Living alone in a small cottage in the woods, Michelle is hiding from a past too horrible to put into words. Without other people around, she finds she can focus better on simply surviving instead of regretting things she can’t change — like the scary scar on her face.
But everything changes after a severe storm. Michelle finds a mysterious stranger injured in the woods and knows she must open her doors to help him recuperate. When he awakens, however, he has no memory of who he is or where he came from. Michelle struggles to care for Jonathan as he copes with the growing understanding that he has no access to his past. But hope for the future dawns with each passing day they spend together.
Michelle and Jonathan face a growing attraction to each other, but when Jonathan’s past is revealed, will Michelle find herself worthy of the love of a Wharton?
This is Book 1 of 3 of The Worthy Series. More than 100,000 words.
The synopsis of this book pretty much covers the main focus of the story. Michelle lives in a small cottage in the wood away from people because she has a burn scar on one side of her face. Reading about how she learned to thrive in the woods was interesting and personally my highlight of the book. One day she finds a injured stranger and nurses back to health. Due to this a friendship of sorts starts between these two which leads on to a relationship. This is where in the book I was unsure of whether to continue with it or not. The book was well written and I did want and get into the book but I just found it really hard to connect with the characters. Jonathan was my main problem, he was so sweet and saying the right thing all the time but throughout the entire book I felt like he was insincere, fake and hiding something big.
Michelle was ok but I started to get frustrated on how much she doubted Jonathan was attracted to her because of her scar. I understand she has a scar so is conscious of that and doesn’t feel attractive but if a man is having sex with multiple times you would think there must be some attraction. I do not mind sex scenes but there was just too many in here and they were not adding to the story development or romance development.
The part in the story where Amelia, Jonathan’s mother orders Michelle to do her cleaning and be her maid and so Michelle does really annoys me, I mean she just goes along with it and does not even tell Jonathan. I mean what? Surely you would turn around and say no way, I’m not your servant, you employ people to do this. Amelia was a horrible person.
I know I have spoken most about the negative in this book but I would like to say it is well written but not my cup of tea. I hate giving books a low rating but I just had too many issues with this book. However if it sounds interesting give it a go as it may be something you enjoy :)
1.5 star. The book starts up good, got the potential to be great read even, but somehow, it is rather, unrealistic with the description of the farm, and how she hates the internet and google, but, she uses washer and drier... Then, the second half of the book is just, pretty much Michelle losing herself to the arm of the stranger, and how the author trying to paint the picture of Michelle as someone with very low self confident because of her look but fail, rather, miserably.Michelle has been living alone on a farm, away from her previous life, from anyone for the last 5 years, after the accident that kill her parents, and leave an ugly scar on the left side of her face. One stormy day, there is a stranger injured and past out near her place. Michelle brought him back to her home and nurture the stranger. When he awake, he forget everything about his pass and his identity... There, the love story start, with lots of touching and sex and everything else. 5 months later, some 2 strangers come to the door and reviewing the stranger's pasts, and how his family was searching for him etc. Like a farrie tale, Michelle went back to the city with the stranger, and facing the rather welthy and rich family of the stranger, and his, fiance... From there, the story goes down hill fast and quick, with no twists and turns that might engage the reader more. It is a romance for a school girl level, with adult sex content on it, but it is, nevertheless, a typical ferrytale, with michelle and the stranger live ever after.
Worthy is the story of Michelle, living in secluded cottage after a horrific accident. She comes across an injured man, helps him & they fall in love, move to city & try overcome obstacles
At start she's like female Bear Grylls, peeing around perimeter of garden to keep wildlife away. Lives in cabin in isolation in middle of nowhere yet has great wifi or internet connection even with satelitte internet? Walks through woods in nightie fearless through fields alone but gets scared when she hears voice calling in woods for help?
She lives alone & cleans house top to bottom, next day she thinks about cleaning house. Does she have OCD?
Lifts a man on her back first try on "treacherous ground underfoot".
When she gets him home she isn't even sweating & panting with the effort. Later on we find out it was two miles she carried him, so a couple of hours might have passed by time she got him back. Did she ever have to stop catch her breath?!
Taking his clothes off is easy peasy too & requires no effort or struggling to lift his bum up or turn him to get them off.
Does Michelle herself have memory trouble as she keeps thinking she's been living alone for five years, hasnt seen ir spoken to anyone in five yeaes...too repetitive.
Within ten minutes of the guy Jonathon being on couch she's fancying him. He could be a crazy psychopath but no..she isn't cautious at all.
Couple of days later she's spilling her life story to this stranger.
He's there for months & they don't think to go to nearest town & walk into local police department & ask for help?
Collapsing to floor screaming at seeing herself in mirror...oh the dramatics.
Plenty of people live with this disfigurement & Michelle needs to get a grip of herself & grow up. Go Google plastic surgeons if your face bothers you that much!
Long details of packing for picnic after Michelle has repeatedly wondered about wearing a dress that she hasn't worn for - yep you guessed it - five years.
Nice scene of having picnic & then BAM unneccessary graphic sexual scenes, boring & bland.
Jon proposes to Michelle in field & cue more graphic sex scenes.
How long has she been on her own? & how long has Jon been with her before private detectives turn up & escort him home? Five months & she is now "useless without him"... Oh dear Lord!
When she moves to city to be with Jon it seems like another billionaire story of rich man throwing money at insecure clueless female.
Out shopping with maid & diners commenting rather loudly on her scarred face, including a staff member & Michelle runs away crying as usual instead of manning up & tell them to go to hell.
"plunged into my sopping wet entrance.." - not a turn on whatsoever. Seems like author can't think of new lines & just adds the sex scenes as an uneccessary afterthought & isn't comfortable writing them.
Michelle always crying over Violet, previous fiancee of Jon. Catches them kissing, he cries like baby & tells Michelle he loves only her...they have sex in shower..
Since Michelle's not working MIL makes her CLEAN HER APARTMENT....grow a pair & tell her to naff off. Michelle will stand up to Vi but not MIL or people who ask about her scar? Sigh. And then when Jon comfronts his mother after a month of this he lets her plan the wedding. Wtf planet is this guy on?!
Michelle eventually gets to plastic surgeon & hubby to be talks her out of it. Let's just nod & say "yes dear, whatever you say dear, I have no mind of my own".
Father in law tells her she's a strong woman...physically she is but has no backbone.
And then he tells Jon bad news that company don't want him be CEO. So Jon decides leave his bride on wedding night to go travel to 14 different countries within a month & convince them to keep him on. But he has memory loss - why didn't they just let him stop being in charge in first place if they were that concerned? Makes no sense.
I'm not sure if I'll read the rest of the series. Story has potential if it flowed a bit better & was a bit more believable, certainly didn't believe cleaning mother in law's apartment.
After taking a moment to relax I'm going to do my best to review this one with out letting my feelings get in the way. Firstly I enjoyed more than half of this book, the writing, the attention to detail in both the characters and their surroundings sucked me in from the get go. I'm enjoying the plot and the story for the most part but the closer I got to the end the more things have been bugging me a bit. One ting that I dislike in books is when someone gives up everything to be with another person. Michelle has done that, and in doing so she's completely lost herself in my opinion. Because of her insecurities she just sits around the compound with a witch of a mother in law and just takes everything. I don't want to spoil the book but even the location of a significant event wasn't her at all, you'd think or well I'd hoped for a second that she would have taken Jonathan up on his last minute run away idea, but no.
The further I got into the book and the more Michelle lost herself I felt like things just got more and more repetitive as well until BAM the book ends... I'm not so happy about that! Will I read the next one, more than likely because I want to know how this all plays out.
For a freebie I get it props definitely one of the better ones.
When I first read this, I rated it at a 4/5 because I genuinely enjoyed the romance. But rereading it now, almost 10 years later, I'm baffled by why I thought that.
Michelle's response to her scar feels extreme, and while some part of me can understand wanting to hide from life/reminders of her family/the pain, I don't understand her doing so for so long, nor her keeping Johnathan there for so long.
Not to mention the fact that Johnathan never tries to leave or find out what happened in any way. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a twist where he was faking his amnesia to essentially lure her into a marriage, and then use her as arm candy/housekeeper/sexual partner.
Him all but insisting she doesn't need to get plastic surgery for her scar-something that she admits to herself is something that would help her heal from her survival guilt-adds into that thought, as it would mean she's less likely to leave him ['No one will love you like I do'].
While they do end the book married, the fact that he needs to leave from their wedding [Limo sex on the way to the airport included, of course] feels like the timing in combination with the other things were simply to hurt Michelle further [As they had to postpone/cancel returning to her cabin]
I'm finding it difficult to give a clear review for this story. So I will break it down as simply as I can, and leave it at that. Positives: I like the general concept. Living alone in the woods, save a handsome man who turns out to have no memory, but eventually is discovered to be rich and powerful. I like Jonathan. He can be a little soft at times, but he is absolutely great as a fairy tale leading man. Jon's mom is a nasty piece of work! Definitely fairy tale worthy! Negatives: This book was way too long. SO, SO, SO much happened between the first word to the last, that I wish it could have been broken down into 3 smaller stories. 1-recluse, save the guy, no meories, fall in love, knock at the door. 2-journey to the city to where he came from, meet the family, drama ensues, force him to make his choice. 3-he chose the right gjrl, wedding planning and preparation, get married, work crisis. Because so much happened in just one book, I'm not going to jump in to the next installment (despite having the full set). I need a break!
So overall... The book wasn't terrible, but it wasn't amazing either.
Michelle spent five years alone in her cottage in the woods, in a place where no one would bother her. It's her choice, really, to stay there, after an accident cause her to lose her loved ones and left her face disfigured. Then one rainy night, she heard a voice. A voice of a stranger in pain. Being a good Samaritan, Michelle helped the man out of the raging creek and took him home to treat his wounds and heal. But the morning after, she was surprised to learn that the man she helped out had no memory of his past, nor his name....
I enjoyed reading this novel by Lexie Ray. I liked how she started the story with Michelle, telling us about her life in isolation. I liked the drama that surrounded the lead character. I liked her for being independent, caring and strong-willed, despite the scars in her life and on her face. Overall, this book has a great story-line that kept me interested. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Michelle & Jonathan's story and I am looking forward to the second book in the series. A story worthy of my 2 thumbs up!
I read this story a very long time ago, rereading it now, I've notice many things that are a bit unrealistic but, it's a book so, I won't bitch and moan about it... too much.
I still love Michelle and Jonathan, but... I feel more development and realism was needed for this story to truly shine. Michelle is both an admirable and annoying character. I admire her strength but I hate how she makes herself a victim. Jonathan, Jonathan I loved the version we met after he an Michelle meet. Not so much the man that "returns" for her. He is too naive and oblivious, but he's also sexy, sweet and I love him for loving Michelle the way he does. Jon's father (his name escapes me at the moment) is my favorite. How he puts up with Amelia I've no idea, 'cause I'd have murdered that evil, cold and conniving, bitch.
I remember the first time I read this I was so very annoyed,with the ending, I was so very invested in how this was going to end, the author had finally shined some light on these two lovebirds and then BAM! Cliffy.
The beginning was a little slow for me, until they went back to Chicago. I felt sorry for Michelle as she left her world behind and was surrounded by genuinely awful people, not only her mother-in-law, but also Jane, who although seemed nice, it all seemed very false. Also, the whole Violet-saga was left behind too quickly, but I suppose for love and because Michelle was so insecure she would overlook something like that so easily. Very interesting story and something which could happen to everyday people in everyday life, and at times it all felt very real. I would like to read on to find out what her big secret is.
She rescues him from the woods, he has no memory. They spend 5 or so months getting to know one another and live off the land in her cabin. She has a scar on her face from the car accident that took her parents lives. He loves her and thinks she's beautiful. Then they get engaged only to have him found by PIs and he is really a rich CEO of his family's company. His family plots against them, oh, he has a fiancée who's not ready to give up, and she is lost and way out of her element but tries for his sake. There are 3 books in the series. I read them all and they are a good read. I just wish she didn't lay down for most of this story, I mean have some backbone girl!
This is the story of Michelle and Jonathan. She is hiding in the middle of nowhere after suffering an injury in a crash that took the lives of her parents. Jonathan is found in the woods after a rain storm and has no idea who he is. They end up falling in love and he ends up finding out who he really is. Can they handle what comes next? Is he going to remember his previous life? Is his family going to accept Michelle? This story goes through many plot twists. It is well written. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next for the characters. It does end on a cliffhanger
It was a good book, up until all the romance started. That was a bit much. I couldn't even finish this book. I looked up the ending to know what happened. The book made you want to keep reading, but for people like me, there was just too much descriptive love. It was embarassing to read. If you love romance and sences, then this book if extremely good for you. If you do not, I strongly recomend finding a different book.
Predictable and drawn out. The ending forces you to buy the next book to even feel like there's a smidgen of closure. Michelle becomes a drone in the second half of the book and my desire to reach through and shake her was palpable! There's a good story here, could just stand to be a little more original. Decent book though. Since I got this volume free I'm debating if I want to spend the money and buy the next book. Suppose I'll see what reviewers think of it.......
I read this as a 3 part series. I loved the first part. Hated the second part and then loved the third part again.
It was about a girl who was in an accident that killed her parents. She was severely scared and hid herself away from the world by moving into a cabin in the middle of no where. She had almost no connection to the outside world.
This story is based on her rescuing a man who hit his head and then had no memory.
3.5 to 4 star read. This book held so much promise. I loved the story of Michelle alone at the cottage and she seemed so strong. Then she saves Jonathan in a storm and the relationship that grows between them is so sweet. Then it goes slightly downhill from there once Jonathan is found and goes back to the city and Michelle follows him the strong girl we have grown to love seems to disappear and it just becomes frustrating.
Wow! Can one main character be walked on as much as Michelle? I kept wanting to scream "Grow a pair!" Took a sneak peek at books 2 & 3 to see what they were about and I felt I wasted my time with book 1. Sorry. I'm sure there are many, many others who loved it, and that's great. I just didn't care for it.
This is a great read. I loved it. If your looking for a warm read, something that will make you feel good and give you hope with just a smidjet of angst then I would recommend this book for you. It's about a man losing his memory and starting fresh with a woman that is a little broken and just needs a hot guy to stir her the right way. There's a small cliff hanger though.. be warned.
Love, Love, Love Michelle! Her strength and perseverance living at the cottage is inspirational! Then she finds Jonathan, and let's just say, she was almost complete. The love these two have for each other is more than some people would ever find in two lifetimes. Will recommend this series to everyone!
Not because of her scar but because she left her beloved cabin and woods for such horrid people. And I am disappointed in Jonathan. He should take better care of her, she has nothing. I look forward to the buzzards getting theirs, Michelle picking over their carcasses.
Generally pretty good, some nice emotional scenes, nothing seems particularly overblown, though the sex got a little boring. The story is well portrayed and enjoyable.
There's quite a few grammar and even places where Ray has mixed up the names of characters. This got to me a little. Otherwise an enjoyable read.
This book started out really well - very interesting. As it progressed though, it became too full of angst for my taste. The ending left me hanging, but I understand there are two other books that follow.
This took a lot to get into and the story has potential but struggling to keep on track with it as it started with a strong heroine but she lost her strength a little but you've kept me intrigued enough to follow it through
3.5 stars. I liked the story and read the whole series to see what was coming. And I get its romance and fiction so a little bit of unrealistic twists and turns are to be expected. But it was a little too far fetched sometimes and that just got worse in books 2 & 3.