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Roses All The Way
She had three weeks to find out
An all-expenses-paid trip to Rio might be dream come true, but a meeting with the arrogant, cynical Chris Hunter certainly wasn't.
Kirsten had learned from bitter experience not to trust men like him, and she was determined she wouldn't be fooled. It would be interesting, she thought, to play him at his own game and teach him a lesson ....
The only problem was that the more she got to know Chris, the better she liked him--and that definitely wasn't part of her plan!
An all-expenses-paid trip to Rio might be dream come true, but a meeting with the arrogant, cynical Chris Hunter certainly wasn't.
Kirsten had learned from bitter experience not to trust men like him, and she was determined she wouldn't be fooled. It would be interesting, she thought, to play him at his own game and teach him a lesson ....
The only problem was that the more she got to know Chris, the better she liked him--and that definitely wasn't part of her plan!
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published February 1, 1990
1 person is currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Jayne Bauling
58 books71 followersJayne was born in England but grew up in South Africa. After many years in Johannesburg and 17 women's fiction novels published in the UK, a move to White River, Mbombela in Mpumalanga, coincided with an exploration of new writing directions - youth fiction, short stories and poetry. Her YA novel E Eights won the 2009 Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa, Stepping Solo was awarded the 2011 Maskew Miller Longman literature award for novels in English, and Dreaming of Light won the 2012 Gold Sanlam Prize for Youth Literature and was chosen for the 2014 IBBY Honour List. Her youth short story Dineo 658 MP won the 2009 MML silver medal, while This Ubuntu Thing was shortlisted for the inaugural Golden Baobab award and The Saturday Dress was shortlisted for the same award in 2014. In 2011 she also won the inaugural African Writing flash fiction prize for Settling. She has twice been shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Another youth novel Our Side of the Wall was shortlisted for the Sanlam Prize. Her adult short stories have appeared in The Bed Book of Short Stories (Modjaji Books), The Edge of Things (Dye Hard Press), African Pens 2011 (Jacana), Feast, Famine & Potluck (Short Story Day Africa), the e-anthology Behind the Shadows, and (the stories An Inappropriate Woman and Witch and Bitch)in the People Opposing Women Abuse Breaking the Silence annual anthologies (Jacana). Rage and Misfortune, her retelling of the OT Samson story was published online by Ludic Press. Poetry: Symbiosis won SAFM's Express Yourself prize, Fist was placed 3rd in the 2008 POWA Women's Writing Project and published in Murmurs of the Girl in Me, while Unschooled was published in POWA's 2010 anthology Stories of the Othere(ed) Woman and The Ladies Take Tea in POWA's 2012 anthology Sisterhood. More poetry in ouroboros review, Markings, poetandgeek, Ons Klyntji, Litnet and the Lowvelder.
Her latest novel is Soccer Secrets (Cover2Cover Books).
Visit her Facebook page Jayne Bauling Writer or follow her on Twitter @JayneBauling
Her latest novel is Soccer Secrets (Cover2Cover Books).
Visit her Facebook page Jayne Bauling Writer or follow her on Twitter @JayneBauling
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 28, 2017
Re Roses all the Way - In her final HP offering, JB brings us a twist on the classic poor little h with a low self esteem trope. I wouldn't go so far to say this h is martyred, but she has some serious self image baggage, tho sensibly she manages to maintain her good looks and doesn't dress like the Pillsbury Dough Boy to hide her femininity.
Yes, this h has a long history of wrongs being done her, and like pure and virtuous HP h's before her, she wants her incredible beauty to be appreciated only if there is appreciation for the mind and spirit it cloaks. This h doesn't even want a hint of a suggestion that her love is for sale.
Since her warring divorced parents and her first big infatuation all tried to buy her love and affection with pricey baubles and gifts, then expected unadulterated adoration as a result, the h has a huge chip on her shoulder. She fights to resist the thought patterns that tell her since everyone close to her has tried to purchase her love and loyalty, that she must not have much value as a person in her own right. She has been taught that her thoughts and feelings are pretty much irrelevant, cause it is only her looks that make her valuable and in the case of boyfriends, only her potential in bed that is worth trying to buy. Yep, this h has some issues, but she tries hard to get past them until a confluence of events knocks her off balance and into the shifting tides of love and revenge.
This one starts with the h winning a junior employee idea initiative at her job and the prize is a three week all expense paid trip to Rio for the annual Company symposium/party vacation. When the h gets there, she overhears the Head honcho saying how he is going to have to swallow hard and call up the junior office prize winner for a dinner date.
She is then subjected to the speculation that she has buck teeth, coke bottle glasses and spots. Since the Head Honcho is such a manly specimen of Alpha CEOness and incredible good looks and charm, he figures he will just have to condescend a bit for the poor little office junior prize winner, even tho the poor girl will probably be overwhelmed with such perfect magnificence and completely out of her league.
The h is insulted to say the least, but trying hard to remember that not all bosses and men are like her last one, the guy who flattered and cajoled and dumped loads of fabulous gifts and offerings on her and then expected payment of the boudoir bouncing sort for his largess. When the h refused, because she thought it was true love and not lust, the ex-boss fired her without any cause whatsoever - after doing his best to demean and belittle her. So now she is a bit cynical about condescending bosses who judge on looks alone, but she has a mantra and she keeps repeating it. "Not all men are slime swilling nematode horny toads". It almost works too, poor girl.
So repeating her mantra while she is settling in to the luxury Rio hotel for a three week stay, the h isn't exactly unprepared for the H's call - tho it seemed he got distracted by a drink invitation from a former lover in the lobby- so the h is hoping the Head Honcho will give dinner a miss. The HH knows his duty tho, and the h obviously wasn't saying her mantra hard enough, cause when he calls to ask her to dinner, she tells him she has neither spots nor glasses and her teeth are great thank you, but dinner with the boss is a bonus she doesn't really want to participate in.
Needless to say the H shows up at her door lickety split after that conversation, and when he sees her dressed in a clingy little flowy number, he can tell she isn't hurting in the looks department at all. They do go out to dinner and surprisingly they have a really nice time. The H manages a graceful apology for his unseen judgy issues and the h is keeping her mantra in the back of her mind.
The H begins courting her in earnest. He seems to be into her in a very big way - so big that when he starts having roses delivered to her room everyday and he starts buying her fabulous aquamarines and squiring her around to various company events, the h starts to get a bit suspicious. Add in the manipulations of his ex lover, who is clinging for dear life to the coattails of the H's affection, well the H attempts at using the lurve club mojo don't go so well and the h winds up rejecting him.
Thinking that the H is just like all the others in her life and trying to buy his way into her bed, the h stages a huge setdown and it doesn't go as planned at all. The h feels used and humiliated, punishing kisses are involved and the H says some really nasty, mean spirited comments right before he dumps her. They do not make it to the actual boudoir moment, the h preempted the pike strike, but the H leaves her with some serious kisses and a broken heart, cause the h fell in love in spite of herself.
Then the h has mopey moments, cause the H's former lover is right back with him and he is flaunting her for all he is worth. The h finds out from the H's business associates that he has a history of being generous with everybody and is always going around giving people gifts, he only wants to spread a little joy via gifts, since he has so much.
The h begins to think she got everything horribly wrong and goes to talk to the H. She explains her past baggage and the H listens and understands. Then the H explains that he likes giving things, he gives things to everybody and he thought she was special and lovable, but it is really hard to love and respect someone who doesn't love and respect themselves enough to rate their own value.
In other words, a well rounded guy wants a girl who has some self worth and self esteem, not a doormat who thinks she less than dirt. They wind up lurving it up and then the H leaves, he is very ambiguous in his parting comments and basically leaves any further contact up to the h.
The h is completely bewildered, and the OW is very condescending but clearly has no clue as to what is going on between the H and h and so the h wonders if the OW isn't lying through her teeth as well. The H has always been honest when the h thinks about it and when she hears that the H always gives ladies flowers but never roses, cause roses are special to him and reserved for the woman he loves, the h realizes she still has a shot at true love and she needs to take it, cause the H is still sending her roses every day.
She gathers her courage and approaches the H on her flight home, she doesn't really know what to say, but she knows she feels valuable enough to demand the H treat her better than a one night stand. She never gets to make her big self esteem speech to the H tho, cause as soon as he sees her he is down on knees and begging her to forgive him, but he did not know what else to do. He used the OW to make her jealous, but he never touched her. He wanted the h to value herself enough to demand better from him and now that she approached him, he knows she has gotten some self esteem and he will never put her through anything like that ever again.
As he sweeps her off to propose and cuddle, the H is demanding that they both be honest with each other and talk about their individual and couple issues, cause he loves her madly. He loved her at first sight, yet if they aren't honest with each other they can't support each other or really share their love. The h enthusiastically agrees and realizing that with this man, the future will be roses all the way, she happily surrenders to the passionate kissing moment HEA.
I liked this one, but the H is a bit harsh and this is very much an either love it or hate it book. JB cleverly takes the all the sympathy votes for the h tropes and turns them around so that we are jolted as much as the h is when the H shakes up her pity party low self esteem drama and tells her to get over it and get some self respect.
I like that idear, especially in HPlandia where h low self esteem is practically a requirement for the h position. Give this one a go if you like the twisting trope story line, JB does a good job with developed characters and this one was a great day at the HP office.
Yes, this h has a long history of wrongs being done her, and like pure and virtuous HP h's before her, she wants her incredible beauty to be appreciated only if there is appreciation for the mind and spirit it cloaks. This h doesn't even want a hint of a suggestion that her love is for sale.
Since her warring divorced parents and her first big infatuation all tried to buy her love and affection with pricey baubles and gifts, then expected unadulterated adoration as a result, the h has a huge chip on her shoulder. She fights to resist the thought patterns that tell her since everyone close to her has tried to purchase her love and loyalty, that she must not have much value as a person in her own right. She has been taught that her thoughts and feelings are pretty much irrelevant, cause it is only her looks that make her valuable and in the case of boyfriends, only her potential in bed that is worth trying to buy. Yep, this h has some issues, but she tries hard to get past them until a confluence of events knocks her off balance and into the shifting tides of love and revenge.
This one starts with the h winning a junior employee idea initiative at her job and the prize is a three week all expense paid trip to Rio for the annual Company symposium/party vacation. When the h gets there, she overhears the Head honcho saying how he is going to have to swallow hard and call up the junior office prize winner for a dinner date.
She is then subjected to the speculation that she has buck teeth, coke bottle glasses and spots. Since the Head Honcho is such a manly specimen of Alpha CEOness and incredible good looks and charm, he figures he will just have to condescend a bit for the poor little office junior prize winner, even tho the poor girl will probably be overwhelmed with such perfect magnificence and completely out of her league.
The h is insulted to say the least, but trying hard to remember that not all bosses and men are like her last one, the guy who flattered and cajoled and dumped loads of fabulous gifts and offerings on her and then expected payment of the boudoir bouncing sort for his largess. When the h refused, because she thought it was true love and not lust, the ex-boss fired her without any cause whatsoever - after doing his best to demean and belittle her. So now she is a bit cynical about condescending bosses who judge on looks alone, but she has a mantra and she keeps repeating it. "Not all men are slime swilling nematode horny toads". It almost works too, poor girl.
So repeating her mantra while she is settling in to the luxury Rio hotel for a three week stay, the h isn't exactly unprepared for the H's call - tho it seemed he got distracted by a drink invitation from a former lover in the lobby- so the h is hoping the Head Honcho will give dinner a miss. The HH knows his duty tho, and the h obviously wasn't saying her mantra hard enough, cause when he calls to ask her to dinner, she tells him she has neither spots nor glasses and her teeth are great thank you, but dinner with the boss is a bonus she doesn't really want to participate in.
Needless to say the H shows up at her door lickety split after that conversation, and when he sees her dressed in a clingy little flowy number, he can tell she isn't hurting in the looks department at all. They do go out to dinner and surprisingly they have a really nice time. The H manages a graceful apology for his unseen judgy issues and the h is keeping her mantra in the back of her mind.
The H begins courting her in earnest. He seems to be into her in a very big way - so big that when he starts having roses delivered to her room everyday and he starts buying her fabulous aquamarines and squiring her around to various company events, the h starts to get a bit suspicious. Add in the manipulations of his ex lover, who is clinging for dear life to the coattails of the H's affection, well the H attempts at using the lurve club mojo don't go so well and the h winds up rejecting him.
Thinking that the H is just like all the others in her life and trying to buy his way into her bed, the h stages a huge setdown and it doesn't go as planned at all. The h feels used and humiliated, punishing kisses are involved and the H says some really nasty, mean spirited comments right before he dumps her. They do not make it to the actual boudoir moment, the h preempted the pike strike, but the H leaves her with some serious kisses and a broken heart, cause the h fell in love in spite of herself.
Then the h has mopey moments, cause the H's former lover is right back with him and he is flaunting her for all he is worth. The h finds out from the H's business associates that he has a history of being generous with everybody and is always going around giving people gifts, he only wants to spread a little joy via gifts, since he has so much.
The h begins to think she got everything horribly wrong and goes to talk to the H. She explains her past baggage and the H listens and understands. Then the H explains that he likes giving things, he gives things to everybody and he thought she was special and lovable, but it is really hard to love and respect someone who doesn't love and respect themselves enough to rate their own value.
In other words, a well rounded guy wants a girl who has some self worth and self esteem, not a doormat who thinks she less than dirt. They wind up lurving it up and then the H leaves, he is very ambiguous in his parting comments and basically leaves any further contact up to the h.
The h is completely bewildered, and the OW is very condescending but clearly has no clue as to what is going on between the H and h and so the h wonders if the OW isn't lying through her teeth as well. The H has always been honest when the h thinks about it and when she hears that the H always gives ladies flowers but never roses, cause roses are special to him and reserved for the woman he loves, the h realizes she still has a shot at true love and she needs to take it, cause the H is still sending her roses every day.
She gathers her courage and approaches the H on her flight home, she doesn't really know what to say, but she knows she feels valuable enough to demand the H treat her better than a one night stand. She never gets to make her big self esteem speech to the H tho, cause as soon as he sees her he is down on knees and begging her to forgive him, but he did not know what else to do. He used the OW to make her jealous, but he never touched her. He wanted the h to value herself enough to demand better from him and now that she approached him, he knows she has gotten some self esteem and he will never put her through anything like that ever again.
As he sweeps her off to propose and cuddle, the H is demanding that they both be honest with each other and talk about their individual and couple issues, cause he loves her madly. He loved her at first sight, yet if they aren't honest with each other they can't support each other or really share their love. The h enthusiastically agrees and realizing that with this man, the future will be roses all the way, she happily surrenders to the passionate kissing moment HEA.
I liked this one, but the H is a bit harsh and this is very much an either love it or hate it book. JB cleverly takes the all the sympathy votes for the h tropes and turns them around so that we are jolted as much as the h is when the H shakes up her pity party low self esteem drama and tells her to get over it and get some self respect.
I like that idear, especially in HPlandia where h low self esteem is practically a requirement for the h position. Give this one a go if you like the twisting trope story line, JB does a good job with developed characters and this one was a great day at the HP office.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2020
"Roses All The Way" is the story of Kirsten and Chris.
An overly cautious scarred heroine who has been hurt by circumstances in her life reaches the epitome of cynicism, and it all plays out in this book. She is tired of gifts, and what people expect in return for them, especially with what happened with her ex. So when the hero starts courting her, she gets this insanely genius idea of leading him on just to teach him a lesson. He seems genuinely into her, but our Einstein is plotting his downfall for no reason except how DARE he give her roses and jewelry. Anyways, the first half is him duping her and second half is him teaching her a lesson. She finally realizes her lack of brain cells, and he forgives her ending in a HEA.
Wow she needed therapy TBH.
Safe..ish
2.5/5
An overly cautious scarred heroine who has been hurt by circumstances in her life reaches the epitome of cynicism, and it all plays out in this book. She is tired of gifts, and what people expect in return for them, especially with what happened with her ex. So when the hero starts courting her, she gets this insanely genius idea of leading him on just to teach him a lesson. He seems genuinely into her, but our Einstein is plotting his downfall for no reason except how DARE he give her roses and jewelry. Anyways, the first half is him duping her and second half is him teaching her a lesson. She finally realizes her lack of brain cells, and he forgives her ending in a HEA.
Wow she needed therapy TBH.
Safe..ish
2.5/5
November 4, 2017
This is a story of the CEO of a computer company courting one of is employees at a three week conference in Rio. The heroine pretends to go along with the courtship as revenge against a rich guy who broke her heart.
I have to say up front that I really didn't like the heroine in this one at all. She was petty and vindictive and jumped to conclusions and thought the whole world owed her for having divorced parents and one bad love affair. In short - she was an HP alpha who was just looking to kick someone around. She didn't use the hero for her own sexual pleasure which is a step up from the typical damaged HP alpha. However she found her target in the smitten H, who thought he was wooing the heroine while she twisted everything he did.
Yes, the hero was harsh with her when he realized she had been using him to exorcise the ghost of her relationships, but I thought he was spot on in calling her a "vindictive emotional cripple."
He did manage to turn the tables and have a ONS with the heroine after she realized she was wrong and asked for forgiveness. That was mean, but it did come from a place of genuine hurt - not like the heroine who targeted the hero for revenge before she had ever met him.
I honestly don't know how the hero can trust this heroine going forward - she is a drama queen and not very giving. I also didn't feel the OW situation was given a decent burial. While the hero felt nothing for the OW, I wouldn't put it past the OW to continue chasing the H. And that will drive the neurotic heroine up a wall.
I have to say up front that I really didn't like the heroine in this one at all. She was petty and vindictive and jumped to conclusions and thought the whole world owed her for having divorced parents and one bad love affair. In short - she was an HP alpha who was just looking to kick someone around. She didn't use the hero for her own sexual pleasure which is a step up from the typical damaged HP alpha. However she found her target in the smitten H, who thought he was wooing the heroine while she twisted everything he did.
Yes, the hero was harsh with her when he realized she had been using him to exorcise the ghost of her relationships, but I thought he was spot on in calling her a "vindictive emotional cripple."
He did manage to turn the tables and have a ONS with the heroine after she realized she was wrong and asked for forgiveness. That was mean, but it did come from a place of genuine hurt - not like the heroine who targeted the hero for revenge before she had ever met him.
I honestly don't know how the hero can trust this heroine going forward - she is a drama queen and not very giving. I also didn't feel the OW situation was given a decent burial. While the hero felt nothing for the OW, I wouldn't put it past the OW to continue chasing the H. And that will drive the neurotic heroine up a wall.
June 26, 2024
HAIKU BOOK REVIEW: Roses All the Way, by Jayne Bauling
Neurotic woman
meets two-timing playboy at
Brazil conference.
Neurotic woman
meets two-timing playboy at
Brazil conference.
February 15, 2019
Like other reviewers have said the heroine is annoying as hell! I really liked how the hero called her out on her mentality and behaviour, he's a better man than her for sure. He summed her up in this spot on description: emotional cripple! So we were supposed to feel sorry for her that her four parents/step parents have always tried to buy her affections, and the string of callous men she'd dated, culminating in the bill tallying Lyall, made her the cynic she was.
It was awful reading the parts where she looked at all Chris did from the worst angle. When Tom and Joanne revealed more of Chris's generous nature, I want to go awww what a sweet guy!
The Other Woman situation was poorly handled... I felt some sympathy for her at the end. But so long as she's around and not given up hope on Chris, I wonder how secure Kirsten would feel going forward. She got serious issues to get through and it'd be tough on Chris!
But overall a charming book set in Rio, Brazil. Would not mind reading more books from this new to me author.
It was awful reading the parts where she looked at all Chris did from the worst angle. When Tom and Joanne revealed more of Chris's generous nature, I want to go awww what a sweet guy!
The Other Woman situation was poorly handled... I felt some sympathy for her at the end. But so long as she's around and not given up hope on Chris, I wonder how secure Kirsten would feel going forward. She got serious issues to get through and it'd be tough on Chris!
But overall a charming book set in Rio, Brazil. Would not mind reading more books from this new to me author.
May 3, 2021
I am currently reading the book and the h is getting more and more annoying. Could the writer maybe re-write the story so that the H dumps her and finds a better woman?
The H is rich and buys her presents. Not once does she say she doesn’t want presents, so he keeps buying her presents.
She resents him for buying presents for her because she had a boyfriend who used to do that. And the poor little rich girl had divorced parents who tried to buy her love with presents.
Now I’m at the page where she is thinking that the H really hurt her by sending her roses and that he hurt her more with every present he gives her. And she whines that there is no forgiveness for what he had done to her by giving her presents.
I mean, WTF? The poor guy is giving her presents, she says nothing to stop him from doing that and then she whines about what he had done to her by giving her presents. I can’t believe I am really reading this.
This h gets so much on your nerves that you’ll need a drink.
The H is rich and buys her presents. Not once does she say she doesn’t want presents, so he keeps buying her presents.
She resents him for buying presents for her because she had a boyfriend who used to do that. And the poor little rich girl had divorced parents who tried to buy her love with presents.
Now I’m at the page where she is thinking that the H really hurt her by sending her roses and that he hurt her more with every present he gives her. And she whines that there is no forgiveness for what he had done to her by giving her presents.
I mean, WTF? The poor guy is giving her presents, she says nothing to stop him from doing that and then she whines about what he had done to her by giving her presents. I can’t believe I am really reading this.
This h gets so much on your nerves that you’ll need a drink.
December 16, 2023
This h Kirsten was a psycho. It's set in Rio where she has won a company competition to attend a 3 week conference. Those were the days eh? Dinner with the multimillionaire boss of her company, Chris Hunter, is part of the prize. To be frank I couldn't really take to him all that much either. She has a weird chip on her shoulder about wealth and being 'bought' with expensive gifts. How he fell for her and had any patience idk. The in plane proposal at the end certainly bore no resemblance to any recent airline experience of mine. Different times. Not a reread.
November 11, 2022
This is more complicated than most. The h instantly suspects H of trying to buy her on the basis of a rose bouquet which is juvenile and self righteous, ick. The H wants her and thinks a couple of weeks is a very long time to date without bed, double ick.
He doesn’t seem to realize h needs more than a “we’re good together so let’s get it on”, that she might have moral reservations about sleeping with a guy based solely on physical attraction and zero mention of commitment or love, much less marriage. (She doesn’t seem bothered by the immorality as much as she fears being used and hurt. She is falling in love and knows an affair would hurt.)
She plots a silly revenge, silly because H hasn’t done anything that she needs revenge for, she could just say no without the drama. She keeps equating H with a jerk ex boyfriend and doesn’t try to see H as a separate person. She tells herself she’s giving H rope to hang himself, such a sweetheart.
Why not just tell him you don’t like presents, that they make her feel pressured, that she likes him but doesn’t want an affair. Instead she plays a sick game - she even recognizes it’s sick - and it boomerangs.
Bottom line: I don’t like this. It’s well written with unusual plot but I don’t like either character. H pushes for sex and h is all mixed up and immature.
He doesn’t seem to realize h needs more than a “we’re good together so let’s get it on”, that she might have moral reservations about sleeping with a guy based solely on physical attraction and zero mention of commitment or love, much less marriage. (She doesn’t seem bothered by the immorality as much as she fears being used and hurt. She is falling in love and knows an affair would hurt.)
She plots a silly revenge, silly because H hasn’t done anything that she needs revenge for, she could just say no without the drama. She keeps equating H with a jerk ex boyfriend and doesn’t try to see H as a separate person. She tells herself she’s giving H rope to hang himself, such a sweetheart.
Why not just tell him you don’t like presents, that they make her feel pressured, that she likes him but doesn’t want an affair. Instead she plays a sick game - she even recognizes it’s sick - and it boomerangs.
Bottom line: I don’t like this. It’s well written with unusual plot but I don’t like either character. H pushes for sex and h is all mixed up and immature.
Read
November 16, 2025LOL only like 15% in and this h is something else.
In the terminology of the time period in which this exists, she's neurotic and paranoid. And obsessive; she's entirely obsessed with this one dude, Lyall Mason, who she's mentioned in her internal monologue 20 times up to my current page, 149/926 (ebook).
Also her internal monologue, which is incessant, has been crashing all the way out about a bouquet of roses and a bottle of champagne that came from the owner (I think) of her company. Said company hosted an employee contest, the winner of which won a meeting with said owner (a wealthy celeb computer genius or something) and an all expenses paid trip to a 3 week (!!!) exclusive computer conference in Rio.
So most reasonable people would assume it's just part of the winner's package, but not h. She is convinced it is the first step in a longer campaign for the H/her boss, whom she's never met before, to STEAL HER SOOOOUL I mean purchase her body. She spends an inordinate amount of time analyzing these flowers, with their "soft" thorns and what they mean? What does the color mean? What does it mean that they're fully bloomed and not closed like most roses? What does the number of them mean? What does the vase mean? (OK the last 2 I added, but the rest is accurate).
Dear Hero of this book:
RUN.
In the terminology of the time period in which this exists, she's neurotic and paranoid. And obsessive; she's entirely obsessed with this one dude, Lyall Mason, who she's mentioned in her internal monologue 20 times up to my current page, 149/926 (ebook).
Also her internal monologue, which is incessant, has been crashing all the way out about a bouquet of roses and a bottle of champagne that came from the owner (I think) of her company. Said company hosted an employee contest, the winner of which won a meeting with said owner (a wealthy celeb computer genius or something) and an all expenses paid trip to a 3 week (!!!) exclusive computer conference in Rio.
So most reasonable people would assume it's just part of the winner's package, but not h. She is convinced it is the first step in a longer campaign for the H/her boss, whom she's never met before, to STEAL HER SOOOOUL I mean purchase her body. She spends an inordinate amount of time analyzing these flowers, with their "soft" thorns and what they mean? What does the color mean? What does it mean that they're fully bloomed and not closed like most roses? What does the number of them mean? What does the vase mean? (OK the last 2 I added, but the rest is accurate).
Dear Hero of this book:
RUN.
February 9, 2018
Meh. I won’t summarise this book as the other reviewers have done a good enough job.
Usually I like a smitten Hero, but in this one, the heroine and her constant suspicion killed it for me. I didn’t like that she was scheming because she suspected his motives. She could simply have said she was uncomfortable at receiving gifts. She never once did that and then judged the Hero for it.
The Hero was no great shakes either. Even though he was attracted to the heroine, an it did appear he was courting her with all the gifts he kept giving her, he was also always with the OW. Therefore I don’t blame the heroin for most of her suspicions, when it really did look like he was keeping the OW on the side in case the heroine did not put out.
There is absolutely no trust between these two people.
Usually I like a smitten Hero, but in this one, the heroine and her constant suspicion killed it for me. I didn’t like that she was scheming because she suspected his motives. She could simply have said she was uncomfortable at receiving gifts. She never once did that and then judged the Hero for it.
The Hero was no great shakes either. Even though he was attracted to the heroine, an it did appear he was courting her with all the gifts he kept giving her, he was also always with the OW. Therefore I don’t blame the heroin for most of her suspicions, when it really did look like he was keeping the OW on the side in case the heroine did not put out.
There is absolutely no trust between these two people.
May 25, 2024
This was my first book and I remember I got it from my school library and took it home and started reading it. It was so nice to read it. This was the book that made me fell in love with books and reading and fictional characters.
May 27, 2023
"Τα Τριαντάφυλλα του Ρίο" - Τζιν Μπόλινγκ, Σειρά Χρυσό (καφέ), νούμερο 487, έτος έκδοσης στην Ελλάδα: 1990
Το όνειρο που έγινε πραγματικότητα: ένα ταξίδι στο Ρίο, με όλα τα έξοδά της πληρωμένα. Ωστόσο, η γνωριμία της με τον αλαζονικό και κυνικό Κρις Χάντερ, δεν ήταν διόλου ευχάριστη. Η Κίρστεν είχε πικρή εμπειρία από το παρελθόν και δεν εμπιστευόταν άντρες σαν τον Χάντερ.
Ήταν αποφασισμένη να μη πέσει στην παγίδα του. Θα είχε ενδιαφέρον όμως να παίξει το παιχνίδι του και να του δώσει ένα μάθημα...Το μόνο πρόβλημα ήταν πώς, όσο καλύτερα γνώριζε τον Κρις, τόσο περισσότερο τον συμπαθούσε. Κι αυτό δεν συμπεριλαμβανόταν στα σχέδιά της!
ΠΟΛΥ ΩΡΑΙΟ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Το όνειρο που έγινε πραγματικότητα: ένα ταξίδι στο Ρίο, με όλα τα έξοδά της πληρωμένα. Ωστόσο, η γνωριμία της με τον αλαζονικό και κυνικό Κρις Χάντερ, δεν ήταν διόλου ευχάριστη. Η Κίρστεν είχε πικρή εμπειρία από το παρελθόν και δεν εμπιστευόταν άντρες σαν τον Χάντερ.
Ήταν αποφασισμένη να μη πέσει στην παγίδα του. Θα είχε ενδιαφέρον όμως να παίξει το παιχνίδι του και να του δώσει ένα μάθημα...Το μόνο πρόβλημα ήταν πώς, όσο καλύτερα γνώριζε τον Κρις, τόσο περισσότερο τον συμπαθούσε. Κι αυτό δεν συμπεριλαμβανόταν στα σχέδιά της!
ΠΟΛΥ ΩΡΑΙΟ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
pback-to-read
February 9, 2021She had three weeks to find out
An all-expenses-paid trip to Rio might be dream come true, but a meeting with the arrogant, cynical Chris Hunter certainly wasn't.
Kirsten had learned from bitter experience not to trust men like him, and she was determined she wouldn't be fooled. It would be interesting, she thought, to play him at his own game and teach him a lesson ....
The only problem was that the more she got to know Chris, the better she liked him--and that definitely wasn't part of her plan!
An all-expenses-paid trip to Rio might be dream come true, but a meeting with the arrogant, cynical Chris Hunter certainly wasn't.
Kirsten had learned from bitter experience not to trust men like him, and she was determined she wouldn't be fooled. It would be interesting, she thought, to play him at his own game and teach him a lesson ....
The only problem was that the more she got to know Chris, the better she liked him--and that definitely wasn't part of her plan!
July 10, 2012
This one was good but of course they all are good not great. The character Kirsten I liked even when she was being selfless and then when she knew she was in love with Chris she tried to fix what she did wrong by finding him and telling him why she did it. I liked the ending with him asking her to marry him.
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