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A Binding Contract
What a strange, ironic, topsy-turvy world,
Julia couldn't help thinking. Warren Kane had been part of her past, and now it seemed that he was back to stay.
Only this time, Julia Sinclair was to be tied to him in a contract from which there seemed no escape. For Warren Kane had said, "I shall pursue you quite relentlessly until you have settled things to my satisfaction."
Would she be able to accomplish everything, Julia wondered--or would the price of her failure be her submission to his every desire?
Julia couldn't help thinking. Warren Kane had been part of her past, and now it seemed that he was back to stay.
Only this time, Julia Sinclair was to be tied to him in a contract from which there seemed no escape. For Warren Kane had said, "I shall pursue you quite relentlessly until you have settled things to my satisfaction."
Would she be able to accomplish everything, Julia wondered--or would the price of her failure be her submission to his every desire?
- GenresHarlequin RomanceRomance
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1990
15 people want to read
About the author
Alison York
21 books7 followersChristopher Robin Nicole was born on 7 December 1930 in Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana), where he was raised. He is the son of Jean Dorothy (Logan) and Jack Nicole, a police officer, both Scottish. He studied at Queen's College in Guyana and at Harrison College in Barbados. He was a fellow at the Canadian Bankers Association and a clerk for the Royal Bank of Canada in Georgetown and Nassau from 1947 to 1956. In 1957, he moved to Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom, where he currently lives, but he also has a domicile in Spain.
On 31 March 1951, he married his first wife, Jean Regina Amelia Barnett, with whom he had two sons, Bruce and Jack, and two daughters, Julie and Ursula, they divorced. On 8 May 1982 he married for the second time with fellow writer Diana Bachmann.
As a romantic and passionate of history, Nicole has been published since 1957, when he published a book about West Indian Cricket. He published his first novel in 1959 with his first stories set in his native Caribbean. Later he wrote many historical novels set mostly in tumultuous periods like World War I, World War II and the Cold War, and depict places in Europe, Asia and Africa. He also wrote classic romance novels. He specialized in Series and Sagas, and continues to write into the 21st century with no intention of retiring.
He signs his books as Christopher Nicole and uses several pseudonyms, some of them female. Pseudonyms used include: Peter Grange, Andrew York, Robin Cade, Mark Logan, Christina Nicholson, Alison York, Leslie Arlen, Robin Nicholson, C. R. Nicholson, Daniel Adams, Simon McKay, Caroline Gray and Alan Savage. He wrote disaster thrillers in collaboration with his wife, Diana Bachmann, under the penname Max Marlow. Under his different pseudonyms he has worked with many publishing houses: Jarrolds, Hutchinson, Simon & Schuster, Coward-McCann & Geoghegan, Jove, Michael Joseph, Mills & Boon, and Severn House.
On 31 March 1951, he married his first wife, Jean Regina Amelia Barnett, with whom he had two sons, Bruce and Jack, and two daughters, Julie and Ursula, they divorced. On 8 May 1982 he married for the second time with fellow writer Diana Bachmann.
As a romantic and passionate of history, Nicole has been published since 1957, when he published a book about West Indian Cricket. He published his first novel in 1959 with his first stories set in his native Caribbean. Later he wrote many historical novels set mostly in tumultuous periods like World War I, World War II and the Cold War, and depict places in Europe, Asia and Africa. He also wrote classic romance novels. He specialized in Series and Sagas, and continues to write into the 21st century with no intention of retiring.
He signs his books as Christopher Nicole and uses several pseudonyms, some of them female. Pseudonyms used include: Peter Grange, Andrew York, Robin Cade, Mark Logan, Christina Nicholson, Alison York, Leslie Arlen, Robin Nicholson, C. R. Nicholson, Daniel Adams, Simon McKay, Caroline Gray and Alan Savage. He wrote disaster thrillers in collaboration with his wife, Diana Bachmann, under the penname Max Marlow. Under his different pseudonyms he has worked with many publishing houses: Jarrolds, Hutchinson, Simon & Schuster, Coward-McCann & Geoghegan, Jove, Michael Joseph, Mills & Boon, and Severn House.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 29, 2019
A binding contract is my first book by new-to-me author Alison York (one of the rare male writers in the Harlequin world). I was impressed overall by the quality of the writing, by the strong characterizations, and by some very fiery dialogue and back story that helped build tension between the protagonists.
The heroine in this story is a lawyer trying to help out her mentor by holding down the fort at his practice while he is in the hospital recuperating from a stroke. The hero of the piece is a very irate, very high maintenance client who is ready to bulldoze over the poor mentor for a crucial mistake he made on a land deal a decade ago and which is going to cost the hero quite a lot of money to fix.
The heroine does a great job negotiating a satisfactory solution for the hero. She really impresses the hero with her tenacity and intelligence, and that is really saying something because he is the kind of Alpha business tycoon who doesn't suffer fools gladly, even if he is attracted to them.
It is clear quite early on (even though we are not privy to the hero's inner thoughts and motivations) that he is besotted with the heroine.
But with so much emphasis on legal wheeling and dealing, and once the legal issues settled neatly, there was really not much left as conflict to move the story along except for a series of little misunderstandings and some minor, temporary tension before these two got their HEA.
Overall, it was an adequate if not terribly exciting romance. I will try this author again however because I liked his style of writing (there was a passage, for example, where she slaps the hero, and he brushes down his clothes as if to sweep away the crumbs of his anger, neat little phrases like that that I really enjoy).
He made his characters come alive, not remain the cardboard cut-out stock characters you find in every romance novel, and his dialogue-driven scenes were not dull and static but very exciting and propelled the plot along quite nicely. This is the rare time that I came across a male romance writer and the experience was very interesting.
The heroine in this story is a lawyer trying to help out her mentor by holding down the fort at his practice while he is in the hospital recuperating from a stroke. The hero of the piece is a very irate, very high maintenance client who is ready to bulldoze over the poor mentor for a crucial mistake he made on a land deal a decade ago and which is going to cost the hero quite a lot of money to fix.
The heroine does a great job negotiating a satisfactory solution for the hero. She really impresses the hero with her tenacity and intelligence, and that is really saying something because he is the kind of Alpha business tycoon who doesn't suffer fools gladly, even if he is attracted to them.
It is clear quite early on (even though we are not privy to the hero's inner thoughts and motivations) that he is besotted with the heroine.
But with so much emphasis on legal wheeling and dealing, and once the legal issues settled neatly, there was really not much left as conflict to move the story along except for a series of little misunderstandings and some minor, temporary tension before these two got their HEA.
Overall, it was an adequate if not terribly exciting romance. I will try this author again however because I liked his style of writing (there was a passage, for example, where she slaps the hero, and he brushes down his clothes as if to sweep away the crumbs of his anger, neat little phrases like that that I really enjoy).
He made his characters come alive, not remain the cardboard cut-out stock characters you find in every romance novel, and his dialogue-driven scenes were not dull and static but very exciting and propelled the plot along quite nicely. This is the rare time that I came across a male romance writer and the experience was very interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2022
One of my favorite Harlequin novels is this author's No Sad Song, which hits all the right notes for me. (Also a pun because heroine is an operatic singer in that book.)
This book fails to engage in the same manner.
I think the author is an engaging author and writes dynamic interactions that feel true to life of the context. In this case, we have a young female solicitor and a hotshot entrepreneur, where her mentor and good friend has just landed himself in the hospital with a stroke. Unfortunately one of her mentor's legal actions ten years ago now has an immediate and detrimental impact on the hero's new business development, and he threatens to sue. Since this threat is right on the heels of the mentor's law practice being on the verge of switching hands and his stroke, our heroine rightly wants to preserve his health, mental and physical. After examining the evidence, our heroine beards the lion in his den, where he hears about the stroke and still wants his pound of flesh. Our heroine, truly a heroine because of her determination to save her mentor, forces the hero into a deal in which she repays him in kind with her legal services in order to offset as much of his financial losses as possible.
Let's review.
The business and legal aspects of the story are excellent. The problems are realistic, and the resolution was also realistic. The money isn't 100% offset, but comes very close to it, and the heroine is able to resourcefully find other ways to make use of defunct land in order to help the hero recoup his losses. She is really an excellent woman.
The huge grovel/confession scene at the end lays it out like this: the hero was basically after her from that first scene when she strikes up the alternative deal with him because he was moved by her loyalty. The grovel scene is very nicely done, but when I went back to read this first scene, I did not catch one iota of the passion or tension that is supposedly there. To me, the hero felt abrupt and businesslike. But not even in a fun way, where you think he might be secretly manipulative and gaslighting the heroine for his own muahahaha nefarious purposes. No, he felt completely cold. Even if I'd wanted to read more into the interaction, I simply couldn't, because it hadn't been written into the subtext, which is a damn shame. If there had been a few lines in there about eyes or expressions, I honestly thought the book would have been improved.
It's really very odd, because No Sad Song came out three years earlier, and it's such a superiorly written book. There is so much nuance in even a sentence or two spoken by the hero that you really felt the tension. You could feel his interest, because it fairly leaped off the page, even as the heroine stayed innocently oblivious. I'm not sure if this book was overly dominated by the legalistic aspect, because I feel like I know more about how she managed to offset his losses (I mean, she really did a very fine job of it, ok, so mad kudos there) than how he pursued her.
Maybe the author spent just a little too much time researching the business aspect so that the romance fell by the wayside. Whatever the case, the romance fell sadly flat for me. In essence, this book was lacking any foreplay whatsoever. Even in the kissing scenes, one moment they're sitting there, and the next they're kissing, and there's no description of any hand or head actions so I have no idea how they even got into the position for kissing. This is one case where the book could have used a lot more descriptors.
Five stars for the heroine's resourcefulness.
One star for the hero's abrupt and unlikable character that apparently housed a heart of gold. (He's the kind of sharp businessman that doesn't have any time for romance. This isn't explicitly stated, but there is no way he got any amount of girlfriends from those skillz.)
Two stars for the bland resolution.
This book fails to engage in the same manner.
I think the author is an engaging author and writes dynamic interactions that feel true to life of the context. In this case, we have a young female solicitor and a hotshot entrepreneur, where her mentor and good friend has just landed himself in the hospital with a stroke. Unfortunately one of her mentor's legal actions ten years ago now has an immediate and detrimental impact on the hero's new business development, and he threatens to sue. Since this threat is right on the heels of the mentor's law practice being on the verge of switching hands and his stroke, our heroine rightly wants to preserve his health, mental and physical. After examining the evidence, our heroine beards the lion in his den, where he hears about the stroke and still wants his pound of flesh. Our heroine, truly a heroine because of her determination to save her mentor, forces the hero into a deal in which she repays him in kind with her legal services in order to offset as much of his financial losses as possible.
Let's review.
The business and legal aspects of the story are excellent. The problems are realistic, and the resolution was also realistic. The money isn't 100% offset, but comes very close to it, and the heroine is able to resourcefully find other ways to make use of defunct land in order to help the hero recoup his losses. She is really an excellent woman.
The huge grovel/confession scene at the end lays it out like this: the hero was basically after her from that first scene when she strikes up the alternative deal with him because he was moved by her loyalty. The grovel scene is very nicely done, but when I went back to read this first scene, I did not catch one iota of the passion or tension that is supposedly there. To me, the hero felt abrupt and businesslike. But not even in a fun way, where you think he might be secretly manipulative and gaslighting the heroine for his own muahahaha nefarious purposes. No, he felt completely cold. Even if I'd wanted to read more into the interaction, I simply couldn't, because it hadn't been written into the subtext, which is a damn shame. If there had been a few lines in there about eyes or expressions, I honestly thought the book would have been improved.
It's really very odd, because No Sad Song came out three years earlier, and it's such a superiorly written book. There is so much nuance in even a sentence or two spoken by the hero that you really felt the tension. You could feel his interest, because it fairly leaped off the page, even as the heroine stayed innocently oblivious. I'm not sure if this book was overly dominated by the legalistic aspect, because I feel like I know more about how she managed to offset his losses (I mean, she really did a very fine job of it, ok, so mad kudos there) than how he pursued her.
Maybe the author spent just a little too much time researching the business aspect so that the romance fell by the wayside. Whatever the case, the romance fell sadly flat for me. In essence, this book was lacking any foreplay whatsoever. Even in the kissing scenes, one moment they're sitting there, and the next they're kissing, and there's no description of any hand or head actions so I have no idea how they even got into the position for kissing. This is one case where the book could have used a lot more descriptors.
Five stars for the heroine's resourcefulness.
One star for the hero's abrupt and unlikable character that apparently housed a heart of gold. (He's the kind of sharp businessman that doesn't have any time for romance. This isn't explicitly stated, but there is no way he got any amount of girlfriends from those skillz.)
Two stars for the bland resolution.
October 7, 2023
H owns high end health spas around England and wants to convert his large estate and home into another. He kept Harcourt, the local solicitor that his dad had used, an older widower who is very good friends with h who is also a solicitor. Harcourt is in the hospital after a stroke and h is handling his practice, mostly winding things up so Harcourt can sell it.
H roars in, angry. Harcourt did not mention the road commission intends to take a large chunk of the estate, including the tennis courts rebuilt at great expense. The compensation H will get will not come close to the rebuild costs and tennis courts are not portable. Worse, H has financing, planning approval and contractors lined up and moving the soon-to-be-demolished buildings and courts will delay everything.
H blames Harcourt and says he intends to get the 70,000 pounds from him. The h is determined to keep Harcourt from stress and agrees with H that she will do what she can with local council, etc., to make up the 70,000.
She does, all but 1000 pounds. H has been busy trying to make inroads in her dislike and disgust with him. He’s smitten. He also has a deadline. Her family emigrated to New Zealand and she’s going there too, at least for a long visit, likely permanently.
H is impressed with the work h did although he pretends to hold out for the missing 1,000. By this time h is falling in love as H has shown himself a far better man than she expects. They agree that h will go with H to the Cornwall spa to help entertain H’s investors. They enjoy a wonderful day together and H is a gentleman, not pushing h into more than a few intense kisses.
The London spa calls, a fire, H needs to go there. He asks h to wait for him, doesn’t mention the investors but h assumes H wants her to act in his place. Investors don’t arrive. They call instead, they were not able to go to the London spa as planned, can h let H know.
Now h smells a rat and it’s named H. The investors were not coming, H got her there on false premise and h is hot. She tells H off when he calls and borrows a spa car and has a horrible trip home in bad storm, traffic and car trouble. She calls Harcourt’s hospital. Harcourt is gone, then phone line dies. She assumes “gone” means dead and is horrified, now even angrier at H.
She’s cut off by a few feet of flood. H wades through and bangs on door and antique window until h lets him in. He move Harcourt to a better facility where he can get needed therapy. He wasn’t trying to get h in a seducible situation (well, that’s what he says), he loves her, wants to marry.
They call her folks; there will be two people visiting. HEA.
This was fun. The h doesn’t take any guff and she’s super competent, knows all sorts of people. H is in love pretty fast and he likes having a smart, pretty girl.
H roars in, angry. Harcourt did not mention the road commission intends to take a large chunk of the estate, including the tennis courts rebuilt at great expense. The compensation H will get will not come close to the rebuild costs and tennis courts are not portable. Worse, H has financing, planning approval and contractors lined up and moving the soon-to-be-demolished buildings and courts will delay everything.
H blames Harcourt and says he intends to get the 70,000 pounds from him. The h is determined to keep Harcourt from stress and agrees with H that she will do what she can with local council, etc., to make up the 70,000.
She does, all but 1000 pounds. H has been busy trying to make inroads in her dislike and disgust with him. He’s smitten. He also has a deadline. Her family emigrated to New Zealand and she’s going there too, at least for a long visit, likely permanently.
H is impressed with the work h did although he pretends to hold out for the missing 1,000. By this time h is falling in love as H has shown himself a far better man than she expects. They agree that h will go with H to the Cornwall spa to help entertain H’s investors. They enjoy a wonderful day together and H is a gentleman, not pushing h into more than a few intense kisses.
The London spa calls, a fire, H needs to go there. He asks h to wait for him, doesn’t mention the investors but h assumes H wants her to act in his place. Investors don’t arrive. They call instead, they were not able to go to the London spa as planned, can h let H know.
Now h smells a rat and it’s named H. The investors were not coming, H got her there on false premise and h is hot. She tells H off when he calls and borrows a spa car and has a horrible trip home in bad storm, traffic and car trouble. She calls Harcourt’s hospital. Harcourt is gone, then phone line dies. She assumes “gone” means dead and is horrified, now even angrier at H.
She’s cut off by a few feet of flood. H wades through and bangs on door and antique window until h lets him in. He move Harcourt to a better facility where he can get needed therapy. He wasn’t trying to get h in a seducible situation (well, that’s what he says), he loves her, wants to marry.
They call her folks; there will be two people visiting. HEA.
This was fun. The h doesn’t take any guff and she’s super competent, knows all sorts of people. H is in love pretty fast and he likes having a smart, pretty girl.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2017
A cute story. The heroine is a solicitor, holding fort for her sick boss when an irate client (H) storms in demanding the firm rectify a mistake her boss made 10 years previously. The heroine doesn't want to worry her ill boss about this matter so she works diligently to put it right for the Hero.
The Hero is attracted to her and appreciates and is impressed with the work she is doing on his behalf. However, misunderstanding ensued when he misleads her into spending a weekend with him for business purposes. Why a confident successful man could not just have asked her out on a date, I don't know. But he mans up and pursues her to give his much needed explanation and they get their HEA in the end.
The Hero is attracted to her and appreciates and is impressed with the work she is doing on his behalf. However, misunderstanding ensued when he misleads her into spending a weekend with him for business purposes. Why a confident successful man could not just have asked her out on a date, I don't know. But he mans up and pursues her to give his much needed explanation and they get their HEA in the end.
August 12, 2023
Симпатичний романчик про любов і бюрократію, де головна героїня має заступити адвокатську практику друга родини, а той колись припустився помилки, і тепер за це його хоче дістати до печінок головний герой - звичайно, мужній, завзятий, красивий і ще й бізнесмен. Правда, іноді він таки ходить в бобці і трєніках, але при цьому рятує мишу зі сміттєвого баку, тобто є передумови на закохатися. Звичайно, героїня придумає хитру схему, щоб друга не розорили, а герой придумає просто схему, щоб затягти її в спа-готель, бо любов, так вони і посваряться. А потім помиряться і поженяться; власне, романтика тут стандартна, але бюрократія в британській глибинці сподобалась.
September 18, 2017
This was just average for me b I think it's because I was spoiled by the previous book I read by this author.
I found this a bit of a tedious read and I could not love the characters They both seemed a little boring. The H and h both seem to be workaholics tbh
I found this a bit of a tedious read and I could not love the characters They both seemed a little boring. The H and h both seem to be workaholics tbh
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews