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Marriage in Name Only
INDECENT PROPOSAL
Years ago Ann Talbot had been forced to leave Heath Bodine without a goodbye. Now she was back, and though Heath still had the power to make her insides quiver with longing, he had changed. Yes, he was proposing marriage. But not out of love-out of revenge. And Ann knew she had no choice but to say yes.
Heath intended to make Ann pay for running out on him. But no matter how much he tried to deny it, living under the same roof and sharing the same bed with her was going to prove his undoing. Because he didn't just want her body, he wanted her heart, as well....
Years ago Ann Talbot had been forced to leave Heath Bodine without a goodbye. Now she was back, and though Heath still had the power to make her insides quiver with longing, he had changed. Yes, he was proposing marriage. But not out of love-out of revenge. And Ann knew she had no choice but to say yes.
Heath intended to make Ann pay for running out on him. But no matter how much he tried to deny it, living under the same roof and sharing the same bed with her was going to prove his undoing. Because he didn't just want her body, he wanted her heart, as well....
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
118 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
About the author
Doreen Owens Malek
79 books66 followersaka Faye Morgan
{From Amazon} "I am Doreen Owens Malek, author of over forty books and lifelong fan of romantic fiction. I live in PA with my husband and college student daughter, a mini dachshund and a sun conyer parrot. I would like to tell you a little about myself.
I came to writing by a circuitous route, starting out as an avid reader of JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS and GONE WITH THE WIND and REBECCA and any other similarly themed books I could find. I first worked as a teacher and then graduated from law school when I desired a more lucrative and independent career. I had always been discouraged from pursuing a writing career by the volatile nature of the business and the relatively poor chance for success. But the realization that I needed a focus for the future encouraged me to do what I had always wanted to do. I sold my fledgling novel to the first editor who read it, and I have been writing ever since. I have written all types of books for all types of people, but my favorite literary pursuit is and always has been romance. Nothing is as rewarding as hearing from my readers, so please use my website to communicate your thoughts and criticisms, as I am always eager to learn from you.
A romance novel rarely disappoints me: in an uncertain world filled with tragedy and sadness, reading about an appealing woman finding a strong man to love her and share her life is the perfect escape. I like to read and write stories in which the main characters overcome obstacles to get together, and then stay together because their mutual devotion cannot be denied no matter what else is happening around them. They always HELP each other and reinforce the quaint but enduring notion that love conquers all - at least in the fictional universe of my imagination. So pull up a chair and take down a book- or pick up a Kindle- and join me in a world where the heroes are tough and headstrong but never boorish and the heroines are feminine and sympathetic but never helpless."
{From Amazon} "I am Doreen Owens Malek, author of over forty books and lifelong fan of romantic fiction. I live in PA with my husband and college student daughter, a mini dachshund and a sun conyer parrot. I would like to tell you a little about myself.
I came to writing by a circuitous route, starting out as an avid reader of JANE EYRE and WUTHERING HEIGHTS and GONE WITH THE WIND and REBECCA and any other similarly themed books I could find. I first worked as a teacher and then graduated from law school when I desired a more lucrative and independent career. I had always been discouraged from pursuing a writing career by the volatile nature of the business and the relatively poor chance for success. But the realization that I needed a focus for the future encouraged me to do what I had always wanted to do. I sold my fledgling novel to the first editor who read it, and I have been writing ever since. I have written all types of books for all types of people, but my favorite literary pursuit is and always has been romance. Nothing is as rewarding as hearing from my readers, so please use my website to communicate your thoughts and criticisms, as I am always eager to learn from you.
A romance novel rarely disappoints me: in an uncertain world filled with tragedy and sadness, reading about an appealing woman finding a strong man to love her and share her life is the perfect escape. I like to read and write stories in which the main characters overcome obstacles to get together, and then stay together because their mutual devotion cannot be denied no matter what else is happening around them. They always HELP each other and reinforce the quaint but enduring notion that love conquers all - at least in the fictional universe of my imagination. So pull up a chair and take down a book- or pick up a Kindle- and join me in a world where the heroes are tough and headstrong but never boorish and the heroines are feminine and sympathetic but never helpless."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
October 8, 2019
H/h were childhood sweethearts (17 and 19) who were planning on running away together when the heroine's father threatened to have the hero arrested for statutory rape if the heroine didn't agree to attend boarding school a 1000 miles away. Hero never forgave her for that.
Fast-forward eleven years. Heroine has been living in Europe, writing historical fiction, and never dating. Hero has risen from poverty to great wealth as a boat builder/patent holder. Heroine's brother has driven the family business into the ground from his gambling and is up on charges for fraud.
Hero blackmails heroine into marriage by offering to help brother. In return he will finally have his revenge.
Heroine puts up with the hero's torture (hot sex by night/cold shoulder by day) in hopes he'll finally listen to her side of the story. Hero finally gets it through his head that heroine wasn't lying about her father's threats when a retired police officer confirms the story at a bar on Christmas Eve.
H/h have a blissful few months together until heroine turns up pregnant. Hero had a vasectomy and can't believe it's his.
Heroine turns on him and moves to NYC. Hero then suffers remorse for 9 months and finally grovels and agrees to counselling for a HEA.
I really liked that the author put the hero in counseling (and the brother) they both had some deep-seated problems that love alone couldn't fix. Just a very solid story with some good angsty bits. The Florida Keys were an interesting setting.
Fast-forward eleven years. Heroine has been living in Europe, writing historical fiction, and never dating. Hero has risen from poverty to great wealth as a boat builder/patent holder. Heroine's brother has driven the family business into the ground from his gambling and is up on charges for fraud.
Hero blackmails heroine into marriage by offering to help brother. In return he will finally have his revenge.
Heroine puts up with the hero's torture (hot sex by night/cold shoulder by day) in hopes he'll finally listen to her side of the story. Hero finally gets it through his head that heroine wasn't lying about her father's threats when a retired police officer confirms the story at a bar on Christmas Eve.
H/h have a blissful few months together until heroine turns up pregnant. Hero had a vasectomy and can't believe it's his.
Heroine turns on him and moves to NYC. Hero then suffers remorse for 9 months and finally grovels and agrees to counselling for a HEA.
I really liked that the author put the hero in counseling (and the brother) they both had some deep-seated problems that love alone couldn't fix. Just a very solid story with some good angsty bits. The Florida Keys were an interesting setting.
September 1, 2016
Heath a poor young man works for a rich family and falls in love with 17 year old Ann who is the daughter of his boss. They fall deeply in love but Ann's scheming father breaks them up and forces Ann to abandon Heath and reject his marriage proposal or else he will charge Heath with rape. Heath's heart breaks and his inferiority complex is reinforced by Ann's supposed betrayal. He leaves town, joins the navy and becomes cold and ruthless.
Now eleven years later he is a successful businessman and determined to marry Ann for revenge and to punish her for the terrible hurt she caused him in the past. They get married and it's obvious they never got over each other but Heath is a bitter, tortured man. Can he forgive and forget before it's too late?
Amazing book. There was so much angst and so many emotions present. Heroine is not your usual whiny bitchy heroine. She has a big soft heart and adores her husband but she also leaves him, moves to New York and forces him to seek therapy in order to regain his emotional health and be a good father to their son. She is feisty but vulnerable as well. I really admired her.
Hero was bitter but poor guy has suffered a lot. His family background is extremely tragic. I loved his final scene in the hospital where he sobs and tells Ann all about the progress he's made. She forces him to face his past and heal his soul. She really makes him want to be a better man! Wonderful love story!
Now eleven years later he is a successful businessman and determined to marry Ann for revenge and to punish her for the terrible hurt she caused him in the past. They get married and it's obvious they never got over each other but Heath is a bitter, tortured man. Can he forgive and forget before it's too late?
Amazing book. There was so much angst and so many emotions present. Heroine is not your usual whiny bitchy heroine. She has a big soft heart and adores her husband but she also leaves him, moves to New York and forces him to seek therapy in order to regain his emotional health and be a good father to their son. She is feisty but vulnerable as well. I really admired her.
Hero was bitter but poor guy has suffered a lot. His family background is extremely tragic. I loved his final scene in the hospital where he sobs and tells Ann all about the progress he's made. She forces him to face his past and heal his soul. She really makes him want to be a better man! Wonderful love story!
August 1, 2021
This was a lovers to enemies story/upstairs-downstairs/HP style revenge style romance that did not work more for the writing and potential editing than story lines. Given the lack of sizzle, I allowed reality to rear its ugly head which made me question their rocky road to romance.
Lots of tell not show about the lower class, hunky H with an Everest size chip on his shoulder and the upper crust and dainty h. Torn apart by the evil tycoon father who is now dead, all we are left with is the heroine’s weak brother who dismantles and bankrupts the family business and commits SEC fraud due to gambling issues. This isn’t a 15 year old kid that wrecks the tycoon’s favorite Maserati, but her adult half-brother commits fraud and potentially deprives employees and stockholders of a livelihood. The heroine’s insistence he’s not a criminal reeks of the very upper-crustiness the H accuses her of. My slow burn over this made the romance fall flat.
Too much off page action, it’s obvious from the heroine’s rejection of her family after she turns 18 she hates her dad, but the lack of evidence of his horribleness works against the idea that he’s concerned his daughter is an underage girl hooking up with a potential bad boy. And the felonious brother? We never really get to meet him other than a breezy mea culpa and a so glad your new hunny fixed my plea deal. Oops, I accidentally left the state. Fix it again..
The H is a real grudge holder and other than being a total hunk from the bad side of town with possible Seminole blood (lots of comments about his golden skin and his moccasins) and now made of money, he doesn’t have much to offer.
A decent story, but it needed more spice and oomph with its evil doers.
Heroine’s best friend was very well done and read like a real best friend.
Lots of tell not show about the lower class, hunky H with an Everest size chip on his shoulder and the upper crust and dainty h. Torn apart by the evil tycoon father who is now dead, all we are left with is the heroine’s weak brother who dismantles and bankrupts the family business and commits SEC fraud due to gambling issues. This isn’t a 15 year old kid that wrecks the tycoon’s favorite Maserati, but her adult half-brother commits fraud and potentially deprives employees and stockholders of a livelihood. The heroine’s insistence he’s not a criminal reeks of the very upper-crustiness the H accuses her of. My slow burn over this made the romance fall flat.
Too much off page action, it’s obvious from the heroine’s rejection of her family after she turns 18 she hates her dad, but the lack of evidence of his horribleness works against the idea that he’s concerned his daughter is an underage girl hooking up with a potential bad boy. And the felonious brother? We never really get to meet him other than a breezy mea culpa and a so glad your new hunny fixed my plea deal. Oops, I accidentally left the state. Fix it again..
The H is a real grudge holder and other than being a total hunk from the bad side of town with possible Seminole blood (lots of comments about his golden skin and his moccasins) and now made of money, he doesn’t have much to offer.
A decent story, but it needed more spice and oomph with its evil doers.
Heroine’s best friend was very well done and read like a real best friend.
October 17, 2019
He was definetely a case and it was angsty but after a while it become little bit boring.
December 30, 2018
This is one of those hidden gems on KU. As I read I kept thinking that it was a lot like an old school Harlequin. And it turns out it's a Silhouette from 1994. I really liked this book despite the ridiculous Hqn-esque plot.
I won't give a detailed summary of the plot, other reviews do a better job than I could. But I would advise you to go in without spoilers. It will ruin the angsty, trashy, good fun!
Ann and Heath haven't seen each other for 11 years when she stood him up and they both left town. Heath is still angry and blackmailed her into marriage.
Heath is a first class jerk to Ann and she doesn't deserve it. Ann is a strong woman who knows herself so she puts up with his crap to a point. When Heath realizes what a mess he's made he apologizes and Ann forgives him (too easily in my opinion). But when he monumentally screws up again Go Ann! No doormat here! Of course he tries to grovel and she gives him what may be my favorite line ever:
This book just fit my mood. I liked the angsty plot, the poor misjudged heroine, and the sexy jerk hero. These two loved each other like crazy.
On safety
I won't give a detailed summary of the plot, other reviews do a better job than I could. But I would advise you to go in without spoilers. It will ruin the angsty, trashy, good fun!
Ann and Heath haven't seen each other for 11 years when she stood him up and they both left town. Heath is still angry and blackmailed her into marriage.
Heath is a first class jerk to Ann and she doesn't deserve it. Ann is a strong woman who knows herself so she puts up with his crap to a point. When Heath realizes what a mess he's made he apologizes and Ann forgives him (too easily in my opinion). But when he monumentally screws up again Go Ann! No doormat here! Of course he tries to grovel and she gives him what may be my favorite line ever:
This book just fit my mood. I liked the angsty plot, the poor misjudged heroine, and the sexy jerk hero. These two loved each other like crazy.
On safety
March 26, 2012
Heath and Ann have a lot of history. They fell madly in love when Ann was 17 and Heath was 19 in Florida. Now skip ahead 11 years and you find out that shortly after Ann's family find out about there puppy love, they were separated and haven't see each other until Ann's half brother Tim is thrown into jail. So enter Heath to save the day, but for a price, (yup you guessed it!) this is a
'wife bought for helping her family' scenario. These two still loved each other, but clearly didn't put any effort into finding each other after the people that had separated them had died.
I did appreciate that Ann makes Heath go get professional help before making any sort of reconciliation with him. Thank goodness this isn't a fake happily ever after ending because seriously damaged people with terrible childhoods don't magically get cured and behave and treat their loved ones as they should after one day or even after one year. That kind of lasting change takes help and time. This is a contemporary romance which the first half happens around the holidays, but takes time afterward to deal with their relationship issues. I got this free for my kindle.
2 stars
'wife bought for helping her family' scenario. These two still loved each other, but clearly didn't put any effort into finding each other after the people that had separated them had died.
I did appreciate that Ann makes Heath go get professional help before making any sort of reconciliation with him. Thank goodness this isn't a fake happily ever after ending because seriously damaged people with terrible childhoods don't magically get cured and behave and treat their loved ones as they should after one day or even after one year. That kind of lasting change takes help and time. This is a contemporary romance which the first half happens around the holidays, but takes time afterward to deal with their relationship issues. I got this free for my kindle.
2 stars
March 14, 2012
Wow, what a great book! I'm a sucker for a plot with a forced marriage for revenge, so this one has been on my to-read list for a while. I wish I would have read it sooner though because I enjoyed it very much. The hero, Heath, plays the role of the tortured hero/spurned lover. He's harsh at first, but it's hard not to sympathize with him because of his family history. Years ago, a woman named Ann broke his heart. Now that he's a self-made millionaire and her family is having legal and financial troubles, he's ready to make his move. He'll bail her brother out if she agrees to marry him. Ann has no choice, so they get married - and then the book takes a dark turn for a few chapters. Health treats her cruelly, but Ann does her best to fulfill her obligations in the marriage and realizes she still loves him despite what he's done to her. Sure, the plot is predictable, but it was a quick and emotional read with a HEA. I'm happy to have discovered this author and plan to look up more of her books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2014
He was the kid from the wrong side of the tracks and the h was the rich girl on the island. They met 11 years ago when Heath was working on her father's boat. They fell madly in love even though she was only 17 and he was 19. They continued to see each other in secret and had planned to leave to Georgia, get married and live together. On the night they planned to run away, her father catches her and threatens to have Heath thrown in jail for statutory rape. She wanted to protect Heath so she agrees and moves away without a word. Heath waited and waited and she never came.
11 yrs later he's a rich man and vengeful. The h's father dies and she returns to the island where he blackmails her into marrying him for revenge. Plot I enjoy, but not real memorable in the genre.
11 yrs later he's a rich man and vengeful. The h's father dies and she returns to the island where he blackmails her into marrying him for revenge. Plot I enjoy, but not real memorable in the genre.
February 25, 2012
Two-haiku review:
Brother's in trouble
Her old boyfriend will bail bro
If she marries him
Really long flashback
Takes revenge to new level
Don't love a hater
Brother's in trouble
Her old boyfriend will bail bro
If she marries him
Really long flashback
Takes revenge to new level
Don't love a hater
May 21, 2019
So wanted to like this one more. But the hero was irrationally mean and the heroine was smart to actually leave. Hated that he missed everything at the end, that's kinda hard to forgive. Since the villain dad died before the story got going the hero had to fill the villain role and it didn't work for the story. Hero was a nice normal girl with a nuts guy. Eh skip cause it's not too romantic.
December 5, 2018
Great story
This was a great love story. The ending kinda made me wanting more. It was a great read, you won't be disappointed.
This was a great love story. The ending kinda made me wanting more. It was a great read, you won't be disappointed.
December 15, 2018
Excellent
Loved how they worked through everything and had real issues to over come. Story telling was fabulous and so heartfelt.
Loved how they worked through everything and had real issues to over come. Story telling was fabulous and so heartfelt.
November 29, 2019
Review to Follow
December 29, 2021
I skimmed the book, it just wasn’t for me.
September 7, 2023
Great story
May 15, 2025
one of my favorites!!!
May 21, 2014
This was in a book bundle entitled - Native Affairs. It was my favorite of the 4 books.
Ann is returning to Florida. Her half brother Tim is bankrupt. He has run the once rich family business into the ground. He has been arrested. She never wanted to return to Florida. While living there she met and fell in love with Heath Bodine. His dad was the town drunk and a Native American. Heath learned the mechanic trade from a man at the marina - Joe - and he was a positive male role model for him. Heath and Ann get close very quickly. She was 17 and her parents were rich and demanded everything be done their way. They want the best for her, and Heath is considered far far beneath her. Heath makes plans for them to move to Georgia. With Joe's help he will have a job there and it will be legal for them to marry in that state with Ann only being 17. That night as she is packing to leave her father confronts her. He threatens to put Heath in jail for statutory rape unless she changes schools immediately and promises never to see him again, even to say good bye. She knows her father will do it. She leaves for the new school and breaks all contact with Heath.
Meanwhile Heath finds that anger and revenge are great motivators. He believed Ann decided he wasn't good enough for her and that she had just been playing with him. Now he has money, companies, prestige. When she returns to try and help her brother somehow, Heath steps forward with a solution. He'll pay for a good lawyer, loan her brother the money to get out of debt, make most of his problems go away. All he asks in return is that she marry him in name only. She can see the hate he has for her. She wants to turn him down, but her options, if she is going to save her brother, are very limited. She agrees to the terms. But Heath finds he can't keep his hands off of her and he changes the deal to one where she will share his bed and be his lover whenever he wants her, she will have no choice. He moves her computer to his home so that she can continue writing, she earns her living as an author.
Heath hated his father and his alcoholism. Knowing it could be hereditary, he had a vasectomy not long after Ann left their relationship. When Ann finds out she is pregnant, she can't imagine what Heath will think. But when he tells her about his vasectomy and demands to know whose baby she is carrying, she hits her breaking point. She packs what little she has and moves back to her apartment out of state. Heath tries to call, comes to visit. She is adamant. Either he gets counseling for his anger issues, gets past his revenge, or they are through. She will raise their child alone. As her due date approaches her best friend from high school days moves in with her so Ann won't have the baby alone. She has a healthy son. Will she be raising him alone? Will Heath continue to help her brother even though she broke their contract? Does Heath want Ann back? And what about the baby?
Ann is returning to Florida. Her half brother Tim is bankrupt. He has run the once rich family business into the ground. He has been arrested. She never wanted to return to Florida. While living there she met and fell in love with Heath Bodine. His dad was the town drunk and a Native American. Heath learned the mechanic trade from a man at the marina - Joe - and he was a positive male role model for him. Heath and Ann get close very quickly. She was 17 and her parents were rich and demanded everything be done their way. They want the best for her, and Heath is considered far far beneath her. Heath makes plans for them to move to Georgia. With Joe's help he will have a job there and it will be legal for them to marry in that state with Ann only being 17. That night as she is packing to leave her father confronts her. He threatens to put Heath in jail for statutory rape unless she changes schools immediately and promises never to see him again, even to say good bye. She knows her father will do it. She leaves for the new school and breaks all contact with Heath.
Meanwhile Heath finds that anger and revenge are great motivators. He believed Ann decided he wasn't good enough for her and that she had just been playing with him. Now he has money, companies, prestige. When she returns to try and help her brother somehow, Heath steps forward with a solution. He'll pay for a good lawyer, loan her brother the money to get out of debt, make most of his problems go away. All he asks in return is that she marry him in name only. She can see the hate he has for her. She wants to turn him down, but her options, if she is going to save her brother, are very limited. She agrees to the terms. But Heath finds he can't keep his hands off of her and he changes the deal to one where she will share his bed and be his lover whenever he wants her, she will have no choice. He moves her computer to his home so that she can continue writing, she earns her living as an author.
Heath hated his father and his alcoholism. Knowing it could be hereditary, he had a vasectomy not long after Ann left their relationship. When Ann finds out she is pregnant, she can't imagine what Heath will think. But when he tells her about his vasectomy and demands to know whose baby she is carrying, she hits her breaking point. She packs what little she has and moves back to her apartment out of state. Heath tries to call, comes to visit. She is adamant. Either he gets counseling for his anger issues, gets past his revenge, or they are through. She will raise their child alone. As her due date approaches her best friend from high school days moves in with her so Ann won't have the baby alone. She has a healthy son. Will she be raising him alone? Will Heath continue to help her brother even though she broke their contract? Does Heath want Ann back? And what about the baby?
March 12, 2013
I quite like the concept of these types of romances. There is always a back story that involves something happening to a young couple that sends them in separate directions to then meet later in life, mostly under not so nice circumstances.
Heath Bodine is a hotter than hot 19 year old part Hispaniole, who's come from poor back ground & he has trouble in trusting people of wealth, it's one of his hang-ups. Heath meets Anne Talbot 17 year old, daughter of one of the richest & powerful men in Florida, while working on one of their boats.
They are imediately attracted to each other, but even though they are in love her father threatens to have Heath arrested for statuatory rape of a minor, as the age in Florida is 18. To prevent this Anne is to have nothing more to do with him. She is shipped off up North to finnish her schooling. This puts an end to their romance.
Next time Anne is back in Florida she is 18 now & she tries to find Heath, but his drunken father has no clue where he is & neither does anyone else. Heath thinks she decided not to be with him because he is poor & decides to join the Navy. Lots of mistaken thoughts have caused these young lovers to lose track of each other. 10 years pass & Anne finds herself back in Florida to deal with a crisis with her brother.
Heath is back to, he knows Anne is there, he has been keeping track of her & now he will swoop in to save the day for her, but it's for revenge purposes, to get back at her for leaving him. Heath is a self made millionaire now & with all his hang-ups with money, he is bitter & set to make her suffer.
The offer of help is there, with the catch that she marries him. He will own her now & make her pay. But Heath really loves Anne & Anne has always & will always love Heath. Loads of grief & issues later, they come to realise they still love each other & give a real marriage a go.
We think all is well until Heath loses it over something which shows Anne that he really doesn't trust her still. We think that maybe this love will not last, but as true to romance as it can be we get our HEA finally. Yay, very enjoyable read, lovely characters.
Heath Bodine is a hotter than hot 19 year old part Hispaniole, who's come from poor back ground & he has trouble in trusting people of wealth, it's one of his hang-ups. Heath meets Anne Talbot 17 year old, daughter of one of the richest & powerful men in Florida, while working on one of their boats.
They are imediately attracted to each other, but even though they are in love her father threatens to have Heath arrested for statuatory rape of a minor, as the age in Florida is 18. To prevent this Anne is to have nothing more to do with him. She is shipped off up North to finnish her schooling. This puts an end to their romance.
Next time Anne is back in Florida she is 18 now & she tries to find Heath, but his drunken father has no clue where he is & neither does anyone else. Heath thinks she decided not to be with him because he is poor & decides to join the Navy. Lots of mistaken thoughts have caused these young lovers to lose track of each other. 10 years pass & Anne finds herself back in Florida to deal with a crisis with her brother.
Heath is back to, he knows Anne is there, he has been keeping track of her & now he will swoop in to save the day for her, but it's for revenge purposes, to get back at her for leaving him. Heath is a self made millionaire now & with all his hang-ups with money, he is bitter & set to make her suffer.
The offer of help is there, with the catch that she marries him. He will own her now & make her pay. But Heath really loves Anne & Anne has always & will always love Heath. Loads of grief & issues later, they come to realise they still love each other & give a real marriage a go.
We think all is well until Heath loses it over something which shows Anne that he really doesn't trust her still. We think that maybe this love will not last, but as true to romance as it can be we get our HEA finally. Yay, very enjoyable read, lovely characters.
December 27, 2015
This was an okay read. It was originally published in 1995, so it did feel a bit dated but not so much that it completely distracted me. There was a scene where the heroine and a friend had to stop at a convenience store to use a pay phone which did throw me momentarily. Considering it was also a flash back scene which means it was around 1984-85, it made sense. But it did kind of bring me out of the book for a minute.
There were sort of two parts to this storyline. It felt a little odd to me. The MCs had resolved their conflict and they appeared ready for their HEA but my kindle said I had an hour or so of reading left. Huh. The story went on for a bit with the MCs being happy, then suddenly they had another conflict, this one enough to make the heroine decide to leave him for good. And she did, moved completely away and refused to talk to or see him when he tried to reach out. I can't really go into the details with being spoilery but this was such an about face for the heroine as compared to how she acted in the first 3/4 of the book. I can almost understand it, but I just had trouble really believing that she went from the forgiving woman she was to the hard-nosed I don't care person she became. I guess it just felt more like a way to extend the book than something authentic to the storyline. This conflict was eventually resolved as well with the hero doing what the heroine required him to do to get back in her good graces but by then the story had lost me a little so I didn't care as much about their HEA.
There were sort of two parts to this storyline. It felt a little odd to me. The MCs had resolved their conflict and they appeared ready for their HEA but my kindle said I had an hour or so of reading left. Huh. The story went on for a bit with the MCs being happy, then suddenly they had another conflict, this one enough to make the heroine decide to leave him for good. And she did, moved completely away and refused to talk to or see him when he tried to reach out. I can't really go into the details with being spoilery but this was such an about face for the heroine as compared to how she acted in the first 3/4 of the book. I can almost understand it, but I just had trouble really believing that she went from the forgiving woman she was to the hard-nosed I don't care person she became. I guess it just felt more like a way to extend the book than something authentic to the storyline. This conflict was eventually resolved as well with the hero doing what the heroine required him to do to get back in her good graces but by then the story had lost me a little so I didn't care as much about their HEA.
May 8, 2016
Ann Talbot, the daughter of one of the richest men on Line Island chances to meeting with Heath Bodine when he came to tune up her father's boat. She was forced to give up Heath when her father threatened to have him sent to jail.
Eleven year later they meet again but the tables are turned and Heath is a rich millionaire, while Ann writes romance novels for a living. This is a second chance love story where they both have problems because of how they parted as teenagers, as they enter into a Marriage in Name Only.
Even when he acts like a jerk, he still has a strong personal appeal and kept me hoping he could get past his hurt and resentment from years earlier. Ann is wise and wants to make the relationship work, as Heath keeps pushing her away and hurting her. I loved the ending and the hope it gave them to make a happy ever after.
Eleven year later they meet again but the tables are turned and Heath is a rich millionaire, while Ann writes romance novels for a living. This is a second chance love story where they both have problems because of how they parted as teenagers, as they enter into a Marriage in Name Only.
Even when he acts like a jerk, he still has a strong personal appeal and kept me hoping he could get past his hurt and resentment from years earlier. Ann is wise and wants to make the relationship work, as Heath keeps pushing her away and hurting her. I loved the ending and the hope it gave them to make a happy ever after.
September 10, 2016
I enjoyed this compelling story but had to deduct a star for some really big implausibilities in the plot--it is hard to believe the young Annie couldn't think of any of the more obvious solutions to her dilemma or that a man would pay seven million to get revenge on a woman who betrayed him--to kill her, maybe; pay seven million for a forced marriage, nah. Kind of an idiot plot, but an entertaining read if you overlook the glaring implausibilities. The book improved greatly when the couple began to realistically try to deal with their differences to create a real marriage and family, with some help from their friends.
October 9, 2012
What can I say, the forced marriage storyline has been done before, with different variations. I knew what I was getting into when I started this. I still enjoyed it. What I liked most was instead of just brief flashbacks into the couples past together, there was actually like 3 chapters devoted to their past. It was nice getting to really see how they started. It took the sting away a bit from their current situation. And though I expected some angst (which I dont really mind too much) the last few chapters really made me sad, and their HEA was kinda abrupt. I would recommend this book, just be aware of what your getting into.
October 26, 2016
I read it in one sitting at night because I could not sleep. it was entertaining enough for me to finish it before I finally fell asleep. It is not a story I will necessarily remember and there were many typos in the kindle version I have. If you are bored It will entertain you for a while at least.
February 17, 2012
I enjoyed the book although both the hero and heroine were both flawed. I wish the author would've kept us posted on the heroines' brother.
April 30, 2012
Good read. Good back story overall. Quick, enjoyable and it was free for my Kindle :)
May 18, 2012
I appreciated how hurt Anne was. A lot of people would have written her as bitter or scheming to get him back but she was just hurt. She was gentle not brassy.
July 8, 2012
ebook
November 28, 2012
Was a sweet little book... just like a silhouette book should be.
November 18, 2016
Typical romance novel. Really enjoyed it.
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