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In Name Only
PAPERBACK
191 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1950
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282 people want to read
About the author
Roberta Leigh
113 books66 followersaka Rachel Lindsay, Janey Scott, Rozella Lake
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
Roberta Leigh was the most frequently used pen name of an author who also published novels as Rachel Lindsay, Rozella Lake, and Janey Scott. Her birth name was Rita Shulman.
Leigh was one of the first romance writers to introduce strong, career-minded heroines who wouldn't be bossed around by the hero.
Leigh had her own film company and wrote and produced 7 TV series for children. She would also "write" the music for her series, although this usually involved her humming or singing the tune into a tape recorder, after which someone else would arrange and write a score.
She studied oil and watercolor painting with Diana Raphael and Michael Chaitow, who her interest in abstract art. Her work has been exhibited at the Podbury Gallery and Finnegan's Gallery in London.
In 1948, she married Michael Lewin and they had a son, Jeremy. Her husband passed away in 1981.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
December 28, 2013
Phew! I just felt like I was put through a spin dry cycle at high speed!
I give this one 4 stars. Scorecard as follows:
+1 Well written
+1 Wonderful heroine (though at times, I did want to smack some sense into her)
+1 Great supporting characters (his father, her parents, wonderful loving OM, deliciously evil OW)
+1 Angst level at an all time high (just the way I like my HPs)
+1 Page turner (could not put it down...had to hide it, so I could work)
-1 Hero was a putz.
Life was all about him. He treated his wife like trash even though without her marrying him, he would have been penniless. When he tired of his mistress, he kicked her to the curb without a second thought. He waffled back and forth between wife and mistress. (Until that point, I might have been able to cut the fool some slack, even though he had no moral values. Alley cats have higher standards. He was just trash.)
Given the stress in her marriage she suffers a mental breakdown. As she recovers, she refuses to see or talk to him, recognizing the futility of a reconciliation given his duplicity. Yet her family is disappointed that she won't try to reconcile. Really? He cheats on your daughter, publicly humiliates her, mentally abuses her, causes her to have an accident where she loses the baby, and you think she should go back and talk to him. Get real. If I had a son-in-law like that, he wouldn't get within 100 yards of my daughter. In fact, he would be very scared, very scared indeed. In fact, so would his mistress. ; )
I give this one 4 stars. Scorecard as follows:
+1 Well written
+1 Wonderful heroine (though at times, I did want to smack some sense into her)
+1 Great supporting characters (his father, her parents, wonderful loving OM, deliciously evil OW)
+1 Angst level at an all time high (just the way I like my HPs)
+1 Page turner (could not put it down...had to hide it, so I could work)
-1 Hero was a putz.
Life was all about him. He treated his wife like trash even though without her marrying him, he would have been penniless. When he tired of his mistress, he kicked her to the curb without a second thought. He waffled back and forth between wife and mistress. (Until that point, I might have been able to cut the fool some slack, even though he had no moral values. Alley cats have higher standards. He was just trash.)
Given the stress in her marriage she suffers a mental breakdown. As she recovers, she refuses to see or talk to him, recognizing the futility of a reconciliation given his duplicity. Yet her family is disappointed that she won't try to reconcile. Really? He cheats on your daughter, publicly humiliates her, mentally abuses her, causes her to have an accident where she loses the baby, and you think she should go back and talk to him. Get real. If I had a son-in-law like that, he wouldn't get within 100 yards of my daughter. In fact, he would be very scared, very scared indeed. In fact, so would his mistress. ; )
May 3, 2023
Great cover by Dutch illustrator Jac Mars, a favorite with the M&B art department, his work is on dozens of M&B covers. This one features a subtly peculiar color palette with an air of cool verdant sophistication which can as easily pass for the sickly green of hospitals. The attitude and posture of the models is apropos as well. Heroine is diffident and uncertain; hero looks exactly like the aloof, pissed-off and childish jerk portrayed in the book.
In Name Only is Roberta Leigh's first book and it shows in the pacing and inconsistent characterization, breaking too neatly into three sections with the H and h behaving like different people in each of them. Even so it wasn't half bad. I was kept engaged in the first half noting the similarities to All's Well That Ends Well. Wherein a young woman is "gifted" the higher status man she covets by an older more powerful man who has grown fond of and/or owes the heroine for vague medical miracles. Both "heroes", Bertram from AWTEW and Nicholas from INO are outraged as well they should be. Young men of the world aren't supposed to be given as prizes to some plain chick they aren't attracted to and they each behave as petulant boors as a result.
Jane from INO doesn't ask for her guy in the explicit manner Helena the heroine of AWTEW does, but she and her employer Mr. Hamilton do discuss her interest in his son Nicholas and how to attract him. She certainly doesn't decline to marry him once he falls like bitter fruit into her lap through the expediency of his father's will. That is to say marry a man who has already chosen and is engaged to another woman, but who is now required to marry Jane and live with her for a year or lose his inheritance. To his credit Nic wants to renounce his inheritance for the woman he loves but the woman he loves wants that money—oh Nic! think of our future children—so convinces him a year isn't so very long at all. Well you know outrageous wills are silly but they get the job done. Jane and Nicholas marry and are miserable.
Everyone in INO behaves badly. Nicholas, mean and malleable, continues with his on hold fiancée. Jane once she's got her tiger by the tail is insecure yet weirdly smug. Had Nic's fiancée simply avoided some of the more overt OW behaviors I would have backed her all the way. As for the nice guy OM? Hanging around a married woman hoping for scraps is pathetic and not nice at all. I didn't care a jot about any of them but I'm a moral ambiguities enthusiast so this portion of the story worked for me.
And then the AWTEW plot disappears and the once pragmatic Jane becomes a heroine from a Victorian Sensation novel. She jumps to conclusions and runs into traffic, miscarries, gets brain fever and literally becomes catatonic for months because OW taunts her. The medical scenes are absurd and OTT—leeches may have been applied or they sure should have been. Meanwhile Nic's hair goes gray, he's a broken-ish man who sort of tells off the OW. He's really sorry! Once back in the land of the conscious Jane nearly sleeps with the OM, demonstrating she can be unforgiving, mean, and dishonorable too. Reap what you sow Nic dear but isn't it sweet how well suited they are?
In Name Only is Roberta Leigh's first book and it shows in the pacing and inconsistent characterization, breaking too neatly into three sections with the H and h behaving like different people in each of them. Even so it wasn't half bad. I was kept engaged in the first half noting the similarities to All's Well That Ends Well. Wherein a young woman is "gifted" the higher status man she covets by an older more powerful man who has grown fond of and/or owes the heroine for vague medical miracles. Both "heroes", Bertram from AWTEW and Nicholas from INO are outraged as well they should be. Young men of the world aren't supposed to be given as prizes to some plain chick they aren't attracted to and they each behave as petulant boors as a result.
Jane from INO doesn't ask for her guy in the explicit manner Helena the heroine of AWTEW does, but she and her employer Mr. Hamilton do discuss her interest in his son Nicholas and how to attract him. She certainly doesn't decline to marry him once he falls like bitter fruit into her lap through the expediency of his father's will. That is to say marry a man who has already chosen and is engaged to another woman, but who is now required to marry Jane and live with her for a year or lose his inheritance. To his credit Nic wants to renounce his inheritance for the woman he loves but the woman he loves wants that money—oh Nic! think of our future children—so convinces him a year isn't so very long at all. Well you know outrageous wills are silly but they get the job done. Jane and Nicholas marry and are miserable.
Everyone in INO behaves badly. Nicholas, mean and malleable, continues with his on hold fiancée. Jane once she's got her tiger by the tail is insecure yet weirdly smug. Had Nic's fiancée simply avoided some of the more overt OW behaviors I would have backed her all the way. As for the nice guy OM? Hanging around a married woman hoping for scraps is pathetic and not nice at all. I didn't care a jot about any of them but I'm a moral ambiguities enthusiast so this portion of the story worked for me.
And then the AWTEW plot disappears and the once pragmatic Jane becomes a heroine from a Victorian Sensation novel. She jumps to conclusions and runs into traffic, miscarries, gets brain fever and literally becomes catatonic for months because OW taunts her. The medical scenes are absurd and OTT—leeches may have been applied or they sure should have been. Meanwhile Nic's hair goes gray, he's a broken-ish man who sort of tells off the OW. He's really sorry! Once back in the land of the conscious Jane nearly sleeps with the OM, demonstrating she can be unforgiving, mean, and dishonorable too. Reap what you sow Nic dear but isn't it sweet how well suited they are?
May 1, 2016
Why, oh why do these idiots pick the wrong guy?
To paraphrase Ghostbusters, "Who you gonna pick?" The charming, creative and man with self-depreciating humor that treats you like gold, or the ungrateful, cheating, MEAN and dismissive ass-hat that is blinded by a vapid evil OW? Hmm? It's not like John, the good guy, is some boring Dudley Doright; he's a wonderful character. Just once I would like the fun, good guy to get the girl.
Uber angst that is drawn out.
No bueno. I should have paid heed to the negative reviews.
P.S. In reviewing my one stars, I would love this to have ended with the h marrying John and falling in love with him. Alas, no.
To paraphrase Ghostbusters, "Who you gonna pick?" The charming, creative and man with self-depreciating humor that treats you like gold, or the ungrateful, cheating, MEAN and dismissive ass-hat that is blinded by a vapid evil OW? Hmm? It's not like John, the good guy, is some boring Dudley Doright; he's a wonderful character. Just once I would like the fun, good guy to get the girl.
Uber angst that is drawn out.
No bueno. I should have paid heed to the negative reviews.
P.S. In reviewing my one stars, I would love this to have ended with the h marrying John and falling in love with him. Alas, no.
December 28, 2013
3.5 stars
This book was a tear jerker. There were three characters I got at least misty over. Not the hero though. I enjoyed his suffering. He was an uber jerk.
Lots and lots of spoilers here. At the beginning of the story, the heroine worked for the father of the hero. The H was injured in a plane crash and took a year to recover. He refused to see any of his shallow friends while he was crippled, but the h, halo-girl that she was, stayed by his side as a friend and was instrumental in helping him recover. She fell in love with him during this time and he almost falls for her but she kept him at arms length and it didn't go anywhere. As soon as he recovered, he went and found him a hot blonde and that was all for the H/h's friendship. The H's father knew that the blonde was a gold digger and that the H only had the hots for the OW, so he made sure he put a stumbling block in the H's plan to marry the blonde by putting it in his will that the hero had to marry the heroine or he would be disinherited. As soon as he heard this news, the H turned into an evil viper who totally wiped from his memory that h ever did anything for him or meant anything to him at all. He was freaking vicious, and proceeded doing all kinds of humiliating things to the h, including blatantly dangling the OW in her face in front of other people.
But to balance things regarding the OW, there was a sophisticated painter in love with the h who chased her all through the story. I really liked this character and wished she ended up with him.
In order to totally not hate the H, I reminded myself that he didn't want to marry the h, was forced into it, and truly felt he was in love with the gold digger. So, it wasn't really cheating...until later. But he still didn't need to be such an putz. What nailed the H as a uber jerk was when he decided he loved the h afterall, he dumped the blonde like a hot rock and began being threatening and vicious to her almost immediately. The guy was a spoilt brat who tossed his women under the bus the minute he was done with them.
The ending got drawn out unnecessarily and the presentation of psychological disorders and treatment was inaccurate and antiquated, but otherwise the story was an interesting, angsty, tear-jerking, wallbanger.
This book was a tear jerker. There were three characters I got at least misty over. Not the hero though. I enjoyed his suffering. He was an uber jerk.
Lots and lots of spoilers here. At the beginning of the story, the heroine worked for the father of the hero. The H was injured in a plane crash and took a year to recover. He refused to see any of his shallow friends while he was crippled, but the h, halo-girl that she was, stayed by his side as a friend and was instrumental in helping him recover. She fell in love with him during this time and he almost falls for her but she kept him at arms length and it didn't go anywhere. As soon as he recovered, he went and found him a hot blonde and that was all for the H/h's friendship. The H's father knew that the blonde was a gold digger and that the H only had the hots for the OW, so he made sure he put a stumbling block in the H's plan to marry the blonde by putting it in his will that the hero had to marry the heroine or he would be disinherited. As soon as he heard this news, the H turned into an evil viper who totally wiped from his memory that h ever did anything for him or meant anything to him at all. He was freaking vicious, and proceeded doing all kinds of humiliating things to the h, including blatantly dangling the OW in her face in front of other people.
But to balance things regarding the OW, there was a sophisticated painter in love with the h who chased her all through the story. I really liked this character and wished she ended up with him.
In order to totally not hate the H, I reminded myself that he didn't want to marry the h, was forced into it, and truly felt he was in love with the gold digger. So, it wasn't really cheating...until later. But he still didn't need to be such an putz. What nailed the H as a uber jerk was when he decided he loved the h afterall, he dumped the blonde like a hot rock and began being threatening and vicious to her almost immediately. The guy was a spoilt brat who tossed his women under the bus the minute he was done with them.
The ending got drawn out unnecessarily and the presentation of psychological disorders and treatment was inaccurate and antiquated, but otherwise the story was an interesting, angsty, tear-jerking, wallbanger.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2014
What a disgusting shallow man and what a pathetic woman for putting up with such a cheat for a husband!
June 26, 2024
H and h marry to fulfill a condition in H’s father’s will. h agrees to a marriage of convenience because she loves him and hopes he will fall in love with her. But H doesn’t care about the goody two shoes h, he is in love with a sophisticated vampy blonde OW who he showers with jewelry and spends every night with, to the great embarrassment and public humiliation of his wife.
Then one night, the inevitable happens and the H and h consummate their marriage. Idjeet h wakes up with a big smile thinking that all her rainbows and unicorn dreams have finally come true. “He loves me, he must really love me,” she thinks to herself, with the same exuberance of circa 1980s Sally Field accepting her Oscar for best actress…
buuuuuut it turns out that nope, far from falling in love, the hero deeply regrets his lapse and tells his wife so in a weird angry post-coitus letter that would be horribly cruel if it wasn’t so unintentionally comical. You see, this wonderful human being is peeved because his scheming virgin wife made him succumb to what any red-blooded male would take when it’s on offer, and now they can’t get a quick annulment anymore, he and the vampy blonde have to wait 3 long years before H can divorce the h and marry his true love and it’s all the h’s fault! However all is not lost since, as he oh so magnificently points out to his wife, they could probably speed the divorce thing along if he got his mistress pregnant, and no doubt they have been trying very hard at it every night and will continue to do so. What a charmer! LOL.
With that in mind, the h takes herself off on a month long Paris jaunt where she effects a Sabrina-like extreme fashion makeover into a sophisticated Parisienne who will likely appeal more to her delectable husband. Shereturns to England ready to fight for this very worthy male specimen.
I mean who wouldn’t make an effort to win back a spoiled bratty entitled adulterer who puts his mistress on a pedestal and his wife in the gutter?
The Paris couture trick works and our infantile philanderer with an undeveloped frontal lobe and the attention span of a squirrel decides his wife is the shiny new toy he wants to play with for now. So what does he do? Surely not sleep with the wife, avow his twu luv foreva then invite the mistress over to the house 2 hours later for one final goodbye kiss???? Well, yes, that’s exactly what this intellectual giant does. Only to have the wife walk in on that touching scene and run away distraught and get hit by a car. She loses her baby and her mind, in that order. The vampy blonde is like a dog with a bone and shows up at the hospital bed of the h to berate her some more, causing her to fall into a … catatonic state. Okay.
Eventually it takes a long cruise and the intervention of a Good Samaritan OM to reunite these two crazy kids! The OW gets to ride into the sunset as the wife of a leader of some unnamed exotic island and is already showing off all the additional pieces of jewelry given to her by her rich new husband, to be added to the already quite extensive emerald collection started by the H. So basically, this romance book has it all: a fang-toothed, snout-nosed viper OW who gets the last word and a better HEA than the heroine, a nice OM who finishes last, a snotty, wimpy, cheating man-child who gets a second chance and an idjeet Pollyanna heroine who was in need of a lobotomy instead of a cruise to cure what ailed her!
Then one night, the inevitable happens and the H and h consummate their marriage. Idjeet h wakes up with a big smile thinking that all her rainbows and unicorn dreams have finally come true. “He loves me, he must really love me,” she thinks to herself, with the same exuberance of circa 1980s Sally Field accepting her Oscar for best actress…
buuuuuut it turns out that nope, far from falling in love, the hero deeply regrets his lapse and tells his wife so in a weird angry post-coitus letter that would be horribly cruel if it wasn’t so unintentionally comical. You see, this wonderful human being is peeved because his scheming virgin wife made him succumb to what any red-blooded male would take when it’s on offer, and now they can’t get a quick annulment anymore, he and the vampy blonde have to wait 3 long years before H can divorce the h and marry his true love and it’s all the h’s fault! However all is not lost since, as he oh so magnificently points out to his wife, they could probably speed the divorce thing along if he got his mistress pregnant, and no doubt they have been trying very hard at it every night and will continue to do so. What a charmer! LOL.
With that in mind, the h takes herself off on a month long Paris jaunt where she effects a Sabrina-like extreme fashion makeover into a sophisticated Parisienne who will likely appeal more to her delectable husband. Shereturns to England ready to fight for this very worthy male specimen.
I mean who wouldn’t make an effort to win back a spoiled bratty entitled adulterer who puts his mistress on a pedestal and his wife in the gutter?
The Paris couture trick works and our infantile philanderer with an undeveloped frontal lobe and the attention span of a squirrel decides his wife is the shiny new toy he wants to play with for now. So what does he do? Surely not sleep with the wife, avow his twu luv foreva then invite the mistress over to the house 2 hours later for one final goodbye kiss???? Well, yes, that’s exactly what this intellectual giant does. Only to have the wife walk in on that touching scene and run away distraught and get hit by a car. She loses her baby and her mind, in that order. The vampy blonde is like a dog with a bone and shows up at the hospital bed of the h to berate her some more, causing her to fall into a … catatonic state. Okay.
Eventually it takes a long cruise and the intervention of a Good Samaritan OM to reunite these two crazy kids! The OW gets to ride into the sunset as the wife of a leader of some unnamed exotic island and is already showing off all the additional pieces of jewelry given to her by her rich new husband, to be added to the already quite extensive emerald collection started by the H. So basically, this romance book has it all: a fang-toothed, snout-nosed viper OW who gets the last word and a better HEA than the heroine, a nice OM who finishes last, a snotty, wimpy, cheating man-child who gets a second chance and an idjeet Pollyanna heroine who was in need of a lobotomy instead of a cruise to cure what ailed her!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2012
The story started out full of tensions,Nicholas-Jane both get married but the reasons are very different,Jane married cause she loved Nicholas and Nicholas cause he had no choice which made him very bitter and cruel towards Jane cause he loved Carole(she is a B**** with capital B).Nicholas behaviour was very cold and cruel,he hurted and humiliated Jane on every chance he got and Jane took it all cause she was in hope that Nicholas might come to love her but that hope is crushed very cruelly and Jane shatters and breaks at the same time Nicholas realizes he was only infactuated towards Carole but loved Jane but Carole had poured all her poison and venom on Jane bringing her on nervous break down.
Nicholas now has to stay away,when he had Jane he did not respect and loved her now that he loves her but he cannot have her and lost her,the story moved ahead with Jane getting better and then there's John who has always been there for Jane,he loves Jane truly his love is unconditional and he is the one who finally brings Nicholas-Jane back together,they talk out and have their HEA.
I really liked the book but i did not get enough grovelling,here Nicholas had to stay away as grovelling but i wanted to see Nicholas working hard to get forgiveness and win back Jane's love and trust.That is why i am cutting down stars.
Overall a good read
Recommend it.
Nicholas now has to stay away,when he had Jane he did not respect and loved her now that he loves her but he cannot have her and lost her,the story moved ahead with Jane getting better and then there's John who has always been there for Jane,he loves Jane truly his love is unconditional and he is the one who finally brings Nicholas-Jane back together,they talk out and have their HEA.
I really liked the book but i did not get enough grovelling,here Nicholas had to stay away as grovelling but i wanted to see Nicholas working hard to get forgiveness and win back Jane's love and trust.That is why i am cutting down stars.
Overall a good read
Recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2020
0.5 stars
jane deserved to get cheated on sorry, she's not a real woman !
jane deserved to get cheated on sorry, she's not a real woman !
January 5, 2021
I bequeath everything I possess to my only son , Nicholas, on condition that he marry Jane Roberts and remains married to her for a period of not less than one year during this time I hope he will come to his senses and realize the worth of one girl against the worthlessness of another.
I had a heads up going in that this had cheating, but the scenario was not what I thought… it’s a little gray, but if infidelity is a hard limit… you should pass. In a nutshell,
In Name Only was published in 1973, so it has that “Old School” writing style that isn’t for everyone. To me, there’s a haughty/formal feel; it’s dramatic and not natural… very Dynasty-esque. Although, it pushes into telenovela (IMO the gold standard of soapy-romance) territory with that screaming catfight and her mental breakdown towards the end.
The supporting characters are pretty likeable. There’s an Aunt to step into the confidant role after Sir Angus’ death. Nicholas starts out as a major ass. He realizes he loves Jane around 70%, but they aren’t really together until 99%. Also, they don’t spend much page-time together. Jane isn’t a complete doormat, but she’s not strong either. John is really nice, but a pathetic clinger. Carole is a pretty great evil OW, but there’s not a ton of page-time between her and Jane, and she gets zero comeuppance.
Bottom Line- Pretty entertaining, but you really just have to go with it. Events/developments just happen without development, and others are illogical. This is definitely a “hang on and enjoy the ride” type of book. H does grovel and hangs around to make things right, but she’s still planning on sleeping with the OM just before the reconciliation, so this is definitely not swoony or romantic.
I had a heads up going in that this had cheating, but the scenario was not what I thought… it’s a little gray, but if infidelity is a hard limit… you should pass. In a nutshell,
In Name Only was published in 1973, so it has that “Old School” writing style that isn’t for everyone. To me, there’s a haughty/formal feel; it’s dramatic and not natural… very Dynasty-esque. Although, it pushes into telenovela (IMO the gold standard of soapy-romance) territory with that screaming catfight and her mental breakdown towards the end.
The supporting characters are pretty likeable. There’s an Aunt to step into the confidant role after Sir Angus’ death. Nicholas starts out as a major ass. He realizes he loves Jane around 70%, but they aren’t really together until 99%. Also, they don’t spend much page-time together. Jane isn’t a complete doormat, but she’s not strong either. John is really nice, but a pathetic clinger. Carole is a pretty great evil OW, but there’s not a ton of page-time between her and Jane, and she gets zero comeuppance.
Bottom Line- Pretty entertaining, but you really just have to go with it. Events/developments just happen without development, and others are illogical. This is definitely a “hang on and enjoy the ride” type of book. H does grovel and hangs around to make things right, but she’s still planning on sleeping with the OM just before the reconciliation, so this is definitely not swoony or romantic.
May 11, 2018
1. stupid, helpless, doormat heroine. she put up with her husband infidelity.
2. dumbass, dumber than dumber, brainless, rude and an ego bigger than grand canyon hero.
I really think the author should ended this book with Nicholas married Carole. they deserved each other. for once I want a heroine with common sense and pride! could you not stop behaved like a pathetic fool who accepted all those uncalled treatment and for heaven's sake, stand up for your own dignity and do not took back a man who cheated on you!! *sigh*
2. dumbass, dumber than dumber, brainless, rude and an ego bigger than grand canyon hero.
I really think the author should ended this book with Nicholas married Carole. they deserved each other. for once I want a heroine with common sense and pride! could you not stop behaved like a pathetic fool who accepted all those uncalled treatment and for heaven's sake, stand up for your own dignity and do not took back a man who cheated on you!! *sigh*
September 2, 2012
The premise of this book was interesting and it had one of my favorite tropes (the angst of a cheating hero being in love with another woman) but it was so badly written that not even my favorite trope could sustain me. You have no idea how unsatisfying it is to me to read an angst ridden book that isn't done well. It's like torturing yourself without getting relief.
You were basically told everything and not shown and things happened so fast that the whole plot along with every situation was unbelievable. For example, The heroine was in love with the hero by 11% after the author glided over weeks and months of them getting to know one another and just told the reader that she fell in love with him without enabling you to see how in the world it happened. Here's another example, the other man was in love with the heroine and wanted to marry her the first day they met. You see where I'm going with this?
Both characters were shallow and superficial. They had no dept whatsoever. I know this is a Harley and the author has the requisite 192 pages to get everything in, but I've read Harley's that did that with more tact. Note to self, stay away from Roberta Leigh books because if this is how she writes, I want no part of it.
You were basically told everything and not shown and things happened so fast that the whole plot along with every situation was unbelievable. For example, The heroine was in love with the hero by 11% after the author glided over weeks and months of them getting to know one another and just told the reader that she fell in love with him without enabling you to see how in the world it happened. Here's another example, the other man was in love with the heroine and wanted to marry her the first day they met. You see where I'm going with this?
Both characters were shallow and superficial. They had no dept whatsoever. I know this is a Harley and the author has the requisite 192 pages to get everything in, but I've read Harley's that did that with more tact. Note to self, stay away from Roberta Leigh books because if this is how she writes, I want no part of it.
July 5, 2021
I had to come back to give this book 5 stars instead of 4 because I can’t stop thinking about how much I loved it, even though there were a few parts I really did not like hence why I took off the initial star. It’s now one of my favorite HPs. Absolutely riveting.
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Old review:
Whew! The newer harlequin romance books could never do what these vintage books do!! Don’t even get me started on the cringy titles the newer novels routinely rotate. I loved every absolutely crazy moment in this book. It had everything. And i mean everything! I automatically hate the OM and OW in every romance i read but i found myself with second lead syndrome and actually liking the OM. That was how good the writing, pace, and development were! I’m unashamedly addicted to these novels and i don’t even care anymore. I cant stop reading these and i don’t want to.
———————————
Old review:
Whew! The newer harlequin romance books could never do what these vintage books do!! Don’t even get me started on the cringy titles the newer novels routinely rotate. I loved every absolutely crazy moment in this book. It had everything. And i mean everything! I automatically hate the OM and OW in every romance i read but i found myself with second lead syndrome and actually liking the OM. That was how good the writing, pace, and development were! I’m unashamedly addicted to these novels and i don’t even care anymore. I cant stop reading these and i don’t want to.
April 30, 2022
Spoiler warning, I guess, though I think most people reading an HP review won’t care much.
This was 2.5 stars until the moment she sees her husband kissing the OW, runs into the street, gets hit by a car, loses her baby, and then apparently loses her damned mind as well from the shock. She’s described as being near catatonic, from the husband’s behavior more than the loss of child from what is portrayed. Then there’s ridiculous hushed man-psychiatry talk between doctor and husband, and a million more silly OW scenarios and leading the poor OM on. Probably the only Harlequin where I’ve ever rooted for the heroine to dump the husband and get together with the other man.
How this is written by the same author who wrote the delightful Temporary Wife is beyond me. ALSO. Her Parisian makeover and shopping trip weren’t nearly as satisfying.
This was 2.5 stars until the moment she sees her husband kissing the OW, runs into the street, gets hit by a car, loses her baby, and then apparently loses her damned mind as well from the shock. She’s described as being near catatonic, from the husband’s behavior more than the loss of child from what is portrayed. Then there’s ridiculous hushed man-psychiatry talk between doctor and husband, and a million more silly OW scenarios and leading the poor OM on. Probably the only Harlequin where I’ve ever rooted for the heroine to dump the husband and get together with the other man.
How this is written by the same author who wrote the delightful Temporary Wife is beyond me. ALSO. Her Parisian makeover and shopping trip weren’t nearly as satisfying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 14, 2014
To be fair, this book started very well. The heroine was in her element and very confident in her chosen profession. She bearded the proverbial lion in his den and came out smiling. It was a very promising beginning.
What left a bitter taste on my lips is despite this confidence, she became a push over when she fell in love. Worse, the other woman beat her emotionally and drove her to an emotional, physical, and mental breakdown and this other woman still got what she wanted - a rich husband. Where's the justice in that!
What's laughable is that the two main character would not even came back together if the deserving other man wouldn't set them up. In the end, these two indecisive characters started as strong but ended up both a loser. I say they deserved each other.
Come to think of it, I think the conniving other woman ended up the winner in this story. As much as I hate her character, she at least knew how to fight for what she wants.
Sigh...I need a good book to erase these sick taste.
What left a bitter taste on my lips is despite this confidence, she became a push over when she fell in love. Worse, the other woman beat her emotionally and drove her to an emotional, physical, and mental breakdown and this other woman still got what she wanted - a rich husband. Where's the justice in that!
What's laughable is that the two main character would not even came back together if the deserving other man wouldn't set them up. In the end, these two indecisive characters started as strong but ended up both a loser. I say they deserved each other.
Come to think of it, I think the conniving other woman ended up the winner in this story. As much as I hate her character, she at least knew how to fight for what she wants.
Sigh...I need a good book to erase these sick taste.
May 20, 2016
Not something I would want to read again. Shallow jerk of a hero is a taker instead of a giver and nearly falls for h because of her kindness and caring for him when he was an invalid. As soon as he is well, like seeks like and he falls in lust with the OW who is as shallow a character as he is. Poor h is stupid enough to marry him so he will be able to receive his inheritance and although she is helping him get big bucks he somehow blames her and tries and succeeds to humiliate her with OW. From what is implied he is having sex with OW because he states that one way they could qualify for divorce is if OW becomes pregnant and then he has grace to blush(how touching). It rocks along for a while with him going out every night to see OW and his wife going out occasionally with a man he introduced her to. He gets unreasonably possessive of h in regards to OM and wants her to quit seeing him although he refuses to curtail his out-of-bounds business with OW. He eventually begins to compare the character of the two females and what do you know... OW starts to fall short and h gains ground. He slowly comes to the conclusion that he was just infatuated with OW and really loves his wife. But before he realizes that he is head over heels he has an encounter with the wife that leaves her pregnant and the next morning oh brilliant one has come to the conclusion that she has slept with him just to keep him from seeking an annulment. He leaves her a despicable letter that makes her cry and she shows it to his aunt who just happened along while she was boohooing. Aunty decides the wife needs to go to Paris to run up big bills and have a complete makeover to get H's attention. When she comes home he tells her he loves her and he makes an appointment with OW to come by the house while the wife is out the next day so he can break things off (I think a phone call would have been sufficient). Of course OW begs for a goodbye smooch to commemorate the breakup and of course the h comes in and catches them at it. This is followed in rapid succession by her getting hit by a car, losing the baby, having a nervous break down, and separating from her husband. He shows back up several pages later gaunt and gray at the edges and she repulses him. But they get together close to the last page because her dear friend John (the fellow she was going out with) gets them together. Read on openlibrary.org
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2016
I hated the heroine. She was ready to sleep with the other man while still married.
July 26, 2022
This vook was a whirlwind for me with a lot of happenings. For a start I neither liked the hero nor the heroine. They were both without a self respect. Jane the heroine is well educated, successful in her career and beautiful but for me a dumb because she falls in love with hero Nickolas who clearly tells her he loves another women. I understand we can't help falling in love but even after so many showdowns and humiliations Jane continues to love Nicolas and always ready to fall in his arms was unacceptable to me. The other hero John was the best character for me and he was extremely likeable,he falls in love with Jane but sacrifices his love when he realizes that Jane can never stop loving Nickolas and unites them. I really liked the writing by this author and will look forward to reading more of her works
July 20, 2020
Hold up, why do they end up together?! Just why? Can anyone tell me that? The hero is pretty much the second villain in this story, his apathy makes him completely unlikeable. He kisses the heroine then pow is engaged to someone else. The story’s pacing was way off. Cut the injury but keep the will, and start making the hero fall in love! Damn. The other guy was more a romantic lead! The two women he is stuck in between don’t believe him when he changes his mind. And I gotta agree, dude we don’t believe you, your previous actions, previous words contradict everything you claim. And he doesn’t DO anything to get the heroine back, everyone does the heavy lifting for him. Ugh skip. Hate to say it but skip.
October 1, 2020
The H was so stupid...and such an idiot. Frankly, he would have been kinda redeemable had he not continued to sleep with the OW after he'd slept with the h. Just terrible... I kept waiting for the h to kick him to the curb. Just terrible.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2023
In Name Only was about Jane Roberts and Nicholas Hamilton.
Jane met Nicholas when she was working as his father's personal assistant. Nicholas had been injured in an accident and Jane had aided him in his recovery, and they became friends, though Jane was in love. Nicholas struggled with his feelings for her, but he often thought about how easy it would be to fall in love with her. In fact, he believed it was just a matter of time. But then, he met Carole, a model, and Jane started to fade away. The closer Nicholas got to Carole, the more Jane withdrew into herself, for she could see she had lost any chance with him.
However, Angus died suddenly, though he had been neither a young man nor quite healthy. A week after the funeral, Jane got a letter from his attorney requesting her presence at the reading of the will. When the attorney requested Nicholas and Jane stay behind, he asked Carole to step out with everyone else. He then informed them that, unless Nicholas married Jane, and stayed married to her for a year, he would lose everything. He accused Jane of manipulating his father into writing that clause in the will and told her there was no way in hell he would do it. However, Carole convinced him it was only a year out of their lives. So he told the attorney and Jane that he would go through with it, but he wasn’t giving up Carole, whom he still considered his fiancee.
They got married, but as promised, Nicholas continued seeing Carole, who constantly needled Jane. Nicholas also belittled Jane, though she tried not to let them see how badly they hurt her. He invited Carole to dine at their home, though she brought John along with her, then they both ignored her during the dinner, and John saw the pain on Jane's face and became her friend. They walked in the garden while Nicholas and Carole danced. While outside, Jane told him the truth about her marriage.
They were to host a dinner party. She asked if Carole was to be a guest. He said yes. Jane said if she was to be his wife for a year, then Carole was not allowed in their home and if she was, then Carole could play hostess and Jane go out. He grudgingly agreed. The night of the dinner party, Nicholas noticed the changes in Jane. Nicholas introduced Jane to his Aunt Agatha and the two of them got along quite well.
She had lunch with John the next day, who confessed his love for her, adding he would be there for her always. As they talked, Jane saw Nicholas enter with Carole. Before lunch ended, John invited her to dine with him later to mess with Nicholas’ head. Knowing they would walk by them to exit, John told her not to let them see her pain. As they drew closer, Jane greeted Nicholas and kept going, but Nicholas invited them for coffee. John declined and said they had another appointment, then walked away. Carole noted John looked taken with Jane and wondered if John would marry Jane after the annulment. The question irritated him. Nicholas realized John was more than a little interested in Jane and he was not happy. When she returned home, he asked about her lunch date with John and said he hoped it would be their last. Nicholas said she could visit with her female friends instead, but she said that wouldn't stop her from going out with John. She handed him the phone after answering it, but interrupted the call, saying, "Nicholas...If you won't go out with Carole, I won't go out with John."...all she got back was silence.
Agatha asked John to paint Jane’s portrait, so he visited twice a week. Jane had set up a studio for him. During a visit, he kissed her. Nicholas came in, saw them, then turned and quietly left the room. He was furious. He returned to work, but couldn't focus. He was going to confront Jane about what he had seen. Except..."How could he criticize Jane for her behaviour when his own was as bad? Never before had he considered his relationship with Carole in relation to his marriage...then he had no right to determine Jane's actions....". He arrived home in time for dinner. During the meal, Nicholas said he had visited the studio earlier. She realized and asked if he had seen the kiss. He agreed and asked if she would marry John after the fiasco had ended. She said it was her business. He accused her of having an affair with John. She slapped him and he grabbed her, and forcibly kissed her, which turned into a passionate embrace. Then he abruptly released her.
The next day, her watch broke and the chauffeur took her to the jeweler's to have it repaired. While there, they asked if she liked the emerald brooch Nicholas had asked them to make for her. She gave an evasive response, knowing it had been for Carole. She went to a cafe, only for Carole to show up to tell her about the brooch. Jane went home and learned he wouldn’t be home for dinner. It was two in the morning when she heard Nicholas moving in his room and called out to him...to which he actually responded. She said she knew about the brooch and he accused her of snooping, but she said she saw Carole at lunch. She asked him to set her free, that she needed the annulment now. Another vicious fight ensued, and they ended up in Jane's bed, which made Jane wake up the next morning believing he loved her. Then she read his note. Her heart broke. Nicholas said he realized by having sex, they now had to wait three years to divorce. He felt Jane had tricked him by surrendering last night. What would he tell Carole? Aunt Agatha read the horrible letter, then said it was time for a change. She called her interior designer to fix up Jane's house, and told Jane to send a note to Nicholas telling him of the trip to Paris and that he needed to stay at his club until the renovations were done. In Paris, Jane got a new wardrobe and makeover. They were gone for a month. Nicholas met them at the airport when their trip ended. After arriving home, Jane saw him hesitate and asked what was wrong. He tried to apologize for the note he had left her before she went to Paris. When she asked what Carole had said about the incident, Nicholas said he hadn't told her, though he did talk with the attorney about divorcing sooner, the man said the only way was if Carole were to get pregnant. He said he'd figure out how to deal with Carole and the divorce.
Nicholas learned about Jane’s charity work...something that he knew nothing about until a friend congratulated him on her success. He was more aware of her, especially since her makeover. It reminded him of how close they had been. Nicholas knew his attitude towards Carole had shifted. He was seeing her for the limited woman she was. He could only stare at Jane as she descended the stairs and saw her beauty. He realized she was going to John and he was jealous. As she left, he admitted to himself that he loved her.
While with John, Jane said she was pregnant. He asked if Nicholas knew, and she said no. After arguing, John took her home, where she found Nicholas waiting. They had another argument over her time with John, and there was gossip. She reminded him about him and Carole, and that society was taking bets on how long their marriage would last. He apologized, then told her he had been a blind fool and how marrying her was the right thing to do. He said, "...My only fear is of losing you - that I may even have lost you already.". He wanted to go on an extended honeymoon, just the two of them. She told him about the baby. They ended up in bed.
The next day, Nicholas called her from work and asked her to have lunch with him, but she had some charity work she needed to take care of, so Nicholas called Carole and asked her to meet him at his home that afternoon. When she arrived he told her they were over. She tried to talk him out of it, but when she realized it wasn't working, she asked him for one last kiss. He meant to kiss her forehead, but she forced a passionate kiss on him...and Jane walked in. Seeing them kissing, Jane turned to leave, though he tried to stop her. Exiting the house, she was so focused on getting across the street to the park, that she stepped into the street and was hit by a bumper and thrown to the curb where she lost consciousness.
Though a doctor was called who, upon examining Jane, then called for an ambulance to take her to the ER. It wasn't until after the doctor confirmed Jane had lost the baby, but that she, herself would survive, that Nicholas became aware Carole was still there. She asked, "Would I be right in assuming that Jane's expecting a baby?", and he said yes. She questioned as to whose baby it was, his or John's, and Nicholas told her it was definitely his and not to imply otherwise. After she left, he wondered if she had heard Jane enter the house and planned for her to find them kissing.
Jane felt the bitter sting of betrayal. She couldn’t decide why he had told her he loved her, only to end back up in Carole’s arms. When her parents visited her, she told them the truth about her marriage. They tried to convince her to see Nicholas, who had been waiting anxiously, but she declined, saying she no longer wanted anything to do with him. Aunt Agatha believed that Nicholas was telling her the truth about his love for her and that Jane should give him the chance to tell his side. She managed to get Jane to agree. However, before Nicholas could arrive, Carole showed up and told her that she was there to fight for him. She told Jane the only reason he had said he loved her was that she had told him she was pregnant. She verbally pushed Jane, causing her to become confused with the order of how the talk between her and Nicholas had taken place. Then Carole said that he only wanted to stay with her because of guilt. Jane got hysterical and told her to go away. She never knew when the woman left. All she knew was the sense of drowning. After Carole left, a nurse went to tell her that Nicholas was there, but she found Jane non-responsive, half hanging off the bed. She sounded the alarm and soon a team was assembled around her bed trying to revive her. The doctor told Nicholas it was beyond his scope of medicine so he had called in another specialist...whose name told Nicholas that it was no longer medical, but mental health that was trying to take Jane away from him. He told the doctor she had never been mentally ill in her life...but the doctor simply said, “She is now...You'd better face up to it.”.
The next morning, the new doctor told Nicholas that Jane was to be sedated for two weeks or more, but they would wait until she showed signs of wanting to wake up. Nicholas asked what caused it, saying his aunt was the last person to talk with her. That it was the first time she had agreed to see him. When the doctor asked if had not seen her before, he just said no. Wanting to get to the bottom of it, the doctor scheduled a time later that week for Nicholas to visit him in his office.
Returning to the doc, he told him everything about their marriage that led up to the accident. The doc then told him, "It's quite obvious your wife doesn't want to come back to reality,” and Nicholas demanded to know why. Then the specialist informed Nicholas that his aunt was not the last person to enter Jane’s room, "...Though it seems your aunt wasn't the last person to see your wife. She had another visitor - a woman. Small and blonde - very pretty, I gather." Nicholas knew immediately it had been Carole.
When Nicholas saw Carole at her parents’ home, he demanded answers. She tried to play it off as a friendly visit, “Why shouldn't I have gone to see her?...I didn't see why we couldn't be friends...that's why I went to see Jane." But Nicholas knew she was lying. So she admitted, “The truth! That you still loved me but were pretending to love her because you felt guilty. Was that such a terrible thing to say, Nicky? Was it the monstrous thing you're trying to make out?" His response was, “...Apart from being a lie, it was heartless.” He turned, but she begged him not to leave her and demanded to know what he would do. He said he was going to tell the doctor exactly what she had said to Jane. She asked what good it would do. (I LOVED his response) He said, “It may help him to get her back to normal. If it doesn't...If it doesn't, I'll be back to see you. And may Heaven help you!”.
Reporting back to the doctor, he repeated the conversation he’d had with Carole, then asked if it would help if he spoke to Jane himself. The doctor said she wouldn’t hear him as she was in a trance and that it would be better if Nicholas stayed away.
As the weeks passed, there was no change. Unable to share with his aunt or her parents the depth of his feelings, and the despair he was drowning in, his torment grew more arduous. Though his and her families told him there was still hope, Nicholas began to think she was beyond help.
However, the doctor called him in October to say Jane had regained consciousness, though Nicholas still couldn’t visit for he couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t slip away again on seeing him. He asked how much better Jane was and was told she appeared normal...except for where Nicholas was concerned. He asked what that meant. The doctor said no one mentioned him. He lost some of his control as he demanded to see her. The doctor said he had held on this long, he could wait some more. Nicholas asked if he should stay at his club when she was released, but the doctor corrected him and said he meant that Jane was going to her parents, then taking a long holiday. Knowing Jane wanted nothing to do with him was crushing. He worked until he couldn’t. Though the company was flourishing because of his work, he felt bitter because it was “an empty triumph” since he couldn’t share it with her.
Because Jane had been at her parents’ home for six weeks, he couldn’t visit them, so they made the trip to London as often as they could to spend time with him and give him updates. Their latest trip was when they told him that she and her mother were going on a cruise. He asked how soon they would be leaving and they said in just a few days. He wanted to see her before they left but was told no. Jane and her mother were gone for three months before they returned to England. But she chose to stay with Aunt Agnes in Cornwall. She was surprised to find John living in a cottage there as well. He wanted to paint another portrait of her. After being at Agatha’s for a time, the older woman asked her how she intended to handle things with Nicholas, and she said their marriage was over. By the middle of May, John had finished her portrait and was ready to return to London. Before he left, Jane told him that, if he still wanted her, she would marry him when the divorce was final. Jane returned to London at the end of May. The day of the art show arrived and Jane was watching the reactions of those attending when she heard Carole, who was waving around a new, expensive diamond and emerald bracelet. She was gloating about it being one of her wedding presents. Jane thought she was talking about her wedding to Nicholas. suddenly ill, Jane left only for John to call to check on her. She said the crowd caused her to have a headache, so he set up a personal showing just for her after the gallery was closed.
Arriving for her visit, she saw Nicholas, who told her he loved and needed her. She asked for how long, recalling Carole’s earlier comment about a wedding present. She wanted to know how long it would take before he stopped feeling guilty. After a heated argument, Nicholas quietly left, only for John to return to ask what happened. Jane told him it was a cruel trick to play. They worked it out between them, with John wanting to celebrate because she had reassured him she was over Nicholas.
When they got to the new restaurant, John knew Jane had not been honest but said nothing. Jane went to the ladies’ room where she saw Carole, who said her fiance wasn’t Nicholas. Jane was sick at her blunder concerning Nicholas. Returning to their table, she was subjected to a bit of interrogation, only for John to usher her out of the restaurant. Reaching her flat, he said she was the only thing he wanted. She said okay, but he said not her flat. He had her driven to his place an hour away and said he would follow. She waited, but the man who showed up was Nicholas. They sat down and talked, and he corrected Carole's lies to her, saying he loved her and she said she still loved him.
Oh, the drama of this story. The angst was awesome. There wasn’t much humor, but then the other emotions filled the book, so was easy to forget. Most of the feelings were dark, gripping, and bald. They tore at the heart of the reader. It wasn’t a pretty romance. But it wasn’t a normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill mass-market production. It was a heart-rending tale of a forced marriage that nearly destroyed everyone it touched. It didn’t leave one soul unscathed.
I wanted to hate Nicholas, I really did. I wanted to believe Jane deserved John, and that Nicholas should have been stuck, yes STUCK, with Carole.
The characters were spectacular. Jane developed such a backbone she was virtually unrecognizable. This girl suffered greatly, for she wept at the death of a man she admired, was forced to marry the man she loved, then watched him turn from friend to foe, then endured his cheating, and to top it off, she was humiliated by him publicly repeatedly...and so much more! She bore the other woman kissing Nicholas knowing (I believe this with all my heart) that she was coming into the room, which caused her to run into traffic and be struck by a car, thus losing the baby. And as if that weren’t enough, the b*tch lied, triggering a breakdown. Nicholas had to live with the damage he had inflicted on Jane. He wanted to make things right but knew it could lead to more mental health issues if he saw her. The woman had endured enough, right? The only one left standing was John, who deserved his own story. This was a really good book, and it deserved a five-star rating...and yes, I’m adding it to my Keeper for the Shelves collection.
Jane met Nicholas when she was working as his father's personal assistant. Nicholas had been injured in an accident and Jane had aided him in his recovery, and they became friends, though Jane was in love. Nicholas struggled with his feelings for her, but he often thought about how easy it would be to fall in love with her. In fact, he believed it was just a matter of time. But then, he met Carole, a model, and Jane started to fade away. The closer Nicholas got to Carole, the more Jane withdrew into herself, for she could see she had lost any chance with him.
However, Angus died suddenly, though he had been neither a young man nor quite healthy. A week after the funeral, Jane got a letter from his attorney requesting her presence at the reading of the will. When the attorney requested Nicholas and Jane stay behind, he asked Carole to step out with everyone else. He then informed them that, unless Nicholas married Jane, and stayed married to her for a year, he would lose everything. He accused Jane of manipulating his father into writing that clause in the will and told her there was no way in hell he would do it. However, Carole convinced him it was only a year out of their lives. So he told the attorney and Jane that he would go through with it, but he wasn’t giving up Carole, whom he still considered his fiancee.
They got married, but as promised, Nicholas continued seeing Carole, who constantly needled Jane. Nicholas also belittled Jane, though she tried not to let them see how badly they hurt her. He invited Carole to dine at their home, though she brought John along with her, then they both ignored her during the dinner, and John saw the pain on Jane's face and became her friend. They walked in the garden while Nicholas and Carole danced. While outside, Jane told him the truth about her marriage.
They were to host a dinner party. She asked if Carole was to be a guest. He said yes. Jane said if she was to be his wife for a year, then Carole was not allowed in their home and if she was, then Carole could play hostess and Jane go out. He grudgingly agreed. The night of the dinner party, Nicholas noticed the changes in Jane. Nicholas introduced Jane to his Aunt Agatha and the two of them got along quite well.
She had lunch with John the next day, who confessed his love for her, adding he would be there for her always. As they talked, Jane saw Nicholas enter with Carole. Before lunch ended, John invited her to dine with him later to mess with Nicholas’ head. Knowing they would walk by them to exit, John told her not to let them see her pain. As they drew closer, Jane greeted Nicholas and kept going, but Nicholas invited them for coffee. John declined and said they had another appointment, then walked away. Carole noted John looked taken with Jane and wondered if John would marry Jane after the annulment. The question irritated him. Nicholas realized John was more than a little interested in Jane and he was not happy. When she returned home, he asked about her lunch date with John and said he hoped it would be their last. Nicholas said she could visit with her female friends instead, but she said that wouldn't stop her from going out with John. She handed him the phone after answering it, but interrupted the call, saying, "Nicholas...If you won't go out with Carole, I won't go out with John."...all she got back was silence.
Agatha asked John to paint Jane’s portrait, so he visited twice a week. Jane had set up a studio for him. During a visit, he kissed her. Nicholas came in, saw them, then turned and quietly left the room. He was furious. He returned to work, but couldn't focus. He was going to confront Jane about what he had seen. Except..."How could he criticize Jane for her behaviour when his own was as bad? Never before had he considered his relationship with Carole in relation to his marriage...then he had no right to determine Jane's actions....". He arrived home in time for dinner. During the meal, Nicholas said he had visited the studio earlier. She realized and asked if he had seen the kiss. He agreed and asked if she would marry John after the fiasco had ended. She said it was her business. He accused her of having an affair with John. She slapped him and he grabbed her, and forcibly kissed her, which turned into a passionate embrace. Then he abruptly released her.
The next day, her watch broke and the chauffeur took her to the jeweler's to have it repaired. While there, they asked if she liked the emerald brooch Nicholas had asked them to make for her. She gave an evasive response, knowing it had been for Carole. She went to a cafe, only for Carole to show up to tell her about the brooch. Jane went home and learned he wouldn’t be home for dinner. It was two in the morning when she heard Nicholas moving in his room and called out to him...to which he actually responded. She said she knew about the brooch and he accused her of snooping, but she said she saw Carole at lunch. She asked him to set her free, that she needed the annulment now. Another vicious fight ensued, and they ended up in Jane's bed, which made Jane wake up the next morning believing he loved her. Then she read his note. Her heart broke. Nicholas said he realized by having sex, they now had to wait three years to divorce. He felt Jane had tricked him by surrendering last night. What would he tell Carole? Aunt Agatha read the horrible letter, then said it was time for a change. She called her interior designer to fix up Jane's house, and told Jane to send a note to Nicholas telling him of the trip to Paris and that he needed to stay at his club until the renovations were done. In Paris, Jane got a new wardrobe and makeover. They were gone for a month. Nicholas met them at the airport when their trip ended. After arriving home, Jane saw him hesitate and asked what was wrong. He tried to apologize for the note he had left her before she went to Paris. When she asked what Carole had said about the incident, Nicholas said he hadn't told her, though he did talk with the attorney about divorcing sooner, the man said the only way was if Carole were to get pregnant. He said he'd figure out how to deal with Carole and the divorce.
Nicholas learned about Jane’s charity work...something that he knew nothing about until a friend congratulated him on her success. He was more aware of her, especially since her makeover. It reminded him of how close they had been. Nicholas knew his attitude towards Carole had shifted. He was seeing her for the limited woman she was. He could only stare at Jane as she descended the stairs and saw her beauty. He realized she was going to John and he was jealous. As she left, he admitted to himself that he loved her.
While with John, Jane said she was pregnant. He asked if Nicholas knew, and she said no. After arguing, John took her home, where she found Nicholas waiting. They had another argument over her time with John, and there was gossip. She reminded him about him and Carole, and that society was taking bets on how long their marriage would last. He apologized, then told her he had been a blind fool and how marrying her was the right thing to do. He said, "...My only fear is of losing you - that I may even have lost you already.". He wanted to go on an extended honeymoon, just the two of them. She told him about the baby. They ended up in bed.
The next day, Nicholas called her from work and asked her to have lunch with him, but she had some charity work she needed to take care of, so Nicholas called Carole and asked her to meet him at his home that afternoon. When she arrived he told her they were over. She tried to talk him out of it, but when she realized it wasn't working, she asked him for one last kiss. He meant to kiss her forehead, but she forced a passionate kiss on him...and Jane walked in. Seeing them kissing, Jane turned to leave, though he tried to stop her. Exiting the house, she was so focused on getting across the street to the park, that she stepped into the street and was hit by a bumper and thrown to the curb where she lost consciousness.
Though a doctor was called who, upon examining Jane, then called for an ambulance to take her to the ER. It wasn't until after the doctor confirmed Jane had lost the baby, but that she, herself would survive, that Nicholas became aware Carole was still there. She asked, "Would I be right in assuming that Jane's expecting a baby?", and he said yes. She questioned as to whose baby it was, his or John's, and Nicholas told her it was definitely his and not to imply otherwise. After she left, he wondered if she had heard Jane enter the house and planned for her to find them kissing.
Jane felt the bitter sting of betrayal. She couldn’t decide why he had told her he loved her, only to end back up in Carole’s arms. When her parents visited her, she told them the truth about her marriage. They tried to convince her to see Nicholas, who had been waiting anxiously, but she declined, saying she no longer wanted anything to do with him. Aunt Agatha believed that Nicholas was telling her the truth about his love for her and that Jane should give him the chance to tell his side. She managed to get Jane to agree. However, before Nicholas could arrive, Carole showed up and told her that she was there to fight for him. She told Jane the only reason he had said he loved her was that she had told him she was pregnant. She verbally pushed Jane, causing her to become confused with the order of how the talk between her and Nicholas had taken place. Then Carole said that he only wanted to stay with her because of guilt. Jane got hysterical and told her to go away. She never knew when the woman left. All she knew was the sense of drowning. After Carole left, a nurse went to tell her that Nicholas was there, but she found Jane non-responsive, half hanging off the bed. She sounded the alarm and soon a team was assembled around her bed trying to revive her. The doctor told Nicholas it was beyond his scope of medicine so he had called in another specialist...whose name told Nicholas that it was no longer medical, but mental health that was trying to take Jane away from him. He told the doctor she had never been mentally ill in her life...but the doctor simply said, “She is now...You'd better face up to it.”.
The next morning, the new doctor told Nicholas that Jane was to be sedated for two weeks or more, but they would wait until she showed signs of wanting to wake up. Nicholas asked what caused it, saying his aunt was the last person to talk with her. That it was the first time she had agreed to see him. When the doctor asked if had not seen her before, he just said no. Wanting to get to the bottom of it, the doctor scheduled a time later that week for Nicholas to visit him in his office.
Returning to the doc, he told him everything about their marriage that led up to the accident. The doc then told him, "It's quite obvious your wife doesn't want to come back to reality,” and Nicholas demanded to know why. Then the specialist informed Nicholas that his aunt was not the last person to enter Jane’s room, "...Though it seems your aunt wasn't the last person to see your wife. She had another visitor - a woman. Small and blonde - very pretty, I gather." Nicholas knew immediately it had been Carole.
When Nicholas saw Carole at her parents’ home, he demanded answers. She tried to play it off as a friendly visit, “Why shouldn't I have gone to see her?...I didn't see why we couldn't be friends...that's why I went to see Jane." But Nicholas knew she was lying. So she admitted, “The truth! That you still loved me but were pretending to love her because you felt guilty. Was that such a terrible thing to say, Nicky? Was it the monstrous thing you're trying to make out?" His response was, “...Apart from being a lie, it was heartless.” He turned, but she begged him not to leave her and demanded to know what he would do. He said he was going to tell the doctor exactly what she had said to Jane. She asked what good it would do. (I LOVED his response) He said, “It may help him to get her back to normal. If it doesn't...If it doesn't, I'll be back to see you. And may Heaven help you!”.
Reporting back to the doctor, he repeated the conversation he’d had with Carole, then asked if it would help if he spoke to Jane himself. The doctor said she wouldn’t hear him as she was in a trance and that it would be better if Nicholas stayed away.
As the weeks passed, there was no change. Unable to share with his aunt or her parents the depth of his feelings, and the despair he was drowning in, his torment grew more arduous. Though his and her families told him there was still hope, Nicholas began to think she was beyond help.
However, the doctor called him in October to say Jane had regained consciousness, though Nicholas still couldn’t visit for he couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t slip away again on seeing him. He asked how much better Jane was and was told she appeared normal...except for where Nicholas was concerned. He asked what that meant. The doctor said no one mentioned him. He lost some of his control as he demanded to see her. The doctor said he had held on this long, he could wait some more. Nicholas asked if he should stay at his club when she was released, but the doctor corrected him and said he meant that Jane was going to her parents, then taking a long holiday. Knowing Jane wanted nothing to do with him was crushing. He worked until he couldn’t. Though the company was flourishing because of his work, he felt bitter because it was “an empty triumph” since he couldn’t share it with her.
Because Jane had been at her parents’ home for six weeks, he couldn’t visit them, so they made the trip to London as often as they could to spend time with him and give him updates. Their latest trip was when they told him that she and her mother were going on a cruise. He asked how soon they would be leaving and they said in just a few days. He wanted to see her before they left but was told no. Jane and her mother were gone for three months before they returned to England. But she chose to stay with Aunt Agnes in Cornwall. She was surprised to find John living in a cottage there as well. He wanted to paint another portrait of her. After being at Agatha’s for a time, the older woman asked her how she intended to handle things with Nicholas, and she said their marriage was over. By the middle of May, John had finished her portrait and was ready to return to London. Before he left, Jane told him that, if he still wanted her, she would marry him when the divorce was final. Jane returned to London at the end of May. The day of the art show arrived and Jane was watching the reactions of those attending when she heard Carole, who was waving around a new, expensive diamond and emerald bracelet. She was gloating about it being one of her wedding presents. Jane thought she was talking about her wedding to Nicholas. suddenly ill, Jane left only for John to call to check on her. She said the crowd caused her to have a headache, so he set up a personal showing just for her after the gallery was closed.
Arriving for her visit, she saw Nicholas, who told her he loved and needed her. She asked for how long, recalling Carole’s earlier comment about a wedding present. She wanted to know how long it would take before he stopped feeling guilty. After a heated argument, Nicholas quietly left, only for John to return to ask what happened. Jane told him it was a cruel trick to play. They worked it out between them, with John wanting to celebrate because she had reassured him she was over Nicholas.
When they got to the new restaurant, John knew Jane had not been honest but said nothing. Jane went to the ladies’ room where she saw Carole, who said her fiance wasn’t Nicholas. Jane was sick at her blunder concerning Nicholas. Returning to their table, she was subjected to a bit of interrogation, only for John to usher her out of the restaurant. Reaching her flat, he said she was the only thing he wanted. She said okay, but he said not her flat. He had her driven to his place an hour away and said he would follow. She waited, but the man who showed up was Nicholas. They sat down and talked, and he corrected Carole's lies to her, saying he loved her and she said she still loved him.
Oh, the drama of this story. The angst was awesome. There wasn’t much humor, but then the other emotions filled the book, so was easy to forget. Most of the feelings were dark, gripping, and bald. They tore at the heart of the reader. It wasn’t a pretty romance. But it wasn’t a normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill mass-market production. It was a heart-rending tale of a forced marriage that nearly destroyed everyone it touched. It didn’t leave one soul unscathed.
I wanted to hate Nicholas, I really did. I wanted to believe Jane deserved John, and that Nicholas should have been stuck, yes STUCK, with Carole.
The characters were spectacular. Jane developed such a backbone she was virtually unrecognizable. This girl suffered greatly, for she wept at the death of a man she admired, was forced to marry the man she loved, then watched him turn from friend to foe, then endured his cheating, and to top it off, she was humiliated by him publicly repeatedly...and so much more! She bore the other woman kissing Nicholas knowing (I believe this with all my heart) that she was coming into the room, which caused her to run into traffic and be struck by a car, thus losing the baby. And as if that weren’t enough, the b*tch lied, triggering a breakdown. Nicholas had to live with the damage he had inflicted on Jane. He wanted to make things right but knew it could lead to more mental health issues if he saw her. The woman had endured enough, right? The only one left standing was John, who deserved his own story. This was a really good book, and it deserved a five-star rating...and yes, I’m adding it to my Keeper for the Shelves collection.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2019
What an odd story! Jane falls in love with Nicholas after barely knowing him. He quite likes her but she doesn’t give him enough of a come on so he then falls in love with money grabbing Carole who is just with him for his money.
Nicholas’ father who Jane worked for knew she was in love with his son so stipulated in his Will they must marry and stay together a year.
Nicholas is furious and where once he was good friends with Jane he now treats her like shit!
They marry while he still sees Carole all the time. He introduced Jane to his friend John. John falls in love with Jane instantly and professes his love throughout the book. At one point they share a kiss.
Eventually Nicholas starts to realise he quite fancies Jane as well as Carole so he has sex with Jane but next day treats her like shit again.
He continues to see Carole. Jane continues to see John but then finds out she’s pregnant after one night she shared with Nicholas by which time Nicholas finally realises he loves her. She tells him she loves him too and that’s she’s pregnant at which point we could have had their HEA but alas the author decided to make her have an accident, lose the baby, have Carole make her have a mental breakdown. She refuses to see Nicholas. Is in hospital for ages then goes on a cruise for 4 months. Still has John telling her he loves her and he doesn’t care that she won’t love him back. He wants to marry her.
She hadn’t seen Nicholas for 9 months. They meet, cross words. Carole is still being a bitch but then admits she’s engaged to a new fella. Jane has agreed to marry John but just to be sure sad sap John engineers for Jane and Nicholas to meet up and within a few sentences the last year is forgiven and forgotten and they live HEA.
Poor John. He was the nicest character in the book!
What a load of absolute crap!
Nicholas’ father who Jane worked for knew she was in love with his son so stipulated in his Will they must marry and stay together a year.
Nicholas is furious and where once he was good friends with Jane he now treats her like shit!
They marry while he still sees Carole all the time. He introduced Jane to his friend John. John falls in love with Jane instantly and professes his love throughout the book. At one point they share a kiss.
Eventually Nicholas starts to realise he quite fancies Jane as well as Carole so he has sex with Jane but next day treats her like shit again.
He continues to see Carole. Jane continues to see John but then finds out she’s pregnant after one night she shared with Nicholas by which time Nicholas finally realises he loves her. She tells him she loves him too and that’s she’s pregnant at which point we could have had their HEA but alas the author decided to make her have an accident, lose the baby, have Carole make her have a mental breakdown. She refuses to see Nicholas. Is in hospital for ages then goes on a cruise for 4 months. Still has John telling her he loves her and he doesn’t care that she won’t love him back. He wants to marry her.
She hadn’t seen Nicholas for 9 months. They meet, cross words. Carole is still being a bitch but then admits she’s engaged to a new fella. Jane has agreed to marry John but just to be sure sad sap John engineers for Jane and Nicholas to meet up and within a few sentences the last year is forgiven and forgotten and they live HEA.
Poor John. He was the nicest character in the book!
What a load of absolute crap!
May 12, 2024
This was one of those older HPs where it's quite difficult to ascertain which of the male leads our h is going to end up with. Will it be newspaper baron Angus of the earlier pages. Or perhaps his womanising only son Nicholas (very) temporarily wheelchair bound from a plane crash. Or Nicholas's friend Alec. Or the obliging and besotted artist John. While the testatory mandated MoC trundles aristocratically along and the H flaunts his OW, the h, plain Jane gets the the trademark "why miss jones you're beautiful " makeover at the hands of the posh eccentric dowager aunt. She fluctuates between sensibleness, charitable works, flirting with the artist, pining in doormat fashion for the horrendous H and going full on mental breakdown. Absolute hot mess and entirely unsatisfactory.
August 25, 2017
I'm in a vintage mode. This was a beautiful story. I almost forgot its was an HP I was reading, it was tragic. There was even a point I almost thought that there were no HEA. However we had a Cupid in love with Jane and a hero, Nicolas self inflicting pain by watching her leave him. Both suffered in the name of love, both paid dearly for being antagonistic to each other. I wish the OW had paid dearly, she was the only character escaped unscathed.
November 16, 2021
More like 2.5 but I rounded up. The end fell flat for me and I felt like it was super rushed
September 29, 2022
This is one of those Harlequins where everything is wrong but it works out and the story is enjoyable because the author writes well and each reader will feel for at least one character.
Good points:
* She's strong, described as hard iron will inside a very thick velvet glove.
* Other woman is a nasty piece of work.
* She's in love with him and he had almost been in love with her before he met and planned to marry the gorgeous, manipulative and mercenary other woman, until his dad died, leaving him everything provided he marries our heroine.
* I can understand his feelings toward her since he was forced to marry her.
-- He accused her of plotting with his dad to change his will.
-- He's incredibly nasty to his wife, completely forgetting how kind and loving she has always been; I didn't like how he acted but it was portrayed well. For example he invited his girlfriend/wanna-be fiancé to dinner the first night back after honeymoon, but he also invited an artist friend so it wasn't quite as awful. He's mean but not cruel.
-- He bought his girlfriend a big diamond and emerald pin and dated publicly.
* Highly emotional.
Bad points:
* Artist in love with her gets a bum deal. I'd have loved to seen her pick this great guy at the end.
* Based on reviews, modern readers assume he is sleeping with the other woman, but I think the cheating is emotional, not physical. Other woman is smart enough to know she'll lose him otherwise.
Good points:
* She's strong, described as hard iron will inside a very thick velvet glove.
* Other woman is a nasty piece of work.
* She's in love with him and he had almost been in love with her before he met and planned to marry the gorgeous, manipulative and mercenary other woman, until his dad died, leaving him everything provided he marries our heroine.
* I can understand his feelings toward her since he was forced to marry her.
-- He accused her of plotting with his dad to change his will.
-- He's incredibly nasty to his wife, completely forgetting how kind and loving she has always been; I didn't like how he acted but it was portrayed well. For example he invited his girlfriend/wanna-be fiancé to dinner the first night back after honeymoon, but he also invited an artist friend so it wasn't quite as awful. He's mean but not cruel.
-- He bought his girlfriend a big diamond and emerald pin and dated publicly.
* Highly emotional.
Bad points:
* Artist in love with her gets a bum deal. I'd have loved to seen her pick this great guy at the end.
* Based on reviews, modern readers assume he is sleeping with the other woman, but I think the cheating is emotional, not physical. Other woman is smart enough to know she'll lose him otherwise.
January 29, 2018
3.5 stars!
It was full of details that I never thought that such happened in short pages lels. At first it was alright, but then the Hero pissed me off so much. heroine was better off with the artist...
It was full of details that I never thought that such happened in short pages lels. At first it was alright, but then the Hero pissed me off so much. heroine was better off with the artist...
July 24, 2014
3 1/2 stars. The hero is quite mean in case that bothers anyone.
April 3, 2019
The OM deserves to be the hero.
June 23, 2023
3 Stars for poor Jane. See Leona's review I agree with everything she wrote.
Roberta Leigh aka Rachel Lindsay, I always thought that she hate her heroines and love her OWs. Her OWs has much sexual power over the Hs. They alwasy have much more deep feelings for the OWs than the hs. I don't see HEA for any of her hs in future, I would bet that Hs HEA rest in the OWs. I don't know why she didn't turn her OWs in hs, but I guess in a way she did, because you can see who has the upper hand and power over the Hs. Her Hs weakness are always the OWs. They love the OWs because they are always so in lust with them.
He treated the h badly, insulted and hurted her every way, he betrayed the h trust and fell so in love/lust with the whore gold-digger OW, after the h took care of him after his accident. He should have got a permanent injury for life. He was starting to be attracted to the heroine when after the accident, she was his companion, she was a honored person, she gave him friendship and caring, but she didn't want to take advantage of his situation. Then what the SOB do? He went to party he fell hard for a slut after that when in the testament stated that in order to him get his inheritance he need to marry her for a year. He treated her like a piece of garbage and insulting in every opportunity the heroine, making her living hell, while he treated his slut as a queen with pricey jewelry, wardrobe etc. He knew what kind of gold-digger she was but pretended to be blind and didn't care. If were I the h, I would bankrupt him buying the jewels myself. The jewels that he lent to the h are heirloons because she needed for social occasions. Her mentor shouldn't put in his will that the H should marry her, and one year is not much time to make him lose the OW in my view, but it was a hell of lenght of time for the h, the H's father should just give 50% the inheritance to the h and make a trust fund for the H.
What I most loath, the most heinous and despicable thing that he did, it was after taking her virginity and her love he wrote to the h that what they had was a ugly thing called lust. Really? After you took her innocence, her body and love you BASTARD insulted her. Didn't even felt guilty and sorry afterwards. How could Jane be fool after having sex with him that he loved her, just because he had sex with, if so it only shows that he loves the OW a thousand times more because he was always having sex with the OW. After that Jane had shattered her dreams with that ugly letter from the BASTARD of all bastards.
If not for him and the OW the h would not had an accident that made her lost the baby and could got her killed. The h a breakdown after that and the OW was always putting poison on her even when the poor thing was at the hospital. I think the baby was luck to not be born to a despicable father. Jane almost went mad after her breakdown, she was half-living. Somebody should wipe her memories out, then she could have had peace. He just went to complain to the OW when he find out the heartless thing that the OW said to Jane, if the roles were reversed and were Jane he would had hit/or beat Jane, I'm pretty sure of this but because it was the OW, he let her got scot-free and he never said that the lust that he had with the OW were ugly, just sex with Jane were ugly. What a monster. My blood boils. He deserved the despicable OW, they are both despicable examples of humankind.
The H was an absolutely jerk and worthless, he should stick with his bovine cow. He had no rights to forbade the h and the OM, when he was still with the OW all the way. He should die.
The OM is worth a thousands of the stupid and weak H, why the heroines are so Blind, she was among of that most suffered at the hands of the H and his tart that I saw in HP. The OM made a stupid decision leaving the h for the unworthy H, the OM and the h would have had a good life with contentment in my opinion.
Roberta Leigh aka Rachel Lindsay, I always thought that she hate her heroines and love her OWs. Her OWs has much sexual power over the Hs. They alwasy have much more deep feelings for the OWs than the hs. I don't see HEA for any of her hs in future, I would bet that Hs HEA rest in the OWs. I don't know why she didn't turn her OWs in hs, but I guess in a way she did, because you can see who has the upper hand and power over the Hs. Her Hs weakness are always the OWs. They love the OWs because they are always so in lust with them.
He treated the h badly, insulted and hurted her every way, he betrayed the h trust and fell so in love/lust with the whore gold-digger OW, after the h took care of him after his accident. He should have got a permanent injury for life. He was starting to be attracted to the heroine when after the accident, she was his companion, she was a honored person, she gave him friendship and caring, but she didn't want to take advantage of his situation. Then what the SOB do? He went to party he fell hard for a slut after that when in the testament stated that in order to him get his inheritance he need to marry her for a year. He treated her like a piece of garbage and insulting in every opportunity the heroine, making her living hell, while he treated his slut as a queen with pricey jewelry, wardrobe etc. He knew what kind of gold-digger she was but pretended to be blind and didn't care. If were I the h, I would bankrupt him buying the jewels myself. The jewels that he lent to the h are heirloons because she needed for social occasions. Her mentor shouldn't put in his will that the H should marry her, and one year is not much time to make him lose the OW in my view, but it was a hell of lenght of time for the h, the H's father should just give 50% the inheritance to the h and make a trust fund for the H.
What I most loath, the most heinous and despicable thing that he did, it was after taking her virginity and her love he wrote to the h that what they had was a ugly thing called lust. Really? After you took her innocence, her body and love you BASTARD insulted her. Didn't even felt guilty and sorry afterwards. How could Jane be fool after having sex with him that he loved her, just because he had sex with, if so it only shows that he loves the OW a thousand times more because he was always having sex with the OW. After that Jane had shattered her dreams with that ugly letter from the BASTARD of all bastards.
If not for him and the OW the h would not had an accident that made her lost the baby and could got her killed. The h a breakdown after that and the OW was always putting poison on her even when the poor thing was at the hospital. I think the baby was luck to not be born to a despicable father. Jane almost went mad after her breakdown, she was half-living. Somebody should wipe her memories out, then she could have had peace. He just went to complain to the OW when he find out the heartless thing that the OW said to Jane, if the roles were reversed and were Jane he would had hit/or beat Jane, I'm pretty sure of this but because it was the OW, he let her got scot-free and he never said that the lust that he had with the OW were ugly, just sex with Jane were ugly. What a monster. My blood boils. He deserved the despicable OW, they are both despicable examples of humankind.
The H was an absolutely jerk and worthless, he should stick with his bovine cow. He had no rights to forbade the h and the OM, when he was still with the OW all the way. He should die.
The OM is worth a thousands of the stupid and weak H, why the heroines are so Blind, she was among of that most suffered at the hands of the H and his tart that I saw in HP. The OM made a stupid decision leaving the h for the unworthy H, the OM and the h would have had a good life with contentment in my opinion.
March 2, 2018
3,5* My first Roberta Leigh and this book was older than me! Crazy as it sounds I liked the meatier and drama-filled vintage Mills & Boon offered!
When the crap hit the fan, there were still many pages to go, like we were only at 75% of the book? I was thinking maybe the last many pages would be excerpts of another book, but it was not! More dramas filled the pages! Loved it.
Nicholas was a real fool...I wanted to whack him over the head so many times and right till the end, for a moment I was rooting for The Other Man, unbelievable! And it had seemed the OM had a real good chance of winning Jane!
SPOILERS
FROM the moment they got married, Nicholas was a real bastard, still treating Carole like his fiancée in public. I really wondered if he was sleeping with Carole this whole time, because they were sure touchy feely all the time! Yucks and how did Jane bear with it I didn't get it. There's nothing in it for Jane...other than the chance to win Nicholas but what for?!
Then again Carole being the smart and ambitious gold digger, would not sleep with Nicholas so easily and risk losing her mystery and allure...treat them mean, keep them keen etc.
I thought he couldn't be any worse, but his reaction after they consummated the marriage really took the cake! But it was fun to have fairy godmother Aunt Agatha swoop in to give both mansion and Jane a makeover!
I too had thought of all the stupid things to do why did Nicholas bring Carole HOME to break things off...but like Aunt Agatha said it was the only private and safe place he could think of.
What happened next was worthy of the dramas of that era.
The "goodbye kiss", Jane witnessing the kiss, car accident, miscarriage, MORE mischief by the Other Woman, mental breakdown and...Jane's epic moping/ convalescence! Four-month Caribbean cruise! Must have been paid for by Nicholas !
All this while the OM John was around to offer Jane his friendship, love and attention! Actually kudos to Nicholas that he never once doubted Jane's fidelity. At least he never doubted the paternity of the baby and when Carole insultingly implied so, Nicholas was really angry with her!
I wish Jane could love John; he too fell in love at first sight with Jane but he saw her so truly with his artist's eyes and soul.
I got impatient with Jane's escape from reality after the cruise...she did not give Nicholas a chance to explain AT ALL after the miscarriage. Poor guy had to watch or peep at her from afar. He became friends with her parents too!
If only he had come to his senses before marrying Jane. But it was said by Jane right off, Nicholas had to be the type to experience something before believing so he had to come to his own senses in his own good time.
Poor John!
When the crap hit the fan, there were still many pages to go, like we were only at 75% of the book? I was thinking maybe the last many pages would be excerpts of another book, but it was not! More dramas filled the pages! Loved it.
Nicholas was a real fool...I wanted to whack him over the head so many times and right till the end, for a moment I was rooting for The Other Man, unbelievable! And it had seemed the OM had a real good chance of winning Jane!
SPOILERS
FROM the moment they got married, Nicholas was a real bastard, still treating Carole like his fiancée in public. I really wondered if he was sleeping with Carole this whole time, because they were sure touchy feely all the time! Yucks and how did Jane bear with it I didn't get it. There's nothing in it for Jane...other than the chance to win Nicholas but what for?!
Then again Carole being the smart and ambitious gold digger, would not sleep with Nicholas so easily and risk losing her mystery and allure...treat them mean, keep them keen etc.
I thought he couldn't be any worse, but his reaction after they consummated the marriage really took the cake! But it was fun to have fairy godmother Aunt Agatha swoop in to give both mansion and Jane a makeover!
I too had thought of all the stupid things to do why did Nicholas bring Carole HOME to break things off...but like Aunt Agatha said it was the only private and safe place he could think of.
What happened next was worthy of the dramas of that era.
The "goodbye kiss", Jane witnessing the kiss, car accident, miscarriage, MORE mischief by the Other Woman, mental breakdown and...Jane's epic moping/ convalescence! Four-month Caribbean cruise! Must have been paid for by Nicholas !
All this while the OM John was around to offer Jane his friendship, love and attention! Actually kudos to Nicholas that he never once doubted Jane's fidelity. At least he never doubted the paternity of the baby and when Carole insultingly implied so, Nicholas was really angry with her!
I wish Jane could love John; he too fell in love at first sight with Jane but he saw her so truly with his artist's eyes and soul.
I got impatient with Jane's escape from reality after the cruise...she did not give Nicholas a chance to explain AT ALL after the miscarriage. Poor guy had to watch or peep at her from afar. He became friends with her parents too!
If only he had come to his senses before marrying Jane. But it was said by Jane right off, Nicholas had to be the type to experience something before believing so he had to come to his own senses in his own good time.
Poor John!
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