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The Ultimate Surrender
The time had come...for her surrender!
Polly had always been grateful that when she was in need, Marcus Frobisher had offered her a home, a job, and himself as a stand-in father to her baby daughter.
As the years passed, Marcus let Polly think he acted only out of a sense of family duty. However, the truth was, he'd wanted her since the first moment they'd met. Now, though, it was time to persuade her to surrender to the passion that had been denied for so long!
Polly had always been grateful that when she was in need, Marcus Frobisher had offered her a home, a job, and himself as a stand-in father to her baby daughter.
As the years passed, Marcus let Polly think he acted only out of a sense of family duty. However, the truth was, he'd wanted her since the first moment they'd met. Now, though, it was time to persuade her to surrender to the passion that had been denied for so long!
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
About the author
Penny Jordan
1,147 books676 followersPenelope Jones Halsall
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
aka Caroline Courtney, Annie Groves, Lydia Hitchcock, Melinda Wright
Penelope "Penny" Jones was born on November 24, 1946 at about seven pounds in a nursing home in Preston, Lancashire, England. She was the first child of Anthony Winn Jones, an engineer, who died at 85, and his wife Margaret Louise Groves Jones. She has a brother, Anthony, and a sister, Prudence "Pru".
She had been a keen reader from the childhood - her mother used to leave her in the children's section of their local library whilst she changed her father's library books. She was a storyteller long before she began to write romantic fiction. At the age of eight, she was creating serialized bedtime stories, featuring make-believe adventures, for her younger sister Prue, who was always the heroine. At eleven, she fell in love with Mills & Boon, and with their heroes. In those days the books could only be obtained via private lending libraries, and she quickly became a devoted fan; she was thrilled to bits when the books went on full sale in shops and she could have them for keeps.
Penny left grammar school in Rochdale with O-Levels in English Language, English Literature and Geography. She first discovered Mills & Boon books, via a girl she worked with. She married Steve Halsall, an accountant and a "lovely man", who smoked and drank too heavily, and suffered oral cancer with bravery and dignity. Her husband bought her the small electric typewriter on which she typed her first novels, at a time when he could ill afford it. He died at the beginning of 21st century.
She earned a living as a writer since the 1970s when, as a shorthand typist, she entered a competition run by the Romantic Novelists' Association. Although she didn't win, Penny found an agent who was looking for a new Georgette Heyer. She published four regency novels as Caroline Courtney, before changing her nom de plume to Melinda Wright for three air-hostess romps and then she wrote two thrillers as Lydia Hitchcock. Soon after that, Mills and Boon accepted her first novel for them, Falcon's Prey as Penny Jordan. However, for her more historical romance novels, she adopted her mother's maiden-name to become Annie Groves. Almost 70 of her 167 Mills and Boon novels have been sold worldwide.
Penny Halsall lived in a neo-Georgian house in Nantwich, Cheshire, with her Alsatian Sheba and cat Posh. She worked from home, in her kitchen, surrounded by her pets, and welcomed interruptions from her friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 13, 2019
I enjoyed this romance about unrequited love even though I generally hate the relative-sharing trope. (It takes a lot of skill to make me forgive this infraction. LOL) I also can't imagine loving someone, deeply and passionately, and NOT telling them about it sooner. Talk about suffering in silence. Sheesh.
I did love how Marcus loved Briony, Polly's daughter, like she was his own. The doses of angst and longing were well-done which racked up the tension.
I did love how Marcus loved Briony, Polly's daughter, like she was his own. The doses of angst and longing were well-done which racked up the tension.
November 20, 2025
Re-read it. Frankly an older me finds it really far fetched that two people had such deep feelings for each other and lust too but it remained unknown to them.
There was no meeting of glances? No pause in conversation? No outburst of jealousy?
The heroine was this naive innocent who had no clue about anything and kept pushing hero away for fourteen years and he never once said a word to her about how he felt.
Then in a millisecond all these things came to a head and all of it came tumbling out.
No. Non. Nope. Not.
Major plot loophole.
No finesse.
A 16 year old me might have thought this was a grand passion but an older me feels impatient at the amount of time they wasted for no rhyme or reason.
Perhaps the author was old fashioned and in two books she’s made the heroine bring up the children and then the hero who has been waiting by the side lines voices his deep love to her
Fat lot of good his love is if he’s not available for her when she was bringing up her children.
Bloody selfish I call it.
These two were of course gentle sweet people. I suppose. Don’t know.
But seriously.
Then the blundering about after they sleep with each other.
I abandoned it this time. Couldn’t go on. Felt like slapping them both.
************
So, the hero and his cousin grew up like brothers. Then hero goes away somewhere. Army attachment? I forget. Something. He goes away for work.
When he comes back his young cousin is married to a nineteen year old. Our heroine. She’s cute. Innocent. Just a baby.
The hero is shocked. He falls like a ton of bricks. But he’s a decent man. He never makes a play for her.
The cousin and heroine are bumbling around. She’s pregnant too. Hero offers them his home so she can help him entertain his work related guests.
So cousin. Hero. Heroine are now living in one mansion.
Hero is present when she has her baby. Holds her hand. Holds the baby first. So on.
Then conveniently cousin dies in road accident taking his ideals and his dreamy attitude to life with him.
Hero is a shelter to heroine and her child. He tries to get close to her a year later but she pushes him away because she weirdly realises that she has very deep feelings for him. So when we have deep feelings in Penny Jordan romances we push away our love interest.
Fourteen years pass by. In typical Penny Jordan style the hero and heroine are pining away for each other. Full of love and great lust. Yet neither has an inkling of how the other feels. Is that possible?? How?? There’s never a meeting of glances or a brushing of hands and an acknowledgement ?? How??
The heroine takes it as her royal due that this man will keep doing things for her and always be around.
They are business partners too in the hotel she’s running at the country home.
Hero gets tired finally when his niece is 18 and moving out of the house. He says he’ll be moving out too.
The niece, heroines daughter takes things in her own hands. Tries to stir up jealousy by introducing them to other people.
The hero and heroine are still bumbling around. They sleep with each other twice. Still no clue.
Finally after much bumbling the end takes place and we all heave a sigh of relief.
This book is strictly for adolescent school girls I swear. There is zero sense in it.
That’s it.
I read it out of loyalty to Penny Jordan left over from my school days.
This one was one I had missed reading. I read ones I’d not read before and am shocked always. Why are they so boring? How did the editor not give suggestions to improve the story.
Any way. Harlequin is harlequin. The queen of cliche formulaic romances.
There was no meeting of glances? No pause in conversation? No outburst of jealousy?
The heroine was this naive innocent who had no clue about anything and kept pushing hero away for fourteen years and he never once said a word to her about how he felt.
Then in a millisecond all these things came to a head and all of it came tumbling out.
No. Non. Nope. Not.
Major plot loophole.
No finesse.
A 16 year old me might have thought this was a grand passion but an older me feels impatient at the amount of time they wasted for no rhyme or reason.
Perhaps the author was old fashioned and in two books she’s made the heroine bring up the children and then the hero who has been waiting by the side lines voices his deep love to her
Fat lot of good his love is if he’s not available for her when she was bringing up her children.
Bloody selfish I call it.
These two were of course gentle sweet people. I suppose. Don’t know.
But seriously.
Then the blundering about after they sleep with each other.
I abandoned it this time. Couldn’t go on. Felt like slapping them both.
************
So, the hero and his cousin grew up like brothers. Then hero goes away somewhere. Army attachment? I forget. Something. He goes away for work.
When he comes back his young cousin is married to a nineteen year old. Our heroine. She’s cute. Innocent. Just a baby.
The hero is shocked. He falls like a ton of bricks. But he’s a decent man. He never makes a play for her.
The cousin and heroine are bumbling around. She’s pregnant too. Hero offers them his home so she can help him entertain his work related guests.
So cousin. Hero. Heroine are now living in one mansion.
Hero is present when she has her baby. Holds her hand. Holds the baby first. So on.
Then conveniently cousin dies in road accident taking his ideals and his dreamy attitude to life with him.
Hero is a shelter to heroine and her child. He tries to get close to her a year later but she pushes him away because she weirdly realises that she has very deep feelings for him. So when we have deep feelings in Penny Jordan romances we push away our love interest.
Fourteen years pass by. In typical Penny Jordan style the hero and heroine are pining away for each other. Full of love and great lust. Yet neither has an inkling of how the other feels. Is that possible?? How?? There’s never a meeting of glances or a brushing of hands and an acknowledgement ?? How??
The heroine takes it as her royal due that this man will keep doing things for her and always be around.
They are business partners too in the hotel she’s running at the country home.
Hero gets tired finally when his niece is 18 and moving out of the house. He says he’ll be moving out too.
The niece, heroines daughter takes things in her own hands. Tries to stir up jealousy by introducing them to other people.
The hero and heroine are still bumbling around. They sleep with each other twice. Still no clue.
Finally after much bumbling the end takes place and we all heave a sigh of relief.
This book is strictly for adolescent school girls I swear. There is zero sense in it.
That’s it.
I read it out of loyalty to Penny Jordan left over from my school days.
This one was one I had missed reading. I read ones I’d not read before and am shocked always. Why are they so boring? How did the editor not give suggestions to improve the story.
Any way. Harlequin is harlequin. The queen of cliche formulaic romances.
Did Not Finish
October 23, 2021DNF - not for me - h is a widow and not the surprise virgin kind. 🤡 She has a child with her first husband. She was in love with the husband and he died tragically. He was related to the H. The H waits years and years before claiming the h. 🙄 Meh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2017
Premises were wonderful for a good romance setting, if only author wouldn't make the H and h morons that they were. They not only made one single attempt to tell the other party how much s/he loved the other even though they worked and lived in close proximity and they both were free agents for 14 years, they also kept idiotic misunderstandings until the very end. Since especially H didn't make any serious attempt to romance the h during those long years they lived together in the family house cum hotel his love was not that convincing to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2024
“The Ultimate Surrender” is the story of Polly and Marcus.
This is an insane love pentagon between a couple madly in love, yearning for each other but have hidden their feelings for 19 YEARS!!
We have the heroine married to hero’s cousin, then we have twenty years of longing, then we have a catty OW and younger OM causing trouble, followed by loads of angry sex, miscommunication until it’s all sorted and a happy ending.
There was so much confusion it made me laugh, but god they loved each other.
Unsafe
3/5
This is an insane love pentagon between a couple madly in love, yearning for each other but have hidden their feelings for 19 YEARS!!
We have the heroine married to hero’s cousin, then we have twenty years of longing, then we have a catty OW and younger OM causing trouble, followed by loads of angry sex, miscommunication until it’s all sorted and a happy ending.
There was so much confusion it made me laugh, but god they loved each other.
Unsafe
3/5
February 18, 2021
Polly had always been grateful that when she was in need, Marcus Frobisher had offered her a home, a job and himself as a stand-in father to her baby daughter.
As the years passed, Marcus let Polly think he acted only out of a sense of family duty. However, the truth was, he'd wanted her since the first moment they'd met. Now, though, it was time to persuade her to surrender to the passion that had been denied for so long!
As the years passed, Marcus let Polly think he acted only out of a sense of family duty. However, the truth was, he'd wanted her since the first moment they'd met. Now, though, it was time to persuade her to surrender to the passion that had been denied for so long!
November 19, 2020
So many years wasted before the h and H get together. I therefore don’t believe they truly love each other.
Yeah, the h was married to the H’s cousin, but the cousin died some 15 years ago when this book starts.
And I don’t like the relative sharing stories. As if it is the Bold and the Beautiful.
Yeah, the h was married to the H’s cousin, but the cousin died some 15 years ago when this book starts.
And I don’t like the relative sharing stories. As if it is the Bold and the Beautiful.
December 2, 2012
it would have been a 5 star for me if not for all those years wasted
May 4, 2022
Ok, confesso que não entendi exatamente porque esse volume faz parte da série da família Crighton.
Para quem não acompanha, a série conta a história de uma família tradicional do interior da Inglaterra, formada principalmente por advogados. Os volumes são centrados em vários ramos da família, mas normalmente é fácil saber de quem a história está falando.
Nesse livro, eu fiquei a ver navios. Quem é esse casal protagonista? Primos, tios, sobrinhos, enteados? Não encontrei nenhuma referência a numerosa família Crighton o que causou uma certa ansiedade na leitura.
A história é regular e os personagens são um tanto insípidos, o casal protagonista age como adolescentes ao invés dos adultos que a autora descreve. Passei a maior parte do tempo tentando me adaptar mais ao desequilíbrio da caracterização do que ao romance em si.
Para quem não acompanha, a série conta a história de uma família tradicional do interior da Inglaterra, formada principalmente por advogados. Os volumes são centrados em vários ramos da família, mas normalmente é fácil saber de quem a história está falando.
Nesse livro, eu fiquei a ver navios. Quem é esse casal protagonista? Primos, tios, sobrinhos, enteados? Não encontrei nenhuma referência a numerosa família Crighton o que causou uma certa ansiedade na leitura.
A história é regular e os personagens são um tanto insípidos, o casal protagonista age como adolescentes ao invés dos adultos que a autora descreve. Passei a maior parte do tempo tentando me adaptar mais ao desequilíbrio da caracterização do que ao romance em si.
May 24, 2020
This was an ok book. Written well, with lots of emotions and turmoil. I have to say, this one kinda gave me a headache, and I really wanted to smack some heads...preferably together. Good characters and plenty of movement. It wasn't hard getting from page to page. There's some steaminess, a little humor, plenty of sparks (good and bad) and a good ending. Not something I would re-read or shelf but good for passing time or nothing else to read. Just not completely my java. Good Luck!
October 11, 2024
Married and widowed young, Polly keeps the feelings she has for her husband’s cousin to herself, convinced that he has disliked her since their first meeting. No way does she want to rock the boat when he has been a surrogate father to her daughter. Daughter Briony is convinced that Marcus and her mother love each other and comes up with a plan to make them jealous, in the hope that things will come to a head.
March 18, 2022
I read this after watching a program about a writer who tried to write a Mills and Boon. The first 80% was quite good but then it was all building up to the obvious conclusion but that happened so fast it fizzled out at the end and was a disappointing end
July 18, 2018
Enjoyed.
February 18, 2022
Angst by the bucketfull
A good old fashioned Mills & Book , each partner getting crossed wires from their true love oldie but goodie
A good old fashioned Mills & Book , each partner getting crossed wires from their true love oldie but goodie
September 2, 2012
The hero and heroine were brother and sister in law. The hero had taken care of her and her daughter when her husband/his brother had died tragically. The hero had been in love with the heroine since he met her when she was married to his brother. Now years have gone by, his niece whom he claimed as a daughter has grown up and his love for the heroine is still the same. It was time for him to make his move...
Definitely a good read, although the misunderstandings started to get boring.
Definitely a good read, although the misunderstandings started to get boring.
April 16, 2013
Okuduğum Harlequin'lerden çok farklıydı.Bu sefer 37-42 yaşlarındaki bir ilişki konuydu.Kitabın Türkçe ismi Sonsuz Teslim.Doğrusu Marcus'un Polly'ye karşı hisleri dokunaklıydı.Etkilendim.Ayrıca Diğer Harlequin'lerden bir fark daha Zenginlik öyle çok ön planda değildi.Neredeyse yoktu bu harikaydı ayrıca.
August 11, 2015
Finally a PJ book that has struck me back into saying more than a meh for a review.
In true PJ fashion; the story had angst, and my usual favourite 'I have loved you for years ' scenario. And as any typical harlequin Romance, everything was just about as upsetting when the H/h just don't communicate their feelings properly, that misunderstanding and wrong assumptions ensues..
In true PJ fashion; the story had angst, and my usual favourite 'I have loved you for years ' scenario. And as any typical harlequin Romance, everything was just about as upsetting when the H/h just don't communicate their feelings properly, that misunderstanding and wrong assumptions ensues..
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews