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One Girl at a Time
Tansy had met Vin Makram before. The first time he'd become irate after hearing her bad-mouth the Goods in his store in Thailand.
So it was embarrassing to unexpectedly discover on their second meeting that he was both a leading businessman and her new boss! However Vin seemed prepared to forget that first unhappy encounter
Only Tansy wasn't really sure what he wanted from her. Was she just a pleasant diversion a challenge to be conquered or was working with her simply a way for Vin to combine business with pleasure?
So it was embarrassing to unexpectedly discover on their second meeting that he was both a leading businessman and her new boss! However Vin seemed prepared to forget that first unhappy encounter
Only Tansy wasn't really sure what he wanted from her. Was she just a pleasant diversion a challenge to be conquered or was working with her simply a way for Vin to combine business with pleasure?
188 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
65 people want to read
About the author
Roberta Leigh
113 books66 followersaka Rachel Lindsay, Janey Scott, Rozella Lake
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 28, 2017
Re One Girl at a Time - Roberta Leigh gives us the extended tourist HP travelogue in Thailand with this one. One of the most striking things was that many toilets in Thailand are actually little private rooms with holes in the ground. This one is full of interesting Thai tidbits like that.
The book starts with the h being given a Thai holiday by her sister and brother in law as a thank you gesture for abandoning her fashion school finals to nurse her ailing sister. Unfortunately this surprise family duty kept the h from winning recognition for her clothing designs and now the h is struggling finding places to buy her clothes. Since she herself was ill and needed a breather to recover, she takes the Thai trip and meets two men.
One is a big blonde Australian backpacker who is dinking around Asia and teaching English on the side and the other is working in a Thai clothing shop that is selling very shoddy women's fashion. The h can't keep herself from insulting the supercilious shop man that his goods are shabby and she could design clothing much better, before she storms out.
I will give you one guess on who the H is going to be and it isn't the blond one.
So the h has dinner with the Australian, frets about the rudeness of the Thai guy in the dark sunglasses he never removes, (which unfortunately kinda reminded me of Psy and Gangnam Style tho Psy is Korean,) and eventually goes home to England. Where her old fashion school tutor gets her to enter some clothing designs into a competition to become the designer for an Asian clothing house. Naturally the h is selected and naturally the person offering her a contract for five years is the man she insulted in the dress shop, which the h only finds out after she signs the contract and arrives in Thailand.
So we have bubbling hidden hostilities that during the extended travelogue and sight seeing turn into repressed longing on the h's part and an attempt at seduction from the H. The only problem is that the H has a export partner and the blonde bombshell made it very clear to the h that the H is her property and an engagement is imminent. So the h has to obfuscate and make up an ex-boyfriend breakup (the blond backpacker) and imply that she doesn't mix business and pleasure to ward the H off. Plus the h isn't into menage, so really the H shouldn't be making goo goo eyes at HER when he has an impending fiancee.
But the h has angsty angst about the H, so she throws herself into her design work and getting ready for the first big show. Which, with the help of a factory manager and the prodding of the H's femme fatale partner, is a huge success. The H is still being pushy on the seduction front and yet he refuses to break it off with the OW, so the h is forced to say she is getting back together with her blond backpacker - then RL serendipity strikes again and the backpacker turns out to be the H's Australian business partner. In typical RL style, the blond backpacker is happy to be the h's lurve muffin and announces their engagement at the big successful design showing.
The H is unhappy and the h isn't doing much better, but she just cannot resist the lurve mojo of the H without her blond backpack shield as the H is STILL seeing the OW. Even when she realizes that the H is not Thai, he was an adopted English child, (a very early attempt at HP H cultural diversity that would get past the Irish censors,) the h can't fling her conscience to the wind and lurve it up with the H. She is keeping her unicorn petting status until real commitment, thank you.
Fortunately the OW and the factory manager are using the shoulder pads (so eighties!) in the h's clothing designs to smuggle drugs into the US. (Cliche now, but at the time this was written, really all anybody ever heard about Thailand was it's part in the Golden Triangle of heroin smuggling and not a whole lot else.) The h is almost killed by the OW and the bad factory manager, but the H is there with the police and the h is saved - tho she is confused about whose side the H is actually on.
Finally, the H shows up to explain that Interpol asked him to use the family clothing export business to set up the OW and her drug running father. The H was never engaged or even really liked the OW as he loves and wants to marry the h, but we had to have some sort of OW/OM quadrangle or it wouldn't be an RL HP.
Forgetting all about her own 'engagement' to the H's Australian blond backpacker business partner, the h happily surrenders to the lurve club mojo and they both consummate their love while planning a lifetime of bliss - tho the h firmly rejects becoming a Buddhist and the H replies that he isn't either.
This one wasn't bad and the bits about Thailand were interesting. However I do have to admire the chutzpah of an h who rejects the H on the assumption he is engaged to another woman, but has no compunction about lurving it up with him when she is ostensibly engaged herself. It kinda made me wonder about the H too, who was willing to go there with her - even tho he never knows she WASN'T really engaged to his business partner. It musta been true HP love I guess.
The book starts with the h being given a Thai holiday by her sister and brother in law as a thank you gesture for abandoning her fashion school finals to nurse her ailing sister. Unfortunately this surprise family duty kept the h from winning recognition for her clothing designs and now the h is struggling finding places to buy her clothes. Since she herself was ill and needed a breather to recover, she takes the Thai trip and meets two men.
One is a big blonde Australian backpacker who is dinking around Asia and teaching English on the side and the other is working in a Thai clothing shop that is selling very shoddy women's fashion. The h can't keep herself from insulting the supercilious shop man that his goods are shabby and she could design clothing much better, before she storms out.
I will give you one guess on who the H is going to be and it isn't the blond one.
So the h has dinner with the Australian, frets about the rudeness of the Thai guy in the dark sunglasses he never removes, (which unfortunately kinda reminded me of Psy and Gangnam Style tho Psy is Korean,) and eventually goes home to England. Where her old fashion school tutor gets her to enter some clothing designs into a competition to become the designer for an Asian clothing house. Naturally the h is selected and naturally the person offering her a contract for five years is the man she insulted in the dress shop, which the h only finds out after she signs the contract and arrives in Thailand.
So we have bubbling hidden hostilities that during the extended travelogue and sight seeing turn into repressed longing on the h's part and an attempt at seduction from the H. The only problem is that the H has a export partner and the blonde bombshell made it very clear to the h that the H is her property and an engagement is imminent. So the h has to obfuscate and make up an ex-boyfriend breakup (the blond backpacker) and imply that she doesn't mix business and pleasure to ward the H off. Plus the h isn't into menage, so really the H shouldn't be making goo goo eyes at HER when he has an impending fiancee.
But the h has angsty angst about the H, so she throws herself into her design work and getting ready for the first big show. Which, with the help of a factory manager and the prodding of the H's femme fatale partner, is a huge success. The H is still being pushy on the seduction front and yet he refuses to break it off with the OW, so the h is forced to say she is getting back together with her blond backpacker - then RL serendipity strikes again and the backpacker turns out to be the H's Australian business partner. In typical RL style, the blond backpacker is happy to be the h's lurve muffin and announces their engagement at the big successful design showing.
The H is unhappy and the h isn't doing much better, but she just cannot resist the lurve mojo of the H without her blond backpack shield as the H is STILL seeing the OW. Even when she realizes that the H is not Thai, he was an adopted English child, (a very early attempt at HP H cultural diversity that would get past the Irish censors,) the h can't fling her conscience to the wind and lurve it up with the H. She is keeping her unicorn petting status until real commitment, thank you.
Fortunately the OW and the factory manager are using the shoulder pads (so eighties!) in the h's clothing designs to smuggle drugs into the US. (Cliche now, but at the time this was written, really all anybody ever heard about Thailand was it's part in the Golden Triangle of heroin smuggling and not a whole lot else.) The h is almost killed by the OW and the bad factory manager, but the H is there with the police and the h is saved - tho she is confused about whose side the H is actually on.
Finally, the H shows up to explain that Interpol asked him to use the family clothing export business to set up the OW and her drug running father. The H was never engaged or even really liked the OW as he loves and wants to marry the h, but we had to have some sort of OW/OM quadrangle or it wouldn't be an RL HP.
Forgetting all about her own 'engagement' to the H's Australian blond backpacker business partner, the h happily surrenders to the lurve club mojo and they both consummate their love while planning a lifetime of bliss - tho the h firmly rejects becoming a Buddhist and the H replies that he isn't either.
This one wasn't bad and the bits about Thailand were interesting. However I do have to admire the chutzpah of an h who rejects the H on the assumption he is engaged to another woman, but has no compunction about lurving it up with him when she is ostensibly engaged herself. It kinda made me wonder about the H too, who was willing to go there with her - even tho he never knows she WASN'T really engaged to his business partner. It musta been true HP love I guess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2017
Another story set in Thailand that ends up involving drug smuggling. Also, the hero wears wrap-around black sunglasses for three quarters of the book to "trick" the reader and the heroine into thinking he is Thai, when he actually is the English adopted son of a Thai family. That was another disappointment because HPlandia sure lacks diversity and I would have been thrilled with a hero who didn't fit the mold.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2016
3 1/2 Stars ~ Tansy is a dress designer struggling to make a name for herself, but without the backing of a fashion house it's hard going. When her designs earn her a lucrative contract for a silk mercantile in Thailand, she's ecstatic. Arriving in Thailand, she's shocked to discover her new boss is a man she'd had words with over the quality of dresses being offered by the company, thinking the man had simply been a boutique manager. Vin is quite taken by Tansy, her striking auburn hair supports her fiery temper and blunt declarations. Quickly a chemistry forms, and Tansy finds herself falling in love. But when the gorgeous blond Ella lays claim to Vin, confiding in Tansy that they are close to announcing their engagement; Tansy is shocked that Vin would double deal. He admits that he wants Tansy like he's never wanted any woman, but that he's not ready yet to give up Ella!
This author used several pen names while writing for Harlequin. Roberta Leigh, Rachel Lindsay, Roumelia Lane. Always she prefers feisty heroines who speak their minds and aren't afraid to verbally knock down the hero's ego. The chemistry is tense and electric, the plot is interesting if not sometimes over the top, and the HEA is quite dramatic. A fun, quick read.
This author used several pen names while writing for Harlequin. Roberta Leigh, Rachel Lindsay, Roumelia Lane. Always she prefers feisty heroines who speak their minds and aren't afraid to verbally knock down the hero's ego. The chemistry is tense and electric, the plot is interesting if not sometimes over the top, and the HEA is quite dramatic. A fun, quick read.
December 21, 2024
h is a fashion designer and gets a contract with the H in Thailand. H wears dark shades all the time so the h thinks he is Thai (but he’s actually English but adopted by a Thai couple after the death of his own parents). H makes it seem like he’s with this OW blonde bombshell business partner but in reality he is pretending because she’s under investigation for drug trafficking (sowing it into the clothes being shipped out).
Boring and too much yes/no by the h. No chemistry.
Boring and too much yes/no by the h. No chemistry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2016
And another fifty cents thrown away! I think I need therapy to find out why I torture myself with these awful things.
July 16, 2024
3.5
My first "Thai" Hero, or so I thought.
This was a nice read, probably deserves more than just 3.5 but I guess I'm being stingy today.
This had a couple of twists that caught me off guard. The author did really well as I did not see them coming, so Ill probably bump up my rating later, when Im feeling more generous.
Things I liked in this book: the Thai setting and discovering some unknown Thai traditions.
The plot twists.
The Hero.
The witty dialogues.
Things I disliked:
The heroine. She gave off this unlikeable vibe I just couldnt shake off, came across as arrogant sometimes.
My first "Thai" Hero, or so I thought.
This was a nice read, probably deserves more than just 3.5 but I guess I'm being stingy today.
This had a couple of twists that caught me off guard. The author did really well as I did not see them coming, so Ill probably bump up my rating later, when Im feeling more generous.
Things I liked in this book: the Thai setting and discovering some unknown Thai traditions.
The plot twists.
The Hero.
The witty dialogues.
Things I disliked:
The heroine. She gave off this unlikeable vibe I just couldnt shake off, came across as arrogant sometimes.
May 14, 2014
Three stars for the great exotic setting, very vividly Thailand, lots of local color and fun designer/fashion facts. One star for Drama which fell short, the continuous misunderstandings between the two got tiresome. The story is awkward and the whole aviator shades thing was silly.
September 15, 2015
The plot didn't work for me.
August 1, 2014
This book was just ok i gelt the character were a bit flat. The best part was it took place in Thailand the culture is interesting.
May 15, 2016
Roberta Leigh is a favourite author from way back. Her heroine's are mostly career women. Like Tansy, the heroine in this story.
Tansy is rebuilding her fashion design business after family illness forced her to take time off. A visit to Thailand to recover from the strain brought her into contact with two men. An Australian "backpacker" and the manager of a store who objected to her dismissal of the shoddy goods for sale.
Back in England, she is given the opportunity to work for an international company as an in-house designer and it brings her back to Thailand, to work for Vin Makram, the man she thought was the manager.
Vin is clearly ready to let bygones be bygones but the presence in his life of luscious blond Ella seems to indicate he wants to have his cake and eat it.
Life gets pretty complicated for Tansy, especially when the "backpacker" turns out to be Vin's business partner and she decides to use him as a shield from Vin's lecherous and irresistible attentions.
A little warm in places considering it was 1990 but well done. The ending was satisfying.
Tansy is rebuilding her fashion design business after family illness forced her to take time off. A visit to Thailand to recover from the strain brought her into contact with two men. An Australian "backpacker" and the manager of a store who objected to her dismissal of the shoddy goods for sale.
Back in England, she is given the opportunity to work for an international company as an in-house designer and it brings her back to Thailand, to work for Vin Makram, the man she thought was the manager.
Vin is clearly ready to let bygones be bygones but the presence in his life of luscious blond Ella seems to indicate he wants to have his cake and eat it.
Life gets pretty complicated for Tansy, especially when the "backpacker" turns out to be Vin's business partner and she decides to use him as a shield from Vin's lecherous and irresistible attentions.
A little warm in places considering it was 1990 but well done. The ending was satisfying.
November 21, 2012
Again my Harlequin mood of the past three days continues. I can't resist, the drama is calling to me. Another one I greatly enjoyed. Two in a row I liked - woohoo! It's not as sensual as the last but I loved the story. Vin was an alluring, mysterious hero you had to like, and Tansy's workaholic personality made perfect sense. The ending dished out a whallop of a surprise too, I never saw that coming as the reason. The ending was sweet but I would have liked her to explain more about Roger. Maybe he already knows? Either way highly recommended, fun Harlequin. Some steaminess, some realism, a foreign country, little humor though.
June 30, 2017
Designer garment factory in Thailand moonlights as a drug dealing sweat shop. That's just. I mean. Why? Of all the plots this author could have chosen with Thailand as the setting, she went with the racist stereotype one?! Ugh!
The misunderstanding between the H and h went on for too long, as did her fake engagement (she never does tell the H about that, btw). The sunglasses thing was stupid. I also hated the flower language used to describe the heroine. Stem-like waist, skin like a stamen - is she a woman or a hot house flower?
The misunderstanding between the H and h went on for too long, as did her fake engagement (she never does tell the H about that, btw). The sunglasses thing was stupid. I also hated the flower language used to describe the heroine. Stem-like waist, skin like a stamen - is she a woman or a hot house flower?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2019
Tansy had met Vin Makram before. The first time he'd become irate after hearing her bad-mouth the Goods in his store in Thailand.
So it was embarrassing to unexpectedly discover on their second meeting that he was both a leading businessman and her new boss! However Vin seemed prepared to forget that first unhappy encounter
Only Tansy wasn't really sure what he wanted from her. Was she just a pleasant diversion a challenge to be conquered or was working with her simply a way for Vin to combine business with pleasure?
So it was embarrassing to unexpectedly discover on their second meeting that he was both a leading businessman and her new boss! However Vin seemed prepared to forget that first unhappy encounter
Only Tansy wasn't really sure what he wanted from her. Was she just a pleasant diversion a challenge to be conquered or was working with her simply a way for Vin to combine business with pleasure?
March 14, 2025
As my husband and I read aloud to one another, we hoped to find another Roberta Leigh book as delightful as our first read, It All Depends On Love. Sadly, One Girl at a Time was found wanting. Unlike the first book that had us laughing out loud, this book disappointed us chapter after chapter with nothing to grin at. Beyond that, we found what we read dull. There was no character development or save-the-cat structure. We had no idea what this protagonist say in the male lead especially once she found him to be a cad. It was not until the final two chapters that the story got moving. It suddenly became exciting, and finally worthy of the author. Where had she been up to that point? But, of course, the ending came on all too quickly. What the previous chapters did have was an education. One with no previous knowledge of the fashion industry or of Thailand might learn something. What one does not learn is why the author felt some asinine physical attraction for a man in sunglasses was enough reason to marry him. The sex scenes were contrived. They felt like stock sent by Harlequin, as a suggestion only with which nothing was natural or improved upon. What began as a possible interracial relationship had its rug pulled out from under it in the final chapter. The protagonist finally sees the man hiding behind the sunglasses only to learn he is not Asian as one perceived. I give this book three stars, and not two, because of the information I learned about Thailand, a place I have not visited. I personally will read it again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2024
What the hell did I just read?
*spoilers ahead*
A very young girl who didn't even finish fashion school lands a massive contract designing a clothing range for a multi-national brand in the Far East. When she arrives in Thailand she not only sets about designing and making the clothes, she is also conducing factory inspections (and telling the Thais how they must modernize their factories) she's also travelling all over the country to source fabrics and to set up cooperatives with women who hand sew ethnic designs in the mountains.
When she isn't doing all this she's sightseeing and educating us, the dear reader, about Thai customs.
That's not even half of it. Throw in a hero who never takes his sunglasses off (he isn't blind, he was... stung in the eye by a bee???), a secret Westerner reveal, two fake relationships, and a drug cartel sewing heroine into the shoulder pads of designer clothes and you have a whole heap of WTF.
Also, the heroine was DUMB as rocks, and the OW of course some kind of Machiavellian genius.
This book was peak stupid, but that's fine because stupid can still be entertaining.
*spoilers ahead*
A very young girl who didn't even finish fashion school lands a massive contract designing a clothing range for a multi-national brand in the Far East. When she arrives in Thailand she not only sets about designing and making the clothes, she is also conducing factory inspections (and telling the Thais how they must modernize their factories) she's also travelling all over the country to source fabrics and to set up cooperatives with women who hand sew ethnic designs in the mountains.
When she isn't doing all this she's sightseeing and educating us, the dear reader, about Thai customs.
That's not even half of it. Throw in a hero who never takes his sunglasses off (he isn't blind, he was... stung in the eye by a bee???), a secret Westerner reveal, two fake relationships, and a drug cartel sewing heroine into the shoulder pads of designer clothes and you have a whole heap of WTF.
Also, the heroine was DUMB as rocks, and the OW of course some kind of Machiavellian genius.
This book was peak stupid, but that's fine because stupid can still be entertaining.
February 17, 2021
I liked the book at the beginning.. well I liked the book. I think the ending was rushed and not a lot of thought went into the other characters.. what about the hippy??? Could have used more chapters!
April 5, 2021
I really liked this and it's worth 4 stars for the story and plot, but the pacing was a bit slow and the romantic build up was a little sloppy. Figure 3 1/2 stars.
May 27, 2012
Tansy is a woman with strong character, modern and independent but still keep her virginity .
December 7, 2016
Star Rating: ★★½☆☆
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews