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Beyond All Reason
(Harlequin Presents, No 1829)
CONFIDENTIAL MEMO:
TO: Roes Anderson, head of the company
FROM: Abigail Palmer, personal assistant
Dear Ross,
You've been my boss for two years now, and you've never realized that I'm secretly in love with you! And it will stay my secret, because I'd never actually dare send this memo to you ....
I'm the perfect secretary: efficient, ambitious, organized. You rely on me for everything - except romance! You've never noticed that behind my neat suits and calm manner I'm a real woman - not just your secretary!
I know this infatuation is beyond all reason. But I can't help wondering if we'll ever get together in the bedroom, as well as the boardroom!
Yours,
Abigail
CONFIDENTIAL MEMO:
TO: Roes Anderson, head of the company
FROM: Abigail Palmer, personal assistant
Dear Ross,
You've been my boss for two years now, and you've never realized that I'm secretly in love with you! And it will stay my secret, because I'd never actually dare send this memo to you ....
I'm the perfect secretary: efficient, ambitious, organized. You rely on me for everything - except romance! You've never noticed that behind my neat suits and calm manner I'm a real woman - not just your secretary!
I know this infatuation is beyond all reason. But I can't help wondering if we'll ever get together in the bedroom, as well as the boardroom!
Yours,
Abigail
187 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1996
13 people are currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Cathy Williams
1,323 books200 followersCathy Williams, born in Trinidad and Tobago, is a British author who has written romance novels for Mills & Boon since 1990. She lives in Chiswick, London, with her three daughters and continues to craft engaging, heartfelt love stories.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 12, 2018
Re Beyond All Reason - Cathy Williams makes the first of four entries into the long running 9 to 5 series with this one. Indeed, CW finds her prefect trope, a very large portion of her future backlist will be boss/secretary office romances.
The secretary will generally be a nice, unicorn grooming ultra efficient machine of office competency and the H will be the Standard HP lady buffet frequent diner with commitment issues.
This one is no different, in fact this h could practically pencil in { 2:45 pm, daily sexual harassment allotment with the boss, look up snappy comebacks} in her day planner.
But there are some unique touches in this one, for once the h is not really a doormat. Her boss just oozes charm and seduction vibes and the h has never in two years even let on she noticed that he HAS any charm.
She is quick with the verbal riposte when the H tries out his smoothest lines on her too, mainly because the h took this job after working for a group of lawyers and falling into love with one of them. There was some huggin' and some kissin' and some stuff like that there, the h thought it was going to be a love to last a lifetime, complete with wedding bells and a white picket fence.
Then she found herself humiliatingly dumped as soon as the lawyer's supermodel girlfriend made it back into the country. The h had to find herself a new job, luckily it pays a lot more and is much more interesting, but she swore that there would be No More Hanky Pankying At Work, EVER.
And this h has stuck to her guns. She has seen the endless amounts of super savory lady buffet deelites that have graced the H's office and she wants nothing to do with such a man. Plus this h, like ALL CW h's, has a very low self esteem.
Her mother has continually put her down and berated her for years and the h is so used to it, she barely even notices. The h also has a boyfriend, a very nice, reliable and sensible man who is probably going to propose soon.
The book stars with the h showing up a bit late for work. The H is not happy about this, even tho this is only the first or second time in years the h has ever been late. His needling comments lead the h to angrily reveal more about her personal life than she ever intended to, and the next thing she knows, the H and his latest high society bimbo are showing up at her engagement party.
Needless to say it is a case of swans among the ducklings, but that doesn't stop the H from making roofie kissing moves and suggestive comments. He is flat out determined to get the h to dump her engagement and have a fling with him.
It isn't until the high society bimbo OW starts making her game plays that the h actually realizes that she and her fiance aren't really right together and she would be better off alone. This OW is actually interesting in how many times she shows up to throw a spanner in the romance department and we get SEVERAL evil OW attempts to break the h and H up.
The h ends her engagement, the H turns the heat up on the office mojo moment attempts and eventually during a cozy cottage working weekend, the h and H have a lurve club conquering of hitherto untouched territory.
(The h managed to keep her chastity intact in the midst of her first true love debacle.)
The OW makes another appearance and this time the beratement and words are nastier. The h realizes she is in love with her boss the H, but she also realizes that he won't be interested in anything more than a fling.
And maybe not even that, because the OW faked doing an h reference check and talked to her old boss that she dated. The OW goes right to the H and tells him all about how the h is trying to hook any rich boss into a marriage trap and even tho the h had told him about her unfortunate heartbreak in the past, the H buys into the OW's exaggerations.
The H gets a bit more snarky than usual and the h is livid that the OW would be such a bovine example of amoral pustule leakage. The h also DOES NOT WANT an affair with the H, he will only break her heart and one event is a mistake in adventuring, an ongoing boudoir bounce on demand is sheer stupidity.
So the h resigns her job and the H is going to torture her for every last week of the six weeks notice she has to give. He even forces her to attend a company party when her time with the company is decidedly short. It there that OW makes her final stand.
She drags the h into a hotel room she rented and then proceeds to try and blackmail the h into leaving the H's company - she has no clue that the h has already resigned. She tells the h that she will spread vicious lies and rumors about the H in all the London tabloids if the h doesn't disappear out of the H's life forever.
Then the OW has a truly magnificent rant about how the h is a peasant and the H will totally come back to the OW if the h's peasant booty isn't around to distract him, the OW is determined that she will be Mrs. Rich Boss H and all it will take is for the h to go away.
The H manages to overhear all of this and he strides into the room, tells the OW off and threatens dire consequences if she even thinks about spreading one syllable about him OR the h and then he kicks her out of her own hotel room without even giving her her purse.
Finally, the H spills his guts to the h that he loves her, her adores her and he wants to marry her. The OW was history before he and the h had begun, (tho if he slept with her or not during the story is open for debate,) and the only reason the OW was allowed to be around him was because he felt sorry for her.
The H then commands a slow sorta striptease from the h on the way to being cast adrift on the transcendent shores of golden bliss and the h finally agrees that she might marry him.
The H gets backs to work on convincing her, pretty sure that since she finally admitted she loved him she will eventually say yes and we leave the two loving it up for a pretty decent HP outing.
This one is practically a textbook of every one of CW's boss/secretary books, but CW did a good job with the details and keeping it fresh. The OW whacktasticness is definitely one of her better ones, so don't be afraid to pick this one up and have yourself a nice day in the HP office.
The secretary will generally be a nice, unicorn grooming ultra efficient machine of office competency and the H will be the Standard HP lady buffet frequent diner with commitment issues.
This one is no different, in fact this h could practically pencil in { 2:45 pm, daily sexual harassment allotment with the boss, look up snappy comebacks} in her day planner.
But there are some unique touches in this one, for once the h is not really a doormat. Her boss just oozes charm and seduction vibes and the h has never in two years even let on she noticed that he HAS any charm.
She is quick with the verbal riposte when the H tries out his smoothest lines on her too, mainly because the h took this job after working for a group of lawyers and falling into love with one of them. There was some huggin' and some kissin' and some stuff like that there, the h thought it was going to be a love to last a lifetime, complete with wedding bells and a white picket fence.
Then she found herself humiliatingly dumped as soon as the lawyer's supermodel girlfriend made it back into the country. The h had to find herself a new job, luckily it pays a lot more and is much more interesting, but she swore that there would be No More Hanky Pankying At Work, EVER.
And this h has stuck to her guns. She has seen the endless amounts of super savory lady buffet deelites that have graced the H's office and she wants nothing to do with such a man. Plus this h, like ALL CW h's, has a very low self esteem.
Her mother has continually put her down and berated her for years and the h is so used to it, she barely even notices. The h also has a boyfriend, a very nice, reliable and sensible man who is probably going to propose soon.
The book stars with the h showing up a bit late for work. The H is not happy about this, even tho this is only the first or second time in years the h has ever been late. His needling comments lead the h to angrily reveal more about her personal life than she ever intended to, and the next thing she knows, the H and his latest high society bimbo are showing up at her engagement party.
Needless to say it is a case of swans among the ducklings, but that doesn't stop the H from making roofie kissing moves and suggestive comments. He is flat out determined to get the h to dump her engagement and have a fling with him.
It isn't until the high society bimbo OW starts making her game plays that the h actually realizes that she and her fiance aren't really right together and she would be better off alone. This OW is actually interesting in how many times she shows up to throw a spanner in the romance department and we get SEVERAL evil OW attempts to break the h and H up.
The h ends her engagement, the H turns the heat up on the office mojo moment attempts and eventually during a cozy cottage working weekend, the h and H have a lurve club conquering of hitherto untouched territory.
(The h managed to keep her chastity intact in the midst of her first true love debacle.)
The OW makes another appearance and this time the beratement and words are nastier. The h realizes she is in love with her boss the H, but she also realizes that he won't be interested in anything more than a fling.
And maybe not even that, because the OW faked doing an h reference check and talked to her old boss that she dated. The OW goes right to the H and tells him all about how the h is trying to hook any rich boss into a marriage trap and even tho the h had told him about her unfortunate heartbreak in the past, the H buys into the OW's exaggerations.
The H gets a bit more snarky than usual and the h is livid that the OW would be such a bovine example of amoral pustule leakage. The h also DOES NOT WANT an affair with the H, he will only break her heart and one event is a mistake in adventuring, an ongoing boudoir bounce on demand is sheer stupidity.
So the h resigns her job and the H is going to torture her for every last week of the six weeks notice she has to give. He even forces her to attend a company party when her time with the company is decidedly short. It there that OW makes her final stand.
She drags the h into a hotel room she rented and then proceeds to try and blackmail the h into leaving the H's company - she has no clue that the h has already resigned. She tells the h that she will spread vicious lies and rumors about the H in all the London tabloids if the h doesn't disappear out of the H's life forever.
Then the OW has a truly magnificent rant about how the h is a peasant and the H will totally come back to the OW if the h's peasant booty isn't around to distract him, the OW is determined that she will be Mrs. Rich Boss H and all it will take is for the h to go away.
The H manages to overhear all of this and he strides into the room, tells the OW off and threatens dire consequences if she even thinks about spreading one syllable about him OR the h and then he kicks her out of her own hotel room without even giving her her purse.
Finally, the H spills his guts to the h that he loves her, her adores her and he wants to marry her. The OW was history before he and the h had begun, (tho if he slept with her or not during the story is open for debate,) and the only reason the OW was allowed to be around him was because he felt sorry for her.
The H then commands a slow sorta striptease from the h on the way to being cast adrift on the transcendent shores of golden bliss and the h finally agrees that she might marry him.
The H gets backs to work on convincing her, pretty sure that since she finally admitted she loved him she will eventually say yes and we leave the two loving it up for a pretty decent HP outing.
This one is practically a textbook of every one of CW's boss/secretary books, but CW did a good job with the details and keeping it fresh. The OW whacktasticness is definitely one of her better ones, so don't be afraid to pick this one up and have yourself a nice day in the HP office.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2018
Big ole case of It's me, not you.
Despite a heroine that is possibly the coolest cucumber in HP Land, reading and finishing this was an uphill battle, both ways.
The heroine is an excellent PA to the maybe manwhore, handsome, successful, Mr. God's Gift H. She has seen evidence of his wanderinghands ways as she has made dinner/play reservations for him, but she's never had to buy diamond bracelets, send roses with kiss-off letters, or as one poor sucker in a more contemporary HP had to do, wrangle twinkies out of the bedroom. A bad experience with a pale imitation of God's Gift has her emotions in deep freeze as she is now engaged to Mr. Boring. All's is well in her life as she no emotions to rock the boat, and her mother, who has put the h down all her life, is happy that her daughter has realized her limitations and is settling down with Mr. Boring instead of striking for any sort of God's Gift. Way to go Mom.
The heroine and her perfectly awful Mother may be okay with the heroine's life in the Fro-Zone, but not the H. He mildly banters and goads her about her boring Mr. Boring, but nothing really happens. He and the OW do crash the h's engagement party which I thought was very rude. The contrast between Mr. Boring and God's Gift must have been apparent as the h breaks her engagement. Mr. Boring finds solace with one of the h's friends. Geez, no wonder the h is so shut down. Maybe Kristen Ashley can toss her a Rock Chick or one her other hair-curling girly-girls to join her posse to give her a support system.
The h doesn't seem that attracted to the H, not even in a reactionary I-hate-you, I-love-you kind of way. The only one that seems to light a fire under the h is the other perfectly awful female in the book, the OW. The OW is a long, tall drink of water, and really ups her the OW game. It's not enough for her to swan in and be rude and obnoxious to the heroine, she actually goes on the offensive and contacts the h's old boss/love interest and then lies to the H that the h wants to lure him into marriage.
I don't have high hopes for a long-term romantic happiness since the h was perfectly happy without the H when she's snowed in. It's not until he is right in front of her and has stripped down to his skivvies thatlust rears its seductive head. Hmm, maybe not the best metaphor. Anyhoo, the OW does her best to cause more trouble, and the H does a nice job of kicking her rear out.
Three stars for the heroine who is truly a cool customer with, I really hope, hidden depths. Two stars for kind of boring. I wasn't good at reading between the lines here.
The best part of the book was the blurb letter to the boss, and it's not even in the book.
Despite a heroine that is possibly the coolest cucumber in HP Land, reading and finishing this was an uphill battle, both ways.
The heroine is an excellent PA to the maybe manwhore, handsome, successful, Mr. God's Gift H. She has seen evidence of his wandering
The heroine and her perfectly awful Mother may be okay with the heroine's life in the Fro-Zone, but not the H. He mildly banters and goads her about her boring Mr. Boring, but nothing really happens. He and the OW do crash the h's engagement party which I thought was very rude. The contrast between Mr. Boring and God's Gift must have been apparent as the h breaks her engagement. Mr. Boring finds solace with one of the h's friends. Geez, no wonder the h is so shut down. Maybe Kristen Ashley can toss her a Rock Chick or one her other hair-curling girly-girls to join her posse to give her a support system.
The h doesn't seem that attracted to the H, not even in a reactionary I-hate-you, I-love-you kind of way. The only one that seems to light a fire under the h is the other perfectly awful female in the book, the OW. The OW is a long, tall drink of water, and really ups her the OW game. It's not enough for her to swan in and be rude and obnoxious to the heroine, she actually goes on the offensive and contacts the h's old boss/love interest and then lies to the H that the h wants to lure him into marriage.
I don't have high hopes for a long-term romantic happiness since the h was perfectly happy without the H when she's snowed in. It's not until he is right in front of her and has stripped down to his skivvies that
Three stars for the heroine who is truly a cool customer with, I really hope, hidden depths. Two stars for kind of boring. I wasn't good at reading between the lines here.
The best part of the book was the blurb letter to the boss, and it's not even in the book.
November 18, 2020
2.75 stars
November 4, 2018
This was boring lost steam mid way after a promising start!
Yet to read book I loved by this author.
Yet to read book I loved by this author.
March 4, 2019
TO: Roes Anderson, head of the company
FROM: Abigail Palmer, personal assistant
Dear Ross,
You've been my boss for two years now, and you've never realized that I'm secretly in love with you! And it will stay my secret, because I'd never actually dare send this memo to you ....
I'm the perfect secretary: efficient, ambitious, organized. You rely on me for everything - except romance! You've never noticed that behind my neat suits and calm manner I'm a real woman - not just your secretary!
I know this infatuation is beyond all reason. But I can't help wondering if we'll ever get together in the bedroom, as well as the boardroom!
Yours,
Abigail
FROM: Abigail Palmer, personal assistant
Dear Ross,
You've been my boss for two years now, and you've never realized that I'm secretly in love with you! And it will stay my secret, because I'd never actually dare send this memo to you ....
I'm the perfect secretary: efficient, ambitious, organized. You rely on me for everything - except romance! You've never noticed that behind my neat suits and calm manner I'm a real woman - not just your secretary!
I know this infatuation is beyond all reason. But I can't help wondering if we'll ever get together in the bedroom, as well as the boardroom!
Yours,
Abigail
December 6, 2012
the start was very promising. what annoyed me is why the hero wanted heroine's engagement off if he did not love her. he wanted only an affair. it's not fair to convince someone to break off their engagement when what you only want is an affair. i don't know what's up with the people described in these books
February 28, 2017
Gotta love an alpha male feeling vulnerable when they fall in love. Idiot thought offering a fling is a good idea when he's heads over heal in love with h
May 6, 2012
This was a solid read, nothing overly exciting, but still a decent level of tension and a good resolution. Basic story -- at the beginning, the heroine-secretary gets engaged to her boring, safe fiance. Hero-boss, whom she has kept at arms length the whole time she's worked for him, discovers her engagement and suddenly starts challenging her reserve and desire to make safe choices. He keeps pushing her buttons, eventually she realizes that she's in love with him but pushes him away even more bc she's sure that he's only interested in an affair, but of course they end up with a HEA once they disclose their love for each other. Not an amazing story, but a good one.
January 17, 2022
Uhhh sure. This is pretty bland, hero is kinda a dud, he treats everyone below him. Heroine is pretty normal, sensible, which makes the reader wonder why she keeps falling for losers. Her mom's verbal abuse wasn't addressed. Other woman felt out of place since she is just going up to an eleven, because this story is pretty mellow. Read if you are bored, but there are better books out there.
March 4, 2020
Really had a hard time getting through this one. Didn't like the storyline much.
June 11, 2024
Most of this I enjoyed. It was an actual office romance - thank you. His turnabout at the end came outta nowhere and seemed literary convenience to me.
July 16, 2023
💚
A great book!
This book had all the relevant elements of a good romance. The progression of the plot kept my interest. I liked that the main female character (Abby) was a strong woman, not influenced by others and definitely not a doormat.
The ow got her comeuppance perfectly and it all moved to a nice HEA.
A great book!
This book had all the relevant elements of a good romance. The progression of the plot kept my interest. I liked that the main female character (Abby) was a strong woman, not influenced by others and definitely not a doormat.
The ow got her comeuppance perfectly and it all moved to a nice HEA.
November 30, 2013
Definitely a good read. It was a solid novel with some drama that made you want to punch the other woman out. lol I enjoyed it.
February 11, 2015
Classic 90's alpha hero won't take no for an answer and a just as classic 90's female who really didn't really mean no.
April 17, 2016
Review to come
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews