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Shadows On Bali
Paradise is not a place for cool indifference.
Nick Donovan was the most irresistible, yet infuriating man Megan knew. Two short years ago he ended their love affair to keep his freedom intact. Now he wanted her to work alongside him on a three-year housing project on Bali!
Well, maybe she was crazy to accept, but Megan couldn't hibernate all her life. She needed to prove she was no longer the sentimental fool Nick had chosen to leave.
Besides, Megan didn't want to say no to the perfect job in the perfect place...just to Nick Donovan!
Nick Donovan was the most irresistible, yet infuriating man Megan knew. Two short years ago he ended their love affair to keep his freedom intact. Now he wanted her to work alongside him on a three-year housing project on Bali!
Well, maybe she was crazy to accept, but Megan couldn't hibernate all her life. She needed to prove she was no longer the sentimental fool Nick had chosen to leave.
Besides, Megan didn't want to say no to the perfect job in the perfect place...just to Nick Donovan!
188 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 1988
77 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
May 14, 2015
Anyone who's ever had their heart broken after laying it totally on the line has probably fantasized about meeting their ex again and being able to affect a cool indifference. Smile politely, ask them how they've been, and then cooly extract yourself with a casual wave and a 'nice to see you again'.
That's what attracted me to this book. But, in the end, it didn't do it for me. It may for others. It just irritated me. Perhaps the situation was a bit too realistic for HPland, despite the exotic setting.
The H/h lived together for a couple of years until the H left saying that the h 'loved him too much' and was 'smothering him'.
Doesn't sound like she was a psycho who put listening devices in his car and called 50 times a day. She was just someone in love who showed it. She met him at the door with hugs, included him in every aspect of her life, obviously wanted a future together... All things that are completely normal and usually not overly bothersome to a guy IF he loves you too. Because let's face it, girl or guy, if you're not that into someone the slightest gesture can make you feel smothered.
Two years after the breakup, the H decides he wants the heroine back. He concocts this job especially for her in Bali so they'll be forced to be together. That part is romantic I admit. He really did go all out to setup this opportunity.
The h is wary. She wants to maintain her casual indifference and keep the relationship on a professional basis. The H obviously wants more and is upset that the h is no longer the affectionate, open person she used to be. DUH!
He says he was wrong to leave her and he wants things back the way they were. Even when they do resume their relationship, she still keeps a distance between them. Not anything huge, they get along well, but she doesn't do all the little romantic gestures she used to do. She makes him make the first move.
This makes sense to me. I can imagine it would take a long time to begin to feel safe/secure in a relationship again. It might be a year or two before I really truly let down my guard. Because who's to say he WAS wrong to leave her. Those were obviously his feelings at the time. This wasn't a big misunderstanding where he thought she'd cheated or stole the family heirlooms or something HP'ish. He just wasn't that into her anymore. It is what it is and she was smart enough to see it.
What got up my nose was the fact that once they were back together and he'd married her, he gave her a couple weeks to be her old self again and when she didn't, he stopped sleeping with her. He was determined to force her to make the first move and fall all over him like old times. Poor baby felt he was doing all the work. After all, he told her he was wrong and setup this scenario to get them back together. What does she want, blood? No, how about some time?
In the end, she realizes she has to put her heart on the line if the marriage is going to work and throws herself back into his arms.
Perhaps I'm being a bit cynical on this scenario. I've seen it happen to both men and women. The heartbreaker hits a dry spell or gets dumped by someone else or is otherwise disenchanted with their current love life. Suddenly old John/Jane who they once considered a clingy invasive vine becomes a very sentimental memory, all the negatives forgotten. And I've seen great romantic gestures and proposals put out there to get Jane/John back. A friend of mine fell for this and got swept up in a whirlwind romance/marriage with her ex. Her marriage didn't last 2 years before dude was back to feeling trapped and acting like a huge dick. They divorced.
So, guess I'm a Debbie Downer when it comes to this scenario. Sorry :(
ETA: nit pick. Americans don't say nappies for diapers or use bloody as an expletive (unless we're trying to sound British or being silly).
That's what attracted me to this book. But, in the end, it didn't do it for me. It may for others. It just irritated me. Perhaps the situation was a bit too realistic for HPland, despite the exotic setting.
The H/h lived together for a couple of years until the H left saying that the h 'loved him too much' and was 'smothering him'.
Doesn't sound like she was a psycho who put listening devices in his car and called 50 times a day. She was just someone in love who showed it. She met him at the door with hugs, included him in every aspect of her life, obviously wanted a future together... All things that are completely normal and usually not overly bothersome to a guy IF he loves you too. Because let's face it, girl or guy, if you're not that into someone the slightest gesture can make you feel smothered.
Two years after the breakup, the H decides he wants the heroine back. He concocts this job especially for her in Bali so they'll be forced to be together. That part is romantic I admit. He really did go all out to setup this opportunity.
The h is wary. She wants to maintain her casual indifference and keep the relationship on a professional basis. The H obviously wants more and is upset that the h is no longer the affectionate, open person she used to be. DUH!
He says he was wrong to leave her and he wants things back the way they were. Even when they do resume their relationship, she still keeps a distance between them. Not anything huge, they get along well, but she doesn't do all the little romantic gestures she used to do. She makes him make the first move.
This makes sense to me. I can imagine it would take a long time to begin to feel safe/secure in a relationship again. It might be a year or two before I really truly let down my guard. Because who's to say he WAS wrong to leave her. Those were obviously his feelings at the time. This wasn't a big misunderstanding where he thought she'd cheated or stole the family heirlooms or something HP'ish. He just wasn't that into her anymore. It is what it is and she was smart enough to see it.
What got up my nose was the fact that once they were back together and he'd married her, he gave her a couple weeks to be her old self again and when she didn't, he stopped sleeping with her. He was determined to force her to make the first move and fall all over him like old times. Poor baby felt he was doing all the work. After all, he told her he was wrong and setup this scenario to get them back together. What does she want, blood? No, how about some time?
In the end, she realizes she has to put her heart on the line if the marriage is going to work and throws herself back into his arms.
Perhaps I'm being a bit cynical on this scenario. I've seen it happen to both men and women. The heartbreaker hits a dry spell or gets dumped by someone else or is otherwise disenchanted with their current love life. Suddenly old John/Jane who they once considered a clingy invasive vine becomes a very sentimental memory, all the negatives forgotten. And I've seen great romantic gestures and proposals put out there to get Jane/John back. A friend of mine fell for this and got swept up in a whirlwind romance/marriage with her ex. Her marriage didn't last 2 years before dude was back to feeling trapped and acting like a huge dick. They divorced.
So, guess I'm a Debbie Downer when it comes to this scenario. Sorry :(
ETA: nit pick. Americans don't say nappies for diapers or use bloody as an expletive (unless we're trying to sound British or being silly).
November 8, 2016
Re Shadows on Bali - KVdZ is back and this one is probably her most debated book as the ratings are all over the place. I like to think of this a self analysis tool of where an HP'er might fall on the grovel scale.
Those who read this and think the H was wonderful will probably be on the more low maintenance side of the big grovel after the H messes up in a bad way. Those who think this H should be whacked with the skillet are definitely in the high maintenance category and will need to take extra emergency comfort ration measures when reading thru a lot of HPlandia.
This can be a useful thing to know, cause we all have our tolerance levels and self knowledge is always a good thing in HPlandia. That way no innocent dry wall gets hurt and startled partners don't have to take extra classes in home drywall repair.
So this story starts with the h getting a dream job offer. She is a community coordinator for third world housing projects for groups that go in and help local residents of various locales recover after natural or man made disasters. The job is in Bali and will be two years long, the h has been looking for something like this for a long time. She will be working with the residents and act as a facilitator between them and the group that is rebuilding the homes.
The only catch is when she finds out who is running the project and might be her boss. It turns out that man who has the plan is the h's ex lover from two years earlier, he pretty much dumped her after a long period of togetherness (over two years,) because all her little romanticism and loving gestures 'stifled and smothered him' and he 'needed to be free of her emotional burden'. (Yep, she picked a real winner there.)
Well, potential rotten apple boss aside, this is a big project and could really help her international career. When the ex lover implies that project head may be another man that she has worked with in the past, the h puts her misgivings aside in anticipation of a really exciting job and signs on for the duration.
She then finds out that it is her ex who will be running things and tho she has a current boyfriend and her best friend has introduced her to a new potential pediatrician love interest, the h is starting to regret her decision. Especially as Mr. Ex seems to want to be starting something all over again and finds ways to impose himself on her when she doesn't want him.
Nonetheless, duty, the job and a contract call, so it is off to Bali we go. We get a road trip with snarky banter and a definite chill between the H and h. There are flat tyres, stilted conversations and a barely veiled hostility vibe from the h.
There is an attempt at seduction of the h by the H and the h is really harsh when turning him down. It doesn't stop her from wanting him, but she will be hanged before she admits or gives into the attraction. The H did way too much damage when he dumped her and her whole attitude, outlook and appearance changed.
She isn't soft and romantic anymore, she is a sleek, sophisticated and poised career lady and the H is a bit taken aback by the change. He seems to be searching for the woman he knew and the h is pretty adamant that that woman is gone forever. He killed her off when he dumped her.
When the road trip ends and they have done their local surveying for the best type of housing to develop, the h finds out that the house she was promised by the government won't be available for her to move into for a month. She has to shack up with the H. She is not liking that, her feelings for the H are very, very deep and very, very bitter. But then again, a hard cold rejection of being an emotional burden to the man you love more than life (and told him so,) will do that to you.
The H and h spend a very tense month living in the same house and the h is about to go insane from the H's constant presence and his attempts to get closer. There is also a very nice travelogue description of ex- pat life in a small foreign community and we get some interesting perspective on just what it might be like to live among other ex-patriots whose nationalities seem to give a feeling of familiarity but are also total strangers with different habits and a hot bed of gossip.
The h finally gets her own home, after the H falls into a hole and breaks his arm, and then the h has to deal with the intense jealousy of seeing the H with a potential OW when project helpers fly out to assist with the development of the housing project.
The H gets his own dose of jealous rage when the potential OM pediatrician from home shows up on holiday and shacks up with the h after his money is stolen. Finally after many weeks of work, the initial phase of the project is ready to be sent to the planning office and the H can't take the jealousy anymore, he demands that the h kick the pediatrician out and send him on his way. The h tells him the pediatrician is leaving in the morning to continue his journey and that is the H's cue.
While working late one night to get the final plans ready to go, the h and the H fall into bed and the lurve clubbing is on with a big thud. The experience is epic and the H and h are lost on the shores of transcendent passion, when the h realizes that she can't cuddle up in the afterglow of lurve cause her prior experience with the H tells her he will feel she is too clingy and then kick her out. She winds up crying in the shower and takes herself off shortly after.
The h has to fly off island to deliver the plan report and the H is staying behind to run things. While she is delivering the report, she runs into the guy whom the H had told her was a consideration for running the project. The man tells the h that he was never in the running, it was all the H's idear and the H turned down a lucrative offer with the World Bank to do this job instead.
The h realizes that she has been set up and when she goes back she asks the H about it. He tells her he did manipulate the whole thing, he had been following her career for a while and wanted a project that would force them to be together cause he wants her back, he loves her and regrets he dumped her every single day, he wants another bite of the apple of the h's love and he is willing to beg, (well demand nicely, anyways.) The h is unsure of the whole thing, but when he proposes, she accepts and they marry.
At first things are great and they are lurvin it up like it is going out of style. But then the H starts to withdraw from the h. He tells her that she doesn't do the little romantic things she used to do like flowers everywhere and little notes and things that made him feel wanted. In other words the h isn't working her heart out to idolize him and he wants that blind, total adoration back.
The h tries to explain that she has changed, but the H stops sleeping with her and withdraws further, he tells her she isn't a simple, readable, easy girl anymore and since she isn't inviting his lurve clubbing by hanging all over him, he isn't feeling any power to his tower. The h can see the marital ship of newly wedded bliss is sinking fast, yet she just can't let go of her fears of rejection. She explains this to him, but he just gets more remote and distant and tells the h that he blames himself for killing the spontaneous woman she used to be and he hates it.
Then the H's father dies. The H was estranged from his father, who was a very successful businessman and disapproved of the H's wish to work on third world projects. The fact that he and his father couldn't reconcile was always a bone of contention between him and the h. The h, who lost her father at nine years old, felt that the H should have done more to get along with his father.
Nevertheless, she holds the H as he grieves and does her best to be emotionally supportive. The H goes home to deal the formalities of his father's passing and the h is alone to think and ponder all that the H has done to get her back. She decides that she can't hide her true romantic self away because she is afraid of rejection. Decision made, she goes to the airport to greet the H as he returns and she is her old, loving romantic self again.
The story ends with the h offering an explicit invitation to swing in the cradle of lurve and the H tells her he was longing for her to do the inviting sometimes instead of leaving it all to him. The h tells him no worries there, plenty of engraved invitations will be forthcoming in the future. With mutual avowals of true lurve pinky promises forever, the H and h wander off to do some power towering for the big HEA.
This book is really intense. The H alternates between domineering bully and really forlorn lover missing what he had, and in the end he is pretty verbal about how much he messed up. The h is pretty vivid in her feelings and especially her pain too. That is what gives this book such diverse ratings.
I got mad at the H for manipulating the h's emotions so heavily by denying her his lurve club and withdrawing like a sulky two year old. I got irked that he thought she should just return to the worshipful devotee that he so callously dumped. However, the H did seem prepared to stick it out over the long haul after returning from his father's funeral and when the h had been so emotionally supportive right before he left. I got the impression that even if she hadn't run into his arms and flung herself at him, he still would have stuck around and probably kept trying.
So ultimately the h's choice came down to reverting to a more truer aspect of her personality and taking a risk of rejection or keeping part of herself in reserve in anticipation of the H dumping her again. She was a courageous lady, a bit too judgmental on some things, but she did go for the gold in the end and gave the H what he wanted.
That the decision to do so was hers and there was the implication that the H was in it for the long term irregardless, does takes some of the sting out of his blatant emotional manipulation. I do believe the HEA, I just question whether the H won in the end because the h really was ready to take another chance or because the h was too scared to lose what she had.
I do question if she is going to be on emotional yo yo forever with this man when he decides that romantic gestures are too smothering and he goes cold again. I really don't know on this one, but I am going to take the middle road here and say they will stay in the HEA, especially if there is a few kids that the h can focus on when the H starts to feel to constrained. I am not sure I envy her the balancing act she will have to measure out the love with tho.
Still the H does work really hard to get her back in an HP Alpha kinda way and the h is pretty delirious with joy, plus she can indulge in her love of flowers again and I like flowers. So overall we can call this one a win and good HP outing for the day.
Those who read this and think the H was wonderful will probably be on the more low maintenance side of the big grovel after the H messes up in a bad way. Those who think this H should be whacked with the skillet are definitely in the high maintenance category and will need to take extra emergency comfort ration measures when reading thru a lot of HPlandia.
This can be a useful thing to know, cause we all have our tolerance levels and self knowledge is always a good thing in HPlandia. That way no innocent dry wall gets hurt and startled partners don't have to take extra classes in home drywall repair.
So this story starts with the h getting a dream job offer. She is a community coordinator for third world housing projects for groups that go in and help local residents of various locales recover after natural or man made disasters. The job is in Bali and will be two years long, the h has been looking for something like this for a long time. She will be working with the residents and act as a facilitator between them and the group that is rebuilding the homes.
The only catch is when she finds out who is running the project and might be her boss. It turns out that man who has the plan is the h's ex lover from two years earlier, he pretty much dumped her after a long period of togetherness (over two years,) because all her little romanticism and loving gestures 'stifled and smothered him' and he 'needed to be free of her emotional burden'. (Yep, she picked a real winner there.)
Well, potential rotten apple boss aside, this is a big project and could really help her international career. When the ex lover implies that project head may be another man that she has worked with in the past, the h puts her misgivings aside in anticipation of a really exciting job and signs on for the duration.
She then finds out that it is her ex who will be running things and tho she has a current boyfriend and her best friend has introduced her to a new potential pediatrician love interest, the h is starting to regret her decision. Especially as Mr. Ex seems to want to be starting something all over again and finds ways to impose himself on her when she doesn't want him.
Nonetheless, duty, the job and a contract call, so it is off to Bali we go. We get a road trip with snarky banter and a definite chill between the H and h. There are flat tyres, stilted conversations and a barely veiled hostility vibe from the h.
There is an attempt at seduction of the h by the H and the h is really harsh when turning him down. It doesn't stop her from wanting him, but she will be hanged before she admits or gives into the attraction. The H did way too much damage when he dumped her and her whole attitude, outlook and appearance changed.
She isn't soft and romantic anymore, she is a sleek, sophisticated and poised career lady and the H is a bit taken aback by the change. He seems to be searching for the woman he knew and the h is pretty adamant that that woman is gone forever. He killed her off when he dumped her.
When the road trip ends and they have done their local surveying for the best type of housing to develop, the h finds out that the house she was promised by the government won't be available for her to move into for a month. She has to shack up with the H. She is not liking that, her feelings for the H are very, very deep and very, very bitter. But then again, a hard cold rejection of being an emotional burden to the man you love more than life (and told him so,) will do that to you.
The H and h spend a very tense month living in the same house and the h is about to go insane from the H's constant presence and his attempts to get closer. There is also a very nice travelogue description of ex- pat life in a small foreign community and we get some interesting perspective on just what it might be like to live among other ex-patriots whose nationalities seem to give a feeling of familiarity but are also total strangers with different habits and a hot bed of gossip.
The h finally gets her own home, after the H falls into a hole and breaks his arm, and then the h has to deal with the intense jealousy of seeing the H with a potential OW when project helpers fly out to assist with the development of the housing project.
The H gets his own dose of jealous rage when the potential OM pediatrician from home shows up on holiday and shacks up with the h after his money is stolen. Finally after many weeks of work, the initial phase of the project is ready to be sent to the planning office and the H can't take the jealousy anymore, he demands that the h kick the pediatrician out and send him on his way. The h tells him the pediatrician is leaving in the morning to continue his journey and that is the H's cue.
While working late one night to get the final plans ready to go, the h and the H fall into bed and the lurve clubbing is on with a big thud. The experience is epic and the H and h are lost on the shores of transcendent passion, when the h realizes that she can't cuddle up in the afterglow of lurve cause her prior experience with the H tells her he will feel she is too clingy and then kick her out. She winds up crying in the shower and takes herself off shortly after.
The h has to fly off island to deliver the plan report and the H is staying behind to run things. While she is delivering the report, she runs into the guy whom the H had told her was a consideration for running the project. The man tells the h that he was never in the running, it was all the H's idear and the H turned down a lucrative offer with the World Bank to do this job instead.
The h realizes that she has been set up and when she goes back she asks the H about it. He tells her he did manipulate the whole thing, he had been following her career for a while and wanted a project that would force them to be together cause he wants her back, he loves her and regrets he dumped her every single day, he wants another bite of the apple of the h's love and he is willing to beg, (well demand nicely, anyways.) The h is unsure of the whole thing, but when he proposes, she accepts and they marry.
At first things are great and they are lurvin it up like it is going out of style. But then the H starts to withdraw from the h. He tells her that she doesn't do the little romantic things she used to do like flowers everywhere and little notes and things that made him feel wanted. In other words the h isn't working her heart out to idolize him and he wants that blind, total adoration back.
The h tries to explain that she has changed, but the H stops sleeping with her and withdraws further, he tells her she isn't a simple, readable, easy girl anymore and since she isn't inviting his lurve clubbing by hanging all over him, he isn't feeling any power to his tower. The h can see the marital ship of newly wedded bliss is sinking fast, yet she just can't let go of her fears of rejection. She explains this to him, but he just gets more remote and distant and tells the h that he blames himself for killing the spontaneous woman she used to be and he hates it.
Then the H's father dies. The H was estranged from his father, who was a very successful businessman and disapproved of the H's wish to work on third world projects. The fact that he and his father couldn't reconcile was always a bone of contention between him and the h. The h, who lost her father at nine years old, felt that the H should have done more to get along with his father.
Nevertheless, she holds the H as he grieves and does her best to be emotionally supportive. The H goes home to deal the formalities of his father's passing and the h is alone to think and ponder all that the H has done to get her back. She decides that she can't hide her true romantic self away because she is afraid of rejection. Decision made, she goes to the airport to greet the H as he returns and she is her old, loving romantic self again.
The story ends with the h offering an explicit invitation to swing in the cradle of lurve and the H tells her he was longing for her to do the inviting sometimes instead of leaving it all to him. The h tells him no worries there, plenty of engraved invitations will be forthcoming in the future. With mutual avowals of true lurve pinky promises forever, the H and h wander off to do some power towering for the big HEA.
This book is really intense. The H alternates between domineering bully and really forlorn lover missing what he had, and in the end he is pretty verbal about how much he messed up. The h is pretty vivid in her feelings and especially her pain too. That is what gives this book such diverse ratings.
I got mad at the H for manipulating the h's emotions so heavily by denying her his lurve club and withdrawing like a sulky two year old. I got irked that he thought she should just return to the worshipful devotee that he so callously dumped. However, the H did seem prepared to stick it out over the long haul after returning from his father's funeral and when the h had been so emotionally supportive right before he left. I got the impression that even if she hadn't run into his arms and flung herself at him, he still would have stuck around and probably kept trying.
So ultimately the h's choice came down to reverting to a more truer aspect of her personality and taking a risk of rejection or keeping part of herself in reserve in anticipation of the H dumping her again. She was a courageous lady, a bit too judgmental on some things, but she did go for the gold in the end and gave the H what he wanted.
That the decision to do so was hers and there was the implication that the H was in it for the long term irregardless, does takes some of the sting out of his blatant emotional manipulation. I do believe the HEA, I just question whether the H won in the end because the h really was ready to take another chance or because the h was too scared to lose what she had.
I do question if she is going to be on emotional yo yo forever with this man when he decides that romantic gestures are too smothering and he goes cold again. I really don't know on this one, but I am going to take the middle road here and say they will stay in the HEA, especially if there is a few kids that the h can focus on when the H starts to feel to constrained. I am not sure I envy her the balancing act she will have to measure out the love with tho.
Still the H does work really hard to get her back in an HP Alpha kinda way and the h is pretty delirious with joy, plus she can indulge in her love of flowers again and I like flowers. So overall we can call this one a win and good HP outing for the day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2021
A good premise/ book lost to the meandering middles – while I was looking for angst, I got affordable housing projects. So, I can hardly be blamed for griping.
The whole book is the H’s silent grovel for being a complete d-bag a few years earlier when he dumped the h, his live-in girlfriend for ‘loving him too much’ and ‘smothering’ him and making him ‘feel trapped’. Whoa! Huge angst alert!
So now he’s come to his senses and wants her back and she wants nothing to do with him. So what’s a guy to do? He comes up with a whole housing project in Bali! The one that the h just cannot refuse for professional reasons.
So it’s a forced to live-in-each-other's-pockets-situation – the H pushes for reconciliation (and sex) and the h valiantly resists. Those who dislike a h who gives in easily should meet this girl.
Readers used to contemporary to-the-point plot situations may chaff at the long-winded details about the project and how they go about it, lots of unnecessary characters, locale details and the whole slow burn. As I did!
Apart from this, I suspended belief for the platonic relationships she had with her current bf and others. Guy visits you regularly in your apartment – just for dinner/coffee? She should not have remained in suspended animation – sexually- for the H. I’m sure the H didn’t.
Even though her ‘resistance’ lasted too long, I couldn’t blame her, it felt natural.
But still the culmination could have been better than the H whining…
'I don't understand you any more, you're not the girl I remember.'
'Now I see restraint in your eyes and you never touch me any more.'
…post marriage and sex, and growing apart again. Because in the end, she gives in suddenly and not due to any new gesture from the H.
The whole book is the H’s silent grovel for being a complete d-bag a few years earlier when he dumped the h, his live-in girlfriend for ‘loving him too much’ and ‘smothering’ him and making him ‘feel trapped’. Whoa! Huge angst alert!
So now he’s come to his senses and wants her back and she wants nothing to do with him. So what’s a guy to do? He comes up with a whole housing project in Bali! The one that the h just cannot refuse for professional reasons.
So it’s a forced to live-in-each-other's-pockets-situation – the H pushes for reconciliation (and sex) and the h valiantly resists. Those who dislike a h who gives in easily should meet this girl.
Readers used to contemporary to-the-point plot situations may chaff at the long-winded details about the project and how they go about it, lots of unnecessary characters, locale details and the whole slow burn. As I did!
Apart from this, I suspended belief for the platonic relationships she had with her current bf and others. Guy visits you regularly in your apartment – just for dinner/coffee? She should not have remained in suspended animation – sexually- for the H. I’m sure the H didn’t.
Even though her ‘resistance’ lasted too long, I couldn’t blame her, it felt natural.
But still the culmination could have been better than the H whining…
'I don't understand you any more, you're not the girl I remember.'
'Now I see restraint in your eyes and you never touch me any more.'
…post marriage and sex, and growing apart again. Because in the end, she gives in suddenly and not due to any new gesture from the H.
November 20, 2019
"Shadows On Bali" is the story of Megan and Nick.
Honestly, one of the best second chance romances Ive read this year!
The book begins with our heroine finding a job to fulfill dream project in Bali, and applying for it..only to realize her boss is going to be her ex, the hero! Two years ago, he had cruelly shattered her heart, complaining that her love was smothering him. Utterly devastated, the heroine picks up the broken pieces of her heart and rebuilds herself, dating other men and building a career for herself. That is, until now..
Soon they embark on a trip to Bali, where the heroine continues to be an ice princess to a desperately trying hero. Soon he apologizes and expresses his interest, only for the heroine to reject him. But when their flames of passion reignite, will their love be reincarnated too?
Honestly, the whole book was one big grovel from the hero. It was obvious that he was both smitten and sorry, and the hero definitely and so rightfully gave him a run for his money. After loads of drama, OW/OM jealousy and apologies, we get a marriage..but the book doesn't end there. No, we actually see them addressing long buried issues and finally resolving the matters which broke them up.
Really enjoyed it.
SWE
4/5
Honestly, one of the best second chance romances Ive read this year!
The book begins with our heroine finding a job to fulfill dream project in Bali, and applying for it..only to realize her boss is going to be her ex, the hero! Two years ago, he had cruelly shattered her heart, complaining that her love was smothering him. Utterly devastated, the heroine picks up the broken pieces of her heart and rebuilds herself, dating other men and building a career for herself. That is, until now..
Soon they embark on a trip to Bali, where the heroine continues to be an ice princess to a desperately trying hero. Soon he apologizes and expresses his interest, only for the heroine to reject him. But when their flames of passion reignite, will their love be reincarnated too?
Honestly, the whole book was one big grovel from the hero. It was obvious that he was both smitten and sorry, and the hero definitely and so rightfully gave him a run for his money. After loads of drama, OW/OM jealousy and apologies, we get a marriage..but the book doesn't end there. No, we actually see them addressing long buried issues and finally resolving the matters which broke them up.
Really enjoyed it.
SWE
4/5
May 8, 2020
A good tear-jerker is what i always earn for in a romance,especially in the second-chance trope."Shadows on Bali" is about the scheming hero Nick Donovan who broke his heroine`s heart because of her "suffocating" love for him.But of course you never know what you have except when you lose it. So realizing his mistake he follows every news about her in her career.But over the time he creates a plan to win her back.
Megan Opperman is a career woman who dates and has a cynical look on the world,and gets shocked by the job offer for a housing project in Bali together with the man she hates the most.But out of pride she accepts it,and tries to resist the charms of Nick`s seduction!
I love their trip to Bali,and their bickering and conversations was fun to follow.I wish we had seen more depth in their past,and more explanation for Nick`s reason in leaving her.He obviously had loved her very much,or else he wouldn`t have stayed that long with her.And from what he told her i conclude it that he was celibate during the two years they were apart,for which made me take on his groveling better.The love-scenes are tender and beautiful,and i love how Karen romanticized it with the sea,moon,sun and wind!I admired Megan for her sophistication,pride and sense of adventure.But her vulnerability and pain from the past made me feel sorry for her,but i also came to love Nick for being man enough to realize his mistake and despise himself for it.He redeemed through his long fight of winning her love and trust back.The best part with that is that he also had to suffer rejection and jealousy,and yeah he did deserve it!
Megan Opperman is a career woman who dates and has a cynical look on the world,and gets shocked by the job offer for a housing project in Bali together with the man she hates the most.But out of pride she accepts it,and tries to resist the charms of Nick`s seduction!
I love their trip to Bali,and their bickering and conversations was fun to follow.I wish we had seen more depth in their past,and more explanation for Nick`s reason in leaving her.He obviously had loved her very much,or else he wouldn`t have stayed that long with her.And from what he told her i conclude it that he was celibate during the two years they were apart,for which made me take on his groveling better.The love-scenes are tender and beautiful,and i love how Karen romanticized it with the sea,moon,sun and wind!I admired Megan for her sophistication,pride and sense of adventure.But her vulnerability and pain from the past made me feel sorry for her,but i also came to love Nick for being man enough to realize his mistake and despise himself for it.He redeemed through his long fight of winning her love and trust back.The best part with that is that he also had to suffer rejection and jealousy,and yeah he did deserve it!
September 17, 2015
meh. interesting premise, but the story started off strong, then kind of dragged and fell flat by the end.
June 16, 2011
Excellent groveling book.
As I’ve posted in Amazon, this is my favorite Karen Van Der Zee book is Shadows on Bali. It's angsty but in a clinical way, as if you're "observing" a diseased relationship starting to heal again, instead of living through each and every emotional wiffle-waffling of the protagonists.
The H/h had a live-in relationship about two years prior to the story's beginning. H broke it up because he felt stifled. His major complaint – and this he will come to regret -- was that h was too loving and giving so he left. The h was devastated but she continued on -- immersing herself in her work.
The real story begins two years later when she gets this job offer in Bali that is too good to pass up, as if it was tailored for her. She goes to the job interview and discovers that the H is the supervisor. Because she doesn't want to be hurt again, she shies away but eventually ends up taking the job.
They go to Bali together for their mission and it becomes apparent that the H wants her back. But she rejects all overtures. He does small things, sweet and thoughtful nonetheless, to win her back. Like bringing her favorite drink at night and buying her flowers because she used to stuff their apartment with flowers and candles. But she's wary because she might end up loving him again and the H would just up and leave again. And H will admit how her acquired reticence to show an attachment to him pains HIM because he knows he caused it. He realizes what he has thrown away and fears that what he had done might have closed her emotionally from him forever.
This book is basically one long grovel.
As I’ve posted in Amazon, this is my favorite Karen Van Der Zee book is Shadows on Bali. It's angsty but in a clinical way, as if you're "observing" a diseased relationship starting to heal again, instead of living through each and every emotional wiffle-waffling of the protagonists.
The H/h had a live-in relationship about two years prior to the story's beginning. H broke it up because he felt stifled. His major complaint – and this he will come to regret -- was that h was too loving and giving so he left. The h was devastated but she continued on -- immersing herself in her work.
The real story begins two years later when she gets this job offer in Bali that is too good to pass up, as if it was tailored for her. She goes to the job interview and discovers that the H is the supervisor. Because she doesn't want to be hurt again, she shies away but eventually ends up taking the job.
They go to Bali together for their mission and it becomes apparent that the H wants her back. But she rejects all overtures. He does small things, sweet and thoughtful nonetheless, to win her back. Like bringing her favorite drink at night and buying her flowers because she used to stuff their apartment with flowers and candles. But she's wary because she might end up loving him again and the H would just up and leave again. And H will admit how her acquired reticence to show an attachment to him pains HIM because he knows he caused it. He realizes what he has thrown away and fears that what he had done might have closed her emotionally from him forever.
This book is basically one long grovel.
avoid
February 7, 2018What she said:
Read KatieV's 1-star review of Shadows On Bali by Karen van der Zee
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read KatieV's 1-star review of Shadows On Bali by Karen van der Zee
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
June 9, 2021
Paradise is not a place for cool indifference
Nick Donovan was the most irresistible, yet infuriating man Megan knew. Two short years ago he ended their love affair to keep his freedom intact. Now he wanted her to work alongside him on a three-year housing project on Bali!
Well, maybe she was crazy to accept, but Megan couldn't hibernate all her life. She needed to prove she was no longer the sentimental fool Nick had chosen to leave.
Besides, Megan didn't want to say no to the perfect job in the perfect place... just to Nick Donovan!
Nick Donovan was the most irresistible, yet infuriating man Megan knew. Two short years ago he ended their love affair to keep his freedom intact. Now he wanted her to work alongside him on a three-year housing project on Bali!
Well, maybe she was crazy to accept, but Megan couldn't hibernate all her life. She needed to prove she was no longer the sentimental fool Nick had chosen to leave.
Besides, Megan didn't want to say no to the perfect job in the perfect place... just to Nick Donovan!
March 9, 2016
Love how she gave him a hard time for most of the book. He deserved it.
June 17, 2021
Boogenhagen’s, Chitra C J, Pretti, Azet all have great 3-4 ⭐️ reviews that give more details. If you aren’t feeling it with this book than there are some 1-2 ⭐️ reviews you may commiserate with.
Okay, I loved this. Especially after reading so many books where the hero’s version of a grovel is “my bad”. The book was a huge grovel from the Hero(yep a whole book of grovel). He messed up 2 years earlier when out of the blue he dumps the h telling her…you love too much…you suffocate me…I feel smothered.
He thoroughly destroyed her heart. She threw herself into her work and had very distant, unfeeling relationships with men(sexual? This is glossed over so I will say no).
The H comes back on the scene and is ready to win back the h. He becomes disillusioned when the h doesn’t just tear open her chest, pull out her heart, and let him trample it again. In fact he gets downright sulky over it.
Our h stays strong for most of the book. She leaves a part of her out of reach…the part that the H wants, but the part he essentially destroyed. She doesn’t totally open up until the last few pages…way to stay 💪 girl!
So were they celibate for 2 years? I believe so, at least I think the hero for sure was. We know that the h is 27, and my belief is he isn’t much older. I think he was 25ish and thought he was going to miss out so hence the smothering feeling. We already know he wanted to make his own way since he refused taking over the family business. I am sure he went on dates, but I think he realized very quickly that he made a mistake. For example, it took a lot of planning to pull off what he did to get the h in his orbit again. Also, he has been keeping very close tabs on her since he left. I think he became borderline obsessed so it’s doubtful he was carrying on with other women. Now the h on the other hand, may have engaged in meaningless perfunctory sex with a boyfriend or 2, yet she does make a comment that no other man has known her like the H so I am going bury my head in the sand and say she was celibate too!
I leave this review with my synopsis of the hero using lyrics from Calum Scott’s You are The Reason..feel free to stop 🛑 now, it’s not like I’m getting royalties for the song or anything, it just made me think of the hero in the story….
There goes my heart beating
'Cause you are the reason
I'm losing my sleep
Please come back now
There goes my mind racing
And you are the reason
That I'm still breathing
I'm hopeless now
I'd climb every mountain
And swim every ocean
Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken
Oh, 'cause I need you to see
That you are the reason
There goes my hands shaking
And you are the reason
My heart keeps bleeding
I need you now
And if I could turn back the clock
I'd make sure the light defeated the dark
I'd spend every hour, of every day
Keeping you safe
And I'd climb every mountain
And swim every ocean
Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken
Oh, 'cause I need you to see
That you are the reason (I don't wanna fight no more)
I don't wanna hide no more
I don't wanna cry no more
Come back I need you to hold me (You are the reason)
Be a little closer now
Just a little closer now
Come a little closer
I need you to hold me tonight
I'd climb every mountain
And swim every ocean
Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken
'Cause I need you to see
That you are the reason
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Calum Scott
July 24, 2019
To be rejected in a cold and callous manner to a young woman in love is similar to swallowing thorns and having the heart ripped in shreds. Maggie loved Nic with her entire well-being , she gave him her 'all'. Arrogant and superficial, Nic begged off saying she was overwhelming him and she loved too much and far that reason he walked out of their relationship and her life. Maggie collapsed in tears and got depressed, something of herself dried up and blew away. She eventually pull herself back together and reformed herself to a cold professional, with relationships with no ties and no emotions. She became a badass woman married to her job.
Nic wanted her back, he recognized he 'three away' the one thing that ever made him happy and that was Maggie. He launched a new housing project and manipulated the system to get them together in an exotic location, Bali. Her attitude and personality was different, her looks were different even her tastes were different. However she is the same woman he cannot forget nor fight his attractions and jealousy for. He created situations to force them i to each other's company. He manifested a drive to bulldoze her resistance and win over her heart again. To which he did succeed but with a price, they got married declared their love but the girl he had was still missing , the impromptu declarations, rushing into his arms , her spontaneous initiation of love were in sobriety. He began to feel the loss and the forced bringing them both misery. Eventually he did realise how much damage he caused. How much fear and insecurities she festered. Saddened them both. They talked and try to make changes when tragedy struck. His father died and the funeral separated them for a short while giving them time to muse over their marriage.
On his return, Nic met his wife in the form of the women he initially loved ,she was back and this out back the lights of joy in his eyes and heart and they found the hea. Great vintage.
Nic wanted her back, he recognized he 'three away' the one thing that ever made him happy and that was Maggie. He launched a new housing project and manipulated the system to get them together in an exotic location, Bali. Her attitude and personality was different, her looks were different even her tastes were different. However she is the same woman he cannot forget nor fight his attractions and jealousy for. He created situations to force them i to each other's company. He manifested a drive to bulldoze her resistance and win over her heart again. To which he did succeed but with a price, they got married declared their love but the girl he had was still missing , the impromptu declarations, rushing into his arms , her spontaneous initiation of love were in sobriety. He began to feel the loss and the forced bringing them both misery. Eventually he did realise how much damage he caused. How much fear and insecurities she festered. Saddened them both. They talked and try to make changes when tragedy struck. His father died and the funeral separated them for a short while giving them time to muse over their marriage.
On his return, Nic met his wife in the form of the women he initially loved ,she was back and this out back the lights of joy in his eyes and heart and they found the hea. Great vintage.
September 14, 2020
I enjoyed this.
I remember a time when I had the ability to say "I love you, I love you, I love you."
I remember a time I could laugh freely and dance just because.
It is when your love starts pulling away and you can tell somehow that you are being compared and coming out the loser.
When he starts to begrudge you time and considerations, and you finally realize you are not wanted.
You are now a hanger-on.
It's here when you learn that the only thing keeping you standing is pride - and you wrap it around you with everything you have. It is now your new standard.
So you go through the hard times; you no longer expose your heart; and you learn not to care.
Somehow the tables get turned. It's now you that can't say "I love you." You that begrudges him and you don't care enough to give an inch. You that starts looking yonder and wondering at having a happier life.
Anyway, I enjoyed this story. I think this happens too often.
I remember a time when I had the ability to say "I love you, I love you, I love you."
I remember a time I could laugh freely and dance just because.
It is when your love starts pulling away and you can tell somehow that you are being compared and coming out the loser.
When he starts to begrudge you time and considerations, and you finally realize you are not wanted.
You are now a hanger-on.
It's here when you learn that the only thing keeping you standing is pride - and you wrap it around you with everything you have. It is now your new standard.
So you go through the hard times; you no longer expose your heart; and you learn not to care.
Somehow the tables get turned. It's now you that can't say "I love you." You that begrudges him and you don't care enough to give an inch. You that starts looking yonder and wondering at having a happier life.
Anyway, I enjoyed this story. I think this happens too often.
May 13, 2024
HATED this MMC. He whined about being smothered and "loved too much", so he dumped her. Then he decides my bad, maybe I was wrong and then starts a relentless pursuit based on lies. He breaks her down, talks her into marriage ... and then has the temerity to whine at the end that she's not as "warm, loving, spontaneous" as she was before. If that (and the absence of any apology, let alone grovelling on his part) wasn't rage-inducing enough, the idiot MMC turns doormat, cries and actually apologizes for disappointing him! She was a fool to give his self-centered, demanding ass a second chance, and since his manipulation placed all the effort on her, there's no sense of a HEA here.
May 22, 2024
The heart wants what the heart wants. In this case, the heroine still wants the hero two years after he abruptly dumped her for being too clingy.
Heroine manages to stave off a nervous breakdown by becoming a career woman, traveling the world doing some kind of community building work.
Two years later, hero wants her back. He engineers a project for her to work on in Bali and surprise! He's her boss.
The travelogue is more interesting than the hero's efforts to woo the heroine and heroine rebuffing him until the author's energy and invention runs out.
Heroine deserved better.
Heroine manages to stave off a nervous breakdown by becoming a career woman, traveling the world doing some kind of community building work.
Two years later, hero wants her back. He engineers a project for her to work on in Bali and surprise! He's her boss.
The travelogue is more interesting than the hero's efforts to woo the heroine and heroine rebuffing him until the author's energy and invention runs out.
Heroine deserved better.
June 19, 2021
Such an unusual backdrop where both work on a US AID project for Balinese housing. I especially enjoyed the dialogue and the humor and the fact she was the one to decide how far and when. Refreshing HP and an enjoyable read.
This is my first book by this author but not the last.
This is my first book by this author but not the last.
September 4, 2017
Nuda, nuda, šeď, šeď.
s. 36 Počkj
s. 89 Talže
ji/jí - s. 59
s. 36 Počkj
s. 89 Talže
ji/jí - s. 59
May 18, 2021
Probably should be a higher rating, but for a book the was one long attempt to get the girl back, the H wasn't apologetic at all. Just demanding. I like a little remorse with my grovel, ya know?
June 29, 2022
Přečteno na Bali, avšak v Řecku. Nicméně, loni jsem byl na dlouho na Bali a bylo tam krásně. V téhle knize o Bali moc nepisou. Je to nuda, která se ale rychle přečte.
May 26, 2024
this guy is just 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩
June 20, 2024
Loved it! The way I see it, the entire book was one long grovel..I was convinced that the H truly loved h and believe their HEA.
November 4, 2025
"Kłopoty w raju"
June 21, 2011
I'm a sucker for reunions so this was right up my alley. It could have been terribly melodramatic, but there was a grounding realism in amongst all that repressed passion.
September 11, 2017
The former lover returns after growing up and finding out what he threw away. A nice story but for the overly mushy main girl, I found her a bit unlikeable.
July 8, 2017
I was expecting more drama, a la Sally Wentworth, when I started this book. But I was disappointed. Nothing really exiting happened, just a lot of conversations. I also missed any real groveling. The redeeming thing about this book was that the h wasn’t a doormat. She didn't give in and showed him that she was angry.
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