Sinclair Territory

by Jane Corrie

When her brief marriage ended in tragedy Delia was only too thankful to accept her Aunt Lucy's invitation. Australia would be just the place for her. She soon found that Aunt Lucy was unusually dependent on the forceful Dane Sinclair. But he needn't think that Delia was going to follow her aunt's example!

Genres: Harlequin Romance

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

Reviews

[Naksed · Rating 2 out of 5]

In the same vein of this author's infamous The Impossible Boss although the hero in this one is slightly less horrible. If "English Rose moves to Australia to get tortured by Big Aussie Boss" is your cuppa, then this is for you. I was less bothered by his horrible behavior hounding her out of town and dangling the OW than I was by the fact that he never trusts the heroine, not to the bitter end. There always have to be 3rd parties around (her aunt, her cousin-in-law) to set him straight, he is INSANELY JEALOUS and does not believe a word she says despite his LOVE. His default attitude seems to be that she is a lying, two-timing floozie. She better watch out in the future that she will always have witnesses handy to reset his brain. In a way, it's kind of comical :~}

[Margo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Corrie special, folks. He's an alpha jerk who draws a series of false conclusions about the h and then is a total jerk to her, but ultimately becomes increasingly obsessed with her. There's a troublemaking OW, and the H does kiss her in front of the h, who he thinks is married, but his every activity is all about the h, so it's hard to see the kiss as anything other than him trying to get the h's attention because she's a meanie who hurt his feelings and he's mad and is having the equivalent of a tantrum.

In this book, it helps to know that the H has the emotional coping skills, and the possessiveness of a toddler, and he is clearly so besotted with her that he's making himself crazy with all of his wild and inaccurate conjectures about even her smallest actions (OMG, he's an h in H's clothing!). I imagine in their HEA she periodically has to trick him into taking naps or having a glass of warm milk when he can't sleep. I doubt she ever teaches him to share, though.

As with many other Jane Corrie books, the book ends with the super-alpha H emotionally at the feet of the actually quite well adjusted h, revealing that he will love her forever and NEVER, EVER, EVER let her go. EVER.

[JillyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this little gem at a local antique store. It was in great shape and cost a couple of bucks. First off this gets a one just for the vintage alone. The book is 45 years old, so it is dated however there were no cigarettes!!? I have been reading a lot of modern books lately, and although I have enjoyed them I really needed a book with some misunderstandings and evil ow’s. This book delivered.

Basically heroine is widowed after a brief marriage that she didn’t even tell her beloved aunt in Australia about. She goes down under to be with aunt who is ill, and meets the ginger haired hero who is a confirmed bachelor. They rub each other the wrong way which basically means his bachelor days are numbered. But before we reach the HEA, our hero has to constantly jump to conclusions about the h and put her down. The h also fell for the ow’s vicious whisperings in her ear.

Much of the angst comes from the hero who makes assumptions and insults...but our heroine who is still grieving doesn’t play the simpering girl who goes all agog at the hero...he is used to being chased and she isn’t chasing(our heroes won’t stand for that, challenge accepted)

***Unaware that she was married, (as she still blushes like a virgin) he basically tells her to loosen up or she will end up being a spinster. If she tries being less stern someone might fancy her.

***she gets ready to visit her aunt in hospital, and he pretty much tells her if she doesn’t let him drive her he will manhandle her in front of everyone...I think spanking was mentioned...once in town he disappears but miraculously shows up about the time she plans to head back and manhandles her again


****he invites her to the local shindigs (she never goes) so what does the confirmed bachelor do? He goes to her place...where he gives punishing kisses and then feeling miffed, tells her thanks for warming him up for the others(of course this is a kiss like no other for her)

***she plans to leave this town and get a job, but he basically guilts her into getting a job working for him to lessen her aunts load(by no means is he interested in her🙄🙄)

****after some evil machinations from the ow, he accuses her of chasing him and that he isn’t interested(this does hurt our h this time, because after punishing kisses she is 3/4 of the way in love, BUT she doesn’t chase)

***evil ow sets up a bogus phone call to out the h as a married woman (still not knowing she is widowed) and the H accuses her of stuff and tells her to go back to her husband and make babies( hello wound let’s pour some salt)

Our h just wants to get away...she tells aunt about her widow status and aunt sends her to a friends farm for some respite...the farm has young bachelor sons that the mom wants to marry off...Aunt lets it drop to the hero that heroine was widowed ...oh and she is at a farm...with bachelors ...

Hero continues to pursue, continues to be jealous and continues to assume things because of said jealousy up until HEA. I left out several details including the h’s close friendship with her dead husband’s cousin...he shows up near end of the book to give the hero one last jolt of idiocy(she actually calls the hero an idiot)

What I liked:

I was in the mood for an alpa jerk male who is so unknowingly besotted with the heroine that he misconstrues everything....

I like that the heroine was hard to get for most of the book, even after she developed feelings...

I like that our Hero was a confirmed bachelor and our h was responsible for un confirming him(same as first husband)

I like that the aunt is doing her own secret machinations to put these two together.

This is vintage at it’s innocent best..yet manages to give a few butterflies in the stomach.

[Myrna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jane Corrie for her besotted heroes falling for indifferent heroines.

I love the heroes' frustration and pent-up passion when dealing with clueless heroines.
Naturally the heroines find out much later that they aren't so indiffrent as they earlier thought and that they actually have feelings for the heroes.

I love this plot.

The H is a judgemental prick who is ready to think the worst of the h. He changes his opinion about her at the drop of hat.

The h is a young widdow who's had only 3 weeks of bliss with her late husband. She decides to move closer to her only living relative - an old aunt running a hostel for young girls.
While taking care of the girls in her aunt's absence she meets the town's owner.

[C. Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another brief romance in which the man acts like a jerk and is abusive towards the woman until nearly the end of the book, while she intentionally doesn't correct his multiple misunderstandings and puts up with his verbal and physical mishandling -- and then a few pages from the end she decides she's in love with him. Meh. Some of the supporting characters are more interesting and believable than the main couple.

[Last Chance Saloon · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars for being everything Margo put in her review - I think the hero became crazy about her as everyone else just fawns on him. She's 25, recently widowed (9 months ago), and very English. He's Australian, in his 30s, spoiled rotten by everyone, with no sense of equilibrium. But it's a fun read.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the romances of past decades, I am always amazed at how awful the heroes are: bossy, controlling, and of course they have wealth and power where the heroine has none. A widow comes to a small town amidst Australian orchards, but keeps her recent marriage a secret.

[RomLibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

When her brief marriage ended in tragedy Delia was only too thankful to accept her Aunt Lucy's invitation. Australia would be just the place for her. She soon found that Aunt Lucy was unusually dependent on the forceful Dane Sinclair. But he needn't think that Delia was going to follow her aunt's example!