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Counterfeit Marriage
Nicole had led a sheltered life
Then when she was just beginning to enjoy her first taste of independence, hard times fell on her beloved grandparents.
Suddenly their welfare lay in her hands--and those of high-powered and highly-presumptuous businessman Adam Randell.
No matter how hard she tried, Nicole found she had little choice but to give in to Adam's demand and hope the price of his help wouldn't be too high. Even worse was the realization that to Adam, she was just another acquisition... .
Then when she was just beginning to enjoy her first taste of independence, hard times fell on her beloved grandparents.
Suddenly their welfare lay in her hands--and those of high-powered and highly-presumptuous businessman Adam Randell.
No matter how hard she tried, Nicole found she had little choice but to give in to Adam's demand and hope the price of his help wouldn't be too high. Even worse was the realization that to Adam, she was just another acquisition... .
- GenresHarlequin Romance
187 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1990
1 person is currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Scott
34 books4 followersThis is the Romance author.
Alexandra Scott was born in a small Scottish village. She married an English soldier, and their travels, which took them to the Far East and various parts of Europe, proved to be good preparation for her later career as a writer. She had always wanted to write a book but was reluctant to actually try until she and her husband eventually settled in Yorkshire and he signed her up for a writer’s course.
Alexandra Scott was born in a small Scottish village. She married an English soldier, and their travels, which took them to the Far East and various parts of Europe, proved to be good preparation for her later career as a writer. She had always wanted to write a book but was reluctant to actually try until she and her husband eventually settled in Yorkshire and he signed her up for a writer’s course.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 21, 2025
Well, this started out good, one of those marry for other reasons than love but soon fall for each other ones that are usually entertaining, but unfortunately, this one fell flat.
Both the H and h seemed to have a lot going for them story wise, as he was raised in an orphanage and had to work hard for everything he got, and managed to become a millionaire executive, while she was raised by refugee grandparents, who - like the H - worked hard and became successful business owners. Their only child (the h's mother) died at only 19 when the h was born, after eloping with the h's father, who later abandoned her. The h has artistic aspirations and is going to art college when the story starts (as well as getting over a relationship with the OM/one of her art teachers).
It's to save the grandfather's business that makes the h agree to get married, so the H will take over the failing business rather than have it fall into the hands of someone unscrupulous (who also happens to be the husband of the OW, who dumped the H ten years ago and broke his heart).
Yes, it sounds like a good story along soap opera lines, but no, it doesn't turn out that way. Instead of the jealousy, misunderstandings, passionate arguments followed by passionate love, as well as angry denials of true feelings that you'd expect, you get pages and pages of non-relationship, with this newly married couple living like roommates, with separate bedrooms and pretty much separate lives. There was a scene where they go sailing, then diving, then for a beach picnic, and the atmosphere was there for at least a passionate kiss, but it doesn't happen. You get stilted conversation, a few cold and snarky remarks, a couple of near connections, but that's about it. And the story goes on that way. It's like the author kept thinking about writing one of those typical scenes we've come to expect, then thought to herself, "Naw, forget it."
There was one scene with a lot of potential; the h had decided to seduce the H, puts on her pretty satin nightgown, tiptoes into his bedroom, then cops out when she finds he's sound asleep. She resists the temptation to get into bed with him, anyway. What a waste that was!
These two don't consummate their marriage until they very end of the book, and then you get everything off page; one minute they're getting started, the next they're finished. You don't even get one of those scenes where the H is pleasantly surprised to find the h was a virgin! You just get talk about how good it was, and how they intend to repeat it often!
But even worse, was the acute STUPIDITY of both the H and h when it came to the OW and OM!!
Ten years ago, the H was getting ready to graduate college, start on a career path and marry the OW, but when he comes back from a short trip to do with his upcoming job, he finds that he's been dumped, in favor of a rich guy twice her age! (Pretty fast! I've no doubt she was looking around long before he took that trip!) He was stunned and broken hearted, and apparently still hung up on her a decade later, until he sees her at a dinner party (and so does the h) and then suddenly, it's all in the past! Then, he claims he's been over her for a while and was in love with the h all along! WHAT????? He had told the h he didn't love her (though he found her attractive) and that part of his reason for getting married was so he could stop being haunted by the past! Either he has selective memory, or else he just likes playing games! Also, he was either using this past relationship as an excuse to avoid getting seriously involved, or else he was a real wimpy jerk to still be hung up on someone who had obviously never really loved him.
(Apparently, the OW's punishment for her behavior is an unhappy marriage and not being able to have children.)
And the h was a giant NINCOMPOOP to get involved with her art teacher not only because it's unethical, but because the guy was a major JERK who not only made a habit of trying to get his female students undressed (and NOT to pose for life drawing class) but was also married!!! Naturally he neglected to tell the h that, and she learned just in time, because she was prepared to shed her clothes and give up her V card. At least, that's what she told herself at the beginning of the story. Then later, she tells both her roommates at the college (and later the H) that they were just friends. But I think she left out some details. She may have kept her clothes on, but that doesn't mean she didn't have some hot make out sessions, or some groping here and there, who knows???
Now, you would think after the crap way he treated her that she'd want to avoid him like the plague. Instead, (taking advantage of the H's statement that they do not interfere in each other's lives) after accidentally meeting up with him, she agrees to help him with a fundraising project and even considers entering a wet tee-shirt contest (his idea, naturally), though rejects it when she tries it on wet at home and sees too much boob coming through! (So did the H, and another situation that calls for hot lovemaking doesn't happen, yet again!) She also poses for him (fully clothed), but he has the audacity to sketch her nude!! When she finds out, all she does is tear up the sketches, and never confronts the crappy creep!! I'd have liked her to go to his studio and fling some paint all over him, hopefully a bucket full!!
Even more ridiculous, the author takes what could have been a real dramatic occurrence and makes nothing of it. The OM's wife found out he was cheating; thought it was with the h (it was actually another student) and threatened to bring up her name in divorce court. The H (after being convinced there was no truth to the rumor), went to both the lawyers, the wife and the OM (all off page, so we miss all the action) and that's where the H got the sketches, though how he found them, or if the OM volunteered them, we're not told. Again, it falls flat. When the H confronts the h with them, he believes her when she says she never posed nude, but instead of going back to the OM and punching his lights out, he just lets it go. So STUPID!!!!
Too much STUPID throughout this book! The h makes a big thing out of wanting a career as an artist, how she wants to paint landscapes, and yet whenever she's sketching or painting something (which isn't often), it's never a landscape! Then, all the talk about her artwork and career aspirations just fades away. Also, the H mentioned he had originally wanted to be a teacher (apparently, he went for big business after the OW dumped him, to supposedly be the kind of man she seemed to want, which is pretty dumb), but then that's just let go of, too. In fact, neither the H or the h seems all that interested in each other's careers, and kind of lose interest in their own.
To be honest, the best characters in this book were the h's grandparents and I would have liked to have seen more of them. In fact, I would have liked a book about their love story, since it was a heck of a lot better than the lousy one the MC had!
If it weren't for the grandparents, this would have gotten only one star. No great loss if you skip it.
Both the H and h seemed to have a lot going for them story wise, as he was raised in an orphanage and had to work hard for everything he got, and managed to become a millionaire executive, while she was raised by refugee grandparents, who - like the H - worked hard and became successful business owners. Their only child (the h's mother) died at only 19 when the h was born, after eloping with the h's father, who later abandoned her. The h has artistic aspirations and is going to art college when the story starts (as well as getting over a relationship with the OM/one of her art teachers).
It's to save the grandfather's business that makes the h agree to get married, so the H will take over the failing business rather than have it fall into the hands of someone unscrupulous (who also happens to be the husband of the OW, who dumped the H ten years ago and broke his heart).
Yes, it sounds like a good story along soap opera lines, but no, it doesn't turn out that way. Instead of the jealousy, misunderstandings, passionate arguments followed by passionate love, as well as angry denials of true feelings that you'd expect, you get pages and pages of non-relationship, with this newly married couple living like roommates, with separate bedrooms and pretty much separate lives. There was a scene where they go sailing, then diving, then for a beach picnic, and the atmosphere was there for at least a passionate kiss, but it doesn't happen. You get stilted conversation, a few cold and snarky remarks, a couple of near connections, but that's about it. And the story goes on that way. It's like the author kept thinking about writing one of those typical scenes we've come to expect, then thought to herself, "Naw, forget it."
There was one scene with a lot of potential; the h had decided to seduce the H, puts on her pretty satin nightgown, tiptoes into his bedroom, then cops out when she finds he's sound asleep. She resists the temptation to get into bed with him, anyway. What a waste that was!
These two don't consummate their marriage until they very end of the book, and then you get everything off page; one minute they're getting started, the next they're finished. You don't even get one of those scenes where the H is pleasantly surprised to find the h was a virgin! You just get talk about how good it was, and how they intend to repeat it often!
But even worse, was the acute STUPIDITY of both the H and h when it came to the OW and OM!!
Ten years ago, the H was getting ready to graduate college, start on a career path and marry the OW, but when he comes back from a short trip to do with his upcoming job, he finds that he's been dumped, in favor of a rich guy twice her age! (Pretty fast! I've no doubt she was looking around long before he took that trip!) He was stunned and broken hearted, and apparently still hung up on her a decade later, until he sees her at a dinner party (and so does the h) and then suddenly, it's all in the past! Then, he claims he's been over her for a while and was in love with the h all along! WHAT????? He had told the h he didn't love her (though he found her attractive) and that part of his reason for getting married was so he could stop being haunted by the past! Either he has selective memory, or else he just likes playing games! Also, he was either using this past relationship as an excuse to avoid getting seriously involved, or else he was a real wimpy jerk to still be hung up on someone who had obviously never really loved him.
(Apparently, the OW's punishment for her behavior is an unhappy marriage and not being able to have children.)
And the h was a giant NINCOMPOOP to get involved with her art teacher not only because it's unethical, but because the guy was a major JERK who not only made a habit of trying to get his female students undressed (and NOT to pose for life drawing class) but was also married!!! Naturally he neglected to tell the h that, and she learned just in time, because she was prepared to shed her clothes and give up her V card. At least, that's what she told herself at the beginning of the story. Then later, she tells both her roommates at the college (and later the H) that they were just friends. But I think she left out some details. She may have kept her clothes on, but that doesn't mean she didn't have some hot make out sessions, or some groping here and there, who knows???
Now, you would think after the crap way he treated her that she'd want to avoid him like the plague. Instead, (taking advantage of the H's statement that they do not interfere in each other's lives) after accidentally meeting up with him, she agrees to help him with a fundraising project and even considers entering a wet tee-shirt contest (his idea, naturally), though rejects it when she tries it on wet at home and sees too much boob coming through! (So did the H, and another situation that calls for hot lovemaking doesn't happen, yet again!) She also poses for him (fully clothed), but he has the audacity to sketch her nude!! When she finds out, all she does is tear up the sketches, and never confronts the crappy creep!! I'd have liked her to go to his studio and fling some paint all over him, hopefully a bucket full!!
Even more ridiculous, the author takes what could have been a real dramatic occurrence and makes nothing of it. The OM's wife found out he was cheating; thought it was with the h (it was actually another student) and threatened to bring up her name in divorce court. The H (after being convinced there was no truth to the rumor), went to both the lawyers, the wife and the OM (all off page, so we miss all the action) and that's where the H got the sketches, though how he found them, or if the OM volunteered them, we're not told. Again, it falls flat. When the H confronts the h with them, he believes her when she says she never posed nude, but instead of going back to the OM and punching his lights out, he just lets it go. So STUPID!!!!
Too much STUPID throughout this book! The h makes a big thing out of wanting a career as an artist, how she wants to paint landscapes, and yet whenever she's sketching or painting something (which isn't often), it's never a landscape! Then, all the talk about her artwork and career aspirations just fades away. Also, the H mentioned he had originally wanted to be a teacher (apparently, he went for big business after the OW dumped him, to supposedly be the kind of man she seemed to want, which is pretty dumb), but then that's just let go of, too. In fact, neither the H or the h seems all that interested in each other's careers, and kind of lose interest in their own.
To be honest, the best characters in this book were the h's grandparents and I would have liked to have seen more of them. In fact, I would have liked a book about their love story, since it was a heck of a lot better than the lousy one the MC had!
If it weren't for the grandparents, this would have gotten only one star. No great loss if you skip it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2023
3.5 Stars
The H fell in love at first sight with the OW. The Hs always loves the OWs more than the OWs loves than back, if the OWs love them, but most of the time love their bank accounts. It seems the H carried a torch all these years for the OW. If she didn’t leave him to marry a millionaire, the OW and the H would be together as wife and husband and won’t even look at the h. One of the reasons he gave to marry the h is to use as a shield against his feelings for the OW. when in the end he said that he loved the heroine, it seems not entirely true. I always disliked when the Hs loves the OWs, they should stick to them and should leave the heroine alone. I always feel that the heroine gets the leftovers of the OW. He took time to remember to get a jewelry to his wife, but I bet that if he was married to the OW or if he was with his mistresses he would always remembers to shower them with expensive jewerlry and another pricey items. Just thinking it makes my blood boil. There are a regency romance that I don’t remember the title in the whole book the only trinket the H gave to the heroine is a silver chain with a locket that he inherited from his grandmother, while his mistress of many years he gave an emerald necklace in the book when he was married to the h, besides all the jewels and other expensive gifts in all the years that they are together. The Hs always cherished their OWs and not the h. To the H the OW are worth the best and the h get the crumbs.
The H fell in love at first sight with the OW. The Hs always loves the OWs more than the OWs loves than back, if the OWs love them, but most of the time love their bank accounts. It seems the H carried a torch all these years for the OW. If she didn’t leave him to marry a millionaire, the OW and the H would be together as wife and husband and won’t even look at the h. One of the reasons he gave to marry the h is to use as a shield against his feelings for the OW. when in the end he said that he loved the heroine, it seems not entirely true. I always disliked when the Hs loves the OWs, they should stick to them and should leave the heroine alone. I always feel that the heroine gets the leftovers of the OW. He took time to remember to get a jewelry to his wife, but I bet that if he was married to the OW or if he was with his mistresses he would always remembers to shower them with expensive jewerlry and another pricey items. Just thinking it makes my blood boil. There are a regency romance that I don’t remember the title in the whole book the only trinket the H gave to the heroine is a silver chain with a locket that he inherited from his grandmother, while his mistress of many years he gave an emerald necklace in the book when he was married to the h, besides all the jewels and other expensive gifts in all the years that they are together. The Hs always cherished their OWs and not the h. To the H the OW are worth the best and the h get the crumbs.
September 27, 2021
She’s a spoilt, annoying little brat. He is too good for her.
August 6, 2023
Quite enjoyable. Author let a few conflicts fizzle because she spent half the pages with h fighting against marriage before and after wedding. I was delighted that this H did not need proof his wife spoke truth even though there was circumstantial evidence.
Reread, still 3 stars.
Reread, still 3 stars.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews