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The Midnight Sun
Shani's words struck like a mortal blow!
"David married you out of chivalry." Shani pointed to the scar marring Sabina's cheek. "Why else would he marry a woman who looks like you?" Her full mouth quivered with distaste. "Your looks wouldn't inspire passion in a man!"
Calmly Sabina met Shani's scornful gaze. "Marriage isn't based on sudden lust or a need for an affair," she said huskily. "It's based on love. David married me because he loves me."
But in her heart Sabina knew that she was convincing neither Shani nor herself....
"David married you out of chivalry." Shani pointed to the scar marring Sabina's cheek. "Why else would he marry a woman who looks like you?" Her full mouth quivered with distaste. "Your looks wouldn't inspire passion in a man!"
Calmly Sabina met Shani's scornful gaze. "Marriage isn't based on sudden lust or a need for an affair," she said huskily. "It's based on love. David married me because he loves me."
But in her heart Sabina knew that she was convincing neither Shani nor herself....
188 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1979
1 person is currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Lilian Warren
87 books10 followersLilian Warren aka Rosalind Brett, Kathryn Blair, Katrina Britt, and Celine Conway.
Lilian Warren was born in London, England, UK. She worked as secretary, when at 19, her first magazine story was accepted. She married and moved to South Africa, where she continued writing. In the 1950s, she started to write to Rich & Cowan, and later to Mills & Boon, under various pseudonyms Rosalind Brett, Celine Conway, and Kathryn Blair. She passed away on 1961 in South Africa. Some of her books were published posthumuously.
Lilian Warren was born in London, England, UK. She worked as secretary, when at 19, her first magazine story was accepted. She married and moved to South Africa, where she continued writing. In the 1950s, she started to write to Rich & Cowan, and later to Mills & Boon, under various pseudonyms Rosalind Brett, Celine Conway, and Kathryn Blair. She passed away on 1961 in South Africa. Some of her books were published posthumuously.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 26, 2011
Tropes:
1. Scarred heroine
2. Other woman
Setting: Finland
The scar on her face stood between herself and her complete recovery. Not only was it a constant reminder of a shattering experience, it was a barrier between her and happiness. All the strain, uneasiness, and the inevitable feeling of being the target of sympathetic and curious eyes would be there until the scar was removed. She certainly did not feel as a bride on her first night should do—eager for her husband's arms. The panicky conviction was there that the scar would affect him as well. - Page 30
An old-fashioned Harlequin with little of the dated charm that I like from bks of this period.
The heroine is a 22 yr old, 5'3" model who is OBSESSED with the scar on her cheek. To the point that I couldn't take her wet noodle personality.
The hero is a flat distant figure and even he didn't think too much of her:
In fact, he had loved Sabina [heroine] because her vitality and warm-hearted outlook on life rendered her not too efficient to make mistakes. He could not bear clever women; They were apt, he said, to develop into the bossy type that he abhorred. - Page 34
I guess clever women would realize in a second what a jerk he is.
Grade: DNF
1. Scarred heroine
2. Other woman
Setting: Finland
The scar on her face stood between herself and her complete recovery. Not only was it a constant reminder of a shattering experience, it was a barrier between her and happiness. All the strain, uneasiness, and the inevitable feeling of being the target of sympathetic and curious eyes would be there until the scar was removed. She certainly did not feel as a bride on her first night should do—eager for her husband's arms. The panicky conviction was there that the scar would affect him as well. - Page 30
An old-fashioned Harlequin with little of the dated charm that I like from bks of this period.
The heroine is a 22 yr old, 5'3" model who is OBSESSED with the scar on her cheek. To the point that I couldn't take her wet noodle personality.
The hero is a flat distant figure and even he didn't think too much of her:
In fact, he had loved Sabina [heroine] because her vitality and warm-hearted outlook on life rendered her not too efficient to make mistakes. He could not bear clever women; They were apt, he said, to develop into the bossy type that he abhorred. - Page 34
I guess clever women would realize in a second what a jerk he is.
Grade: DNF
December 19, 2022
Dear Mr. Gordon Rayner,
I'm very sad to see this is your last cover for Harlequin. And it's lovely and everything but...and I'm really not trying to be mean...but it's not up to your usual standard. Mostly your covers make me feel like I've been slapped in the face by a big strong hand soaked in vinegar. Verythrilling, bracing, edifying!!! And your heroines, just like this one, always with eyes too sly for a good girl. They probably need some correction too so I guess it all makes sense.
Good luck with the rest of your life.
Your biggest fan,
Iris
Goodreads may but I don't think Katrina Britt is a pseudonym for Lilian Warren. Neither their oeuvres nor their writing styles mesh.
As for this story it's about two irredeemable idiots who though just married won't share with the other anything of their thoughts or actions. Separately or together, whatever thin wisp of logic or understanding they discover on one page is immediately forgotten by the next. It was kind of infuriating yet wasn't really interesting enough to reach that level. The setting in Finland was different though.
I'm very sad to see this is your last cover for Harlequin. And it's lovely and everything but...and I'm really not trying to be mean...but it's not up to your usual standard. Mostly your covers make me feel like I've been slapped in the face by a big strong hand soaked in vinegar. Very
Good luck with the rest of your life.
Your biggest fan,
Iris
Goodreads may but I don't think Katrina Britt is a pseudonym for Lilian Warren. Neither their oeuvres nor their writing styles mesh.
As for this story it's about two irredeemable idiots who though just married won't share with the other anything of their thoughts or actions. Separately or together, whatever thin wisp of logic or understanding they discover on one page is immediately forgotten by the next. It was kind of infuriating yet wasn't really interesting enough to reach that level. The setting in Finland was different though.
February 22, 2022
The h is absolutely obsessed with a scar that she has on her face, despite the fact that she has been told multiple times will be fixable with plastic surgery in the next few months. She doesn't want to consummate her marriage with the H because of it.
This idea works out about as well as you might imagine. The H is positively seething with sexual frustration, and is wildly jealous of the plastic surgeon who is going to be operating on the h. The H is also inexplicably fond of a teen temptress, but refuses to say anything to his wife about his relationship with this girl.
A little communication from him, and some therapy for her, and everything would have worked out in about 3 pages. Not one of KB's most memorable books.
This idea works out about as well as you might imagine. The H is positively seething with sexual frustration, and is wildly jealous of the plastic surgeon who is going to be operating on the h. The H is also inexplicably fond of a teen temptress, but refuses to say anything to his wife about his relationship with this girl.
A little communication from him, and some therapy for her, and everything would have worked out in about 3 pages. Not one of KB's most memorable books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2013
Meh.....Barely two stars. Narcissistic heroine who is so focused on her scar that she jeopardizes her life and marriage. A hero, that I absolutely adored in the first 10 pages, only to despise for the reminder of the book as he becomes the king of all asshats.
I like a good "marriage in peril" theme as long as the driving forces have depth and content. This was just so sophomoric with one ridiculous premise after another and too much focus on appearances.
Maybe If I were 13 reading this, I might have enjoyed it.
I like a good "marriage in peril" theme as long as the driving forces have depth and content. This was just so sophomoric with one ridiculous premise after another and too much focus on appearances.
Maybe If I were 13 reading this, I might have enjoyed it.
July 24, 2013
A marriage in trouble romance with Sabrina, a former model, still recovering from an accident that scarred her face.
She and David go ahead and marry while she is convalescent and travel to Sweden where he has a big project.
Everything is complicated by Sabrina's self-consciousness about her scar and she fixates on the hope of plastic surgery to remove the blemish.
The whole thing is complicated by a young woman who appears to have a history with David.
Katrina Britt seemed to specialise in this kind of romance. The uncertainties of the newly married, complicated by outside forces. I enjoyed this book and have read it a couple of times.
She and David go ahead and marry while she is convalescent and travel to Sweden where he has a big project.
Everything is complicated by Sabrina's self-consciousness about her scar and she fixates on the hope of plastic surgery to remove the blemish.
The whole thing is complicated by a young woman who appears to have a history with David.
Katrina Britt seemed to specialise in this kind of romance. The uncertainties of the newly married, complicated by outside forces. I enjoyed this book and have read it a couple of times.
May 29, 2020
This was not the copy I read back in the 1970s as this is a harlequin release rather than the UK release book cover which I preferred. Not a bad story and was enjoyable at the time of reading.
December 27, 2025
This is the kind of story that you can enjoy reading, even when you want to shake both the H and h until their teeth rattled!
The h's obsession with her temporary facial scar was a real case of enough is enough is WAY TOO MUCH! She gets the idea in her head that the H may have married her out of pity and can't possibly want to make love to her ugly self, so she won't sleep with him until the operation that'll fix her scar. Meanwhile, he's tried more than once to show her he wants her, but she can't get it out of her head that he can't possibly really want her, so she gives the impression that she doesn't want him (meanwhile, she's aching to be with him), which makes him angry, and leads to misunderstandings and arguments with him telling her more than once that she makes him sick! (Not too mature; sounds like a kid getting snarky with a sibling.) They keep each other at a distance when what they really want is to be having an actual honeymoon and not this farce of one, but neither will open up and say how they really feel, just accuse each other of what they think the other's feeling. On and on and on!
The h's insecurities make her vulnerable to the supposed OW, who's a teenage 304 wannabe, who seems to think she's entitled to any man she wants - married or not - and she's made it clear she wants the H! She's rude and insulting to the h, who should never have taken anything this 17-year-old brat said seriously, let alone actually assume that the H might be in love with her (WTF!!!) and therefore, if she doesn't sleep with him, and then has the operation but finds the H really didn't want her, just married her out of duty and pity, he can easily get the annulment and marry the OW. OH, COME ON!!! When the OW could be his niece or much younger sister, that's just plain RIDICULOUS!
Yet, there are situations with the OW that the (dumbo) H didn't explain, which makes the h even more suspicious and meanwhile, the doctor who'll be performing her surgery is young, handsome and sexy, and the H has suspicions of his own.
Things aren't helped when the h goes for a boat ride across the lake (this is Finland, land of the Midnight Sun - hence the title - as well as one lake too many), meets the doctor/OM, and ends up going to a restaurant and dancing with him. She wanted to talk about her upcoming surgery, and he suggested they have something to eat while they talked, and she told the H later, but that didn't make him any happier about it.
As for the H, he goes for an early morning swim with the OW. Knowing she has the hots for him (he'd have to be an idiot not to, even before you learn the background story), was it wise for them to be swimming alone together in their (no doubt) skimpy bathing suits? The h wasn't anymore happy about that then the H was about the h dancing with the doc.
To add to all this, there's a background story about the OM and a nurse who becomes the h's friend, making them the SC in the story, which involves a broken engagement and a much too possessive mother who wants to keep her son to herself. The h schemes to bring them back together, while her photographer brother shows up, wants to turn the nurse into a model and becomes the OM in that story, to help his sister's scheme.
Yes, all a bit too much, but still entertaining.
The h's obsession with her temporary facial scar was a real case of enough is enough is WAY TOO MUCH! She gets the idea in her head that the H may have married her out of pity and can't possibly want to make love to her ugly self, so she won't sleep with him until the operation that'll fix her scar. Meanwhile, he's tried more than once to show her he wants her, but she can't get it out of her head that he can't possibly really want her, so she gives the impression that she doesn't want him (meanwhile, she's aching to be with him), which makes him angry, and leads to misunderstandings and arguments with him telling her more than once that she makes him sick! (Not too mature; sounds like a kid getting snarky with a sibling.) They keep each other at a distance when what they really want is to be having an actual honeymoon and not this farce of one, but neither will open up and say how they really feel, just accuse each other of what they think the other's feeling. On and on and on!
The h's insecurities make her vulnerable to the supposed OW, who's a teenage 304 wannabe, who seems to think she's entitled to any man she wants - married or not - and she's made it clear she wants the H! She's rude and insulting to the h, who should never have taken anything this 17-year-old brat said seriously, let alone actually assume that the H might be in love with her (WTF!!!) and therefore, if she doesn't sleep with him, and then has the operation but finds the H really didn't want her, just married her out of duty and pity, he can easily get the annulment and marry the OW. OH, COME ON!!! When the OW could be his niece or much younger sister, that's just plain RIDICULOUS!
Yet, there are situations with the OW that the (dumbo) H didn't explain, which makes the h even more suspicious and meanwhile, the doctor who'll be performing her surgery is young, handsome and sexy, and the H has suspicions of his own.
Things aren't helped when the h goes for a boat ride across the lake (this is Finland, land of the Midnight Sun - hence the title - as well as one lake too many), meets the doctor/OM, and ends up going to a restaurant and dancing with him. She wanted to talk about her upcoming surgery, and he suggested they have something to eat while they talked, and she told the H later, but that didn't make him any happier about it.
As for the H, he goes for an early morning swim with the OW. Knowing she has the hots for him (he'd have to be an idiot not to, even before you learn the background story), was it wise for them to be swimming alone together in their (no doubt) skimpy bathing suits? The h wasn't anymore happy about that then the H was about the h dancing with the doc.
To add to all this, there's a background story about the OM and a nurse who becomes the h's friend, making them the SC in the story, which involves a broken engagement and a much too possessive mother who wants to keep her son to herself. The h schemes to bring them back together, while her photographer brother shows up, wants to turn the nurse into a model and becomes the OM in that story, to help his sister's scheme.
Yes, all a bit too much, but still entertaining.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews