved in B.J. and Edna, the people who ran the Mountain View Encampment, which was open to orphans like herself. As an adult, she returned to Mountain View as a counselor and B.J. and Edna were thrilled to have her. What they didn't know was that she'd quit her job, running away from a male co-worker who'd been coming on too strong.
Erik Gudjonsen was a videographer who came to Mountain View to do a piece about the place. He and Kathleen follow the path of all romance novel couples. They meet and clash, end up spending time together and fall in love, have sex and then tragedy strikes. Erik is badly injured in an accident and taken to a hospital where Kathleen sits, waiting for information when Mrs. Gudjonsen is shown directly into Erik's room. Unaware that this is his sister-in-law, and not bothering to ask, Kathleen flees without a word to anyone.
She finds work far away, working for Seth Kirchoff of Kirchoff's Department Stores - a paraplegic with a sense of humor and a heart of gold. When she wants to quit her new job because she's found out she's pregnant, he asks her to marry him. They wed and Erik's son is raised as Seth's own, sharing with his "parents" a wonderful, happy life until one day, in a strange twist of fate, Seth hires a man to make commercials for the stores - and that man is Erik.
Despite the ridiculousness of it, it's common in romance novels for people to meet and fall in love in under 48 hours, and certainly to wind up having sex. Especially when one of those people is a 25 year old virgin. If you've held onto your virginity that long, of course you're going to lose it to the first man to take you skinny dipping while you're supposed to be responsible for the well-being of a group of children. That's really not the worst of the book. The worst is that lines such as "The other young man had stood up in hopes of making a show of self-defense, but his belly was plowed into with an iron fist, and then, as he leaned over in agony, he, too, knew the rocketing pain of Erik's punch to his jaw." crop up, highlighting Brown's poor skills.
The sex scenes are even more badly done than that, with some of the most incredibly stupid things coming out of the mouths of Brown's characters. "Oh, Erik, I can't believe that you're touching me this way." "Believe it." and "Sweet...!" he grated. "You've always been ready for me, Kathleen. Oh, God, I thought my memory had embellished how good it was with us, but it hadn't. If anything, my love, the memory was diluted." made me laugh out loud - and not in a good way. On page 88, Kathleen refers to Erik as "vital to her life" - after knowing him for THREE DAYS!
Sadly, the story really IS good. Seth's unselfish handling of every aspect of his life, from his disability to raising Kathleen's son as his own, makes his final, most selfless act that much more touching. That Kathleen has a history of running away from problems makes Seth's suggestion of marriage more palatable - otherwise, it's impossible to believe that any two people would marry, love each other, and live sexlessly on separate floors of the same house. If Brown had just left out the really bad sex scenes and developed certain plot points better, I'd be happy to five star this. As it is, two's all I can do.
- AnnaLovesBooks
September 18, 2017
Heroine was a cheater and her poor husband was a saint. My heart broke for him he didn't deserve her infidelity:(
February 16, 2017
Mungkin ini buku Sandra Brown ter-kacrut karakter H/Hnya yg selama ini pernah saya baca. Saya sama sekali tidak menyukai keduanya yg cenderung childish, tidak suka "perjuangan cinta" mereka (bagi saya "too much drama", dan penuh kontradiksi). Saya tidak bisa habis pikir, koq tokoh Kathleen bisa sebegitu naif, bodoh, labil, pengecut dan kekanak-kanakan dlm menghadapi masalah. Dan yg bikin saya ngakak dlm hati saya membayangkan Erik seperti Tom Selleck atau Burt Reynolds thn 1980-an yg kumisan tebal ala Pak Raden.
Tadinya saya mau memberi bintang lebih dari 1 utk novel ini toh krn sikon zaman thn 80an itu memang terlalu dramatis dan cheesy, tapi krn para tokoh utama ini melakukan "dosa yg tak termaafkan" utk novel romance (walaupun atas nama Cinta Lama Bersemi Kembali or whatever reasons) saya rasa rating yg saya berikan masih "normal". Novel ini benar-benar ridiculous dan rasanya sangat langka terjadi di realita kehidupan.
July 4, 2011
This was the first Sandra Brown book I ever read. I remember reading it in high school and once I finished this book I had to read more. She helped start me on my reading addiction and I am still a fan of hers 16 years later. She is still turning out great books.
March 10, 2016
I own two different copies of this book. This one and a reprint. I wish there was a way on goodreads where you can mark more than one copy of a book as "owned."
As for my review, I love this story. I read it awhile back but truly enjoyed the story. A great read!
As for my review, I love this story. I read it awhile back but truly enjoyed the story. A great read!
September 11, 2023
I really enjoyed this romance.
Sandra Brown has such a gift when it comes to drawing every emotion out of a story. The beginning of the story is sweet and has a bit of steaminess. The middle is filled with drama that will have you on edge. The ending is both sad and sweet.
Sandra Brown has such a gift when it comes to drawing every emotion out of a story. The beginning of the story is sweet and has a bit of steaminess. The middle is filled with drama that will have you on edge. The ending is both sad and sweet.
Read
July 14, 2010I just started this book. So far it's totally not my style and it seems pretty lame, but I won it from goodreads so I'll give it a try...
UPDATE - Extra Lame! I tried but I can't get through chapter two. If anybody wants a really bad romance from the 80s where the girl admires the guys tight jeans with a bushy mustache, then let me know. I seriously just laughed outloud while writing that last sentence.
Oh, I also loved how the guy is a videographer and the girl has never seen one of those "complicated machines" (video cameras) up close. For real? Hilarious.
UPDATE - Extra Lame! I tried but I can't get through chapter two. If anybody wants a really bad romance from the 80s where the girl admires the guys tight jeans with a bushy mustache, then let me know. I seriously just laughed outloud while writing that last sentence.
Oh, I also loved how the guy is a videographer and the girl has never seen one of those "complicated machines" (video cameras) up close. For real? Hilarious.
May 12, 2020
Be careful with your heart when reading this book ����
January 28, 2011
I honestly can't wrap my head around the fact that a great author like Sandra Brown wrote this book. From the beginning it's completely ridiculous. The way the main caracter (Kathleen) acts reminds me of a spoiled child and not a very bright one at that. I had to stop reading I was getting mad. My opinion, don't waste your time...
February 3, 2022
Esta es la segunda novela larga que publicó Sandra Brown, de nuevo con el seudónimo de Laura Jordan. Salió en septiembre de 1982. Plantea la historia de una muchacha, Kathleen, monitora en un campamento infantil, que conoce a Erik, guapetón tipo vikingo, que viene a rodar un documental. Primero chocan y luego se enamoran. Se separan por un tonto malentendido. Kathleen es demasiado joven e inmadura. Para cuando se reencuentran, dos años después, ella está casada y con niño. Pero sigue amando a Erik, lo que plantea el incómodo tema del adulterio. Yo creo que Brown lo trata con suficiente delicadeza como para poder ser más o menos aceptable o al menos comprendes a los protas. Es bastante dulce, se puede leer aún, a pesar de sus toques un poco pasados, y resulta un poquito larga para lo que cuenta.
Crítica más amplia, en mi blog.
Crítica más amplia, en mi blog.
August 1, 2025
Enjoyable.
This is an older book and I enjoyed re reading it. It starts off sweet with Kathleen and Erik but due to a misunderstanding she leaves. Years later, he finds he’d again. They were still a bit immature but through knowing Seth, they matured and became better people. Loved their happy ever after. I recommend this book.
This is an older book and I enjoyed re reading it. It starts off sweet with Kathleen and Erik but due to a misunderstanding she leaves. Years later, he finds he’d again. They were still a bit immature but through knowing Seth, they matured and became better people. Loved their happy ever after. I recommend this book.
September 15, 2018
haaa stumbled upon this OLD paperback and read it, it was actually so refreshing to read a book based in the early 90s before cell phones and all of the technology and you forget how people actually had to write letters and leave voicemails. Simpler times I enjoyed it!
November 27, 2011
I thought I was going to hate this book. All the reviews weren't that glowing. I originally read this for one reason. If this book was as lame as I thought it was going to be, at least I could laugh at how stupid it was. Since it was written in the 80s certain aspects are outdated, but it didn't bother me much. I'm not saying it's a masterpiece or anything, but it was good. It has all the typical romance genre cliches. There was a huge misunderstanding, someone got knocked up, the other man, near death of a character etc. Some of the situations were a tad corny and unrealistic, but I rolled with it since all romance books follow the same sort of formula.
I liked Kathleen at first and then I wanted to smack her in the face with a frying pan. All the problems in the book were brought on because of her. She was always jumping to conclusions and running away before any explanations could be sorted out. As expected, there is a huge misunderstanding after the main guy Erik Gudjonsen (pronounced Good-johnson lmao...) survives a plane crash. She's waiting for him at the hospital and a pretty blonde woman shows up and says that she is Mrs. Gudjonsen. Kathleen burst into tears and runs away off into god knows where and leaves all her friends behind to start a new life. Of course, by some cruel twist of fate/Kathleen's stupidity, it turns out that the woman is Erik's sister-in-law and Erik wasn't being a slimy cheater. I get that Kathleen was upset to think she was being used, but she didn't even wait around to hear his explanation. I can understand being pissed and not wanting to hear the other person out, but even then she could have gone and bitched him out. I know if I found out the guy I was going out with was married, I would be so pissed and want to give him a piece of my mind. But no! Kathleen doesn't confront him and she runs off and leaves Erik to think that she didn't care about him enough to see if he was alive and well. I didn't even like Erik in the beginning of the book, but after this whole situation, I liked him a whole lot more than Kathleen. Also, I couldn't believe that she would marry some random dude that she didn't love at all.
Erik is kind of a womanizer and has anger problems, but overall he isn't that bad of a person. I actually felt kinda bad for him. Thanks to stupid Kathleen, he'd gotten screwed over with the whole kid, husband, scenario. I know it may sound shallow, but the thing I wasn't on board with was his physical description. It's my own personal preference and I know some people like guys with facial hair. However, I am not into guys with thick blonde mustaches. It just grosses me out. I'm cool with some stubble or something, but mustaches are just creepy. They make me think of my dad, which is something you shouldn't associate with the 'sexy' lead male of a romance novel. Most of the times I was able to block out the images of mustaches, but it was mentioned sooo much that Erik's mustace took on a life of it's own. I don't mind guys in tight jeans because lots of guys these days wear them, but Erik had some questionable clothing choices. The one I remember most was when he was looking 'sexy' in his shorts and midriff length t-shirt. I know it's a sign of the times back then, but it made me laugh myself to death. The only time I didn't like Erik was in one of the sex scenes. I'm not a prude, but he got creepy to me. While trying to get with Kathleen, he says this about her post-pregnancy body: "I wish you still had milk. I would have loved to taste it." I don't know about anyone else, but that isn't romantic to me— it's weird. No guy should be going on about how he wants to drink my breast milk. Ewwww, not into that. Following that scene, I kept cringing because it was just creepy.
Overall, I liked it, but I wouldn't go around advertising that I read it. I felt like the ending was a little too happy. Everything worked out, except for obviously. I must say that Hazel was a crazy bitch and I honestly thought that she was . Kathleen got her happy ending, but I felt bad for .
I liked Kathleen at first and then I wanted to smack her in the face with a frying pan. All the problems in the book were brought on because of her. She was always jumping to conclusions and running away before any explanations could be sorted out. As expected, there is a huge misunderstanding after the main guy Erik Gudjonsen (pronounced Good-johnson lmao...) survives a plane crash. She's waiting for him at the hospital and a pretty blonde woman shows up and says that she is Mrs. Gudjonsen. Kathleen burst into tears and runs away off into god knows where and leaves all her friends behind to start a new life. Of course, by some cruel twist of fate/Kathleen's stupidity, it turns out that the woman is Erik's sister-in-law and Erik wasn't being a slimy cheater. I get that Kathleen was upset to think she was being used, but she didn't even wait around to hear his explanation. I can understand being pissed and not wanting to hear the other person out, but even then she could have gone and bitched him out. I know if I found out the guy I was going out with was married, I would be so pissed and want to give him a piece of my mind. But no! Kathleen doesn't confront him and she runs off and leaves Erik to think that she didn't care about him enough to see if he was alive and well. I didn't even like Erik in the beginning of the book, but after this whole situation, I liked him a whole lot more than Kathleen. Also, I couldn't believe that she would marry some random dude that she didn't love at all.
Erik is kind of a womanizer and has anger problems, but overall he isn't that bad of a person. I actually felt kinda bad for him. Thanks to stupid Kathleen, he'd gotten screwed over with the whole kid, husband, scenario. I know it may sound shallow, but the thing I wasn't on board with was his physical description. It's my own personal preference and I know some people like guys with facial hair. However, I am not into guys with thick blonde mustaches. It just grosses me out. I'm cool with some stubble or something, but mustaches are just creepy. They make me think of my dad, which is something you shouldn't associate with the 'sexy' lead male of a romance novel. Most of the times I was able to block out the images of mustaches, but it was mentioned sooo much that Erik's mustace took on a life of it's own. I don't mind guys in tight jeans because lots of guys these days wear them, but Erik had some questionable clothing choices. The one I remember most was when he was looking 'sexy' in his shorts and midriff length t-shirt. I know it's a sign of the times back then, but it made me laugh myself to death. The only time I didn't like Erik was in one of the sex scenes. I'm not a prude, but he got creepy to me. While trying to get with Kathleen, he says this about her post-pregnancy body: "I wish you still had milk. I would have loved to taste it." I don't know about anyone else, but that isn't romantic to me— it's weird. No guy should be going on about how he wants to drink my breast milk. Ewwww, not into that. Following that scene, I kept cringing because it was just creepy.
Overall, I liked it, but I wouldn't go around advertising that I read it. I felt like the ending was a little too happy. Everything worked out, except for obviously. I must say that Hazel was a crazy bitch and I honestly thought that she was . Kathleen got her happy ending, but I felt bad for .
March 21, 2017
This book so far reads like a terrible Harlequin Romance. There is cringe-worthy material on every page, and it is patronizing and sexist toward women. I rarely do not finish a book, but I don't think I can go on, I dislike it that much. I understand it was written in the 1980s, but I cannot believe that the way the characters in this book behave was typical of that time. This woman Kathleen comes across as a weak woman who can't stand up for herself and who is at the mercy of men. She is physically assaulted at every turn, but does nothing about it, and even believes herself to have "fought like a tiger." Another thing I can't get past is her initial distrust of the journalist Erik. She didn't want him there, and believed that he was searching for a negative spin to put on the story of the camp. And yet the coverage and the story were Kathleen's idea - an attempt to make people aware of the program and possibly gain monetary donations for the camp. She pitched the idea and she contacted the news show to sell them on the idea. Also, what about the thinly veiled sexual names?? Gudjensen (pronounced "good johnson") and BJ. Couldn't be a little more subtle there, Sandra?!
December 16, 2011
I've read so many books from various genres and there's always a select few that just "click" for me. This is one of them.
It's not a masterpiece by any means, so don't expect it to be.
This was the second Sandra Brown book I read after reading one of her more recent books... I was blown away! Written in the 80's (during her early writing years and a hint of what was to come)
The story is a sweet romance, however it offers great twists and unexpected moments at the end.
So, ignore the bad reviews, and appreciate a great retro-read for the weekend from one of the best writers around, who can write just about anything!
The Silken Web
It's not a masterpiece by any means, so don't expect it to be.
This was the second Sandra Brown book I read after reading one of her more recent books... I was blown away! Written in the 80's (during her early writing years and a hint of what was to come)
The story is a sweet romance, however it offers great twists and unexpected moments at the end.
So, ignore the bad reviews, and appreciate a great retro-read for the weekend from one of the best writers around, who can write just about anything!
The Silken Web
August 7, 2012
Loved loved loved this story. I almost gave up reading after the first few chapters but I'm so glad I pushed through it. What started off as cheesy romance turned into such a compelling read that there was a point where I literally could not put the book down until I knew what was going to happen next. Kathleen's character actually irritated me for a while. It was irritating knowing that it was a tiny misunderstanding on her part that caused this whole drama to ensue and I just felt like smacking her every time she blamed Erik for what happened. There were still cheesy parts and unrealistic scenes. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the story as a whole. Very touching with a happy ending that somehow works out for everyone.
July 8, 2017
I came across this as a result of a Facebook romance group where someone was searching for this book. She originally released it under the name Laura Jordan in 1982.
I decided what the heck, and checked it out from Overdrive. I realize this is one of her earlier books, but it was too melodramatic for my taste, and I really didn't like the hero, heroine, or the infidelity factor in the book. I should've just stopped and added it to my DNF shelf, instead I ended up skimming because even though it was a trainwreck of a book I wanted to see how the couple got together.
I'm usually not bothered by other people's ratings, figuring 'to each his own', but I can't see how anyone could've given this book five stars.
I decided what the heck, and checked it out from Overdrive. I realize this is one of her earlier books, but it was too melodramatic for my taste, and I really didn't like the hero, heroine, or the infidelity factor in the book. I should've just stopped and added it to my DNF shelf, instead I ended up skimming because even though it was a trainwreck of a book I wanted to see how the couple got together.
I'm usually not bothered by other people's ratings, figuring 'to each his own', but I can't see how anyone could've given this book five stars.
December 17, 2015
I'm kind of torn with this book. I love Sandra Brown's work and get excited when I find one I haven't read. However, I really didn't enjoy this one too much. Eric was a complete a$$hole! I hated his character more than I've hated any other before! I felt like he was basically trying to rape her on multiple occasions. I was glad when she left and married someone else! He even admits to being harsh on her...ya think?! They seem to have a happy ending when the books ends, but I did NOT enjoy their story on getting there!
December 4, 2015
This book is very outdated and a little cheese... Ok, more than a little cheese. After reading books from Sandra Brown such as Deadline, Friction, Lethal and the like, I just can't merry the fact that this book was written by her. I think I'm going to stop reading her older books, in favor of her more contemporary works.
October 13, 2011
I love the older, retro romances once in a while. It's fun to go back in the past occasionally.
And who better to make the trip with than Sandra Brown? Whether romance, or suspense this lady writes a good yarn.
And who better to make the trip with than Sandra Brown? Whether romance, or suspense this lady writes a good yarn.
February 27, 2015
This was my first romance book I read as a teen. Still a classic to me to this day. Best memories!
June 10, 2015
Reading SB's older books really gives one an insight as to how much she has improved in her storytelling abilities. Not one of her good books but not bad too!
dnf
August 23, 2016Oh man. The dialogue between Kathleen and Erik sounded ridiculous and the sex scenes were horribly written. I had to dnf this old book before Seth even made his appearance.
February 2, 2013
Sandra Brown as usual delivers a great story
April 5, 2014
novel terjemahan pertamaku....
July 18, 2023
This author has written some really good books, but others are a complete disaster. This one falls into the latter category.
It could have been a good story, especially with the designing/fashion/video background, which appealed to the artistic spirit in me. But the storyline itself was just ridiculous!
The h, Kathleen is talented, career oriented, warmhearted, and with a good moral compass, but she negates all that by being so ridiculously childish and acting more like an 18-year-old than a young woman of 25. She falls for the H, Eric in no time at all, gets him all hot and horny, surrenders her virginity and hopes for a HEA. Nothing wrong there, except that when he's injured in what could have been a fatal crash, she rushes to the hospital, sees an attractive woman there whom she mistakenly assumes is his wife, and runs away! Yes, she actually runs off, packs up and disappears, without even confronting him, determined never to see him again!
This has happened many a time in romance novels, but the h is usually very young, around 18 or 19, where that kind of behavior would be more acceptable, but at 25, it's just plain dumb!! You'd think she'd want to face him with a "So, when are you going to introduce me to your WIFE???" or some such thing, and check out his reaction, and then either apologize or punch him in the nose! But not Kathleen!
She soon manages to start a new life, with a great job and even greater boss, Seth, who (big surprise) falls for her, and wants to marry her, and doesn't mind that she's pregnant with Eric's baby, because, after an accident that's left him in a wheelchair, he can't have children of his own. Since Kathleen is through with men in the romantic sense, she agrees to a friendship/business partner marriage, in spite of Seth's bitchy, jealous, vindictive sister, Hazel, who you just know is going to cause trouble! And, after Kathleen's son is born, they need a video photographer for their new fashions, and guess who that turns out to be? You guessed it: Eric!!
Along with all this nonsense, is a lot of inappropriate stuff. There was one scene that I can understand, where Kathleen had decided to have an abortion (not wanting the baby of a married man) but then when the procedure's about to start, she realizes she can't go through with it and is terrified it'll be too late! That was really emotional and very effective. But what doesn't make sense is what came before, when she first goes to an OB/GYN for a checkup to determine if she's pregnant, and the author takes us step-by-step through the exam. Why? To make it worse, while she's being examined, she starts thinking of Eric, and when they made love! The doctor asks her if her breasts are sore when he examined them and she remembered Eric asking the same thing (she had tried to avoid sex at first, by saying she had her period), then later, he tells her to relax while he opens her legs a bit more, and she remembers Eric asking her to relax before he entered her. By now, I was getting a weird vibe, and I told myself, if the doc puts the speculum in and it reminds her of Eric's "manhood", I'm going to barf all over this book, then toss it in the trash!
I'm guessing Ms. Brown had a boyfriend who was a gynecologist and they took playing doctor to a whole new level.
But I digress! After the shock/hurt/anger/etc. of seeing each other again, (and the irony that he wasn't married but she is) as well as his discovery that he has a son, both Eric and Kathleen admit they're still in love, but can't bear to hurt a nice guy like Seth. Maybe not, but that doesn't stop them from doing the deed behind his wheelchair! So much for Kathleen declaring she can't betray Seth, he's been so good to her, he's accepted her son as his own, etc. Not to mention Eric liking Seth, as well as respecting him. (Yeah, right! You respect him so much you can't keep from nailing his wife!) Kathleen even tried to make up for her bad behavior by attempting to seduce Seth, taking off her clothes and offering him her body, despite theirs being a platonic marriage. All she did was frustrate the poor guy and make him feel worse! Talk about crummy!
What's worse than that, was where I knew this story was going. Kathleen could never bring herself to ask Seth for a divorce, but she wants a life with Eric, so it's no surprise that Seth's health appears to be failing. AND THAT DID IT FOR ME!!! I guessed that, in order to give these two "wonderful" people (BARF!! BARF!!) their HEA, Seth will have to be sacrificed to the Grim Reaper, and I was NOT going to stick around for that, so this was a DNF for me!!
I recommend a DO NOT START for you!
It could have been a good story, especially with the designing/fashion/video background, which appealed to the artistic spirit in me. But the storyline itself was just ridiculous!
The h, Kathleen is talented, career oriented, warmhearted, and with a good moral compass, but she negates all that by being so ridiculously childish and acting more like an 18-year-old than a young woman of 25. She falls for the H, Eric in no time at all, gets him all hot and horny, surrenders her virginity and hopes for a HEA. Nothing wrong there, except that when he's injured in what could have been a fatal crash, she rushes to the hospital, sees an attractive woman there whom she mistakenly assumes is his wife, and runs away! Yes, she actually runs off, packs up and disappears, without even confronting him, determined never to see him again!
This has happened many a time in romance novels, but the h is usually very young, around 18 or 19, where that kind of behavior would be more acceptable, but at 25, it's just plain dumb!! You'd think she'd want to face him with a "So, when are you going to introduce me to your WIFE???" or some such thing, and check out his reaction, and then either apologize or punch him in the nose! But not Kathleen!
She soon manages to start a new life, with a great job and even greater boss, Seth, who (big surprise) falls for her, and wants to marry her, and doesn't mind that she's pregnant with Eric's baby, because, after an accident that's left him in a wheelchair, he can't have children of his own. Since Kathleen is through with men in the romantic sense, she agrees to a friendship/business partner marriage, in spite of Seth's bitchy, jealous, vindictive sister, Hazel, who you just know is going to cause trouble! And, after Kathleen's son is born, they need a video photographer for their new fashions, and guess who that turns out to be? You guessed it: Eric!!
Along with all this nonsense, is a lot of inappropriate stuff. There was one scene that I can understand, where Kathleen had decided to have an abortion (not wanting the baby of a married man) but then when the procedure's about to start, she realizes she can't go through with it and is terrified it'll be too late! That was really emotional and very effective. But what doesn't make sense is what came before, when she first goes to an OB/GYN for a checkup to determine if she's pregnant, and the author takes us step-by-step through the exam. Why? To make it worse, while she's being examined, she starts thinking of Eric, and when they made love! The doctor asks her if her breasts are sore when he examined them and she remembered Eric asking the same thing (she had tried to avoid sex at first, by saying she had her period), then later, he tells her to relax while he opens her legs a bit more, and she remembers Eric asking her to relax before he entered her. By now, I was getting a weird vibe, and I told myself, if the doc puts the speculum in and it reminds her of Eric's "manhood", I'm going to barf all over this book, then toss it in the trash!
I'm guessing Ms. Brown had a boyfriend who was a gynecologist and they took playing doctor to a whole new level.
But I digress! After the shock/hurt/anger/etc. of seeing each other again, (and the irony that he wasn't married but she is) as well as his discovery that he has a son, both Eric and Kathleen admit they're still in love, but can't bear to hurt a nice guy like Seth. Maybe not, but that doesn't stop them from doing the deed behind his wheelchair! So much for Kathleen declaring she can't betray Seth, he's been so good to her, he's accepted her son as his own, etc. Not to mention Eric liking Seth, as well as respecting him. (Yeah, right! You respect him so much you can't keep from nailing his wife!) Kathleen even tried to make up for her bad behavior by attempting to seduce Seth, taking off her clothes and offering him her body, despite theirs being a platonic marriage. All she did was frustrate the poor guy and make him feel worse! Talk about crummy!
What's worse than that, was where I knew this story was going. Kathleen could never bring herself to ask Seth for a divorce, but she wants a life with Eric, so it's no surprise that Seth's health appears to be failing. AND THAT DID IT FOR ME!!! I guessed that, in order to give these two "wonderful" people (BARF!! BARF!!) their HEA, Seth will have to be sacrificed to the Grim Reaper, and I was NOT going to stick around for that, so this was a DNF for me!!
I recommend a DO NOT START for you!
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June 24, 2022Well, in a letter to the readers before the book begins, the author explains that she wrote this book under her pseudonym, Laura Jordan, rather than Sandra Brown... and that she wrote it in 1981. How times have changed.
This is apparently her first expanded romance. Although later many of Sandra Brown's books are often romantic suspense, this one is not quite that genre.
(Beware potential spoilers ahead). There is an evil and deranged sister-in-law, but the havoc she wreaks is more psychological than otherwise. I would have liked to know what happened to her after the story ended, not because she was an endearing character, but to know she was taken care of and out of the life of the herione.
The real tension n the book is between the main protagonists, with very thinly veiled violent tendencies and plenty of anger. Yet again this is a prime example of "why communicate, talk, or ask questions, when you can just assume and draw your own conclusions?" I have to say that has never been a winning plot line for me. Nor has the "pack your bag and run" ever convinced me or led me to appreciate or admire a character. (Well, not as far as this type of relationship is concerned - getting out of a bad situation can certainly have its merits in some cases).
Long before the days of me too, consent, or apparently, safe sex, there are a number of scenes which are more than jarring.
There were some entertaining steamy bits, but sadly this book has, in many ways, passed its expiration date.
This is apparently her first expanded romance. Although later many of Sandra Brown's books are often romantic suspense, this one is not quite that genre.
(Beware potential spoilers ahead). There is an evil and deranged sister-in-law, but the havoc she wreaks is more psychological than otherwise. I would have liked to know what happened to her after the story ended, not because she was an endearing character, but to know she was taken care of and out of the life of the herione.
The real tension n the book is between the main protagonists, with very thinly veiled violent tendencies and plenty of anger. Yet again this is a prime example of "why communicate, talk, or ask questions, when you can just assume and draw your own conclusions?" I have to say that has never been a winning plot line for me. Nor has the "pack your bag and run" ever convinced me or led me to appreciate or admire a character. (Well, not as far as this type of relationship is concerned - getting out of a bad situation can certainly have its merits in some cases).
Long before the days of me too, consent, or apparently, safe sex, there are a number of scenes which are more than jarring.
There were some entertaining steamy bits, but sadly this book has, in many ways, passed its expiration date.
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