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Bond of Vengeance
She was going to get back at Tarrant Varley. Keely realized Tarrant objected to her mother's marrying his father, but did he have to take out his disapproval on her? He seemed intent on making her life miserable. First he blackmailed her into spending a weekend at his London flat, then he broke up her romance with another man. She was going to have her revenge on him for this. Keely wasn't quite certain how. But she wouldn't be satisfied until she found a way to hurt Tarrant Varley, if it took her the rest of her life!
187 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
2 people are currently reading
212 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Steele
338 books113 followersJessica Steele was born on May 9, 1933 in the elegant Warwickshire town of Royal Leamington Spa. She has two super brothers, Colin and George, and a lovely sister, Elizabeth. She was a delicate child and missed a lot of school. In fact, she left school at aged 14, when she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. At 16, she started work as a junior clerk. In 1967, Jessica married with her husband, Peter and within a very short space of time they had moved from her hometown to the lovely area where they now live. Their house is built into the side of a hill, and has beautiful views over more hills and valleys. Her brothers and her sister are very close and she has plenty of nephews and nieces to make up for the fact that she and her husband have no children of their own. Both she and her husband are more than a little dog-oriented, and their current dog is a Staffordshire bull terrier named Florence. Florence is gorgeous. She loves everybody but, since she is 40 pounds of dynamite and would hurl her boisterous self at everyone she meets - given half a chance - she has to be restrained (as much as possible). She is fun.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
Her husband spurred Jessica on to her writing career, giving her every support while she did what she considers her five-year apprenticeship (the rejection years) while learning how to write. She published her first books in 1979. Jessica has tried using a typewriter, but it just doesn't work for her. She is much happier writing in longhand, and in actual fact has a dozen or so fountain pens filled and ready to go at the start of any one session. A friend has a secretarial agency and, after deciphering Jessica's writing, returns an immaculately typed manuscript. To gain authentic background for her books, she has travelled and researched in Greece, Russia, Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Hong Kong, China and Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 29, 2019
"Bond of Vengeance" is one of a hell angsty emotional and adrenaline-charged roller-coaster!Reading this book was like watching two duelists going towards war against each other.Every step,caress,word,snarl and every glance of hatred between them made me jump up and down with excitement!They hated each other viciously,but also wanted each other with a passion they couldn`t resist.Ah a step-sibling enemies to lovers romance like this one is what i absolutely crave when i am hungry for angst!
The heroine, the down to earth and spirited Keely Macfarlane is a dear i just came to adore.She does what many hp heroines would have never done to the hero,and i just had to admire her more for that,even if it was pretty stupid.She falls of course unwillingly in love with her enemy,and does everything to escape him.Thinking her love is doomed...
Our hero,the vindictive and possessive tycoon Tarrant Varley was a man to be careful of.Despite having the characteristics of a Anti-hero,he was a honourable man that kept his word.A very charismatic and dark character,despite being blonde (lol)..we could all see through his relentless pursuit of her that he also loves her desperately.He may have misjugded her many times,but the ending made me sure that never again would he do that.
I should really give this book 4 stars,because the way Steele writes is painful sometimes,and i wonder if she really writes this way in all her books.But i just love the story and Tarrant and Keely with all my heart,these two were fire and ice in every scene!
So caught up with these two were i,that i really cried near the end when Tarrant knows the truth.I just love these two together so much,and their declarations of love was wonderful..just wonderful!
The heroine, the down to earth and spirited Keely Macfarlane is a dear i just came to adore.She does what many hp heroines would have never done to the hero,and i just had to admire her more for that,even if it was pretty stupid.She falls of course unwillingly in love with her enemy,and does everything to escape him.Thinking her love is doomed...
Our hero,the vindictive and possessive tycoon Tarrant Varley was a man to be careful of.Despite having the characteristics of a Anti-hero,he was a honourable man that kept his word.A very charismatic and dark character,despite being blonde (lol)..we could all see through his relentless pursuit of her that he also loves her desperately.He may have misjugded her many times,but the ending made me sure that never again would he do that.
I should really give this book 4 stars,because the way Steele writes is painful sometimes,and i wonder if she really writes this way in all her books.But i just love the story and Tarrant and Keely with all my heart,these two were fire and ice in every scene!
So caught up with these two were i,that i really cried near the end when Tarrant knows the truth.I just love these two together so much,and their declarations of love was wonderful..just wonderful!
October 17, 2017
Stepbrother/stepsister enemies to lovers story that takes place quickly. The hero instantly decides the woman his father is marrying is a golddigger as is her daughter. Heroine is angry about this, but tries to get along to go along as well as noticing how sexxxy the hero is.
In order to have the hero out of the house so their parents can enjoy their wedding night, the heroine agrees to stay in his flat. They stop short of sex because the hero remembers birth control and the heroine remembers the women in her family always have difficult pregnancies and often miscarry.
The dust settles until the heroine lets the hero's father know that she spent the night in his son's flat. The hero is angry at the lie and insinuation so he forces/seduces the virgin heroine in her flat.
Heroine pretends she doesn't love him to save her pride. Pregnancy. Marriage proposal. Miscarriage. Hero thinks the heroine had an abortion. Heroine depressed. Hero realizes he was wrong. Grovel and declaration. HEA
There's also a hapless OM that wanders in and out, but he's just background noise.
Heroine was fairly inventive in getting back at the hero - but her dithering about the marriage proposal got annoying. It was obvious hero was smitten from early on.
Not a lot of emotion I can relate to in this story - but it was interesting drama.
In order to have the hero out of the house so their parents can enjoy their wedding night, the heroine agrees to stay in his flat. They stop short of sex because the hero remembers birth control and the heroine remembers the women in her family always have difficult pregnancies and often miscarry.
The dust settles until the heroine lets the hero's father know that she spent the night in his son's flat. The hero is angry at the lie and insinuation so he forces/seduces the virgin heroine in her flat.
Heroine pretends she doesn't love him to save her pride. Pregnancy. Marriage proposal. Miscarriage. Hero thinks the heroine had an abortion. Heroine depressed. Hero realizes he was wrong. Grovel and declaration. HEA
There's also a hapless OM that wanders in and out, but he's just background noise.
Heroine was fairly inventive in getting back at the hero - but her dithering about the marriage proposal got annoying. It was obvious hero was smitten from early on.
Not a lot of emotion I can relate to in this story - but it was interesting drama.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2013
Oh well now that was interesting.
Heroine and hero take an instant dislike to each other as her "mom" and his "dad" walk down the aisle to wedded bliss. He decides to campout at the family estate after the wedding absolutely convinced that his new stepmother is a "shrew" and out to take dear ole dad to the "cleaners". In order to get him to leave, the heroine agrees to go back to his place for the weekend. (Nice guy! He propositions his step sister after just meeting her). Then the hero accuses her of deliberately trying to trap him into marriage by purposely trying to get pregnant. Things just explode. (phew and that's only the first 10 pages)
Things continue to explode as they try to get the better of each other.
Their chemistry just sizzled off the pages, and there were WTF moments galore that kept me turning those pages into the wee hours of the morning.. There was also a really intense grovel at the end (15-20 pages long) which rarely happens in HP land, but is so gratifying when it does.
However, I am only giving this one 3 stars. To me, the hero 1) just shot off his mouth before ever thinking (ready, fire, aim approach) and 2) he got physically abusive one too many times with the heroine. There were references of his raising his hands ready to strike her, shaking her, gripping her...etc. This tends to happen a lot in the vintage reads. But somehow this coupled with his "ready, fire, aim" approach, just left a lot to be desired and made him very unworthy of the heroine.
Heroine and hero take an instant dislike to each other as her "mom" and his "dad" walk down the aisle to wedded bliss. He decides to campout at the family estate after the wedding absolutely convinced that his new stepmother is a "shrew" and out to take dear ole dad to the "cleaners". In order to get him to leave, the heroine agrees to go back to his place for the weekend. (Nice guy! He propositions his step sister after just meeting her). Then the hero accuses her of deliberately trying to trap him into marriage by purposely trying to get pregnant. Things just explode. (phew and that's only the first 10 pages)
Things continue to explode as they try to get the better of each other.
Their chemistry just sizzled off the pages, and there were WTF moments galore that kept me turning those pages into the wee hours of the morning.. There was also a really intense grovel at the end (15-20 pages long) which rarely happens in HP land, but is so gratifying when it does.
However, I am only giving this one 3 stars. To me, the hero 1) just shot off his mouth before ever thinking (ready, fire, aim approach) and 2) he got physically abusive one too many times with the heroine. There were references of his raising his hands ready to strike her, shaking her, gripping her...etc. This tends to happen a lot in the vintage reads. But somehow this coupled with his "ready, fire, aim" approach, just left a lot to be desired and made him very unworthy of the heroine.
November 8, 2017
This is probably the most angst filled romance written by Jessica Steele. It was also one where there's sex - actually forced sex. The H was a bit snobbish while the h did nothing to clear up stupid misunderstandings. Both MC's had too much pride and ego and allowed their tempers to reign when placid communication could have solved, or prevented, a lot of problems. I enjoyed this though. It was a rare type of storyline for an author whose MC's are usually not so quick to consummate the relationship.
October 29, 2015
Bond of Vengeance - This one is a bit wrecky, but comparatively speaking - the wrecky factor is fairly mild.
This one starts with the h and her mum having to reassess their financial condition as the h's dad has died and they can't afford their former lifestyle. The h goes to London and the mum becomes a housekeeper to an older wealthy man. The mum and the h are very close, but eventually the mum and her employer fall in love and want to marry.
The employer's son takes exception to a gold digging tramp of a housekeeper trying it on with his dad, so he tries to buy her off. Now the mum is a totally nice, sweet lady but she tells the h and the h loses her mind. She tracks down her potential stepbrother and really lets him have it, including a smack in the face.
She has just smacked the H of course and while he is irkolated beyond belief, he is attracted too. They all show up at the family estate for the wedding and the H basically blackmails the h into going home with him for the weekend by saying if she does, he won't wreck the newlywed's stay at home honeymoon. The h agrees to just get him away from her mum and when they get back to his flat, she winds up staying the night.
The H makes a move of course, but then tries to humiliate her by insulting her all over the place and rejecting her (after he forces a heavy make out session) by saying she is just trying to get him into bed to get preggers and force a marriage.
The h is furious and does her best to avoid going to see her mum when the H is there. Finally things come to a head and the H and h are at the parent's house at the same time. The H doesn't think the mum is a golddigger anymore but does continue to taunt the h, (cause he wants her so badly, he is trying hard to resist) but the h loses her mind again and tells the parents that she stayed overnight at the H's flat and implies that licentious doings were going on.
Then the H loses his mind and gets yelled at by his dad, so he plots an evil plan. The h is ready to 'fess up about her deception but the parents don't really want to know, and the H maneuvers his way into taking the h home - where he intends to rape her (cause if he has got to do the time, he may as well do the crime).
This rape scenario quickly turns into a forced seduction scene (which the h participates in). Then the H figures out she is actually a virgin and is horrified at himself - he has to leave town for business though, and the h hates him so he can't sort anything out till he gets back.
The h turns out to be preggers upon his return, so the H announces they are engaged. Then he starts interfering with the h's boss - the boss has a bit of a crush and the h is fond of him, so she doesn't really discourage this- however the H does not like and so he messes everything up.
The h's family has a history of the ladies all miscarrying pregnancies, they call it the Butterworth factor and the h unthinkingly puts herself in jeopardy. She decides to take a vacation to escape the H (he has threatened her into being engaged- he thinks she wants a termination and makes her swear not to do it), but she loses the baby. When she gets back to town, she tells the H she isn't preggers any more and he leaps to the conclusion that she took off to terminate it.
He becomes really nasty then and the h is just depressed. Until the mum explains the family history and then he is really, really sorry and has to beg - a lot (for two or three pages,) the begging works, the h is in lurve and the H lurves her too so HEA again.
This really isn't that bad, the h is sorta naive, which is compensated for by her very bad temper--and the H is torn between lust and love and thinking she is a flat out femme fatale - the situation keeps getting worse and more outlandish -- but the way it gets there is almost logical.
Like I said it is really only mildly wrecky compared to the great HPlandia trainwrecks of all time - JS is good but she likes a logical plot -and when it comes to the grand wrecky awards a logical plot has to go out the window.
This one starts with the h and her mum having to reassess their financial condition as the h's dad has died and they can't afford their former lifestyle. The h goes to London and the mum becomes a housekeeper to an older wealthy man. The mum and the h are very close, but eventually the mum and her employer fall in love and want to marry.
The employer's son takes exception to a gold digging tramp of a housekeeper trying it on with his dad, so he tries to buy her off. Now the mum is a totally nice, sweet lady but she tells the h and the h loses her mind. She tracks down her potential stepbrother and really lets him have it, including a smack in the face.
She has just smacked the H of course and while he is irkolated beyond belief, he is attracted too. They all show up at the family estate for the wedding and the H basically blackmails the h into going home with him for the weekend by saying if she does, he won't wreck the newlywed's stay at home honeymoon. The h agrees to just get him away from her mum and when they get back to his flat, she winds up staying the night.
The H makes a move of course, but then tries to humiliate her by insulting her all over the place and rejecting her (after he forces a heavy make out session) by saying she is just trying to get him into bed to get preggers and force a marriage.
The h is furious and does her best to avoid going to see her mum when the H is there. Finally things come to a head and the H and h are at the parent's house at the same time. The H doesn't think the mum is a golddigger anymore but does continue to taunt the h, (cause he wants her so badly, he is trying hard to resist) but the h loses her mind again and tells the parents that she stayed overnight at the H's flat and implies that licentious doings were going on.
Then the H loses his mind and gets yelled at by his dad, so he plots an evil plan. The h is ready to 'fess up about her deception but the parents don't really want to know, and the H maneuvers his way into taking the h home - where he intends to rape her (cause if he has got to do the time, he may as well do the crime).
This rape scenario quickly turns into a forced seduction scene (which the h participates in). Then the H figures out she is actually a virgin and is horrified at himself - he has to leave town for business though, and the h hates him so he can't sort anything out till he gets back.
The h turns out to be preggers upon his return, so the H announces they are engaged. Then he starts interfering with the h's boss - the boss has a bit of a crush and the h is fond of him, so she doesn't really discourage this- however the H does not like and so he messes everything up.
The h's family has a history of the ladies all miscarrying pregnancies, they call it the Butterworth factor and the h unthinkingly puts herself in jeopardy. She decides to take a vacation to escape the H (he has threatened her into being engaged- he thinks she wants a termination and makes her swear not to do it), but she loses the baby. When she gets back to town, she tells the H she isn't preggers any more and he leaps to the conclusion that she took off to terminate it.
He becomes really nasty then and the h is just depressed. Until the mum explains the family history and then he is really, really sorry and has to beg - a lot (for two or three pages,) the begging works, the h is in lurve and the H lurves her too so HEA again.
This really isn't that bad, the h is sorta naive, which is compensated for by her very bad temper--and the H is torn between lust and love and thinking she is a flat out femme fatale - the situation keeps getting worse and more outlandish -- but the way it gets there is almost logical.
Like I said it is really only mildly wrecky compared to the great HPlandia trainwrecks of all time - JS is good but she likes a logical plot -and when it comes to the grand wrecky awards a logical plot has to go out the window.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2018
It was so silly but at the same time, a total train wreck. And I’m quite sentimental, I cried a lot when angst meter reached the top point.
May 24, 2020
"Bond of Vengeance" is the story of Keely and Varrant.
In this super angsty battle of wills, we have a tempestuous heroine and a angry, stubborn hero. When her widowed mother gets a job as a housekeeper to Lucas Varley, she never expects that it would transform into love, or that Lucas would propose to her mother! The only obstacle, Lucas's much disapproving son, who believes that her mother is a gold digger.
Being the super protective daughter, the heroine is appalled at the presumption and goes to confront the cad head on.
Soon they engage in a fiery battle of wills, which begins with slanderous words and ends with bruising kisses. After much drama and tragedy, mixed in with misunderstandings, lack of communications and heartbreak,we get a HEA.
I enjoyed the book, and really liked the sensitivity with which the topic of was dealt in this book. That being said, the did disturb me. The hero did change in the second half, but the heroine remained exasperatingly stubborn.
This book definitely deserved an epilogue, but didn't get any. Hence the rating.
Safe/SWE
3.25/5
In this super angsty battle of wills, we have a tempestuous heroine and a angry, stubborn hero. When her widowed mother gets a job as a housekeeper to Lucas Varley, she never expects that it would transform into love, or that Lucas would propose to her mother! The only obstacle, Lucas's much disapproving son, who believes that her mother is a gold digger.
Being the super protective daughter, the heroine is appalled at the presumption and goes to confront the cad head on.
Soon they engage in a fiery battle of wills, which begins with slanderous words and ends with bruising kisses. After much drama and tragedy, mixed in with misunderstandings, lack of communications and heartbreak,we get a HEA.
I enjoyed the book, and really liked the sensitivity with which the topic of was dealt in this book. That being said, the did disturb me. The hero did change in the second half, but the heroine remained exasperatingly stubborn.
This book definitely deserved an epilogue, but didn't get any. Hence the rating.
Safe/SWE
3.25/5
July 7, 2015
Chock-full-o-crazy. 3.5 stars rounded up
This is a real old-school mess. I should have loved it, but some of the h's goofy behavior lost it some points.
The description is a bit misleading where it says the hero "breaks up her romance with another man". She didn't really have a romance with another man. It was her boss and he obviously liked her, but she didn't really have anything for him. But, she was too cowardly to flat out tell him this, so she did sort of lead him on by going on occasional dates with him when she knew she had no intentions of letting him touch her.
Basic storyline:
The heroine's father dies and eventually the heroine and her mom realize they can't make it financially. So, they sell their home and the heroine moves to a small flat in London and the mom gets a job as a live-in housekeeper for some rich old guy. The rich old guy falls in love with the h's mom and asks her to marry him.
The h's mom is a really nice lady and she loves her employer as well. However, the groom-to-be's 30 some year old son, Tarrant, decides that his dad is being taken advantage of. He acts like a real ass and tries to pay mom off to leave his dad alone.
The heroine, Keely is infuriated when her mom tells her what her soon to be stepson has said and done. Keely goes straight to his fancy London office and gives him a piece of her mind and slaps him in the face. I was cheering her on at this point.
Tarrant continues to think that Keely and her mom are golddiggers, but the wedding goes on as planned. Keely is very determined to see her mom happy, so she goes to great lengths to ensure that Tarrant does not interfere (like agreeing to go home with him for the weekend after the wedding so he won't hang around his dad's house after the ceremony).
Tarrant is obviously attracted to Keely, but like your typical old school H he goes back and forth between you're a gold digging whore and I want to get in your pants. The night she promised to go home with him, she had no real intention of sleeping with him. She just wanted to distract him long enough for it to be too late for him to go back to his dad's house the night of the ceremony. Her motives are good, but her thought process is absurd.
They don't have sex that night, but she does stay over since she has no car and it's raining. Tarrant has meanwhile determined that she was just trying to get him in bed so she can get pregnant and force him to marry her. He's very insulting and humiliates her.
Somewhere behind the scenes, Tarrant fairly quickly discovered that the h's mom is not a gold digger and apologizes to her, but he doesn't tell Keely this. So, she still hates him for his sins against her mom and for humiliating her that night she stayed in his apt.
This is where she gets really stupid. She wants revenge for him humiliating her so while at a visit to her mom and stepdad's house she blurts out over dinner that she spent the night at his house and makes it sound like he took advantage of her and then wouldn't marry her.
Her whole goal was to make life easier for her mom and then barely a month after they marry she stirs up this sort of crap with lies and twisted half-truths? How is that helping? Her stepdad is furious with his son and her mom is all upset. Honestly it was more like a teenager than a woman in her early 20s.
The hero is in a bind because he can't really defend himself without admitting to his deal with the heroine the night of the parents' wedding. So, he has to listen to his dad lecture and rant at him and generally come out a villain (which, granted, he kind of is).
The hero now wants revenge, so he goes to the heroine's apt with the express purpose of raping her - seriously. He felt like this was his right since her actions had led his dad to believe he'd slept with her and took her virginity. He might as well get the benefit of enjoying what he's already been convicted of. Plus, he thought the h was a big ho anyway,and it's not like you can really rape a slut (insert massive sarcasm).
It turns into more of a forced seduction scenario when her traitorous body gives in and begs him to take her. Then there's all sorts of misunderstandings and drama before they get together. They both deserve a medal in jumping to conclusions.
This is a real old-school mess. I should have loved it, but some of the h's goofy behavior lost it some points.
The description is a bit misleading where it says the hero "breaks up her romance with another man". She didn't really have a romance with another man. It was her boss and he obviously liked her, but she didn't really have anything for him. But, she was too cowardly to flat out tell him this, so she did sort of lead him on by going on occasional dates with him when she knew she had no intentions of letting him touch her.
Basic storyline:
The heroine's father dies and eventually the heroine and her mom realize they can't make it financially. So, they sell their home and the heroine moves to a small flat in London and the mom gets a job as a live-in housekeeper for some rich old guy. The rich old guy falls in love with the h's mom and asks her to marry him.
The h's mom is a really nice lady and she loves her employer as well. However, the groom-to-be's 30 some year old son, Tarrant, decides that his dad is being taken advantage of. He acts like a real ass and tries to pay mom off to leave his dad alone.
The heroine, Keely is infuriated when her mom tells her what her soon to be stepson has said and done. Keely goes straight to his fancy London office and gives him a piece of her mind and slaps him in the face. I was cheering her on at this point.
Tarrant continues to think that Keely and her mom are golddiggers, but the wedding goes on as planned. Keely is very determined to see her mom happy, so she goes to great lengths to ensure that Tarrant does not interfere (like agreeing to go home with him for the weekend after the wedding so he won't hang around his dad's house after the ceremony).
Tarrant is obviously attracted to Keely, but like your typical old school H he goes back and forth between you're a gold digging whore and I want to get in your pants. The night she promised to go home with him, she had no real intention of sleeping with him. She just wanted to distract him long enough for it to be too late for him to go back to his dad's house the night of the ceremony. Her motives are good, but her thought process is absurd.
They don't have sex that night, but she does stay over since she has no car and it's raining. Tarrant has meanwhile determined that she was just trying to get him in bed so she can get pregnant and force him to marry her. He's very insulting and humiliates her.
Somewhere behind the scenes, Tarrant fairly quickly discovered that the h's mom is not a gold digger and apologizes to her, but he doesn't tell Keely this. So, she still hates him for his sins against her mom and for humiliating her that night she stayed in his apt.
This is where she gets really stupid. She wants revenge for him humiliating her so while at a visit to her mom and stepdad's house she blurts out over dinner that she spent the night at his house and makes it sound like he took advantage of her and then wouldn't marry her.
Her whole goal was to make life easier for her mom and then barely a month after they marry she stirs up this sort of crap with lies and twisted half-truths? How is that helping? Her stepdad is furious with his son and her mom is all upset. Honestly it was more like a teenager than a woman in her early 20s.
The hero is in a bind because he can't really defend himself without admitting to his deal with the heroine the night of the parents' wedding. So, he has to listen to his dad lecture and rant at him and generally come out a villain (which, granted, he kind of is).
The hero now wants revenge, so he goes to the heroine's apt with the express purpose of raping her - seriously. He felt like this was his right since her actions had led his dad to believe he'd slept with her and took her virginity. He might as well get the benefit of enjoying what he's already been convicted of. Plus, he thought the h was a big ho anyway,and it's not like you can really rape a slut (insert massive sarcasm).
It turns into more of a forced seduction scenario when her traitorous body gives in and begs him to take her. Then there's all sorts of misunderstandings and drama before they get together. They both deserve a medal in jumping to conclusions.
August 7, 2020
Keely was always so close to her mother, Catherine. Both suffered after her father's death and when her mother decided to work as a keep-housekeeper to the Varley's, she couldn't stop her. She was even so happy for her - albeit a little shocked by the suddenness - when her mother told her Lucas Varley had actually proposed and she accepted his proposal. However, Keely, was utterly furious when she later discovered Tarrant Varley, Lucas son, had tried to buy her mother off and seperate her from his father. She was so angry, she crashed his office and slapped him on the face! After her mother's wedding, however, she realized she was not a match to Tarrant because he started blackmailing her, and in order to ensure her mother's happiness, she had to go along with him.
The story would have been a very heartwarming and a touching one at that if the writer's narration had been much better and her character's hate-love relationship had been drawn more in details. The main characters met 6 times within 3 months so no way would a sane person think their relationship plausible and rational. Not a book I would read twice in my life. It gave me a dreadful splitting headache for two days till I ended it!
The story would have been a very heartwarming and a touching one at that if the writer's narration had been much better and her character's hate-love relationship had been drawn more in details. The main characters met 6 times within 3 months so no way would a sane person think their relationship plausible and rational. Not a book I would read twice in my life. It gave me a dreadful splitting headache for two days till I ended it!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 29, 2020
3.5 stars
A hate to love story between two step-siblings (no blood connection of course): wrong first impression for both of them. He thinks she and her mother - a widow that will merry his father - are two lowly gold diggers. She thinks our H is just a snob/a**hole and wants to teach him a lesson.
But our H is also a manw**re and the best vengeance is seduction. The plan almost succeeds and leads to our heroine's revenge and so on....
I read several JS novels but I was quite surprised by this one: sex/love scenes are more explicit and feelings are not in undertone.
Anyway, I enjoyed it.
A hate to love story between two step-siblings (no blood connection of course): wrong first impression for both of them. He thinks she and her mother - a widow that will merry his father - are two lowly gold diggers. She thinks our H is just a snob/a**hole and wants to teach him a lesson.
But our H is also a manw**re and the best vengeance is seduction. The plan almost succeeds and leads to our heroine's revenge and so on....
I read several JS novels but I was quite surprised by this one: sex/love scenes are more explicit and feelings are not in undertone.
Anyway, I enjoyed it.
February 12, 2016
Omg just so crazy and butterworth factory??? How gross is that. That woman can refer to the fact that they miscarry all the time like its just no big deal. Wow so cold I cried even when I knew she was not that upset and he was so mad it made me mad as hell. I wanted to kill him as in commit book murder! Man they said it was not rape but hello she said no no no please no that's rape my friends. Wake up and smell the crap you are drinking! It was good for emotional drama.
February 12, 2016
Good angst and melodrama!
August 23, 2021
Wow! After reading almost non stop Jessica Steele’s for a week, this was quite a departure from her usual. The hero still became obsessed with heroine, but instead of being grumpy and contrary to it, he was downright cruel.(he could have possibly even been a Robyn Donald hero he was so bad!)
This was intense in many places, and like I said not the usual JS book that I have read so far. I enjoyed it and it satisfied my cruel hero need.
This was intense in many places, and like I said not the usual JS book that I have read so far. I enjoyed it and it satisfied my cruel hero need.
March 4, 2023
I liked it.
The heroine is not a doormat and she gives back as much as she gets from the chauvinist prejudiced hero. His rich father is going to get married to her mother, who was their housekeeper. So he thinks she’s after his money and tries to pay her off. When the heroine finds out what she did, since she’s very protective of her and knows she’s suffered very much in her previous marriage, she confronts the hero and basically throws his words in his face, and even slaps him when he gets nasty and accuses her to be a gold digger too.
Their relationship is explosive and passionate, he wants to have sex with her but doesn’t respect her and she hates his gut but is attracted to him.
When she tries to get revenge telling their parents that he seduced her promising a marriage he never wanted, he is furious, and, after taking her home, he basically rapes her.
No, it’s not forced seduction because she didn’t want it and tried to fight with all she could.
Remorseful because she was a virgin ( sigh) he tries to apologize but she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him and even when she finds out she’s pregnant she isn’t happy about it and is not sure when he proposes marriage.
When she accidentally miscarries, he thinks she got rid of the baby and keeps accusing her.
Later he understands he misjudged her and apologizes. He wants her back because he’s in love with her and eventually she accepts because she’s in love with him too.
I don’t even know how much triggers there are here, from a chauvinism with double standard to the rapist hero and the fact that a virgin doesn’t deserve rape while a non virgin does, to the sad miscarriage with the heroine’s depression.
The hero here deserves a hard beating but thank god the heroine isn’t a doormat or a pushover and isn’t rio ready to forgive his awful behavior.
I enjoyed it because it’s very angsty and the pace is fast and entertaining.
The heroine is not a doormat and she gives back as much as she gets from the chauvinist prejudiced hero. His rich father is going to get married to her mother, who was their housekeeper. So he thinks she’s after his money and tries to pay her off. When the heroine finds out what she did, since she’s very protective of her and knows she’s suffered very much in her previous marriage, she confronts the hero and basically throws his words in his face, and even slaps him when he gets nasty and accuses her to be a gold digger too.
Their relationship is explosive and passionate, he wants to have sex with her but doesn’t respect her and she hates his gut but is attracted to him.
When she tries to get revenge telling their parents that he seduced her promising a marriage he never wanted, he is furious, and, after taking her home, he basically rapes her.
No, it’s not forced seduction because she didn’t want it and tried to fight with all she could.
Remorseful because she was a virgin ( sigh) he tries to apologize but she doesn’t want to have anything to do with him and even when she finds out she’s pregnant she isn’t happy about it and is not sure when he proposes marriage.
When she accidentally miscarries, he thinks she got rid of the baby and keeps accusing her.
Later he understands he misjudged her and apologizes. He wants her back because he’s in love with her and eventually she accepts because she’s in love with him too.
I don’t even know how much triggers there are here, from a chauvinism with double standard to the rapist hero and the fact that a virgin doesn’t deserve rape while a non virgin does, to the sad miscarriage with the heroine’s depression.
The hero here deserves a hard beating but thank god the heroine isn’t a doormat or a pushover and isn’t rio ready to forgive his awful behavior.
I enjoyed it because it’s very angsty and the pace is fast and entertaining.
April 28, 2020
She was going to get back at Tarrant Varley. Keely realized Tarrant objected to her mother's marrying his father, but did he have to take out his disapproval on her? He seemed intent on making her life miserable. First he blackmailed her into spending a weekend at his London flat, then he broke up her romance with another man. She was going to have her revenge on him for this. Keely wasn't quite certain how. But she wouldn't be satisfied until she found a way to hurt Tarrant Varley, if it took her the rest of her life!
March 28, 2016
I don't find undying love believable when from first meeting to last our H and h met only on six occasions through out the entire book.
September 5, 2023
I'm being generous with 3 stars, because I did read all the way through. It started really well, with lots of sparkiness from the h, Keely and unreasonable antagonism from the H, Tarrant, when his father proposes to Keely's widowed mother who is father's new housekeeper. It all went downhill for me with all the rapeyness. It overstepped a forced seduction for me I'm afraid. It then went further downhill at speed with a ons pregnancy [rolls eyes] excessive "carrying my child" pregnancy fetishising [yawn] and a misunderstanding about abortion/miscarriage. The final 20 page denouement was like a dot to dot of explanations. She writes well but this was not for me in either tone or content.
March 12, 2023
This is an oldie from 1984. They don’t write or publish intense trainwrecks like this anymore. It’s not a safe read.
The h was quite silly. She slaps him hard in the face the first time she sees him. And she did many more silly things. She also lied a lot.
But it kept me glued, so 4 stars.
I like that they look different from the typical H and h. She has black hair and he has blonde hair.
Probably 98% of HP h’s are blondes. The “Gentlemen prefer blondes” thought is in the minds of too many HP writers.
The h was quite silly. She slaps him hard in the face the first time she sees him. And she did many more silly things. She also lied a lot.
But it kept me glued, so 4 stars.
I like that they look different from the typical H and h. She has black hair and he has blonde hair.
Probably 98% of HP h’s are blondes. The “Gentlemen prefer blondes” thought is in the minds of too many HP writers.
September 28, 2013
3.5 stars
October 4, 2021
I like a strong heroine but this one was... shrill and annoying.
March 15, 2017
Amarcord
April 10, 2022
It’s a lot better than the blurb but Jessica Steele writes the biggest blockhead heroines! Plus she uses Yoda-speak or else she writes in a foreign language and uses a translation program to get it on paper.
Please see my full review here: https://www.morebooksthantime.com/bon...
Please see my full review here: https://www.morebooksthantime.com/bon...
October 10, 2013
Good one. The Big Misunderstanding is a bit annoying but otherwise, I enjoyed this M&B.
March 7, 2017
Another reread from last night.
Hero's father and heroine's mother are involved and hero wants the heroine's help in stopping their wedding.
Hero's father and heroine's mother are involved and hero wants the heroine's help in stopping their wedding.
October 28, 2022
Jessica Steele is one of my favoutite authors and can create tension like no other. But here the protagonists are just too annoying.
Keely's lovable mother marries her new employer, whose son makes no secret he considers her a gold-digger. And Tarrant adds insult to injury when he paints Keele with the same brush and demands she spends a weekend with him.
What makes this book memorable is the mention of the struggle some women have to go through to have children. The struggle with sometimes heart-wrenching losses. I applaud Steele for this.
Keely's lovable mother marries her new employer, whose son makes no secret he considers her a gold-digger. And Tarrant adds insult to injury when he paints Keele with the same brush and demands she spends a weekend with him.
What makes this book memorable is the mention of the struggle some women have to go through to have children. The struggle with sometimes heart-wrenching losses. I applaud Steele for this.
July 10, 2021
2.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️This was disturbing! The writing in this is so confusing and awkward!! I have enjoyed the other JS books I have read but this one was hard to finish! The rape-turned-seduction scene was awful!
April 8, 2025
The hero (36) starts out as being very unpleasant/aggressive/sleazy and becomes thoughtful and smitten. Whereas the heroine (22) begins the book as confident and happy and turns into a whiny, weak wet blanket.
3 stars.
3 stars.
August 10, 2025
Started off great, then abruptly slid down the hill into the hero being a r4pey rage-monster. WTH.
February 8, 2025
Tried to read it but had to abandon at page 37. The writing style was very awkward. It forced me to re-read sentences multiple times to understand what was being said and I lost patience. Needed a good editor.
Edit: I read the last chapter. It was awful.
Edit: I read the last chapter. It was awful.
April 22, 2016
3.5 stars. Have read this book twice and liked it both times.
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