Miss High and Mighty

by Margaret Rome

Here today and gone tomorrow.

Winning the lottery was like a . miracle to Jade! From long hours working in a factory, she suddenly found herself happily en route to sunny Portugal.

Yet not in her wildest dreams about her holiday had she ever expected to meet someone as handsome and prestigious as Diego da Luz Pereira da Silves. He offered Jade everything a girl could want.

But Diego didn't know he was courting an orphan without prospects. And Jade realized that her lovely bubble was about to burst....

Genres: Harlequin Romance, Romance, Harlequin

187 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Iris]

Very appealing M&B cover by Mogens Amdi Thorsen; yes another great Dane! There's something about the breezy spontaneity of his style that fits category romance well. I feel I know young women and men who look and interact just like this when they are getting to know each other—it's charming.

I guess I'll wade into another Margaret Rome. There's a strong nostalgia factor for me with her, she's good with details but they usually make me wince...

[StMargarets · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. It starts out slowly with an introduction to Jade Mighty's life working in a factory and being teased by her co-workers because her mother insisted she go to a private finishing school in order to better herself and obtain a posh accent. Mother died a few years back and now Jade is an orphan rooming with Di who is going to be married soon. Jade is wondering what she'll do about a place to live when she suddenly wins some money. (as you do). Instead of investing the money she takes a trip to Portugal where a handsome stranger watches her on the plane. They conk heads when she drops something. They have a whirlwind courtship.

Before the wedding, Jade tries to explain she doesn't have any money or social status, just a posh accent, but Diego won't listen. At their wedding reception an old "friend" from the factory crashes and makes a crack about how Jade has always wanted to marry a rich man. Diego is suspicious, but he accepts it was a joke. But then he reads a letter from Di to Jade that also jokes about Jade marrying a rich man and now he is convinced Jade is a gold digger. It's a silly reason for conflict, but there you go.

So begins the honeymoon with a gorgeous travelogue of Portugal punctuated by snarling insults from Diego and Jade going white with hurt and humiliation. They eventually consummate the marriage, but taking her v-card doesn't cure Diego of his hurt pride and disillusion. Jade does stand up for herself and there are glimmers of happiness when Diego forgets himself and is nice to her.

After the honeymoon he dumps her in a lap of luxury, sends her fancy clothes, insults her, has sex with her and generally acts like an HP hero who is fighting his attraction to a gold digger. At his lowest moment he tells her he doesn't want her to bear his children. Cue angst.

Then (for reasons) he flies her out to the desert (in Tangiers?) for a Bedouin wedding. She hurts her foot - it goes septic - she blurts out her love during a high fever. Several pages of grovel and explanations. All is well.

This is a good example from the era of only having the heroine's point of view, but being able to have glimpses of the hero's feelings. This was published in 1981 but if feels like it could have been written decades earlier.

[Debby · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of stereotypes of people of different countries, different cultures. So you have to see through that. And there is a rape scene after the marriage ceremony when he finds out she didn’t tell him the whole truth and she married him for money.

He thinks the h is a gold digger and although she denies that, I think it’s the truth. Otherwise her friend wouldn’t have written the stuff she wrote in her letter.

This book kept me engaged. It was different.

[Margo · Rating 1 out of 5]

H is a jerk, she's a doormat, set at least part in the desert. Terrible.

[FOTINI · Rating 5 out of 5]

Η δεσποινίς "υψηλή κοινωνία"...

[RomLibrary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here today and gone tomorrow.

Winning the lottery was like a . miracle to Jade! From long hours working in a factory, she suddenly found herself happily en route to sunny Portugal.

Yet not in her wildest dreams about her holiday had she ever expected to meet someone as handsome and prestigious as Diego da Luz Pereira da Silves. He offered Jade everything a girl could want.

But Diego didn't know he was courting an orphan without prospects. And Jade realized that her lovely bubble was about to burst.... (

[Amanda Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you have to love these old time Harlequins. This is one of my all time favorites. Lots of angst!