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Como un volcán
Como Un Volcan by Jane Porter released on Apr 25, 2006 is available now for purchase.
156 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
41 people are currently reading
286 people want to read
About the author
Jane Porter
617 books2,052 followersBorn in Visalia, California, I'm a small town girl at heart. I love central California's golden foothills, oak trees, and the miles of farmland. In my mind, there's nothing sweeter in the world than the heady fragrance of orange blossoms on a sultry summer night.
As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.
My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my first very Presents hero was Italian).
I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.
After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.
I now live in Seattle and Hawaii with my three sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do.
As a little girl I spent hours on my bed, staring out the window, dreaming of far off places, fearless knights, and happy-ever-after endings. In my imagination I was never the geeky bookworm with the thick coke-bottle glasses, but a princess, a magical fairy, a Joan-of-Arc crusader.
My parents fed my imagination by taking our family to Europe for a year when I was thirteen. The year away changed me (I wasn't a geek for once!) and overseas I discovered a huge and wonderful world with different cultures and customs. I loved everything about Europe, but felt especially passionate about Italy and those gorgeous Italian men (no wonder my first very Presents hero was Italian).
I confess, after that incredible year in Europe, the travel bug bit, and bit hard. I spent much of my high school and college years abroad, studying in South Africa, Japan and Ireland. South Africa remains a country of my heart, the people, the land and politics complex and heart-wrenching.
After my years of traveling and studying I had to settle down and earn a living. With my Bachelors degree from UCLA in American Studies, a program that combines American literature and American history, I've worked in sales and marketing, as well as a director of a non-profit foundation. Later I earned my Masters in Writing from the University of San Francisco and taught jr. high and high school English.
I now live in Seattle and Hawaii with my three sons. I never mind a rainy day, either, because that's when I sit at my desk and write stories about far-away places, fascinating people, and most importantly of all, love. I like a story with a happy ending. We all do.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
August 19, 2014
Someone mentioned on another thread that this was a love it or hate it type of book and the ratings in general reflect this. I came in in the middle, because there were things I appreciated and I felt the author should be given credit for trying to inject at least some messy reality into her work. Problem is... HP is not where most of us come for reality and I think that may be part of the problem with all the negative ratings.
For one thing, I'm not so sure this should have been published under the HP line. I mostly read in that line, but I think Hqn has other imprints that may have fit this better. I was reading about one line (Blaze, maybe?) that typically contained older, more experienced heroines who were often professionals, etc. Basically not your "typical" 22-25 year old super hot, super sweet virgin supermodel/waitress/secretary (see what I mean about reality?).
This is only the second book by this author I've read and although I appreciate her efforts, I'm not so sure I'll pursue her works unless something pops up that looks really intriguing. Mostly that's because HP is a place I come to get a certain thing. I think of it like a favorite dish ordered at a new restaurant. Yes, it's the same dish, but sometimes it's exceptionally tasty and sometimes it's a bit different or sadly it can be burnt and tasteless. But, in the end, although it may have a few different spices, a little more of this and a little less of that - it's still basically the favorite dish you're familiar with.
It may be simply coincidence, but in both the HP titles I read by Porter, the h was suffering from some genuine mental health issues. Which makes me wonder if she isn't drawn to writing that storyline. In this one, the heroine was most definitely clinically depressed.
I've never been through anything like that, but I've been clinically depressed and can read the signs. She lost interest in work, friends, life in general. She's so desperate for some sort of resolution with the hero (who just turned his back and walked away) that she allows herself to be drawn into a rather shady, ill-defined revenge plot . On her side it's all quite obviously a thinly veiled, poorly thought out attempt to simply see him, to make him talk to her, and to try and get some closure. Her state of mind is not good. She's not being rational, she's not herself and part of her knows this - so she waffles. She also has no idea what sort of person the H's enemy truly is and ends up putting herself in a bad situation with a bad man who forces her to continue the charade even after her better senses tell her she shouldn't.
So all of this creates quite a bit of drama at the hero's youngest sister's wedding (which the h does wake-up and realize is a crap thing to do, thank God). In any event, all the drama between herself and the H nearly ruins the poor girl's wedding anyway.
Of course, the H has deep dark secrets of his own and always loved the heroine, but felt he had to walk away. I won't spoil that part. Just believe me, he has a lot to answer for and really did not treat the heroine well.
Basically it was a very tense book and the author used a style of writing that conveyed that to the reader. So, props for that.
In the end, I had to give this a 3 because it kept me reading and I appreciated some of what the author was trying to do. However, it was bit too far off the usual recipe for me to crave more. I personally come to HP to see a variation on the same theme: heroine is an innocent victim of the d-bag hero's B.S. and he has to track her down using satellites and ex-CIA operatives to where she's bravely struggling to build a virtuous life in a quaint cottage (you know, reality). Then he blackmails, extorts, bullies his way back into her life followed by the reveal of big secrets and a good grovel.
What I got here was a clinically depressed and very human/flawed heroine who gate crashes the wedding of the baby sister of a man she believes used her only for sex and makes a big scene. I've never done anything so dramatic (thank God) but in real life people do crazy things when they're in that much pain and experiencing depression. They do! And that doesn't make them horrible people, it makes them human. But, I suppose that I (and possibly quite a few HP readers) like to come here to escape and pretend that we're the emotionally strong, dignified heroine who would never make such a scene. Because IRL many of us have experienced quite enough of what reality can do to a person. So, we come to HP for a fantasy version of life where we have a fabulously wealthy, sex God who gives out orgasms like candy and sweeps us off to a HEA where we don't have to worry about the day-to-day realities of the world. And it also gives us a beautiful, virtuous version of ourselves who would never get drunk and have a one-night stand with some dbag we were crushing on who didn't give a flip about us. Some may agree and some may disagree. Just my 2-cents.
For one thing, I'm not so sure this should have been published under the HP line. I mostly read in that line, but I think Hqn has other imprints that may have fit this better. I was reading about one line (Blaze, maybe?) that typically contained older, more experienced heroines who were often professionals, etc. Basically not your "typical" 22-25 year old super hot, super sweet virgin supermodel/waitress/secretary (see what I mean about reality?).
This is only the second book by this author I've read and although I appreciate her efforts, I'm not so sure I'll pursue her works unless something pops up that looks really intriguing. Mostly that's because HP is a place I come to get a certain thing. I think of it like a favorite dish ordered at a new restaurant. Yes, it's the same dish, but sometimes it's exceptionally tasty and sometimes it's a bit different or sadly it can be burnt and tasteless. But, in the end, although it may have a few different spices, a little more of this and a little less of that - it's still basically the favorite dish you're familiar with.
It may be simply coincidence, but in both the HP titles I read by Porter, the h was suffering from some genuine mental health issues. Which makes me wonder if she isn't drawn to writing that storyline. In this one, the heroine was most definitely clinically depressed.
I've never been through anything like that, but I've been clinically depressed and can read the signs. She lost interest in work, friends, life in general. She's so desperate for some sort of resolution with the hero (who just turned his back and walked away) that she allows herself to be drawn into a rather shady, ill-defined revenge plot . On her side it's all quite obviously a thinly veiled, poorly thought out attempt to simply see him, to make him talk to her, and to try and get some closure. Her state of mind is not good. She's not being rational, she's not herself and part of her knows this - so she waffles. She also has no idea what sort of person the H's enemy truly is and ends up putting herself in a bad situation with a bad man who forces her to continue the charade even after her better senses tell her she shouldn't.
So all of this creates quite a bit of drama at the hero's youngest sister's wedding (which the h does wake-up and realize is a crap thing to do, thank God). In any event, all the drama between herself and the H nearly ruins the poor girl's wedding anyway.
Of course, the H has deep dark secrets of his own and always loved the heroine, but felt he had to walk away. I won't spoil that part. Just believe me, he has a lot to answer for and really did not treat the heroine well.
Basically it was a very tense book and the author used a style of writing that conveyed that to the reader. So, props for that.
In the end, I had to give this a 3 because it kept me reading and I appreciated some of what the author was trying to do. However, it was bit too far off the usual recipe for me to crave more. I personally come to HP to see a variation on the same theme: heroine is an innocent victim of the d-bag hero's B.S. and he has to track her down using satellites and ex-CIA operatives to where she's bravely struggling to build a virtuous life in a quaint cottage (you know, reality). Then he blackmails, extorts, bullies his way back into her life followed by the reveal of big secrets and a good grovel.
What I got here was a clinically depressed and very human/flawed heroine who gate crashes the wedding of the baby sister of a man she believes used her only for sex and makes a big scene. I've never done anything so dramatic (thank God) but in real life people do crazy things when they're in that much pain and experiencing depression. They do! And that doesn't make them horrible people, it makes them human. But, I suppose that I (and possibly quite a few HP readers) like to come here to escape and pretend that we're the emotionally strong, dignified heroine who would never make such a scene. Because IRL many of us have experienced quite enough of what reality can do to a person. So, we come to HP for a fantasy version of life where we have a fabulously wealthy, sex God who gives out orgasms like candy and sweeps us off to a HEA where we don't have to worry about the day-to-day realities of the world. And it also gives us a beautiful, virtuous version of ourselves who would never get drunk and have a one-night stand with some dbag we were crushing on who didn't give a flip about us. Some may agree and some may disagree. Just my 2-cents.
May 2, 2012
what an odd stupid story. She had an assinine plan for revenge/closure and then she falls apart the first time she sees the guy, her ex lover, and lets him get her off in a back room at a reception after pleading with him to tell her why he didn't love her. She had no backbone, no self respect and she was just plain stupid. This book was poor written and poorly plotted.
I have little sympathy for supposedly sophisticated heroines who humiliate themselves. Especially if they can't think themselves out of a paper bag. Give me some real revenge ala Lyn in The Judas Kiss. Naive girls are a little easier to take when they can't stand up to the hero.
I have little sympathy for supposedly sophisticated heroines who humiliate themselves. Especially if they can't think themselves out of a paper bag. Give me some real revenge ala Lyn in The Judas Kiss. Naive girls are a little easier to take when they can't stand up to the hero.
September 10, 2017
Well this is a torture-fest with some weapon's grade angst thrown in. I don't know if I wasn't in the mood for this level of sadness or if the heroine's bone-headed attempt at revenge at the beginning turned me off. Whatever the cause, I found this story unsettling.
Heroine was crazed with grief for six months after the hero dumped her and she lost their secret baby. She goes to the hero's sister's wedding with his great enemy. Even she isn't sure if she wants revenge on the hero or just the chance to see him again.
The great enemy is a creep in the first degree and our emotive heroine finally realizes it. The hero keeps trying to be mean and cold, but his true feelings keep leaking out. That they couldn't talk candidly until after the sister's wedding was a nice literary device, but really made no sense. It would take all of ten minutes for the hero tell her he had a wife (who had tried to kill him) in a coma for the past ten years and she was now conveniently dead. Same about the secret baby the h miscarried. But the author spun it out and ended up feeling like torture.
In the days of Google, I'm surprise the hero's wife's death, the lawsuits, the original accident, etc. . . never made it to the Internet. Also defying belief is that the hero's enemy had the h's medical records because he was dating her doctor? I don't think so.
So many beliefs to suspend and too much unnecessary angst/torture for me to truly enjoy this one.
Heroine was crazed with grief for six months after the hero dumped her and she lost their secret baby. She goes to the hero's sister's wedding with his great enemy. Even she isn't sure if she wants revenge on the hero or just the chance to see him again.
The great enemy is a creep in the first degree and our emotive heroine finally realizes it. The hero keeps trying to be mean and cold, but his true feelings keep leaking out. That they couldn't talk candidly until after the sister's wedding was a nice literary device, but really made no sense. It would take all of ten minutes for the hero tell her he had a wife (who had tried to kill him) in a coma for the past ten years and she was now conveniently dead. Same about the secret baby the h miscarried. But the author spun it out and ended up feeling like torture.
In the days of Google, I'm surprise the hero's wife's death, the lawsuits, the original accident, etc. . . never made it to the Internet. Also defying belief is that the hero's enemy had the h's medical records because he was dating her doctor? I don't think so.
So many beliefs to suspend and too much unnecessary angst/torture for me to truly enjoy this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2020
My first Jane Porter and I liked it.
It has the same kind of soul shattering angst typically seen in books by Jennie Lucas or Julia James. The roiling, hovering dark cloud like angst, ready to unleash even more destruction on the already damaged mcs.
The kind of angst that doesn’t always work, and may even seem hokey.
It has the same kind of soul shattering angst typically seen in books by Jennie Lucas or Julia James. The roiling, hovering dark cloud like angst, ready to unleash even more destruction on the already damaged mcs.
The kind of angst that doesn’t always work, and may even seem hokey.
February 6, 2017
WTF?
Heroine pretends to be engaged to hero's nemesis so she can see him and finally have closure for the way their relationship ended. Hero knows immediately that she's lying.
Nemesis tells her if she doesn't do what he says, he'll tell hero her Big Secret: that she miscarried the hero's baby not long after he left her. How does the nemesis know this, you ask? He was dating the heroine's doctor when it happened and he has a file saying she had a D&C which he'll happily tell the hero about. WTF? Correct me if I'm wrong, but what happened to doctor/patient confidentiality??
Heroine and hero make nice and things are going good when nemesis makes good on his threat and tells hero his former mistress aborted their baby. Not that she miscarried but that she aborted it. Hero is livid. But wait, there's more.....
Hero also has a secret of his own: the whole time he was with the heroine, which was almost 3 years, he had been married and never told her. Wife was ill, in a coma, after an accident caused by the nemesis, who she cheated on the hero with. Married for 12 years. WTF? He finally tells her now because wife is no longer in the picture, had recently passed away blah blah blah and the reason he left the heroine was because she was asking too much of him, wanting more than he could give her.
WTF? Are you seriously kidding me right now?
This was recommended as an angsty read on the Amazon forums but that was not the case for me. I was pissed the whole time I read this. This whole story was just a mass of WTFery to me.
Heroine pretends to be engaged to hero's nemesis so she can see him and finally have closure for the way their relationship ended. Hero knows immediately that she's lying.
Nemesis tells her if she doesn't do what he says, he'll tell hero her Big Secret: that she miscarried the hero's baby not long after he left her. How does the nemesis know this, you ask? He was dating the heroine's doctor when it happened and he has a file saying she had a D&C which he'll happily tell the hero about. WTF? Correct me if I'm wrong, but what happened to doctor/patient confidentiality??
Heroine and hero make nice and things are going good when nemesis makes good on his threat and tells hero his former mistress aborted their baby. Not that she miscarried but that she aborted it. Hero is livid. But wait, there's more.....
Hero also has a secret of his own: the whole time he was with the heroine, which was almost 3 years, he had been married and never told her. Wife was ill, in a coma, after an accident caused by the nemesis, who she cheated on the hero with. Married for 12 years. WTF? He finally tells her now because wife is no longer in the picture, had recently passed away blah blah blah and the reason he left the heroine was because she was asking too much of him, wanting more than he could give her.
WTF? Are you seriously kidding me right now?
This was recommended as an angsty read on the Amazon forums but that was not the case for me. I was pissed the whole time I read this. This whole story was just a mass of WTFery to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2015
This was a very sad story. If you like your heroes and heroines tortured with maximum angst and pain then this is the book for you. It did not make me cry, but it was a serious downer. I tend to like the more light-hearted stories so not for me. Now Pregnancy of Passiondid make me cry in one scene.
If you do like the angsty heart wrenchers then give this a try as it has it all: misunderstandings, secret babies, betrayal, infidelity, coma victims, suspected homicide, and LOVE.
I was going to give it 2 stars as it is not my cup of tea, but it's well done and will make some lucky reader perfectly miserable.
If you do like the angsty heart wrenchers then give this a try as it has it all: misunderstandings, secret babies, betrayal, infidelity, coma victims, suspected homicide, and LOVE.
I was going to give it 2 stars as it is not my cup of tea, but it's well done and will make some lucky reader perfectly miserable.
November 8, 2021
Real bad spoilers below:
I just re-read this again and it was a doozy! I am so forgetful lately that I didn't even remember this one. Until the end!!! Honestly this is an angsty read and it made me cry alot. The heroine was the mistress of the heroes for two and a half years when he suddenly broke it off when she said she loved him and wanted more. She was also pregnant. But the baby had complications and she died. It was tragic. After six months the of devastation and deep painful grief she shows up at the heroes sisters wedding with his worst enemy. There is so much rage and hate and each of them were consumed with it. The book is basically them fighting the entire book. It was exhausting. All they did was argue and we were privy to every word of tbought. It was too too much. Well there is a big twist. While she was miscarrying, he was burying his wife! She had been in a coma for three years after She had an accident. She also had been having an affair with the worst enemy and they were trying to kill him but it backfired. Now normally I would go on a big rant because of the infidelity and his poor wife in a coma, whom he had loved, before the affair and murder plot of course, but they made the comatose wife into a terrible person so I won't rant this time. It's still infidelity and why couldn't he divorce her? She was brain dead and tried to kill him before that! And she left all her money to the other man! Slam dunk dude! Divorce her tush!!!! Come on man! Duh!??!?? Him breaking up with the heroine after she died was weird to me! Why!? It was just crazy. I still give it two stars. He was celibate during the separation and she was just with the other guy because she was in such a deep depression and needed closure. She didn't know the history and wanted to get some back from him for leaving her in the middle of the night! I didn't blame her but this Enemy guy was slime! She discovered this right away. But the bickering was just too much. If I wanted to see people argue all the time, I'd record my marriage nightly! Lol. Not really but it was a little much. They did love each other and the hero even cried.
I just re-read this again and it was a doozy! I am so forgetful lately that I didn't even remember this one. Until the end!!! Honestly this is an angsty read and it made me cry alot. The heroine was the mistress of the heroes for two and a half years when he suddenly broke it off when she said she loved him and wanted more. She was also pregnant. But the baby had complications and she died. It was tragic. After six months the of devastation and deep painful grief she shows up at the heroes sisters wedding with his worst enemy. There is so much rage and hate and each of them were consumed with it. The book is basically them fighting the entire book. It was exhausting. All they did was argue and we were privy to every word of tbought. It was too too much. Well there is a big twist. While she was miscarrying, he was burying his wife! She had been in a coma for three years after She had an accident. She also had been having an affair with the worst enemy and they were trying to kill him but it backfired. Now normally I would go on a big rant because of the infidelity and his poor wife in a coma, whom he had loved, before the affair and murder plot of course, but they made the comatose wife into a terrible person so I won't rant this time. It's still infidelity and why couldn't he divorce her? She was brain dead and tried to kill him before that! And she left all her money to the other man! Slam dunk dude! Divorce her tush!!!! Come on man! Duh!??!?? Him breaking up with the heroine after she died was weird to me! Why!? It was just crazy. I still give it two stars. He was celibate during the separation and she was just with the other guy because she was in such a deep depression and needed closure. She didn't know the history and wanted to get some back from him for leaving her in the middle of the night! I didn't blame her but this Enemy guy was slime! She discovered this right away. But the bickering was just too much. If I wanted to see people argue all the time, I'd record my marriage nightly! Lol. Not really but it was a little much. They did love each other and the hero even cried.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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May 15, 2013I can't even give it a rating. Darn hate it!!
The heroine just STUPID. period. Strong? questionable. Stupid? DEFINITELY. what's the point of your revenge????? 5 minutes saw how handsome, blah,blah the hero and you blew it away. give me a break!
This is the only book I've read that i felt (still feel!) i'd wasted my time, despite the happy ending.
Not worth it!
But how the story's written is, well, okay, i think. like it. but hate the story. Meh.
The heroine just STUPID. period. Strong? questionable. Stupid? DEFINITELY. what's the point of your revenge????? 5 minutes saw how handsome, blah,blah the hero and you blew it away. give me a break!
This is the only book I've read that i felt (still feel!) i'd wasted my time, despite the happy ending.
Not worth it!
But how the story's written is, well, okay, i think. like it. but hate the story. Meh.
August 29, 2021
Although I wasn't a fan of the way Cass first came back into Maximo's life again, I adored the entire rest of the story. There was so much angsty goodness that I adored the entire heartbreaking story.
Although I loved all the angst I got to experience in this story, the ending wore me down. If Cass had been a bit more forgiving and a lot less hard headed in the ending of this story, this would have been a full 5 star read for me. That being said, I really did enjoy this story so much.
July 5, 2010
I was so prepared to NOT like this book, and I must admit there were parts that I didn't like.
Overall, however, what a treasure! I usually do not like these kinds of books-deceit, secret pregnancies, and the like-but this one redeemed itself with painstakingly drawn out characters and stories. Perhaps, I am still caught up in the rapture of moment.
Maximos is a ruthless, and in the heartbreakingly vulnerable, alpha male. It absolutely floored me to watch his breakdown and rebuild. Same with Cass. God, that was a hard story.
Emilio is simply a bastar@! Wonder if he has a story? :-)
Enjoy!
Overall, however, what a treasure! I usually do not like these kinds of books-deceit, secret pregnancies, and the like-but this one redeemed itself with painstakingly drawn out characters and stories. Perhaps, I am still caught up in the rapture of moment.
Maximos is a ruthless, and in the heartbreakingly vulnerable, alpha male. It absolutely floored me to watch his breakdown and rebuild. Same with Cass. God, that was a hard story.
Emilio is simply a bastar@! Wonder if he has a story? :-)
Enjoy!
July 14, 2012
All i wanna say is Cass spoiled the book for me:(
March 30, 2025
“This explosive reunion story promises to be dark and passionate!”
❌NTS NTS NTS - FYI, Beeg ❌
“It was madness coming here.
Stupidity. She was chasing him ... chasing. God. She'd lost her mind completely.”
“Maximos answered, stepping toward her. "You've invaded my home, violated my privacy. ”
“Get out." His voice was low, raspy. "Get out before I personally throw you out.”
“I'M not leaving," Cass said, jerking her elbow from his hand. "I didn't come here simply to torture you. There were things I needed to see. Things I needed to know.”
“. "What things?"
"I needed to understand why I couldn't―" Her voice broke, and the words failed her.
She took a breath, wrapped her courage around her and continued. "Have more of you.
Understand why you never gave me more―" ”
“You're not his fiancée," Maximos said grimly. "This is a sham, a charade―"
"No." Her pulse leapt wildly. What had she done? What had she said? "It's true. I”
“Then why do you care so much about us?" He practically hissed the last word.
"Maybe because I don't want to make the same mistake twice!" She'd been through hell and back since he left her.”
“ "Maybe I want to understand what happened so I can damn well make sure it doesn't occur again."
His brow contorted, his expression dark, punishing. "I appreciate your thirst for knowledge, carissima, but this isn't the time."
"Maybe it's not convenient now, but you'll never willingly give me the time, Maximos, will you?”
“Maybe it is crazy to show up here “with Emilio, but I wanted to see ―no, I needed to see―what you wouldn't share with me."
"We had an agreement-"
"Sex," she interrupted bitterly, wishing she could have been content with just sex.”
“She was just his mistress”
“when she first accepted the terms of the relationship with Maximos: No commitments. No promises. No guilt trips.”
“If he hadn't left her, she would still be with him. There was no way she could have ever left him. She wasn't that strong. She'd needed ... wanted ... him far too much.”
“Her conscience smote her. She couldn't bear hypocrisy and yet here she was, aligning herself with Emilio, inflicting pain on Maximos-the weekend of his sister's wedding no less.
It was horrible. She was horrible.”
“But Sobato, Cass? Why him?"
"Because I knew it would make you crazy." She smiled brazenly, hiding her pain, hiding the hurt wrapping her heart. She had to do this, had to get through this, had to get her old life and confidence-back.”
“was time to move forward. She had to move forward, which is why she'd agreed to play the part of Emilio's adoring fiancée”
“I cared about you, Cass I cared more than you know, but you know you're responsible for your own happiness, just as you're in charge of your own destiny. It's the one thing we agreed on when we met, it's what attracted me to you. You were strong and independent?"
"And I still am." She took a breath. "Sort of."
"Unacceptable.”
“Lorna plunged off the cliff near the villa. She was airlifted unconscious from the wreck to the hospital in Catania. She never woke up." He made a low, strange sound, almost
animal-like, and full of pain. "I shouldn't have ever let them hook her up to the ventilators. Her family was furious with me. They said it wasn't what Lorna would want...they said...and yet I did what I wanted..."
"You loved her," Cass said softly.
"I did." Maximos stared across the room. He wasn't with Cass, he was somewhere else and it was a black place. Cold. Hurtful. Awful.”
“I was summoned to court. But before I had the chance to testify, Sobato appeared. He'd come to the proceedings with an agenda of his own. He went to the judge claiming I had an ulterior motive “for wanting to turn off Lorna's life support. The judge asked me if I had a conflict of interest. And I did." Maximos looked at Cass, met her gaze. "I had you."
Cass didn't know what to say. She waited for him to tell the rest. "I told the d'Santos I couldn't testify. I told them that I'd hurt their case, but by me―Lorna's husband―not testifying in favour of removing her from life support, the d'Santos lost their case."
"When was that?" she asked.
"February."
"The same month you left me."
"I was devastated." His voice was deep, raw. "We'd made plans to go to Paris. You went ahead and I was to follow but the court case imploded. It all fell apart and that weekend you did, too. You were so beautiful that last evening, and so vulnerable, and when you told me you needed more, I understood." His voice broke. "I needed more, too.”
“And then in June Lorna died and yet you didn't contact me, or call..."
"It's been three months, yes." His expression was grim. "But there was the funeral, and an issue of respect, as well as sorting through endless legal issues. ”
“Don't tell me no, Cass. It's the one thing I couldn't bear. I could wait. And I would wait.
I'd wait a year for you. Five years, ten years―"
"No."
His arms hung at his side, his dark eyes shadowed, absolute heartbreak lining his features. "Don't do this."
"But I have to."
He was crying. The tears were in his eyes, clinging to his dense black lashes. He didn't even try to wipe them away. She took a step, tentatively touched his chest with one hand, and then the other. "You see, you're right. You're right about everything and I do love you, and will marry you, only I can't wait."
”
❌NTS NTS NTS - FYI, Beeg ❌
“It was madness coming here.
Stupidity. She was chasing him ... chasing. God. She'd lost her mind completely.”
“Maximos answered, stepping toward her. "You've invaded my home, violated my privacy. ”
“Get out." His voice was low, raspy. "Get out before I personally throw you out.”
“I'M not leaving," Cass said, jerking her elbow from his hand. "I didn't come here simply to torture you. There were things I needed to see. Things I needed to know.”
“. "What things?"
"I needed to understand why I couldn't―" Her voice broke, and the words failed her.
She took a breath, wrapped her courage around her and continued. "Have more of you.
Understand why you never gave me more―" ”
“You're not his fiancée," Maximos said grimly. "This is a sham, a charade―"
"No." Her pulse leapt wildly. What had she done? What had she said? "It's true. I”
“Then why do you care so much about us?" He practically hissed the last word.
"Maybe because I don't want to make the same mistake twice!" She'd been through hell and back since he left her.”
“ "Maybe I want to understand what happened so I can damn well make sure it doesn't occur again."
His brow contorted, his expression dark, punishing. "I appreciate your thirst for knowledge, carissima, but this isn't the time."
"Maybe it's not convenient now, but you'll never willingly give me the time, Maximos, will you?”
“Maybe it is crazy to show up here “with Emilio, but I wanted to see ―no, I needed to see―what you wouldn't share with me."
"We had an agreement-"
"Sex," she interrupted bitterly, wishing she could have been content with just sex.”
“She was just his mistress”
“when she first accepted the terms of the relationship with Maximos: No commitments. No promises. No guilt trips.”
“If he hadn't left her, she would still be with him. There was no way she could have ever left him. She wasn't that strong. She'd needed ... wanted ... him far too much.”
“Her conscience smote her. She couldn't bear hypocrisy and yet here she was, aligning herself with Emilio, inflicting pain on Maximos-the weekend of his sister's wedding no less.
It was horrible. She was horrible.”
“But Sobato, Cass? Why him?"
"Because I knew it would make you crazy." She smiled brazenly, hiding her pain, hiding the hurt wrapping her heart. She had to do this, had to get through this, had to get her old life and confidence-back.”
“was time to move forward. She had to move forward, which is why she'd agreed to play the part of Emilio's adoring fiancée”
“I cared about you, Cass I cared more than you know, but you know you're responsible for your own happiness, just as you're in charge of your own destiny. It's the one thing we agreed on when we met, it's what attracted me to you. You were strong and independent?"
"And I still am." She took a breath. "Sort of."
"Unacceptable.”
“Lorna plunged off the cliff near the villa. She was airlifted unconscious from the wreck to the hospital in Catania. She never woke up." He made a low, strange sound, almost
animal-like, and full of pain. "I shouldn't have ever let them hook her up to the ventilators. Her family was furious with me. They said it wasn't what Lorna would want...they said...and yet I did what I wanted..."
"You loved her," Cass said softly.
"I did." Maximos stared across the room. He wasn't with Cass, he was somewhere else and it was a black place. Cold. Hurtful. Awful.”
“I was summoned to court. But before I had the chance to testify, Sobato appeared. He'd come to the proceedings with an agenda of his own. He went to the judge claiming I had an ulterior motive “for wanting to turn off Lorna's life support. The judge asked me if I had a conflict of interest. And I did." Maximos looked at Cass, met her gaze. "I had you."
Cass didn't know what to say. She waited for him to tell the rest. "I told the d'Santos I couldn't testify. I told them that I'd hurt their case, but by me―Lorna's husband―not testifying in favour of removing her from life support, the d'Santos lost their case."
"When was that?" she asked.
"February."
"The same month you left me."
"I was devastated." His voice was deep, raw. "We'd made plans to go to Paris. You went ahead and I was to follow but the court case imploded. It all fell apart and that weekend you did, too. You were so beautiful that last evening, and so vulnerable, and when you told me you needed more, I understood." His voice broke. "I needed more, too.”
“And then in June Lorna died and yet you didn't contact me, or call..."
"It's been three months, yes." His expression was grim. "But there was the funeral, and an issue of respect, as well as sorting through endless legal issues. ”
“Don't tell me no, Cass. It's the one thing I couldn't bear. I could wait. And I would wait.
I'd wait a year for you. Five years, ten years―"
"No."
His arms hung at his side, his dark eyes shadowed, absolute heartbreak lining his features. "Don't do this."
"But I have to."
He was crying. The tears were in his eyes, clinging to his dense black lashes. He didn't even try to wipe them away. She took a step, tentatively touched his chest with one hand, and then the other. "You see, you're right. You're right about everything and I do love you, and will marry you, only I can't wait."
”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 26, 2015
I understand the low reviews and the great reviews. This book has all sorts of messed up elements but at least it's original. There is a moment where heroine is forced to wear a slip dress by the bad guy who is blackmailing her (her totally incompetent attempt to get her revenge backfiring), and hero covers her up. For some reason I loved that scene.
January 10, 2018
“I’ve been married, bella. The entire time we were together, I’ve been someone’s husband.” He laughed incredulously as he shook his head. “Cass, for the two and a half years we were together, I belonged to someone else.”
April 30, 2020
I have never read anything more melodramatic than this book. The idiotic h who doesn't move on but dreams up a revenge plot for a H who is more idiotic than her. The h doesn't ask a What If question and just blindly falls in his arms the minute he proposes without even apologizing properly after all the long drawn out drama that went in circles! This beats soap opera.
July 14, 2016
This was a re-read for me and I was blown away. I remember not being too impressed with the book the first time round but I think you have to be in the zone to really get this. It tread a fine line between over the top prose to portraying the angst of a love rejected. I felt it did it perfectly and while as always they were small plot holes, some contradictions and the whole revenge at a family wedding was a little silly, it was surprisingly deep.
I thought anyone who has had someone walk away from them with no explanations, anyone who has been in a relationship where they've had more invested than the other person would totally get this.
The h was totally defenseless, totally vulnerable and so so needy yet I grew to like her as the story evolved and as for Maximus, the H, it was a pretty good effort at redemption.
I thought anyone who has had someone walk away from them with no explanations, anyone who has been in a relationship where they've had more invested than the other person would totally get this.
The h was totally defenseless, totally vulnerable and so so needy yet I grew to like her as the story evolved and as for Maximus, the H, it was a pretty good effort at redemption.
March 21, 2015
The story was a good emotional story. However the first few chapters were brutal to get through. There were times that I almost stopped reading the book all together. Cassandra was heartbroken. She was in love with Maximo, but she needed more from him. She needed him to love her the way she loved her. The two parted ways. After they broke up, she found out she was pregnant, and then she had a miscarriage, that tore her heart apart. The author was aiming for heart wrenching pain to be felt by the reader. Cass whined, and the whines were repeated throughout the story over and over again. The first few chapters I didn't feel the pain, I was just annoyed.
The story had revenge from men that use to work together, strong emotions, and a good story line. I'm glad I kept reading. The story did get better the more I read. However it took 9 chapters for me to want to finish the book.
The story had revenge from men that use to work together, strong emotions, and a good story line. I'm glad I kept reading. The story did get better the more I read. However it took 9 chapters for me to want to finish the book.
February 17, 2021
Not for me
Her plot for revenge became a story of desperation. Cassandra and Maximos had lots of chemistry but their story was sad and ugly. The anger and heartbreak from him leaving and the other thing* spolier* was understandable but he was already half way out the door before he left. I just had a lot of issues with this storyline. Great writing, powerful language and feelings but it was an entire book about a weak, desperate woman trying to find closure in a selfish man. When the closure should have been about finding her power in herself and him realizing he needed her in the end.
Her plot for revenge became a story of desperation. Cassandra and Maximos had lots of chemistry but their story was sad and ugly. The anger and heartbreak from him leaving and the other thing* spolier* was understandable but he was already half way out the door before he left. I just had a lot of issues with this storyline. Great writing, powerful language and feelings but it was an entire book about a weak, desperate woman trying to find closure in a selfish man. When the closure should have been about finding her power in herself and him realizing he needed her in the end.
April 2, 2016
Another all-time-favourite Presents. Loved the mood and tone of this book, the intensity,and the setting. The pace is fantastic and so are the love scenes. I adored the strong uber-alpha tortured hero. The heroine should have been too much of a victim, but because of how she's written isn't.
My only criticism was that maybe one of the stylistic tics was slightly overdone, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.
My only criticism was that maybe one of the stylistic tics was slightly overdone, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.
October 13, 2018
Leído en Enero 2013
Argumento típico de estos libros....
Argumento:
Cuando se desatan la venganza, los secretos y la pasión, no se puede prever lo que ocurrirá…
Cass no podía seguir con una relación en la que sólo participaba su cuerpo y que le estaba rompiendo el corazón… Pero el trato que había hecho con el magnate siciliano Maximo Guiliano sólo incluía sexo, y cuando eso dejó de ser suficiente para Cass, Maximo decidió acabar con la relación. Y Cass se quedó destrozada… y embarazada.
Argumento típico de estos libros....
Argumento:
Cuando se desatan la venganza, los secretos y la pasión, no se puede prever lo que ocurrirá…
Cass no podía seguir con una relación en la que sólo participaba su cuerpo y que le estaba rompiendo el corazón… Pero el trato que había hecho con el magnate siciliano Maximo Guiliano sólo incluía sexo, y cuando eso dejó de ser suficiente para Cass, Maximo decidió acabar con la relación. Y Cass se quedó destrozada… y embarazada.
October 31, 2023
Forgettable.. stopped reading when H confessed to being married during their entire 2 year relationship, even if his wife is in a coma. I hate this plot, so thanks but no thanks
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2012
There was an aspect to this book that normally would make me run a mile but it was handled so well and the Hero Maximos, suffered so much for his mistakes that it just made me love him more. This was a heart breaker from the very first page. The heroine was shattered by the breakup with Maximos and her reasons for coming and confronting Maximos were as confused as her emotions. It was obvious that both of them harboured strong feelings for each other even after six months apart. How they were ever to have their happy ending though with so many problems, secrets and lies to keep them apart was enough to have nail bitingly high emotions in the reader. The resolution, a requirement and the only thing that gets us through the emotional angst, was very satisfying.
I don't think it is spoiling anything to say that what pushed this into five star territory for me was the heroes faithfulness to the heroine while they were apart. And vice versa of course.
I don't think it is spoiling anything to say that what pushed this into five star territory for me was the heroes faithfulness to the heroine while they were apart. And vice versa of course.
September 4, 2015
Just awful. The asinine revenge plot that made no sense and heroine who is, not surprising as it is a Jane Porter novel, weak and unlikable character. Would have actually like it if she had stuck to her guns at the end and actually walked away from the hero or at least realized how destructive the two of them are and tried to build a real relationship not based on lies by starting over. But instead, she agreed to marry him less than 24 hours after she found out he had been married and lying to her during their whole relationship. So much for feminism and strong female characters and so much for making characters that are actually relatable at a human level.
June 8, 2021
Cass can't continue with a relationship that involves just her body when her heart is breaking.... But the deal she made with Sicilian tycoon Maximos Borsellino was for sex--and when that fails to be enough for Cass, Maximos ends the affair. Cass is completely destroyed. Worse, she discovers she's pregnant....
But an explosive reunion is on the cards in Jane Porter's dark, passionate and utterly gripping story.
But an explosive reunion is on the cards in Jane Porter's dark, passionate and utterly gripping story.
February 6, 2015
Wow. This was one of those harlequins where you hate both the hero and heroine. The heroine was the definition of a door mat. She mad zero intelligent choices in the book. I have no idea why she loved the hero - or even how she could love him since it appeared they spent almost zero time together out of bed in their two year relationship. I was not a fan.
August 17, 2013
i hated it. cass was pathetic. really i can't imagine myself in her shoes..chasing a man like dat. maximos was a real big ass !!he's not a hero..i mean the type of hero u want in ur books
March 22, 2025
Maximos GUILIANO , head of Italia Motors, and Emilio Sobato , Maximos’s best friend and business partner. Together, designing and building some of the sleekest, fastest sports cars in the world before their falling-out a number of years ago.
Then this happened
A car accident.
In an Italia Motors’ car. There very first car. The prototype, actually. Maximos loses his wife.Lorna , maximos wife , lorna and maximos went to university together. Maximos knew her for years before they married…back then he thought we were meant to be.
He was out for work mostly. Lorna turned to someone else for love. That someone was Emilio Sobato?
Emilio knew about the flaw in the car too. The breaks were designed to fail. But he was greedy. He didn’t want to take the design back to the drawing board. He wanted the cars on the market, wanted the sales…”.
Lorna and Emilio plans to get rid of maximos. They wanted to live on maximos money. Then in an accident Lorna looses consciousness and is placed on ventilator for 10 years. Maximos throws Emilio out of the company and redesigns the car. Maximos design big play big . But he is lonely until he finds the female lead, cass.
He hides the fact that he's married. And cass acts as a mistress for 2 nd half during which she conceives a baby. But then , she asks maximos to make her his girlfriend. And he denies and ghosts her. After which the heroine suffers miscarriage and blah blah.
Then this happened
A car accident.
In an Italia Motors’ car. There very first car. The prototype, actually. Maximos loses his wife.Lorna , maximos wife , lorna and maximos went to university together. Maximos knew her for years before they married…back then he thought we were meant to be.
He was out for work mostly. Lorna turned to someone else for love. That someone was Emilio Sobato?
Emilio knew about the flaw in the car too. The breaks were designed to fail. But he was greedy. He didn’t want to take the design back to the drawing board. He wanted the cars on the market, wanted the sales…”.
Lorna and Emilio plans to get rid of maximos. They wanted to live on maximos money. Then in an accident Lorna looses consciousness and is placed on ventilator for 10 years. Maximos throws Emilio out of the company and redesigns the car. Maximos design big play big . But he is lonely until he finds the female lead, cass.
He hides the fact that he's married. And cass acts as a mistress for 2 nd half during which she conceives a baby. But then , she asks maximos to make her his girlfriend. And he denies and ghosts her. After which the heroine suffers miscarriage and blah blah.
February 3, 2021
Wow, this one was almost too real for an HP. Dark secrets all around and the MCs must have had some really bad karma for all the s**t that happened to them to happen. Thankfully, they live in HPland where HEA is a guarantee.
Normally, such angst-fest would have made me dnf a book, but JP did a superb job keeping the reader entranced once the unnecessary set-up between the h and the villain at the beginning was out of the way. Also, good job explainig the psychology behind the h's masochism with regard to the H. Th H's character was less developed (as it often happens with HP), but his attitude towards the h was believable and, more importantly, suprisingly steadfast. The catharsis in the final chapters is 5star material.
story: 4/5 (almost too real for HP)
characters: 4/5
dialogues: 3-/5 (h just too whiny and repetitive)
angst: 4+/5 (but oh so justified)
steaminess: 3+/5 (as usual with JP's stories, it is not the main focal point)
Normally, such angst-fest would have made me dnf a book, but JP did a superb job keeping the reader entranced once the unnecessary set-up between the h and the villain at the beginning was out of the way. Also, good job explainig the psychology behind the h's masochism with regard to the H. Th H's character was less developed (as it often happens with HP), but his attitude towards the h was believable and, more importantly, suprisingly steadfast. The catharsis in the final chapters is 5star material.
story: 4/5 (almost too real for HP)
characters: 4/5
dialogues: 3-/5 (h just too whiny and repetitive)
angst: 4+/5 (but oh so justified)
steaminess: 3+/5 (as usual with JP's stories, it is not the main focal point)
May 17, 2018
Well that was batshit crazy. The hero who started the books was way different from the one in the last chapters. The heroine 'super smart and driven career woman' is running around after her ex-boyfriend with his enemy!...Yeah stay classy girl, eye roll. And the hero's 'reasons' weren't strong enough and the arguments were repeated 5 times or more throughout the book until the truth was revealed and then it was the same argument but with a different outcome. Not really worth the read.
July 20, 2019
Hit mess! Honesty and communication, interesting concepts.
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