22 Indigo Place

by Sandra Brown

Once James Paden had been the high-school bad boy--too dangerous to flirt with, but too gorgeous to ignore? Now Laura Nolan faced him as a woman, about to lose the home that had been a symbol of the good life in her small town to a man whose desire for her--and for 22 Indigo Place--had only deepened over time. What gave this man the devastating power to seduce her senses, to make her shiver with emotions she dared not confess? In his mind she'd always been the girl he couldn't have, the rich man's daughter for whom he'd never be good enough...until that moonlit night when the fierce touch of his lips branded her forever his...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Marriage Of Convenience, Harlequin, Chick Lit

200 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bad boy is back in town ... but he's no longer a "boy"! And he has his eye on the good girl, who barely gave him the time of day many moons ago.


3.5 stars.

This one was quite the cliché. Granted it was written back in the 80s I think. He was a superior, sexist bastard. Really got her going with his double entendre remarks. LOL.

"I don't mind making scenes, Laura, as I'm sure you know. But I don't think you'd like it much if I caught you by the hair and hauled you in. Now, unless you want to give the good folks of Gregory something juicy to discuss over supper tonight, you better get your sweet tush in this damn car."

"That's right baby. Hum for me now. Because when I get inside you, our bodies are going to sing. That's a promise."

Some of her older books are definitely dated. This one was too but I still enjoyed it.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my sister's favorite books, which always makes me want to read a book, since she has good taste. She's usually not wrong about the books she raves about. The other night, I decided to give it a read, since it has a flower on the cover, I needed a pure, happy romance book to get my mind off of darker thoughts, and it would meet my Spring challenge. I was glad I did. I love the old school romance books. They seemed to build up the romance story in a more believable fashion. As well as the chemistry. I must say Sandra Brown did a great job. She built up the sexual tension expertly in this book. Each scene and interaction, both in the past and the present, showed the attraction between Laura and James. Their kisses and caresses escalated that tension until they consummate. I miss that feeling of expectation of when they finally will do it, instead of the more prevalent insta-sex of today, which really just makes the romance fizzle before it begins. After they have sex, what's the point really in reading the romance? I like the romance to come first. But that's just me.

Other things I liked about this book:
*There is something about Southern-set books. The ambience of that location, with all the societal aspects, the simmering heat, and the conventions of Southern folk. I could smell the gardenia and honeysuckle, taste the sweet iced tea, and feel the humid breeze against my skin. It is a clever metaphor for the heated sexual attraction between the characters that is burgeoning right under my eyes as I read.
*I love books where the H/h knew each other growing up, although they didn't get together, merely flirting around, or having the unconsummated attraction that will culminate when they reunite later on as adults.
*The bad-boy made good storyline: Although I didn't like the snobbery that Laura showed initially against James, I liked the dynamic of Laura and James having been in different social spheres. James was the son of the town drunk, and Laura the daughter of one of the town's more prominent families. James was pretty much like James Dean in the old 50s movies, a greaser with a bad attitude. But he was always a hard worker, just dealing with more pain and rage than a young man can carry and still have peace in his heart. It was good he shook the dust of his hometown off his feet and set off to make a life for himself, and his fortune. And he created his darling little girl, Mandy, who needs a mother. Good thing Laura is there to fill that job. James had a master plan of coming back to his hometown and making a good reputation for himself. Laura's found out that her father left her a mountain of debts and has to sell her house. It's a heartbreaking decision for herself, especially when she has to sell it to James, who she doesn't think is good enough for it. Things change in her thinking, and I was glad that she was able to open her heart and mind (although James had always been in her heart, even if he was way 'too bad, too experienced, too everything' for her). James sure has a way of bringing a girl around in her thinking. James has some revising of his views to undergo too. He wants a perfect southern maven wife, and doesn't need love or passion (at least not with her). He thinks Laura will fit the bill, until he realizes how much passion she has inside, and how much he feels for her. I think Ms. Brown did a good job of showing how James and Laura got to know each other past the misleading perceptions of each other they had (fostered by a society that is way too fixated on such things), and realizing how much they loved each other.

There was a lot to love about this book. I takes me back to the golden days of contemporary romance that I sincerely mourn nowadays. I've read a few of her older books, but I guess I should have paid more attention to Sandra Brown's contemporary romance. Now's as good a time as any.

[*TANYA* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shaking my head!!! A plethora of cheese!! I LOVE IT!! Love it! Not one of Sandra's best novels, though. Lol.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like this Sandra Brown. I like the Sandra Brown of romantic suspense. I had really forgotten what it was like to read romances from the '80s or the '90s. Sentences like "His manliness demanded femininity from her." makes my skin feel like a milion ants are crawling over it.

Apart from the "era" writing, the story was so predictable, the heroine was so annoying (such a snob and full of herself) and the hero kept calling her Miss Laura (ironically? affectionately? couldn't fathom) that made me think of her like a middle-aged spinster.

The best part of this story was the house itself and the descriptions of the surrounding grounds.

[Lady Raven RAVE! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story: FAIRLY GOOD
Intimacy Level: NICE/ GOOD
Enjoyment: GOOD
Length: 220 pages

Ok, this book is such a cliché, but I love it, and it is one of my favorite books from the past as I've read it 10 years ago, way before I started posting reviews. I decided to reread again and still find that I like it. To sum it up, if you like the I was a poor bad boy wanting the rich good girl but can't have her; so, fast-forward years later, and the roles are now reverse. Now the poor bad boy is all grown up and is now the rich guy, meanwhile, the rich good girl isn't so rich and needs the bad boy’s money and help.

Younger Laura was the typical rich girl who was always friendly, kind and forbidden. She lives at the beautiful mansion at 22 Indigo Place. Now broke and in need of a buyer of this place, she is shocked to find out who the buyer was,James. The bad boy of the town who took off years ago. Now that he is back, he is able to rub elbows with the elite and prove to Laura his money is now good enough.

The story is simple, yes, but has a Sandra Brown touch to it that I like with her romance novels. Keep in mind that you have a lot of stories about rich girl poor guy crush themes, but it's how the author writes about it that makes a difference for me personally. This is one of my favorite books and hope you think of it as such.

*Original review posted 2011
*Re Read in Jan 2013
* RE-Read March 2021

[nadja · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 zvezdica
Prilično sam iznenađena i to na pozitivan način. Majka je uz časopis Blic Ženu pre par meseci uzela ovu knjigu i stajala je na polici do juče, jer iako ima slatke korice, činilo mi se da nije ništa posebno zbog formata u kojem je štampana (to su one male knjižice, sigurno ste ih videli na trafikama) i (ne)kvaliteta stranica. Ali naravno, knjiški moljac kakav sam, morala sam da joj pružim priliku, i verujte nisam se pokajala.
Mislila sam da ne volim romantiku, i izgleda da sam pogrešila.
Iako me je glavni muški lik, Džejms Paden, neverovatno iritirao na početku (ponašao se kao Džofri Barateon iz GoT, verujte) i nikako nisam uspevala da zamislim njegov lik, negne oko 80e strane nešto je kvrcnulo- postao je topliji i pokazao je svoju bolju stranu (ipak je on samo čovek) i odjenom sam imala u glavi jasnu sliku njegovog jedinstvenog izgleda. Džejmsovo ponašenje jeste bilo prilično drsko na početku i svaki put kad bi ponovio reč "lutkice" dobijao bi kolut očima ali sam, možda je to i do mog dobrog raspoloženja danas, mogla da zamislim njega i Loru prekrivene svetlošću kako jedu na podu predivne kuće, njega kako joj priča, kako se smeje samo jednim uglom usana, nju kako ga gleda ravnodušno ali umire od želje u sebi, njegovu ranjivost ispod maske drskosti.. i mnogo ostalih romantičnih scena
Topla preporuka

[Love love · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is just something about reading a contemporary romance written in the early 80's.....it's like comfort food. It's really nice to retreat to after reading either a very emotional, murder or thriller book. It's kind of like a nice palette cleanser before moving onto something with more substance.

James (H) grew up in a small Georgia town on the wrong side of the tracks. He was the son of the town drunk and everyone knew him as a wild one who lead motorcycle gang, causing trouble where ever they went. One night he and his gang start to torment highschooler and rich girl Laura Nolan (h). He sees that his friends are going to far and Laura is really afraid so he calls them off and takes her home to 22 Indigo Place. James sees Laura and 22 Indigo Place as everything he could want but could never have, and the respectability and acceptence of the town that goes with them. He leaves town to make it on his own and wouldn't you know it, he becomes a millionaire.

Laura had once had everything but know with her father passing (her mother died a few years before) she finds out that he had spent everything and mortgaged the house up the ying yang. She's forced to sell 22 Indigo Place, her home that means so much to her. And who shows up to buy it....James Paden of all people. There is no way she is going to sell her house to the likes of him......if she can help it.

This was a fast, easy and enjoyable read. The words and fraises used in the south and in the 80's are in abundance through out this book which made me smile. =)

[Saly · Rating 3 out of 5]

22 Indigo Place was a decent oldie though there were moments I found the characters shallow especially Laura and her obsession in the beginning with her pride and family home when she was broke.

Of course James was the town's bad boy who made it big and Laura is shocked to find him on her doorstep as a prospective buyer for her place. James also makes it clear that he finds her attractive while Laura despises his reputation with women and vows not to sell to him. At this moment I wanted to say pride goes before a fall, fine you are pretending to sell because you want to not because you need to but really you refuse because you think the man is not worthy? Snob. But she did improve.

We of course find out that even James had motives. He wants him and his daughter to be accepted by the town people and his ticket is Laura who he convinces to marry him. There is a lot of he-man behaviour from the hero, grabbing her and kissing her but the book was kind of a good read.

[Serial Romance Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I keep looking for the elusive Sandra Brown romance novel that will make the kind of impact on me that Sunset Embrace did.

This book was just... meh. I was guessing that this book was set in the eighties but due to the absolute prudishness of our h, it could’ve been set in the Fifties. She was annoying and horrible. Our MC’s had very little chemistry. The H was traumatized by living in poverty. The way he treated his mother was unnecessary.

Our h did a complete 180 in personality. It was like she was a different character after they got married. Also, she had a justifiable right to be angry when she discovered the true motives of the H, but by then she was so mesmerized by the trouser snake’s dance that she didn’t seem to care!

Just couldn’t connect and I wasn’t moved at all by this story.

[Sruthi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My very first Sandra brown.

[Rose 📚🌹 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura Nolan mau tak mau harus menjual kediamannya tercinta Indigo Place 22 karna terbelit utang yang diciptakan oleh ayahnya. Tapi tak pernah terpikir baginya bahwa yang akan membeli rumahnya adalah orang yang dicintainya, James Paden, lelaki yang selalu mengisi mimpi-mimpinya. James Paden dulunya adalah berandalan, anak geng motor dan urak-urakan, tapi sekaligus pria paling tampan di kotanya. Tak jarang orang membicarakannya, baik karna reputasinya yang buruk atau karna kelihaiannya bermain dengan wanita.

Suatu saat karna suatu rumor maka James pindah dari kota kelahirannya. Siapa sangka dia yang ugal-ugalan akhirnya bisa kembali ke kotanya dan membawa uang yang banyak dalam kantong sakunya. Uang yang cukup banyak hingga mampu membeli rumah sebesar Indigo Place.

Laura mati-matian menolak tawaran James yang ingin membeli rumahnya. Tapi ia tak punya banyak pilihan karna kalau ia tidak segera melunasi utang ayahnya ia akan bangkrut dan dalam kondisi yang lebih parah lagi dari sekarang.

Niat awalnya hanya ingin menjual rumahnya, tapi siapa yang menyangka akhirnya James Paden memintanya untuk menikah dengannya :D
Sempat ngakak berat sewaktu James mengatakan kepada Laura bahwa dia punya seorang wanita yang bernama Tricks. Kontan Laura merasa cemburu dan jengkel. Tapi setelah dia tahu bahwa yang dimaksud James adalah putrinya sendiri yang bernama Mandy, Laura pun malu bukan kepalang :D

Lain daripada novel yang lain, yang kebanyakan wanita yang mati-matian ingin mempunyai anak dari laki-laki supaya sang laki tidak meninggalkan wanita tsb, maka di novel ini justru James lah yang benar-benar menginginkan anak dari Laura supaya Laura tetap berada disisinya.

" Kau tak bakal kehilangan diriku,Miss Laura. Kaupikir mengapa aku berusaha membuatmu hamil?Sayangku, aku berharap aku bisa memberikan bayi untukmu. Aku ingin menjamin bahwa kau tak akan meninggalkan aku."

Kalau kata-kata ini diucapkan oleh seorang wanita,mungkin sudah menjadi hal yang biasa. tapi jika pria yang berkata seperti itu, berarti dia benar-benar menginginkan wanita tersebut menjadi bagian dari hidupnya untuk selamanya dan takut jika suatu saat wanita tsb akan meninggalkannya. So sweet banget ^^

[Shreya · Rating 1 out of 5]

*spoilers alert* ha! what spoilers anyway. This book is an interesting mix of sexism, shallow characters and icky love scenes. Everyone said it was oh-so-great. Its really not. This guy, James gives bad boy heroes a really bad name. He is a sexist pig. He forces her to get into his car in one scene, makes lewd comments about her body in so many others , pushes her against the wall and kisses her even after she turns her head and flails her arms. He expects her to do no job after they get married, no mention about it also. In fact, at one point he says, you look good and cook well, why aren't you married yet(or something to that effect, pardon me for not remembering such great dialogues) When he finds out she's a virgin (surprise) he gets so mad. The love scenes and the dialogues during them will make you want to gag. The only reason why there was a book was because these two are good looking people. The end. In flashback, the herione was going to be gang raped and the hero rescues her after he takes his own sweet time deciding he doesn't want that to happen. And after he rescues her he kisses her before which she was understandably crying. Then rejects her horribly. I love romance but I'm not gonna put up with this horrendous mating and submitting-to-a-man-because-he's-a-man-and-all-I-have-to-do-is-look-hot recipe.

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad Sandra Brown novel. Somewhat dated, but not really a bad thing, as the book is entertaining in parts. One of her earliest novels. The two main characters would be my parents ages now I suspect. LOL

[Милена Божинова · Rating 3 out of 5]

Много истересна история.

[Ada Dumitrascu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will slowly get out of the reading slump..

[Judy Churchill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read. Enjoyable even though totally predictable.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know this was an older book but I still liked it. I liked all the characters. Super easy read! 😁

[Hasnamezied · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Super Sweet Stars.

[LittleStar28282 · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating: 🌕🌕🌗🌑🌑 (2,5)

[Allison Tester]

Her romance novels are a wild time warp but I love Sandra so here we are

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laura yg dibesarkan sbg gadis anak orang kaya, dihadapkan pd situasi yg tak pernah dia bayangkan seumur hidupnya, bangkrut. Krn kesalahan investasi orangtuanya, Laura terpaksa menjual rumahnya 22 Indigo Place utk membayar hutang. Laura tidak suka calon pembeli potensialnya, James Paden, yg berlatar belakang orang miskin, berminat membeli dan menempati rumah masa kecilnya. Tapi Laura tidak kuasa menolak pesona si orang kaya baru ini mantan pembalap, dan menerima lamaran pekerjaan sekaligus pernikahan dgn James.

Krn novel ini dibuat tahun 80an, saya maklum banget kalau muatannya kelewat dramatis dan terkadang gak logis juga. Sebenarnya temanya lumayan unik yakni orang kaya lama (diwakili oleh Laura) dijodohkan dgn orang kaya baru (diwakili oleh James). Tapi sayangnya plot cerita malah terkesan James mau menaiki jenjang sosial yg lebih tinggi, dgn menikahi Laura sbg tiket termudah utk mencapainya.

Saya pribadi kurang sreg dgn kedua tokoh utama, baik James maupun Laura terlalu mudah memberikan akses satu sama lain, alias gak ada tantangan. Laura terkesan jual mahal tetapi dgn ciuman panas langsung gampang meleleh seperti mie lodoh. James juga terkesan tidak sensitif dan lebih mementingkan tujuan pribadinya sendiri.

Ada satu scene yg rasanya salah banget tapi tidak dikoreksi. Saat Indigo Place terhantam badai, reaksi jawaban James membuat saya melongo, dgn entengnya dia mengatakan bhw yg hrs dilakukan saat ini adalah tidur lelap saja. Lebih ajaib lagi, Laura tidak marah ataupun emosi. Bukannya saya menginginkan drama, tapi rasanya gak logis saja krn dari awal Laura digambarkan sangat mencintai rumah masa kecilnya itu, masa cuma bersedih murung saja? Perlu diketahui juga kepribadian Laura bukan tipe yg menyimpan emosi, walaupun kerap judgmental terhadap James.

[Sasha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is flat-out mind-dumbing. The hero is one of those rags-to-riches tycoons who uses the chip on his shoulder from high school to steer his every decision. He's high-handed and very rapey. The heroine is a hoity-toity harridan who of course melts into a puddle every time the hero whispers hot garbage to her. The stepdaughter element was cringey at best. The only likable character was Hurricane Betty for attempting to blow them all away. Yikes.

[Magda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book read really fast. It was funny and light to read. Simple and pleasant. Could be a bit longer. I felt that we know too little about the characters and I wish we could get to know them better during the plot. Other than that I don't have any cavils. It was enjoyable and I recommend it, because it reads easily and it's funny.

[Jaime · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay romance from Sandra Brown’s early years, but it comes from the era of romance novels where it was okay for the man to force himself upon the woman until she submitted, because he knew better than her what she really felt. It’s not the violence of rape, but it still doesn’t sit well with me and it puts a shadow over the entire story. I’m sure there are better romances out there.

[Kat Bussel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story at first it started out sad but as you kept reading it got better and better. So glad I got the pleasure to read it. It was harder to find this book compared to some of Sandra Brown's books. It to is in my book collection. It is an amazing story!!! You won't be disappointed by reading this book...

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Ms. Brown's writing, and it is still good in this book. The reason for the three stars is entirely my fault. I just couldn't connect with the characters. I honestly couldn't care what happened to them.

[Mareli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot resist bad boys. This one is such a proper bad boy! I remember reading this book a lot of years ago and thinking it was so hot... I couldn't know what was coming in the future! But it's a very good one, just a bit old-fashioned but a really nice reading.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was almost painful for me to read. I usually like Sandra Brown's books, but the heroine was just too unbelievably dumb and naive. I'll chalk this up to being early in Sandra Brown's career. Her later books are definitely better. My rating: 1 Star.

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found myself cringing a couple of times. Some scenes were less passionate and more like rape :(

[Zuzana Turňová · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sandra v rozkvete svojho cervenokniznicoveho obdobia. Nu co, kazdy nejak zacinal...