Apollo's Seed

by Anne Mather

"You're trying to frighten me, Dion."

Martha's voice was uneven, trying to conceal the fact that he was succeeding. She'd been tricked into this confrontation with her husband, and his proposal amazed her.

After five years apart, she was being virtually forced to rejoin her wealthy Greek husband as his wife. Along with their small daughter, Josy.

Martha realized her feelings for Dion were as deep as ever. But how could she once again cope with Dion's strong passionate nature if getting their child back was his only reason for wanting her?

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Contemporary

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Anne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson, a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.

Reviews

[boogenhagen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The usual AM mess with evil sister manipulating h, seekrit baby and separated but married H and h. The sister gets her due, the H and h reconcile and all is well in AMlandia. I did like the H in this one, he was justifiably pissed and the h needed to get a back bone but as usual didn't.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a vintage from 1979.

The H and h are married and have a child together, but they have been living separated. The book starts when she visits the island again where he lives.

He is very alpha, very overpowering, very dominant, he calls the shots. So only read this at your own peril if you can’t stand cruel alpha males.

I don’t doubt his love for her and it was a good read, so 4 stars.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book!

I do like books written by Anne Mather. She is a talented author. Her characters are interesting and realistic.

This was a good second chance story for a married couple. Even though I enjoyed this book and usually can relate to the characters I never warned up to the main character even after his redemption and the HEA. But I think his arrogance and aloofness enhanced the book.

[رومولا الن emmajain-book · Rating 4 out of 5]

رواية (القيد) من روايات عبير

هذه الروايه من روايات عبير المفضله لدي

قراءتها عدة مرات وبكل مره كانني اقراءها للمره الاولى

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still don't get the hoo-hah over the allure of Greek tycoons, but this is undeniably a great romp into the era that started it all. Misogynistic, somewhat violent (no, rather it's what the Mediterranean might say passionate) but devastatingly handsome men luring and capturing innocent English hearts and bodies. Who could possibly resist?

I like that there's a history between the protagonists, but the circumstances are just ridiculously out of a soap opera. Or was it vice versa?

[ANGELIA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one, though I didn't like that the H and h were separated for five years, I'd have preferred two or three at the most.

Anyway, one of the things that made this interesting was the OM never being an OM at all (despite what the H thought at first), but was in actually love with the h's sister and was just a good friend to the h. In fact, he encouraged the h to fix things between her and her too-long estranged husband and even thought up a scheme to get things started in that direction. He was a very likeable character from the start, and truthfully, the h's sister didn't deserve him. (And he deserved better than her!)

Another interesting point is how the author shows how sometimes compassion and concern can be misguided. The h had centered most of her life on her little daughter and older sister (who was in a wheelchair, after a car accident), and while it was natural she'd worry about her sister and want to help her out, too often she ignored the fact that her sister was not a sympathetic character. She was snarky, sarcastic and could be a real bitch at times, as well as being jealous of the h. It seems she had been attracted to the H and when it soon became clear he preferred the h to her, she decided to cause trouble for them at the first opportunity and succeeded all too well! She played on their weaknesses (the h's insecurities and stubbornness, and the H's possessiveness and jealousy) and used them to manipulate them both, and because they were both too quick to think the worst of each other, they allowed themselves to be manipulated, and lost five years together, and the H lost those first years with his daughter.

The sister may have been a bitch, but the H and h have to share in the blame.

I like the way Ms. Mather makes things more realistic, by not having instant forgiveness when the h finds out the truth about her sister (who didn't seem a bit guilty about anything). She doesn't go to her wedding to the OM and tells the H she still needs time. I don't blame her for that.

There's a token OW in the story, but that's pretty much one scene, and the H quickly puts her in her place.

I wish more had been said about the H's younger brother, who the h had been good friends with, and who had been interested in taking a different career path than following his older brothers into the family business. Nothing more is said about that, and neither do you find out if his relationship with the young nanny gets anywhere.

Well, you can't have everything!

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this before but years and years ago. This is about a Greek billionaire who has been separated from his wife for five years because he questioned if the child was his when it was born with red hair. Her sister was so evil and manipulative and it disgusted me that the hero didn't tell his wife what she was saying. But I guess that means it wouldn't have been an HQ Presents classic! Lol

She was definitely celibate but it never said either way if he was. He did really love her but he was thinking about a divorce, and there was an OW wannabe that acted like she was important in his life. I mean she had the nerve to dry and disparage the heroine in front of the hero. He shot her down but she was pretty familiar with him. I don't know really but it made me wonder. He did love her though. I never doubted that. But he did think she cheated. Oh well. Once he saw her again he went after her and their daughter. He'd never once Tried to see her before that and that is why I only gave it three stars.

[StMargarets · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evil witch of a sister convinces Greek hero that his English wife is having an affair with a family friend and that his infant daughter is not his. This results in a five year separation.

Heroine is a doormat to her sister after sis was hit by a car and is now in a wheelchair. Heroine works her fingers to the bone to afford a grotty apartment in the family friend's house. The sis is so evil that she neglects her niece and antagonizes the babysitter as well as taunting heroine 24/7.

For some inexplicable reason, family friend likes the sister and wants to marry her.

H/h reconcile when heroine travels to Greece to pursuade hero's father to let family friend do an archeological dig on their family island. The H/h bicker a lot until heroine's spine collapses under all of that sexual tension.

Hero stuck up for heroine against his family and friends so that was nice. Sis should not have gotten an HEA of her own. She had no remorse.

Just a typical 1970's vintage.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one. It started off slow and I didn't get why she was going back to see her ex's family. But then you start to see why, and what she was trying to achieve.
Martha was so very passive and listened to her sister. Deion still wanted his wife back and his marriage. But they went through so much because no one wanted to talk each other honestly. Lots on misunderstanding the past and not letting go.
Overall it was a good read, I did want to know more on what happened at the end with the sisters.

[Prac Agrl · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story
H was good, h was really gullible to believe her sister but then it seems plausible in her circumstances and even H was not right in telling h about her evil sisters machinations.
I expected more comeuppance to the evil sis but then knowing in hp world comeuppance is hard to come by i need to be happy with it.

[Gloria Mitchell · Rating 2 out of 5]

A light easy going story

[Asteria]

DNF

The FL is too annoying and dumb...

[Chihiro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this was written in the 80s so it was obvious it wasn't gonna be great.

[Jaya Viswanathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story with plot twists and strong chemistry between the protagonists. A cautionary tale of not letting somebody else's jealousy interfere in relationships.

[RomLibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

You're trying to frighten me, Dion

Martha's voice was uneven, trying to conceal the fact that he was succeeding. She'd been tricked into this confrontation with her husband, and his proposal amazed her.

After five years apart, she was being virtually forced to rejoin her wealthy Greek husband as his wife. Along with their small daughter, Josy.

Martha realized her feelings for Dion were as deep as ever. But how could she once again cope with Dion's strong passionate nature if getting their child back was his only reason for wanting her?

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apple's Seed

The story starts out with the h going to Greece. She had written a letter to her father in law in behalf of her friend. They H happened to be with his father. He ends up blackmailing her back to him. But the secrets and lies from the past are coming to light. Her sister, who had an accident and in wheelchair, ends up causing so much trouble between the two. Her jealousy was hidden from her sister. Will her lies ever be exposed? Will H ever be able to woo h back?

[Tia · Rating 3 out of 5]

The heroine and her daughter were lured back to her husband, who happened to be greek. The hero was demanding and downright violent at some points in the novel. However I do adore the whole greek men overpowering women but this one was a bit much. I felt terribly sorry for the heroine because she seemed nothing but a pawn.

[Michelle Robinson]

teen years strike again cannot remember

[Mary-jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took one nearly one week to read a HP :O
It wasn't that bad but due to some commitments, i slacked a bit.
well, not one of my favorite but it was okay