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The Wilder Shores of Love
Margot had always had a rebellious spirit and determination to make it on her own--emotionally as well as professionally. But she was shaken by the sudden death of her father, feeling lost and vulnerable.
Then one day Margot Prescott,journalist, was no longer reporting on the London drug scene. She had become a victim. And just as abruptly, Adam Korda entered her life.
Keeping her prisoner was a desperate remedy, but Adam's caring, helping and healing soon restored Margot to the woman she'd been.
And brought her face-to-face withher greatest challenge--loving Adam.
Then one day Margot Prescott,journalist, was no longer reporting on the London drug scene. She had become a victim. And just as abruptly, Adam Korda entered her life.
Keeping her prisoner was a desperate remedy, but Adam's caring, helping and healing soon restored Margot to the woman she'd been.
And brought her face-to-face withher greatest challenge--loving Adam.
187 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1987
82 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 27, 2016
Re The Wilder Shores of Love - MK gives us the only h who is a heroin addict in all of HPlandia - alliteratively an HP heroine hooked having a heroin hunger.
This is rather unusual to say the least, but let us never forget that HP's do follow the social currents of the times. As we have seen from the timeline of various HP's on this thread, the times they are a changin'.
Nowadays drug addiction is generally restricted to a Lynne Graham evil OW fiancee of the H, thus giving him a reason to cheat with the totally anti-drug use and wholesome h. As well as a reason that isn't the h to dump the fiancee at chapter six and marry the h in chapter seven for her seekrit baby.
It wasn't always like that tho, and MK does a fairly decent depiction of the agonies of heroin withdrawal, as well as reflecting the changing social values of the 1980's that said addiction is more a disease and not a moral failing and also that an addict isn't necessarily a homeless street person. Even nice, middle class normal people can fall into addiction, but they can recover and be a success in life and even wind up with the handsome, kind and virile H.
This one starts with the handsome, kind and definitely virile 30ish H meets the 19yr old h as she is leaving her dealer's apartment. He takes her little bag of heroin, dumps it out and talks her into getting into his Mercedes. He is taking her to get some help for her problem, tho MK makes it clear the h is only smoking the heroin, not injecting it.
We get a bit of background on our h. She has been on her own since she was sixteen, her father was a military guy who became a mercenary and her mother was a bit absent in parenting the h as she was too busy fighting with her father until the h was five. After her father walked out for eight years, it seems mum was too busy with lovers and then trying to rebuild a marriage with the h's father to actually pay attention to what her daughter was doing, beside when the teenaged h was acting out.
After the final separation of the h's parents, the dad wandered off again and the mother remarried and promptly had two children by the new guy, who really wasn't a big fan of the h. So she started writing at 16 and moved out and got a job on a alternative newspaper. The h's father has died recently and the h had some feeling isolated and alone issues and got involved with the wrong crowd. She started smoking heroin and when the H found her, she was weeks into her addiction and already remarkably physically dependent.
The H breeds championship horses, he is the head of his family since his parents died. The H comes from a long line of important horse breeders and his experience with addiction is from when his brother, who had cancer, wanted to die without being an addict and so he helped him through withdrawals.
The brother died of his cancer eventually, but he did so drug free. (Which is a bit of a change from modern thinking on palliative end of life care, but this was thirty years ago. Also MK had to keep everything in somewhat pristine HP boundaries, so a dying brother it is - this isn't Trainspotting, it is actually a romance.) The h thinks the H is taking her to some sort of hospital treatment center. The H tells her that he owes her dead father a favor, so getting her fixed up and healthy is his repayment of her father's friendship.
The h is already staring to experience withdrawals, so the H gives her a methadone and we are off to an unknown destination. It turns out to be the H's home and his racing stud and stables. The h has some moments of bad behavior and some really bad physical symptoms. Eventually tho, via a lot of talk, fly fishing, horse riding and the H helping the h to see that she has value and worth and that people really do care about her, the h manages to free herself from the addiction and also demonstrate that is a nice, charming and kindhearted person really.
While she is ridding herself of the dependence on heroin, she and the H are gradually becoming more and more intimate. The H is pretty smitten with her looks and for a while it looks the h is replacing her addiction to heroin with an addiction to the H. Eventually they become lovers and then the H makes the h leave and go live her life. The h writes about her drug experience and gets it published in a magazine. That article leads to a job on a mainstream newspaper as the youth culture journalist in an effort to attract younger readers. The h manages a bit of a reconciliation with her mother and even has a new potential man in attendance.
While the h likes her job and is quickly rising towards being a big success, she has determined that she is a one woman man and that man is the H. Six months go by and the h has rebuilt her life and her self and is doing very well. The H shows up in town one day, much to the dismay of the wanna be OM of the h, and asks her to attend a big horse race with him the next day. The H has a championship at stake and while he is sure the horse will win big, he wants the h to see it with him. The h has been pining in silent agony all this time for the H, when he sends her a little salmon fly lure for her twentieth birthday with a note, the h doesn't even try to write back - she thinks that by ignoring the H and hiding how much she feels for him, she can convince him she was sincere in her declarations of love when he made her leave him.
They go to the races and we meet the H's sisters, the H has lost some weight over the last several months and his sister remarks that she thinks the H is pining for the h. The h responds that she told the H she loved him and his sister calls him quixotic that way - the sister thinks that the H was being noble and that the h should just wait him out.
As the H's horse starts his winning race, he tells the h that he loves her. He wanted her to live on her own for a bit to be sure that what she was feeling for him was real love and not a Florence Nightingale transfer of affection or dependency syndrome. The H and h are both making fervent avowals of true love forever and plotting out multiple kids as the H's horse wins the race. They share a very passionate kiss that is shown on TV all over the world for the big HP HEA.
This one was pretty good. The plot was definitely different and at the time, no one had done anything like it in all of Romancelandia - not just the HP universe. Sure, a lot of the H's "treatment" measures and ego building discussions are a bit dated by today's standards, but overall this is a very powerful story and a nice message of hope for those people who may be stuck in the dark side of addiction.
This is truly a groundbreaking HP and really a ground breaking romance. If you run into it, give it a go - this one is a whole new exploration of the wilder parts of HPlandia and it has a lot of sensitivity for such a controversial subject.
This is rather unusual to say the least, but let us never forget that HP's do follow the social currents of the times. As we have seen from the timeline of various HP's on this thread, the times they are a changin'.
Nowadays drug addiction is generally restricted to a Lynne Graham evil OW fiancee of the H, thus giving him a reason to cheat with the totally anti-drug use and wholesome h. As well as a reason that isn't the h to dump the fiancee at chapter six and marry the h in chapter seven for her seekrit baby.
It wasn't always like that tho, and MK does a fairly decent depiction of the agonies of heroin withdrawal, as well as reflecting the changing social values of the 1980's that said addiction is more a disease and not a moral failing and also that an addict isn't necessarily a homeless street person. Even nice, middle class normal people can fall into addiction, but they can recover and be a success in life and even wind up with the handsome, kind and virile H.
This one starts with the handsome, kind and definitely virile 30ish H meets the 19yr old h as she is leaving her dealer's apartment. He takes her little bag of heroin, dumps it out and talks her into getting into his Mercedes. He is taking her to get some help for her problem, tho MK makes it clear the h is only smoking the heroin, not injecting it.
We get a bit of background on our h. She has been on her own since she was sixteen, her father was a military guy who became a mercenary and her mother was a bit absent in parenting the h as she was too busy fighting with her father until the h was five. After her father walked out for eight years, it seems mum was too busy with lovers and then trying to rebuild a marriage with the h's father to actually pay attention to what her daughter was doing, beside when the teenaged h was acting out.
After the final separation of the h's parents, the dad wandered off again and the mother remarried and promptly had two children by the new guy, who really wasn't a big fan of the h. So she started writing at 16 and moved out and got a job on a alternative newspaper. The h's father has died recently and the h had some feeling isolated and alone issues and got involved with the wrong crowd. She started smoking heroin and when the H found her, she was weeks into her addiction and already remarkably physically dependent.
The H breeds championship horses, he is the head of his family since his parents died. The H comes from a long line of important horse breeders and his experience with addiction is from when his brother, who had cancer, wanted to die without being an addict and so he helped him through withdrawals.
The brother died of his cancer eventually, but he did so drug free. (Which is a bit of a change from modern thinking on palliative end of life care, but this was thirty years ago. Also MK had to keep everything in somewhat pristine HP boundaries, so a dying brother it is - this isn't Trainspotting, it is actually a romance.) The h thinks the H is taking her to some sort of hospital treatment center. The H tells her that he owes her dead father a favor, so getting her fixed up and healthy is his repayment of her father's friendship.
The h is already staring to experience withdrawals, so the H gives her a methadone and we are off to an unknown destination. It turns out to be the H's home and his racing stud and stables. The h has some moments of bad behavior and some really bad physical symptoms. Eventually tho, via a lot of talk, fly fishing, horse riding and the H helping the h to see that she has value and worth and that people really do care about her, the h manages to free herself from the addiction and also demonstrate that is a nice, charming and kindhearted person really.
While she is ridding herself of the dependence on heroin, she and the H are gradually becoming more and more intimate. The H is pretty smitten with her looks and for a while it looks the h is replacing her addiction to heroin with an addiction to the H. Eventually they become lovers and then the H makes the h leave and go live her life. The h writes about her drug experience and gets it published in a magazine. That article leads to a job on a mainstream newspaper as the youth culture journalist in an effort to attract younger readers. The h manages a bit of a reconciliation with her mother and even has a new potential man in attendance.
While the h likes her job and is quickly rising towards being a big success, she has determined that she is a one woman man and that man is the H. Six months go by and the h has rebuilt her life and her self and is doing very well. The H shows up in town one day, much to the dismay of the wanna be OM of the h, and asks her to attend a big horse race with him the next day. The H has a championship at stake and while he is sure the horse will win big, he wants the h to see it with him. The h has been pining in silent agony all this time for the H, when he sends her a little salmon fly lure for her twentieth birthday with a note, the h doesn't even try to write back - she thinks that by ignoring the H and hiding how much she feels for him, she can convince him she was sincere in her declarations of love when he made her leave him.
They go to the races and we meet the H's sisters, the H has lost some weight over the last several months and his sister remarks that she thinks the H is pining for the h. The h responds that she told the H she loved him and his sister calls him quixotic that way - the sister thinks that the H was being noble and that the h should just wait him out.
As the H's horse starts his winning race, he tells the h that he loves her. He wanted her to live on her own for a bit to be sure that what she was feeling for him was real love and not a Florence Nightingale transfer of affection or dependency syndrome. The H and h are both making fervent avowals of true love forever and plotting out multiple kids as the H's horse wins the race. They share a very passionate kiss that is shown on TV all over the world for the big HP HEA.
This one was pretty good. The plot was definitely different and at the time, no one had done anything like it in all of Romancelandia - not just the HP universe. Sure, a lot of the H's "treatment" measures and ego building discussions are a bit dated by today's standards, but overall this is a very powerful story and a nice message of hope for those people who may be stuck in the dark side of addiction.
This is truly a groundbreaking HP and really a ground breaking romance. If you run into it, give it a go - this one is a whole new exploration of the wilder parts of HPlandia and it has a lot of sensitivity for such a controversial subject.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2012
Pretty good Harlequin Presents about a girl who becomes addicted to heroin and the hero who helps her get off it. A different plot for a Presents.
March 5, 2015
Very unusual story line for an HP. The young 19 year old heroine was addicted to heroin. Our loving, caring beta hero helps her through the withdrawal and then sets her free before returning to claim her as his own. This deserved 5 stars for the unusual story line, but I somehow didn't feel the level of angst I would have expected given the circumstances.
January 23, 2019
He'd come for her in the end, the way she'd always dreamed he would. Her ordeal of solitude was over.
"The Wilder Shores of Love" is the story of Margot and Adam.
This book had one of the most unique characters in a HQN novel: a drug addict heroine
Our heroine is Margot, a self reliant journalist who came from a broken home. Her estranged father's death, however, turned her towards heroin, because of which she lost her job, and now "needs" it to survive.
Things change, when Adam Korda enters her life and whisks her away to Harcourt. Initially mysterious, it's soon clear he means to detox her away from the drug.
Margot is furious and in withdrawal, and has emotional breakdowns as well as tantrums, but Adam bears it all, thrusting her towards sanity.
But as Margot recovers and finds herself to be madly in love with Adam, he pushes her away, asking her to go and find happiness independent of him.
Would she really let go of her one true love?
What a fab story! Honestly, I adored so many things about this one
-The distinctive plot and characters
-The well researched portrayal of addiction, withdrawal and detoxification with correct use of medications
-The super sweet lovemaking and sizzling attraction
-The quotation of my favorite poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
-The growth of the characters
-The adorable ending
Very well written.
Safe
4.5/5
"The Wilder Shores of Love" is the story of Margot and Adam.
This book had one of the most unique characters in a HQN novel: a drug addict heroine
Our heroine is Margot, a self reliant journalist who came from a broken home. Her estranged father's death, however, turned her towards heroin, because of which she lost her job, and now "needs" it to survive.
Things change, when Adam Korda enters her life and whisks her away to Harcourt. Initially mysterious, it's soon clear he means to detox her away from the drug.
Margot is furious and in withdrawal, and has emotional breakdowns as well as tantrums, but Adam bears it all, thrusting her towards sanity.
But as Margot recovers and finds herself to be madly in love with Adam, he pushes her away, asking her to go and find happiness independent of him.
Would she really let go of her one true love?
What a fab story! Honestly, I adored so many things about this one
-The distinctive plot and characters
-The well researched portrayal of addiction, withdrawal and detoxification with correct use of medications
-The super sweet lovemaking and sizzling attraction
-The quotation of my favorite poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"
-The growth of the characters
-The adorable ending
Very well written.
Safe
4.5/5
May 2, 2018
This book was one of several that I bought, sight unseen, in a little box of treasures at the library book sale. For a Harlequin Presents, it's really quite an unusual story.
Written in the 1980s, this one features a young heroine who is being weaned from a heroin addiction, and the successful, dashing hero who helps her get off the drug. Adam Korda is not only a rich, successful horse breeder, but he apparently owed a debt of gratitude to Margot's late father. This is why he basically whisks Margot off the street and into his country home where he gets her off heroin cold turkey. I know this all sounds improbable and crazy (and sometimes it really is!) However, the writing in this book is compelling and Ker tells a wonderful and emotional story. Even as I recognized all the crazypants stuff, I also greatly enjoyed myself.
If you want more detail, here's the link to my Twitter thread where I posted my observations as I read: https://twitter.com/LynnAAR/status/99...
Written in the 1980s, this one features a young heroine who is being weaned from a heroin addiction, and the successful, dashing hero who helps her get off the drug. Adam Korda is not only a rich, successful horse breeder, but he apparently owed a debt of gratitude to Margot's late father. This is why he basically whisks Margot off the street and into his country home where he gets her off heroin cold turkey. I know this all sounds improbable and crazy (and sometimes it really is!) However, the writing in this book is compelling and Ker tells a wonderful and emotional story. Even as I recognized all the crazypants stuff, I also greatly enjoyed myself.
If you want more detail, here's the link to my Twitter thread where I posted my observations as I read: https://twitter.com/LynnAAR/status/99...
January 4, 2024
Wow, this certainly was a very unusual story line/plot for an HP.
It is a story of a young 19 year old heroine who got addicted to heroin, and how she got to that place in her life.
Our loving, caring beta hero, kidnap's her to help her through the withdrawal and then sets her free before returning to claim her as his own.
The why? How come? Was he "paid to rescue her?" How did she handle this? His motive?
What came out of this for both of them?
Sorry, no hints.
Its worth the read, to see how all this would work out.
"The Wilder Shores of Love" for all that was put into it, deserved 5 stars for the unusual story line. But I somehow didn't feel the level of angst/dealing with the problem together and how it would really have been between her and this strange "hero" trying to help given the circumstances.
But still..held my attention, loved both characters even for their flaws.
Would totally recommend this book for the effort alone that the author took to chance stepping out of the usual " HP romance"
So for me a 4 1/2 star read!
It is a story of a young 19 year old heroine who got addicted to heroin, and how she got to that place in her life.
Our loving, caring beta hero, kidnap's her to help her through the withdrawal and then sets her free before returning to claim her as his own.
The why? How come? Was he "paid to rescue her?" How did she handle this? His motive?
What came out of this for both of them?
Sorry, no hints.
Its worth the read, to see how all this would work out.
"The Wilder Shores of Love" for all that was put into it, deserved 5 stars for the unusual story line. But I somehow didn't feel the level of angst/dealing with the problem together and how it would really have been between her and this strange "hero" trying to help given the circumstances.
But still..held my attention, loved both characters even for their flaws.
Would totally recommend this book for the effort alone that the author took to chance stepping out of the usual " HP romance"
So for me a 4 1/2 star read!
February 5, 2020
Margot had a traumatic harsh life because her parents divorced twice! she felt rebellious and pathetic even though she landed a great job as a brilliant journalist and she was strong-welled. Her latest article research, however, made her an addict to heroin. Adam Korda came from nowhere one day and kidnapped her to his horse breeding territory where he started to help her steadily and determinedly to get rid of addiction. While her body was getting rid of the deadly poison inside it, her heart was filling with love to Adam himself.
A story like no other in any of the Harlequin novels I've read so far. So unique in its plot and characters. Sweet and in the same time strikingly illuminating. Bravo Madeleine Ker.
A story like no other in any of the Harlequin novels I've read so far. So unique in its plot and characters. Sweet and in the same time strikingly illuminating. Bravo Madeleine Ker.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2016
This was by far - THE best HP that I have read. I loved this story line, the characters, and everything about this book. All I can say is read it. It is amazing!
October 21, 2025
Sorry, but a heroin addict h just doesn't appeal to me. And a journalist at 19???? COME ON!!!
Her (who needs enemies) friend, who was part of the drug scene she was writing a story on, took advantage of her grief over her father's death to get her drunk and give her heroin while she was too out of it to decide for herself, and the rest is a crummy history.
Though that jerk ends up in jail, the h seemed to feel she deserved her addiction, as well as trying to rationalize it by saying it would make her research better, "I Was a Heroin Addict", and all that. Just too ridiculous!
Also ridiculous is the h telling the H about how losing her virginity (not to the jerk, but another equally jerky guy) was more like a rape. Did the phrase "TMI" never enter her vocabulary?
Meanwhile, the H plays White Knight to this tarnished Damsel in Distress, and they both develop the hots for each other, so she's craving both a fix and a f--k!
The H is determined to get her detoxed, but his becoming involved with her is kind of like a doctor in a relationship with a patient. Also, the H being in his 30's while the h isn't yet 20 reminds me of Charles and Diana and look how that turned out!
I just couldn't see a HEA for these two, even in HP Land. Way too way out there!
DNF
Her (who needs enemies) friend, who was part of the drug scene she was writing a story on, took advantage of her grief over her father's death to get her drunk and give her heroin while she was too out of it to decide for herself, and the rest is a crummy history.
Though that jerk ends up in jail, the h seemed to feel she deserved her addiction, as well as trying to rationalize it by saying it would make her research better, "I Was a Heroin Addict", and all that. Just too ridiculous!
Also ridiculous is the h telling the H about how losing her virginity (not to the jerk, but another equally jerky guy) was more like a rape. Did the phrase "TMI" never enter her vocabulary?
Meanwhile, the H plays White Knight to this tarnished Damsel in Distress, and they both develop the hots for each other, so she's craving both a fix and a f--k!
The H is determined to get her detoxed, but his becoming involved with her is kind of like a doctor in a relationship with a patient. Also, the H being in his 30's while the h isn't yet 20 reminds me of Charles and Diana and look how that turned out!
I just couldn't see a HEA for these two, even in HP Land. Way too way out there!
DNF
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October 31, 2025Haven't read this book yet, BUT.
I just read a previous book by this author in which the FMC is an actress who (in a subplot of the story) gets a movie role where she plays a drug addict who falls in love while in the throes of her addiction.
I'm not entirely sure, but it's very possible that either this is the the in-book movie in "Duel of Passion," or Duel of Passion is making a sly reference to this book lol.
I just read a previous book by this author in which the FMC is an actress who (in a subplot of the story) gets a movie role where she plays a drug addict who falls in love while in the throes of her addiction.
I'm not entirely sure, but it's very possible that either this is the the in-book movie in "Duel of Passion," or Duel of Passion is making a sly reference to this book lol.
June 30, 2022
This was an utterly repulsive book. A heroin addict is forced into cold turkey withdrawal by an alpha asshat who continually hits on her while she's in detox and completely under his control. It was such a disgusting premise that I couldn't finish it.
April 7, 2021
I really liked this book.
March 26, 2023
This is beautiful story! Wow! I teared up so much while reading this book. I enjoyed it immensely!
November 26, 2025
Прекрасен финал! Изключително силна любовна история, която не вярвам да успея да забравя. Горещо препоръчвам книгата.
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June 30, 2013لن نموت غداً:
- لا تستطيع ان تخطفني ثم تتركني احترق في الجحيم وانت تراقبني هكذا !
- بل استطيع ... سترين !
- لكنني سأموت !
- لن تموتي .. لا يموت أحد من التوقف عن الادمان !
ايليون رجل لا يقف في طريق ارادته شيء .. ولويلا فتاة اسقطتها الغفلة في التجربة المريرة ... اذا وجدت الامور صعبة منذ البداية , فماذا ستفعل عندما تستيقظ من كابوسها الطويل أتجد أنها واقعة في حب رجل لا تعكس عيناه إلا الشفقة على من أصبحت ظل إمرأة
المدمنه
- لا تستطيع ان تخطفني ثم تتركني احترق في الجحيم وانت تراقبني هكذا !
- بل استطيع ... سترين !
- لكنني سأموت !
- لن تموتي .. لا يموت أحد من التوقف عن الادمان !
ايليون رجل لا يقف في طريق ارادته شيء .. ولويلا فتاة اسقطتها الغفلة في التجربة المريرة ... اذا وجدت الامور صعبة منذ البداية , فماذا ستفعل عندما تستيقظ من كابوسها الطويل أتجد أنها واقعة في حب رجل لا تعكس عيناه إلا الشفقة على من أصبحت ظل إمرأة
المدمنه
January 7, 2013
Another story in horse territory but this one was dark with addiction and wonderful with recovery and a very mature and thoughtful leading man. All men should be so bold, sure of themselves and wonderful. I had one save me from myself so I could kind of identify.
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