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Not Far Enough
Linsey's marriage to Jarvis Parradine had not lasted much longer than the honeymoon - yet was that surprising, when he had never uttered one word of love to her? And not only that, but she had actually caught him in the arms of another woman. So she had left him and escaped to distant Mauritius - where, four years later, he had managed to track her down. And now, in addition to controlling the attraction she still felt for Jarvis, Linsey had to try to keep her secret from him...
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First published October 1, 1982
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About the author
Margaret Pargeter
104 books73 followersMargaret Pargeter was a popular writer of 50 romance novels in Mills & Boon from 1975 to 1986.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
September 3, 2018
3.5 stars.
This definitely applied to the MC's in this novel. And, maybe I'm a little unbalanced too to be giving this angsty second chance/secret baby trainwreck such a high rating. Who knows ? But, I've come to the conclusion that's it's possible to enjoy a novel a lot without actually liking the MC's. It doesn't happen often, but when it does I try not to penalize the novel by giving it a low rating.
Jarvis, the H, is a tycoon of his time - I suppose he's the equivalent of today's billionaire alpha studs. He was in his early thirties when he fell in lust with an employee's 18 year old hot, beautiful but shy and virginal daughter. I guess the reason I enjoyed this is that Jarvis was super obsessed with the heroine all throughout their marriage. The heroine was too young and insecure so when she saw him embracing a vampy actress friend of his, she fled and stayed away until he locates her by accident, on the island of Mauritius. Their reunion is bittersweet and the sexual tension is high. Linsey's main problem was her inability to fit into her new role as wife and lover. This novel was written a long time ago and so this 18 yr old heroine was very sheltered when compared today's 18 yr old girls. Linsey was ashamed of how much she enjoyed sex with her new husband, because she felt it was not ladylike or proper for her to abandon herself and enjoy Jarvis' passionate lovemaking. This caused all the problems in their marriage because the H wasn't patient with his young, inexperienced wife.
I wanted to reach into the novel and clout him at the back of his head because a 32 yr old man should have been more considerate. It's not Linsey's fault that all his previous girlfriends had been sexually experienced women who were closer to his own age. As time passed, the heroine found it difficult to live comfortably in her new wifely role. She was also uncomfortable at social gatherings because all of the H's friends were in his age group and she had nothing in common with any of them. The H should've anticipated all of this when he fell into lust with an 18 yr old !
The following gif is perhaps a perfect symbolic representation of the heroine's inability to handle her new role as a wife. Linsey's like this dog, who's obviously uncomfortable wearing her new shoes:
These two MC's shared an intense chemistry, in spite of the heroine's hangups and Jarvis is obsessively jealous when a male even looks at Lindsay. Jarvis was on vacation on his yacht when he spied Linsey swimming nude, at dawn, on a beach in Mauritius. He stalked her, got jealous when she lied about having a boyfriend and made her life very uncomfortable since she was trying to hide her secret "baby" from him. Jarvis was very bitter, resentful and mean to her but he was so possessive that he even peeped into her bedroom window just to see if she was really living with another man ! He hadn't known then, that she had been referring to her son when she'd said that there was another man in her life. The MC's embarked on the old cat and mouse game where the H followed her around and almost seduced her again on his yacht. The best part of the story was the tension and the build up to scene where Jarvis eventually discovered that he had a son.
Linsey hadn't wanted him to know about Sean's existence because she was scared that he would take the little boy from her. She almost got away with her scheme until Sean ran away from home because he was sulking over something. Jarvis was there to help her look for the child and she lied to him about the boy's maternity, by saying that he was the maid's son. The scene where they found the child was filled with nail biting tension ! Jarvis was the one who had lifted the boy into his arms and I kept waiting, in great anticipation, for his reaction when he finally looked at the child in the clear light. The tension and the waiting was great !
This is the climax of that scene:
Then, like the final crash of discordant notes, came Jarvis's voice.
'Mine!' he rasped, slamming the accusation right at her, like a shot from a gun. His face flushed red then went white tinder his tan.
'You lying bitch!' Her turned to stare at her with hate in his leaping eyes.
'This boy is mine. He's my son!'
He wasn't asking her, she realised dully. There was no doubt in his mind that he was Sean's father, he wasn't going to allow her to deny it. He was staring at her, his green eyes glittering darkly. Instinctively she shrank back. The catastrophe she had always dreaded but thought would never arrive was not only here, but much worse than ever she had imagined it would be.
When Sean, stirring restlessly, cried, 'Mummy?' and she automatically took hold of his hand,it appeared to cap Jarvis's moment of dreadful triumph.
This is the H, Jarvis:
This is the heroine, Linsey:
I hated the reappearance of that troublemaking, gold digging actress bitch, wannabe OW. Jarvis has never had an affair with the tramp but she's been hanging around him like a bad case of flu. She continued to make trouble by lying to Linsey and the stupid heroine believed every word. The MC's problems weren't helped by the H's obsessive jealous possessiveness. Jarvis got jealous if the heroine even smiled at his employees on the yacht and he made mean comments to her if other men looked at her twice. He was also jealous of the love she showed to his own son, Sean ! That's why I felt that these characters were a trifle unbalanced:
She glanced up at him anxiously. 'He's never been away from me before.'
Then it's about time,' Jarvis said severely. 'You've been a mother now for over three years. Why not try concentrating on being a wife? It might make a nice change.'
In the H's case, fatherhood started to create even more problems !
Linsey should not have run away but then, if she hadn't this romance story would not exist. 😉. A little communication between the MC's would have resolved all the angst years ago. Linsey was a little TSTL though because she often acted without thinking and even made the dumbass decision to run away again ! Fortunately, Jarvis found her before she could leave the country again. I do believe that these 2 would have their well deserved HEA because Jarvis grovelled a lot:
'My God, Linsey!' his tortured groan was muffled against her hair. 'Never—never do this to me again!'
The shock of Jarvis's arrival stunned her. She couldn't think of a thing to say. Clinging to him as though he was the only solid thing on earth, she gasped,
'How did you know I'd gone? How did you find me?'
'I found your note,' his voice was still hoarse. 'I couldn't stand it any longer. I love you, and it was killing me, treating you the way I was doing. I was torturing both of us and I went to your room to ask you to forgive me. .When I found you'd gone I nearly went crazy. It was worse than when you went to Mauritius.'
Jarvis grovelled a lot ! He apologized sincerely for being so mean and nasty and he explained everything when she finally told him why she'd run away the first time. He revealed the truth about the troublemaking, skanky wannabe OW:
'You saw me with Olivia?' he frowned, 'Oh, God, if only I'd known! She was just off to America for a couple of years and I was so delighted, I obliged when she asked me to kiss her goodbye. For me, it didn't mean a thing. She was married then, anyway. If only you'd waited,' he groaned, 'I could have explained!'
He also confessed that he'd been celibate during their separation:
'I know that when you disappeared and I couldn't find you, I tried to tell myself I was well rid of you and needn't feel guilty about associating with other women. Only I spent more time thinking of you and what I would do to you if I ever caught up with you again than I did of them. It made me even more furious when I discovered I found no pleasure in the company of other women any more. I might have pretended I had, when I met you, but there was no one. I didn't realise how bitter I was becoming, and when I did it seemed too late to do anything about it.'
Safety: No cheating, a wannabe OW and a wannabe OM. Both MC's were celibate during their separation.
This definitely applied to the MC's in this novel. And, maybe I'm a little unbalanced too to be giving this angsty second chance/secret baby trainwreck such a high rating. Who knows ? But, I've come to the conclusion that's it's possible to enjoy a novel a lot without actually liking the MC's. It doesn't happen often, but when it does I try not to penalize the novel by giving it a low rating.
Jarvis, the H, is a tycoon of his time - I suppose he's the equivalent of today's billionaire alpha studs. He was in his early thirties when he fell in lust with an employee's 18 year old hot, beautiful but shy and virginal daughter. I guess the reason I enjoyed this is that Jarvis was super obsessed with the heroine all throughout their marriage. The heroine was too young and insecure so when she saw him embracing a vampy actress friend of his, she fled and stayed away until he locates her by accident, on the island of Mauritius. Their reunion is bittersweet and the sexual tension is high. Linsey's main problem was her inability to fit into her new role as wife and lover. This novel was written a long time ago and so this 18 yr old heroine was very sheltered when compared today's 18 yr old girls. Linsey was ashamed of how much she enjoyed sex with her new husband, because she felt it was not ladylike or proper for her to abandon herself and enjoy Jarvis' passionate lovemaking. This caused all the problems in their marriage because the H wasn't patient with his young, inexperienced wife.
I wanted to reach into the novel and clout him at the back of his head because a 32 yr old man should have been more considerate. It's not Linsey's fault that all his previous girlfriends had been sexually experienced women who were closer to his own age. As time passed, the heroine found it difficult to live comfortably in her new wifely role. She was also uncomfortable at social gatherings because all of the H's friends were in his age group and she had nothing in common with any of them. The H should've anticipated all of this when he fell into lust with an 18 yr old !
The following gif is perhaps a perfect symbolic representation of the heroine's inability to handle her new role as a wife. Linsey's like this dog, who's obviously uncomfortable wearing her new shoes:
These two MC's shared an intense chemistry, in spite of the heroine's hangups and Jarvis is obsessively jealous when a male even looks at Lindsay. Jarvis was on vacation on his yacht when he spied Linsey swimming nude, at dawn, on a beach in Mauritius. He stalked her, got jealous when she lied about having a boyfriend and made her life very uncomfortable since she was trying to hide her secret "baby" from him. Jarvis was very bitter, resentful and mean to her but he was so possessive that he even peeped into her bedroom window just to see if she was really living with another man ! He hadn't known then, that she had been referring to her son when she'd said that there was another man in her life. The MC's embarked on the old cat and mouse game where the H followed her around and almost seduced her again on his yacht. The best part of the story was the tension and the build up to scene where Jarvis eventually discovered that he had a son.
Linsey hadn't wanted him to know about Sean's existence because she was scared that he would take the little boy from her. She almost got away with her scheme until Sean ran away from home because he was sulking over something. Jarvis was there to help her look for the child and she lied to him about the boy's maternity, by saying that he was the maid's son. The scene where they found the child was filled with nail biting tension ! Jarvis was the one who had lifted the boy into his arms and I kept waiting, in great anticipation, for his reaction when he finally looked at the child in the clear light. The tension and the waiting was great !
This is the climax of that scene:
Then, like the final crash of discordant notes, came Jarvis's voice.
'Mine!' he rasped, slamming the accusation right at her, like a shot from a gun. His face flushed red then went white tinder his tan.
'You lying bitch!' Her turned to stare at her with hate in his leaping eyes.
'This boy is mine. He's my son!'
He wasn't asking her, she realised dully. There was no doubt in his mind that he was Sean's father, he wasn't going to allow her to deny it. He was staring at her, his green eyes glittering darkly. Instinctively she shrank back. The catastrophe she had always dreaded but thought would never arrive was not only here, but much worse than ever she had imagined it would be.
When Sean, stirring restlessly, cried, 'Mummy?' and she automatically took hold of his hand,it appeared to cap Jarvis's moment of dreadful triumph.
This is the H, Jarvis:
This is the heroine, Linsey:
I hated the reappearance of that troublemaking, gold digging actress bitch, wannabe OW. Jarvis has never had an affair with the tramp but she's been hanging around him like a bad case of flu. She continued to make trouble by lying to Linsey and the stupid heroine believed every word. The MC's problems weren't helped by the H's obsessive jealous possessiveness. Jarvis got jealous if the heroine even smiled at his employees on the yacht and he made mean comments to her if other men looked at her twice. He was also jealous of the love she showed to his own son, Sean ! That's why I felt that these characters were a trifle unbalanced:
She glanced up at him anxiously. 'He's never been away from me before.'
Then it's about time,' Jarvis said severely. 'You've been a mother now for over three years. Why not try concentrating on being a wife? It might make a nice change.'
In the H's case, fatherhood started to create even more problems !
Linsey should not have run away but then, if she hadn't this romance story would not exist. 😉. A little communication between the MC's would have resolved all the angst years ago. Linsey was a little TSTL though because she often acted without thinking and even made the dumbass decision to run away again ! Fortunately, Jarvis found her before she could leave the country again. I do believe that these 2 would have their well deserved HEA because Jarvis grovelled a lot:
'My God, Linsey!' his tortured groan was muffled against her hair. 'Never—never do this to me again!'
The shock of Jarvis's arrival stunned her. She couldn't think of a thing to say. Clinging to him as though he was the only solid thing on earth, she gasped,
'How did you know I'd gone? How did you find me?'
'I found your note,' his voice was still hoarse. 'I couldn't stand it any longer. I love you, and it was killing me, treating you the way I was doing. I was torturing both of us and I went to your room to ask you to forgive me. .When I found you'd gone I nearly went crazy. It was worse than when you went to Mauritius.'
Jarvis grovelled a lot ! He apologized sincerely for being so mean and nasty and he explained everything when she finally told him why she'd run away the first time. He revealed the truth about the troublemaking, skanky wannabe OW:
'You saw me with Olivia?' he frowned, 'Oh, God, if only I'd known! She was just off to America for a couple of years and I was so delighted, I obliged when she asked me to kiss her goodbye. For me, it didn't mean a thing. She was married then, anyway. If only you'd waited,' he groaned, 'I could have explained!'
He also confessed that he'd been celibate during their separation:
'I know that when you disappeared and I couldn't find you, I tried to tell myself I was well rid of you and needn't feel guilty about associating with other women. Only I spent more time thinking of you and what I would do to you if I ever caught up with you again than I did of them. It made me even more furious when I discovered I found no pleasure in the company of other women any more. I might have pretended I had, when I met you, but there was no one. I didn't realise how bitter I was becoming, and when I did it seemed too late to do anything about it.'
Safety: No cheating, a wannabe OW and a wannabe OM. Both MC's were celibate during their separation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2019
Cruel hero alert! H married the heroine when she was 18. She was attracted/terrified of him and her feelings and that never went away.
The story opens when the hero sees her alone on a beach from his yacht. Heroine left the hero after seeing him in an embrace with an OW. She had a secret baby who is now three and hasn't told the hero.
Hero seeks her out and eventually realizes he has a son. He scoops them both back to England. For an HEA? Ha. Unless this is your first Margaret Pargeter rodeo, you're bracing yourself.
Yes, he has torture in mind for the heroine – sex at night and silence and isolation during the day.
Reviewer's note: Why is this so fascinating?
HEA occurs when the heroine decides to leave him (and her son!) because she is so overcome with guilt for being a “spoiled brat” at 18. She hadn't confronted the hero about the OW. (There was no cheating) Hero runs after her and finally admits he *might* have also have some blame for their break-up/difficulties.
Hey – baby steps.
These two dysfunctional folks are going to have *more* children to send off to boarding school/fob off on the help and star in a next generation Harlequin. *happy sigh*
For cruel hero/doormat heroine fans only. Both were celibate during their separation.
Ivy’s excellent review has all the details – along with gifs and photographs.
The story opens when the hero sees her alone on a beach from his yacht. Heroine left the hero after seeing him in an embrace with an OW. She had a secret baby who is now three and hasn't told the hero.
Hero seeks her out and eventually realizes he has a son. He scoops them both back to England. For an HEA? Ha. Unless this is your first Margaret Pargeter rodeo, you're bracing yourself.
Yes, he has torture in mind for the heroine – sex at night and silence and isolation during the day.
Reviewer's note: Why is this so fascinating?
HEA occurs when the heroine decides to leave him (and her son!) because she is so overcome with guilt for being a “spoiled brat” at 18. She hadn't confronted the hero about the OW. (There was no cheating) Hero runs after her and finally admits he *might* have also have some blame for their break-up/difficulties.
Hey – baby steps.
These two dysfunctional folks are going to have *more* children to send off to boarding school/fob off on the help and star in a next generation Harlequin. *happy sigh*
For cruel hero/doormat heroine fans only. Both were celibate during their separation.
Ivy’s excellent review has all the details – along with gifs and photographs.
February 19, 2018
Another doormat!
August 8, 2017
Another odd Pargeter HP. I am on a roll with weird books lately. This one was crazy. The H was hot and cold. The h was an idiot. This was another case of not telling the truth asked. She hemmed and hawed again when asked why she left. It was all about seeing her husband in the arms of another woman but did she ask any questions? No she ran off. Then once he found her and he asked why she didn't tell him. She didn't tell him until the end why she left. I was so frustrated and annoyed with her throughout the book. Plus I thought she was a lousy Mother. She let her son sleep in the room with the servant instead of him sleeping in her room. She left all the time without thinking about the mental health of that poor little boy. The H was jealous of his own kid too and he tried to keep them apart. That kid is going to need extensive therapy believe me. Just an all around cluster and leaves you feeling annoyed and frustrated. The HEA should be a NEA!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2017
I read this some time ago and remember the nice part was the beginning. Because it was in Mauritius! She went skinny-dipping in the ocean where her estranged husband spotted her from his luxury yacht. Then she did all she could to make sure he did not find out that he had a little son which captured my interest as it had all the symptoms of good angsty read.
I think it fell apart midway and became tiresome after that. I'm sure I've read better Pargeter books because I cannot even remember how this one progressed or ended and have zero desire to re-read it to try to re-collect.
I think it fell apart midway and became tiresome after that. I'm sure I've read better Pargeter books because I cannot even remember how this one progressed or ended and have zero desire to re-read it to try to re-collect.
August 20, 2014
Couldn't finish. Heroine is not a good mother plus their 3 year old baby talks like a 30 year old man.
February 18, 2022
H was a sadist; h was a masochist and at the end, they were happy in their misery!
March 4, 2018
Typical secret baby, misunderstanding, may-dec type of Harley. These two had no business being together. Apparently the hero was a major perve who couldn't help robbing the cradle because the heroine was too attractive to resist. The heroine was just an idiot, who was easily manipulated by everyone in her life...except her dad who didn't want her to marry the H. Good thing those pesty parents were killed off. Lots of coercion and blackmail, which I like. However, there was just too much stupid for me to really get invested. How these two produced a supposed little Einstein is beyond me. But even the little kid had attachment issues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2021
The H is an asshole and a jerk. Most HP heroes are like a dream or better than a dream. This H is like a nightmare.
The h is a stupid doormat which is even worse than being just a doormat.
The H and h have produced a son who is now 3 years old, but talks as if he is 78. The h keeps leaving him, although she doesn’t work, and the kid begs her to take him with her, but she leaves anyway and stays out as long as she can. The H is jealous of him and tries to keep him away from the h as much as possible. The kid will need some serious therapy.
In a strange, sick way I kept on reading fascinated by it all. It’s like watching a freakshow that you can’t take your eyes off it.
The h is a stupid doormat which is even worse than being just a doormat.
The H and h have produced a son who is now 3 years old, but talks as if he is 78. The h keeps leaving him, although she doesn’t work, and the kid begs her to take him with her, but she leaves anyway and stays out as long as she can. The H is jealous of him and tries to keep him away from the h as much as possible. The kid will need some serious therapy.
In a strange, sick way I kept on reading fascinated by it all. It’s like watching a freakshow that you can’t take your eyes off it.
November 21, 2018
First of all older HQs are way better than newer once.
This one is not bad at all even though background information is all over place and quite sketchy. For instance, I wonder what happen to her parents. Even though we learned that they both died during her honeymoon, we are never told what exactly happened (unless somehow I skipped reading the information). For howlong they were married before she runaway? What was the OW to hero? A friend? At the end, the very quick turn about of hero was quite astonishing.
Over all, the book feels like as if a cruel editor`s hand clipped it randomly to shorten it to meet the actual page requirement. In process some essential parts are gotten lost.
This one is not bad at all even though background information is all over place and quite sketchy. For instance, I wonder what happen to her parents. Even though we learned that they both died during her honeymoon, we are never told what exactly happened (unless somehow I skipped reading the information). For howlong they were married before she runaway? What was the OW to hero? A friend? At the end, the very quick turn about of hero was quite astonishing.
Over all, the book feels like as if a cruel editor`s hand clipped it randomly to shorten it to meet the actual page requirement. In process some essential parts are gotten lost.
August 31, 2021
I took a star off for his violence. He hit her for spending time with their son! What a psycho. But to be fair, she was pretty dim-witted. At one stage he says "You can't be that dense..." Sorry hero, yes she is. But it serves him right for falling for a doormat airhead.
She was an anachronism. I was puzzled why she was so hysterically uptight on her wedding night (she had never been abused or anything). She clawed at his face because he wanted to have sex with her. Uhm what...? I know 18 is young but the story is set in the 20th century not the 18th.
I also didn't like that she kept the baby a secret for so long, and even when they met she tried to keep it from him. That is in spite of the fact, that she was broke and homeless and had no job. So she would rather have her son crash into poverty and homelessness than have a decent life with his father.
Another thing was her son. His dialogue was way off. He was supposed to be 3 years old but he spoke like a surly 15 year old.
Near the end, she even runs away in the middle of the night, abandoning her son. Sheesh, her judgement was so skewed, I wouldn't even let her look after a hamster let alone raise a child.
So not a great book.
She was an anachronism. I was puzzled why she was so hysterically uptight on her wedding night (she had never been abused or anything). She clawed at his face because he wanted to have sex with her. Uhm what...? I know 18 is young but the story is set in the 20th century not the 18th.
I also didn't like that she kept the baby a secret for so long, and even when they met she tried to keep it from him. That is in spite of the fact, that she was broke and homeless and had no job. So she would rather have her son crash into poverty and homelessness than have a decent life with his father.
Another thing was her son. His dialogue was way off. He was supposed to be 3 years old but he spoke like a surly 15 year old.
Near the end, she even runs away in the middle of the night, abandoning her son. Sheesh, her judgement was so skewed, I wouldn't even let her look after a hamster let alone raise a child.
So not a great book.
December 25, 2017
I liked this story ....the hero was a real bastard and it was entertaining .....but then he hit her ......because she basically spent time with their son and took him to visit his grandmother .....and then silly her she came back home again.... it just ruined all the other good parts of the story for me ....not good
May 18, 2016
MY THOUGHTS - Wow, this book was pretty brutal! For starters, Jarvis the hero was definitely brutal to Linsey. Well, not in the violent sense but in punishing her emotionally and you know, the usual way But then again Linsey deserved most of it because she ran away from Jarvis due to a misunderstanding (she saw him kissing another woman and didn't bother telling him, confronting him or explaining) And she hid the fact that she had his child - for four years! Not good... Linsey was 18 and Jarvis was 34 I think when they got married. The book/Jarvis did address the fact that she was probably too young to get married. I honestly thought this book was pretty believable regarding that subject matter. I can relate to Linsey's feelings regarding sex or should I say "making love" ~_~ I still liked the story because it was pretty sweet at the end, ya know! And I know Jarvis' reactions and reasons for jealousy was not cool - he was jealous of his own son cause he thought Linsey loved their son more than Jarvis! Jealousy does not mean love, I know, but still, he admitted all his mistakes, apologized for being brutal, that and was ready to beg for her, etc. And Linsey also apologized for her behavior and admitted her mistake. So they were both fair to each other. It's also kinda funny that Linsey was so unaware of her beauty. She had so many admirers! Heck one even proposed marriage to her! Jarvis certainly scooped her up before any them got any funny ideas! The only complaint I have of this book that almost all the book was the "semi brutal emotional punishment" Only close to the end we get to see the happiness, forgiveness, happy love. But I still liked the book that's why I gave it four stars! ~_~
February 16, 2024
I generally like Margaret Pargeter's books. Her heroes are over the top - cruel, nasty, jealous, possessive but IN LOVE. You can't deny that they are crazy about their partners.
What I don't like is the h. She's timid, indecisive, confused with a muzzled brain. I can relate to some of her thoughts and feelings - she falls in love with an authoritative man, who doesn't show his feelings and blows hot and cold, when suddenly after a month of absence he announces they are to marry.
She was expecting some wooing and courting. Got a passionate lover instead who has no time for her inhibitions.
And there's a moment when the H slaps the h's cheek. That's a big NO for me.
What I don't like is the h. She's timid, indecisive, confused with a muzzled brain. I can relate to some of her thoughts and feelings - she falls in love with an authoritative man, who doesn't show his feelings and blows hot and cold, when suddenly after a month of absence he announces they are to marry.
She was expecting some wooing and courting. Got a passionate lover instead who has no time for her inhibitions.
And there's a moment when the H slaps the h's cheek. That's a big NO for me.
October 26, 2020
My expectations were dashed😢. I did not like the h. Her thought process was somewhat disturbing. I can understand the behavior at 18, but at 22, I expected more.
The H.........CRAZY ANNOYING mature dude.
The writing was good! But I did not like the end!
The H.........CRAZY ANNOYING mature dude.
The writing was good! But I did not like the end!
January 5, 2015
I was probably just in the mood for it, but I liked this one. Angry, vengeful hero, who still seems to care about the heroine's comfort and well-being in small ways that reveal his feelings.
October 30, 2021
I have never in my life read a book that I hated as much as this book. The hero is an extremely horrible man and should go to jail for domestic abuse, rape and child neglect. The heroine is a complete pushover, but this could be attributed to her being an abused wife.
Reasons I hate the hero:
1.The hero shout at his wife for not sharing his sexual proclivities when he was an experienced 34 year old man and she was an 18 year old virgin.
2. The hero blames his wife for her miscarriage by saying that the reason for her miscarriage was because she was grieving too much for her parents recent death.
3. The hero constantly pressure the heroine into sex even when she says no and basically rapes her.
4. The hero constantly puts his work above his wife and son by saying his mergers and acquisitions are more important that comforting his wife when she's had a miscarriage or developing a relationship with his newly discovered son.
5. Calls the heroine a 'lying bitch' to her face in front of their son numerous times.
6. Hero threatens to take the son away from the heroine out spite.
7. The hero prevents the heroine from interacting with the son at all for several weeks despite them all living in the same house.
8. The hero constantly treats the heroine like sh*t and belittles her.
9. The hero tells the heroine that she has absolutely no say is the raising of the current and future children, because he has decided to take that right away from her.
10. The hero never apologizes for his sh*tty past behaviour and doesn't ever realise his mistakes, and just blames everything on the heroine.
11. The hero continuously says the he should beat the heroine for her actions and does slap her
12. Accuses the heroine of prostituting herself and judges her for it. (She did not prostitute herself)
13. The hero is the embodiment of toxic masculinity.
14. Honestly, do you even need more reasons to hate this guy...
Honestly I feel bad for the heroine and am very annoyed with her at the same time. She seems like she's easily influenced by others and let's them override her completely. I think she could be this way because the the spousal abuse that she has endured. At the same time, I think the heroine needs to grow a spine because she has absolutely no respect for herself, and it's very annoying to see her constantly blaming herself for the hero's bad behaviour.
To be honest, towards the end of the book, I thought this book was gonna end where the heroine kills the hero/ leaves him and learns to love herself and the entire book was gonna be a cautionary tale. I honestly did not think that they would have a 'happy ending', because no couple this dysfunctional and toxic will ever work out.
This book attacked all of my beliefs regarding women's rights.
Overall, it was a sh*tty read. I 💯 wound NOT recommend. I give this book - infinity stars.
Reasons I hate the hero:
1.The hero shout at his wife for not sharing his sexual proclivities when he was an experienced 34 year old man and she was an 18 year old virgin.
2. The hero blames his wife for her miscarriage by saying that the reason for her miscarriage was because she was grieving too much for her parents recent death.
3. The hero constantly pressure the heroine into sex even when she says no and basically rapes her.
4. The hero constantly puts his work above his wife and son by saying his mergers and acquisitions are more important that comforting his wife when she's had a miscarriage or developing a relationship with his newly discovered son.
5. Calls the heroine a 'lying bitch' to her face in front of their son numerous times.
6. Hero threatens to take the son away from the heroine out spite.
7. The hero prevents the heroine from interacting with the son at all for several weeks despite them all living in the same house.
8. The hero constantly treats the heroine like sh*t and belittles her.
9. The hero tells the heroine that she has absolutely no say is the raising of the current and future children, because he has decided to take that right away from her.
10. The hero never apologizes for his sh*tty past behaviour and doesn't ever realise his mistakes, and just blames everything on the heroine.
11. The hero continuously says the he should beat the heroine for her actions and does slap her
12. Accuses the heroine of prostituting herself and judges her for it. (She did not prostitute herself)
13. The hero is the embodiment of toxic masculinity.
14. Honestly, do you even need more reasons to hate this guy...
Honestly I feel bad for the heroine and am very annoyed with her at the same time. She seems like she's easily influenced by others and let's them override her completely. I think she could be this way because the the spousal abuse that she has endured. At the same time, I think the heroine needs to grow a spine because she has absolutely no respect for herself, and it's very annoying to see her constantly blaming herself for the hero's bad behaviour.
To be honest, towards the end of the book, I thought this book was gonna end where the heroine kills the hero/ leaves him and learns to love herself and the entire book was gonna be a cautionary tale. I honestly did not think that they would have a 'happy ending', because no couple this dysfunctional and toxic will ever work out.
This book attacked all of my beliefs regarding women's rights.
Overall, it was a sh*tty read. I 💯 wound NOT recommend. I give this book - infinity stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2024
The second star is for the angst however his explanation about the hot cinch he was in with the OW in his office 5at the h had witnessed and was devastated enough to run out of her marriage and never inform the hero that she was pregnant, simply didn’t seem plausible. To oblige the other woman with a kiss which didn’t even mean anything to him just because she was married and was off to America ??? The same OW of whose pestering he claimed to be tired but was still seeing for lunch around the town? Not a good plot device Margaret Pargeter. It drove the angst but made a hero sound like the cheater and lier he was.
March 27, 2019
Hateful, cruel, angsty....downright abusive! These words were used to describe the hero of this book. I enjoyed it thoroughly! It lost a star because the hero hit the heroine and she was a plain doormat. MP writing of cruel heroes are legendary. I wish modern heroes can be this angsty. I don't like physical abuse not doormat females. She should have been feisty to match him. Nonetheless, an entertaining read...great grovel too.
January 1, 2021
I have a high tolerance for cruel Heroes and am use to Margaret Pargeter's a-holes. But this so called “Hero” was totally abusive! The h had no self wort at all which the H did all he could to rectify. NOT! He was jealous of his own child and slapped the h because she had the audacity to spent time with their son!
one GRRRHH star
one GRRRHH star
August 1, 2025
Should have been excellent angst porn, but it’s too poorly plotted, she’s too weak and forgiving, and he is an asshat until literally the last five pages of the book. I don’t buy the turnabout or HEA at all.
Also, women repeatedly considering giving up their kids for no good reason to appease their controlling husbands will always make me side-eye them.
Also, women repeatedly considering giving up their kids for no good reason to appease their controlling husbands will always make me side-eye them.
December 7, 2017
مترجم للغة العربية من مجموعة قلوب عبير بعنوان: الرابح.
April 4, 2019
This is the worst book I ever read!BIG DISLIKE!!!
April 28, 2021
The heroine was stupid. I couldn’t really connect. She runs away, jumping into conclusions. Misunderstanding and lack of communication. Not my kind of drama. On top of that the H slapping heroine is not my kind of hero.
June 22, 2021
Insipid h. But H slapped her, which I cannot get past.
April 22, 2024
Absolute idiot of an h. The only MP I will ever read where I felt sorry for the H. She did him big wrong. Could not stand this book.
May 9, 2020
You could run, but you couldn't hide...
Linsey had fled four years earlier, after she'd caught her husband in the arms of another woman. So their son Sean had been born without Jarvis Parradine's knowing anything about him.
And when Jarvis unexpectedly strode into her life again, Linsey knew he must stay ignorant of his son if she wanted to keep Sean with her.
There was another secret she had to keep, too--the fact that she loved Jarvis now more than ever.
Linsey had fled four years earlier, after she'd caught her husband in the arms of another woman. So their son Sean had been born without Jarvis Parradine's knowing anything about him.
And when Jarvis unexpectedly strode into her life again, Linsey knew he must stay ignorant of his son if she wanted to keep Sean with her.
There was another secret she had to keep, too--the fact that she loved Jarvis now more than ever.
Want to read
April 20, 2016where can i get a copy?
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