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Sensation
Book by Lamb, Charlotte
248 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1979
13 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
262 books316 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
May 4, 2022
Not only is this book toxic from heaven to hell and back... it might make anyone feel melancholy...or rage... for days to come. I didn't know a book could be that much of an abuser. ✨
December 30, 2016
Negative 3 stars.
Well no mater how you look at it, this book sucked!
I mean, this was the trifecta of anti-romance with rape,abuse, and adultery.
He is just an asshat and she is a doormat he is using and abusing.
I like a lot of CL books, but this one almost seemed like it was written by a bitter man who hates and disrespects women.
It was just so wrong for me.
My romance needs to have some respect and some logical explanations for bad behaviour.
The hero, seem like a big child throwing a temper tantrum.
So attractive....NOT!
My suggestion is to give this whole book a skip!
Well no mater how you look at it, this book sucked!
I mean, this was the trifecta of anti-romance with rape,abuse, and adultery.
He is just an asshat and she is a doormat he is using and abusing.
I like a lot of CL books, but this one almost seemed like it was written by a bitter man who hates and disrespects women.
It was just so wrong for me.
My romance needs to have some respect and some logical explanations for bad behaviour.
The hero, seem like a big child throwing a temper tantrum.
So attractive....NOT!
My suggestion is to give this whole book a skip!
January 1, 2017
Who knew you could rape your way into true love?
Srsly you read enough early CL's and you begin to think all her h's are srsly masochistic.
H and h are married, he rapes her on wedding night and night after, she gets preggers and avoids him for 6 years until H decides he can't live without her. Evil mother, cheating H and h that really needed her head examined but I liked the book anyway.
I figure give Helen ten years more and let Drew revert back to his asshat ways and her son almost ready to run things and Helen will be pulling her inner Cruella De Ville persona out to ruin Drew's hiney. I could see her doing it, cause under all that disinterest is a real bitch waiting to emerge, she isn't her parent's daughter for nothing.
Srsly you read enough early CL's and you begin to think all her h's are srsly masochistic.
H and h are married, he rapes her on wedding night and night after, she gets preggers and avoids him for 6 years until H decides he can't live without her. Evil mother, cheating H and h that really needed her head examined but I liked the book anyway.
I figure give Helen ten years more and let Drew revert back to his asshat ways and her son almost ready to run things and Helen will be pulling her inner Cruella De Ville persona out to ruin Drew's hiney. I could see her doing it, cause under all that disinterest is a real bitch waiting to emerge, she isn't her parent's daughter for nothing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2024
Sensation has all the elements that have made Charlotte Lamb so infamous as an HP writer who likes to have her heroines tortured by unrepenting, irredeemable bastard "heroes." Though CL has written so many different genres, a lot of them infused with humor, lightheartedness, romanticism, and tenderness, it is these very nasty, totally non-p.c. stories she is most remembered for.
The heroine here is really put through the ringer by everyone, and I mean everyone, from Mommy Dearest, to Chauvinist Dad, to of course the controlling, manhandling, rapey, cheating "hero", and even her own little son, of all people, already displaying, at the tender age of 5, daddy's violent, possessive tendencies towards her.
The heroine was a very interesting HPlandia character in that she has all the attributes the reader normally associates with a villainous OW: an impossibly beautiful, icy, blonde groomed to make a marriage of convenience and acting the perfect hostess. But because CL takes her time developing her character and telling the story exclusively through her point of view, she is immensely sympathetic. The epitome of the poor, little, rich girl.
By contrast, the "hero" is very underdeveloped, painted in very broad brushstrokes. He does not even have the requisite sob story in his background that explains why he views women as so many Kleenexes that he needs to wipe his snot on then throw away. No, sex is merely an appetite for him, like any other, and the obsession he has towards the heroine is completely physical and devoid of any affection, tenderness or feeling. It is all a game and because heroine is smart enough to see his "technique" as what it is, and be totally sickened by his insincere, greedy wooing of her, he decides that he will browbeat her into marriage under false pretenses just so he can have access to her body.
In the beginning of the story, the heroine has a minor act of rebellion against her plastic, ruthless parents and social circle, and I was holding my breath wondering if she was going to have the courage to pursue her one true love, music, and extricate herself from the gilded cage she was born in. She has an evening out with people her own age who are pursuing similar artistic interests, and she becomes for the first time, a relaxed, happy teenager instead of the lacquered, mechanical doll she is expected to act for her family and acquaintances.
But the "hero" soon puts a stop to that by bullying her into a marriage of convenience, and then being magnanimous enough to "allow" her to continue with piano lessons during the marriage even though he forbids her to pursue her passion full time, as she needs to tend to her high class, trophy wife duties first (decorating their homes, hosting parties, raising their son, etc).
This is all the more horrendous given that he himself often talks about how much enjoyment he gets from his career as an engineer, planning and building major projects, something that he has loved to do since he was a kid tinkering with toys, and which takes him away for lengthy periods of times to the four corners of the world.
Aside from all the truly despicable stuff he inflicted upon her, and this guy was a first class donkey face with shit for brains, it was his deliberate obliteration of the one light in her dismal life that I could never forgive him for. Music, to the heroine, was the only freedom she had of expressing herself honestly, without risking put-downs or set-downs from the rigid people ruling her life.
I could have perhaps forgiven the hero for all his other misdeeds if he had recognised the importance of music to the heroine, not just as a hobby but as her life's blood, and given her the opportunity to realize her dreams within their MOC, but he never did that, and made no efforts to really get to know that side of her, a real, intimate side. He was only interested in her body (which he expressly admired time and time again) and his own ego (possessing her as no one else would be able to possess her). He is such a Neanderthal that he even remarks at one point that he is jealous of her piano!
With impeccable writing, Charlotte Lamb managed to evoke real emotion from this reader out of what could have been a campy, over-the-top laugh-fest. I just wish I could have believed in this HEA but unfortunately, the hero was too much of a completely callous, disgusting cad for me to throw the confettis at the conclusion.
The heroine here is really put through the ringer by everyone, and I mean everyone, from Mommy Dearest, to Chauvinist Dad, to of course the controlling, manhandling, rapey, cheating "hero", and even her own little son, of all people, already displaying, at the tender age of 5, daddy's violent, possessive tendencies towards her.
The heroine was a very interesting HPlandia character in that she has all the attributes the reader normally associates with a villainous OW: an impossibly beautiful, icy, blonde groomed to make a marriage of convenience and acting the perfect hostess. But because CL takes her time developing her character and telling the story exclusively through her point of view, she is immensely sympathetic. The epitome of the poor, little, rich girl.
By contrast, the "hero" is very underdeveloped, painted in very broad brushstrokes. He does not even have the requisite sob story in his background that explains why he views women as so many Kleenexes that he needs to wipe his snot on then throw away. No, sex is merely an appetite for him, like any other, and the obsession he has towards the heroine is completely physical and devoid of any affection, tenderness or feeling. It is all a game and because heroine is smart enough to see his "technique" as what it is, and be totally sickened by his insincere, greedy wooing of her, he decides that he will browbeat her into marriage under false pretenses just so he can have access to her body.
In the beginning of the story, the heroine has a minor act of rebellion against her plastic, ruthless parents and social circle, and I was holding my breath wondering if she was going to have the courage to pursue her one true love, music, and extricate herself from the gilded cage she was born in. She has an evening out with people her own age who are pursuing similar artistic interests, and she becomes for the first time, a relaxed, happy teenager instead of the lacquered, mechanical doll she is expected to act for her family and acquaintances.
But the "hero" soon puts a stop to that by bullying her into a marriage of convenience, and then being magnanimous enough to "allow" her to continue with piano lessons during the marriage even though he forbids her to pursue her passion full time, as she needs to tend to her high class, trophy wife duties first (decorating their homes, hosting parties, raising their son, etc).
This is all the more horrendous given that he himself often talks about how much enjoyment he gets from his career as an engineer, planning and building major projects, something that he has loved to do since he was a kid tinkering with toys, and which takes him away for lengthy periods of times to the four corners of the world.
Aside from all the truly despicable stuff he inflicted upon her, and this guy was a first class donkey face with shit for brains, it was his deliberate obliteration of the one light in her dismal life that I could never forgive him for. Music, to the heroine, was the only freedom she had of expressing herself honestly, without risking put-downs or set-downs from the rigid people ruling her life.
I could have perhaps forgiven the hero for all his other misdeeds if he had recognised the importance of music to the heroine, not just as a hobby but as her life's blood, and given her the opportunity to realize her dreams within their MOC, but he never did that, and made no efforts to really get to know that side of her, a real, intimate side. He was only interested in her body (which he expressly admired time and time again) and his own ego (possessing her as no one else would be able to possess her). He is such a Neanderthal that he even remarks at one point that he is jealous of her piano!
With impeccable writing, Charlotte Lamb managed to evoke real emotion from this reader out of what could have been a campy, over-the-top laugh-fest. I just wish I could have believed in this HEA but unfortunately, the hero was too much of a completely callous, disgusting cad for me to throw the confettis at the conclusion.
December 30, 2016
Given the angst, drama and long-term potential for no HEA, this old school Harley could fall easily into a 1 star or a 4 star. It has many tropes I have problems with and would slam in another book, but with the hypocrisy of reviewing I'm going big: ****.
The h is saddled with two irritating parents. Correction, one irritating parent (Dad) and one nauseating and toxic waste of oxygen (Mummy dearest). Set up by her parents and her lifestyle in a variety of ways, the h goes for the easy fix with a MOC with Drew. He's really not much of an easy fix kind of hero, unfortunately, as he is a non-stop Heathcliff brooder type with aggressive sexual obsessions.
The h is conned into a MOC that the hero has no intention of honoring. Yes, there is a rape/forced seduction scene, two of them, on their honeymoon then nothing for six years. I bit the bullet and sallied through the scenes. The H and h have lived apart, I mean really lived apart, and see each other a few times a year. They have a son together because as we all know, sperm count and fertility exist in a different dimension in HarleyLand.
Present day, the couple arrive at their Paris apartment, and the H has decided to make some changes. Alerted by his son that someone may be interested in Mommy the H makes a play. I think. His way of making a play is just being there and irritating the hell out of her. He's brought home the quintessential Mr. Nice Guy, a man who was cheated on by his now dead wife. The H warns the h that her winsome ways will attract the nice guy and he won't tolerate it.
For some reason, the ice is breaking with the h, and she pushes the envelope back in hopes of seeing the H break. She does an excellent job as in a Gone with the Wind Rhett sweeping Scarlet off her feet moment, the h finally gets a dose of real passion. Much like GWTW, the H isn't there when she wakes up so she scarpers back to London. I'm sure you can guess who is on the plane. Mr. Nice Guy with a hangdog look.
More jealousy drama, a vile encounter with Mum of the year, and all is confessed by the H. The H has been in love with the h for years and wants her to love him back. Somehow, someway despite the initial rapes, the punishing kisses, the scary glares, the emotional intimidation, and the minimal contact over six years SHE LOVES HIM. Don't get me wrong, the h can dish it out in spades; she would make an excellent ice cube. When she sees the H kiss a woman at party, she leaves with Mr. Nice Guy which results in a punch and a threat against his life. The H is quite the red-blooded he man.
I may be wrong, but I don't see a prolonged HEA unless this couple can maintain the level of drama and angst.
Some will love the angst fest while for some it has so many triggers it might as well be a six-shooter.
The h is saddled with two irritating parents. Correction, one irritating parent (Dad) and one nauseating and toxic waste of oxygen (Mummy dearest). Set up by her parents and her lifestyle in a variety of ways, the h goes for the easy fix with a MOC with Drew. He's really not much of an easy fix kind of hero, unfortunately, as he is a non-stop Heathcliff brooder type with aggressive sexual obsessions.
The h is conned into a MOC that the hero has no intention of honoring. Yes, there is a rape/forced seduction scene, two of them, on their honeymoon then nothing for six years. I bit the bullet and sallied through the scenes. The H and h have lived apart, I mean really lived apart, and see each other a few times a year. They have a son together because as we all know, sperm count and fertility exist in a different dimension in HarleyLand.
Present day, the couple arrive at their Paris apartment, and the H has decided to make some changes. Alerted by his son that someone may be interested in Mommy the H makes a play. I think. His way of making a play is just being there and irritating the hell out of her. He's brought home the quintessential Mr. Nice Guy, a man who was cheated on by his now dead wife. The H warns the h that her winsome ways will attract the nice guy and he won't tolerate it.
For some reason, the ice is breaking with the h, and she pushes the envelope back in hopes of seeing the H break. She does an excellent job as in a Gone with the Wind Rhett sweeping Scarlet off her feet moment, the h finally gets a dose of real passion. Much like GWTW, the H isn't there when she wakes up so she scarpers back to London. I'm sure you can guess who is on the plane. Mr. Nice Guy with a hangdog look.
More jealousy drama, a vile encounter with Mum of the year, and all is confessed by the H. The H has been in love with the h for years and wants her to love him back. Somehow, someway despite the initial rapes, the punishing kisses, the scary glares, the emotional intimidation, and the minimal contact over six years SHE LOVES HIM. Don't get me wrong, the h can dish it out in spades; she would make an excellent ice cube. When she sees the H kiss a woman at party, she leaves with Mr. Nice Guy which results in a punch and a threat against his life. The H is quite the red-blooded he man.
I may be wrong, but I don't see a prolonged HEA unless this couple can maintain the level of drama and angst.
Some will love the angst fest while for some it has so many triggers it might as well be a six-shooter.
November 15, 2022
Six years ago Helen Lincoln and Drew Lincoln married each other as in partnership.Drew married her for business and also secretly wanted her, while Helen only married him to gain freedom from her over-bearing parents.The first two nights of their honeymoon Helen unhappily endured the intimacy in bed with her husband (it counts as rape) and she becomes pregnant with their son Stephen. Drew will also soon have to realize that he has come to fall desperately in love with his wife and the years as they live separate lives he waits patiently for her to accept him. But now after six years he listen to his son raving about a new man in Helen`s life..and now once and for all Drew decides to take action and break her barriers apart.
I couldn`t see their so called "marriage" on paper as real marriage, so i saw them instead as two people with pride who secretly loves each other.They married each other for their own personal gain which lead to their present consuquences. Chemistry between these two was SMOKING HOT in the way only CL writes and i enjoyed their banter immensely. Helen was really blind and didn`t see Drew`s obvious powerful love for her-he also scared me half to death every time he was MAD of overly jealousy.But Oh how i love heroes that makes me feel like this! Drew Lincoln is a restless predator who has fallen down his knees when it came to the woman he love. The hardcore angst between Drew and Helen was utterly delicious.It is also clear that Drew had suffered greatly over the years because of his unrequited love for Helen, and even all the people in the society saw that! I don`t mind that he was not faithful to her the first year in their marriage because he made no secret of it and their marriage was of convenience and it was before he even realized he had fallen in love with his wife. So he decides to be faithful once he knows his heart is taken.I also hated Helen´s mother, and even Drew thought her a bitch, such a disgusting and self-absorbed mother!
I couldn`t see their so called "marriage" on paper as real marriage, so i saw them instead as two people with pride who secretly loves each other.They married each other for their own personal gain which lead to their present consuquences. Chemistry between these two was SMOKING HOT in the way only CL writes and i enjoyed their banter immensely. Helen was really blind and didn`t see Drew`s obvious powerful love for her-he also scared me half to death every time he was MAD of overly jealousy.But Oh how i love heroes that makes me feel like this! Drew Lincoln is a restless predator who has fallen down his knees when it came to the woman he love. The hardcore angst between Drew and Helen was utterly delicious.It is also clear that Drew had suffered greatly over the years because of his unrequited love for Helen, and even all the people in the society saw that! I don`t mind that he was not faithful to her the first year in their marriage because he made no secret of it and their marriage was of convenience and it was before he even realized he had fallen in love with his wife. So he decides to be faithful once he knows his heart is taken.I also hated Helen´s mother, and even Drew thought her a bitch, such a disgusting and self-absorbed mother!
February 21, 2021
It's bad enough the "hero" didn't love the heroine when he married her. It's worse still when he cheated later on, but did he have to give her the shaft too by raping her on their honeymoon? Dirtbag even admits at the end of the book to having loved it!
'I know you hated it, but I'm not going to lie this time—I enjoyed it. Even though you fought me, I loved every minute of it. I'd been waiting to get you into bed for months and when I did, I went crazy.'
Helen had accepted Drew's marriage proposal, a business arrangement, to escape from under the unloving thumb of her parents. In exchange Drew would land a business merger with her father; a hostess for his estates; freedom to discreetly indulge in his tastes for a variety of women (bleh); and, unbeknownst to heroine, her hot bod. Drew had promised Helen their marriage would be platonic, but reneged because his lust was bigger than his . . . honor. He'd lied to persuade Helen (along with using "gentle" force), claiming that the business merger with her father was in limbo and he would only have a say in the business until they produced a grandson.
Their arrangement turned out to be a true marriage of convenience as they lived apart during their six years of marriage, with occasional visits slotted in. The only time they were ever physically intimate was on their honeymoon, which resulted in a son named Stephen. Drew did stop the cheating a few years into their marriage after he'd realized he'd (somehow) fallen in love with Helen, so there's that. Even so, Drew never attempted to woo his wife until little Stephen gave him a wake up call by suggesting Helen had a suitor.
I find it difficult to believe he did nothing for so long though. There was nothing to stop him, well, other than her frigid disdain. But come on. If you can force your wife to have sex you can surely force her to spend more time with you too? And, no, kissing another woman at a party in front of one's wife to make her jealous doesn't count as wooing. Dirtbag then had the gall to wonder why she'd left early with the other man?! He was lucky she didn't take his castrated testicles with her.
Helen came off as cold initially although she wasn't devoid of emotion. She'd just adopted an icy veneer to protect herself from the pain of not feeling loved by her parents, and I can't say I blame her. She was practically trained to be a chip off the oldiceberg block. It didn't help Drew's case when Helen mistakenly believed he'd intended to just pump and dump her, which hurt as she knew she could have fallen for him. The only love or sensation she'd felt was for her son and her music (and eventually, somehow, for Drew as well).
I had originally meant to avoid this because it had vintage trainwreck splattered all over it, but couldn't resist a peek as my curiosity got the better of me. I might have sympathized with the characters more if I'd received a better sense that they'd actually loved and longed for each other for more of their marriage, instead of just a few days. And, of course, if Drew had felt some remorse for the way he'd treated Helen. I guess once a selfish dirtbag, always a selfish dirtbag.
Safety
Helen remained celibate during her marriage. She had no interest in her company's accountant (the "suitor" her son had misunderstood might take his father's place, although that's not to say the man wasn't interested). However, she did flirt with and let the OM, Drew's colleague and friend, kiss her in retaliation for Drew kissing another woman. As mentioned before Drew had other lovers, but stopped after he'd (somehow) fallen in love with his wife several years into their marriage.
'I know you hated it, but I'm not going to lie this time—I enjoyed it. Even though you fought me, I loved every minute of it. I'd been waiting to get you into bed for months and when I did, I went crazy.'
Helen had accepted Drew's marriage proposal, a business arrangement, to escape from under the unloving thumb of her parents. In exchange Drew would land a business merger with her father; a hostess for his estates; freedom to discreetly indulge in his tastes for a variety of women (bleh); and, unbeknownst to heroine, her hot bod. Drew had promised Helen their marriage would be platonic, but reneged because his lust was bigger than his . . . honor. He'd lied to persuade Helen (along with using "gentle" force), claiming that the business merger with her father was in limbo and he would only have a say in the business until they produced a grandson.
Their arrangement turned out to be a true marriage of convenience as they lived apart during their six years of marriage, with occasional visits slotted in. The only time they were ever physically intimate was on their honeymoon, which resulted in a son named Stephen. Drew did stop the cheating a few years into their marriage after he'd realized he'd (somehow) fallen in love with Helen, so there's that. Even so, Drew never attempted to woo his wife until little Stephen gave him a wake up call by suggesting Helen had a suitor.
I find it difficult to believe he did nothing for so long though. There was nothing to stop him, well, other than her frigid disdain. But come on. If you can force your wife to have sex you can surely force her to spend more time with you too? And, no, kissing another woman at a party in front of one's wife to make her jealous doesn't count as wooing. Dirtbag then had the gall to wonder why she'd left early with the other man?! He was lucky she didn't take his castrated testicles with her.
Helen came off as cold initially although she wasn't devoid of emotion. She'd just adopted an icy veneer to protect herself from the pain of not feeling loved by her parents, and I can't say I blame her. She was practically trained to be a chip off the old
I had originally meant to avoid this because it had vintage trainwreck splattered all over it, but couldn't resist a peek as my curiosity got the better of me. I might have sympathized with the characters more if I'd received a better sense that they'd actually loved and longed for each other for more of their marriage, instead of just a few days. And, of course, if Drew had felt some remorse for the way he'd treated Helen. I guess once a selfish dirtbag, always a selfish dirtbag.
Safety
Helen remained celibate during her marriage. She had no interest in her company's accountant (the "suitor" her son had misunderstood might take his father's place, although that's not to say the man wasn't interested). However, she did flirt with and let the OM, Drew's colleague and friend, kiss her in retaliation for Drew kissing another woman. As mentioned before Drew had other lovers, but stopped after he'd (somehow) fallen in love with his wife several years into their marriage.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2017
An ice princess
A unrepentant rake
A mommy dearest
A disappointed father
A hapless OM
A sweet child who wants a normal family.
Which one is not like the other? *sigh*
H/h have been married for six years. Two forced sexual encounters - rapes - resulted in a son being born nine months after the honeymoon. (Good job, alpha hero - you have achieved a high level of breeding efficiency if nothing else). The H/h live apart, the heroine tending to his houses, his son and making social appearances with him a few times a year. When the story opens, the hero has decided to switch things up because his son, now five, is noticing that he doesn't have a normal family.
Sorry, son. You're stuck in a CL book - normal is not in her vocabulary.
The hero decides to woo the heroine back with a surprise visit at his flat in Paris, but he inexplicably brings the OM along as a wingman.
This little triangle then moves to England where the heroine spends most of her mental energy on not getting hurt, saying horrible things, and retreating when a bit of plain speaking would clear the air. It's all a little tedious after awhile. I guess I should have felt sorry for the heroine, but I didn't. She is complicit in this little drama and seems to enjoy bringing out the dangerous jealousy in her husband. I suppose that's a step up from the indifference from her parents.
The hero is a typical alpha. I didn't find him all that cruel - probably because the heroine was so annoying to me and I can see why he lost his temper so much.
The OM is beyond beta - and hopefully the little bout of fisticuffs knocked some sense into him. He, unlike the son, could at least get away from these toxic people.
An interesting read with an ending that felt lukewarm - a good sign since that is several degrees above freezing where this couple started out. Baby steps.
A unrepentant rake
A mommy dearest
A disappointed father
A hapless OM
A sweet child who wants a normal family.
Which one is not like the other? *sigh*
H/h have been married for six years. Two forced sexual encounters - rapes - resulted in a son being born nine months after the honeymoon. (Good job, alpha hero - you have achieved a high level of breeding efficiency if nothing else). The H/h live apart, the heroine tending to his houses, his son and making social appearances with him a few times a year. When the story opens, the hero has decided to switch things up because his son, now five, is noticing that he doesn't have a normal family.
Sorry, son. You're stuck in a CL book - normal is not in her vocabulary.
The hero decides to woo the heroine back with a surprise visit at his flat in Paris, but he inexplicably brings the OM along as a wingman.
This little triangle then moves to England where the heroine spends most of her mental energy on not getting hurt, saying horrible things, and retreating when a bit of plain speaking would clear the air. It's all a little tedious after awhile. I guess I should have felt sorry for the heroine, but I didn't. She is complicit in this little drama and seems to enjoy bringing out the dangerous jealousy in her husband. I suppose that's a step up from the indifference from her parents.
The hero is a typical alpha. I didn't find him all that cruel - probably because the heroine was so annoying to me and I can see why he lost his temper so much.
The OM is beyond beta - and hopefully the little bout of fisticuffs knocked some sense into him. He, unlike the son, could at least get away from these toxic people.
An interesting read with an ending that felt lukewarm - a good sign since that is several degrees above freezing where this couple started out. Baby steps.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2015
These two were just plain annoying. The heroine was an ice queen, and the hero was the king of all manwhores. The heroine agrees to a marriage of convenience because the hero promises her a celibate marriage and a way to escape her parents. He changes his mind the night of their honeymoon and rapes her twice, once on their wedding night and once in the morning. This was no forced seduction. This was outright rape.
She gets pregnant, has a son and they co-exist for six years. However, hero gets wind of the fact that the heroine is starting to have "other interests" and decides it's time to call quits to convenience and make the marriage really work.
I never warmed up to the hero because he:
1) Didn't love the heroine when he married her.
2) Broke his promise of a celibate marriage
3) Was unfaithful during the early years of their marriage
4) Stuck his tongue down the throat of another woman in front of his wife at a party
The heroine also drove me crazy because:
1) She was indifferent to everything and everyone around her. The only person that mattered was her son.
2) She had a grossly distorted lens about life
3) She really was a cold fish
4) She had no commonsense on how to conduct herself with her husband's business associate, Phillip. Phillip also didn't know how to conduct himself in the home of his boss and best friend.
2 stars, only because it's Lamb and the writing was exceptional and very hard to put down. Otherwise, I would have given it only 1 star.
She gets pregnant, has a son and they co-exist for six years. However, hero gets wind of the fact that the heroine is starting to have "other interests" and decides it's time to call quits to convenience and make the marriage really work.
I never warmed up to the hero because he:
1) Didn't love the heroine when he married her.
2) Broke his promise of a celibate marriage
3) Was unfaithful during the early years of their marriage
4) Stuck his tongue down the throat of another woman in front of his wife at a party
The heroine also drove me crazy because:
1) She was indifferent to everything and everyone around her. The only person that mattered was her son.
2) She had a grossly distorted lens about life
3) She really was a cold fish
4) She had no commonsense on how to conduct herself with her husband's business associate, Phillip. Phillip also didn't know how to conduct himself in the home of his boss and best friend.
2 stars, only because it's Lamb and the writing was exceptional and very hard to put down. Otherwise, I would have given it only 1 star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2011
Not enuff dwama. Heroine is an iceberg, forced by hubby to consummate marriage to produce an heir. Hero is typical CL, can't take no for an answer but then gives wife the stink eye & goes bananas for seemingly flirting w/ hero's grieving friend. Hero apparently has nevah heard of "What's good for the goose is good for the gander". Read it in small increments 'cuz it couldn't keep my interest, which was not the norm for a quickie HP. Me no likey dat much.
July 10, 2022
Very old school by way of double standards and rapey dub-cons.
And despite my modern day sensibilities/expectations clashing with vintagey clichés, I couldn't fail to immerse in this almost forgotten trope of a long-suffering and smitten H trying to 'unfreeze' the ice-queen h - his cold, half-alive wife. Hah!
Wow, the number of times the H shames her, calls her out on her 'frozen state' - I'd completely forgotten how it used to be a done thing in older HPs. Should not be funny but it is!
“Cold-blooded little bitch, aren't you?'
“you ... frigid and ice-cold”
“polar wastes you call your life.”
"neurotic depression."
"Virgin territory, untouched, stony. I sometimes wonder if you're human at all. Physically you've matured into a beautiful woman, mentally you're a frozen mystery”
“Come out from behind that wall of yours, Helen. Doesn't it ever get claustrophobic in there?”
This last bit I can agree with somewhat.
“you deserve a good slap, but I'll deal with you later. ”
Oooh, a strong (wo)manhandling a**hole!
Anyways, all this gets tedious after a while. He predictably always wanted her but left her alone to grow up? With the child he gave her, of course.
Poor mite. The sob husband may blame the h for a lot of things but the blame of being the absent father is his alone, no matter what he says with his continued wife-blaming.
The poor, already depressed om is dragged in this hot mess just to trigger the h/H reconciliation.
Still, CL is a master of characterization and execution and knows when to bring in new plot devices, new emotions at the needed stage.
I love what she's written about introverts and parties.
I can relate to a degree.
“Helen did not like parties. She was shy and found it hard to make conversation with a stranger. The noise, the crowds of people, alarmed her. She had never told Drew. He seemed to enjoy them, easily entering into the banter and lighthearted chat. Helen suffered from a form of claustrophobia at parties, feeling herself hemmed in by strangers, her mind threatened. She was an introvert; reserved, nervous, afraid to come out from behind her sheltering defences and expose herself to ridicule or failure. She had learnt to hide it behind a cool manner, using pride as a shield, without ever being able to deal with the other problems that caused. People imagined that her set, stiff face implied superiority when in fact it implied the opposite. She was aware that her manner produced this effect—but did not know how to dispel the impression.”
A/N: It's only in vintages like this CL can we find these very young - teenage really - cold, 'frigid', upper-class sophisticates. Definitely an extinct species now. Taken over by the hormonal NA/YA hs.
And despite my modern day sensibilities/expectations clashing with vintagey clichés, I couldn't fail to immerse in this almost forgotten trope of a long-suffering and smitten H trying to 'unfreeze' the ice-queen h - his cold, half-alive wife. Hah!
Wow, the number of times the H shames her, calls her out on her 'frozen state' - I'd completely forgotten how it used to be a done thing in older HPs. Should not be funny but it is!
“Cold-blooded little bitch, aren't you?'
“you ... frigid and ice-cold”
“polar wastes you call your life.”
"neurotic depression."
"Virgin territory, untouched, stony. I sometimes wonder if you're human at all. Physically you've matured into a beautiful woman, mentally you're a frozen mystery”
“Come out from behind that wall of yours, Helen. Doesn't it ever get claustrophobic in there?”
This last bit I can agree with somewhat.
“you deserve a good slap, but I'll deal with you later. ”
Oooh, a strong (wo)manhandling a**hole!
Anyways, all this gets tedious after a while. He predictably always wanted her but left her alone to grow up? With the child he gave her, of course.
Poor mite. The sob husband may blame the h for a lot of things but the blame of being the absent father is his alone, no matter what he says with his continued wife-blaming.
The poor, already depressed om is dragged in this hot mess just to trigger the h/H reconciliation.
Still, CL is a master of characterization and execution and knows when to bring in new plot devices, new emotions at the needed stage.
I love what she's written about introverts and parties.
I can relate to a degree.
“Helen did not like parties. She was shy and found it hard to make conversation with a stranger. The noise, the crowds of people, alarmed her. She had never told Drew. He seemed to enjoy them, easily entering into the banter and lighthearted chat. Helen suffered from a form of claustrophobia at parties, feeling herself hemmed in by strangers, her mind threatened. She was an introvert; reserved, nervous, afraid to come out from behind her sheltering defences and expose herself to ridicule or failure. She had learnt to hide it behind a cool manner, using pride as a shield, without ever being able to deal with the other problems that caused. People imagined that her set, stiff face implied superiority when in fact it implied the opposite. She was aware that her manner produced this effect—but did not know how to dispel the impression.”
A/N: It's only in vintages like this CL can we find these very young - teenage really - cold, 'frigid', upper-class sophisticates. Definitely an extinct species now. Taken over by the hormonal NA/YA hs.
May 20, 2021
Well, wasn’t that a toxic hot mess?
Only Charlotte Lamb could come up with a true ice princess, one that takes 175 pages to defrost. She’s matched with an OTT hero who wants her dad’s company, only to find out a son is required to actually get it... no problem, our hero has no issue using rape as a way to conceive.
Six years later, their son wants a normal family. The husband uses this as an excuse to force reconciliation. He uses cruel words and nasty behavior to defrost the ice princess, only to find her much kinder and warming up to their newly widowed friend. And, hubby isn’t happy about any of this.
In the end jealousy on both sides throws the door open to HEA.
The hubby claims he regretted the rape, he was so in love that he couldn’t understand she didn’t want it. Couldn’t understand that she wasn’t as moved as he was. Hated that she avoided him for all these years. The whole time he loved her, and claims that he eventually spent years being celibate because he only wanted her. Really?
And, only Charlotte Lamb could pull this off.
5⭐️ or 1 ⭐️??? I picked in between.
Only Charlotte Lamb could come up with a true ice princess, one that takes 175 pages to defrost. She’s matched with an OTT hero who wants her dad’s company, only to find out a son is required to actually get it... no problem, our hero has no issue using rape as a way to conceive.
Six years later, their son wants a normal family. The husband uses this as an excuse to force reconciliation. He uses cruel words and nasty behavior to defrost the ice princess, only to find her much kinder and warming up to their newly widowed friend. And, hubby isn’t happy about any of this.
In the end jealousy on both sides throws the door open to HEA.
The hubby claims he regretted the rape, he was so in love that he couldn’t understand she didn’t want it. Couldn’t understand that she wasn’t as moved as he was. Hated that she avoided him for all these years. The whole time he loved her, and claims that he eventually spent years being celibate because he only wanted her. Really?
And, only Charlotte Lamb could pull this off.
5⭐️ or 1 ⭐️??? I picked in between.
June 9, 2014
I think I may be done with Charlotte Lamb books. Her writing is actually some of the best of the genre and there is definitely intensity, but her heroes are a bit much for me. Actually, they frighten me. Also, her heroines aren't always the sharpest knives in the drawer.
It's funny what I will accept from a historical hero versus a more contemporary one. Rape/forced seduction doesn't usually bother me in a historical, but it's so hard for me to justify a HEA with a H who does the same in a contemporary. I suppose I view a hero's action in light of the social mores of the time.
It's funny what I will accept from a historical hero versus a more contemporary one. Rape/forced seduction doesn't usually bother me in a historical, but it's so hard for me to justify a HEA with a H who does the same in a contemporary. I suppose I view a hero's action in light of the social mores of the time.
August 17, 2012
3.5 stars
This one had me either angsty or seeing red most of the time. The guy is an unapologetic manwhore who is frustrated when he can't melt the ice queen. So what's a guy to do? Marry her, naturally. But of course it's a marriage of convenience in order to get her away from her parents and allow him to merge businesses with her dad. No strings attached...until the strings show up.
The wedding night is a non-con scene if that upsets some readers, consider yourself warned. I was surprised by what the H said about it at the end.
All through the story the H did everything in his power to make the h think he way sleeping with any woman that entered the same room as him and we're suppose to believe what he said at the end. Hmmm. Maybe. I'll sit on it a while. Things usually look different to me after some time away.
But I think this is a pretty good story...other than the cheating...and the non-con...and the scene in the backyard. But Philip, the H's coworker, made it all better :D
This one had me either angsty or seeing red most of the time. The guy is an unapologetic manwhore who is frustrated when he can't melt the ice queen. So what's a guy to do? Marry her, naturally. But of course it's a marriage of convenience in order to get her away from her parents and allow him to merge businesses with her dad. No strings attached...until the strings show up.
The wedding night is a non-con scene if that upsets some readers, consider yourself warned. I was surprised by what the H said about it at the end.
All through the story the H did everything in his power to make the h think he way sleeping with any woman that entered the same room as him and we're suppose to believe what he said at the end. Hmmm. Maybe. I'll sit on it a while. Things usually look different to me after some time away.
But I think this is a pretty good story...other than the cheating...and the non-con...and the scene in the backyard. But Philip, the H's coworker, made it all better :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2011
Genre: [angst, emotional, so-pained-she's-blanked, weirdo-parents]
On the cover of my M&B it says it was a best seller book and I can believe how that would be so. If anyone of you know me, I generally avoid angsty books and jealous heroes but I liked this book for these reasons:
-The heroine didn't show fear to the Hero for 6 (7?) years. That's a long time to stay impassive.
-The hero acknowledged his actions. Granted, that doesn't make what he did right but he did ask the h if she regretted what happened and eventually she admitted it's helped to humanize her.
-The son. He's so...like a kid (which is good because we don't see too many of them in HQNs)
-H truthful about not falling for the h right away. Same with h.
-As a reader, you enjoy imagining what might be the motives of the hero more than what is depicted in the book(WAIT? AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES THAT?)
The Beef:
-Too many angsty situations. The OtherGuy was over-played =|
On the cover of my M&B it says it was a best seller book and I can believe how that would be so. If anyone of you know me, I generally avoid angsty books and jealous heroes but I liked this book for these reasons:
-The heroine didn't show fear to the Hero for 6 (7?) years. That's a long time to stay impassive.
-The hero acknowledged his actions. Granted, that doesn't make what he did right but he did ask the h if she regretted what happened and eventually she admitted it's helped to humanize her.
-The son. He's so...like a kid (which is good because we don't see too many of them in HQNs)
-H truthful about not falling for the h right away. Same with h.
-As a reader, you enjoy imagining what might be the motives of the hero more than what is depicted in the book(WAIT? AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO DOES THAT?)
The Beef:
-Too many angsty situations. The OtherGuy was over-played =|
May 2, 2015
I agree with another reviewer, both the hero and the heroine were ninnies. I would have liked the hero better if he had been in love with the heroine when he married her. At least he did fall in love a few years into the marriage. And then he suffered from several well deserved years of unrequited love. The heroine was just a ninny. Most times I don't mind a silly young heroine but here she just kept being silly for years. I don't see how anyone could be so unaware of themselves or others. And she seemed more uncaring really. And there really were at least 2 forced seduction scenes that honestly left the seduction in the dust and just left the forced bit. Hmm...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2020
Good lord, I have a high tolerance for alphaholes but I forgot how awful CL's heroes could be. This one takes the cake:
It's been a long time since I read CL, and I have a love/hate thing for her. I love The Devil's Arms It is Top Ten WTFery. But a lot of her books don't do it for me. I love dangerous, masterful alpha types in my vintage Harleys, but hers are just borderline (if not full-out) psycho for the most part; out-and-out rape never scratched my "forced seduction" itch (if the h isn't into it, neither am I); and her Neanderthal Hs were always a bit too mean and chauvinistic even for me. So a real miss here, even on a love-to-hate level. A bunch of more unlikeable characters are hard to find, just icky.
It's been a long time since I read CL, and I have a love/hate thing for her. I love The Devil's Arms It is Top Ten WTFery. But a lot of her books don't do it for me. I love dangerous, masterful alpha types in my vintage Harleys, but hers are just borderline (if not full-out) psycho for the most part; out-and-out rape never scratched my "forced seduction" itch (if the h isn't into it, neither am I); and her Neanderthal Hs were always a bit too mean and chauvinistic even for me. So a real miss here, even on a love-to-hate level. A bunch of more unlikeable characters are hard to find, just icky.
August 29, 2012
Why has Drew shown up in Paris now?
Helen had managed to avoid Drew for the past six years,ensuring that if he was in one country she'd be in another.
After all, theirs wasn't a real marriage anyway-
Drew had wanted the business connection with her father and Helen had merely wanted to escape her parents. It was a bizarre but comfortable arrangement.
But now Drew meant to claim his rights as her husband, and she had nowhere to turn. His sudden demands were frightening and confusing-as were her own surprising responses...
My Take:
The Heroine, Helen married the hero, Drew because he offered her a compromise. If she married him she could escape her parents desperate attempts to be married off to some suitable male from an equally wealthy background. Drew promised it would be a marriage in name only but of course he switched the tables on Helen the first night of their honey moon. He came into her room ready to "possess her" because he said her father threw a clause into his taking over Helen's fathers business. The clause stated that Drew could only gain full control after Helen had her first child. This scene would be considered rape today but was a "forced seduction" in the 80's.
Helen finds herself pregnant after two encounters and for six years, she managed to doge Drew whenever he was in the same city. One weekend she decided to stay in Paris and guess who she happens to meet when she is leaving the airport-Drew. They share the Paris apartment for the weekend together along with her husbands good friend Phillip. Phillip is very emotionally venerable at the time as his cheating wife has recently passed away. He falls for Helen and this makes Drew very jealous. I doesn't not help that the heroine runs around and off with Phillip a few times in the novel and flirts very heavy with him in the heroes presence. I won't give anymore away but as in all HP Romance novels the hero gets the heroine.
I found this book to be a bit dry but I've only come across one Charlotte Lamb book that I dislike more and that's who'sWho's Been Sleeping In My Bed? (Harlequin Presents, No 842) been sleeping in my bed. Her best book is Temptation which is my favorite romance novel of all times.
Things you may/may not like about this story:
1. 80's Forced seduction/2008 rape scene.
2. Jealous hero
3. Hero admits to cheating on the heroine with other women in the early years of the marriage.
March 6, 2022
Trigger warning.
Not only are there several rapes/forced seductions, he is incredibly abusive and contemptuous towards her (repeatedly calling her frigid, incapable of love, etc.)—and later on we’re supposed to believe it’s because he wanted and loved her so badly?
The inclusion of this kind of unnecessary violence baffles me—obviously that it happens at all, but also because this author has written other books where nothing like this happens and the heroine gives as good as she gets. (Though I recently read another one of her books with similar problems.) I’d really like to know whether this kind of thing was ever considered truly “romantic,” or whether it was more widely accepted that this was just the way of things, or whether it was maybe the author’s way of exploring this kind of scenario in fiction. If it was the last, this wasn’t done in a way that felt at all meaningful or satisfying. This does make me think also of how reportedly actress Loretta Young realized at the age of 85 that she had been date-raped by Clark Gable decades earlier—it was in watching a documentary about it with her granddaughter that she understood for the first time what had happened to her. It all just makes me tired and sad to think of all that women have had to endure throughout history. And we still have to endure all these years later.
Idk where I’m going with this except to say the “hero” is an abusive asshole and it’s hard to buy the about-face and happy ending. The problem is, Charlotte Lamb does write great chemistry and you can see why the heroine is drawn to him, as well as good angst and entertaining details (her playing piano, and even the hapless beta OM thing was great). I just wish that in creating drama for these characters, she hadn’t felt it necessary to have the hero go quite so far. Rape and abuse should be considered deal-breakers, and it is unbelievably sad that there are times when they aren’t.
Not only are there several rapes/forced seductions, he is incredibly abusive and contemptuous towards her (repeatedly calling her frigid, incapable of love, etc.)—and later on we’re supposed to believe it’s because he wanted and loved her so badly?
The inclusion of this kind of unnecessary violence baffles me—obviously that it happens at all, but also because this author has written other books where nothing like this happens and the heroine gives as good as she gets. (Though I recently read another one of her books with similar problems.) I’d really like to know whether this kind of thing was ever considered truly “romantic,” or whether it was more widely accepted that this was just the way of things, or whether it was maybe the author’s way of exploring this kind of scenario in fiction. If it was the last, this wasn’t done in a way that felt at all meaningful or satisfying. This does make me think also of how reportedly actress Loretta Young realized at the age of 85 that she had been date-raped by Clark Gable decades earlier—it was in watching a documentary about it with her granddaughter that she understood for the first time what had happened to her. It all just makes me tired and sad to think of all that women have had to endure throughout history. And we still have to endure all these years later.
Idk where I’m going with this except to say the “hero” is an abusive asshole and it’s hard to buy the about-face and happy ending. The problem is, Charlotte Lamb does write great chemistry and you can see why the heroine is drawn to him, as well as good angst and entertaining details (her playing piano, and even the hapless beta OM thing was great). I just wish that in creating drama for these characters, she hadn’t felt it necessary to have the hero go quite so far. Rape and abuse should be considered deal-breakers, and it is unbelievably sad that there are times when they aren’t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2021
4 stars because I'm a sucker for an angsty read.
October 31, 2015
This is a Charlotte Lamb's classic! If you don't love her, just skip the book, but if you are her fan - this is, in my opinion, one of her best.
The heroine is emotionally handicapped, and the hero is secretly crazy about her. When she starts seeing another man too often, the hero decides it is time to do something about it and follows her to Paris...and the story begins. She starts being aware of him and he tries to awaken her lost sensations. This book is so intense, and always building, and building until the end. And that scene is just great!
The heroine is emotionally handicapped, and the hero is secretly crazy about her. When she starts seeing another man too often, the hero decides it is time to do something about it and follows her to Paris...and the story begins. She starts being aware of him and he tries to awaken her lost sensations. This book is so intense, and always building, and building until the end. And that scene is just great!
November 19, 2012
(more than one copy of this book on here)
3.5 stars
This one had me either angsty or seeing red most of the time. The guy is an unapologetic manwhore who is frustrated when he can't melt the ice queen. So what's a guy to do? Marry her, naturally. But of course it's a marriage of convenience in order to get her away from her parents and allow him to merge businesses with her dad. No strings attached...until the strings show up.
The wedding night is a non-con scene if that upsets some readers, consider yourself warned. I was surprised by what the H said about it at the end.
All through the story the H did everything in his power to make the h think he way sleeping with any woman that entered the same room as him and we're suppose to believe what he said at the end. Hmmm. Maybe. I'll sit on it a while. Things usually look different to me after some time away.
But I think this is a pretty good story...other than the cheating...and the non-con...and the scene in the backyard. But Philip, the H's coworker, made it all better :D (less)
3.5 stars
This one had me either angsty or seeing red most of the time. The guy is an unapologetic manwhore who is frustrated when he can't melt the ice queen. So what's a guy to do? Marry her, naturally. But of course it's a marriage of convenience in order to get her away from her parents and allow him to merge businesses with her dad. No strings attached...until the strings show up.
The wedding night is a non-con scene if that upsets some readers, consider yourself warned. I was surprised by what the H said about it at the end.
All through the story the H did everything in his power to make the h think he way sleeping with any woman that entered the same room as him and we're suppose to believe what he said at the end. Hmmm. Maybe. I'll sit on it a while. Things usually look different to me after some time away.
But I think this is a pretty good story...other than the cheating...and the non-con...and the scene in the backyard. But Philip, the H's coworker, made it all better :D (less)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2015
This was very similar to Savage Surrender, also by CL. Here we have a heroine who actually agrees to a marriage of convenience - to escape her controlling parents.
I can't justify Drews actions on their wedding night, I did enjoy him trying to thaw her over the years and waiting for her to come to him.
Everything was handled with much more maturity and their hea was convincing.
ps I really want green marble floors, infact the entire Paris apartment! She writes some good descriptive passages.
I can't justify Drews actions on their wedding night, I did enjoy him trying to thaw her over the years and waiting for her to come to him.
Everything was handled with much more maturity and their hea was convincing.
ps I really want green marble floors, infact the entire Paris apartment! She writes some good descriptive passages.
February 14, 2020
Why had Drew shown up in Paris now?
Helen had managed to avoid Drew for the past six years, ensuring that if he was in one country she'd be in another.
After all, theirs wasn't a real marriage anyway--Drew had wanted the business connection with her father and Helen had merely wanted to escape her parents. It was a bizarre but comfortable arrangement.
But now Drew meant to claim his rights as her husband, and she had nowhere to turn. His sudden demands were frightening and confusing--as were her own surprising responses...
Helen had managed to avoid Drew for the past six years, ensuring that if he was in one country she'd be in another.
After all, theirs wasn't a real marriage anyway--Drew had wanted the business connection with her father and Helen had merely wanted to escape her parents. It was a bizarre but comfortable arrangement.
But now Drew meant to claim his rights as her husband, and she had nowhere to turn. His sudden demands were frightening and confusing--as were her own surprising responses...
February 25, 2017
Heroine's a total zombie. She's checked out of the world for most of the book, just a blank-eyed pretty doll who socializes, shops, and plays piano. Still, it's fun watching her frozen-out husband chase after her and finally win her.
April 14, 2016
heroine was so cold and detached almost a robot lol
Read
December 21, 2011*FULL OF SPOILERS*
My take: Clea lives in Greece with her stepfather and step-sister. She came to live with her stepfather, Kerasteri as a young girl when Kerasteri married her mother. After her mother's death when she was a teenager, Clea stayed in Greece as she has no close family in England.
Clea's stepsister is a very outgoing and flirtatious young woman who happens to be a year younger than Clea. One day her stepsister brings home the very handsome half Greek half British Ben Winter for dinner.
Ben was taken with Clea's beauty from the beginning. Clea feels an attraction to Ben as well but gives him the cold shoulder. Karasteri notes Ben's attraction and informs him in a subtle way during dinner, that both Clea and her stepsister are engaged to be married.
Clea has been thinking about her upcoming nuptials for some time and decided that she must make a run for it. Her stepfather will not allow her to stay in his home if she refuses to marry the man he chose for her. Furthermore, her feelings for Ben are equally troubling for her. While thinking about her upcoming move, she moves to the window after having taken a shower lost in her thoughts. Ben is standing outside right below Clea's room. When Ben looks up and notices Clea's naked form, he is completely transfixed by her youth and flawless beauty. Clea notices Ben staring at her and the two stand for a long moment looking at each other. Clea is finally able to pull herself away from the window and is deeply troubled.
A day or two following the window incident, Ben comes around to Kerasteri's house yet again. This time Kerasteri is not around to chaperone his daughters. Ben unleashes his desire for as well as his frustrations on Clea. He starts to kiss her and just as she is starting to relax into the kiss, her stepfather walks upon the two. Kerasteri is beyond mad punches Ben out, and calls Clea a whole host of bad names. After this incident Clea plays it safe around her step father so he won't grow suspicious about her upcoming lescape from his home. Clea mistakenly told Ben about her plans. Clea meets a woman on the plane who befriends her and offers to allow Clea to stay with her in London since she has nothing booked.
As soon as Clea enters the apartment, guess who comes out to greet her.... Ben. The woman who befriends Clea on the plane was in fact a friend of Ben who he paid to string Clea along. Clea is mad and lets Ben have it. The friend leaves, Ben locks the door behind her, placing the key in his front pocket. Ben has in effect kidnapped Clea, he keeps her in his apartment for a week. Clea manages to escape because Ben becomes drunk after Clea rejects him following her first encounter*wink wink* with him.
Clea manages to get the key and slip out of the apartment. She finds work through an agency at a hotel as the front counter person. A few months into her new job, guess who walks through the door??? The chic who led Clea to Ben's apartment. Clea hides before the woman sees her, or so Clea thinks. A few days later while Clea is out on her lunch break, she happens to notice someone following her, it's Ben.
He is walking some distance back from Clea with his head down looking so depressed. It obvious he misses Clea and loves her a lot. In a twisted way, Clea found it amusing that Ben should appear so distraught. Ben never approaches Clea just walks some distance away like a sad puppy dog. In the end the female friend of Ben, comes to the hotel to beg Clea to at least talk to Ben again. She tells Clea that Ben is falling apart, and how she "has never seen him look or behave like this". After mucht begging on the part of Ben's friend, Clea agrees to come to dinner. When Ben walks in and sees Clea, he is a very angry but manages to calm down. After the friend and her boyfriend leave Clea and Ben alone for a few, the two manage to talk out their problems and like all good romance novels declare their love for each other.
I really liked this book a lot. I think it's going on the keeper shelf. The forced seduction and kidnapping I could have done with out. I give this book 4 stars.
Things you may/may not like about this book:
1. May/December romance
2. The heroine's stepfather is in love with her(says the hero)
3. Forced seduction that turned into a very painful first time for the heroine
4. The heroine was kidnapped
My take: Clea lives in Greece with her stepfather and step-sister. She came to live with her stepfather, Kerasteri as a young girl when Kerasteri married her mother. After her mother's death when she was a teenager, Clea stayed in Greece as she has no close family in England.
Clea's stepsister is a very outgoing and flirtatious young woman who happens to be a year younger than Clea. One day her stepsister brings home the very handsome half Greek half British Ben Winter for dinner.
Ben was taken with Clea's beauty from the beginning. Clea feels an attraction to Ben as well but gives him the cold shoulder. Karasteri notes Ben's attraction and informs him in a subtle way during dinner, that both Clea and her stepsister are engaged to be married.
Clea has been thinking about her upcoming nuptials for some time and decided that she must make a run for it. Her stepfather will not allow her to stay in his home if she refuses to marry the man he chose for her. Furthermore, her feelings for Ben are equally troubling for her. While thinking about her upcoming move, she moves to the window after having taken a shower lost in her thoughts. Ben is standing outside right below Clea's room. When Ben looks up and notices Clea's naked form, he is completely transfixed by her youth and flawless beauty. Clea notices Ben staring at her and the two stand for a long moment looking at each other. Clea is finally able to pull herself away from the window and is deeply troubled.
A day or two following the window incident, Ben comes around to Kerasteri's house yet again. This time Kerasteri is not around to chaperone his daughters. Ben unleashes his desire for as well as his frustrations on Clea. He starts to kiss her and just as she is starting to relax into the kiss, her stepfather walks upon the two. Kerasteri is beyond mad punches Ben out, and calls Clea a whole host of bad names. After this incident Clea plays it safe around her step father so he won't grow suspicious about her upcoming lescape from his home. Clea mistakenly told Ben about her plans. Clea meets a woman on the plane who befriends her and offers to allow Clea to stay with her in London since she has nothing booked.
As soon as Clea enters the apartment, guess who comes out to greet her.... Ben. The woman who befriends Clea on the plane was in fact a friend of Ben who he paid to string Clea along. Clea is mad and lets Ben have it. The friend leaves, Ben locks the door behind her, placing the key in his front pocket. Ben has in effect kidnapped Clea, he keeps her in his apartment for a week. Clea manages to escape because Ben becomes drunk after Clea rejects him following her first encounter*wink wink* with him.
Clea manages to get the key and slip out of the apartment. She finds work through an agency at a hotel as the front counter person. A few months into her new job, guess who walks through the door??? The chic who led Clea to Ben's apartment. Clea hides before the woman sees her, or so Clea thinks. A few days later while Clea is out on her lunch break, she happens to notice someone following her, it's Ben.
He is walking some distance back from Clea with his head down looking so depressed. It obvious he misses Clea and loves her a lot. In a twisted way, Clea found it amusing that Ben should appear so distraught. Ben never approaches Clea just walks some distance away like a sad puppy dog. In the end the female friend of Ben, comes to the hotel to beg Clea to at least talk to Ben again. She tells Clea that Ben is falling apart, and how she "has never seen him look or behave like this". After mucht begging on the part of Ben's friend, Clea agrees to come to dinner. When Ben walks in and sees Clea, he is a very angry but manages to calm down. After the friend and her boyfriend leave Clea and Ben alone for a few, the two manage to talk out their problems and like all good romance novels declare their love for each other.
I really liked this book a lot. I think it's going on the keeper shelf. The forced seduction and kidnapping I could have done with out. I give this book 4 stars.
Things you may/may not like about this book:
1. May/December romance
2. The heroine's stepfather is in love with her(says the hero)
3. Forced seduction that turned into a very painful first time for the heroine
4. The heroine was kidnapped
July 11, 2022
The h is a poor little rich girl who feels sorry for herself when her parents neglect her. She is cold hearted, but of course that’s all her parents’ fault.
She spends her days shopping and going out and playing the piano.
The H is crazy jealous and obsessed. I don’t know why. It must be because of her looks because again and again throughout the book the writer reminds us how beautiful she is.
They have a son together. She leaves her son at home in London for a few days so she can go shopping for clothes in Paris.
Not one of Charlotte Lamb’s best.
She spends her days shopping and going out and playing the piano.
The H is crazy jealous and obsessed. I don’t know why. It must be because of her looks because again and again throughout the book the writer reminds us how beautiful she is.
They have a son together. She leaves her son at home in London for a few days so she can go shopping for clothes in Paris.
Not one of Charlotte Lamb’s best.
March 9, 2022
Whhhhaaaat?? Not great. Very unbelievable. The hero wouldn't even woo the heroine. The heroine who has no emotional support, so who she is is because of her terrible parents and the hero just wrecked her. He cheated, just he didn't even work on getting to know her, raped her...twice!!! Forced her to have a kid! Without talking to her! Skip. Painful.
January 26, 2014
H was a violent, arrogant, cold blooded rapist and h's ice maiden exterior made it hard to sympathize with her. I stopped reading after even their reunion sex was was not quite fully consensual and there was no remorse expressed by H at this stage.
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